SCOTTSDALE, Ariz.—Small and medium businesses (SMBs) face the same cyber security risk as big operations, as crooks zero in on the easiest way to get personal data.
But cyber security advancements are making it easier for SMBs, such as small credit unions, to successfully fight cyber crooks, said Todd Weller, VP of corporate development at Hexis Cyber Solutions, in a report in ThirdCertainty.
Weller acknowledged that due to cash flow and manpower constraints, SMBs “face greater challenges when it comes to securing their networks” and that attackers aren’t sympathetic.
“And these challenges may result in SMBs being viewed as more attractive targets,” said Weller. “Based on the data breaches disclosed in 2014 and 2015, it is clear that cyber attacks have become a mainstream operational risk for all companies.”
But Weller insisted that small companies can make progress toward achieving cyber resilience.
The good news for small business is that steady improvement of the company’s security posture does not have to be an “overwhelming endeavor,” said Weller, pointing to three steps that can make small shops more “cyber resilient.” The three steps:
Improve visibility. “Relying on detection technologies focused primarily on known homethreats no longer provides sufficient visibility,” he said. “Detecting advanced threats requires deployment of behavior-based detection capabilities on both endpoints and networks. Continuous recording capabilities (analogous to a security camera) can be used reactively and proactively.”
Focus on integration. “Some large organizations deploy solutions from hundreds of security vendors. SMBs with limited resources do not have that option,” said Weller. “Fortunately, many cybersecurity vendors are moving toward integration of multiple detection capabilities. There is a growing trend of a provider offering both endpoint and network capabilities.”
Look into managed services. “Monitoring and effectively responding to thousands of alerts can be daunting. This is why many SMBs are looking to consume security monitoring and response as a managed service,” noted Weller. “The good news for SMBs is that by going to a managed security services provider, they not only get access to a nice car, but also get a driver with it.”