Cyber Security On A Budget

Robust cyber security can be costly, especially for larger organizations or those that store or transmit sensitive information. But some strategies are fairly simple to employ that won’t necessarily break the bank. We are by no means suggesting that your organization should invest in sub-par security for your operation. In fact, cyber security should be approximately 5-20% of the total IT budget and include software purchases, monitoring applications, and expert IT staff as well as a rigorous training program for employees. There are components of a cyber security plan that can be budget-friendly and allow for some savings within the overall IT budget. Let’s explore some of those components that may be able to save your business’ wallet some heartache.

Maximize What You Already Have

Strengthening your business security does not always mean buying the latest and the greatest new tools to counteract the threat. In fact, your business may already have some of the basic tools that are needed to protect your technology and data. According to Global Knowledge, “Most security can be summed up with only a few key components including a firewall, intrusion detection systems (IDS), anti-malware, authentication, authorization and regular auditing.” As long as you have these main components your business can maximize the key components to ensure there is sufficient protection.

Continue Training

Employee training should be ongoing throughout an individual’s career including initial training of best practices instituted by your business all the way through to more complex training for veteran employees. One and done is no way to handle employee training in identifying phishing scams, hacking signs, avoiding leaks, and ensuring safe web browsing. Have regular training for new employees but also refresher courses for employees to be reminded of the threats that exist and new threats to keep an eye out for. Employee training should include best practices for creating and storing passwords, how to spot an email phishing scam, and what signs may indicate an intrusion into your business system.

Review Business Priorities

Every business goes through cycles. What was a priority when you were a fledgling company is no longer a top priority now that you have several years under your belt. Be sure to account for these changes in your IT security practices. As you gain clients or evolve with the size and types of staff, you may need to review your business priorities in terms of cyber security. Shifting your budget around to account for these changes is a budget-friendly way to make your security go a long way.

Shore Up the Basics

In addition to reviewing your business needs, continuing employee training, and maximizing your security resources, you should ensure that all team members use best practices, including Multifactor authentication. This one extra step to ensure that someone trying to access your system is who they say they are can do quite a bit to shore up your security. Do you need hints and tips on how to provide cyber security in a budget-friendly manner? Talk to our team at Spectra Networks.