Business

7 Tips to Create a Robust Cyber Security Plan for Your Business

19 January 2021

While increasing profit margins is usually the priority for many businesses, another important goal is boosting scalability

Companies, especially start-ups, often require their employees to multitask and manage different roles to achieve this. This means that businesses may not necessarily have a team of dedicated IT experts working on creating comprehensive cybersecurity systems. 

Without a systematic and detailed IT security plan, your business is susceptible to many cyber risks and threats which could potentially harm your organisation. 

Since modern cyber threats have become more sophisticated, loopholes and vulnerabilities in your business’ existing IT environment can allow cybercriminals to exploit your data and information. This is why building a robust cyber security plan should be a top priority for your company.

A comprehensive and robust cyber security plan can help safeguard your business against potential cyber threats. At Redpalm, we’ve put together a resource to help you create a robust cyber security policy and protect your business. 

1. Vigilant Monitoring and Recording of Data

Companies often save confidential information such as client details, financial information, business transactions, etc. on the cloud. Since this data is essential for day-to-day operations, monitoring this data vigilantly is crucial. 

Maintaining extensive records is essential to keep track of information stored within your business network. Since every business has confidential information regarding its clients and operations, securing this data becomes a top priority. 

Recording and monitoring data is an important part of every cyber security plan as it can prevent misuse of stored information. Having a record of sensitive information in different locations serves as a backup for your business and allows you to keep tabs on the information stored.

2. Regular Security Updates

To keep your IT infrastructure secure, regularly install the latest security updates to keep your systems safe and secure. 

Businesses often ignore updating security until it’s too late. This delay could potentially backfire and cost you your data’s integrity and safety. Through regular updates, you can ensure that your IT environment is patched and your cyber security is kept secure.

Updating your existing security guidelines to make it more comprehensive will ensure better protection of your business network. Furthermore, covering the basics such as regular password updates, upgrading existing anti-virus software, installing stronger firewalls, etc. will enhance your overall security.

Checking your business’ digital safety performance will give you an insight into different risks you may be vulnerable to. To find out about your cyber risk score, contact Redplam today.

3. Create Policies for External Network Access

With many businesses having their employees work from home, external network access has become a significant priority. This involved employees accessing business networks and systems from remote locations which, in most cases, were protected only by a password

A lot of different security issues have shown that passwords selected by users are often frighteningly easy to guess. Even with the most secure passwords, threats like email phishing allow cyber criminals to easily breach your company’s network. 

To ensure that your business network and data remain protected, having robust policies for external network access is crucial.

Implementing multi-factor authentication, especially for emails, can restrict hackers from gaining access to remote servers and sensitive information. With the implementation of detailed policies for external network access, your company’s robust cyber security policy should start to look more secure. 

4. Internal Training

The responsibility of protecting sensitive data also falls in the hands of the user and is an important step in building a robust cyber security plan. 

If the employees of your organisation are not trained and made aware of protocols they need to follow, they may accidentally reveal sensitive information or mishandle existing data. This can have devastating consequences for your business.

Internal training of personnel within your organisation is therefore extremely important as it equips them with the right knowledge to understand your company’s operations and systems. 

Furthermore, an understanding of existing policies and protocols will allow them to deal with networks and data more cautiously. In the unfortunate event of a cyber attack, they will be able to handle the situation better without compromising the security of your IT environment.

From phishing attacks to password management, they should be made aware of safe cyber security practices for end-to-end digital safety.

5. Develop an Incident Response Plan

No matter how strong your cyber security measures may be, there’s still a chance that your business could become a victim of a cyberattack or data breach. That’s why preparing for the worst is essential to any robust cyber security plan. 

Prepare for the possibility of a cyberattack by developing a strong incident response plan. By identifying any potential risks to your organisation’s security early on, you can effectively mitigate the negative impact of an attack. 

This incident response plan would outline the steps that need to be taken in the event of a breach or attack, including how to mitigate the attack, assess the damage, and restore affected systems. Regularly test and update your incident response plan to ensure maximum effectiveness. 

6. Backup Data Frequently

When creating a robust IT cyber security plan, regularly back up all important business data to a secure, offsite location. 

If a cyberattack or data loss were to occur, having recent backups would allow you to restore your data quickly with minimal disruption to business operations. Test your backup and recovery processes every so often to ensure they’re working properly.

7. Seek Professional Expertise

While your business may have an IT department, partnering with professional IT service providers will enable you to create a customised and robust cyber security plan that aligns with your company’s requirements. This allows your in-house team to focus on other mission-critical aspects of your organisation.

The expertise provided by our IT professionals is more comprehensive, as they are well aware of possible cyber attacks and their consequences. Additionally, we also work with you to update your guidelines and protocols to make them more comprehensive for your employees to follow. This increases workplace efficiency and security.

Consult our team of IT specialists today to identify vulnerabilities in your existing IT structure and tighten your digital security. With a strong cyber security plan in place, you can ease your workload and allow us to take care of your business’ online safety.

Contact Redpalm To Create A Robust Cyber Security Plan

Creating a comprehensive cyber security plan should be a priority for every company to keep various online threats at bay. By developing and implementing a robust cyber security policy in your business, you can ensure maximum protection and efficiency in your organisation’s day-to-day operations.

That said, by entrusting your cyber security to Redpalm, you can benefit from maximum digital protection for your business’ existing IT infrastructure.

At Redpalm, we provide cyber security solutions to protect your business against various internal and external cyber threats

As a trusted cyber security partner, we empower your business with tools to strengthen the security of your network. Armed with knowledge and expertise, our Microsoft-certified experts help you effectively identify and mitigate all types of security risks. 

We also offer various other services such as proactive monitoring, cloud services, incident response, technology procurement, IT audits, health checks, and more. 

To learn more about our services, click here or contact us to schedule an appointment today.

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