Cybercrime is a real and present danger for companies of all sizes these days, and a recent survey reported the majority of business owners to cite IT and network security as the greatest threat facing their firms.
With many experts now suggesting data is the world’s most valuable commodity (greater even than traditional heavy-hitters like gold and oil), the information your firm relies on to operate has become an easy target for online criminals. Indeed, it’s suggested as many as 37 billion private records were exposed in 2020 alone – however, it’s also worth bearing in mind, the vast majority of cyberattacks go unreported due to firms fearing the potential reputational damage of being hacked.
Many businesses never entirely recover from a data disaster and may go out of business, which is why offsite data protection is an absolute necessity if you want to safeguard your business.
If you want real peace of mind against malicious attacks, you should look to working with a professional IT cloud service provider, ideally running secure access server edge (SASE) technology. While it’s possible to take some measures yourself, managed IT service providers place client security front and center and offer unrivaled protection against online criminals. Not only that, but they also provide 24/7/365 support should problems occur and – in the worst-case scenario where your security has become comprised – can reinstall backups of your essential files and software.
Working with a cloud provider will see your company become more agile online while also reducing costs and improving connectivity and productivity.
Why the security of your data should be your number one priority
Unfortunately, as always seems to be the way in life, where there’s money to be made, criminals soon follow, and IT is no exception. With the mounting value of private company data (both from an exploitation point of view, such as launching a ransomware attack to simply stealing credit card data), your firm’s IT and networking should be your top priority for remaining safe.
These days, it’s almost impossible to think of any company that doesn’t rely on data to operate – everything from a one-man firm using simple email and web communications right up to massive multinationals crunching big data. In our modern connected world, data drives business, and, whether you realize it or not, it is likely the lifeblood of your firm too.
It’s also worth noting; no firm is beyond the reach of hackers these days. Unfortunately, evidence suggests there is a tendency among Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to consider themselves too minor and insignificant to be the target of hackers, while the total opposite is true. Due to SMEs frequently taking a more relaxed approach to their online security, the sector has seen a huge upturn in the number of security breaches – and, in particular, a massive rise in ransomware attacks.
In a ransomware attack, the hacker gains access to a company network with the sole intention of locking down its files, essentially rendering them unusable. The cybercriminal then demands a ransom payment (hence the term ransomware), for access to be restored.
Depending on the severity of the attack and how much a firm relies on its data, a ransomware assault can grind a company to a halt and prevent it from operating. Indeed, recent studies show that of the SMEs that fall victim to a cyberattack (with ransomware being the most common), an astonishing 60% will go on to fold within the following six months.
Many businesses never entirely recover from a data disaster and may go out of business, which is why offsite data protection is an absolute necessity if you want to safeguard your business.
Simple steps you can take to improve the security of your IT operations
If you want real peace of mind against malicious attacks, you should look to working with a professional IT cloud service provider, ideally running secure access server edge (SASE) technology. While it’s possible to take some measures yourself, managed IT service providers place client security front and center and offer unrivaled protection against online criminals. Not only that, but they also provide 24/7/365 support should problems occur and – in the worst-case scenario where your security has become comprised – can reinstall backups of your essential files and software.
Working with a cloud provider will see your company become more agile online while also reducing costs and improving connectivity and productivity.
Why the security of your data should be your number one priority
Unfortunately, as always seems to be the way in life, where there’s money to be made, criminals soon follow, and IT is no exception. With the mounting value of private company data (both from an exploitation point of view, such as launching a ransomware attack to simply stealing credit card data), your firm’s IT and networking should be your top priority for remaining safe.
These days, it’s almost impossible to think of any company that doesn’t rely on data to operate – everything from a one-man firm using simple email and web communications right up to massive multinationals crunching big data. In our modern connected world, data drives business, and, whether you realize it or not, it is likely the lifeblood of your firm too.
It’s also worth noting; no firm is beyond the reach of hackers these days. Unfortunately, evidence suggests there is a tendency among Small to Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) to consider themselves too minor and insignificant to be the target of hackers, while the total opposite is true. Due to SMEs frequently taking a more relaxed approach to their online security, the sector has seen a huge upturn in the number of security breaches – and, in particular, a massive rise in ransomware attacks.
In a ransomware attack, the hacker gains access to a company network with the sole intention of locking down its files, essentially rendering them unusable. The cybercriminal then demands a ransom payment (hence the term ransomware), for access to be restored.
Depending on the severity of the attack and how much a firm relies on its data, a ransomware assault can grind a company to a halt and prevent it from operating. Indeed, recent studies show that of the SMEs that fall victim to a cyberattack (with ransomware being the most common), an astonishing 60% will go on to fold within the following six months.
