To people without strong tech backgrounds, cybersecurity can sound like a foreign concept. However, it's important for non-techies at modern organizations to appreciate what cybersecurity is and how to put it to use. You should understand the following five things about cybersecurity even if your job isn't centered on tech.
Both Internal and External Concerns
When most people imagine a cyber threat, they're quick to picture an outsider hacking into a network. That's certainly a valid concern, but it's not the entirety of the story. Good security protocols should also guard against both intended and unintended internal actions.
For example, someone within a business might have escalated administrative privileges that they don't require. Even if this individual never meant any harm, having access to resources on your network could still pose a threat. Cybersecurity services providers will set up each user on your network with the fewest privileges necessary to do their job.
Monitoring Tools
A lot of cybersecurity is about using persistent and automated monitoring systems to detect threats. These systems can provide early alerts when, for example, an abnormally high amount of traffic is hitting your servers. Monitors can also keep tabs on unusual sources of activity, such as uncommon network ports opening up. It's also common to offer a dashboard that allows customers to keep tabs on the threats they face.
Updates
One of the simplest cybersecurity solutions is to keep all forms of software on a network patched. Updates, however, require attention and know-how. Technicians will keep tabs on the changes that affect your systems, getting in front of potential problems before they hit your organization.
Establishing Best Practices
People tend to picture security work as primarily involving machines. That has a major grain of truth to it, but it's not all there is.
It's also important for you and your team members to follow best practices. This means knowing how to recognize suspicious communications and files. It also means understanding why certain protocols are in place and what to do if you need to access something that is outside of your privileges.
Audits
You'll want to conduct audits of your systems, too. This serves the purpose of helping you take a simple inventory. However, it also allows you to identify machines that are too old, software that's out-of-date, and unauthorized users on your network. A cybersecurity pro will also arrange a schedule of audits to ensure your business is always ready.
