Cybersecurity is an enormous field within the information technology industry, and impacts practically every other industry out there that has any level of technology involved in its daily business operations. As the world becomes increasingly reliant on technology on all levels of life, with the Internet of Things (IoT) being integrated with everything from smart cars to smart coffee makers, cybersecurity not only affects corporations looking to protect themselves from data breaches, but also on an individual, private basis.

Businesses and people also transmit data on an unparalleled level every second of every day, and this data is targeted by criminals elements for a wide variety of reasons, through an even wider variety of techniques.

Put simply, cybersecurity is an organized effort to protect technology such as computers, networks, mobile devices, software, and data from being exploited, abused, or used in malicious ways. 

Cybersecurity involves strategies, techniques, risk management processes, staff training, systems, and tools all designed or intended to protect from attacks, threats, and unauthorized access to technological systems.

Key Cybersecurity Terms

There are a handful of key terms that should be clearly understood in the context of cybersecurity:

• Software - A program that tells a computer to accomplish certain tasks.
• Virtual Private Network (VPN) - A tool or program that lets users remain anonymous while using the internet, masking one’s location and encrypting browsing data.
• Exploit - Using a vulnerability of a computer or device’s software or hardware to gain unauthorized access or cause it to carry out an illicit function. 
• Breach - When a hacker or other unauthorized user gains access to a computer, device, or network.
• Malware - Malicious software created specifically to cause damage or erroneous operations on software and internet-connected devices. These can include virus, ransomware, trojan horses, and worms. 
• DDoS - “Distribute denial of service.” Flooding a network with disruptive data that stops it from being usable as intended. 
• Phishing - Attempts made to retrieve sensitive data by interacting with and manipulating the people using devices, rather than hacking the devices themselves. 
• Domain - An interconnected group of computers and other devices that operate across a shared network, such as in an office building.
• Firewall - Software or hardware-based defensive technologies that attempt to protect devices and software from cyberattacks. 

The Early Years

The basic concepts of cybersecurity began back in the 1970s, when computers were first being linked up by networks that would eventually become what we now know as the internet. The first known worm was program created as a joke by Bob Thomas, which would simply display a message: “I’m the creeper: catch me if you can!”

Ray Tomlinson, credited as the inventor of email, wrote another program in response that moved between computers, replicated itself, and deleted any found instances of Bob Thomas’ “creeper” program. 

In these earliest instances, we can still see how modern viruses and worms continue to interact with networks and devices. 

September of 1983 saw the first patent for any real cybersecurity system, when MIT received a US Patent for “a cryptographic communications system and method.” Cryptography is the essential foundation of modern cybersecurity and the encryption of data for protective purposes. 

Then, in 1989, the Morris Worm occurred, infecting approximately 6,000 computers (10% of those connected to the internet) in an attempt to simply measure the size of the growing network. However, while the worm wasn’t intended to be malicious, it still significantly slowed the processing of all infected computers.

The fix for this first infection? Shutting down the internet entirely so affected devices could be fixed before bringing them back online. Not quite so feasible today, is it?

Growing Threats

In the 90s, viruses becoming an increasingly common problem, many of them beginning as mere pranks or trolling attempts, but which rapidly evolved to cause a wide range of destructive consequences, from file deletion and corruption to actual physical damage within hardware.

This spurred the development of the first antivirus software, with several companies dominating this new industry for decades.

DEF CON, the world’s most popular cybersecurity technical conference was launched in 1993, with only about 100 people in attendance. This has since grown to over 20,000 today!

In 1995, the first internet security protocols are established to allow people to do things such as safely purchase things online. This became known as Hyper Text Transfer Protocol Service, i.e. HTTPS, which is now seen on the address line of every major browser now in existence.

Modern Cybersecurity Warfare

In the decade or so since, cybersecurity continues to evolve at an ever-faster rate. With more devices being connected and more data being transferred on a daily basis, digital security is more essential than ever—and the risks are far greater than ever. 

2003 saw the foundation of the global hacker group, Anonymous, which went on to perpetrate countless anarchic attacks online, with the claimed intent of protecting citizen privacy. 

