Cybersecurity is a hot topic for Australian business, and for good reason. There has been akaleidoscope of global security events, which with recent data breech regulation changes, has bought the topic front and center for business leaders.
However, much to everyone’s delight, cybercrime is on the rise, and attacks are getting stronger (note the sarcasm!).
It appears as though there is now a new breed of cybercriminals, who don’t discriminate their targets based on business size, or location. Everyone is a potential target.
Reports on the state of cybersecurity in Australia are worrying:
- 90% of Australian businesses have been targeted by cybercriminals (some avoided, some not)
- 60% of Australian businesses have been impacted, in some way, by a cyberattack
With this frustrating revelation, business leaders are asking what they need to do to stay protected in this new, cybercrime age?
Here’s our answer.
Cybersecurity needs to be intertwined with the way businesses function. You can no longer install an anti-virus software and consider yourself protected.
To drill down further, there needs to be a spot light on cybersecurity, over every area where abusiness interfaces with technology.
Apart from keeping your technology up to date with software and anti-virus applications, the best form of protection is education.
Though education may appear old-school, or too out of date to combat such a modern threat, it still remains the number one defense tactic your business can implement, to protect yourself against a cyberattack.
Anti-virus software can’t protect against a zero-day (unreported) attack. If you are one of the first to be hit, you will have to rely on your vigilance and cybersecurity knowledge to avoid falling victim.
→ If you need a starting point, our experts have put together a cybersecurity training guide, which you can download for free, here.
However, in order for cybersecurity efforts to be most effective, businesses need to shift their mindset, from reaction to prevention.
A cyberattack can have devastating consequences, and can often threaten the ability for your business to continue. With this said, it’s safe to say it’s not an area you want to be behind the eight ball in.
Businesses are now focusing their attention on implementing more secure, proactive processes to prevent a data breech.
The tech industry is on your side, and building more robust tools to help protect individuals and businesses from cybercriminals. A great tool that is available now is Microsoft’s Advance Threat Protection. For about $3/month per user, you can ensure that a known attack does not get to your staff’s inbox.
As you up your defenses, criminals create their own tools to get through and infiltrate your business. Sophisticated attacks are on the rise, along with tools that allow less skilled attackers to deploy attacks, with the rise of Ransomware-as-a-service.
To counter this, businesses will need to implement a customised stack of defense systems – your IT Provider will be able to design and implement the most effective solution for you.
The good news is, the options to protect your business from these will increase through automated cybersecurity response.
An important area we’d like to remind you of, is that a cyberattack is not the only scenario where your data can be lost, or compromised. For example, a natural disaster could destroy your office. So it’s still important to have a disaster recovery plan in place, where your data is backed up regularly, and you have an established recovery plan in place, for if doom’s day hits.
Our final piece of advice, keep your eyes open. Technology is advancing at an astounding rate, which brings both opportunity for your business to get a head, along with a door for cybercriminals to gain advantage on those not keeping up.
With the technology and business worlds becoming increasingly intertwined, it can be hard to keep up. That’s where the businesses are finding increasing value in partnering with a IT Provider, who can keep them up to date, and look ahead to align their business with the future (and take advantage of hidden possibilities!).
If you would like the opportunity to explore how your business can benefit from an IT Partnership, we have a limited number of complementary, no obligation consultations. You can learn more, or register your business, here.
