Cybersecurity is a concern for any modern business, no matter the size of the organization. In fact, according to Verizon, small businesses were the target of 43 percent of all breaches in 2019. With the average cost of these data breaches sitting at $3.92 million, this is not a mistake most business owners can afford to make.
But the truth is that it’s getting harder to prevent an attack. Cybercriminals are using increasingly sophisticated methods and have more resources than ever, making their attacks more targeted and effective.
Given how much your business is likely to rely on technology in its day-to-day operations, ensuring you stay ahead of the threat landscape is vital. Managed cybersecurity is the most effective way to do this. Here’s everything you need to know:
“… according to Verizon, small businesses were the target of 43 percent of all breaches in 2019.”
Why you need to stay ahead of the threat landscape
Cybercrime is on the rise, and small businesses are being targeted regularly.
It’s no longer enough to make sure you’re running the latest anti-virus software or maintaining effective firewalls. Today’s cyberthreats are more sophisticated — taking advantage of any weaknesses in your technology and security processes to compromise everything you’ve worked so hard for.
Alongside this, the technologies used by small businesses are evolving quickly. Organizations slow to adapt to these technologies get left behind those who implement them quickly. But, when you implement the new technologies quickly, you risk rushing the process without properly considering the security implications of the new software.
This puts you at risk, and cybercriminals know this. They know which technologies are being used — and they know how to exploit them.
But predicting where the threats will emerge isn’t easy. People commit cybercrime for a variety of reasons. Some are running their own enterprises, profiting from stolen data and information. Others are operating as “hacktivists” — seeking to disrupt operations and damage the reputation of the businesses they target. Others might be conducting espionage, either on behalf of other organizations or the government.
There’s a lot of uncertainty when it comes to security, but there’s one thing we can’t dispute:
Staying ahead of the threat landscape is vital.
If you want to protect your business, you need to know what the emerging threats are — before they happen. You need to know your weaknesses before they put you at risk.
If you don’t? Just one security breach could cripple your business.
You need to keep one step ahead of those committing criminal acts against your organization, so you can predict their actions and take steps to minimize their impact on your business, ideally preventing them altogether.
“The average total cost of a data breach is $3.92 million.”
How can managed cybersecurity help?
How much time, money and resources do you have to ensure your cybersecurity policies and procedures are up to the required standard?
If you’re not giving this the attention it deserves — and requires — you’re not alone. The majority of small business owners admit they’re not doing enough to protect their organization from the growing threat of cybercrime.
And we get it.
Running a business isn’t easy. You have to balance everything the company needs with cashflow and limited budgets. IT security isn’t something that can be pulled together quickly — it requires a team. But often, in-house IT teams are too busy firefighting issues as they arise, they don’t have time to take a proactive approach to protect your business.
That’s where managed cybersecurity comes in.
When you outsource your cybersecurity, you’re getting a dedicated team that knows exactly what’s happening in the industry.
They spend their time understanding the threat landscape. They know what the current issues are and how to resolve them — but they also have knowledge about how the threat landscape is likely to change over the next weeks, months and years.
Using this knowledge, they can create a bespoke cybersecurity plan for your business that helps you prepare for what lies ahead.
Instead of waiting for new threats to emerge, a managed cybersecurity team will help you protect your business before it becomes a problem, helping you stay one step ahead of the criminals that threaten everything you’ve worked so hard to build.
The key benefits of managed cybersecurity
The benefits of managed security don’t end there. Here are some of the other advantages you can expect when you choose to work with one:
Managed cybersecurity is cost-effective
Managed cybersecurity teams work with a number of organizations. This means the knowledge — and the work it takes to build that knowledge — is shared across multiple businesses.
Whilst building an in-house team has advantages, it’s also expensive as staying ahead of the threat landscape takes a lot of work. When you decide to use a managed cybersecurity team, the workload is shared between you and other clients — reducing the financial cost to your business.
Managed cybersecurity is proactive
A good managed cybersecurity team does far more than respond to breaches and attacks. Instead, they work proactively and respond to the changing landscape to prevent attacks from happening in the first place.
Managed cybersecurity teams are experts in their field
When you work with a professional managed cybersecurity team, you are benefiting from their collective expertise and training. They know the industry well and work together to apply their knowledge and expertise to keep your company safe.
This means you’re paying for more than just a service — you’re paying for the people who will work tirelessly to keep your business running, unimpacted by the growing threat of cybercrime.
Are you ready to develop a cybersecurity strategy that minimizes risk and keeps you one step ahead of cybercriminals? Get in touch to find out how we can help.