Key Cybersecurity Measures & Infrastructure to Invest in For Your Business

In today’s digital world, cybersecurity has become one of the most important investments in a business’s operation. With the recent increase in cyber threat actors globally, businesses are looking for dynamic solutions to protect their customers from vulnerabilities. This often means adopting whole new approaches to cybersecurity that are up-to-date with the challenges faced by modern digitised workspaces.

But a robust digital security system is not just ensured by the technical ability of your business infrastructure – it also relies on your people to be strategically prepared. This is where investing in an ISO 27001 consultation in conjunction with implementing proper digital and physical infrastructure can increase your cybersecurity preparedness.

Here are some key measures that you can implement into your business to safeguard from potential threats.

Firewalls

Firewalls are the digital bouncer for your network. They monitor incoming and outgoing traffic and filter it based on predetermined criteria. They are important for preventing unauthorised access to data. Investing in both digital and hardware firewalls create a layered protection system that can be adjusted as needed.

Antivirus Software

Antivirus software is used to detect and remove malicious software from your network. To get the most out of your antivirus software it is important that it is regularly updated. Within your business cybersecurity strategy there should be frequent scans of all devices on the network. Optimally businesses should choose an antivirus solution that offers real-time scanning, automatic updates and protection from a variety of attacks such as malware, viruses, ransomware and spyware.

Secure Intranets

A company intranet facilitates secure communication and information between teams within the organisation. By using an intranet (opposed to the internet) you can transfer sensitive data within your business securely. This is because only internal personnel can access the intranet. Creating an intranet is a relatively simple and cost-effective way to secure data transfer in your business.

Offsite Data Storage

Offsite data management provides secure storage for businesses’ most sensitive data. Industry leaders in offsite data management are equipped with advanced security measures such as biometric scanners, infrared surveillance systems and backup power supplies. By storing your businesses data offsite, you can protect your information from physical threats such as robberies and natural disasters. In addition to this, offsite data storage offers secure backup and disaster recovery options, ensuring continuity in case of a local business crisis.

Multi Factor Authentication

Implementing multi factor authentication adds an extra layer to the standard password protection. Multi Factor authentication requires users to be able to verify themselves from more than one data point. This could be a combination of password protection and biometric authentication or a key card and number code. The more data points required for access will make it significantly harder for unwanted access to your systems.

Data Encryption

Encrypting data is a way of scrabbling the information in the data so that even if it is intercepted it cannot be read without the decryption key. Both the sending and receiving ends should be encrypted to prevent any unwanted accesses. businesses are recommended to encrypt all data including emails, files and records as any unencrypted data can be used to decrypt scrambled data.

Patch Management

Keeping software and hardware up to date with the latest patches and drivers is essential for sealing any gaps in your cybersecurity. Cyber threat actors will often exploit known vulnerabilities in old software to start cyber-attacks. Making sure that all your systems are regularly checked for outdated software can prevent vulnerabilities. Although most modern software will notify users of outdated software and drivers, these notifications can go unnoticed. This is why plans and schedules to manually check all systems are advised.

Virtual Data Rooms

A combination of off-site data storage, multifactor authentication and secure intranets virtual data rooms (VDR) are a sharing platform for a business’s most sensitive data. VDRs are useful for work with legal documents, personal data or financial information. They are generally purpose built for each project and require high levels of security. Most virtual data rooms are equipped with firewalls, encryption and multifactor authentication. Once the project is completed, they can be easily destroyed reducing the risk of leaks.

Incident response plan

An incident response plan lays out the plan of action in the event of a security breach. Even with all the protection, data breaches can happen and having a well-defined plan of action will determine the amount of damage it can do to your business. To minimise the amount of damage a good incident response plan should include operations for identifying, containing and removing threats as well as steps for communicating with the relevant stakeholders the recovery effort being undertaken on the affected systems.

Staff training

Regular and comprehensive training is critical to ensuring the cyber security of your business. Employees are on the front line of cyber security as they are the most frequent users of access points, and their actions can significantly impact the health of your data security. Training programs should cover a wide range of topics from phishing awareness to secure passwords and safe internet usage. By starting the discussion of cyber security in your workplace, businesses can turn their team into a human firewall. Integrating the principles of ISO certification into training means that staff will be able to be up to date with the industry’s best practices.

Conclusion

Investing in a wide range of cybersecurity solutions is essential for protecting your business from today’s advanced cyber threat actors. Seeking ISO 27001 consultation, installing firewalls and antivirus software, securing intranets, using off-site data storage and providing regular training for staff, businesses can create a strong base to build their cyber defence capabilities from. Going further by adopting multi-factor authentication, data encryption, regular audits of devices on the network and creating an incident response plan will place your business at the forefront of cyber security. To remain resilient in face of future threats it is important to constantly be looking for new ways to protect your business into the future.