Now, data breaches are hitting almost every major corporation in existence, identity theft through online attack and phishing is a common occurrence that most individuals have been impacted by at least once, and cybersecurity is a massive online battleground that is swept up in high-stakes analytics, machine learning, A.I. development, and real-time influence on global markets and industries. 

Cybersecurity Facts to Know

Cybersecurity is a vast concept and industry in itself. It can be difficult to wrap our minds around this global, invisible phenomenon, even though we interact with it practically every day. Cybersecurity is active in our smartphones and desktop computers. It informs our browsing habits and social media activity. It is the subject of legislative debate and a political hot topic that can influence the outcome of national elections and public thinking. It can enhance our privacy, but also utterly disrupt and destroy it if abused.  

But let’s nail down a few hard data points that might help you better understand and navigate this digital landscape.

Did you know...

• A hacker attack occurs every 39 seconds. (And this rate is constantly increasing)
• By 2020 there will be roughly 200 billion connected devices forming the Internet of Things.
• Since 2013 there are 3,809,448 records stolen from breaches every day 
• 95% of cybersecurity breaches are due to human error.
• Only 38% of global organizations are prepared to handle a sophisticated cyberattack, or at least claim to be. 
• 54% of companies report having been the target of one or more attacks in the last 12 months.

These statistics reveal that even while cybersecurity is certainly a topic people and companies are aware of, with new security initiatives being created all the time, many corporations remain woefully underprepared in handling the evolving threats to their networks and customer or user data. Even though cybersecurity should be a top priority for a business, it is often one of the areas least invested in.

What’s at Stake?

To stay competitive, today’s businesses gather and store immense amounts of customer data on their computers and networks. This data relates to everything from demographic profiling to shopping habits to store sales performance to employee scheduling and beyond. Practically every piece of information can be turned into valuable data for analytics and fuel for profitable strategy implementation.

At the same time, all of that data is the primary target of most cybersecurity attacks going on. When most businesses run on information at their core, the disruption of this information flow via hacks and other virtual attacks can negatively impact all levels of an organization and involve people both within and outside the company. 

There are several main target categories that many cybersecurity threats aim for to cause the most damage, should a successful breach occur: 

• Personal Data - Individual user or customer data is one of the most valuable things a hacker can attempt to gain access to during a breach. Not only can the criminal then use this data for identity theft or online impersonation, but the data itself is often resold to other groups or buyers who wish to use it for illicit purposes. The type of data can range to simple things such as a person’s full name or telephone number all the way to Social Security Numbers, credit card and bank account access codes, medical records, and other highly sensitive materials. 
• Financial Records - A business’ financial records and data can be disastrous if they fall into the wrong hands. Competitors can be engaged in corporate espionage, and wish to acquire this information to undermine sales efforts or steal customers away. The simple exposure of financial records can hurt a company’s market standings and investor confidence. 
• Operational Stability - If a company can’t do business with its customers, how is it expected to actually stay in business? Hacks and data breaches not only steal information, but also tend to shut down ongoing operations for days, if not weeks at a time—either through direct interference with device and software processes or because the company is required to shut everything down internally to deal with the ongoing cybersecurity threat. This then causes a company to lose millions of dollars in sales, and could cause a breach in vendor or storefront contracts that inflict further operational damage. Not to mention the customer service cost as those users who are unaware of the hack flood communications channels with support tickets and forum demands for restored service. Besides, would you keep doing business with a company that has shown itself to be vulnerable to ongoing digital threats?   

Brand Reputation - Customers are becoming more aware of how corporate handling of their data can lead to cybersecurity failures and breaches, and how their personal lives are then affected by stolen credit card numbers, passwords, and other losses. If a business is not doing enough to invest in active and effective cybersecurity measures, customers are far likelier to switch their dealings to another brand that shows it has made greater efforts to protect its networks and data. Data breaches in the news are also a poor sign for any business, and can cause massive reputation loss in a few mere hours or days, after building brand integrity for decades. 

