‘Tis the season for resolutions! Business owners: is your current cybersecurity plan cutting it in the new year?

If you’ve grown in 2023, it’s time to consider what you need to do to ensure your hard work is protected. We’ve compiled a list of the most important steps you can take in 2024 to better protect your business from current cyber threats. Read on to see what they are!

Understand the Threat Landscape

The first step towards effective cybersecurity is understanding the threat landscape. Cyber threats are evolving at an unprecedented rate, with new vulnerabilities and attack vectors emerging every day. In 2023, we saw a significant increase in ransomware attacks, data breaches, and phishing scams. As a managed service provider, it’s our responsibility to stay ahead of these threats and ensure our clients’ digital assets are secure.

Invest in Advanced Security Solutions

To combat these threats, investing in advanced security solutions is a must. This includes next-generation firewalls, AI-assisted endpoint protection, 24/7 monitoring, and a cloud services provider you can trust to keep you on the cutting edge of new security solutions. These solutions detect and mitigate cyber threats before they damage your systems and affect your bottom line.

Keep Up to Date with Regular Patching and Updates

One of the most effective ways to protect against cyber threats is by regularly updating software on your computers and mobile devices. Outdated software often has vulnerabilities that cybercriminals can exploit, and updates install patches that can prevent disaster. Make it a resolution to ensure all software, including operating systems, applications, and firmware, are up-to-date. If you have a managed service provider, they should be doing this for you. Be sure to ask if they are providing this service, as many MSPs wait until a problem arises to address badly-needed updates.

Implement Employee Training and Awareness

Human error is the leading cause of cybersecurity incidents for businesses. Investing in employee training and awareness has been proven to reduce incidents and it doesn’t have to be difficult. Employees should be trained to identify and respond to potential cyber threats, such as phishing emails and suspicious links. We offer phishing training and online courses as a part of all our managed services agreements.

Create an Incident Response Plan

Despite our best efforts, cyber incidents can still occur, and if they do, you need backups and disaster recovery plans (BDR). Your incident response plan should outline the steps to take in the event of a cyber incident, including identifying the incident, containing the threat, eradicating the threat, and recovering from the incident. Your MSP can help you devise your plan, which is also valuable if you are seeking cyber liability insurance or wish to have your policy renewed.

Look Ahead

At Facet, one of our core values is “Growth Through Adaptation and Innovation.” For us, this means that, as a company, we are constantly looking to stay ahead of cybersecurity threat trends to keep our customers safer. For your business, this may mean adapting to your current needs as a growth-focused company with a technology solution that matches your goals.

We’re here to help with your cybersecurity resolutions with technology plans and cybersecurity roadmaps that will keep you on the right path. We specialize in growth-oriented companies with 20 or more seats. If this is you, we would love to work with you and provide great managed services, helpdesk, and cybersecurity. Give us a call today or fill out our contact form to learn more.