2016 looks set to be another year blighted by security breaches, with some high-profile victims of cyber-crime and millions of customer records lost across the world.
Although it is the big breaches that make the headlines, 60% of all data breaches are experienced by smaller organisations. When it comes to data theft, being a smaller target is not a deterrent. The inherent value of data is not directly linked to the size of the organisation.
As we become increasingly connected, security becomes more of a challenge. Mobility, compliance obligations and the ever-changing threat landscape add to the complexity of cyber security. As new threats emerge, new patches or point solutions are implemented to plug the gap in the defences.
The problem with this approach to network security is that it results in a fragmented, inefficient infrastructure. This in turn leads to increases in complexity, costs and management overhead. The resulting “security sprawl” has knock-on effects on the user experience and slows the pace of future innovation.
Effectively, we have the enterprise network equivalent of not seeing the wood for the trees. Adopting a short-sighted approach to fixing the problems at hand is not sustainable in the long term. Organisations need to step back and review what needs protecting and the best way to go about it.
The problem is, where do you start? The modern business network is a multi-faceted, borderless thing; comprising network components, corporate and user-owned devices, back-up and storage facilities etc. Hardware aside, you also have a range of users with potential access to your systems – employees, customers, suppliers – all of which need to be identified, profiled and authenticated.
Last, but by no means least, is the data that travels across the network and is accessed by your users. According to the 2015 Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report, a committed hacker can compromise most organisations’ data in a matter of minutes; so data security is paramount.
The high-profile breaches of the past five years have shown that the impact of data loss is not simply an IT issue. It has wide-ranging implications for the business; including loss of intellectual property, breach of compliance obligations, financial penalties and significant damage to your brand and reputation.
Given what is at stake, security needs to be taken seriously. If you are in any way unsure about your network security, why not contact us on 0333 800 8811 or email contact@classnetworks.com
Want to know more? Download one of our data sheets: Securing Against Ransomware, Secure Your WiFi, Securing Your Mobile Workforce, Protect Against Ransomware
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