Is Your Business Vulnerable? Start Identifying Cyber Security Risks in Your Network

Is your business vulnerable to cyber security threats?

It’s time to start identifying cyber security risks in your network.

What is a Cyber Security Risk?

Cyber security risk takes into account three different factors to prioritize infrastructure development.

• Threat: how likely a vulnerability is to be exploited
• Vulnerability: a weakness in your network
• Informational value: the value of the stored information

To calculate your cyber security risk, you simply use the following formula: threat x vulnerability x informational value.

For instance, if you were storing high-value information on an operating system that had a vulnerability in version 2.1.2, your cyber security risk might be high. However, if you have an active IT team that’s aware of the vulnerability and update the software, then the risk is low, even though the informational value remains high.

How Do You Identify Cyber Security Threats?

Cyber security threats are identified through a risk assessment.

These assessments are used to identify vulnerabilities, estimate cyber security threats, and prioritize operations based on risk levels. To do this, they look at the way the business operates, the systems it uses, and the information it stores.

This process will normally start with a number of basic goals:

• Identify the organization's most important information technology assets
• Decide what data breach would have the greatest impact on the business
• Identify cyber security threats
• Evaluate the potential impact of each threat
• Highlight internal and external vulnerabilities
• Evaluate the likelihood each threat will be exploited
• Identify types of attacks that are likely to affect the business’s ability to function
• Decide what level of risk the organization is comfortable taking

This can be carried out by an internal IT team, or it can be outsourced to a professional IT security firm like StickmanCyber. Using proactive cybersecurity and threat monitoring they will then be able to identify the weaknesses in your system to advise on the proper responses.

Signs that Your Business Might Be Vulnerable to Cybersecurity Attacks

Sometimes you’ll only realize something is wrong once it’s too late, but there are signs that your businessess might have cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

1. You Don’t Have a Cyber Security Strategy

If you don’t have a cyber security strategy then it’s likely your business will be much more vulnerable to cybersecurity attacks.

When you read about hacks and big data breaches they tend to be about huge companies, so it’s easy to think your small business won’t be targeted. Unfortunately, that’s not the case, and everyone is a target.

The only way to limit the risk is by planning and putting the right strategies in place.

2. You Are Using an Old Operating System

It can be bewildering to keep up with technology. No sooner have you’ve got used to one operating system and it’s being replaced by a new one.

It’s tempting to think you’re better off sticking with what you know, but one of the reasons for the updates is security. The constant updates you’re always downloading have a lot to do with security.

As cyber criminals find weaknesses in software, the publisher releases an update that closes the vulnerability.

If you’re using an outdated operating system, then those fixes aren’t being released anymore, meaning your cyber security threat is greatly increased.

3. Your Data Is Not Backed-Up Properly

If your data is not backed-up properly then it increases the potential risk of a cyberattack.

One reason for this is that one of the most common attacks, ransomware attacks, block access to data and ask for payment in return for returned access. The longer it is since your data was last backed up, the more data you lose, increasing the value of the ransomware attack.

When your data is properly backed up it reduces risk because you always have access to a recent copy of your data.

4. Your Staff Use Their Own Devices for Work Purposes

When your staff use their own devices for work it means you have less control over security settings, anti-virus programs, software updates, and everything else.

You also lose control over who has access to the device.

Your employee might be reasonably security conscious, but what if their child has access to the laptop and accidentally downloads a corrupted file?

The simple thing is that it’s much more difficult to control what happens on personal devices, and this increases risk.

5. Your Systems Seem to Be Getting Slower

If you’ve noticed your systems seem to be getting slower or your internet keeps dropping in and out, then it could be a sign of a denial of service (DoS) attack.

Sometimes one of the signs that you’re exposed to cyber security threats is that things just don’t feel right. Sure, your software might gradually get slower over time, but if there seems to be a sudden change in its performance, then it might be a sign that it’s time to reach out to your IT support.

What Businesses Should Protect Themselves from Data Security Threats?

The simple answer is that every business should protect itself from data security threats.

For cybercriminals, the question isn’t how big is the organization they’re targeting, it’s how easy of a target are they? If you don’t have the right systems in place to protect against cyber security threats, then you’re going to become an easy target, whether you’re a big or small business.

Start Protecting Against Cyber Security Risks

It’s never too late to start protecting against cyber security risks.

What you don’t want to do is wait until it's taken out of your hands and you're forced to turn to cybersecurity experts after a major breach.

At StickmanCyber, our cybersecurity experts can identify the vulnerabilities in your organization, and help limit risk. This proactive approach can save a lot of time, hassle, and money in the long run.

Let our team of cybersecurity experts identify cybersecurity vulnerabilities in your organization.

Contact StickmanCyber today to learn more about our Risk Assessment services.