As we enter Cybersecurity Awareness Month, we are reminded of the growing risks we face plugging away in a connected digital world—one that makes it more accessible than ever for hackers to hold organizations ransom or steal identities.
Solving for this is challenging. Organizations need to uphold security standards, such as firewalls and IP filtering, but these things prove to be more difficult when the employee is working on the road or from home. Ultimately, as companies re-evaluate their technologies and access points, they must consider the exchange between creating an impenetrable security barrier and employee user experience. Putting a lock and key on every door will, no doubt, frustrate employees and possibly even drive them to create workarounds for a better user experience.
And…what about cloud services? Certainly, the risk becomes even more compounded with the mass adoption of the cloud, which does not require a connection to a corporate network to be accessed, thus creating possible vulnerabilities and cracks for hackers to seep in. Organizations must find the right balance between tech innovation, user experience and protecting their internal environment.
We mentioned above the cost to a business when a breach happens, but organizations must also consider the cost to their reputation. All too often we hear about government, banks and healthcare providers struggling to secure personal data while determined hackers are still finding their way in. Just last month a hospital in Texas experienced a ransomware attack that caused communication issues and IT disruptions. Weeks later, IT is still working on restoring all the systems affected. The cost of the breach and who it has directly impacted remains under investigation.
Safeguarding from a breach is far less costly than addressing the consequences of one. Hence, the concept of zero trust is emerging as a technology principle that more and more organizations are embracing. Zero trust is the notion that all devices inside and outside an organization should be verified and then trusted, as opposed to the other way around. By applying a zero-trust approach, organizations are finding vulnerabilities before they impact the bottom line and can respond with appropriate security controls based on the device and weak point.
As zero trust becomes the standard for all organizations small and large, education and awareness are still just as important for employees as they go about their daily job routines. Email, as we all have experienced, is a hacker’s haven. It’s up to company IT, corporate leaders and evangelists to educate employees on how to spot a compromised document, email or digital message that may get passed to them. It’s a daunting task when you consider the breadth and complexity of a hybrid/remote workforce.
Consider embracing guidance from external experts that know how to educate the workforce, assess and monitor risks, and put best practices in place to ensure your organizational integrity and bottom line. Calian IT and Cyber Solutions has been a reliable partner to healthcare, defence, finance and technology organizations. You can learn more about the company’s approach to safe and secure cyber here.
