Multi Layer Protection - Just building a wall isn't the answer for your cyber security

Just building a wall isn’t the answer for your cyber security

Today it seems that everyone is talking about building a wall.  Whether it’s about protecting our borders, protecting our business or protecting our family, we all want that wall of protection if we can get it. Why? A wall makes us feel protected and safe.  But when it comes to your business, building a cyber security firewall is only one part of the solution.  Real cyber security is built around a multi-layered protection plan to thwart attacks from a variety of sources.

Cyber criminals today are constantly evolving and creating new ways to get what they want. From January to October of this year, cyber security leader SonicWall reported that they had identified over 52,000 never-before-seen attack variants. That was in addition to the 328,000 attack variants (1,095/day) that were detected by their devices.  And using industry standard security measures like encrypted HTTPS connections, isn’t the answer either.  New attacks have been designed to collect data after decryption, so even sending encrypted internet data, your information can be stolen.

So, how do you protect your business?  It starts with intrusion protection from a robust firewall with added security software.  Next you need to have a robust email security package to eliminate the threat of phishing attacks and malicious embedded email links.  But no one solution is perfect, so no matter how strong the first two layers are, there is always the possibility that something slips through.  That is where the third layer comes in.  Advanced End Point protection detects viruses, malware, cryptomining, ransomware, banking trojans or key loggers that have managed to slip through the defenses undetected.

The next layer comes from your employees and your IT Service Provider.  Employee training on how to recognize phishing and cyber security threats is a critical step in eliminating risk from your business. And having the right IT Service Provider that not only understands the threats, but is willing to talk straight and recommend guidance for your business is imperative. Your IT Service Provider needs to be your partner and needs to be proactive in keeping you informed and educated on today’s cyber threat landscape.

If your IT Provider isn’t proactively talking to you about your cyber security needs, then maybe it’s time to look for a new IT provider.