Online attacks and cybersecurity threats take a wide variety of forms, and are being advanced and refined constantly—requiring similarly fresh tactics and technologies to defend against. IT teams and whole tech departments in larger companies are devoted 24/7 to protecting against the latest cybersecurity attacks. There are several main types of digital threats that target common vulnerabilities in any device or software system.

• Bots - A bot is an autonomous program installed on a network that is able to run preprogrammed functions, interacting with users or other computers. A botnet is a larger network of devices connected online that are being used by a third party, oftentimes for the purpose of attacking vulnerable systems en masse. 
• Viruses - This form of malware is designed to insert its code in software and multiply throughout a system, “infecting” a program or computer while replicating itself beyond a user’s ability to control or prevent.
• Malware - Malware is any sort of software or program that is designed to cause harm to a device or computer, whether on a software or hardware level.  
• Trojan Horses - A trojan horse is any sort of file or software that appears to be harmless and to provide a benign function (such as a game or an image file), but actually contains malware code hidden within it that activates when the file is opened or activated, exposing the device to potential harmful activity. 
• Worms - A worm program is a standalone malware that spreads by replicating itself to other computers, targeting security failures or vulnerabilities. It does not require other software to facilitate this, and does not need to be connected to the internet to continue replicating. 
• Social engineering - This is the manipulation of real people through psychological tactics in an attempt to trick them or convince them to divulge sensitive data such as passwords and security PINs in order to then use that information to further hack a software system or device.
• Phishing - This is the tactic where fake emails, text messages, links, and other spurious communications are sent to employees or device users, attempting to steal login data and other personal information that can then be used to access secure networks or introduce vulnerabilities. Other forms are known as vishing (using voicemail and other voice-related techniques) and smishing (using SMS).

Many small to medium-sized business don’t invest as heavily in cybersecurity measures because it can be a budget item that doesn’t present an immediate or obvious return on the cost. However, if not taken seriously, cybersecurity threats will become an inevitable, costly reality for almost every company out there at some point or another. 

Let’s look at it in quantifiable terms:

Reporting and surveys show that:

• On average, a data breach costs a company $3.6 million. This includes the cost of data loss, operational disruption, damage control, customer loss, and restoring everything to previous operational benchmarks. It also involves costs associated with employee cybersecurity training, implementing new network defenses, and so on. 
• The average cost of a data breach in 2020 will exceed $150 million
• Approximately $6 trillion is expected to be spent globally on cybersecurity by 2021
• The cybercrime economy has grown to enjoy at least $1.5 trillion in profits each year.

A primary goal of cybersecurity efforts is to reduce the cost of a digital attack after the fact. By being aware of the threat, having staff trained to detect and handle online attacks, and the tools in place to stop hackers before they can cause a breach, companies can avoid the long-term financial damage at the source. Does it directly contribute to the bottom line? No, but it’s highly effective in preventing a significant budget crisis because a successful attack left operations in shambles and sent customers fleeing to other corporate options.

Industry Impact

If a company works with technology to any degree, whether by selling devices, software products, SaaS, or cloud-based platforms, cybersecurity is a critical issue. If the company simply uses software and tech devices to be in business—as practically every single organization now does—then cybersecurity is a critical issue. 

If a company merely deals with customers who are looking for products and services using mobile devices, apps, or websites, guess what? Cybersecurity is a critical issue!

It doesn’t matter what industry a business is in nowadays. Geography is no buffer to hacks and data breaches. There is no language barrier that prevails against cybercrime. There is no cultural gap that stops a virus from infecting a network. Cybersecurity knows no real boundaries and is ubiquitous so long as a device or computer is connected to the internet or any sort of data is being transferred.

However, that isn’t to say that certain industries deal with more consequential cybersecurity matters, or that certain types of companies deal with more prevalent digital attacks. 

The Leading Crime Industry

Cybercrime itself is a booming industry, rife with all sorts of opportunities available to those willing to make illicit income based on digital vulnerabilities in the technology platforms that suffuse our lives. 

The "Official 2019 Annual Cybercrime Report," based on research by Cybersecurity Ventures and sponsored by Herjavec Group, predicts that cybercrime will cost companies across the world $6 trillion annually by 2021.

