Cyber security: How can I reduce my cyber risk?

15, Sep, 2021

Small and mid-sized companies are major targets for cybercriminals. Effective risk management can go a long way to prevent a cyber-attack against your business and can also help to minimize harm if a breach does occur. The first step is to understand the exposures your business faces and then build a plan based on your vulnerabilities and data protection priorities. Cyber risk management is a continuous process that at no point can be considered complete. Regularly reevaluate your security measures and seek professional help whenever needed.

5 Tips to Reduce your Cyber and Privacy risk

1. Identify Business Critical Data & Networks

Identify your most valuable intellectual property, sensitive data, and informational assets. Identify where they are stored or located and how they are being protected. Where there are vulnerabilities, prioritize IT resources to ensure that your most valuable assets receive the highest level of protection.

2. Create an Incident Response Plan

This plan should encompass the external parties you would want to engage if your systems or data were compromised.  Your data breach plan should be linked with any business continuity plans your organization might have. It is important to train individuals based on their role in the plan. Most critically, the plan must periodically be tested to ensure it continues to be comprehensive and effective.

3. Train Your Employees

Create security policies relating to the use of the organization's systems, including access from home and mobile devices. Train and then test your employees on these policies, as well as on sources of malware and electronic scams. This is your best defense against having employees cause unintended harm.  Regularly review policies with your employees and retrain as necessary.

4. Put Your Network Security to the Test

Let an independent third-party test the robustness of your network security. Hire a cybersecurity expert to test your systems and implement additional measures where weaknesses may exist.

5. Avoid Conflicts of Interests

Make sure that the individual responsible for maintaining network security is not the same person who reports breaches to the board or management. Conflict of interest in this scenario can often lead to weak security measures and unidentified vulnerabilities.

The Technologists Office Protection Program

Designed specifically for Technologists, closely with ASET, the Technologists Office Protection Program (TOPP) provides comprehensive coverage in the event of damage plus a number of value-added coverages including:

• Cyber risk
• Damage to computers and electronic media
• Loss or damage to valuable documents
• Crime coverage including fraud
• Employee theft
• Umbrella coverage bodily injury, property damage, personal and advertising injury

Whether your firm rents office space or owns its own building, it's vital to have protection against possible damage to business property, as well as many other risks.

With the Office protection program, you and your business have 360° coverage. To see how the Technologists Office Protection Program can give you and your business comprehensive coverage that is designed to fit your needs, CLICK HERE.