Top 5 cyber security considerations a business must undertake in 2023

Businesses in the UK are facing an increasingly complex cyber security threat landscape, where attacks are becoming more frequent, sophisticated and potentially devastating. In fact, one small business in the UK is successfully hacked every 19 seconds.

It seems that it’s no longer a question of if your data will be in the sights of cyber criminals but when, who and what will they target?

With consumer expectations soaring and new technology being released at a rapid pace, business owners need to stay up to date with the latest cyber security technologies or risk the consequences – which could include reputational damage, fines and even closure. The Government estimates the economic cost of cybercrime to UK businesses at £21bn per annum.

Cyber criminals don’t care who you are or what size your business is – they can target anyone and everyone. To stay safe, businesses need to make sure they’re taking steps to defend themselves against the growing threat.

We’ve put together some of the top cyber safety considerations to keep businesses protected in 2023.

1. Dark web monitoring

The ‘dark web’ refers to encrypted online content that is not indexed on conventional search engines. There are many innocent reasons why people may wish to access the dark web, but it is also a hotbed for cyber criminals who use anonymous ‘Hidden Services’ websites to sell private data and share details of attacks.

Dark web monitoring uses tools to continually search and track for any of your business’ information being shared on the dark web. These tools will send an instant alert when compromised passwords, impersonation attempts, planned attacks or leaked data are found so that immediate action can be taken to protect data.

By scouring the dark web, businesses can also learn of any past breaches and identify exactly how the attack was carried out. This can inform penetration testing and allows you to gain a greater understanding of how to respond in the event of future incidents.

2. Security operations centre (SOC)

A security operations centre is a team of professionals that continually monitor and analyse the entire IT infrastructure of a business from a cyber security perspective. Members of the team are responsible for a wide range of activities – including selecting and operating cybersecurity technologies, analysing threat data and responding to attacks as quickly possible.

The key benefit of creating an SOC is that it can unify your technology solutions and processes within one team who provide a tailored, round-the-clock monitoring service. Many business owners are shifting their IT security focus on the human element rather than relying on technology packages to assess and mitigate threats. While firewalls and IPS may work to prevent basic breaches, human analysis and communication is often required to put major incidents to the test.

If your organisation doesn’t have the in-house capability to create an SOC, a managed service provider can work with you to build a fully competent team ready to streamline your security processes and better prepare you for cyber threats.

3. Cyber Essentials

Cyber Essentials is a government-backed scheme that helps organisations guard against the most common cyber threats. It allows a business to examine the current condition of cyber security as measured against five key controls:

• Firewalls
• Secure configuration
• User access control
• Malware protection
• Patch management

Businesses can certify to Cyber Essentials standard by completing a self-assessment questionnaire that covers these five controls. It may seem like a simple solution compared to the others listed so far, but businesses who have achieved certification can prevent around 80% of the most common types of cyberattacks.

Failing to address your vulnerability to basic attacks can mark your business as a target to more serious cyber criminals. Certification gives you a clear picture of your current security level and gives you the confidence that you are actively taking action to reduce threats.

Important note: Organisations who want to bid on government contracts are now required to be certified under the Cyber Essentials scheme.

4. Backup & Disaaster Recovery

Are you prepared if the worst really did happen? For any business, the prospect of losing access to documents, applications and data is a serious concern. Events such as power failures, fires, floods and even human error can cause significant downtime, closures and loss of profits.

Unfortunately, even the best insurance won’t be able to bring your data back unless it has been securely backed up. A backup and disaster recovery plan gives your business the best chance of recovering quickly and protects your most valuable assets in any scenario.

As well as being able to recover your data, having a failsafe solution in place in the event of disaster is the quickest way to get your business back up and running with minimal disruption. Rest easy knowing that you have a plan in place and that everything is in place should an incident occur.

5. Mobile Device Management (MDM)

The pandemic and shift to remote working moved even more day-to-day business activities onto mobile devices. A large majority of employees will be using their mobile phones to access company emails and documents while they’re on the move or working from home. Leaving these devices unprotected leaves your business at high risk of a data breach of cyber security attack.

Mobile device management (MDM) can be used to remotely manage employee-owned devices, including smartphones and tablets, as well as company-supplied devices. It also provides a way to ensure that all users are using the same security software, have the latest software updates, and follow security policies.

If devices are lost or stolen, MDM can also be used to remotely lock and wipe devices to protect sensitive data immediately. It can also be used to monitor what applications people have installed on their phones and whether they are accessing them during working hours or after they leave the office.

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If you’re in charge of protecting your company’s IT security, adopting some of the best practices we’ve outlined here should help you keep your networks safe—and prevent a lot of headaches.

We understand that it can be daunting trying to figure out the best way to protect against the scary world of cyber threats. A great way to get started is with one our Cyber Security Posture Audits. We get under the skin of your current security processes and infrastructure so that we can recommend a tailor-made solution that best suits the needs of your business.

Contact us today for jargon-free guidance and advice from our experts.