Cybersecurity involves many facets, some, but not all of them, concerned with protecting your business from attacks. The kinds of measures you take at home to secure your personal transactions are insufficient to protect a business, where there are multiple users and therefore multiple potential weak points. In addition, businesses are seen as potentially more lucrative than the vast majority of private individuals, with greater resources and more to lose.
At home, you may take care of backing up and have good antivirus software, possibly augmented by anti-malware software or something else you have been urged to buy by online advertisements, but a business is exposed to greater dangers than these things can protect against. It is essential to take expert advice from an IT specialist, preferably one who will visit your premises to see at first hand what the weaknesses are.
Implementing the ‘Essential Eight’ Maturity Model
The Essential Eight is a group of security measures drawn up by the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD), which was set up specifically to be vigilant against the very real threat of cyber warfare by foreign powers and to boost information security across the Australian business community. The ASD works in conjunction with industry giants such as Microsoft to promote the common good. The notion of waging war by damaging businesses is not a new one, but the reliance on computers and the way they create international networks makes this a grim modern reality.
The essential eight are:
- Application Control: This prevents malicious programs from executing.
- Patch Applications: Quickly updating applications such as web browsers and MS Office.
- Configuring MS Office Macro Settings: Preventing the execution of malicious code.
- User Application Hardening: Configures web browsers to block Flash, ads, and Java, and disables unnecessary browser features.
- Restricted Administration Privileges: These limit privileged access to operating systems and applications to authorised users.
- Patch Operating Systems: Mitigating vulnerabilities in OS and network devices within 48 hours.
- Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Making this extra security mandatory for all users.
- Daily backups: Key to safeguard important data, software, and configuration settings for at least 3 months
The essential eight concept is called a ‘maturity model’ because it works in stages (but quickly) to a point of maturity where everything is covered. You can learn more about maturity levels on the ASD website.
Moving Beyond Simple Antivirus to Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
Whereas AV is a reactive system, EDR is a proactive solution providing real-time monitoring, behavioural analysis and automated response to unknown and zero-day threats. That is not to say antivirus software no longer has a job to do, but EDR takes protection to a new level to counter the growing sophistication of cyber criminals.
An endpoint is a device such as a laptop, desktop or phone that, if it is compromised, can give access to a network. That makes them vulnerable to ransomware and phishing.
The Role of Regular Vulnerability Scanning
Vulnerability scanning is a proactive process that looks for weaknesses such as unpatched software, misconfigurations and weak credentials that can occur in networks, systems and applications
Why Employee Cyber-Awareness Training is Your Best Defence
Cyber awareness training is essential in any business that uses computers to communicate with the outside world, which means just about everybody these days. The best way to protect your business is to engage an on-site IT firm that will take a specific interest in your operation and come to understand how you work and what your particular vulnerabilities are.
In addition, all employees who use computers must be educated so they understand the potential dangers, and, crucially, take them seriously. Your on-site IT partner can help with this, bringing a level of external authority which an in-house IT person may lack. Contact Nerds 2 You for comprehensive cybersecurity solutions tailored to your business needs.
