Three Easy Ways To Enhance Your Business’s Cybersecurity Posture

We’re living in the age of cybercrime. Data breaches have never been more prevalent, coordinated global ransomware has been cutting swathes through both the public and private sector, and colossal botnets threaten to tear apart the very fabric of the Internet. Amidst all this chaos, any business leader worth their salt should be looking to improve their cybersecurity posture however they can.

But that takes more than a strong firewall or some network monitoring tools. Anyone can shore up their security infrastructure. Moving beyond that is where we find the real challenge.

Here are a few simple steps you can take to get started in that regard.

Start With Corporate Culture

The idea that cybersecurity is your IT department’s problem and theirs alone is both archaic and dangerous. In a modern organization, every single employee – from the lowliest intern to the CEO – is digital. And they should all have a role in protecting your business’s data.

Everyone in your organization should be thinking of cybersecurity. Everyone should be aware of best practices and threats. And every department should have a say in how security practices are applied, so as to not step on anyone’s toes.

Because the only thing worse than no security at all is security that makes it impossible for employees to do their jobs.

Air-Gap Potentially Insecure Devices

The Internet of Things is simultaneously one of the best and worst developments your organization will ever see. On the one hand, thanks to advances in sensor technology, you have more visibility into and control over your supply chain than ever before. You can gain new insights into both customers and workers, and generally make better decisions for your business’s future through analytics.

On the other, consumer IoT devices are notoriously insecure – and if any of them are present in your office, they essentially function as an open door for hackers. In order to account for this, you need to separate these devices from your primary infrastructure. Create a guest network, and ensure all untrusted endpoints are connected to that rather than to your main one.

Read The News

Last but certainly not least, knowledge is the better half of victory in your battle against cybercrime. The best way to defend yourself against emerging threats, then, is to be aware of them. Pay attention to what’s going on elsewhere in the world.

Is there a massive botnet growing from IoT devices? Has a new type of ransomware surfaced? Is an advanced group of hackers targeting businesses in your industry?

The sooner you’re aware of such threats, the better-equipped you’ll be to be proactive in mitigating them. And all that requires is simply popping open Google News or Techmeme every now and then.

Your cybersecurity posture is about more than your firewall, your software, or your IT department. It’s about everything you do to protect your business and its data from the threats it faces. Understanding that – and taking the advice detailed in this post – is the first step towards enhancing it in a real, meaningful way.