In the slipstream of the Covid-19 crisis, the threat of cybersecurity is on the rise. The pandemic has resulted in more people working from home, bringing with it a new wave of cyber risks to contend with. This, coupled with the introduction of new cyber security laws across APAC and changes to data protection rules, has meant that it is now critical for organizations to actively review their cybersecurity and data handling practices.
We want to help make a difference when it comes to cyber security for businesses and, thus, are sharing some of the most practical cyber security tips that businesses should consider today. These include the following:
Remote Working is Not a One-Time Thing
The general trend is that there will be a continued increase in working from home arrangements going forward. One of the biggest challenges for businesses is ensuring sufficient IT support for this new way of working, both in terms of infrastructure and people. When internal resources are limited and teams are stretched to their limits, businesses are open to security vulnerabilities, as employees typically cut corners and do not adhere to the same standards as if they were in the office.
But this is more than simply having more IT people on the ground and improving network security or implementing monitoring tools, businesses need to ensure that they have proper policies in place, and invest time educating and training the workforce in maintaining proper security protocols to minimize the threat of a cyber-incident when working remotely.
Incidents and Breaches Are On the Rise
The amount of businesses being affecting by cyber incidents is rapidly growing, as attackers look for ways to benefit from potential weakness in network systems and exploit uncertainty created by the current climate. It’s interesting that we are seeing ransomware attacks become more sophisticated with cyber criminals now stealing and encrypting a large amount of valuable data (as well as blocking access to systems), to use as leverage.
This is of particular concern in the current digital era for the increasing number of organizations relying on Big Data as a key business driver and industries operating in sectors that utilize more sensitive data sets. In the past and coming 12 months, cybersecurity and privacy regulators in the APAC region have introduced stricter cyber incident and data breach reporting requirements, so there is an added regulatory compliance element to consider when managing cyber incidents.
Businesses of all sizes need to be alive to the real possibility of falling victim to a cyberattack, and ensure they have detailed and robust incident management procedures and response teams in place, to minimize the resulting impact.
A Cybersecurity Strategy is Important
The reality is a proper cybersecurity program helps ensure businesses remain functional and operational, in particular in the current climate where reliance on connectivity and technology is paramount. However, when it comes to business spend, cybersecurity has historically been neglected, as the C-suite struggle to balance significant security expenditure with the economic benefits for the business (given the return on investment is often unclear).
In practice, this often comes down to managing the current and future risks in the most cost-efficient way and adopting appropriate mitigation strategies. Ultimately, those businesses who start the planning process early, and adopt/implement a compliant strategy in line with relevant cybersecurity laws and regulations, will be better prepared to deal with future challenges and disruptions in this space.
Revisiting Data Privacy Compliance
APAC is unique since organizations operating in the region need to comply with various and differing data protection regimes. This means ensuring that regional data compliance programs are regularly reviewed and updated to take into account recent changes in data laws across APAC – in particular with regards to data localization, overseas data transfers, and security measures.
Businesses should keep in mind that APAC data regimes generally support business growth, meaning compliance can often be used as an advantage to help facilitate more innovative data analytics and commercialization activities as part of global business models, in contrast to more restrictive data regimes in other parts of the world.
Data Protection in the Age of Cybercriminals
It has become imperative for businesses to safeguard their data at all times from cybercriminals, who would like nothing better than to cripple a business’s infrastructure by stealing valuable data from them. Therefore, you must come up with appropriate measures that help you withstand attacks from cybercriminals and also protect your valuable data. In the customer-centric business world, the business that can protect data from cybercriminals the best is the number one choice for customers.
The main thing for customers is to see that the business is invested in protecting their valuable information from falling into the wrong hands. Cybercriminals have ramped up their operations to get their hands on valuable data, and it is up to the business to protect it. Any business that fails to provide their customers with adequate protection for their data is going to end up losing their customers.
Conclusion
It has become imperative for businesses today to come up with different ways to protect their infrastructure from cyberattacks. The world has grown into an increasingly dangerous place, and cybercriminals are constantly coming up with new tricks up their sleeves to hamper the progress of businesses the world over. Businesses are determined to prevent cyberattacks from happening, and that is something they must pay attention to the most as it will leave them vulnerable to malicious activity.
We have done our best to provide you with the crucial cyber security tips that all businesses must consider today, which will help them protect themselves from any kind of cyberattacks. Keep these in pointers in mind when you’re looking to strengthen your defenses and prevent a cyberattack.
by Bobby J Davidson
We love our company and we love what we do. Check out the ‘Why Percento‘ page to learn more: Love of Technology and Business! As the President of Percento Technologies International, I provide day-to-day leadership to the company’s senior management and I am personally involved in the strategy, business development and sales activities of the firm.
The company was founded in 1999 with the purpose of providing a one call source for organizations in need of Enterprise IT Consulting and Management. We also provide a line of products in the boutique Cloud Server space with a touch of high-end website strategy consulting and design services. We personalizes the IT Service experience with a team approach, working with clients from diverse sectors of industry, including energy services, financial, legal, entertainment, healthcare, hospitality, retail and general and/or corporate business. percentotech.com/contact