Posted on February 25, 2021
Security
It’s not just large corporations being hit by cyberattacks, but small- and medium-size businesses too. Every day businesses are inundated with millions of attacks including denial to service attacks, phishing schemes, and straight hacking into their files.
Does your business have a security team that’s ready to meet these threats? Your IT Team may know how to update your antivirus program, but may not know how to be proactive against cybercrime.
We’ll examine the processes, skills, and personnel you need to create a cybersecurity team that protects your business from all threats. Don’t let your data or infrastructure be compromised by criminals seeking your confidential information.
The primary goal of most hackers is to get information or compromise your system. For a large corporation, there could be rooms of massive servers that contain all types of information from customer information to research and development.
Smaller businesses may only have a computer and hard drive that stores all the information. They could have a single server or save everything on the cloud. What types of data does your business have? Most businesses contain billing information, sensitive customer information, information for internal use, etc.
The size of your cybersecurity team and the expertise involved depends mostly on what information you protect, and the types of storage utilized. You’ll want a larger team if your business has considerable sensitive information or a complex storage network.
Does your business have satellite offices that communicate via the cloud? Can employees access information via mobile phones and portable laptops outside the office? These can all be security risks if precautions are not taken.
Security is only effective if the team knows where all the hardware people use to access the information and the programs they use are. If a laptop is overlooked or someone’s phone isn’t secure, then hackers can use it to access your system.
The team looks at each piece of hardware and program to find vulnerabilities and then implements the security measures. It could be an antivirus program, firewall, etc. If there is a breach or attempt at a breach, an inventory of the hardware and programs can be a lifesaver for your cybersecurity team.
They’ll also know what hardware and programs require updating and if there are any patches to fix known security issues. All it takes is for one computer to not be updated for a criminal to access your system.
We’ve all received emails from Nigerian princes saying we’re billionaires, but all they need is your social security number or bank account. We laugh these emails off now, but criminals use complex phishing techniques to trick employees into providing passwords, downloading viruses, and clicking on infected links.
Everyone in the office should be taught the warning signs of phishing scams and who to report them to. Cybersecurity isn’t just the job of the security team, but also each person that works for you. If one employee clicks on an infected link, then it could infect your entire network.
Your IT team can provide the education for employees and do much of the mundane work, but if you’re worried about continued attacks and the release of sensitive information, then you need a specific team dedicated to protecting your infrastructure.
Cyberattacks are on the rise for all businesses. They could be trying to take down your system or website, take over your website, or steal sensitive information.
You’ve seen countless headlines for major corporations that get hacked, their information stolen, and sold to the highest bidder. There are many ways people can try to enter your computer system, so you need people with specific traits to combat these threats.
An IT team can help a little, but their job is to make sure everything works properly. It’s not to protect your system from outside threats. Businesses are more connected than ever with satellite offices and cloud services. A cybersecurity team is your line of defense against the varied attacks by criminals seeking to ruin your business.
The leader of your security team is the information systems security manager. He oversees everything from implementing security infrastructure to security audits and threat assessment. The person should have several certifications including certified information systems security professional, certified information security manager, and other leadership certifications.
They need to not only understand the numerous threats that attack your business but also how to protect your business from them and regain control if there is a security breach. Of all the members of the security team, this is the most important because this is the leader.
They need to be a jack-of-all-trades that can handle managing several people and providing information to management and other staff. This is the face of your security team.
Criminals find new ways to break into systems all the time. The person that can thwart these new attacks is the security architect. This person oversees anything that has to do with threats to the network from viruses and malware.
It’s their job to search for suspicious activity in the network and identify it. They are proactive by implementing the latest security measures, but they also examine the system in real-time. If a hacker tries to enter your system, the security architect notices it, isolates it, and tries to determine where it’s coming from.
The goal is to keep them out of the system at all costs.
Your information technology infrastructure is anything you use to store, access, process, and send information. Your infrastructure is complex and needs someone special to create it, monitor it, and keep it safe from hackers.
The network security engineer does automated testing, responds to any activity on the network, and analyzes alerts and security events. He can also act as a penetration expert that tries to break into your system to identify security flaws, so they can be fixed.
You have an idea of what you need for a cybersecurity team, but how do you go about choosing the right employees. Every person is different and has various skills, personalities, and temperaments.
The first aspect is providing certifications in the various expertise of the potential employees. There are numerous certifications, but the GIAC security expert is the most prestigious. Other certifications include CompTIA and Mile2 certifications.
Once you understand their expertise, they also need to be a good fit for the business. The security team has access to all departments and often works with them to educate and determine security issues. They need to be personable and be able to effectively work with different types of people.
You know the vibe of your business. Does the person fit within that vibe? They need more than good qualifications because they represent your business.
Depending on your security needs and budgetary constraints, you may not need a full team of security professionals. Find people that fit your security needs.
Hiring a complete security team is expensive. They are highly trained and require a high salary. If your security needs don’t require a full-time person or you can’t afford to hire multiple employees, then you can outsource your security team.
The benefit is you save money and have access to a full suite of security professionals that can help your business beef up cybersecurity and handle any threats that happen. If someone attacks your system, you can contact the team and they’ll react. They can also keep tabs on your system, but you’re not the only client they have.
There are many pros and cons to outsourcing your security team and keeping it in-house. You’ll need to decide which is best for your business.
Many businesses have the attitude that it can’t happen to me, but odds are it already has, and you didn’t notice. Don’t let cyber thieves steal your sensitive information or crash your system. Your security team is your defense against the many threats to your network.
Don’t consider cybersecurity an option. Today’s hackers are comfortable attacking small and medium-sized businesses because they know security is likely light. Don’t be one of their victims.
If you want to learn more about cybersecurity and how to keep your business safe, then contact our experts today.