Sports teams don’t get to the championships without a game plan, startups don’t make it to Fortune 500 without a business plan, and you definitely shouldn’t be operating your SMB without a solid cybersecurity strategy in place.
Follow along for the most important aspects of a good cybersecurity strategy, as well as some warning signs that indicate that it might be time to re-evaluate and overhaul your current strategy.
What Does a Good Cybersecurity Strategy Include?
At its core, a strong cybersecurity strategy should include four key elements.
Information Security Policies
One of the most important aspects of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy is information security policies. Information security policies are essential for preventing and responding to potential cyber threats by outlining the steps that employees should take to safeguard sensitive data.
Information security policies should be reviewed and updated on a regular basis to ensure that they are effective in protecting against the latest cyber threats.
Technical Controls
Another important aspect of a good cybersecurity strategy is the use of technical controls, such as firewalls and antivirus software. Technical controls can help prevent unauthorized access to your systems and data by blocking malicious code and restricting access to specific computer programs.
Effective technical controls can also be used for responding to potential cyber threats by helping you detect suspicious activity on your network and identify the source of the threat.
Data Encryption
In addition to information security policies and technical controls, another important element of a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy is data encryption. Data encryption is a process of transforming readable data into an unreadable format that can only be decoded by authorized individuals.
Data encryption can prevent cybercriminals from accessing sensitive information if your networks and systems are breached.
Employee Education
Finally, employee education is another key element of an effective cybersecurity strategy. Employee education can help reduce the risk of cyberattacks by teaching employees how to identify and avoid potential threats. You can find training online but you’ll get the best information from an IT professional.
Additionally, employee education can also help employees understand the importance of following information security policies and procedures. By investing in employee education, you can help reduce the likelihood of a cyber attack and improve your overall cybersecurity posture.
5 Signs That It’s Time to Reassess Your Cybersecurity Strategy
As technology develops and your SMB grows, the risk of cyberattacks develops and grows alongside it. Think about whether these five signs apply to your business and if they do, it might be time to re-evaluate and overhaul your current strategy.
- Your cybersecurity strategy is out of date and doesn’t address the latest threats.
- You don’t have a written information security policy or you haven’t updated it in a while.
- You’re not using technical controls such as firewalls and antivirus software.
- Your data isn’t encrypted.
- Employees are not educated on how to identify and avoid potential cyber threats.
If you notice any of these signs, it may be time to re-evaluate your current cybersecurity strategy. If you apply the 4 key elements we mentioned earlier in this blog, you’ll be well on your way to creating a stronger cybersecurity strategy.
Your in-house team can do it, or you can outsource to a managed IT provider that will audit your security, create a plan for you, and help you carry it out.
How Partnering With AIS Can Improve Your SMB Cybersecurity
Cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated and widespread, so it’s important to make sure that your SMB is prepared.
If you’re unsure if your SMB needs to re-assess its cybersecurity strategy, don’t hesitate to contact AIS for a consultation. We can help you evaluate your current security posture and make sure that you’re prepared for the latest cyber threats.