Many businesses take a reactive approach to cybersecurity, calling cybersecurity experts only after a breach or incident to restore functionality. Organizations that do take preventive steps often rely on minimal defenses, such as antivirus software and firewalls.
Although this may have been enough to keep systems safe in the past, the modern cybersecurity landscape is evolving quickly, and staying ahead of emerging threats has become imperative.
Learning about the latest tools and techniques employed by cyberthieves and how to stay ahead of them is a full-time job that many smaller organizations do not have the capacity to handle.
Even mid-sized businesses with IT staff can be overwhelmed by these tasks. Cybersecurity consultants provide a valuable lifeline to organizations, helping them to anticipate emerging cyber threats and strengthen their defenses accordingly.
Many cybersecurity consultants emphasize the importance of a proactive approach, which entails all of the activities and processes conducted regularly by an organization to prevent cybersecurity-related risks.
This may include regularly evaluating an organization’s security posture, finding and patching infrastructure vulnerabilities, and preventing security breaches.
Here is a look at how proactive cybersecurity consultants can help businesses protect themselves from sophisticated threats.
Identifying Existing Threats
Identifying the threats lurking in a business’s systems is an important part of proactive cybersecurity, as it allows organizations to focus on existing threats that have not been patched and uncover previously unknown threats that could become problematic in the future. Remediating these threats is an important starting point.
Conducting Penetration Testing
Another useful security measure cybersecurity consultants will recommend is penetration testing. This entails enlisting the services of skilled hackers to purposefully attempt to breach the company’s defenses, allowing the organization to identify security gaps and shortcomings and correct them before a genuine hacker can take advantage of them and cause serious damage.
Training Staff On Cybersecurity Best Practices
Cybersecurity consultants emphasize the importance of ensuring all staff know the latest cybersecurity best practices. With the IBM Cyber Security Intelligence Index Report showing that human error significantly contributes to 95% of security breaches, keeping staff updated on the latest potential threats cannot be overstated.
An organization’s employees can be a major liability or strength if they are informed and vigilant. Phishing awareness helps employees identify potential phishing emails to avoid falling victim, while password security awareness helps employees create stronger and more secure passwords. Compliance, privacy issues, and insider threats are other topics that awareness training should cover.
Ensuring Compliance
Another essential element of proper cybersecurity is compliance with the standards and regulations governing an organization’s industry. These regulations serve as guidelines on how sensitive data must be handled and protected.
Cybersecurity consultants advise businesses on reducing the risk of breaches to ensure maximum protection and adherence to standards. However, ensuring compliance is not a one-time task.
Regulations and standards are constantly being updated, and organizations must have a system that helps them stay informed about the latest changes. Companies must always ensure they remain compliant to avoid costly fines, downtime, and reputational damage.
Keeping Software Up To Date
All software an organization uses must be kept up to date at all times, with the latest patches installed as soon as they are released to avoid leaving vulnerabilities open.
The Benefits Of Proactive Cybersecurity
Outlined below are some of the top reasons cybersecurity consultants believe a proactive approach to cybersecurity is essential.
Staying On Top Of Evolving Risks
Cyber threats constantly evolve as cybercriminals seek new ways to get around the defenses companies implement. Organizations need flexible approaches that can be adjusted in response to emerging threats so that the most effective preventive actions can be taken when needed.
Facilitating Reactive Cybersecurity
Even the best proactive measures are not enough to prevent all breaches. However, when an organization has a proactive plan for defending against cyber threats, responding to those that occur will be easier.
The best cybersecurity strategies have proactive and reactive measures that work together for comprehensive protection. When cybersecurity consultants identify weaknesses and prepare for the types of threats an organization is most likely to encounter ahead of time, they will be prepared to act swiftly and effectively when attacks occur.
Increasing Customer Trust & Reputation
Every business works hard to earn the trust of its customers, and a data breach can instantly destroy these carefully built relationships. With a proactive cybersecurity strategy, organizations can avoid losing the trust of their customers and protect their reputations in the long term.
Learn More About Proactive Cybersecurity From Advantage Technology
Organizations need a well-rounded cybersecurity approach with proactive measures to protect their systems from devastating breaches.
Learn more about providing your organization with maximum protection by requesting a consultation with the cybersecurity consultants at Advantage Technology today.
