Why Should You Care About Cybersecurity for Your Business?

Most small to medium-sized businesses put off cybersecurity until an emergency happens.??

Waiting to implement cybersecurity strategies and solutions won’t just put your profits at risk, though. By waiting, you risk scammers getting the sensitive data of every single one of your customers, suppliers, and employees.?

In this edition of Power Forward, we’re going to talk about why waiting to implement cybersecurity strategies can be catastrophic to your business, as well as the importance of having a cybersecurity partner and how to encourage cybersecurity in your business.?

Cybersecurity involves continually testing and improving your solutions to protect against cyber attacks and continually training your employees on new cybersecurity practices and solutions.?

Hiring someone one time to install firewall and anti-virus software won’t cut it.?

You need a highly trained partner who continually monitors your IT infrastructure for cybersecurity risks.??

A proficient cybersecurity partner will:?

? Develop and adhere to a comprehensive cybersecurity program (which is specific to your business)?

? Create a plan for responding to emergencies?

? Test each system within your IT infrastructure?

? Ensure regulatory compliance, such as with GDPR, HIPAA, and CCPA?

Hackers uniquely target small to medium-sized businesses, which is why it’s important to have a general understanding of common cybersecurity threats.???

Here are a few to consider:?

?? Corporate data breach: This attack occurs when a hacker accesses your corporate database and steals sensitive information.?

?? Malware (AKA Malicious Software): This is software that damages your computers, networks, and systems.??

?? Ransomware: This is a type of malware that encrypts your files, making them inaccessible. Ransomware attacks demand you pay the attacker to regain access to your files.?

Businesses lose millions of dollars each year because of cyber attacks.

Consider the following data from the FBI’s 2022 Internet Crime Report:

• Business email compromise ($2.7B in losses)
• Corporate data breach ($459.3M in losses)
• Extortion ($54.3M losses)
• Malware ($9.3M losses)
• Phishing: ($52M losses)
• Ransomware ($34.3M losses)
• Spoofing ($107.9M losses)
• Botnet ($17.1M losses)

And these losses only appear to be increasing each year.

Here are a few cybersecurity best practices you should follow, according to CISA, America’s Cyber Defense Agency:?

• Encourage multi-factor authentication on all accounts to decrease your chances of getting hacked?
• Update your software regularly by turning on automatic updates?
• Pause before you click any links (90% of cyber-attacks begin with a phishing email)?
• Use a password manager to generate and store unique passwords?

At InfoSystems, we recommend prioritizing IT security training at least once a year and applying IT security training in every department.??

InfoSystems can provide this training for you.?

Cybersecurity is confusing.??

Knowing what to do and how to implement it requires help from a cybersecurity partner.??

That’s us.?

We’ll give you the information you need to make security decisions. And we’ll do it in a way that’s easy to understand.??

Here's how our process works:?

1. We’ll look at your business model. This starts with a conversation about your business. We’ll then determine what you need from your security program and your security tools. Next, we’ll establish best practices and processes for your company.??
2. We’ll take inventory of your business assets and activities.?
3. Using this inventory, we’ll implement thoughtful security measures.?
4. We’ll develop a long-term partnership with outcomes in mind.?
5. This allows us to share new ways we can enhance your cybersecurity and reduce your risk of attack.??

Plus, we’ll ensure your cybersecurity maintains compliance with all relevant regulations and laws.??

There are two common misconceptions:?

1. If your business is secure, your business is compliant?
2. If your business is compliant, your business is secure?

But this isn’t the case.?

Because cybersecurity and compliance are not interchangeable.??

Cybersecurity is about preventing unauthorized access and disruption. But using cybersecurity solutions doesn’t mean that you’re compliant.?

Compliance is about meeting regulatory requirements. And while there are security components within these regulations, meeting them does not mean that you’re secure.??

Consider this analogy…?

Compliance is like putting on a seatbelt in a car. It’s the law. And using it is the minimum requirement for staying safe while driving.?

Cybersecurity solutions are like airbags. They aren’t legally required, but they provide an extra layer of security in case of a car accident.?

It’s easier to feel safe in a car when you use a seatbelt and have airbags.?

Similarly, it’s easier to feel safe about your company’s security when you are compliant and have robust cybersecurity measures in place.?

At InfoSystems, we can help you stay compliant with the following laws and regulations:?

• GDPR?
• HIPAA?
• CCPA?
• PCI?
• ISO?
• FTC?
• SEC?
• FINRA?
• NCUA?

InfoSystems is an IBM Platinum Business Partner founded in 1994. For 30 years we have provided reliable IT solutions that power business forward for both SMB and enterprise organizations.

The risks of cyber-attacks are scary. Without proper cybersecurity solutions in place, you’re risking the future of your business.??

With InfoSystems, you don’t have to worry. We’ll make sure you have what you need to prevent threats. And if something gets through, we’ll handle it. So, now that you know the importance of cybersecurity, take a deep breath, assess what you have and haven’t done to protect against cyber-attacks, and take the next step…?

Here’s how to get started:?

1. Schedule an intro meeting?
2. Create a plan?
3. Hire us and get exceptional results?

Thanks for reading this edition of Power Forward!??

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