Too many business leaders have preconceived notions that their job begins and ends with making money. However, by resting one’s eye too long on the prize, a leader is likely to lose track of other crucial responsibilities that keep a business running smoothly. Security is one of those duties that many leaders believe they can set and forget ― but failing to monitor your business’s security is a serious mistake.
The security industry is in an ever-escalating arms race as criminals and security professionals alike race to produce the best tactics and tech. As a business leader, you must keep your security systems up-to-date ― or else suffer the pain, sorrow, and shame of a data breach.
You Don’t Protect All Your Devices
You might have state-of-the-art security software installed on every desktop in your office, but if network-enabled laptops, tablets, smartphones, and other devices aren’t similarly protected, your business remains vulnerable to attack. Every device connected to your network should have security tools, including any BYOD tech your employees use as well as Internet of Things devices like televisions and thermostats. Because most typical paths to data are well-defended, hackers are becoming more proficient in finding backdoors, so you need to keep every entry point heavily guarded.
You Don’t Protect Your Most Valuable Data
Sometimes, security issues occur due to a desire for safety. For example, you might have relocated your most sensitive information to the cloud to protect it from cyberattacks on your devices. Unfortunately, the cloud isn’t inherently safer, and by moving your data, you might have put it at increased risk.
Your devices are filled with data, including cookies, caches, temporary files, personal and private information, account information, and important documents. You should spend some time sorting through that data, perhaps using data-cleaning software to help you purge unnecessary or compromising files. Then, wherever your most valuable data resides, you should enact the most powerful security solutions available.
Your Security Isn’t Certified
Every security service you use, from the software on your device to the experts you have on call, should be fully trustworthy. Unfortunately, given modern businesses’ tendencies to bloat ratings and review sites with paid endorsements, it isn’t always easy to discern the best from the rest. That’s why you should look for IT security certifications, which are national and international standards for security services. Businesses that boast certifications applicable to your business can provide top-quality service and protect you from the worst cyberthreats.
You Don’t Have Levels of Access
When you hire a new employee, how long do you wait before giving that worker access to your most sensitive data? Too many organizations are too lenient with their permissions, so virtually every employee can view and manipulate important information. This is dangerous for a variety of reasons, but most critically, you can’t be certain whether new or junior employees are responsible or have secure habits. You should enact restrictions to give workers access only to that data they need to complete their jobs, so the entirety of your organization’s information is not always at risk.
You Never Update Your Software
This is security 101: Outdated software is not current with the best protections against cyberthreats, and old programs may contain vulnerabilities that give hackers easier access to your data. Though updates might seem inconvenient, they keep your entire business more secure. It is well-worth your time and effort to install updates whenever released.
You Never Reevaluate Your Needs
To stay alive, your business is constantly changing. You frequently add new products and services, add new departments, and modify goals and mission statements. If your business is completely different from how it started, why would you assume the security system from your startup days will suffice?
At the very least, you should schedule an annual security audit to ensure your current software and systems are enough to keep you fully protected from existing threats. However, it would be even more effective to consider your security every time you make changes to your business.
You Don’t Have an Emergency Procedure
Sometimes, even the most advanced security systems fail. How a business fares after a successful cyberattack depends entirely on the moves it makes after uncovering the breach. To give your company the best chances for survival, you should work with security experts to draft an emergency plan to guide your employees in proper behavior following an attack. The right responses could save some of your data from being hacked and help you save face with clients and customers.
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