Small Business Network Security Checklist

Cyber attacks are growing in both frequency and severity, particularly against small businesses. Industry experts estimate that cybersecurity incidents will cost businesses over $5 trillion within the next five years alone.

Malicious hackers know the majority of smaller organizations are not prepared against network security breaches, making them popular targets for cyber attacks.

Smaller companies must implement a robust security strategy to defend sensitive information against ever-present cyber threats. In the past year alone, 47 percent of small businesses experienced a cyber attack—and out of those, 44 percent experienced more than one.

The average cost of a cyber attack has exploded from $34,000 to just under $200,000 per single incident, according to Hiscox’s 2019 Cyber Readiness Report. This is a setback that many small businesses can’t recover from.

Every Organization Is at Risk to Experience a Breach

Small businesses across all types of industries are vulnerable to security breaches. As IT infrastructures become more complex to support the growing digital demands of today’s companies, security measures need to evolve to support these sophisticated setups.

Cyber criminals are already way ahead of the curve, so much so that virtually every organization will experience a breach at some point. For small companies today, it’s not a matter of if a cybersecurity incident will happen, but when.

Making small business network security a priority is a must as cyber attacks continue to grow. Unfortunately, most organizations of this size aren’t yet on track.

With cyber criminals exploiting network vulnerabilities companies may not even be aware of, developing an approach based on your particular risks is key to successfully mitigating these devastating attacks. Many organizations have no type of plan in place in the event of a breach, let alone the necessary protection to prevent an infringement in the first place.

For Small Businesses, the Damages Are Difficult to Overcome

Could your business handle a $200,000 security breach? What about multiple breaches?

The damage, for most of these smaller companies, can quickly add up.

This is particularly true if a threat infiltrates a system and goes undetected—which is entirely possible when network monitoring and automated threat detection mechanisms aren’t in place.

In addition to monetary damages as the result of cyber attacks on small businesses, these companies also have to shoulder legal fees, compliance penalties, loss of reputation, and loss of customers.

These consequences can easily bankrupt a business. In fact, an estimated half of small businesses close within six months after a cyber attack.

Organizations are constantly at risk and need to adopt a comprehensive security strategy to prevent a cyber threat, mitigate damage should an incident occur, and adopt risk management policies. By doing so, these companies can protect their assets and make it easier to recover after an attack.

Enhance Your Network Security

Taking a multifaceted approach to cybersecurity is your best bet to avoid a cyber attack. Most small companies house sensitive information, and so are at risk of being targeted by malicious hackers.

Here are a few steps you can implement as part of a more extensive strategic approach to augment your small business network security.

While cyber attacks on small businesses can originate inside or outside a company, employees are often considered the biggest threat to smaller organizations. A reported 43 percent don’t receive regular cybersecurity training, and eight percent have received no security training whatsoever.

But the mindset that employees are responsible for helping to maintain network security is crucial to preventing an attack.

All personnel at an organization should receive cybersecurity training every few months to stay current on the latest attacks and do their job to prevent a breach.

Whether it’s recognizing and reporting a phishing email or identifying when something isn’t right in the network.

Need Help Implementing the Right Approach?

Implementing the right cybersecurity approach for your business can feel difficult if you’re not an IT professional. But that’s not an excuse to ignore the protection you need in the event of a cyber attack.

Contact us at Solvere One today to learn more about how we can help your small business implement the best approach to comprehensive network security!

How safe is your business from security threats? In today’s Internet-driven world, attacks happen every day. The only way to know how well your defenses work is to have them evaluated through professional penetration testing services. This way, your business gains invaluable insight into how an attacker would try to access your system and what you can do to prevent it.

How else do penetration testing services help protect your business network?

Uncover and Assess Vulnerabilities

When you access your business network, you have permission—a username and a password. A potential attacker won’t have this information, so he or she will find other ways to get into your system. Penetration testing services enable you to see just how vulnerable your system is to these other methods attackers will attempt to use to gain access to your business network.

Penetration testing services not only enable you to uncover vulnerabilities in your system, but to assess them as well. In this way, you can establish a baseline for just how secure your system is. While a full report on all your vulnerabilities likely won’t make you feel great about your business, remember that every business is vulnerable and that by identifying these problems, you can make a plan to fix them.

