How Secure is Your Network?

If the last five years have taught us anything, it’s that cybersecurity should always be a primary concern for every business. In 2017, ransomware damages cost businesses over $5 billion in losses, which was 15 times more than in 2015. That number is expected to rise to a staggering $20 billion by 2021, according to Cybercrime Magazine.

But as apparent an issue that cybersecurity is, it’s surprising to find that not all businesses have taken the proper precautions to keep themselves protected. Here are some common mistakes businesses make when securing their network, and how you can ensure your business hardens its security posture.

Having an unbalanced security model

Most companies struggle when balancing the need to keep their systems secure while also remaining agile and scalable. This leads many organizations into adopting a “Castle-and-Moat” security model, where extra precautions are taken to police and monitor outside network traffic while minimizing administrative restrictions placed on internal system traffic. While this approach may be more convenient for employees, it also creates complacency when enforcing universal security policies, protecting against insider threats, and ensuring end-to-end network protection. Maintaining “default-allow” security policies can many times lead to advanced persistent threats (APTs), hidden data breaches that can go months without detection, causing significant damages and regulatory compliance issues.

Comodo Cybersecurity’s managed detection and response services are designed to help organizations switch to zero trust administrative policies while handling insider and outsider threats quickly and efficiently. Establishing a zero trust administration policy is often the safest, most consistent way of maintaining a secure business network. While restricting certain areas of your system and enforcing better security validation practices may seem inconvenient, they are an essential aspect of business survival in today’s digital landscape.

Not regularly auditing and hardening business security

While many companies have taken efforts to improve their security in recent years, the nature of cybersecurity is continually shifting. What proved to be a valid security measure years ago is quite likely to be irrelevant today. Companies that once relied on legacy security software and applications soon discovered they weren’t as protected as they once were, and needed to adapt quickly.

The only way to truly test your business’s cybersecurity readiness is by thinking like an attacker. Comodo Security’s advanced penetration testing is a great way to examine your organization’s network from inside and out, while quickly discovering potentially dangerous gaps in your security. Comodo’s penetration testing services stress-test your systems to find how susceptible they are to real-life hacking attacks. Not only will you get an eye-opening reveal of the gaps in your security posture, but you’ll also get detailed, actionable advice on how to fix the issues.

Having no browser security

One of the major oversights that companies make when planning their cybersecurity is not recognizing the importance of safe browsing practices. Many businesses assume that as long as employees don’t download or open suspicious files, then the risk of contracting malware or viruses is reduced. While that is true to some extent, today’s modern security breaches can take place by merely visiting compromised websites.

Most major web browsers like Firefox, Google Chrome, and Edge have security features built-in by default, but these pale in comparison to a designated security-first web browser. Security-hardened browsers like Comodo Dragon Browser have several additional protection and privacy technologies to help close this gap. They are designed to help users avoid harmful websites without any impact on their productivity or online experience.

Only managing security in house

Another common mistake made by small to medium-sized businesses is to think they can “go it alone”. That they can single-handedly tackle the spiraling complexity that comes with modern-day cybersecurity planning. In most cases, companies don’t have the time or resources to plan every aspect of their security, and this can cause inconsistencies and dangerous gaps in their protection.

Partnering with managed security professionals, in any capacity, is often the best way to ensure maximum network protection while controlling costs and maximizing productivity in other mission-critical areas of the business. Business security experts like Comodo Cybersecurity have years of dedicated experience planning and executing enterprise-level security initiatives, ensuring long-lasting endpoint protection of critical systems. By relying on experts like Comodo, you can ensure your company has the tools and services it needs to maintain a hardened security posture.

Ensuring your network stays protected in today’s dynamic business landscape requires that your security initiatives remain relevant and scalable. By understanding the common misconceptions around cybersecurity planning, you’ll be able to address gaps in your security while minimizing your attack surface and ensuring you remain compliant.