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Organisations all have their distinct set of operational requirements, especially when it comes to their budgeting. Many start-ups and small businesses work with tighter budgets and thus need to find the most cost-effective ways to keep their businesses cyber-secure and efficient with their resources. While hacker groups looking to gain a profit or steal data have largely targeted bigger corporations, their focus has begun to shift in recent years towards smaller businesses. This is because, unlike large organisations and government agencies, they do not have top-of-the-line cyber security and connections with law enforcement, making them an easy and more appealing target with weaker defences. Despite that, small businesses have many avenues to improve their cybersecurity without spending a lot of money.
Given that most attack vectors target the weakest link in the cybersecurity chain, which is the human element, it pays to keep the workforce knowledgeable about the basics of cybersecurity, its latest best practices, and the threats to look out for. Nowadays, enterprise cybersecurity training courses are widely available online and are designed to educate employees about these comprehensive topics, all while being inexpensive and sometimes free. That said, training is only one piece of the cybersecurity puzzle, so do not rely heavily on it to defend against any cyber risk.
It is recommended to always encrypt the company’s sensitive data as well as those of their customers if there are any. If you are unsure whether something is sensitive enough for encryption, take the cautious route and encrypt it. As a tip, the Windows operating system comes with built-in encryption, so you can get started on this step immediately if your organisation uses Windows devices. Otherwise, you can find reputable open-source encryption tools online to adopt for your purposes.
All computing devices that connect to a network with other devices or contain sensitive information should be protected with some type of robust and, more often than not, paid security software. In any case, this is something that every organisation will have to spend on at some point. Thankfully, there are many affordable and effective options now, so research and find the best package that meets your needs and budget.
Around 22% of cyber breaches stem from insider threats, whether accidental or malicious, so consider imposing strict access privileges and only granting employees the bare minimum access they need to do their jobs. When an employee leaves the company, make it a point to remove their access to the organisation’s systems to avoid potential liabilities.
Regular data backups prove some much-needed peace of mind that if something were to go wrong, lost data would not pose a problem to your daily operations. These backups allow for quick data restoration in case of a cyber incident. And if you are unsure whether you are backing up your sensitive data enough, chances are you don’t.
Furthermore, avoid keeping backup servers connected to production networks since malware could find its way in and corrupt the data backups. Storing offsite duplicates is a best practice for robust disaster and data backup recovery strategies that allow for failover in case of outages. Lastly, regularly check your backups to ensure they work, as there is no point in keeping data that cannot be restored.
Working with cybersecurity professionals to design and implement your organisation’s cybersecurity defences greatly benefits small businesses. This is because the capital invested in expert advice pays for itself in terms of saving time and aggravation in the future. Remember that hackers leverage expertise, so it is a must not to be at a disadvantage to them. Since encountering a cyber attack today is no longer a matter of if but when, it is best to make sure you have all the necessary safeguards in place.
Naturally, there are many other ways to manage cybersecurity apart from the tips mentioned above. However, those listed here offer a significant security boost at a relatively low cost and serve as a good starting point for small businesses.
If your organisation needs industry-leading yet cost-effective cybersecurity solutions you can rely on, GROUP8 is here to help. Get access to our renowned offensive-inspired ecosystem of cybersecurity services guaranteed to keep your security posture as robust as possible at all times. From vulnerability assessment and penetration testing services to incident response and threat intelligence, we are your one-stop shop for all your cybersecurity needs. Contact us at hello@group8.co to learn more.