I recently heard someone say, “Personal data is personal data, and it’s worth something to someone.”

In today’s digital world, your data is your most valuable asset.  Organizations have a moral and legal obligation to protect customer data and an obligation to themselves and their employees to secure sales, marketing, and financial documents.

“Cybersecurity protection” has become one of those overused phrases that quickly turned into white noise. Countless companies offer services, but what is actually needed?

Here are the TOP EIGHT cybersecurity must haves for every organization:

1. 24/7 SOC Monitoring: SOC services, or Security Operations Center services, are crucial for maintaining and enhancing an organization’s cybersecurity posture by providing the following: Centralized Security Monitoring, Threat Detection and Response, Proactive Security Measures, Incident Management, Compliance and Reporting.
2. DNS/Web Filtering: DNS (Domain Name System) filtering, also known as web filtering, is a security measure that helps protect your business from accessing harmful or inappropriate websites. DNS filtering works by controlling which websites can be accessed from your network. When a user tries to visit a website, a DNS query is sent to a DNS resolver. If the resolver uses DNS filtering, it checks the requested domain against a blocklist or allowlist before resolving the query. If the domain is on the blocklist, access is denied.
3. Antivirus: Antivirus software is designed to protect computers and other devices from malicious software, commonly known as malware.
4. Email SPAM Protection: Spam filtering is the process of identifying and blocking unwanted, unsolicited, and potentially harmful emails from reaching your inbox.
5. Server and Workstation Patch Management: Patch management is the process of identifying, acquiring, testing, and applying updates (known as patches) to software, operating systems, and applications. These patches are designed to fix vulnerabilities, bugs, and other issues, as well as to improve functionality and performance.
6. Endpoint Detection and Response: Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is a cybersecurity technology that continuously monitors and responds to threats on endpoints, such as desktops, laptops, mobile devices, and servers. EDR allows for proactive threat hunting, identifying and mitigating threats that traditional antivirus solutions might miss.
7. Employee Training and Automated Phishing Test Campaigns: Automated phishing test campaigns are simulations designed to mimic real phishing attacks in order to test and train employees on how to recognize and respond to phishing attempts. These campaigns are an essential part of cybersecurity awareness programs; watching the training videos is not enough. Employees need to see and experience phishing emails to fully understand the risks!
8. Multifactor Authentication: Multifactor Authentication (MFA) is a security process that requires users to provide two or more verification factors to gain access to a system, application, or account. This method enhances security by combining multiple forms of authentication, making it significantly harder for unauthorized individuals to access sensitive information.

These are the bare minimum standards for every organization. At Structured Technology Solutions, we deploy additional cybersecurity protections in our standard security stacks including, SaaS Backup Services, 24/7 NOC Services, Endpoint Backup for Servers and Workstations, Dark Web Monitoring, and Automated Penetration Testing. If your organization does not currently have the above protections in place, you are putting your organization (and thus your reputation and profitability) at risk. To learn more about all of the cybersecurity protections mentioned above (and why businesses need each security measure), click here.