Who is Paying the Price?  

So which industries and company types are being more heavily targeted by online criminals? There are several main markets that are seen as the most vulnerable and deal with the heaviest fallout from successful attacks. These include finance, legal, government, healthcare, and retail/manufacturing. 

In fact, a report in 2016 showed that 95% of breached records came from only three industries: government, retail, and technology.

These specific sectors aren’t necessarily targeted more because they lack proper defensive measures or don’t remain vigilant in protecting their data. It’s more because the nature of the data companies in these industries work with are more directly valuable when a digital attack is successful. 

• Finance - Because of the rise in online banking, financial institutions are under heavier fire than ever when it comes to cybercrime. If a single bank or credit union network can be breached, it gives criminals access to all manner of passwords, personal identifying data, financial records, and other content that can be resold at a premium or used to perpetrate increasingly complex scams. Tax documents are also a prime target, and can be used for employment fraud.
• Corporate Retail & Manufacturing - Point-of-sale cybercrime is an ongoing war zone, with pay devices in shops being used to skim credit card numbers and PIN numbers for debit cards. Shopping demographic profiles can be hacked and sold, and e-commerce is crowded with fake websites, phishing emails, and brand impersonators who solicit customers with legitimate-looking offers that allow identities to be stolen. 
• Legal - Legal documents and confidential materials are transferred digitally all the time now, with many contracts and sensitive papers being signed online via virtual proxy. While the growing convenience of this method is obvious, the security measures being put in place and used to protect this scaling legal data is often lacking. To further complicate matters, security regulations can be different across state lines and from firm to firm, allowing client trade secrets, litigation strategies, and other unsecured documents to be placed at risk. 
• Healthcare - Healthcare providers of all sorts maintain databases chock full of highly sensitive personal data, and criminals who get their hands on this can use it to run insurance or medicare fraud and abuse. Healthcare companies can also be highly susceptible to ransomware attacks that hold potentially life-saving patient data hostage until financial demands are met. Over 75% of the healthcare industry has been infected with malware over last year.

Again, these are just the sectors that deal more directly with the consequences of cybercrime because of the sensitive nature of the data organizations in these industries process on a daily basis. 

It’s worth noting that SMBs are targeted 43% of the time, often because they lack the defensive infrastructure and staffing resources necessary to block incessant digital attacks. 

And one of the common denominators, no matter where a company is operating within its market? It’s not the technological or digital vulnerabilities that allow cybercriminals to succeed most of the time.

It’s the people. A company’s employees, on all levels, are often the most responsible for a hack breaching the network and millions of dollars of damage being done to a database.

On every front, humans are the weakest link when it comes to digital security.

Despite cybersecurity taking place in a digital landscape, much of it relies on people and their physical interactions with devices and how they conduct themselves in their office, at home, and out in public in regards to securing their data. 

People are not only the weakest vulnerability when it comes to data, but they can also be the first line of defense in protecting a network—so long as they are properly educated and empowered to handle cybersecurity processes and protocols. 

Despite years of ongoing teaching and training, 35% of data breaches still are attributed to human error or negligence.

It’s far easier to manipulate a person into voluntarily giving up sensitive info, such as passwords or login user names, than brute-force hacking a network. If hackers can gain identifying data that gives them access to secure networks, then they can wreak much more havoc and do more damage before their unauthorized presence is even detected. 

Types of cybersecurity threats that target people specifically include phishing, vishing, smishing, and social engineering. A single wrong click on a fraudulent email link can expose a whole computer and the network it’s connected to to criminal activity and data theft.

How to Combat Personal Cybercrime  

One of the biggest ways to protect against cybercrime is awareness and proactive reporting. Many people struggle to identify legitimate emails from phishing attempts, but if they’re informed about key elements of phishing and other scams, then they’re more likely to hesitate before clicking on an offered link or respond with vital data, double-checking that they’re using secured channel or confirming the identity of the person who is claiming to communicate with them. 

Ongoing training is critical to keep employees aware of the threats, help them understand reporting protocols for any suspected activity, and know how to quickly contain potential cyberattacks and minimize the damage if any exposure is created. 

