Although a new year is upon us, the threat of cyberattacks against businesses continues to increase and show no sign of slowing down in 2020. Cybersecurity Ventures estimates that a new ransomware attack will take place every 14 seconds, and it’s not just ransomware to watch out for. Cyberattacks present themselves through various platforms like email, social media, online advertisements, and even Microsoft Word.
Common forms include spam, and phishing, along with malicious links and attachments. Hacking methods are only becoming more devious, which means it’s crucial for companies to protect their businesses in the upcoming year. Here are five ways to secure your company from a data breach in 2020.
1. Security as a Service (SECaaS)
Security as a Service (SECaaS) is a trending topic and an efficient way to secure your business because of its all-in-one cybersecurity solution. For companies that can’t afford the manpower for 24×7 monitoring and management of endpoint devices and network traffic, Security as a Service allows them the flexibility to focus on the growth of their businesses rather than the monitoring and maintenance.
2. Backup as a Service (BaaS) & Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS)
Catastrophic data loss is more likely to take place without these basic data protection investments. It only takes hackers 39 seconds to attack and they can strike up to 2,244 times a day, leaving plenty of vulnerability for organizations who do not have a data backup and recovery strategy in place. Backup as a Service (BaaS) powered by Veeam Cloud Backup acts as an insurance policy for data retention, while Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) powered by Veeam Cloud Disaster Recovery replicates data to ensure recovery in the event of a cyberattack or an unexpected outage.
Any business is at risk without these cloud services, but small to medium-sized businesses are more prone to breaches with 81% infection success, contrary to popular belief. It’s easier for hackers to infect smaller businesses generally due to the lack of security solution investment and nonexistent cybersecurity cultures. Regardless of company size, both solutions will ensure the safekeeping of your organization and prevent unexpected and outrageous expenses in the new year.
3. Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR)
Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR) is an uprising security solution, created for higher detection quality and quicker response times for endpoint attacks. It’s able to detect malicious activity in real time and instantly mitigate ransomware. Traditional anti-virus and Endpoint Protection (EPP) do not entirely solve the cybersecurity issue for businesses.
Although the cloud is 99.99% effective, a poor network connection can act as an open gate for malicious activity. In a nutshell, EDR fills in the remaining gaps and helps prevent future attacks, streamlining the security process. If your business is in the healthcare industry, is a financial institution, or stores highly sensitive information, you may be especially susceptible to cyberattacks. Consider EDR as an added security layer.
4. Cybersecurity Training & Requirements
Aside from cloud security investments, educating your employees is one of the best things you can do to protect your business. For streamlined training, implement a cybersecurity culture.
Solutions like email security, antivirus software, and firewall protection are already guaranteed through Security as a Service (SECaaS), however, simple requirements like strong passwords, consistent computer updates, and multi-factor authentication go a long way. Educate employees with real-life examples and conduct cybersecurity assessments so employees know how to properly identify different types of cyberattacks. At the end of the day, security is everyone’s responsibility.
5. Social Media Security
Lastly, social media is a rising platform for data breaches, which increases its importance for security in 2020. With 50 million to 100 million active users on Facebook, 14 million of those are malicious profiles. To prevent becoming a victim, require the highest security levels on employee accounts and limit admin access on business pages.
Not only is a social media presence inevitable for your business, but social media is a revolving door. It’s constantly changing, which makes it crucial for your company to maintain social media security in the new year.
Bottomline
The average cost of a data breach is $3.92 million, yet 97% of attacks could have been prevented with proactive security solutions. This begs the question: Is your company prepared for 2020? Contact Cyber Sainik today to learn more about cloud security and what options are best for your business.
