Modern businesses rely on various technologies to keep their companies up and running. Today, most of them need an internet connection and multiple apps and software to help their staff get things done.

At first glance, all the different technologies you use may seem unrelated to one another — after all, the software your accounting department uses is different from what your research and development team has and so on. But all the technology in your company serves the same purpose: to help you achieve your goals. Technology integration is the process of aligning business and technology must be aligned so that business strategies can be successfully implemented. It means that systems and devices are able to work harmoniously with one another and share data back and forth.

Let’s talk about the benefits of technology integration to your business.

No matter the current state of your security programme, there are ways in which you can build stronger defences to thwart these attempts or mitigate the potential damage.

Better productivity and efficiency

Integrated technologies allow you to organize and share your business data across departments, drastically saving the time and energy needed to look up and verify the information. Syncing your systems and sharing the same database means there’s no more need to (re-)enter data manually every time, minimizing the window for error.

Imagine how seamless everything will be when everyone has access to critical information like product prices. By allowing inter-department access to real-time information regarding rates, vendor managers, stock keepers, and accounting will be on the same page: they will know the current number of items in stock and whether there have been any price changes. In case a customer asks for a product price, the staff assigned to be the point of contact (customer service, salesperson) can immediately look up the necessary information without calling another department. Not only is this process more efficient, but it’s also more customer-oriented.

Being on the same page makes it easier to achieve goals.

More effective communications

When devices are integrated, they share the same information and can “talk to each other” while working or analyzing information. Much in the same manner, people using these devices can also “talk to each other” in much quicker ways. They can collaborate on documents and spreadsheets virtually without having to meet face to face. What’s more, because team members can work together in real-time, they can make quick and informed decisions which reduce turnaround time and ensure that projects are finished promptly.

Technology integration also empowers staff who work remotely. For example, someone working out of the office can send client notes to the business email as soon as the client meeting is over, again saving time.

Potential for growth

When small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) integrate their technology, they should see positive results such as improved communications, streamlined workflows, and higher customer satisfaction. Together, these changes can propel enterprises to grow in unprecedented ways.

But it doesn’t stop there. Integrated technology gives leaders better insights into their data by conveniently keeping relevant and related information in one place, so one can see patterns and discrepancies in data easily. They can also pinpoint the business’s bottlenecks and find opportunities for growth. Marketing teams who have access to sales figures and customer records, for instance, may be able to identify certain demographics or trends they can capitalize on.

Cybercrime is increasingly lucrative, surpassing other forms of crime.

Unfortunately, the barrier to entry to this field is low, with ransomware now even available as a subscription service. And the odds of getting caught are low too, meaning the risk of serious consequences is not an effective deterrent. As businesses expand their digital dependence, critical services and overall aspects of our daily lives are enabled and managed by increasingly vulnerable systems.

The attack surface and impacts of cybersecurity events continue to grow at a staggering pace.

The threat landscape leads to an important question that applies to everyone at every level of an organisation. How do you help shield your organisation from cybersecurity threats?

The threats faced by organisations may include attacks from skilled and advanced attackers, but the broad swath of attempts from commodity malware, ransomware, viruses, opportunistic hacking, social engineering, and the numerous other commonplace threat types continue to be a nemesis for many organisations.

No matter the current state of your security programme, there are ways in which you can build stronger defences to thwart these attempts or mitigate the potential damage.

It’s impossible to build an adequate defence when you don’t know where you currently stand. Periodic cybersecurity assessments are a central element in any good security programme because it highlights the strengths you can amplify and the weaknesses you can improve.

Starting with an assessment gives you a clear idea of the steps you need to take to secure your environment so you can prioritise the resources and avoid losing time and money on wasted efforts. Once you’ve got your arms around a traditional gap analysis, take your cybersecurity assessment to the next level by applying a risk management approach. Set the right priorities and appropriately analyse those items that you may consider deferring.

Cras facilisis, odio at tincidunt accumsan, ex nibh commodo est, non posuere mauris elit a orci.There are many variations of passages of Lorem Ipsum available, but the majority have suffered alteration in some form, by injected humour.

2. Staff training

You are only as strong as your least informed employee. Attackers are savvy about finding a point of entry into your systems and network.

This could be an unsuspecting employee with weak passwords or who falls for a phishing or social engineering attempt. Make sure your team knows how cybercriminals can trick them, how to identify a suspicious email or phone call, especially those that seem to be legitimately from friends or another department. Advise them on how to protect the organisation from these attempts.

