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Cyber security is not only an issue for large companies, small and medium-sized companies should also think about a good concept for protecting their data.
Yes, IT security measures cost time and money, but neither is related to the damage that can occur. Observations by the Austrian Chamber of Commerce show that smaller companies take their obligations relating to data protection very seriously – which is precisely why there is a great desire and necessity to manage security as efficiently as possible.
Why is cyber security important for smes?
Security breaches can cause tremendous disruption to organizations of all sizes. It is therefore advisable to develop a cyber security concept that protects against cyber attacks and that securely stores the data of the company, the customer base and all partner companies. Before you start to develop a cyber security concept, you should identify and realistically assess possible threats. Such dangers can be:
- Technical problems such as hardware or network failures, software malfunctions or disruptions to the power supply or air conditioning
- Organizational deficiencies such as unclear responsibilities, lack of information for employees, insufficient documentation or missing guidelines.
- Negligent user behavior due to a lack of education: lack of safety awareness, non-observance of safety measures, operating and maintenance deficiencies
- Deliberate actions such as misuse of company computers, data theft, distribution of malware, phishing, etc.
- Force majeure such as fire and water damage, lightning or storm damage.
Weak points can be derived from the evaluation of the threat and the probability of occurrence, which can be remedied by suitable security measures.
It is important for SMEs to get employees on board as early as possible. In times of home office and remote work, it is of great importance that everyone in the company is aware of the importance of data security.
Finding the right infrastructure is a very complex process in this context – mainly because there are countless providers. Many companies feel they need to use multiple vendor solutions to better spread the security risk. But exactly the opposite is the case: the oversupply of providers for a typical SMB security infrastructure can not only lead to unnecessary complexity and inefficient workflows, but also in the worst case affect the length of system downtimes. That’s why the old adage applies here: Less is more!
In any case, the chosen infrastructure should be flexible enough to cope with change and growth. It should also have built-in analytics to identify behavioral anomalies across all on-premises and cloud network traffic. In a small business, it is very important that the available resources are not overwhelmed in the event of a failure. Therefore, the infrastructure should have automation that provides early warning and rapid recovery to ultimately minimize downtime and keep the business running during tough times.
Conclusion
Both technical and organizational measures are required to develop a holistic security concept for SMEs and to protect critical data. However, making the effort is of great value and ultimately plays a role in the sustainable success of a company.
