CyberSecurity in This Virtual World... Impact and Solutions!

Original Article Written By Danielle Gowen, Director Quality & Customer Experience at AKAVEIL Technologies LLC

Do You Have a Cybersecurity Plan?
Running a business requires much planning. Strategy, policy, goals, products, and services need to be considered regularly along with who, why and how to make it all happen. What about your plan for protecting the continuity of your business operations? This must include a cybersecurity plan!

What’s that, you might ask? Since your business requires internet and technologies to run, you need to strategize about that too. Perhaps you say, we have a cybersecurity plan. If so, that is even better. Is it reviewed regularly, kept up to date and is your organization aware of it and following it? While you are busy running your business, the cyber criminals are active with their plans for attack.

The Impact of COVD-19 on Cybersecurity
During times of external uncontrollable disasters, criminal activity typically increases. Crimes are generally visible where the police, fire and emergency personnel can respond. However, COVID-19 is an invisible assailant whose presence and next target are unknown which makes it very difficult to contain and eradicate.

This concept is very similar to cyber-attacks. The intangible, invisible and unknown nature of when, where, and how each attack might take place requires experts, analysis, and clear direction on what to do to prevent, detect and correct should the unknown occur.

In addition, the COVID-19 pandemic has given cyber criminals huge opportunity to take advantage of those who were already vulnerable and unprepared, leaving you and your IT team to deal with the increased cyber-crime in a reactive way. The war between cyber crime and business is a constant. Now more than ever it is a reality. It’s time to create or dust off your cybersecurity plan and get your defenses in place.

Ingredients for a Cybersecurity Plan.
Prevention is never 100% guaranteed. Therefore, security is complex with multiple layers of solutions. Think about your home for example. Locks and even multiple locks on both doors and windows are very common. Maybe you have an alarm system. What else? A barking dog, a camera system, remote monitoring, automatic lights, and even a panic room may be part of your home security plan. What about an escape plan should a fire occur? Different risks may require different solutions. Each layer of protection reduces the amount of each type of risk you wish to mitigate or reduce.

Cyber security plans are based on levels of risk and therefore consider the threats and vulnerabilities involved. The threats are what could happen. The vulnerabilities are where protection is absent or weak. Once a risk is identified, the level of risk needs to be analyzed. This enables an understanding of the probability and business impact of a cybersecurity risk should it become a reality.

Understanding the levels of risk leads to informed and justified decisions. A well thought out comprehensive plan then emerges. First and foremost, the goal is to protect and prevent with carefully selected multi-faceted layers of defense. Next, the plan needs to include monitoring, early detection, warnings, and actions should a security event occur. This is the detection and response part of your plan. Retrospectives and lessons learned from experience will also drive improvements to the plan.

Typical Cybersecurity Solutions
Based on the plan, carefully selected and combined solutions may include:

Firewalls
Passwords / permissions
Multi Factor Authentication (MFA)
Security Awareness Training
Email Filtering
Web content filtering
DNS forwarding
Antivirus & Malware prevention
Encryption prevention
Disaster Recovery
Monitoring and Alerts
Incident Response
And more…

The Bottom Line
Where should you go from here? All plans are living documents which therefore should be evaluated and updated regularly. Your cybersecurity plan requires risk management assessment; regular plan review and update; implementation and maintenance of the chosen solutions. This is then an iterative and ongoing process. Cyber criminals are relentless and innovative. New risks emerge often. Your business needs to be vigilant.

AKAVEIL Technologies welcomes in house IT professionals to contact us for further information. We are industry experts who offer consulting, design, implementation, maintenance, and support services. We can partner together at any level necessary to improve your business in the achievement of its goals.

If you do not have any in house IT team, please contact us to analyze your needs, offer solutions and perform the set of services desired.

AKAVEIL Technologies has decades of experience, skills, and knowledge in the evolution of cybersecurity practices and standards. In addition, we have carefully chosen SOPHOS as a security partner. SOPHOS provides ongoing research and knowledge in the cybersecurity arena which ensures their products are up to the most current specifications for your protection. We understand security posturing for optimal protection, prevention, and detection. Contact AKAVEIL and let us lead you to a stress free and secure business experience.

www.AKAVEIL.com/security

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Posted in Security | Tagged COVID-19, Cybersecurity, Firewall, Multifactor Authentication, Security Solutions
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