How to prevent cybersecurity attacks

Hello Sir/Madam,

My name is Joe and I want all of your money. Will you wire it to me?

Thanks!

Joe

Ah, if only attacks were that easy to spot. Cybersecurity attacks have come a long way since back in the day when fake princes were asking for exorbitant sums. These days, you might not even realize you're being hacked until it's too late. All the big names from YouTube to the Department of Defense (eek!) have been hacked and if you think "Oh, but I'm too small to get hacked!" I have bad news: you're not. In Verizon's 2017 Data Breach Investigation Report, 61% of breach victims were small businesses. Here are some more fun facts:



Great, right? 😲 OK, OK, the stats aren't ideal but...the great thing about these stats is that with a little forethought, you can get your security into place and avoid being a statistic. How? Read on, my friend.

What is Cybersecurity, Do I need it?

Alright...so, some basics. We all hear about cybersecurity all the time but...do we really know what it is? A quick recap (because you need to truly understand something before you can decide if you need it, right? We think so):

Cybersecurity: Let me take you back to analogies a la the SAT for a moment. Cybersecurity is to all of your internet-connected setups (everything from hardware to software to files, etc.) as an alarm + a guard is to your house. Bear with me. Think of a house security system. If someone tries to get in, it will alert you. But, if someone gets past the alert, there's also a bodyguard to stop them.

And thank goodness, right? Because your house holds all of the things you hold near and dear. Your company is the same thing but...your company is also online. Even a completely on-prem (aka on-premises, and trust us, that does not mean secure or streamlined) company, not cloud-based at all, is cloud-based in some capacity simply by using email. And anything over the internet these days that is unsecured is at risk.

Why Cybersecurity Matters

Cybersecurity (at least our cybersecurity), not only alerts but also prevents attacks and breaches so your documents, data, and systems are all secure. Plus, you'll learn about where your weak links lie in order to shore them up. BEMO's Cybersecurity consists of Email Protection, Identity Protection, Computer Protection, Document Protection, and IT Compliance. 

Click the link to learn more about how to prevent cybersecurity attacks?

Why are humans the weakest link in cybersecurity?

Oof, no one likes to hear this one but...it's true. No matter how good your cybersecurity is, you have to make sure that it's not just policies in place. Your people have to be informed and on board for those policies to fully function! Now, certainly, there's a lot that can be done via the Admin portal. Setting permissions and policies will go a long way BUT, if an errant phishing email finds its way to your employee, they must be prepared. So what do you do? Cross your fingers and wish your company good luck, right?!

Don't worry, we wouldn't leave you hanging like that! That's why we have training. As with anything implemented in your company, adoption is required by your staff to make sure it sticks. Back to our SAT theme, we use Security Awareness Training to help customers identify where their company security looks more like swiss cheese than a solid cheddar. Zero holes in your infrastructure is the goal and your team is what holds that up. Learn more about Security Awareness Training here. 

How to Measure Cybersecurity Risk

If you see now that cybersecurity is a risk BUT don't feel that you are at risk, we get it. You don't want to waste money on something you don't need. Still, just in case you're curious, we created a quiz to give you a quick look into some of the vulnerabilities your company may be facing. It takes just 3 minutes to fill out (and no, you don't need to worry that some random salesperson is going to call you afterward. We promise). Go on, I know you're curious. Click on Christophe's picture below: 👇

How much do companies spend on cybersecurity?

I don't know about you but if I can avoid a big bill, I will! That's why we've created cybersecurity levels based on need versus a one-size-fits-all approach. You don't wear a large shoe because it's the first one you find. You find the one that fits. We have an option tailor-fit to your needs. Check it out:

Is Cybersecurity the future?

Nope. Cybersecurity is the present. In fashion, we can look to the past to inform our future styles, and heck, past decades can even make a swift return (been noticing "mom jeans" a la Cindy Crawford circa 1992 lately? Yep. Swift return). With cybersecurity, we can't go backward. Hackers are getting better every day. Our technology has to too. So, while it's fun to look back at how we all used to send our tax accountants our W-2s via non-encrypted email and protect our life savings with passwords like "Password", we all know it's time to get serious about the present to have a secure future.

How to prevent Cybersecurity attacks

So, the question of the hour: How to prevent cybersecurity attacks? Get your ducks in a row. Start with shoring up your email, identity, computer, and document protection approaches, and then make sure you're looking towards the future when it comes to compliance. Industries aren't into loosey-goosey management of client information and they are starting to legislate against that possibility. So, get ahead of the curve and dive on in. The cybersecurity waters are just fine. 

Questions? Comments? Leave yours below 👇. And...

If you took the cybersecurity quiz but still have questions as to whether cybersecurity is right for you, contact Josh for an in-depth security assessment, free of charge.