Key Points:
Sean Connery, the president of Orbis Solutions and a best-selling author, recently spoke at the Harvard Club of Boston about the growing threats to US businesses from cyber attacks.
The cybersecurity expert warned that many businesses aren't doing enough to protect themselves against the increasing threat of cyberattacks. Connery recommends that businesses instill the right cyber frameworks to combat the ever-expanding surface.
The problem that plagues many small and medium-sized businesses is that many don't pay attention, thinking they're too small to be the target of a cyber threat.
When talking to business owners and C-suite executives about protecting their data, Connery argued that many businesses don't feel their data is critical or that anyone even wants it. Such assumptions are wrong because studies show that nearly 20% of all attacks hit small businesses.
After an attack, 60% of small businesses close within six months, which brings one fact into perspective:
When you're in business, you're a target. If you're on the internet, you're already under attack. Your company faces an advanced persistent threat — a type of cybercrime that targets corporate and political targets, irrespective of size.
Connery asks business owners to visualize their data to help them understand the data protection concept. He disputed that until a company's data is encrypted by ransomware or the organization loses its data due to hardware failure, it can't establish its data's importance.
He insisted that since every business is under cyber threat — it's only better to be smarter than the bad guys and develop processes to ward off these threats. The president of Orbis Solutions Inc used the analogy of a house when adopting security solutions for your IT.
Connery said that your IT security measures are similar to house security. He described a house as somewhere everyone, and their loved ones sleep safely because of three important features:
He explained that houses have doors, locks, walls, and windows for protection. For threat detection, houses have alarm systems, motion sensors, and cameras to help detect dangers as soon as they arise. For response purposes, he explained that houses have neighborhood security, the local police, and as a last resort, insurance.
The three features combine to provide safety for the house's inhabitants. As a cybersecurity expert, Connery urges business owners to adopt cybersecurity measures that can protect, detect, and respond to threats.
"While all the three factors of cybersecurity are critical, they aren't equally the same," explained Connery.
When asked which of the three is the most important, many think threat response plays the biggest security role. While threat response is necessary, Connery thinks it's priority number two.
According to Connery, others think protection is the most important aspect of cybersecurity, but that comes third.
Detection should be the most important security factor of a network. The FBI did a cybercrime study and found that threats were already in the victim's network for over 200 days without being detected.
Your business is better off with threat detections solutions such as:
With protection, firewalls, and antiviruses, threats might go undetected. Only with detection can your business discover and detour threats early.
Sean Connery noted that while many businesses in the US have significantly improved their cybersecurity posture in recent years, many businesses are still not taking the necessary steps to protect themselves.
Hackers are no longer just nerdy teenagers fooling around in their basements. Instead, they're sophisticated criminals that train to identify and exploit any vulnerability on your network.
Attackers try to make money in any way, and if they find loopholes in your business, they won't hesitate to use them. Regardless of size, your business should defend against the rapidly rising cyberattacks threatening to cripple everyday business operations.
IT security is not just a technology problem but a people problem. While urging businesses to invest in cybersecurity solutions, Connery emphasized the need to educate employees about the threat of cyber attacks.
After all, studies show that in-house employees commit about 40% of breaches. Some perpetrators can be ex-workers, disgruntled workers, and regular people with ill-intent. Mostly, people are engaging in activities that they don't even know are unsafe.
Connery also stressed the importance of collaborating with other businesses and organizations to share information about cyber threats. Ultimately, Connery believes that US businesses must start taking cybersecurity seriously if they want to protect themselves from the growing threat of cyber attacks.
That's why I'm a trusted business advisor in IT and cybercrime. If you're worried about your exposure to cybercrime, go to our website and get our white papers. We'll even audit your company.
We'll start off one-on-one with me to understand your business, what you have, what you're doing, and what you would like to achieve going forward. With this foundation, I'll help you with a strategic plan to immediately secure your business. Contact us today for more information on how you can secure your IT network.
Orbis Solutions, Inc., in Las Vegas, Henderson, Summerlin and throughout Nevada, has developed creative, strategic and cost-effective technical solutions for a wide variety of clients. Offering a diverse range of products and services, Orbis provides IT solutions to promote your company’s productivity and profitability, and help you sort through the latest-hyped technology, so you can select the best hardware, software or service for your business needs.
