Amidst the complex landscape of cybersecurity, UK businesses are grappling with heightened regulatory demands, staffing challenges, and an expanded vulnerability to cyber threats. An organisation operating in a digital environment must be able to protect its assets, infrastructure, and system – both onsite and cloud based. There should also be regular security assessments and employee training on cybersecurity best practices by a reputable cybersecurity consultant.
Take a look at the most common cybersecurity challenges for UK businesses:
- Keeping up with threat intelligence
- Compliance with cybersecurity regulations and frameworks
- Staffing and recruitment
- Ever-expanding attack surface
- Visibility into all assets connected to the network
Here are the key findings from Cyber Security Breaches Survey 2022:
- 8% of breaches were caused by employee phishing.
- 3% of breaches were caused by IoT device hack.
- 9% of breaches were caused by known vulnerability that had not been patched.
- 2% of breaches were caused by unpatched device.
- The average cost of all cyberattacks in the last 12 months (2021) was £4,200. For medium and large businesses, the average cost was £19,400.
In order to successfully navigate the cybersecurity landscape, it is ideal to collaborate with a managed cybersecurity services provider who can help protect your organisation from a wide range of cyber threats and improve your cybersecurity posture.
Here are the top ten tips to ensure your business has mature and robust cybersecurity resilience:
1. Understand your data assets.
- Identify the most valuable data assets your company holds such as intellectual property, customer personal data, or financial information.
- Assess the risks to these data assets. Consider the likelihood and impact of a data breach or other cybersecurity incident.
2. Protect your systems and networks.
- Implement strong access controls like multi-factor authentication and least privilege access.
- Regularly scan your systems for vulnerabilities and patch any security flaws.
- Use a firewall and other network security devices to protect your systems from unauthorised access.
3. Have a clear incident response plan in place.
- Create a plan that outlines how you will respond to a cybersecurity incident. This should include things like who will be involved in the response, what steps will be taken, and how communication will be handled.
- Communicate your incident response plan to your employees to help them understand what to do in the event of a cybersecurity incident.
4. Invest in cyber insurance.
- Cyber insurance can help protect your business from the financial losses associated with a cybersecurity incident such as the cost of data breach notification, credit monitoring, and legal fees.
- Consider the level of coverage you need and compare quotes from different insurers.
5. Comply with all relevant regulations.
- Understand the cybersecurity regulations that apply to your business and ensure that you are compliant. This could include things like the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the Network and Information Systems (NIS) Directive.
- You may also need to implement additional security measures. Make sure that you are aware of the latest regulatory requirements.
6. Monitor your security posture.
- Use security tools to monitor your systems and networks for signs of intrusion such as intrusion detection systems (IDSs) and firewalls.
- Respond quickly to any security alerts by isolating affected systems and notifying law enforcement.
- Keep track of your security incidents and learn from them.
7. Stay up-to-date on the latest threats.
- Read security news and reports to stay informed about the latest threats. You should consider subscribing to security blogs and newsletters, attending security conferences, and following security experts on social media.
- Implement security patches as soon as they are available to help protect your systems from known vulnerabilities.
- Use security tools to protect your business from known threats. This could include things like antivirus software and firewalls.
8. Partner with a reputable cybersecurity firm.
- This will help assess your risks, develop a security plan, and implement security measures.
- Make sure that you choose a firm that has a good reputation and that has experience working with businesses in your industry. Get quotes from several different firms before making a decision.
Your Cybersecurity Maturity Matters
Defending your business against cyber threats is an ongoing process that adapts alongside the threats themselves. Whether security is the least of your priority or already a central topic in your company’s culture, the importance of assessing and re-evaluating your stance remains constant. This task can be overwhelming on your own, which is why you need to find the right managed cybersecurity services provider to help you manage the threat landscape successfully whilst maintaining a solid, pragmatic cyber security regime.
