Whether you’re a small or large business, you can benefit from the advantages and risks associated with network security services. Because many organizations share infrastructure, there is a chance that third parties and employees may have access to your network. As a result, in addition to employees, customers, and competitors, you risk damage from cyber attacks. However, the benefits of network security services outweigh the risks.

Identifying risk

Identifying the risks associated with network security services starts with identifying your assets. Your assets may include data, servers, databases, key employees, sensitive documents, trade secrets, Intellectual Property, and other critical information. You can then prioritize these assets based on their importance. Your network security services should also be designed to protect against any threats your assets might face, including malicious ones. 

Vulnerability assessment evaluates the risk that you will exploit a given vulnerability. For example, a successful ransomware attack can cause significant damage, including productivity losses, data recovery expenses, and disclosure of trade secrets. Additionally, threats may expose the organization to legal fees and compliance penalties. A threat model helps identify the potential dangers and vulnerabilities that may impact an organization. Once the company has established its specific risks, it can determine which types of security services will help keep them safe.

Managing benefits

The benefits of managed security options can be significant for your organization. MSSPs offer a range of security services and resources that smaller organizations may not be able to afford on their own. For example, endpoint management software allows administrators to manage devices registered to their company. Identity and access management helps prevent unauthorized users from gaining access to the network, while compliance management helps test the security of networks against industry-specific standards. In addition, MSSPs can provide a full range of security solutions, including firewalls, antivirus, and content filtering.

Managed network security services are a valuable investment for any company. They provide trained security staff and can handle any dynamic volume of business. These services can save you time and money by reducing the risk of network downtime. By reducing downtime, your employees can focus on their daily tasks. Secure systems also increase client confidence and trust, which leads to increased sales. However, network security is more than just about security.

Managing downtime

A decade ago, the notion of downtime was regarded as a mere inconvenience – a time to blame “the Internet” and distract employees from the pain of waiting for the network to come back online. Today, however, the frustration of losing mission-critical processes has evolved into a real problem. Luckily, there are some steps you can take to mitigate downtime and make it as unobtrusive as possible.

First, determine what caused your downtime. Is it a simple blown fuse or something more widespread? Once you have chosen the cause of the outage, you can strengthen your system against future outages. For instance, enterprise-level network infrastructure helps protect you from internal and external threats. Therefore, to avoid frequent network downtimes, invest in enterprise-level network infrastructure. You can also implement a disaster recovery plan to ensure that your downtimes are minimal.

Limiting damage from cyber threats

Organizations must first develop and maintain response capabilities to limit damage from cyber threats. These capabilities can be increased by improving training, planning, and technical capabilities. For example, a skilled attacker can spend months inside an organization’s systems before it is discovered. During this time, the attacker can escalate privileges and spread them throughout the system, gaining access to sensitive data and other information. As a result, the best way to limit damage from cyber threats is to detect attacks early and respond quickly.

Cybercrime is increasingly organized. While the likelihood of detection and prosecution is only 0.05 percent in the U.S., the costs of cyberattacks can be huge. The most common form of cybercrime is ransomware, which threatens to encrypt data and hold it hostage until a ransom is paid. Despite its widespread impact, the amount of money stolen from ransomware attacks is only a tiny fraction of the total loss from cybercrime.