Companies without a digital infrastructure have long since lost their chance of future viability. Almost every company across all industries now relies on digital networking and cloud-based solutions. While this ensures future viability on the one hand, it also offers an ever-increasing attack surface on the other. IT failures, whether caused by breakdowns or cyberattacks, can result in damage running into millions. The rapid pace of digital development makes 1001TP3 protection against such crisis situations virtually impossible. The aim is to contain the risk as far as possible. This requires appropriate planning and employee awareness. However, small and medium-sized companies in particular usually do not have an appropriate strategy in place to react promptly to problems and mitigate failures. But how can this problem be solved?
Cyber security - gatekeeper of IT
The larger and more complex an organization's IT infrastructure is, the more difficult it is to completely eliminate the cause of an outage or cyberattack. It is also all the more difficult to recognize and act on a crisis in good time. This is often the case in companies whose IT has grown organically over the years and can therefore no longer meet the requirements. Prevention is therefore the most important measure in such cases. However, strategies should also be developed at an early stage in the event of an emergency. A cyber security strategy that is developed as early as possible and consistently implemented, which includes awareness training for employees as well as hardware and software, helps to contain security incidents at an early stage.
Preventive measures and strategies
Although failures and attacks can never be completely ruled out, it is important to develop preventative measures to avoid avoidable incidents. This includes a regular inventory of existing hardware and software. There are often programs here that are not officially supported but are still being used. These then need to be examined in detail. Official approval can be a more sensible solution here than replacement. In the event of a hacker attack, the purchase of new software can cause unexpected gaps in internal processes and workflows.
Production machines are also often controlled by computers with a normal and sometimes outdated operating system. These usually offer an easy attack surface. This does not necessarily cause a problem. However, the control computer should be separated from the other computers in the company network if a connection to the network is necessary in order to minimize the attack surface.
However, the be-all and end-all when it comes to cyber security is employee awareness. As part of awareness training and seminars, they must be made aware of the importance of cyber security. It is not uncommon for human error to be the trigger for a crisis in the company - be it through the unknowing disclosure of information to the attacker or the incorrect handling of questionable emails.
Cyber resilience against attacks
The term cyber resilience also crops up in connection with IT security and cybercrime. Put simply, this term describes a company's resistance to cyber attacks. But how can this be achieved? Comprehensive and, above all, regular back-ups of servers and computers create the basis for this. In the event of an attack or any other kind of breakdown, this increases the chances of continuing to work. Companies should ask themselves the following questions in this context:
- What happens in the individual departments if the connection to the server is lost?
- How strong is the dependency on cloud service providers?
- How closely are the different business areas linked?
Due to the changing role of the IT department, closer cooperation between IT managers and management is essential in the medium term in order to ensure successful cyber resilience. This remains a major challenge for many companies.
Promoting security awareness in the team
Employees should receive regular training on IT risks. Carelessly opened email attachments, a USB stick brought from home or information carelessly passed on over the phone can, in the worst case, become the starting point for major security problems. The security awareness of employees is at least as important as that of management or the IT department. Regular awareness training should therefore become the norm in every organization.
Raising awareness of everyday actions already helps to eliminate avoidable risks and prevent unnecessary safety incidents.
Questioning your own awareness - a first step towards cyber security
A successful security strategy therefore always starts with security awareness. Decision-makers should also be honest with themselves and consider how pronounced their personal security awareness is in IT matters. Cyber security awareness exemplified from above can be a positive signal for employees. Managers should also not shy away from taking part in security awareness training themselves. This also emphasizes the importance of such training.
In order to create a lasting awareness of the challenges of IT security, awareness training should be repeated and refreshed at regular intervals.
Sustainable protection - the impetus must come from above
In order for a company to sustainably protect itself against the consequences of cyber attacks, the appropriate impetus must be created at management level. Managers should consider the following questions:
- What can I contribute to IT security as a manager?
- What measures need to be taken at IT level?
- What are the weak points in my company and where are they located?
Mountain guide in cyber security
Cyber security is essential for the success of your company. As a mountain guide and companion on the subject of cyber security, we help you to gain an overview of your current security situation with our cyber security check and develop appropriate recommendations for action. In addition, our cyber security ransomware check can help you uncover security gaps in this area. We also support you in creating cyber security awareness in your company and train your team accordingly.
As your IT experts with decades of experience, we will be happy to answer any questions you may have about cyber security. If required, we will work with you to develop a sustainable concept for the implementation of your cyber security precautions and put together a package tailored to your needs. Find out more about our Cyber Security Portfolio and take for a first free conversation feel free to contact us. We look forward to getting to know you and your company.
