What is Cybersecurity and Why It’s Important

Simply put, cybersecurity is the protection of networks, applications, and data center environments from digital attacks by threat actors. These threat actors deploy cyberattacks aimed at accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information. In today’s digitally transforming world companies store vast quantities of data (passwords or financial information) on computers and other internet-connected devices. 

Why Including a Cybersecurity Strategy is Crucial 

Every week it seems like there is a news story breaking about a crippling data breach. The wave of compromised data is on the rise with no slowdown in sight, making it increasingly vital to secure your company’s assets. 

A good security strategy helps businesses reduce the chance of falling victim to data theft while also ensuring shared data is kept secure. However, the problem most companies face when selecting their security vendors is network reliability. But why is securing your network crucial? Ask yourself, if a cybercriminal were to gain access to your organization’s data what would the fallout of shared sensitive information be? What would the cost be? 

Companies need cybersecurity to keep their data, finances, and intellectual property safe.  

Benefits to Cybersecurity 

Cyberattacks are directed at small and large organizations. Entrepreneur magazine reports that 71% of cyberattacks occur at businesses with fewer than 100 employees. By deploying security strategies businesses are protected against a full range of cyber threats from unauthorized users accessing their network and stealing their data. It also helps protect both their clients and employees.  

Challenges of Cybersecurity 

Technology is a double-edged sword, especially when it comes to cybersecurity because it’s always evolving. Even more so is the threat landscape; it’s as diverse as it is sophisticated. Staying in front of the threats, understanding actors’ motivations, and knowing their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) is vital to your network staying secure because threat actors are constantly developing new methods of launching cyberattacks. 

To close potential vulnerabilities security vendors are constantly developing new solutions only for cybercriminals to continuously discover other ways to execute an attack.  

Organizations also find it challenging to stay up to date with the ever-evolving nature of staying protected 100% of the time and not just while under attack, which can be costly. It requires constant attention to the threat landscape as well as regular updates. 

Another major challenge of cybersecurity is the amount of data that most organizations have. The more data an organization has, the more attractive a target the company becomes; especially when that data is sensitive information. Not only does this put the client (whose data is stored by the organization) at risk of having their information stolen, but it also puts the organization itself exposed to potential lawsuits if that information is obtained because of negligence.  

[You may also like: Enhancing Customer Application Security: A Case Study]

How To Get Cybersecurity for Your Organization 

The first step in obtaining cybersecurity for your company is understanding its risk of an attack, and where the biggest improvements can be made. A risk assessment can identify where the business is vulnerable and helps create a plan of action—which should include user training, a guide on securing email platforms, and advice on protecting the business’s information assets. 

Cyberattacks are a growing concern for organizations, so every business should have a proactive strategy when it comes to securing its data. An important step in that process is choosing the right security vendor partner. Many companies, including the largest Fortune 500 companies with large IT budgets/staff are complimenting their in-house security teams with expertise provided by their cybersecurity vendors because it’s increasingly difficult to stay on top of the threat landscape. 

Cybersecurity is one of the most vital aspects to consider when operating online no matter how small or big your business is. While there is no company immune to attacks, a stable and efficient security system is essential to protecting client and employee data to reduce the risk of falling victim to data theft and sabotage. 

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