Cyber defenses need continuous development. Even the latest cyber protection strategies will have limited lifespans, and cyber-protection obsolescence is a common issue when protecting a business.
The latest updates to your malware and password protection systems will not remain effective if they are not regularly checked to ensure they remain up-to-date and able to tackle the latest cybercrime trends. With new threats emerging regularly, keeping one step ahead of cybercriminals means ensuring that your cyber defenses are as up-to-date as possible, and that means being aware of the latest threats and how to protect your business from them.
Team Awareness
The weakest point of any defense strategy is always going to be people. That’s why you must develop a strong security culture within your business. A solid and robust security process is vital to keeping your customers, staff, and business safe. Make sure that your team is aware of:
- Your defense architecture
- Security Protocols
- Basic security standards
Keep these measures updated, and you will be better able to protect yourself from threats.
Updated Software and Hardware
Hackers are always looking for exploitable weaknesses to exploit. That’s why you must keep your software and hardware updated as much as possible. Those updates are generally designed to deal with specific new threats, so failing to update exposes you to unnecessary risk.
More companies than ever are using endpoint management, as it allows for faster recognition of threats from a zero-day standpoint. Cost-effective and automated endpoint management using recognized tools like McAfee can go a long way to keeping your business safer.
Protecting Code
Open-source code is fast becoming a necessity. This is because demands on developers are too fast for software development to keep up with. Unfortunately, open-source code comes with various challenges in terms of security and compliance. If your business uses open-source code, then you need to ensure that you have the resources and manpower needed to review that code for bugs, licensing issues, and security risks. Failing to do so means exposing yourself to the potential harm caused by allowing malicious actors into your software.
Network Monitoring
All of the data that your company processes needs to be stringently monitored at all times. Only through regular monitoring will you be able to identify the procedures and patterns of safe behavior. This monitoring can be automated with a Security Information and Event management system, but the human element of this monitoring should not be overlooked. Privilege management in terms of access to data is a key element of network monitoring, so segmentation of those privileges is not just an option to consider but a vital necessity in the digital age.
There are just as many ways to protect a business as to cause it harm. This means ensuring that your security processes are as tight as possible and get ongoing evaluations. When hackers take advantage of both technological and human weaknesses to gain access to the inner workings of a business, the consequences can be devastating.
