Cybersecurity matters for SMEs. Even if you suffer a minor security breach it can affect both your business and your customers’ businesses. That’s troublesome from a short-term perspective, whatever, but with regard to damaging trust in your brand and reputation, it can be a lot more problematic than that in the long term.
So what should you do? We’d suggest you stay on top of the latest cybersecurity trends and ensure your IT support partner is doing so too. Here’s what we would recommend you look out for over the next few months…
It’s like a juggernaut with no brakes. Ransomware seems unstoppable, with cybercriminals constantly seeking to take control of our systems and data. We’ve written several articles on the subject and you can find out more about ransomware in those (click here). But suffice to say, ransomware is getting more sophisticated, and the approaches criminals are making are getting sneakier by the day. We’d advise you to train your staff to be aware of ransomware attempts, keep your software and hardware security up to date, and operate a tight password procedure.
Not long ago, putting your complete trust in The Cloud raised eyebrows. However, the likes of Microsoft, Google and so forth, have channelled significant resources into improving security in their cloud solutions. Migrating your IT operations to The Cloud, particularly if you are an SME with limited time and resources to manage this, means you’re sensibly passing the cybersecurity onus onto experts. However cloud-based attacks, like ransomware, are only going to increase in 2017, so your in-house security protocols need to be tight and closely monitored.
With apps being downloaded second by second, and devices communicating behind the scenes more and more, the IoT is only going to be an increasing target for cybercriminals. In the year to come, we’d recommend you review your access procedures and consider who can, and who can’t, use certain applications within your organisation.
You may well already have fingerprint recognition set up on your smartphone. But over the course of the next year, the use of this technology is going to spread beyond just personal devices and cross into business technology too. Don’t ignore these trends; they are likely to be of great use to you.
With ‘big data’ now no longer the amorphous mass of disconnected sound bites it used to be, robotic interrogation is going increase. The leap in automated technology that is self-informing and adjusting via algorithms is going to speed up and increase the amount of security in place to catch breaches. The social media and search engine giants are making some of this technology available to SMEs, we recommend you choose it and use it.
Cybersecurity is not something any business, let alone an SME, can ignore. Staying one step ahead is the only way to ward off attacks before they get a hold. But you don’t need to panic about having to be the expert to protect your business. Working with a professional IT support company will ensure someone is doing that on your behalf instead. Outsource it, and you’ll have peace of mind without sacrificing your precious time.
