Does Your Business Need a Cybersecurity Risk Assessment?

Cybersecurity attacks on businesses and organizations are increasing at a very rapid rate. Is your business at risk? How do you know? Our experts share in a recent interview the steps you can take now to determine your level of risk.

Estimated read time: 3 minutes

Why are Cyberattacks Such a Concern?

You hear the words cyberattack, data breach, malware, etc. frequently, but why are those words important and why should you not ignore them? To put it simply, these vulnerabilities could shut your business down in a matter of seconds.

Imagine coming into the office, logging onto your network, and finding out that you can no longer access your files and data unless you pay a ransomware. Think it can’t happen? Think again.

Whether your business has one employee or 500 employees, bad actors have become sophisticated in targeting business network vulnerabilities to penetrate and steal your most valuable assets.

What Can You Do About It?

A comprehensive approach is the best way to mitigate and prevent cyberattacks. Because businesses and organizations are exposed to a variety of risks each day, one approach or task will not provide all-encompassing coverage.

It is important to complete an analysis of network and data operations, as well as facilities and physical assets regularly. The review of internal vulnerabilities, physical security and employee training are vital to protecting your business.

A third-party expert understands that a true comprehensive approach to business security also involves mitigating human error just as much as having system-generated assessments in place. Hamilton takes an all-encompassing approach and provides security training, email phishing simulations and developing company security policies to help control the human element of protection.

The first step Hamilton takes to begin to understand a company’s security posture is completing a Cybersecurity Risk Assessment. This assessment helps provide a baseline of potential vulnerabilities and is the starting place for implementing any changes that need to be made.

In a recent radio interview with Dereck Djernes, Hamilton Division Manager, he discusses the importance of a Cybersecurity Risk Assessment and how the results will outline the potential risks, how to understand the risks and what steps you should take next to mitigate them. Take a listen to the interview below.

Watch time: 5 minutes, 4 seconds.

Putting Words into Action

Identifying your company’s cybersecurity risks is just the first step. As previously mentioned, an all-encompassing view of your cybersecurity posture is essential. From the initial Cybersecurity Risk Assessment, Hamilton provides a remediation plan that provides the specific steps needed to eliminate any identified threats before they cause any harm. Your IT department can use this plan to patch or push updates to identified weaknesses and replace compromised components (either hardware or software). Hamilton can also make the repairs and fill these gaps on behalf of your IT staff.

The remediation plan will suggest some best practices for your business to follow. Otherwise known as security hygiene practices, these recommendations will help prevent recurrence and allow you to analyze past incidents to improve future responses.

It’s worth mentioning that threat remediation is an ongoing practice as cyber threats continue to evolve. You can refer to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) website for the latest alerts and advisories issued by the government to get an idea of what’s happening in cyberspace.

Meanwhile, if your business is maintaining its operations without much change, you should think about having this assessment done on an annual to semi-annual basis. If your business has evolved and grown, you may want to schedule something sooner.

When you are ready to know the results of your organization’s cybersecurity posture, call Hamilton at 308.381.1000 for a risk assessment. Don’t be afraid to get started because when done well the first time, this assessment can serve as a template for your business for years to come.

Can’t get enough information on cybersecurity? Here’s another piece you will want to add to your reading list: “Cybersecurity Options For Your Business”.