Five Essential Security Measures
With the increasing frequency and sophistication of cyber attacks, it is crucial for SMEs to adopt robust cyber security practices to safeguard their business and data. This blog focuses on essential cyber security best practices tailored for SMEs, highlighting key resources and actionable steps to protect your business.
Cyber Security Best Practices for SMEs
Implementing effective cyber security measures doesn’t require a massive budget or extensive expertise.
Employee Training and Awareness
Educate your staff about common cyber threats such as phishing, malware, and social engineering. Regular training sessions can help employees recognise and avoid potential security risks.
Strong Password Policies
Encourage the use of strong, unique passwords for all accounts. Implement multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible to add an extra layer of security.
Regular Software Updates: Keep all software, including operating systems and applications, up to date with the latest security patches. Regular updates help protect against known vulnerabilities.
Data Encryption
Encrypt sensitive data both in transit and at rest. This ensures that even if data is intercepted or accessed without authorisation, it remains unreadable.
Backup and Recovery Plans
Regularly back up your data and ensure that backups are stored securely. Test your recovery plan to ensure that you can quickly restore operations in the event of a cyber incident.
Gain Cyber Essentials
Achieving Cyber Essentials certification demonstrates your commitment to cyber security and provides a solid foundation for your security practices.
Understanding Cyber Essentials
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification scheme led by IASME, designed to help organisations of all sizes protect against common online threats.
The scheme covers five key areas:
- Firewalls and Internet Gateways: Implementing firewalls to secure your internet connection.
- Secure Configuration: Ensuring that systems are configured securely to reduce vulnerabilities.
- Access Control: Managing user access to data and services to minimise risk.
- Malware Protection: Installing and maintaining anti-malware solutions.
- Patch Management: Keeping software up to date with the latest security patches.
By adhering to these principles, SMEs can significantly reduce their risk of cyber attacks and improve their overall security posture.
CyberLab at Future Insight Technology 2023
Cyber Security 101: The Essentials
Actionable Steps for SMEs
Here are additional steps small businesses can take to protect themselves from cyber threats.
Conduct Regular Security Audits
Periodically review your organisation’s security posture, taking a holistic approach that assesses to identify and address any vulnerabilities or gaps. There are several, open-source industry standards and security frameworks available online that organisations, including SMEs, can align to such as NIST, CIS Critical Security Controls SME Companion, and NCSC. CIS even offers a free Controls Self-Assessment Tool (CIS CSAT) to help you get started.
Vulnerability Management
Regularly identify, assess, and mitigate vulnerabilities in your systems. Using Cyber Security as a Service (CSaaS) solutions, such as CyberLab Control, can help you stay on top of vulnerabilities without the need for a dedicated in-house team
Develop an Incident Response Plan
Prepare for potential security incidents by creating a response plan. Outline procedures for detecting, responding to, and recovering from cyber-attacks. Sophos offers a free incident response planning guide which can be downloaded here.
Utilise Cloud Security Solutions
Many cloud service providers offer robust security features that can help SMEs protect their data and applications.
Outsource to Experts
If maintaining an in-house cyber security team is not feasible, consider outsourcing to a dedicated team of experts. Services such as those offered by Sophos provide ongoing support and incident response capabilities, alleviating some of the cost and resource burdens.
Communication Protocols
Establish clear protocols for communicating internally and externally during a security incident. This ensures that information is disseminated quickly and accurately, minimising confusion and mitigating damage.
Reduce Human Error in Your Cyber Security
Despite 90% of cyber breaches being down to human error¹, fewer than 10% of UK businesses provide their non-cyber staff with security awareness training.²
The interactive training courses within CyberLab Control empower your workforce to work safely and efficiently by improving their security awareness.
