It’s all a matter of balance. With the right managed service provider,  productivity does not need to fall victim to cyber security measures.  You can strengthen your cyber security without killing productivity. 

Your staff needs to accomplish the day-to-day tasks of your business easily, without having to fight an uphill battle to gain access to the files and systems they need.  Your system’s procedures should be running like a well-oiled machine. But maybe they’re not. Perhaps, your IT is almost rusted beyond repair and cyber security measures are at an all-time low, opening not just the back door to your data and networks but the front door as well.

Your IT Team Probably Is Not the Problem

New and improved security measures often trigger unsuccessful results such as:

• The new cyber security measures are supposed to be foolproof but when launch times come, it’s evident they are not. 
• It’s a new system and your employees still have access to the old system. 
• The new cyber security measures restrict “all data access” to only some of  those who need and protect it. 
• On launch day nothing runs smoothly, the right people don’t have access to the  things they need.
• A library that no one knew was linked to every business function is no longer connected, and now nothing works.
• After all the money and time you have spent on the new system, frustration sets in trying to fix the problem and eventually, a decision is made to set everything back to the way it was before so that business can resume.

Businesses tend to grow in spurts with technology systems implemented by multiple people and teams over the years so this lack of coherence happens more often than it should.

 Without solid infrastructure management, an IT staff might have little or no knowledge of what system is connected to another. A system outage or alert makes everyone realize there’s more to know and learn.  The repairing or the outage isn’t brief or frictionless for your IT team. Often it’s a nightmare and productivity is severely diminished.

But, it doesn’t have to be, not if  you partner with the right managed service provider. With an MSP that provides the right preparation, strategy and infrastructure planning, 95 percent of cyber security measures can roll out without any disruption in your day-to-day work. It takes a team with the right knowledge, experience and time dedicated to the infrastructure of your network.

Cyber Security Is Critical to Your Business

By now, you undoubtedly know that your business does not have to be big or well-known, or even make a profit, to be targeted by cyber criminals. They love all businesses, no matter how large or small or even whether the business is providing life-saving equipment or making paper clips. These nefarious actors simply do not care. They just want your money. And they don’t even need to know how to hack or breach a system. They often just buy a computer program from the dark web and run it. Without cyber security to protect your business, any cyber criminal can target and exploit your company’s vulnerabilities. Criminals don’t even need to know your business name to put you out of business.

Some companies do buy cyber insurance and think they don’t need to do anything else. After a breach, they find out differently. Some cyber insurance policies might not pay out. Insurers might try to deny a claim if they believe a company did not take steps to protect itself. And not all cyber insurance covers the same things. Keep in mind that no type of insurance will prevent an attack. If you do buy cyber insurance, make sure you read the policy carefully.

Find the Balance by Knowing Your Risk Tolerance

There is such a thing as too much cyber security. Like an entrance door to your home, you can have a standard lock or be more secure with a deadbolt or think you’d be even more secure by adding 10 deadbolts. That is too much security. There’s a line between enough and too much that will vary depending on your business. We refer to this as risk tolerance. 

A business’s risk tolerance is determined by a few factors including:

• The nature of the business or industry.
• The regulatory factors. What fines or penalties could you face?
• How much online business you have, including what is created, stored or paid for online.

The right IT partner assesses your risk tolerance and completes a thorough mapping of your IT infrastructure before implementing additional cyber security measures. They will inform you of or review the controls and industry-standard frameworks that should be applied. These vary by the tool or application. The two most commonly used protocols are Center for Internet Security (CIS) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). 

Balancing Your Cyber Security Measures

Cyber security doesn’t need to get in the way of business. Let us show you how simple and effective it can be with the right partner. Contact us or book a meeting, virtual or in person to discuss your needs and goals.