EDITOR’S QUESTION
able to detect and take immediate action
if an employee tries to connect an infected
device to your network.
Backup and business continuity
Despite all these precautions, security is still
not fool proof. If any of these defences are
compromised, and you don’t have a proper
backup system in place, you will not be
able to restore your business in a timeous
manner, and risk suffering from further
damage to your brand and reputation.
The email threat
The latest threats don’t target networks, but
rather emails, which almost every company
employee has access to. With improvements
in security technology, humans have been left
behind as the most vulnerable of gatekeepers.
Your business could even end up being held
liable if it was found that it did not have
the proper systems and procedures in place
to store, manage and safeguard customer
information and other personal data.
Skills, education and awareness
As long as a business has confidential
customer records or financial information
stored on their network, they are a
cybercrime target. Hackers know how
to exploit any and all weaknesses, and
organisations need to take a 360-degree
approach to security if they are to sufficiently
protect themselves and their data.
Here are four best practices when it comes to
data security:
26
INTELLIGENTCIO
With a growing number of employees
preferring to work from home or remotely, or
by using their own devices (laptops, tablets,
smartphones and other smart devices),
companies need to have a firm grasp of the
endpoints that are accessing their network
and data. They need to carefully control
user management, ensure these devices are
secured, as well as have an understanding of
which users have permission to access and
modify what data. Your security should be
Lastly, however, it is important for companies
to remember that while they can spend
millions on network and data security
products and solutions, a human employee
that does not understand the security posture
or culture of an organisation remains the
biggest risk, as all it takes is a click on the
wrong link. They need to be continually
educated and brought into the fold to be part
of your security defence measures.
www.intelligentcio.com