Managed Cyber Security Services Near Naples, Florida

Today, most market value and valuable information are in digital form, making a cyberattack one of the greatest dangers facing a company. Hackers or attackers have the expertise and tools to dismantle complex infrastructures and systems and bring entire regions to a standstill.

However, when news of destructive cyberattacks appears, security professionals or advisors may think, "I don't think our company is a target, so surely we're not at risk." That's the most considerable risk, downplaying it and not knowing that their company and employees have already been compromised, hacked.

Did you know that PDF documents are the most common file type for hiding threats and that a single unauthorized user can cause significant damage? Did you know that mobile devices are the #1 target for attackers because they are the hardest to defend, along with data on public networks and employee misbehavior?

What's at stake is much more than private information

The fear of breaches stems from the financial cost of attacks, which is no longer a hypothetical number. Violations carry significant economic damage to organizations, damage that can take years to repair. According to respondents to the 2018 Cisco Annual Cybersecurity Report, more than half (53%) of all attacks resulted in financial damage of more than $500,000 (per attack), including, but not limited to, lost revenue, customers, opportunities, and extra expenses. 45% of attacks in the Americas resulted in damages exceeding $400,000 (per attack).

However, the monetary cost is not the only cost to consider when assessing risk. Loss of intellectual property and competitor knowledge or loss of customer confidence are costs that do far more damage to companies in the long run following a cybersecurity breach. For this reason, advisors should prepare a contingency plan for such incidents. A strategy that sets out how the company should act if a security breach occurs is the board's best tool to mitigate the reputational damage from a cyberattack.

Why is it so complicated to mitigate all cybersecurity-related risks?

The experts in your IT department can see what's on the horizon, but they have a hard time protecting themselves if they don't act. Hackers already have the expertise and tools to take down critical infrastructure and systems; they could cripple entire regions if they wanted to. A company's most significant risk is in downplaying the value of what appears to campaign against others, in pretending that traditional defense systems are still valid, or in allowing the chaos of daily battles with hackers to consume their attention. Your protection is much weaker if you fail to recognize the speed and scale at which attackers are gathering and improving their cyber-attacks.

Cyber risks can be complicated to understand or foreign to advisors, especially considering the average age of advisors in America is 60.4 years old. Most have not had to deal with cyber-attacks during their careers, but they should understand the consequences of this type of risk, as they have had to deal with other types of risk and risk management. In any case, it is the responsibility of the board of directors' members to be up to date and informed on current issues.

Administrative solutions offer, as with any other type of risk management, a question of prioritization. It is not possible to protect all assets, and it is the responsibility of the Board of Directors to ensure that managers are protecting the most valuable assets. The board should inventory the company's digital assets and list the vendors with whom the company's employees do business. To prioritize, the board should ask itself, "What is the one asset the company cannot afford to lose?"

While each company faces different risks, understanding the risks identified by other companies in the industry can clarify where time and budget should be invested. For example, most cyberattacks in the hospital sector are related to third-party vendors whose identity is spoofed to obtain payment data from companies' customers in the industry. In contrast, in the healthcare sector, breaches usually happen because of internal human error.

Don't underestimate the risk posed by the human factor

We tend to forget about the "human factor" in boardroom conversations about cyber risk. But it would help if you kept in mind that 91% of successful cyber-attacks originate from a fraudulent email (phishing attacks designed to get relevant information from employees). The personal and company data and comments we share on social networks are often the starting point for targeted attacks on our companies. Boards of Directors should require a presentation from management detailing what they are doing to train their employees.

Before drafting a plan to address a security breach, the Board of Directors and the management team should be aware of the regulations and requirements governing the territories where the company has a presence. Keep in mind that these often vary by region and code. For example, companies that control and process the data of U.S. citizens must comply with the General Data Protection Regulation. Not only does it affect the modus operandi of many companies worldwide, but it also sets a global precedent in terms of data protection. Board members should be aware of and read up on the GDPR and the cybersecurity firm's Data Protection Agency's "Guide to Security Breach Management and Notification" establishes.

The latest innovations are reshaping the world of security. There is more to protect in a world with more data, more users, and more services. Meanwhile, cyber threats are constantly evolving, becoming more innovative and more sophisticated. It is critical to put "Cybersecurity Above All Else," and companies can do just that. Some companies offer multiple integrated technologies that communicate with each other to deliver "Cybersecurity Above All." Companies give you the scope, scale, and capabilities to keep up with the complexity and volume of threats. Putting security above all else helps you innovate while keeping your assets secure. Security must be prioritized in everything we do. Only with the right solutions can you achieve Network Security, where all traffic from all applications passes, so that you can meet future threats.