One of the largest threats to all businesses, large and small, is cybercrime. Proper and effective cyber security is vital at all levels of internet activity simply because of the sophistication of those involved in cybercrime. In our previous blog posts, we’ve discussed what cyber security audits are and our top three tips are for conducting a successful audit, but today we’ll be covering the importance of cyber security audits and why they should be required in all businesses, both large and small.
A large proportion of smaller businesses do not consider the benefits of sourcing an external IT managed service provider to help to manage and look after their IT estate, meaning that quite often, important issues can be missed which may ultimately leave them vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Managed service providers typically offer a routine cyber security audit as part of their usual customer care service.
Why are Cyber Security Audits Important?
A typical cyber security audit is designed to investigate a customer’s cyber security arrangements and policies as well as all the assets used on their network by everyone who has access to that or any connected network. Its role is to find and define deficiencies in the whole system that could place a customer at risk of a cyber-attack.
Last year from January to June alone there were approximately 118 million people worldwide affected by data breaches, exposure and data leaks. And with the continuous growth of the Internet, hackers have more opportunities to gain access into your website or IT infrastructure and find a loophole through which they can access the data stored.
Additionally, the sudden surge in cyber-attacks during the pandemic has put security at the forefront of concerns for major businesses around the world. To put it simply, security methods that work today, might not work tomorrow. However, one of the best ways to protect yourself and the company from data breaches and malicious attacks is by conducting regular and comprehensive cyber security audits.
Below we’ll be sharing four reasons why conducting regular cyber security audits is more important now, than ever.
#1 Cyber Threats are Always Evolving
Regrettably, there will always be cybercriminals, creating new viruses and malware to bypass out-of-date security measures. By overlooking these threats, organisations put themselves at heightened risk of a cyber-attack. The long-lasting impact of an attack can not only financially cripple a business, but ruin its reputation as well.
#2 New Security Patches are Vital for Your Day-to-day Operations
It can be quite easy to lose track of the important security patches that are released by software providers and manufacturers on a regular basis. This can be quite concerning, especially as it is becoming increasingly more common for cybercriminals to target organisations that are not keeping up with these updates. This is why it can be helpful to source an external IT managed service provider to deploy these updates for you and your staff, without you ever having to worry about doing it yourself.
Frequently held cyber security audits will reveal how often you have been patching, or not. This is vital information and typically covers your entire IT infrastructure, from operating systems, email services, to applications used and the devices used in the network. It’s much better to be proactive and do everything you can to avoid cyber attacks than to wait for suspicious activity before acting on it.
#3 An Increase in Employees Working From Home
Since the pandemic, many employees transitioned into working from home, a trend that is always increasing. This makes it considerably easier for cybercriminals to attack and exploit users. Cybercriminals are using this heightened activity on unsecured networks as an opportunity to exploit the users and take advantage of their vulnerability. However, these risks can be mitigated by employing better network security protocols and using zero trust architecture.
#4 Regularly Briefing Employees on New and Upcoming Cyber Threats is Crucial
Cybercriminals throughout the world are continuously launching new campaigns for cyber-attacks. Even organisations as large as the World Health Organisation, have been targeted in the past and had employee passwords exposed. Therefore, any business, organisation, or company, should take the necessary precautions to protect their data.
Summary
The above reasons are why it is beneficial to run frequent cyber audits. They will help make your enterprise as protected as possible, strengthening existing security infrastructure, and supplying the tools to recover from a breach. Cyber security audits are required to ensure and maintain the quality and integrity of the system. These system checks help to identify security gaps and reassure business stakeholders that your company is doing everything possible to safeguard its data.
If you think now would be a good time for your business to conduct a cyber security audit, please get in touch with Aberdeen Cyber Security.