Over the past two years there has been a significant shift in how staff conduct their work, with many employees now working entirely from home, and some working a mixture of on/off site. The changing nature of the work environment has unfortunately exposed companies to a variety of cyber risks and threats, with employees across the country accessing their work data from personal Wi-Fi and unsecured public networks. It is essential that businesses take proactive action to secure their networks; a single security breach could have disastrous ramifications for an operations. For example, unauthorised access of customer data could see a company’s clients reluctant to do business with them in the future, severely costing the business. It is therefore crucial that organisations have strong information security processes across their operations. This article will discuss four ways strong information security practices are great for businesses.
- Penetration testing helps organisations identify and patch potential weak points
Over the past few years cyber-hackers have significantly strengthened their strategies for gaining unauthorised access into IT networks. From professional looking phishing emails to tricking staff into downloading malware, hackers are continually refining their strategies, so it is crucial that companies stay one step ahead of them.
By undergoing a process known as penetration testing, businesses will have their IT network attacked, under controlled, simulated conditions, to identify the scope of potential weak points that hackers could exploit, what damage could be done, and what actions need to be taken to secure the network from future unauthorised breaches. By commissioning a penetration testing service, businesses are being proactive when it comes to information security and data protection, and ensuring their networks remain secure from hackers. Strategies such as this reassure both staff and customers that their confidential information will remain protected.
- ISO 27001 certification ensures companies develop clear data protection strategies.
Another effective data protection strategy utilised by companies is certifying to the ISO 27001 Information Security Standards. It is an internationally recognised Business Management System that provides companies with proven successful strategies for upholding the CIA – Confidentiality, Integrity, Availability – of their data. Through ISO 27001 certification, companies are demonstrating a commitment to the strongest information security practices, identifying potential risks and taking pre-emptive action to mitigate the effects on operations, and potentially opening up new trading opportunities with other companies, that require their partners to be ISO 27001 certified.
- A Network Assessment Service evaluates the overall health of a businesses IT infrastructure.
By commissioning a Network Assessment Service, a detailed examination of a company’s IT infrastructure will be conducted, encompassing everything from their switches and routers to business security policies and device performance ratings. This service helps companies achieve several goals, including the effective monitoring of device performance, keeping up with what devices need updating, compliance assessments, identifying vulnerabilities within the businesses Operating System, and so on.
- Understanding hacker methodology to protect your operations.
You may have noticed many companies have now implemented innovative data security strategies. For example, two-factor authentication (2FA) is a popular method amongst businesses for maintaining data security, because even in the unfortunate event of a hacker accessing a staff member’s login details, they still will not be able to access confidential information without having the randomly generated 2FA code, which usually changes every thirty seconds.
Strategies such as 2FA were developed to help organisation’s stay ahead of cyber-threats. By thoroughly understanding hacker methodology, businesses can develop clear, secure strategies for maintaining data security. It is crucial to understand that there are different kinds of hackers, from the vandal who seeks to cause as much destruction of an IT network as they can, to thieves, whose endgame is to get their hands on valuable information that they can either sell or use to make purchases.
Our specialist consultants are here to help
After reading this blog you may be wondering about some of the other strategies a crafty hacker could utilise to gain unauthorised access to your IT networks. As discussed, it only takes a single instance of a hacker successfully gaining access for a company’s entire IT network to be compromised, and the cost to rectify such an issue can be huge.
It is important for companies to develop a proactive approach to information security. If you would like to know more about how strong information security practices can protect your business, then please contact our specialist consultants today by filling out this simple online Contact Us form, or by calling them on 1300 802 163, for a brief, zero obligation consultation. All you need to do is give them an overview of your businesses IT networks, and they can then discuss with you some of the risks it may be exposed to, and what you should be doing to protect the operations. Following this, they can arrange for one of our specialist consultants to work with your business to help it realise its information security goals. Doesn’t that sound like the sort of information worth being privy to?
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