When it comes to cybersecurity, everyone has their own definition of what ‘secure’ means. For the average person, if they’ve swapped the letter I for the number one in their password, they’re ‘secure’. On the other hand, there are those who take an almost paranoid view of security, never trusting any system to be secure.

The important thing to consider when addressing security concerns within your business is what level of security will give you peace of mind, while also not being disruptive enough to start cutting into your organisation’s efficiency.

The Impact of Remote Work on Cybersecurity

Keeping your organisation secure was a far more centralised task when your workforce was all under the same roof, but the rise in remote work has changed this. Businesses now need to:

• Check that the users accessing their systems remotely are really who they claim to be.
• Make files and software available to team members who are not on-premises.
• Allow your team to communicate and collaborate efficiently with each other from multiple locations. 
• Ensure that all the above is possible while staying compliant with any legislation and regulations which govern your industry. 

What Cyber Threats Do Businesses Face?

While it is never possible to foresee every eventuality, it is important to have a broad overview of the main IT-related threats your business faces. Some of the most common threats are: 

• Phishing Emails
  Emails which appear to be from genuine contacts but are in fact sent by scammers are known as phishing email. The aim of these emails is to trick your team members into either handing over sensitive information or downloading a piece of malware.
• Data Breaches
  Sensitive data such as customer card details, personal information and trade secrets can all be end up available on the dark web. Depending on the information leaked, and the industry you operate in, this could result in some hefty fines if you have failed to properly secure your data.
  
• Ransomware
  Ransomware is the number one concern for modern businesses. A successful ransomware infection will render much of your technology unusable unless a ransom is paid to the attacker. There is no guarantee that access will be restored, even if you do pay the attacker and they may exfiltrate your data and leak it online.
  
• Software Vulnerabilities
  A software vulnerability is a flaw in software that allows an attacker to take control of a computer system. These vulnerabilities can be a result of a flaw in how the software was designed or coded. Even some of the most widely used pieces of software can have undetected vulnerabilities
• Internal Threats
  The most worrying, your own team members could be selling customer information or harvesting data to use for extortion if they ever leave. 

How Carden IT Services Can Help Make Your Business More Secure

As a Cyber Essentials-certified IT support provider, Carden IT Services can provide a variety of cyber-defence products and services to keep your business safe. You can see the full range on our cyber-defence page but the following are three of the most important when it comes to protecting our customers.

• Cybersecurity Awareness Training
  Knowledge is power. Through our cybersecurity training we can provide your entire team with a thorough understanding of the online hazards they should be aware of, as well as real world strategies and technologies they can use to better defend themselves and your company from cybersecurity threats.
• Ransomware Protection
  Our ransomware protection services prevent ransomware from entering your network. Our services also detect any suspected ransomware before it has the chance to spread to other devices. Ransomware protection is key to protecting your data and your ability to do business.
• Vulnerability Scanning
  Vulnerability scanning makes use of automated software to look for security flaws and vulnerabilities in devices and networks. We perform these scans on a regular basis and they allow you to discover potential security vulnerabilities and fix them before they can be exploited found by attackers.  

We hope this has been a useful overview of some of the online threats facing businesses and some of the ways that Carden IT Services can help to mitigate them, leaving our customers’ networks more secure and more efficient. If you’re worried about the security of your business, speak to our team today to learn more about our comprehensive cyber-defence packages.