For those that are not aware, Cybersecurity now applies to all, and yes that means you too. There used to be a time where only larger enterprises were targeted and that SMBs could survive by doing the minimum (Anti-Virus and patching once in a while), but now data is the new oil and there is a rush to get more of it.
That means that bad guys are getting smarter (Ransomware is a multi-billion dollars industry, so plenty of motivation for them) and they are now using automation to target more people in a more cost-efficient fashion (I know, this sounds bad, but it’s the truth). This is why they can now aim for SMB (there is more of them and they have less defences).
So what is the #1 thing an SMB can do to defend themselves? Get help. One thing that is becoming clear in the industry and was re-affirmed in many of the sessions at Think (see more details here) is that fighting Cybercrime takes a lot of effort and time. Many SMB do not have dedicated IT, even less a Cybersecurity specialist, even less a specialist that spends most of its time searching the darkweb for the latest trend and exploits). That’s why having the right tools from a company that invests that time is important (and the right partner to configure it).
So the plan is simple: find a good partner. They will help you select the right tools from the right vendors, then they will help you configure those tools and then, if you want, they will even watch silently over you shoulder to make sure everything is working as planned.
In a future article I will talked more about recovery (the best defence is sometimes not enough, so you need a plan to recover).