As the nature of cyber-attacks and criminal hacking becomes more sophisticated, cyber-security professionals agree that it is no longer enough for businesses to rely on perimeter defences such as firewalls to keep themselves secure. To ensure that they are best protected from cyber criminals it is necessary for businesses to invest in managed detection and response (MDR) services.
Redscan’s award-winning MDR services lead the industry in cutting edge technology – we spoke to them to get an idea of how MDR can benefit businesses across many disciplines and industries. Let’s take a look at whether MDR could be valuable for your company.
Are you a small or medium sized business?
With the number of highly sophisticated cyber-attacks on the increase, there is no doubt that it is essential for a modern business to have cyber security expertise. But this presents a conundrum for small and medium sized business as it can be a serious financial burden to invest in experienced IT staff in order to prepare for an eventuality that may never occur.
Instead of bringing in full-time cyber security experts, it is typically far more cost effective to invest your money in MDR services. When you work with a team of digital security professionals you gain not only access to their advanced software and dedicated defence systems, but also their expertise and knowledge.
Do you store sensitive data?
If your business stores any kind of sensitive data on a computer system then you need to be aware of the dangers that you face. Recent years have seen a huge increase in ransomware attacks, where your data is stolen and you are forced to pay a ransom to have the data returned, but there are also a huge range of other methods that hackers and cyber criminals can use to steal your data.
MDR services offer by far the best protection against these hacks, as they use preventative measures where your system is monitored and you are alerted to any intrusions so that they can be dealt with with as soon as possible.
Are you ready for GDPR?
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is set to come into force in May 2018. If you are not aware of the GDPR, they are a set of rules that have been implemented by the EU to provide EU citizens with additional protection for their personal data. This means that any company that stores the personal data of their customers, clients or staff will need to comply with the regulations.
For many companies this will involve overhauling their databases to ensure that data can be accessed and erased if it is requested by the individual. Additionally, however, the GDPR has additional rules that apply to stolen data. Specifically, a business is required to inform any individual whose data has been stolen within 72 hours of them being made aware of the breach. Failing to comply with GDPR can see fines imposed of up to €20 million or 4 per cent of global turnover (whichever is greater), so it is vital that companies adequately prepare themselves for GDPR.
Working with a team experience in MDR can help you to prepare your system for GDPR and avoid any of the associated penalties.
Is your business an easy target?
Did you know that more than 50 per cent of British businesses suffered some form of cyber-attack across 2016? This clearly shows that the number of cyber-criminals is higher than ever. And it is natural that those criminals will be looking for the easiest targets. Businesses with strong cyber-defences will be left alone as the criminals prefer to use their time on those companies without powerful security systems. If your computer system is not well-protected, you are leaving yourself open to attacks.
Working with an experienced MDR services provider will ensure that your computer system presents the kind of challenge that hackers and cyber-criminals will want to avoid.
Are you growing your business?
One of the challenges for growing businesses is ensuring that your infrastructure can move at the same rate as the development of the company. As organisations become larger, their cyber-security needs become more complicated and challenging to manage. For example if you have one IT specialist overseeing the business, they can become overwhelmed if the business grows at a fast pace.
It can be far better to work with a team of cyber-security professionals who have experience dealing with everyone from small business to multi-national operations. They will be able to provide you with the infrastructure to grow at any pace while ensuring your cyber-security keeps pace.