The messaging at conferences, magazines, trade journals, and even on the evening news is loud and clear. Compromised cybersecurity and network security are huge and growing threats, and organizations need to be acutely aware of their risks and take proactive action to protect their sensitive data, servers and services from attacks and data breaches.
Many in senior management roles (C-Suite or even those serving on boards of directors) are not formally trained in technical information security and risk management and as a result, don’t even know what important questions to ask.
Here are 6 cybersecurity and network security questions that decision makers need to consider when assessing their IT management cyber strategy.
Do I have a designated and trained information security expert on staff or a third-party trusted information security and risk advisor?
Gone are the days where someone who happens to be a bit tech-savvy can be responsible for your organizational IT needs. Managed IT Services is a growing industry, one that has emerged in response to the ever-changing complexities of the cybersecurity field. The dearth of available IT professionals, the growing adoption of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) corporate policies, and the increase in cloud-based services are just a handful of the reasons for this growth. Is your IT team up on the latest, and truly qualified to keep your organization protected?
Am I spending appropriately on information security-related tools and controls?
It can be challenging to determine whether your IT spending is where it should be, and the ideal benchmark will vary based on factors such as industry and company size. Computer Economics conducted a study of the IT spending for 234 organizations across 28 sectors, and reports the following:
- 75% of organizations had planned to increase IT spending in the coming year
- The average spending as a percentage of revenue across all sectors for IT was 2.5%
- On average, IT spending per user was over $7,800 last year
What does your organizational IT MANAGEMENT spending look like?
Do I need cybersecurity and network security insurance? Is our cybersecurity insurance policy appropriate for our risks?
Given the increasing and overwhelming effects of cybercrime, it’s not surprising that the insurance industry has stepped up to provide coverage in the event of a cyberattack. It is expected that the cyber insurance industry will grow to be a $20 billion industry by 2025. Cybercrime hit new levels during the pandemic. Between 2019 and 2020, social attacks (like phishing and vishing) increased by nearly 200% and identity theft experienced a 170% increase.
Understanding your organizational vulnerabilities and risk tolerance can help in assessing whether the insurance coverage you have in place is sufficient.
Do we know where our data is and how it is protected?
LinkedIn CEO Jeff Weiner said it best:
“Data really powers everything that we do.”
Data is the most important asset that most organizations have and data loss, whether it is from a natural disaster, a cyberattack, or good old-fashioned human error, is devastating. AGJ Systems gets this, and their backup and disaster recovery services uses state-of-the-art technology tailored for your organizational needs.
Are our employees being appropriately trained on cybersecurity best practices?
AGJ has prepared a cybersecurity playbook (available for download at no cost) which is a tremendous resource for organizations looking to explore IT preservation strategies. In addition to walking organizations through how to conduct an IT assessment and build a layered cybersecurity and network security framework, the e-book also gives direction on employee cybersecurity training and policy and procedure essentials. Given that human error is responsible for 95% of breaches, cybersecurity training is a must for organizations.
Do we know how to respond in the event of a cybersecurity and network security emergency?
As Benjamin Franklin once said, “If you fail to plan, you are planning to fail.” This definitely applies to cybersecurity planning. Gulf-Coast-based businesses are used to planning for weather events, but the same care and attention need to be applied to planning for cybersecurity emergencies. AGJ Systems works with their clients to be prepared for the unexpected and know just how to proceed with minimal downtime in the event of a cybersecurity emergency. AGJ Systems takes a 7-step approach to their annual IT risk assessments, including:
I. Identifying and prioritizing tech assets
II. Understanding threats
III. Pinpointing vulnerabilities
IV. Classifying and analyzing controls
V. Determining likelihood of event
VI. Prioritizing the information security risks
VII. Documenting the results in a risk assessment report
As the Gulf Coast’s leading Managed Services Provider (MSP) as well as cybersecurity and network security specialists, AGJ Systems is well-positioned to review these questions (and others) with your organization to ensure you are on track to achieving your strategic goals. Don’t take our word for it though, here is just one of the many testimonials our clients have shared.
“I can’t brag enough about how friendly, knowledgeable, prompt and efficient all of the employees at AGJ have been over the last year. It makes me wish I had switched to them earlier!”
Book your cybersecurity and network security assessment today.
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