The cost of a cybersecurity breach can be crippling for growing businesses. According to a Trends in Cybersecurity Breach Disclosures report that reviewed a total of 639 cybersecurity breaches at public companies over the last decade, the average cost of a cyber-breach was $116 million.
Organizations of all sizes and in all industries are susceptible to cyberattacks. The larger the company, the greater the cost of downtime caused by these attacks. In addition to lost money and productivity, businesses that experience cybersecurity issues also risk hurting their reputation. In today’s highly technological world, customers expect businesses to keep their personal information safe from dangerous cybercriminals.
While no organization can achieve complete immunity to cyberattacks, they can significantly reduce their chances of becoming a victim. Cybersecurity consulting focuses on the protection of digital security systems. These strategic services aim to improve a client’s cybersecurity by revealing weaknesses and offering viable solutions.
Cybersecurity Consulting Overview
A cybersecurity consultant provides numerous cybersecurity services to help businesses stay safe from online criminals. Security consultants analyze potential cybersecurity threats by performing comprehensive tests on systems to search for security gaps. Cybersecurity consulting services also ensure that businesses meet or exceed the minimum requirements for regulatory compliance.
Businesses in all industries rely on cybersecurity consulting to protect their digital assets, such as custom software coding, consumer data and other sensitive information. An experienced cybersecurity consultant may also train staff across an organization so that they, too, can understand what threats are present and how to protect themselves against these security risks.
Investing in cybersecurity consulting should occur before a significant breach occurs, not after. These professional services can save an organization a significant amount of money by implementing effective measures against common cybercrimes.
Main Goals Of Cybersecurity Consulting
While cybersecurity consulting goals can range from business to business, most organizations aim to achieve similar objectives. Cybersecurity consulting services can help companies to meet their security project goals in a shorter amount of time. They can also deliver specialists who can effectively configure systems to reduce threats. When a business chooses to hire a third party for cybersecurity services, this alleviates staff to better focus on their core job duties.
Here is a closer look at some of the main goals of cybersecurity consulting:
Prevent Internal And External Threats
Not all cybersecurity threats originate overseas or from unknown criminals. Sometimes, these threats come from within a business. Cybersecurity consulting helps to prevent both internal and external threats to a business.
The main difference between an internal and external threat is the identity of the attacker. Internal threats work from within the company and can bypass exterior defenses. This is often a trusted member of the company. External threats act from outside of the company and bypass all exterior defenses and barriers to reach the main database.
Protect Sensitive Data
A cybersecurity consultant will help a business protect its sensitive data through a variety of strategies. First, a consultant will take stock of the business’s personal information on file and their computers. They may then recommend scaling down the amount of information stored and keeping only what the business needs. Any information that is not needed should be properly disposed of, and the information that is needed must be protected. Cybersecurity consulting also involves creating a plan to respond to security incidents to ensure that breaches are dealt with swiftly and safely to minimize financial and legal consequences.
Plan Ahead With Incident Response Plans
An incident response plan is a documented plan with several phases that helps staff and IT professionals recognize and address cybersecurity incidents, such as data breaches. In addition to creating these plans, businesses must also manage and update them as needed, as well as train employees on how to execute the plans.
An incident response plan should thoroughly explain each person’s roles and responsibilities in protecting the business in the event of a cyber-attack. The plan should also be tested to ensure that employees perform with accuracy and attention to detail. An incident response plan also outlines when a system can be returned to production and how long this process will take. It should also include information on backup systems that can be used to restore the system quickly after a cyber incident.
Reach Out To An Experienced Managed IT Service Provider
Threats to IT security comes in many different forms, such as viruses, spyware and ransomware. Any type of malicious software can put a business at risk for lost or corrupted data or files. Fortunately, cybersecurity consulting services are available to help protect these organizations from internal and external threats. For more information about cybersecurity consulting services or to speak with an experienced managed IT service provider, contact the SeaGlass Technology professionals.