July 08, 2022
Seven signs that it's time for a cyber security upgrade
Given the rise in cyber attacks on South African businesses in the last couple of years, many enterprises are ready for a cyber security upgrade. South Africa is heavily affected by cyber crime, which costs the country R2.2billion a year. This poses a serious threat to the economy and local digital infrastructure.
Large enterprises are at risk of being destabilised by cyber attacks. Consider the Dis-Chem data breach that happened in April 2022 where 3.6 million records of personal information were leaked. Or the 2021 attack on South Africa’s state-run logistics organisation Transnet where the enterprise was forced to bring operations to a halt. This caused a massive backlog on exports, with a knock-on effect for the economy at large.
As cyber criminals challenge enterprises with a new era of threats, security experts need to stay ahead of the game with next generation protection. This includes being able to remotely discover vulnerabilities in real-time through high-speed analysis of large data volumes. Any cyber security upgrade needs to be compatible with legacy systems and offer comprehensive protection for the whole business network and all endpoints.
What are the key signs that your business needs a cyber security upgrade? Consider the seven questions below to evaluate the effectiveness of your current approach to cyber security.
1. Does your cyber security cover the entire attack surface?
The first sign that your business is ready for a cyber security upgrade is when your current security solution does not cover your entire attack surface. Cloud migration and the ever-growing number of endpoints increases attack surfaces, leaving business networks vulnerable to various threats.
When migrating to the cloud, a large number of permissions are turned on to facilitate the transfer of data and apps to the cloud environment. Your security software needs to be able to detect and monitor redundant or unnecessary permissions to reduce the attack surface.
Endpoint security needs to protect all web-enabled devices, including employee laptops, printers, sensors and internet-enabled devices. This can help to reduce the attack surface and prevent lateral movement of attacks that target endpoints. Advanced cyber security should protect third-party apps and operating systems so that all attack surfaces fall under the same umbrella of protection.
2. Are you using different cyber security vendors?
When different vendors are used to protect different parts of the digital infrastructure, this can give rise to security gaps. For example, if one vendor doesn’t offer endpoint security, then the business will need to contract a different vendor to secure their digital endpoints. Often, there is poor integration among vendors, meaning that security systems do not communicate well with each other. Attackers may exploit such security weaknesses especially because IT teams do not have good visibility into what is happening on the entire business network. Difficulty in monitoring various security solutions can lead to security weak points and performance issues.
Enterprise-grade cyber security requires a unified security platform that can manage complex digital environments with automated functionality. This holistic approach to cyber security offers better cohesion, improved efficiency and security. As a single solution, unified cyber security also translates into a cost savings.
3. How complex is your cyber security management?
Another sign that your business needs a cyber security upgrade is when administrators have to navigate a complex environment. When your security software isn’t intuitive, it can be difficult to learn how to use and monitor what’s happening. Training budget needs to be set aside to upskill employees - a waste of time, money and human resources.
When you are ready for a cyber security upgrade, choose a solution that is managed from a single remote console. Look for user-friendly software that is simple to use and offers clear insight. Security software should be fast and easy to deploy with minimal impact on workflows.
Cloud-based security solutions, such as those offered by SEACOM Business, do not require any capital investment in expensive hardware. Cloud-based solutions are easily scalable as business requirements change. These next generation solutions to cyber security can be managed from any device in any location. Administrators can easily change permissions and access controls, as well as monitor performance and the digital landscape from an easy to use security platform.
4. Do you have sufficient protection against a sophisticated cyber attack?
One of the main features of intelligent security software is the ability to identify zero-day attacks using machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). This happens through continuous monitoring of behaviours with a high-speed analysis of business data.
Zero-day attacks are those that have never been launched before, making it extremely difficult for traditional security software to respond to them. Advanced cyber security is able to detect suspicious activity or irregularities, automatically responding to potential threats and alerting the relevant people in your organisation.
Sophisticated cyber attacks, such as a Distributed Denial of Services (DDoS) attack, can appear to come from legitimate users with hackers exploiting security gaps to gain access to business networks. SEACOM Business offers DDoS protection as an enterprise-grade security solution. SEACOM Business cyber security utilises automated investigation and response, including threat hunting, threat analytics and in-depth threat intelligence that protects your business networks and a mobile workforce.
5. Is your cyber security system compatible with legacy systems or other architectures?
Another key factor that should help you evaluate whether a business is ready for a cyber security upgrade is whether it protects both legacy systems and newer architectures, such as the cloud. For security software to be effective, it needs to be compatible with different architectures, otherwise the system will be vulnerable to attack.
6. Do your stakeholders make too many cyber security decisions?
Not only does automation speed up workflows, it also reduces the risk of human error. Advanced cyber security solutions reduce the workload for IT teams, freeing them up so they can focus on other things. Without advanced automation, security teams are inundated with security threats and alerts. This is difficult to manage and monitor and requires stakeholders to make many security decisions that should rather be automated.
As cutting-edge technologies emerge, businesses are often left facing an IT skills shortage. Through a partnership with third-party security experts, like SEACOM Business, enterprises can take advantage of expert know-how, without having to heavily invest in upskilling in-house teams.
7. Are you satisfied with your technical support?
If security systems fail, it can have a devastating impact on businesses. Even small issues can cascade into much larger system errors unless dealt with quickly. Enterprises should look for a cyber security partner that offers 24/7 technical support. The security experts at SEACOM Business offer direct technical support to ensure that your business is fully protected at all times.
Are you ready for a cyber security upgrade?
SEACOM Business security solutions employ a zero-trust architecture that is cloud-based with machine learning capabilities. Using data-analytics and automation, advanced cyber security software can detect and respond to threats.
Keeping critical systems up and running, avoiding revenue loss and protecting valuable business assets are key features of any cyber security solution. It is important not to become complacent and to look out for the signs that it might be time for a cyber security upgrade. For more information or to get a quote for our cyber security solutions, email us at marketing@seacom.com or leave us a message.
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