Enterprise IT Security: The Key to Keeping You Safe

by | Jun 24, 2022

Digital threats have been a growing concern for many businesses, especially as more industries embrace remote work. The number of ransomware attacks increased by 92.7% in 2021 compared to the previous year. What started as an uncommon malware for blackmailing smaller dollar amounts, has become one of many disruptive threats. With projected ransomware damages reaching $20 billion, it’s no longer a problem that can be ignored.

Phishing attacks have also continued to see an uptick, making human judgment another vulnerability to businesses. In 2020, 65% of U.S. organizations had at least one successful phishing attack against them. That is 10% higher than the global average. With 96% of phishing attacks coming from emails, even a routine link from a seemingly authentic email may not be safe. Attacks can come in many forms, targeting organizations if unexpected ways. Solutions like enterprise IT security are one the keys to keeping you safe from them.

What Is Enterprise IT Security?

Enterprise IT security is a multi-layered approach to cybersecurity to help protect organizations from threats from many different sources. It includes proactive measures, threat detection, attack response strategies, and staff training. Due to the operational scale of an enterprise, there’s an emphasis on data protection, network security, and web server functions. The human element is always a factor too, making good cybersecurity habits beneficial for all businesses.

Why Is Cybersecurity Important?

Nearly one in five CEOs said cybersecurity risks are their greatest threat to growth. That number almost doubled from when the same group was asked just six months prior. With growth being essential to any enterprise, that upward trend is especially concerning. Threats continue to increase and change their strategies, making a proactive approach to IT security more critical than ever.

Cybersecurity is also vital to maintaining IT compliance for your industry. Doing so helps safeguard your company and customers, while also helping prevent fines if an incident happens. Data breaches can be especially harmful to a business’s brand and reputation. Even if significant security improvements are made, public perception doesn’t change overnight, and some clients and customers may have already moved on elsewhere. When possible, it’s always best to prevent an incident before it happens rather than act after the damage is already done.

Is Enterprise IT Security Worth the Cost?

There are two sides to this question. Most will agree that the answer is always yes, regardless of industry or business size. Some security is always better than having none whatsoever. However, not all cybersecurity is the same. Every enterprise has different IT needs, business functions, and security risks. Resource utilization is a crucial component of making it worth the expense. Since profitability is needed to operate, an IT risk assessment can discover the biggest threats, give cost estimates, and help businesses get the best use out of its budget.

How Can Enterprise IT Security Help Protect a Business?

With threats coming from so many different sources, enterprise IT security can help protect a business in various ways. Cybersecurity isn’t just a one-size-fits-all approach. It includes multiple layers based on a company’s needs, reducing its overall risks. The best security strategies cater to a business’s highest risk areas, ensuring protection is prioritized in the most effective way. That can be further enhanced by security automation and data encryption.

When it comes to ransomware, attackers will encrypt valuable data and prevent access to it unless they’re paid a ransom. 80% of victims are attacked a second time if they give the ransom fee. Doing so proves they’re willing to pay, making them a more attractive repeat target. With support from an IT specialist, databases can be frequently backed up and isolated. The backup can restore everything to normal, even if the main database gets attacked, locked, or damaged. By having a data backup, not only can ransoming be avoided, but it also reduces the chance of a second attack since hackers will prioritize organizations that are willing to pay.

There are several types of phishing schemes, all of which share a similar tactic: targeting the user directly. No matter what IT security measures are in place, users can bypass them by simply giving data like login credentials, bank records, or payment information. While email applications can naturally filter out high-risk messages, some phishing emails can still get through. Due to this, enterprise IT security often includes phishing training for staff. That provides them hands-on experience with fake emails, and gives insight into what to watch for and how to avoid becoming a victim.

Closing

When it comes to enterprise IT security, it’s a matter of when, not if, someone tests your business’s cybersecurity. While many owners may be hesitant to purchase protection for something that hasn’t happened yet, the cost of a disaster is far too great to wait for it to happen. Network downtime alone can cost an average of $5,600 per minute. Data breaches can be much more damaging, costing $210 per stolen record or twice that for healthcare. That number doesn’t include other fees, like incident investigation, customer notification, crisis control, legal expenses, and security overhauls.

With IT security being key to keeping companies safe, picking the right service provider isn’t always easy. ITonDemand provides fully comprehensive IT services that cover a broad range of business needs. Not only does that cover enterprise IT security, but it also includes managed IT services, assessments, consultations, and more across many industries. Whatever provider choice you make, cybersecurity is well worth the time and cost to implement. Not being prepared is the most expensive risk an enterprise can take.

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