You need to do everything you can to keep your enterprise secure. After all, business, as usual, is the name of the game these days. But it won’t be business as usual when your firm becomes a victim of a cyber attack or data breach. A serious security hack could mean the end of your company. It doesn’t have to.
Cybercrime is on the increase and their impact should not be underestimated. Warren Buffett, the American wizard investor, believes that cyber threats are the biggest menace to humanity, worse than nuclear weapons. Check out some current cybersecurity statistics before moving on:
- According to Microsoft, 63% of network intrusions and data breaches are due to compromised user credentials.
- Juniper Research claims that by 2019 cybercrime will cost global business £1.5 trillion.
- 1 in 131 emails contain malware; some of these have ransomware which can cripple a computer network.
- It takes businesses on average 190 days to detect a breach of their IT infrastructure.
- 81% of victims are not able to self-detect intrusion and data breach.
- 43% of cyber attacks are targeted at small to medium-size businesses (SMBs).
43% implies that security hacks are business killers. And clearly, you don’t want your SMB to die. The Ponemon Institute 2017 State of Cybersecurity in SMBs report confirms that cyber attacks cost SMBs an average of £1.7 million. Is that bankable amount something you can afford? We think not.
So what is the solution? Easy. You need a sound business continuity (BC) plan of which disaster recovery (DR) is integral. Most SMBs do not have BC strategies to keep their IT infrastructure moving should disaster strike – due to cybercrime or anything else. Not having BC built into your overall business operations is a recipe for failure. Those that don’t have a BC plan can be likened to a youngest delaying the writing of a will, having a cavalier attitude of ‘I’m going to live forever.’ Well, they won’t, and neither will your business unless you develop plans for maintaining operation in the event of an attack on your IT systems.
Don’t know where to start with your BC and DC planning? Enter a managed service provider (MSP). Your local MSP will do a risk assessment of your IT infrastructure, identify weaknesses and possible intrusions and put in place strategies for your SMB to experience minimal downtime should you be hacked. The MSP can offer 24/7 monitoring of your IT network using the latest RMM (remote monitoring and management) software, ensuring that your IT has the highest levels of security. The MSP will apply automated updates and patching, thereby significantly reducing the risk of malware or intrusion. A fully protected network also means that you are GDPR compliant.
So don’t delay writing a will for your SMB. Get in touch with your local MSP who will holistically sort out your BC and DR needs. Remember that security hacks are business killers, this is a fact. To stay alive, your IT infrastructure must be secure. You, your employees and the future of your business depend on this.