Employees at all levels of a company have at least some small responsibility to be alert to cybersecurity threats and understand corporate response plans. 

Specific Employee Strategies

Certain staff will be more directly involved with cybersecurity efforts than efforts, but everyone within a company should still be capable of properly detecting and reacting to cyberattacks. Here’s a breakdown of several key business roles and how they relate to cybersecurity:

• CEO - Taking the Lead

As with many aspects of the corporate culture, the CEO will set the tone that the rest of the business and staff take when it comes to handling cybersecurity. If the CEO is informed and active in defending against cybercrime, then the rest of the corporation will better follow suit! Establishing a culture of proactive cybersecurity is a critical element of the executive role, and a CEO should strive to maintain core knowledge about the current cybersecurity landscape, understand their most valuable information assets, and delegate the resources necessary to protect them at all costs. 

CEOs should also ensure that cybersecurity training programs are implemented and followed at all business levels, and oversee independent cybersecurity risk assessment to evaluate and pinpoint vulnerabilities and respond accordingly. Documenting and testing data disaster response and recovery plans can also fall under the CEOS purview, depending on the business size and scope. 

• IT Manager - In the Trenches

Many cybersecurity tasks and responsibilities fall squarely in the lap (and on the shoulders) of a company’s IT manager and IT staff. The IT manager is usually the company’s go-to expert and authority on all things cybersecurity, including protection, detection, response, and recovery efforts. Specific responsibilities will certainly vary depending on the size of a business and the industry, as well as the IT team itself and the resources available to it. 

The IT manager should be involved in direct oversight of data monitoring and cybersecurity management. They must be constantly analyzing their cybercrime defense protocols and maintain all implemented security tools and technology solutions—or recognize gaps in the defensive planning and discover the proper solution to enact.

Alongside establishing plans and programs for cybersecurity measures, the IT manager then must ensure compliance within the company. After all, what good is a detect and defend plan if no one actually follows it in the face of a hacking attack or data breach? 

Other duties involve risk reduction, policy audits, and continuously evolving the current data protection plan to refine how quickly and thoroughly a company can respond to a digital attack. 

• Remote Workers - Virtual Vulnerabilities

With the increasing globalization of the workforce, it’s more common for at least a portion of company employees to work offsite at least a couple days of the week, if not full-time. Remote workers, however, while allowing for a more flexible team, also introduce a level of cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities that must be addressed.

Because remote workers are not hardwired into a corporate network, the data that’s being transferred between the virtual employee and the company is more susceptible to being intercepted, hacked, and exploited. 

 Companies can help secure remote employees through a variety of techniques. First is providing them with devices that are preloaded with security protocols and can only connect to corporate-approved networks. Discourage the use of personal devices or the transfer/storage of data to and from such for convenience’s sake. 

Ensure remote employees are aware of the threats posed by security risks such as unsecure wifi networks, bluetooth connections, and even basic “shoulder surfing” while working in public. Of course, if devices are ever lost or stolen, remote workers should immediately report this so access via those computers or phones can be cut off.

• HR - The Personal Touch

With people being the largest vulnerable element of any cybersecurity plan, it stands to reason that Human Resources staff play an important role in handling corporate cybersecurity compliance. HR staff and managers can be particularly targeted by hackers and cybercriminals because of the highly sensitive nature of the data they handle on a regular basis—such as employee profiles, salary and financial documentation, and security and privacy policies. 

HR managers not only provide necessary motivation to keep employees compliance with cybersecurity regulations and protocols, but also are on the front line when it comes to protecting internal company resources from criminal activity. An HR manager often determines what employees have access to various portions of the company network, who gets security clearance, and who even has access to the buildings where the data is stored. They’re often the ones responsible for documenting cybersecurity plans and reporting data breaches without causing further exposure to employee privacy. 

And, of course, HR should be equipped to review internal network and device use by employees to make sure staff are following best policies and not allowing breaches to occur through negligence or oversight. 

