Next week kicks off an event that every SMB should be paying attention to: National Cybersecurity Awareness Month (NCSAM). The annual event started in 2004 and is led by the Department of Homeland Safety (DHS). It’s a collaborative effort between the federal government and U.S. industries designed to help all Americans become more security aware and to provide the tools and resources needed to improve cybersecurity. As part of that effort, SMBs are encouraged to review their current cybersecurity environment and improve upon it to better protect their customers.
This year, the theme for NCSAM is Our Shared Responsibility, which is expressed in the Stop. Think. Connect. ™ campaign. Working together, DHS, The National Cyber Security Alliance, and The Anti-Phishing Working Group have put together a variety of resources for individuals and business that include tips sheets, videos, and posters you can share with your employees. The idea being to ensure that your employees are prepared to face whatever cybersecurity threats may arise throughout the year.
With cybersecurity attacks on the rise, now is a great time to take steps to ensure your SMB is better prepared to protect against threats. And because we want our customers to safe, Advanced Network Solutions will be publishing several resources this month focused on the specific security challenges SMBs face. Hackers breached more than 14 million small businesses in 2016; we want to do everything we can to help you prepare for the coming security threats.
Cybersecurity Round-Up
In preparation for October, a round-up of the Advanced Network Solutions cybersecurity blogs is in order. We’ve covered several topics over the past few months that may be useful in helping your SMB with everything from patch management to educating employees about the hazards of today’s cyberworld.
Quick Security Tips
Most SMBs find that at the end of the day, they still need a few more hours. Cybersecurity doesn’t always have to be time-consuming. These two posts outline how you can improve cybersecurity in an hour or less:
- Six Strategies to Mitigate SMN Security Risks Right Now
- 7 Security Practices to Teach your Employees in Under an Hour
- The New SMB Guide to Creating Effective Passwords
Understanding Security Threats
Cybersecurity threats evolve faster than your daily commute, so staying on top of what’s new today is tough to do. These posts outline the basics of different threats your SMB faces, and what you can do to protect against them:
- SMB Security Basics: Securing Your Mobile Business Devices
- What Every SMB Should Know About Phishing
- SMB Ransomware Attacks: Do You REALLY Need to Worry?
- SMB Security Breach: Have Your Systems Been Compromised? How Would You Know?
Security Management
From determining exactly what risks your SMB can tolerate to developing the program that keeps your business safe, eventually you must put some time into security management. These blogs provide information and tips to make security management easier:
- How SMBs Assess Tech Risks (Or Not…)
- Regulatory Compliance Isn’t an Effective IT Security Program
- How Remote Monitoring Protects Your Business
- The Importance of Patch Management for SMBs
Backup and Disaster Recovery
Did you know that downtime can cost an SMB as much as $8,600 per hour? And that unplanned downtime averages out to about 7 hours per incident? Scary, isn’t it? No business can tolerate being down for long, so these blog posts provide tips and suggestions for reducing the likelihood that downtime will affect your SMB:
- Why SMBs Should Conduct Regular Backups
- Backups and Archives: How Long Should SMBs Keep System Backups
- Disaster Recovery Tips for SMBs
- Understanding Disaster Recovery as a Service
- When is the Last Time You Tested Your Network Recovery Plan?
- Download Your Disaster Preparedness Checklist
Coming in October, we’ll cover additional SMB security topics on this blog, as well. Look for posts about:
- Understanding specific SMB security risks, such as malvertising, DDoS attacks, malware, and social engineering.
- Safeguarding your business with tools such as firewalls, anti-virus applications, and endpoint security.
- The five most important elements of a cybersecurity plan.
- Creating cybersecurity policies.
To stay updated on new posts as they come out follow @ansolutions on Twitter.