Discussions about cybersecurity often focus on how effective defense can help limit the impact of attacks once cybercriminals have breached your network. Although this is a critical aspect of effective security, the advantages of cybersecurity extend beyond better reactions to help companies proactively protect digital assets from potential attacks.
Common Cybersecurity Components
While every cybersecurity program will differ based on business needs and the current threat landscape, several components are common to any security effort.
First is network security, which includes policies and procedures designed to limit unwanted network access. Next is device management, which now extends across both mobile and desktop devices to reduce total risk using solutions such as identity and access management (IAM) tools and zero-trust frameworks.
Employee training and system-wide policies also play a role in limiting the extent and impact of cyberattacks. By educating staff about common attack methods, such as email phishing, credential stuffing and ransomware attacks, businesses can limit the chance of unintentional breaches. System-wide policies, meanwhile, can help ensure that cybersecurity controls are applied consistently across end-user access points.
Exploring 7 Advantages of Cybersecurity
Implementing effective cybersecurity offers seven key benefits:
- Enhanced reputation: Robust cybersecurity processes can help boost your business reputation. With employees and customers now increasingly concerned about the protection of their personal and professional data, solutions and strategies that are designed to defend this data can increase end-user confidence and boost overall business reputation. It makes sense: As attacks become more common, security is often seen as a differentiator between companies leading the pack and those lagging behind.
- Reduced complexity: The increase of cloud computing and distributed networking to support remote and hybrid work initiatives naturally creates complexity. One common culprit is lacking visibility: If companies can’t see what’s happening on their networks as needed, they’re at risk of missing critical security indicators. A comprehensive cybersecurity framework makes it possible to create a single source of cybersecurity truth, in turn reducing total complexity.
- Improved data defense: Comprehensive cybersecurity that includes strong data encryption and robust access controls can enhance data defense across your organization. Even if attackers manage to breach business networks, access controls and encryption can limit their ability to compromise key systems and reduce the time required to pinpoint compromise points. This is especially critical as remote work efforts expand and corporate networks become more complex. By making defensive measures such as data encryption, multi-factor authentication and regular password updates part of ongoing cybersecurity efforts, businesses can improve defense at scale.
- Streamlined employee access: With more staff working from home, it’s critical to balance access and security. If employees can’t access the tools and technologies they need, productivity suffers. If connections aren’t secure, protection is compromised. Ongoing staff education coupled with clear access procedures can help streamline access without negatively impacting security. With tools such as virtual private networks (VPNs) and authentication-based access, employees can be productive anytime, anywhere.
- Decreased recovery times: Despite best efforts, breaches still occur. And when they happen, what sets a business apart is its ability to respond and recover ASAP. Custom-built security solutions can help companies pinpoint key recovery point and recovery time objectives (RPOs and RTOs) and implement policies and procedures that help meet these goals. And using the data gained from attack and recovery processes, businesses can create continuously evolving response frameworks that help limit the scope and impact of security threats.
- Expanded threat intelligence: Comprehensive cybersecurity also makes it possible for businesses to proactively analyze potential threats. Armed with the knowledge of previous attacks and equipped with tools capable of scanning for network weak points and critical vulnerabilities, businesses can identify areas of concern across their networks and implement processes designed to frustrate attacker efforts.
- Increased agility: Speed is the key to success in proactive cybersecurity. The longer attackers persist on business networks and the more time it takes security teams to respond, the greater the risk to key data, business continuity and corporate reputation. End-to-end cybersecurity solutions make it possible for teams to both proactively prevent specific threats such as network eavesdropping or credential stuffing, and respond quickly when threats occur. The result? More speed for better security.
Capturing Cybersecurity Benefits With MXOtech
Want to capture the benefits of cybersecurity but not sure where to start? MXOtech can help. Our 360-degree approach to cybersecurity can help your business unlock the advantages of employee training, network security, device management, perimeter security and system security policies at scale to help you stay ahead of cybersecurity issues.
Ready to get started? Schedule a meeting today. Our in-depth consulting and evaluation approach ensures that we understand your biggest challenges, in turn letting our teams create custom-built security frameworks that don’t just react to potential risk but set the stage for proactive defense.
It’s time to level up your security approach. Let’s talk.