For many companies, it’s not reasonable to have whole departments dedicated solely to cybersecurity threat analysis and readiment. While IT staff can manage a defensive plan when in place, the initial frontload of threat assessment and strategic planning can keep a business from initiating plan development in the first place or not have the staffing resources needed to keep it implemented. Even when the budget is there, some companies simply don’t see cybersecurity as a top goal, even though it can affect all other aspects of growth and operations. In fact, unfilled cybersecurity jobs worldwide will reach 3.5 million by 2021

That’s why Vala Secure offers our comprehensive cybersecurity solutions that are tailored to your company’s unique needs and priorities. We step into the gap for your business and provide everything you need to establish a cybersecurity plan that truly works.

Our solutions involve:

• Technology Audits - Where does your company and its IT infrastructure currently stand on cybersecurity performance? Vala Secure can help you find out. These reviews provide a high-level analysis of your current system defensive capabilities based on your device and network functions. This includes regulatory compliance audits, HIPAA testing, ISO gap analysis, risk assessment, and breach assessment.
• Cybersecurity Testing - How will you know how easily your network can be hacked or your employees can be manipulated by phishing scams unless you test these vulnerabilities? Vala Secure offers a wide range of testing approaches to highlight system strengths and weaknesses, including: penetration testing, wireless penetration testing, internal vulnerability assessment, social engineering scenarios, VMaaS, and SOC reporting.
• Virtual Advisory - To keep abreast of ongoing cybersecurity developments, your company needs a chief security officer within your organization, but many companies are unable to invest in the high salary this executive position demands. Instead, you can rely on Vala Secure to provide virtual advisory services, giving you constant cybersecurity protection without having to scale your staff accordingly. Our experts give you the industry knowledge and strategic perspective necessary to detect threats and eliminate them before they manifest, and keeps your business running smoothly with minimal risks on the cybersecurity front.  

There are numerous cybersecurity subsectors that a company should address to ensure nothing is being overlooked. Simply throwing up a firewall and enforcing employee secure password policies won’t quite cut it. Here are several areas that form the crux of industry cybersecurity and must be taken into account:

• Network security - How is access to your company network provided and who oversees the authorization process that lets employees reach the data that is being stored on the network? 
• Application security - This is the oversight of applications used on company devices, maintaining security updates and managing vulnerabilities. 
• Identity management - This is the organizational process by which you identify individual users or user groups and give them regulated rights to access the apps or data on the network.  
• Cloud security - With companies increasingly storing data on cloud networks or even accessing virtual desktops and cloud-based apps, cloud security must establish strong procedures and policies to safeguard business being run via the cloud. 
• Mobile security - If your business uses mobile devices that connect to the office network or use company data, these must be monitored and kept as secure as any desktop computer or server.  
• Disaster recovery - When a hack or breach occurs—which is bound to happen, no matter how effective your defenses are—how is your company poised to recover and return to healthy operations? 
• Security awareness training - Employees must constantly be taught cybersecurity best practices and review their understanding of potential risks and how to properly handle when a threat is detected (or suspected). 

A cybersecurity plan should also not be kept in a silo. If your company is not aware of the resources in place to handle breaches, it can undermine employee support of that plan, or allow vulnerabilities to remain in place even when the plan specifically addresses them, simply because the necessary changes aren’t communicated to the staff responsible for implementing them. Remember, your people represent the weakest part of any plan, but can also be shored up by strong, clear training and education. This will help encourage cybersecurity process adoption across all corporate levels.

“Cybercrime is the greatest threat to every company in the world.”

• Ginni Rommety, the CEO and President of IBM,

Even with the amount that cybersecurity is discussed today in almost every major sector, the average SMB only invests $500 or less in cybersecurity products and solutions. This “fingers crossed and wish for the best” approach practically guarantees that a breach will occur, that data will be stolen, and that a much costlier situation will arise that could’ve been prevented—not just on the financial side, but in damage done to customer trust and repeat business.

But in contrast to generally ignoring the threat of cybersecurity, the other approach tends to be a “sloppy security” system or program, where a business invests in a wide variety of disparate protective elements or processes. On the surface, it looks like the company is being proactive, with firewalls in place, employee training, and detect and response plans waiting to be implemented. But the reality is that none of the various programs or tools work together, communicate properly, or even meet proper cybersecurity standards in the first place.

