Re-evaluating networks and cybersecurity operations has become increasingly important due to the rapidly changing threat landscape. In February of this year, the U.S. Marshals Service suffered a big security breach when hackers broke into and stole data from a computer system with the help of ransomware.
Outdated cybersecurity measures can leave companies vulnerable. Between hacking efforts, data breaches, and other security weaknesses, MSPs have their hands full today.
By objectively assessing your cybersecurity plan, it becomes easier to identify areas that need upgrading to address new threats, improve incident response capabilities, and protect valuable data assets.
Here are five signs that indicate it’s time for a security makeover.
Sign #1: Outdated apps and hardware
Aging equipment and software pose major security risks, as their vulnerabilities are well-known to attackers. Without regular updates and security patches, your clients’ systems become open to exploitation by cybercriminals.
Upgrading to the latest hardware and software is important for addressing these known vulnerabilities and strengthening your MSP’s defensive infrastructure. Developers and makers continually watch their offerings and create updates and patches to address security holes and improve their data resilience. These improvements usually include critical fixes that address known weaknesses and protect against emerging threats. Patching known vulnerabilities lowers the attack surface available to cybercriminals and makes it more difficult for them to exploit IT infrastructure.
Sign #2: Inadequate employee training and understanding
People are often the weakest link in an organization’s cybersecurity protection. Verizon reported in 2022 that 82% of data breaches were due to the human element—from falling prey to phishing attacks and losing devices to mistakenly emailing private information to the wrong person. Even with advanced technological solutions in place, a lack of proper staff education can leave your clients and team members exposed to cyber attacks.
Hackers are excellent at exploiting human traits such as trust, curiosity, and lack of awareness. They employ various tactics to deceive workers and gain unauthorized access to their IT systems and sensitive data. Common tactics include phishing attacks, social engineering, and the use of malicious links or attachments. Without proper training, workers may unknowingly click on dangerous links, reveal sensitive information, or fall victim to other manipulative tactics.
Empowering employees to spot and respond appropriately to potential threats is important. Consistent training on how to recognize and report suspicious emails and secure browsing practices is important as are tips on avoiding clicking on malicious links and understanding social engineering techniques. Every end-user must also follow secure password procedures. Those steps help turn staff members into an active part of your clients’ hacking defenses.
Sign #3: Inability to keep up with new threats
Hackers continuously adapt tactics to bypass standard security measures. They employ advanced techniques such as polymorphic malware, zero-day exploits, and fileless attacks, making it increasingly challenging for legacy protection solutions to identify and mitigate these threats.
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) are at the forefront of improved threat detection and prevention solutions. Those technologies can analyze vast amounts of data and find patterns, anomalies, and indicators of compromise that may go unnoticed by standard rule-based systems. By constantly learning from new threats and evolving attack techniques, these advanced solutions adapt and improve detection capabilities over time. AI/ML can also spot, identify and stop sophisticated attacks in real-time to minimize the potential damage.
Sign #4: Lack of incident response skills
Every business must have a response plan in place to successfully mitigate and recover from hacking attempts. That holistic structure should cover detection, containment, eradication, and recovery actions. If these processes are not well-defined and integrated into an MSP’s complete cybersecurity strategy, your team members (and clients) may face significant challenges in responding to and recovering from security incidents.
Automation tools can improve the speed and efficiency of incident detection and reaction, reducing the time it takes to find and contain threats. These technologies can also help in gathering and analyzing data, giving valuable insights into the nature and scope of an attack, significantly boosting an MSP’s remediation efforts. Developing an incident playbook ensures stability and efficiency in your reaction. Those plans can also be tailored to address the most likely types of attacks for different customers, providing technical support teams with a roadmap to remediation success.
Sign #5: Lack of-compliance with regulatory standards
Adherence to industry-specific regulations and data security laws is important for your collective IT ecosystem. Non-compliance with those instructions can lead to severe legal and financial consequences for MSPs and their clients. If present cyber protection solutions do not include the following, now is the time to make upgrades:
Robust data protection. These measures protect sensitive information at rest and in transit, minimizing the risk of exposure to unauthorized people.
Access controls. Limiting applications only to approved personnel reduces the possibility of breaches and data loss.
Audit trails. These detailed systems records help MSPs monitor user actions, detect suspicious activities, and show compliance with regulatory requirements.
Upgrading Cyber Protection Across the IT Ecosystem
Safeguarding valuable and private data and protecting against evolving cyber threats requires proactive measures and a continually upgraded cybersecurity plan. By addressing these five signs and making the necessary changes, MSPs can enhance resilience, mitigate risks, and ensure a more secure comprehensive technology environment.