As businesses migrate to the cloud and make use of an ever-wider range of web and mobile technologies, cyberattacks are increasing exponentially as well. Even for small companies, keeping an entire corporate computing infrastructure locked down is a full-time job. Furthermore, today’s customers are getting pickier about who they choose to do business with, so you can’t afford to let data security and privacy take a backseat.
If it’s been some time since you last conducted a cybersecurity assessment, then it’s high time to get up to speed. Doing so will help you proactively protect your business from threats both known and unknown.
Here are four signs it’s time to rethink your existing security infrastructure:
#1. You’ve suffered a data breach
Even if you’ve only suffered a minor data breach — such as an employee losing a mobile device with access to private company document — the first course of action should be to immediately lock down your network before identifying the cause of the problem. Regulatory compliance may also require you to inform any customers that may have been affected.
Once you’ve gotten to the root of what caused the breach, isolated it, and prevented it from doing any further damage, you must conduct a thorough risk assessment to seek out other potential vulnerabilities in your network. Although a data breach can occur in any organisation, such incidents most often exploit poor security practices, which is why now is a good time to conduct a risk evaluation.
#2. Your technology is showing its age
If you’re clinging to a trusty old server running an ancient version of Windows NT or a long-deprecated Linux distribution, then it’s likely just a matter of time before your business falls victim to a disastrous data breach. Even if your systems are running just fine, it doesn’t mean they’re secure.
Although no one can reasonably expect you to keep on replacing expensive hardware every couple of years, it is important that all your technology products are still within their support life cycles. Deprecated software and hardware, on the other hand, are no longer supported by their original manufacturers, which means there are no more security patches being released for them.
#3. Your staff aren’t aware of the risks
Let’s face it — most people are pretty clueless about cybersecurity, even if they do cite it as a major concern when choosing whom to do business with. Without proper training, chances are your employees will also develop poor habits like reusing passwords or failing to protect their mobile devices with PIN codes. People are usually the weakest element in security, which is why they also need to be a part of your assessments.
Even if your password policies prevent such habits, there’s no substitute for ongoing security training. Furthermore, it’s a legal requirement for many businesses, such as those subject to the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme. If staff aren’t already aware of the risks, then it’s time to reevaluate your entire security infrastructure as well as train your team.
#4. You need to uphold your brand reputation
Rarely do marketing and customer relations staff put much thought into digital security. Nonetheless, 70% of customers will stop doing business with a company that suffers a data breach, which means it’s safe to say that marketing is now on the frontline when it comes to digital security. Your very reputation depends on being able to protect the privacy and security of your customers.
If your brand’s reputation is floundering, then it’s time to act on what customers consider to be most important. In many situations, that’s digital security and privacy. By getting started with a fresh security assessment, you’ll be one step closer to turning cybersecurity from a costly and time-consuming chore into a key selling point.
Austin Technology provides unlimited IT support and managed services to companies in and around Perth. Call us today to find out how we can help you grow your business with technology solutions you can depend on.
