Cyber Security

Cyber Security is a lot like Data Recovery. If everyone had a backup then data recovery would not exist but everyone thinks their drive will never fail. Which is a lot like cyber security – nobody thinks they will get attacked by ransomware, taking their business offline for weeks or permanently. And nobody thinks hackers would be interested in them until they discover everyone is fair game.

Why does my business need Cyber Security ?

Any business, regardless of size or industry, needs cybersecurity for several crucial reasons:

1. Protecting Valuable Data: Your business likely stores valuable information like customer data, financial records, intellectual property, and internal operations. A cyberattack could compromise this data, leading to:

• Financial losses: Data breaches can incur hefty fines, legal fees, and reputational damage, resulting in significant financial losses.
• Identity theft: Stolen customer data can be used for identity theft, harming both your customers and your reputation.
• Competitive disadvantage: Loss of confidential information can tip the scales in favor of competitors.

2. Safeguarding Business Continuity: Disruptions caused by cyberattacks can bring your operations to a halt, leading to:

• Downtime: Lost productivity, missed deadlines, and frustrated customers can severely impact your business.
• Operational disruptions: Critical systems and data may be rendered inaccessible, hindering normal business functions.
• Negative customer experience: Data breaches and service disruptions can erode customer trust and loyalty.

3. Regulatory Compliance: Many industries have regulations requiring businesses to implement adequate cybersecurity measures. Failure to comply can result in fines and legal repercussions.

4. Maintaining Customer Trust: Data breaches and cyberattacks can significantly damage your brand reputation and erode customer trust. Implementing robust cybersecurity demonstrates your commitment to protecting customer data, fostering trust and loyalty.

5. Competitive Advantage: Strong cybersecurity measures showcase your commitment to data security and risk mitigation, setting you apart from competitors in the eyes of customers and partners.

Investing in cybersecurity is not just an expense, it’s an investment in your business’s future. By proactively protecting your data and systems, you can minimize the risks of cyberattacks, ensure business continuity, and maintain a competitive edge.

Remember, no business is immune to cyberattacks. Implementing appropriate cybersecurity measures is essential for any business that wants to operate safely and successfully in the digital age.

What are the 7 types of Cyber Security ?

There are various ways to categorise cybersecurity threats and solutions, but depending on the focus and specific area of security expertise, the “7 types” can differ. Here the most crucial areas of cybersecurity:

1. Network Security: This focuses on protecting your computer networks, including infrastructure, devices, and data, from unauthorized access, intrusions, and malicious activities. It involves tools like firewalls, intrusion detection/prevention systems (IDS/IPS), network segmentation, and access controls.

2. Cloud Security: In an increasingly cloud-dependent world, protecting data and systems hosted in cloud environments is critical. This involves securing cloud infrastructure, securing data stored in the cloud, and ensuring proper access controls and encryption for cloud-based resources.

3. Application Security: Securing applications and software against vulnerabilities and exploits is vital. This involves secure coding practices, vulnerability scanning and patching, input validation, and access control mechanisms within the application itself.

4. Endpoint Security: Protecting individual devices like laptops, desktops, and mobile phones from malware, phishing attacks, and unauthorized access is essential. This involves antivirus software, endpoint detection and response (EDR) tools, and data encryption on devices.

5. Data Security: This encompasses protecting data itself, regardless of location, from unauthorized access, modification, theft, or deletion. Encryption, data loss prevention (DLP) tools, and data backup and recovery solutions are key elements of data security.

6. Identity and Access Management (IAM): Managing user identities and access controls is crucial for preventing unauthorized access to sensitive data and systems. This involves robust authentication and authorization methods, multi-factor authentication (MFA), and user access reviews.

7. Operational Security (OpSec): This refers to the practices and procedures that ensure the security of your overall IT infrastructure and operations. This includes incident response planning, security awareness training for employees, patch management, and secure configuration of systems.

Remember, these are just some of the key areas of cybersecurity, and the specific types and focus can vary depending on your organisation’s needs and risks. A comprehensive cybersecurity strategy should address all these essential areas to create a layered defence against potential threats.

There are two main roads for the typical business when it comes to cyber security services:

Closed Network, Cloud File & Email Services, Desktop PC	SD WAN Network, LAN File/App Servers, VPN, Desktop PC
Router Firewall – Port Blocking & IDS Protection	Router Firewall – Adv Traffic Inspection & Deep IDS Protection
Simple Routing of Network Traffic – All Outbound	Complex Inbound Traffic with Rules and Maintenance Required
Smart Networking to Monitoring Network Services	Smart Networking to Monitoring Network Services
Wi-Fi Systems with Good Security and Monitoring	Wi-Fi Systems with Advanced Security, Monitoring and Blocking
End Point Monitoring with the following Protection:	End Point Monitoring with the following Protection:
Vulnerability Scanning	Vulnerability Scanning
Patch Management	Patch Management
Application Protection	Application Protection
Endpoint Security Threat Protection	Endpoint Security Threat Protection
Rouge Website/IP Protection / Content Filtering	DUAL Layer Website / IP Protection & Content Filtering (PC & Firewall)
Next-Gen Anti-Virus	Next-Gen Anti-Virus
Incident Response	Managed 24/7 Incident Response
Zero Day AI Threat Detection	Zero Day AI Threat Detection
N/A	Brute Force / Port Scanning Protection
N/A	Security Advisor
N/A	Device Threat Isolation
Quarterly to Yearly Security Audits	Automated Daily Scans + Monthly to Quarterly Security Audits
Cloud Services Security Audit	Cloud Services Security Audit
Second Layer Backup of Cloud Data (Files/Email/Fin/App)	Multi Layer Server + Data Backup + Offsite Storage

It all looks complicated and daunting but we can provide literally 3 steps to getting this all locked down – all at an extremely reasonable rate.
Most companies will only require a few services in place to tick the essential cyber security box!