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CyberSecurity
Cybersecurity refers to the practices and technologies that are used to protect computers, networks, and data from unauthorized access, attacks, and other threats. For small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), cybersecurity is an important consideration, as these businesses are often at risk of being targeted by cybercriminals due to their lack of resources and expertise in this area.
One of the key challenges for SMEs when it comes to cybersecurity is the limited resources they have available to invest in this area. Unlike larger businesses, which may have dedicated IT teams and budgets for cybersecurity, SMEs often have to rely on a small number of employees who are responsible for managing all aspects of the business, including IT. This can make it difficult for SMEs to implement effective cybersecurity measures and keep up with the latest threats and vulnerabilities.
To address these challenges, SMEs can take a number of steps to improve their cybersecurity. One of the most important is to implement strong password policies and regularly update them. This can help to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data and systems, and can also help to protect against common attacks such as phishing and password cracking.
Another important step for SMEs is to invest in antivirus and other security software, which can help to detect and block malware and other threats. This is particularly important for SMEs that have a lot of customer data, as a data breach can have serious consequences for both the business and its customers.
In addition, SMEs can also benefit from implementing a disaster recovery and backup plan, which can help to protect against data loss in the event of a cyber attack or other disaster. By regularly backing up important data and storing it in a secure location, SMEs can ensure that they can quickly restore their operations if their systems are compromised.
Overall, cybersecurity is an important consideration for SMEs, and there are a number of steps that these businesses can take to protect themselves and their customers from cyber threats. By implementing strong password policies, investing in security software, and implementing a disaster recovery plan, SMEs can help to safeguard their data and operations from cyber attacks.
The 4 reasons why cyber resilience makes sense
IDC researchers make an iron-clad case for cyber resilience by looking at the current state of cybercrime. The found 4 main reasons why businesses need a cyber resilience framework:
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1 Crippling cyberattacks are on the rise.
Evolving methods and sophisticated tactics make cybercrime a booming business for criminals. -
2 A distributed IT footprint brings greater risk.
The onset of hybrid work opens new pathways ready to be exploited. And let’s face it, the average home WiFi doesn’t have the right kind of security. -
3 IT departments are stretched thin.
Less than 2% of SMBs’ total employee base is dedicated to full-time IT staff. -
4 Consequences of an attack remain dire.
Attacks continue to reverberate past the day of a breach, with 55% of ransomware victims suffering a few days to a week of costly downtime
From framework to action
IDC goes in depth for the steps businesses can take to adopt cyber resilience. Here’s a quick preview of the framework:
- 1 Identify.You can’t protect what you haven’t first identified.
- 2 Protect. Employees and their devices are cybercriminals’ first targets. Protect them and start a systematic file and backup system.
- 3 Detect. Threat intelligence and experience-based detection can thwart even the most sophisticated attackers.
- 4 Respond. It’s imperative to stop attackers’ advances before real harm occurs
- 5 Recover. Clean up infected devices, close backdoors and have a plan to recover damaged or out-of-commission assets.
- 6 Educate. Empower your employees to form a citizen army of cybersecurity checkpoints.
Blenheim IT’s Cyber Advisors will be able to help organisations by:
- Conducting Cyber Essentials gap analysis to assess the organisations internet-facing IT identifying where it fails to meet the Cyber Essentials controls.
- Developing reports on the status of the organisation’s Cyber Essentials controls i.e. detailing the requirements that are met and those that are not; describing why controls are not met and the risks the organisation is exposed to; recommended actions to take.
- Working with the business to agree remediation activities
- Planning remediation activities that align to the risk and business priorities
- Implementing remediation activities sympathetically to operational activities
- Developing and presenting post-engagement reports summarising the engagement and detailing any remediation work completed, pointing out any residual risk with recommendations for reducing those risks.