Consider having strong policies aligned with cybersecurity best practices and make sure your team is well-versed on them. Also, develop a team atmosphere as part of your awareness training initiatives. Encourage all members to help watch out for each other and become an extension of your security team.

3. Keep software updated

Any software utilised by your company should be the latest version. Old apps are susceptible to zero-day exploits and attacks, which can steal information, penetrate networks, and cause severe damage.

While anti-virus software routinely updates on its own, other programs may not have this function. Routinely check all major software on at least a bi-weekly basis. Consider implementing vulnerability management processes that check for missing patches and exposed vulnerabilities. Then make sure you apply the needed patches and updates.

4. Round-the-clock threat monitoring

Attacks can happen at any time and from anywhere. Implement 24X7 monitoring capabilities to stay constantly vigilant and catch attacks before they can cause damage.

Security Event and Incident Monitoring (SEIM) software can alert you to suspicious user activity or data anomalies that may indicate an attack is underway. Security Operations Center services can provide additional support in the form of security analysts trained in interpreting the alerts and homing in on the ones that signal trouble. Additionally, they know how to act quickly to shut down an attack.

5. Incident response plan

For all of the protections and defensive capabilities that you implement, anticipating that they will never be 100% effective is part of a comprehensive strategy. A well-thought-out and thorough incident response plan will pave the way for a swift and effective reaction if your organisation does experience a successful attack.

A good incident response plan will spell out the right escalation path, so the most equipped team members are notified immediately if there is a problem. It will ensure that everyone understands the steps that need to be taken, who is responsible for which part of the response and even how to communicate to organisation leadership, external stakeholders and the public when necessary.

6. Least privilege access management

When assessing the tools that your team uses, make sure that you have taken the time to define access privileges either by team member, job function, level or role. In short, make sure that only administrators have access to the full functionality of a tool, system or network.

The rest of the staff should only have access to the functions, data and areas that pertain to their job. This way, if an attacker does gain access through someone’s credentials, the amount of damage they can cause will be limited to the rights defined solely for that person.

7. Physical security

As you focus on securing your digital assets, don’t overlook the importance of securing your physical environment too. In many cases, attackers gain access to login credentials, trade secrets, infrastructure schematics and other valuable and exploitable information by being onsite and gaining physical entry into buildings or data centres.

Employ security best practices like badged door entry, camera surveillance and a policy of supervising visitors. Also, prepare your staff to protect their environments when they are away from the office by being vigilant at remote workplaces while travelling or visiting the local coffee shop. Keeping calls and conversations, as well as screens, private while in these external environments are just a few tips to consider when your personnel are outside of the protected confines of the home office.

8. External cyber intelligence

While it’s invaluable to use cybersecurity assessments to constantly look for your blind spots, and it is essential that you implement capabilities to constantly monitor your systems, networks and environment for intrusions or suspicious activity, it is equally important to monitor the external networks and landscapes that could impact you.

Cyber intelligence is an important component of an effective cybersecurity programme. Through Darkweb monitoring and other cyber intelligence tactics, you can gain insight into attacks that may be in the planning phases, the criminal networks likely to target you and how they plan to do it. You can also identify credentials or information that may already be circulating in underground markets. With this knowledge, you can craft an accurate defence strategy.

9. Assess third-party vendor risk

Many significant breaches that have affected large, global brands started through a vulnerability that attackers found in small third-party vendors and suppliers. Make sure cybersecurity practices are part of the criteria in your vetting process when you’re considering working with any vendor. What do they do to protect their networks, systems and data? What is their data disposal policy? Do they adhere to the regulations that apply to them? Are they as diligent about vetting their employees as you would be? Implementing a process to review the security measures of your key vendors, updating your assessment periodically, and integrating them in the coordination of incidents and threat monitoring as much as possible will make sure they are holding up their end of the bargain and not putting your organization’s security at risk.

10. Beware of hardware theft

Lastly, if your company uses mobile devices – such as laptops, tablets or other devices through a BYOD policy – have a way to remotely protect data. In the best-case scenario, you should track devices. In the worst case, shutdown login capabilities if a device is stolen. At minimum, ensure that encryption is used to protect the information that the device may contain. While cybercrime primarily deals with digital information over the Internet, lost devices are still a real possibility. An attacker can gain access to a trove of information from just one stolen device, so prepare for the scenario accordingly.

Conclusion

Keeping your company safe from cyber threats requires diligence and effective IT cybersecurity strategies. Combining common sense with good practices like the tactics we’ve listed, can help circumvent cyber-attack attempts. Even better, these solutions are cost-effective and usually result in spending less on cybersecurity because your activities are tightly aligned to the threats.