5 Security Questions Business and IT Leaders Should Be Asking Now

Cybersecurity is much more than a technology tool. It’s a strategy, mindset and set of best practices that are integrated into every aspect of the business. To achieve truly effective cybersecurity, stakeholders need to have strategic conversations about the most likely threats and their potential impact. Only then can the organization select the right tools and ensure they have the resources to achieve their security objectives.

Here are five questions business and IT leaders should be asking about security.

1. What threats are most likely to impact our organization?

Even if it were possible to secure against every threat, no organization has the budget or resources to do so. Organizations must prioritize threats according to their potential impact. This begins with a thorough assessment of mission-critical systems and business processes against the most probable attacks. It is then possible to use organizational data to determine the financial, operational and reputational impact of each threat. Armed with that information, the organization can assign a quantitative, risk-based measurement and focus on the most likely threats that would have the greatest impact.

2. Are we staying abreast of emerging threats?

Cybercriminals are always finding new ways to compromise systems and cause business disruption and financial loss. A risk assessment cannot be a one-time process. Organizations must regularly assess risks and have strategic conversations about security investments and policy changes. Security awareness training programs must be kept up to date so that users understand the latest threats and have the insight they need to help combat them.

Effective cybersecurity requires strategic discussions to prioritize threats, regular risk assessments, IT modernization, and a robust incident response plan. Partnering with a managed services provider like GDS can help achieve these goals..

3. Are we gaining maximum value from our security investments?

According to Gartner, the global cybersecurity market will reach $4.3 billion in 2024, and 80 percent of security leaders plan to increase security spending. However, studies show that few organizations are able to maximize the value of those investments. One factor is the lack of an overarching security strategy — many organizations purchase point solutions to address specific security threats and wind up with too many tools that don’t share data with one another. A lack of alignment with business objectives and business process failures also play key roles.

4. Have we fully modernized our IT environment?

Legacy systems make cybersecurity much more challenging. They weren’t designed to be as secure as modern architectures and are vulnerable to emerging threats. Yet many organizations invest in security tools without making needed IT upgrades. Business leaders and stakeholders should have frank discussions about modernizing the IT environment to improve the organization’s security posture. From those, they can develop a roadmap for upgrading or replacing legacy systems and moving some workloads to the cloud. In addition to improving security, IT modernization helps boost productivity, reduce administrative overhead and enhance the user experience.

5. Do we have an effective incident response plan?

Security incidents will happen despite diligent efforts to improve the organization’s defenses. That’s why it’s essential to have an incident response plan. The plan should align with the organization’s risk assessment and be reviewed regularly to address operational and technology changes and emerging threats. It should also be tested frequently to ensure that all stakeholders understand their responsibilities and are prepared to act quickly to minimize the incident’s impact.

Partner with a Managed Services Provider Like GDS

The greatest security challenge for many organizations is a lack of in-house resources and expertise. That’s why it makes good business sense to partner with a managed services provider (MSP) who has a robust security practice. Qualified providers like GDS offer a full spectrum of security solutions backed by assessment, consulting, monitoring and management services. Our solutions are easy to consume in an opex, hardware-as-a-service model and always kept up to date. Let our experienced professionals help you determine the greatest threats to your environment and implement strategic defenses that minimize risk.

Benefits of Managed IT Services from Global Data Systems

• Strategic Managed IT: We help you solve your technology related business problems.
• Connectivity: We get you reliable, secure connectivity anywhere in the western hemisphere in 48 hours.
• Support: When you need help simply call our 24x7x365 support number.
• Billing: Instead of managing hundreds of vendors - get one, easy to read bill from GDS.

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