Cybercrime is obstructing businesses and governments around the globe. It's not only an IT problem, it's the biggest threat to a company's business continuity and reputation. According to Accenture's State of Cybersecurity Resilience 2021 Report, the average number of cyberattacks per company in the United States rose from 184 in 2020 to 270 in 2021.
A survey conducted by CNBC and Momentive showed that 56% of small business owners are not concerned about being hit by a cyberattack in the next 12 months. What small business owners don't know is that cybercriminals are more likely to target them because of their lack of cybersecurity defenses.
Cisco cybersecurity expert Kerry Singleton pointed out that many small businesses are part of a larger organization's supply chain, making them the ideal targets for supply chain attacks. The good news is, you can prepare your company for such threats by taking a proactive approach to cybersecurity, rather than a reactive one.
What's the difference between proactive and reactive cybersecurity?
Reactive cybersecurity
Reactive cybersecurity is how most businesses approach a cyberthreat. Here's an example. Your company experiences a cyberattack, and your security team responds to the attack. They pinpoint where the attack happened, contain the threat, assess the damage, and begin the clean-up.
The problem is that the clean-up process is costly and time-consuming. In IBM's 2021 Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average cost of a data breach was around $4.24 million dollars per incident.
While reactive cybersecurity measures are not inherently bad, if even a single cybersecurity alert or event is missed, it can put an entire network at risk.
Proactive cybersecurity
Proactive cybersecurity focuses on prevention rather than simply responding to attacks. It's about understanding your business, network, developers, applications, and user base, and pinpointing where vulnerabilities lie to prevent attackers from exploiting them. Proactive cybersecurity includes:
1. Security awareness training
According to Verizon's 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report, 85% of data breaches in the United States were because of human error. This includes poor password hygiene, poor access control, delayed or inadequate patching of software applications, and email misdelivery. Providing security awareness training is a good way to help employees spot the tell-tale signs of a cyberattack and how to include cybersecurity best practices in their daily routine.
2. Penetration testing
Penetration testing, also called ethical hacking or pen testing, is a cybersecurity technique performed by ethical hackers to evaluate the current state of your company's cybersecurity defenses. This test can identify weaknesses in your organization's network, software, and hardware that can be exploited by cybercriminals. You can then use the information gathered from the test to develop preventive measures to keep potential threats from invading your system.
Benefits of proactive cybersecurity
1. Your security team won't be constantly reacting to threats
Relying on reactive cybersecurity measures can be exhausting for your security team. If you're not prepared against cyberattacks, you'll find yourself constantly responding to one threat after another. Being proactive allows your team to plan and prepare for potential threats before they occur.
2. Your company complies with data protection laws
Using a proactive approach to cybersecurity means your company has multiple layers of security measures in place and engages in risk analysis to prevent cyberattacks. Since data protection laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) require these layers of security, your company will most likely meet these compliance guidelines and avoid hefty fines.
3. Proactive cybersecurity works
According to a Cyber Risk Alliance report, companies that took a proactive approach to their cybersecurity measures felt safer compared to those that did not. In addition, The Economist Intelligence Unit revealed that businesses with a proactive cybersecurity strategy experienced 53% fewer data breaches compared to those using a reactive approach.
If you want to take a more proactive approach to your cybersecurity initiatives, partner with a trusted managed IT services provider like Safebit Solutions. Our cybersecurity experts will help you pinpoint vulnerabilities in your system that can be exploited by cybercriminals, and provide guidelines on how you can secure your network to ensure the safety of your data and your employees. Call us now to learn more.