Penetration Testing Services – Set Priorities

Penetration testing services help you discover just how vital it is to fix major vulnerabilities in your system. Major flaws in your system should be a priority to fix before an attacker is able to discover them. Other weak points may be able to be fixed with professional IT services and corrective security measures for your business network.

When you’re able to fully see exposed holes in your network and understand how they’ll impact your business, you can set priorities based on the results of your penetration testing services. Every business has vulnerabilities—it’s how you deal with them that’s important.

Discover How Well Your Defenses Work

Have you ever installed new security software and wondered just how well it works? Penetration testing services do just this. Experts will attempt to gain access to your system and be able to identify any holes in your current defense system exactly the way an attacker would.

Penetration testing services should be conducted before an attacker ever has a chance to try to enter your business network—this means before launching new systems, software, or security.

This gives your business a chance to assess the susceptible points in your system and work with IT professionals to create solutions to fix them.

Vulnerabilities are Inevitable—Attacks Don’t Have to Be

Whether your business network is part of a public or private cloud, security threats are real. It’s inevitable that your business will have some vulnerable points in its network—but it doesn’t have to be inevitable that an attacker will discover them and gain access to your most sensitive information. Penetration testing services can help you know your vulnerabilities as well as fix them.

Gaining insight into how your defenses work when your system is threatened provides invaluable information into how well your business is protected should a security breach be attempted. With penetration testing services, your business knows exactly what vulnerabilities are there—and how your business network can protect itself against them.

Does your business know exactly how susceptible its network is to a security threat? Professional penetration testing services can help you understand how well prepared your business is against malicious hackers. When your business is more prepared to handle such threats with penetration testing services, you worry less and you’re more protected against costly security breaches!

Here are the top five things you should consider when searching for pen testing companies for your business.

With more than half of all small- and medium-sized businesses experiencing cyberattacks, having a secure defense system is more important than ever.

Penetration testing companies help fortify your networks through exposing vulnerabilities and making recommendations to fix them. Since you can’t fix what you aren’t aware of, investing in penetration testing with a reputable company goes a long way towards securing your defenses.

Pen Testing Companies & Relevant Experience

When evaluating pen testing companies, you can look for credentials such as Licensed Penetration Tester (LPT) or Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).

However, certifications aren’t everything. The company’s testers should have experience working with different industries and have established best practices for their work.

An experienced penetration tester should also include a verification step once your team or their team has taken steps to fix the vulnerabilities. You certainly don’t want to spend time and money fixing a problem without ensuring that the solution actually works.

Testing Methods

Any good penetration tester knows that both manual and automated methods of testing are needed to provide a comprehensive picture of your security.

Although automated tools have their benefits, they aren’t yet sophisticated enough to detect every vulnerability. Even worse, automated tools may give false positives, which can waste your time and efforts to fix if they aren’t eliminated.

Skilled pen testing companies use manual methods in conjunction with automated methods to conduct thorough testing and eliminate false positives to ensure you have the most accurate results.

Report Clarity

When you receive the report of your penetration tests, it should be comprehensible and include both summarized and detailed data. After all, this report is going to be the foundation for your efforts to secure your network, so it needs to be both detailed and clear.

The best pen testing companies will include a list of findings that are prioritized by risk level with specific recommendations to fix these problems.

If your penetration

testing company provides confusing reports or ones without recommendations for solutions, they may not be your best choice.

Documented Processes

Having a documented process for testing methods is essential when working with pen testing companies. Established methods help ensure an accurate test and keep your data safe.

Through detailing rules of engagement, your potential pen testing company sets e

xpectations for the testing and their role in the resolution of issues. Having documented procedures in the event of an unexpected problem protects your company during the testing.

Since penetration testing and its reports involve very sensitive information—including how the tester gained access to your passwords or networks—these established processes are important.

Reliable Communication

Effective and frequent communication is the trademark of any reputable penetration testing company.

Communication can be evaluated early on in the process, and if you choose to move forward with the company, set expectations for communication. The testers should communicate information such as when the testing is expected to start and end, the findings, and any issues the tester may be having during the test.

Clear communication is going to be vital to your work with pen testing companies, so ensure they have this essential skill before deciding to hire.

Invest in Your Security

With the average cost of a security breach for small businesses costing more than $38k, you can invest just a fraction of that money into a penetration testing company to help prevent such a breach.

A pen testing company is the partner in your security that you can’t afford to ignore. Consider these top five things when searching for the right penetration testers!