Creating A Filter Of Distrust in Cybersecurity
Key Points:
- Ignoring infrastructure end-of-life timelines cripples a business.
- Side-stepping internal training removes the ability to spot this.
- Your enemy weighs all the facts and avoids opinions.
- Social media gets all kinds of posts foreign governments want.
- The lowest price does not create a robust cyber security defense.
If asked what you trust most about cybersecurity, would it be the message you received, the person who sent it, or the device used to commit the crime? Before you decide, consider all three presented to you carefully.
But wait! Is there a fourth alternative to consider, sitting in plain sight? In today’s video, Nick Martin, Director of Managed Services at MainStreet IT Solutions, sits down to discuss this topic with Nick Espinosa, Cybersecurity & Network Infrastructure Expert.
Not Trusting Innovative And Proven Solutions
By our very nature, humans unconditionally trust until something happens to break that bond. However, when a known vulnerability gets exposed, and there’s a better protection option, you turn away, believing you don’t need it.
Your reasoning? Your existing protection is operating perfectly, and since nothing has happened yet, you conclude it’s unnecessary to upgrade. Trusting instead of evaluating leads to network disruptions and failures.
You must understand that all infrastructure hardware and software have an end-of-life timeline. Trusting physical equipment instead of innovative and proven solutions does eventually cripple a business or organization.
Refusing Proactive Companywide Cybersecurity Training
Do you know how often cyberattacks occur per minute? How many attacks take place each day? Are you up to date on the latest hacking trends targeting your industry? Unless you and your staff stay informed about the latest cyber activity, you’ll never see the attack coming.
And yes, it’s an inconvenience, but you never want only to trust your IT services provider to have the needed training to protect your organization. You also need internal accountability across your company, starting with leadership and employees.
It is imperative that each person you employ, your volunteers, or if they’re an intern, stay equally informed. Often they are the very individuals that spot the anomaly that a breach is imminent, and knowing what to look for can quickly inform the leadership team.
Accepting Opinions Instead Of Sorting Out The Facts
It’s easy to agree with others that agree with us. But what if the others are proven wrong, or their opinions are biased? That is a dangerous precedent for a company regarding your cybersecurity protection and the information you store.
Getting to the complete truth of a matter requires getting all the facts, even if it’s from a resource you disagree with and believe they are wrong. However, what is more, alarming is uncovering that your trusted source was pushing misinformation and disinformation about IT protection.
Since the marketplace is continually changing and evolving, cybercriminals and hackers immediately adjust. They want to know everything they can, regardless of where the information comes from, on how to breach your system. Your enemy weighs the facts and discard opinions.
Assuming Social Media Is Safe And Poses No Threat
As fun as it is to be online and post any personal information you want on your social media accounts, these platforms are not business-friendly. It only takes a disgruntled customer or angry employee to post negative feedback for the company to face severe backlash.
In some instances, sensitive information from a company has found its way onto someone’s online account. And what the public forgets, foreign and hostile governments steadfastly look for and search for any organization’s data so that they can hack into their networks.
With the continued rise in ransomware attacks, hackers see social media accounts as a treasure trove of free information they can harvest for personal gain. Social media should never have your sensitive company information posted online.
Building A Defense Based On The Lowest Price
We all do it. We look for the best price rather than the best solution. If we can avoid the higher costs, we will. That view is as old as the human race. Sometimes, a better price is warranted, but not regarding cyber protection and securing your data.
Instead of trusting price, build your defenses based on an assessment to understand what hidden and exposed risks your organization faces. For thoroughly reviewing your company’s current cyber protection, a full report lets you know if you’re using outdated or inferior equipment.
The main reason is that if your system goes down, you want to know in advance that your existing IT setup will help you recover quickly. Furthermore, you also want to examine if your backups are current and usable once you’re back online.
Think Like A Hacker, Not A Business Owner
Aggressive cybersecurity protection begins with thinking like your enemy. Instead of defending yourself against a cyberattack, study what hackers have done. And what’s happening on their end and trending with these criminals.
That insight keeps you several steps ahead of hackers and scammers at all times. You’ll open doors for more robust protection and quicker companywide expansion. To discover where to begin, contact us today or call (717) 354-8385 for cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions.
