Cybersecurity Myths
Regardless of an organisation’s size, industry, or level of maturity, people frequently make assumptions about cyber security and undervalue its importance. We discuss some of the most common cybersecurity myths in this post and the actual scenario.
Cybersecurity Myths 1: Hackers do not care about our info
Reality: Data can be stolen from anyone and sold by hackers for personal benefit.
You might think that you don’t have any information that would be valuable to a hacker, but there are many ways they might utilise your data for their gain—often with financial gain as the driving force.
By selling it on the dark web, cybercriminals might profit off the data of your staff or even customers, exposing the personal information of the individuals and bringing your company into contempt.
Additionally, it can be used to impersonate someone else to persuade coworkers, clients, or suppliers to transfer money to a false account. An astounding 83% of cyberattacks against UK SMEs involve phishing tactics.
They might not even be looking for your data; instead, they could infect your network with malware intended to disrupt, harm, or obtain unauthorised access to your computer systems, such as ransomware that locks you out of your systems until you pay a ransom.
Cybersecurity Myths #2: The price is too high
Reality: The long-term cost of maintaining cyber security is much more affordable than leaving your company prone to cybercrime.
The cost of repairing a cyber security breach is far higher than the cost of prevention.
Since there is initially no clear return on investment, cyber security can appear to be a pointless endeavour. However, the potential benefit of making little financial savings is considerably outweighed by the implications of leaving your company vulnerable to assault.
For a UK business, the average cost of a cyberattack is £4,200, which only includes the first damage. A cyberattack can seriously harm your reputation since you might lose the trust of your clients, leads, suppliers, and business partners, which could lead to a loss of revenue.
Many companies outsource their IT security to a managed service provider so they can rest easy knowing they are keeping up with emerging threats and safeguarding their company.
Cybersecurity Myths #3: We’re not big enough for it to affect us.
Reality: Cybercriminals frequently target small businesses.
One of the common Cybersecurity Myths is that You might believe your company isn’t significant enough to target. On the news, you typically only hear about major incidents where hackers have extracted vast quantities of money from businesses. Still, one of the most dangerous cybersecurity myths is believing that small companies are free from cybercrime.
Cybercriminals don’t discriminate, as evidenced by the fact that more than half of small-to-medium-sized organisations suffered a cyberattack the year before a recent NCSC poll.
Because SMEs are more prone to pay ransoms and do not employ the same sophisticated security measures as large enterprises, they are an easier target for cybercriminals. Additionally, less law enforcement attention will be paid to them.
Any weaknesses that can be exploited – such as a lack of formal password policies, not installing updates and not using security software – make a business more likely to be targeted.
The stakes are higher for SMEs, too, as a significant cyberattack could potentially result in the closure of a small business.
Cybersecurity Myths #4: Our antivirus will shield us
Reality: Your staff members have a more significant impact than your tools.
While having antivirus software is certainly not a terrible idea and is advised as part of a sound cyber strategy, it is not the end-all and be-all. It is simply insufficient to combat the sophisticated threats that are seen today. It is constantly one step behind zero-day threats, which are attack vectors that have never been observed before and are increasing in number.
Your antivirus might quickly become useless if you don’t have a coordinated security toolbox and a workforce aware of online threats. Cybercrime can affect you in various ways, such as when an employee clicks on a malicious link or is duped into paying money or disclosing critical information by social engineering.
To build the most effective defence possible, your cyber security strategy should include people, procedures, and technology. Your toolbox should include your endpoints, firewall, network connections, email and more. You should also spend money on backup and disaster recovery solutions to lessen the impact of any potential incidents.
Cybersecurity Myths #5: Cybersecurity is the responsibility of the IT department.
Reality: Every employee has a responsibility to keep their company secure online.
Cybersecurity is frequently seen as the primary responsibility of the IT department. While they should undoubtedly be setting the example, all employees must exercise caution and ensure they are not taking any actions that could endanger the company. Additionally, it is unreasonable to expect an IT department to provide monitoring and defence services since they have different interests and objectives than a cyber security team.
Your regular employees are your first line of defence and the broadest possible attack vector. Those with less security awareness are significantly more likely to be the target of cybercriminals than IT experts, who can spot a phishing attempt.
Employees who don’t practice reasonable cyber hygiene risk downloading harmful software or falling for phishing scams, which could jeopardise your company. This is even more obvious in the current hybrid working period, as people are less watchful and divorced from workplace standards.
Your personnel must recognise cyber security hazards to recognise threats and respond appropriately.
Don’t be fooled by these cybersecurity myths; safeguard your company now.
It’s time to level up if you’re putting your cyber security in the hands of chance, stay away from these cybersecurity myths and learn to look at what your business needs.
You may feel secure knowing that the newest technology is securing you under the expert management of a team if you outsource your Cyber Security services to an award-winning Managed IT Infrastructure Security Service Provider like Server Consultancy.
Ask our knowledgeable staff for a free cyber risk assessment to determine whether you are susceptible to the most recent online attacks.