The key to sustainable cybersecurity planning is to approach it strategically from end to end. 

Where to Begin? - Know Your Risks

To start, a company must thoroughly assess and understand the current cybersecurity ecosystem, including the evolving risks and threats. Because cyberattacks and hacker strategies and toolsets are changing rapidly—practically on a daily basis—this requires that an effective cybersecurity strategy be implemented on a 24/7 basis. Cybercrime doesn’t take weekends. There are no vacation periods for hackers. In fact, many more attacks often occur during known work holidays and vacation times because cybercriminals hope there will be fewer people staffing the cybersecurity task force for a company then.

Aside from the external analysis, an internal assessment must be made to understand the core database that requires protecting and the points of vulnerability found within the business’ hardware, software, and users. How many devices are used in the office? What is your remote workforce like? How are people authorized for access on various networking levels? What monitoring tools are in place and who is actually viewing the logs and reports these produce? And what plan is in place for when an attack actually occurs?

It can be wise to involve a third party, such as Vala Secure, to perform a business cybersecurity testing and analysis, running network-specific reviews to determine where the highest risks exist and determine the best ways to bridge the gaps in your security infrastructure.  

Alongside sensitive corporate data, what would make primary targets for hackers within your business? Could employees be manipulated via social media to surrender personal info or login credentials to brand impersonators? Is building wifi secure? How often is your cybersecurity response plan reevaluated and adjusted based on ongoing threats? 

Work with Vala Secure to take full control of your security. The most important component is for you to know and understand your risks. [LEARN MORE]

What’s #1 For You? - Prioritize and Plan

Once you have taken the time to gain a comprehensive perspective of your corporate data and vulnerabilities, it’s time to formulate an appropriately thorough plan of detection and response.

It is recommended that your cybersecurity strategy and plan be crafted for both short- and long-term impact. Short-term involves anything within the upcoming 12 months, and long-term being 3-5 years down the road. 

Review your IT assets and determine how many resources can be allocated to ongoing cybersecurity implementation and management. You should also evaluate ongoing business plans and programs and rank them according to the value they’re bringing to the company, or the potential contribution. These then become defensive priorities, and can help you see how a cyber attack could damage or even cripple your company’s future should it successfully undermine the data and network these projects rely on.

Your plan should contain several core elements:

• A mission and vision statement, clearly defining the purpose and goals of the cybersecurity plan. 
• An overview of the company’s current state of cybersecurity, known risks, business priorities, and assets.
• A detailed explanation of how the plan will be managed, who will be involved in which elements of the process, and scenarios.  
• Success benchmarks help you determine acceptable response times, downtimes, and strategic objectives that must be achieved to ensure the company is able to continue operating smoothly despite a breach. 

This plan should be shared across all levels of your business, with executive-level support and motivation, with resources provided to team managers, HR, and the IT staff.  

Connect with Vala Secure to get the cybersecurity recommendations and data you need to make informed decisions regarding your plan.

Shields Up! - Protect Yourself

With a plan in place and a team set to oversee it, the next step is actually implementing everything. Set the management schedules and review periods. Keep employee training and compliance going strong. 

A cybersecurity plan should never be a static thing. Even if it fully covers all your data and 100% protects your network and office devices, that’s going to change in just a few weeks or months. New devices will be introduced. New software updates will be downloaded. New employees will come onboard who aren’t familiar with proper cybersecurity measures in their daily work. And new threats will rise in the form of evolved viruses, worms, trojans, and social scams. 

Your cybersecurity plan must be a living, adapting program that is tested and refined on a regular basis. Your IT manager and team must stay on top of the latest cybercrime developments and news, and make sure any solutions being implemented are done so across the company as a whole, and in ways that are effective for employees in all departments, and all management levels. 

Vala Secure can help make all of this a reality for your company. With our technology audits, cybersecurity testing, and virtual advisory expertise, you can rest assured that your corporate investments are properly secured and that you have developed the best solution for your unique security needs.

Have questions? Contact us today!