It is imperative that businesses secure their computer systems and networks. By doing so confidentiality, integrity, and availability of information is achieved. Ensuring those three are detrimental to a business’ image and demonstrate excellent customer service, as well as business management skills. In addition, companies protect themselves from internal and external losses. Potential losses include revenue loss, detection and investigation costs, containment costs or business disruption to name a few. With this in mind, it is incredibly important that businesses utilize available funds for planning due to the many benefits of organizations that develop cybersecurity programs for their businesses.
Doing so helps to protect them from cybersecurity or information security threats. As a starting business, funds may be limited and must be used strategically to build a proper security program to keep the business as secure as possible. An important first step for a business is to understand their risks. Once determined, the business will need to identify what information the business stores and uses, and subsequently determine the value of their information. After reviewing and confirming all their inventory, they must identify threats, vulnerabilities, and the likelihood of an incident. With this data a business can then determine the areas where information security efforts need to be focused and develop proper cybersecurity programs to protect the company’s information technology systems.
For those that need additional assistance in the business and technical aspects, outsourcing some of the technology and information security needs is an option. When doing so it is important to: ask for recommendations, request quotes, check past performance, and fact check who will be doing their work while reviewing the service provider’s professional qualifications. Note that based on the determined business needs, products or services may need to be purchased such as anti-virus software, data protection, secure hardware, breach detection services, cloud security solutions, or cybersecurity insurance.