The Proactive Benefits of Preventive Cybersecurity: Safeguarding Your Business and Ensuring Continuity.

The importance of cybersecurity in a world where organisations increasingly rely on IT systems, digital infrastructure and data to operate, is paramount. Cyber threats are constantly evolving and becoming more sophisticated, therefore being proactive and safeguarding your business and its surface is key.

Having strong defences against cyber attacks, ensures business continuity. The consequences of a successful cyber attack can be catastrophic from a financial, reputational and operational perspective.

Following are the benefits of preventive cybersecurity:

Prevention is better than cure

Implement robust cyber security measures and strong protocols to keep potential threats at bay. Proactively identify vulnerabilities and take the respective actions to harden systems, networks and applications. Knowing about vulnerabilities before malicious attackers is crucial. Conduct pen tests and vulnerability assessments and system scanning to identify any weaknesses and holes. Moreover, patch and keep systems up-to-date to protect against known vulnerabilities, such as in open source frameworks.

When carrying out preventive security businesses identify and subsequently address weaknesses in advance therefore reducing risks of breach.

Safeguard Highly-sensitive Data

Highly sensitive data such as financial data, customer records, transactional information and intellectual property is the lifeblood of any business. Employees throughout the organisation need to have the know-how of how to protect this data from cyber criminals. Data encryption, strict user access controls and user authentication using MFA are all best practices in preventive security. Data breaches are to be avoided at all costs, as they often lead to legal and financial consequences.

Business Continuity starts with Cyber Awareness Training

Being resilient is essential for business continuity which in turn is key for a business’ success. Cyber attackers often ‘get in’ by tricking an employee to click on a link or download a file. Cyber awareness training helps workforces understand the risks and the ways cyber criminals act. This course equips individuals (and businesses) with the required knowledge and skills to recognise and more importantly mitigate potential cyber risks.

Awareness about phishing attacks, malware, ransomware, common social engineering tactics and data security best practices ensures everyone company-wide understands his or her role in protecting the company’s digital assets and data. A culture of accountability and responsibility is fostered through such training. Cyber awareness training is an indispensable part of the cyber security puzzle. People are your first line of defence.

Compliance to Regulatory Frameworks

Regulated businesses such as iGaming and Financial Services are subject to strict regulatory requirements which include cyber security and data protection. Proactive cyber security in the form of regular penetration tests and vulnerability assessments help these outfits stay compliant with these regulatory regimes.

Failing to comply, can lead to fines, licence revocation or freezing. Reputational damage is usually a byproduct of such actions. Proactive cyber security helps build trust with stakeholders and can be a strong differentiator vis-a-vis competition.

Preventive maintenance ensures business continuity

Disruptions of operations and downtime caused through attacks such as ransomware and DDoS cost companies money and goodwill. Data backups, 24×7 platform or web scanning and attack surface management together with redundancy measures help organisations be proactive. SOPs and disaster recovery plans are also essential in any business, irrespective of the sector they operate in.

It takes years to build your reputation but seconds to destroy it

A data breach can lead to a devastating impact on your business’ reputation and brand’s equity. Customers and partners might lose confidence in your brand. Adverse media can permanently tarnish your reputation. Proactive cyber security in dedicated fashion helps to protect not only your business but also the stakeholders and the way they interact with your brand. Customer loyalty and satisfaction are both directly linked to the cyber safety of the brand and its digital touch points.

Cyber security should go beyond reacting to cyber threats. Continuously work to prevent breaches, protect data, and ensure business continuity while ticking all the regulatory boxes and protecting your brand in the marketplace. A vulnerability assessment is a wise first step. Speak to us today!