Cyber security, sometimes shortened to “cyber,” is the protection of computers, computer networks, and digital information from unwanted use and harm.
Cybersecurity is, essentially, processes and technologies put in place by people, often trained and certified in various cyber security practices, to restrict physical and network access to devices and the data on those devices.
What Does Cybersecurity Entail?
More than just firewalls and good passwords (though those are certainly important), there are many components to a secure digital landscape. Here are just a few:
- Security Information & Event Management (SIEM; pronounced “sim”), during which trained engineers monitor alerts produced by smart monitoring software.
- Skilled analysis of network logs and activities.
- Event investigation and incident response.
- Security Awareness Training, to keep employees prepared to recognize and avoid falling for the most dangerous social engineering attacks.
- Backup & Disaster Recovery (BDR) solution for multiple, full system backups per day.
Why Do Small and Medium-sized Businesses Need Cybersecurity?
Cyber security is no longer reserved only for major targets like the U.S. Government or major retail chains. Small businesses, even individuals, face hackers’ attempts to steal private data in order to use it or hold it hostage for profit.
Medium and large businesses face an even greater number of attempted hacks, especially during transitional periods like mergers and acquisitions, during which normal processes are disrupted.
But Why Do We Really Need Cybersecurity?
Cyber security will be a necessity for as long as people benefit (whether financially or some other way) from hacking into others’ devices. We need cyber security because cyber criminals pose a growing and active threat.
Today, medical records, personal identification and payment card information, and business-critical information (like HBO’s scripts) are hackers’ top targets. A hacker with your information can hold it hostage in exchange for a ransom payment, sell it, or use it for personal gain.
Common methods used to breach cybersecurity include (but aren’t limited to):
- Social engineering attacks, like phishing and spear-phishing.
- Brute force attacks
- Password exploitation
- Network exploitation
- Physical break-in and theft
- USB-based attacks
How Do You Find a Trusted Cybersecurity Provider?
Because threats to information security evolve so quickly, it can be difficult to assess which cyber security provider can handle the nuances of your business’s security landscape.
Here are 3 things to look for in a cybersecurity provider:
- Longevity: a company with 8+ years of security IT and cybersecurity experience.
- No subcontracting: the company performs all security monitoring and other security services in-house.
- Expertise: the company has advanced certifications and experience in various industries. If you can not immediately access certifications or a complete list of industries, check to see if the company has worked for government or healthcare organizations. Complex compliance requirements make those industries a good measure of a provider’s depth of knowledge.
Read More: How to Identify a Qualified Cybersecurity Vendor
Ask us your questions about cybersecurity and your business: Email Corsica Technologies
