1) Have a Cyber Readiness Plan

With headlines full of cyberattacks and security breaches victims, it is time to take the risks seriously. The success and survival of your business will be determined by your ability to overcome security threats or breaches. You need a cyber readiness plan that includes elements of prevention, continuity and recovery strategies.

2) Establish Strict Policies and Procedures

Policies and procedures regulate business operations and are essential for defining the standards and expectations of employee behavior and actions in the workplace. While establishing strict, security-focused protocols is essential, a system of validation and enforcement is equally important. After all, rules without consequences are merely suggestions.

3) Keep Updates–Up to Date

While updates often introduce new or enhanced features into your apps, programs and systems, they also install security and performance fixes known as patches. Undiscovered defects or flaws can leave your systems exposed. Hackers will exploit any vulnerability or security gap they find. Keeping your systems updated is vital for keeping your business cyber ready.

4) Manage Antivirus

Keeping antivirus “MANAGED” ensures that first, you do in deed have a valid and business grade antivirus service. Furthermore, it ensures that antivirus stays up to date with the latest definitions and version updates. It also ensures that scans are being conducted on a scheduled basis and that issues are being investigated when they do arise.

5) Use Strong Passwords AND Multi-Factor Authentication

With over 80% of hacking-related breaches linked to weak, reused or stolen passwords, user credentials are emerging as the top vulnerability for businesses. Balance convenience and security by monitoring the dark web for exposed credentials, implementing multi-factor authentication, and streamlining control of password management.

6) Security Awareness Training

Users are the weakest link in security, given a lack of education and experience. Instituting a security awareness training program for every member of your staff will significantly reduce the probability of user-related errors and exposures. As about our Security Awareness Training services.

7) Continuous Network Intelligence

Knowledge is power. A critical component of cyber readiness is having on-demand insight of anomalous activities, suspicious changes, potentially harmful misconfigurations or any other malicious activities occurring internally on your network. Promptly detect and remove threats before they cause damage. Ask about our iNET CyberGUARD services.

8) Reduce Supply Chain Vulnerabilities

Nearly two-thirds of firms (65%) have experienced cyber-related issues in their supply chain in the past year1. As a part of your cyber readiness plan, you must deploy protocols to evaluate and monitor the security of your supplier networks and third-party vendors. Ask about our iNET CyberCOMPLIANCE services.

9) Deploy a Multi-Layer Security Strategy

Security is asymmetrical. Where businesses must plan, prepare and defend against every threat or scenario, cybercriminals only need to find a single weakness or hole in your defenses to carry out their malicious plans. Protect your data and your business by deploying multiple security strategies together as one. Utilize Antivirus, Patch Management, Workstation Lockdown Policies, Backup all data, Use approved maintenance routines, and monitor your network. At the gateway level make sure you utilize firewall services, web filtering, intrusion prevention, application control, MFA for remote access, and others. Layer your protection properly! Ask DTG to get you there.

10) Don’t Skip The Insurance

Increasing risks and threats of data breaches and ransomware, regardless of size or industry, have prompted many businesses to adopt Cyber Risk Insurance to protect themselves from catastrophic loss. Investing in a cyber insurance policy could save your business should you be the next victim. As about our Cyber Insurance offerings.

11) Don’t Neglect COMPLIANCE

Maintaining regulatory compliance is mandatory for many organizations. While navigating and satisfying the obligations can be complicated and stressful, achieving compliance is a critical component of having a cyber ready business. Security and privacy are integral elements of compliance. Even if you do not have a specific regulatory compliance mandate, following Cybersecurity Framework standards for compliance will be the best way to ensure you are securing your business the right way. Ask about our iNET Cyber-COMPLIANCE services.

DTG can deliver all of these strategies for your business. Contact us today to get started!