How Many Layers of Computer Security Protect Your Organization?

Many organizations are vulnerable to ongoing threats to their cybersecurity. In Portland, and around the United States, these attacks from bad actors are becoming even more prevalent. By 2023, it’s estimated that the number of networked devices will triple the number of humans. These smart objects pose a significant risk, especially to small and medium-sized businesses, since most cannot withstand a breach or attack. To add insult to injury, 60% of SMBs subsequently go out of business within 6 months of a breach or hack.

It isn’t just small businesses that are vulnerable – the recent breach of Microsoft shows that even our largest and most reputable technology companies are at risk. One of the realities of cybersecurity is that no single solution is enough to protect against threats. The key to robust protection is establishing layers of cybersecurity that serve as a bulwark against bad actors.

Is Your Computer Security Protected? Take Our Quiz.

Unfortunately, it can be difficult to tell when you’ve layered on enough cybersecurity solutions and best practices to feel genuinely secure. To help you identify gaps in your security and potential areas for improvement, we’ve designed a quiz that will guide you through some pertinent security questions.

1. When was your last assessment?

Cybersecurity is a rapidly changing industry. Whenever a cyberattacker makes an unsuccessful attempt at accessing your network, it can give them more information about your defenses and how to penetrate next time. If your last security assessment was more than 2 years ago, you could be at risk.

2. Do you have 2-factor authentication set up?

Two-factor authentication (also called multifactor authentication) is a critical security feature that should be enabled on every access point to your network. This should be your No. 1 priority if you don’t already have it set up.

3. Are you aware of what organizational information and accounts have been posted on the Dark Web?

Being aware of what information has already leaked or been stolen is a great way to help your organization be proactive against future threats. Being able to scan through the Dark Web and find this information gives you a great indication of areas that need additional protection.

4. How are your employees’ phones and mobile devices protected?

Regardless of whether your employees are remote or fully in-office, it’s unavoidable that they will eventually use their mobile devices to access work information. Protecting these devices is just as important as safeguarding your servers and computers. If you don’t have your mobile devices secured, it’s an area of concern.

5. Is your IT team familiar with your firewall’s Intrusion Detection and Prevention features?

A firewall isn’t just a set-it-and-forget-it system. If your IT team hasn’t enabled your firewall’s Intrusion Detection or Intrusion Prevention features (or worse yet, doesn’t even know what those are), it puts your company at risk.

The Layers of Computer Security You Need To Understand

Now that you’ve gone through the quiz, you probably have a better understanding of your organization’s current cybersecurity posture. Adopting a more proactive stance against cyberthreats involves engaging multiple layers of computer security, including those listed below:

Anti-virus

Anti-virus software is a key element of any cybersecurity strategy. Its primary function is to protect your internal network from malicious scripts or software, which it does by blocking or quarantining anything it suspects to be malicious. It should be implemented at every entry or exit point and on all devices.

Firewall

Another critical aspect of network security is your firewall. This exists to block IP addresses or users connecting to your environment from an unknown or suspicious location, since these are most often the carriers of threats like spam, malware, or viruses. If your firewall is configured well, it should catch incoming threats and regularly improve its understanding of the current threat environment so it knows what to block automatically.

Multifactor authentication

As we said above, multifactor authentication is a critical security feature that should be enabled on every network access point. This can help protect against most cyberattacks, which have been linked to either inadequate or leaked passwords.

SIEM

Security information and event management (SIEM) combine the monitoring of real-time security events with data tracking and analysis that can help improve your response time to potential threats. By enabling SIEM solutions, you can help make your overall cybersecurity posture much more proactive and capable of learning from past events.

Employee training

The unfortunate reality of cybersecurity today is that we’re only as strong as our weakest link. If there’s even one person in your company connecting insecurely or clicking on suspicious links, it opens a gap that a bad actor can easily exploit.

To learn more about how employee behavior can influence your cybersecurity posture, click here to read our recent case study on human risk management.

Schedule Your Cybersecurity Assessment Today

One of the best ways to ensure you’re protected from cyberthreats is to work with an organization that can help you enable a custom multilayered solution that’s built to serve your company’s needs.

Let Compass Computing Group help. Our multifaceted cybersecurity solutions help companies in Portland and the surrounding area monitor their systems 24/7, and we can even help train your employees to protect you from cyberattacks and ransomware. After all, your employees are your last chance for protection, so it serves you well to make sure they’re fully trained on the latest best practices.

Have questions about your current posture and where there’s room for improvement?

Schedule your cybersecurity assessment with one of our experts today.