It's no secret that cybersecurity is a big deal these days. With all the news of data breaches and cyberattacks, it's more important than ever for businesses to have a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy. But what exactly should you be doing to keep your small- or medium-sized business (SMB) safe?
Here are five proactive cybersecurity measures your SMB should take to secure its data and systems.
Understand what you need to protect and what you're protecting against
Before you can effectively protect against cyberthreats, you need to know what you're protecting and who or what might be trying to get at it. This means taking a thorough inventory of your data and systems, as well as researching the types of threats that are most likely to target your assets.
For example, if your SMB deals with confidential customer information, you'll need to be especially vigilant about protecting against data breaches. If you rely heavily on web-based applications, you'll need to be on guard against distributed denial-of-service attacks.
By understanding the threats you're up against, you can create a cybersecurity stance that better anticipates and prevents attacks.
Adopt a zero trust approach and implement strong user authentication
A zero trust approach to security means assuming that anyone trying to access your network or data is untrusted until they can prove otherwise. All requests for access to your systems should be strictly verified and authenticated before they're granted.
This might mean implementing multifactor authentication, which requires users to confirm their identity with something more than just a username and password. It could also involve using elements like security tokens or biometric-based authentication to ensure that only authorized personnel are able to gain access to sensitive data and systems.
You should also strive to make sure that your security controls are strict enough that any unauthorized access attempts can be immediately detected and blocked.
Identify and patch vulnerabilities
Vulnerabilities are security flaws that can be exploited by malicious actors to infiltrate your network. They can come from a variety of sources, including outdated software and hardware, unsecured wireless connections, and misconfigured systems.
It's critical to identify and patch any vulnerabilities in your network as soon as possible. This means implementing a comprehensive vulnerability management program that regularly scans for weaknesses and addresses them as soon as they're detected.
In addition, you should take steps to reduce the risk of future vulnerabilities by keeping all of your software and hardware up to date with the latest security patches. Automating patch management will make this process easier and more efficient, and you won't have to worry about forgetting to update something.
Hunt for threats
Threat hunting is the process of proactively searching for signs of malicious activity in your network. This can involve using a variety of tools and techniques to detect suspicious behavior, such as logs analysis and network traffic monitoring.
By regularly hunting for threats, you can stay ahead of cybercriminals and quickly identify any attempts to infiltrate your systems. This can help you take the necessary steps to prevent an attack before it has a chance to do any real damage.
Practice your incident response
Even with all the preventive measures in place, there's still a chance that an attack may slip through your defenses. As such, it's vital to have an incident response plan that outlines the steps you need to take if you suspect your systems have been breached. This plan should include the procedures you need to follow to assess the damage, contain the incident, and remediate any vulnerabilities that may have been exploited.
It's equally important to regularly review your incident response plan so that everyone on your team is familiar with the steps they need to take in the event of an attack. Knowing what to do will help you respond quickly and efficiently, minimizing the disruption to your operations. Regularly testing your incident response plan can also help you identify any gaps in your security strategy and take additional steps to protect against future incidents.
Ultimately, being proactive about your cybersecurity will help you build a strong security posture and reduce your chances of falling victim to attacks.
To learn more about how you can take control of your cybersecurity, get in touch with Kortek Solutions today.