News reports today are full of stories about cyberattacks, data breaches and internet scams that affect businesses and their customers across all industries. As soon as a new defense is in place, hackers find new way to break through it. Threats will not be slowing down anytime soon. It’s no wonder cybersecurity measures are constantly changing as the battle to protect your data heats up.
Cybersecurity is something no company can afford to ignore. However, you face a myriad of common obstacles in getting security measures in place. Sometimes the resources, knowledge or manpower just isn’t there. The costs of not being prepared for a cyberattack are prohibitive.
What Are the Obstacles to Effective Cybersecurity? How Do You Overcome Them?
Here are the top three reasons you can struggle to put adequate cyber defenses in place and how managed service providers are the best solution for companies that face these obstacles.
Obstacle 1: Do you have qualified talent?
To put good cybersecurity measures into place, you must have people on your team who know what they’re doing. Many companies struggle to find and hire this kind of talent. In a 2017 cybersecurity trends report, 43% of respondents say a lack of knowledgeable employees is a major obstacle to establishing necessary cybersecurity defenses.
Employers either face a lack of skilled and experienced IT security professionals or assume their current IT team can handle the specialized tasks of cybersecurity only to find out later this may not be the case. Many companies also fail to invest in training for employees with the basic skills to run their cybersecurity.
At the end of the day, there simply aren’t enough IT employees with the training and skills for establishing the kind of cybersecurity you need, and the problem is only going to get bigger. Unfilled cybersecurity jobs are expected to reach 1.8 million by 2022, leaving a lot of companies, especially smaller ones, in the lurch – businesses that can least afford the consequences of a cyber-attack.
What is the solution to this skills gap? You don’t need your own IT team to handle cybersecurity. Many are turning to the offerings of managed security services providers (MSSP’s), like ATSG, that already have the skill sets and knowledge needed for quality cyber defense solutions. This removes the need for hiring your own specialized team.
With an MSSP, especially like ATSG, you receive 24/7/Always support from trained IT professionals who stay on top of the latest trends in cyber-attacks and defenses. They will have ready-made solutions to implement as soon as they identify the weak spots in your systems. When your company hires an MSSP, they focus solely on your cybersecurity so your IT team can focus on supporting your employees and customers, while you can have peace of mind.
Obstacle 2: Do you have a cybersecurity budget?
Cybersecurity is a relatively new business expense and one that isn’t always understood by those making the company budget. One survey of 350 companies finds 75% of respondents feel they have an underfunded cybersecurity budget despite 93% recognizing the threat of compromised credentials and attacks. Despite the changing landscape of cybersecurity, the budgets for such defenses just aren’t changing enough.
There are a few possible reasons behind this. Visible problems are more likely to receive funds. If a you have yet to experience a serious attack, the budget item may fall to the bottom of the list. Second, cybersecurity is an investment that does not have immediate results. Businesses may try to put their money where they’ll see a big impact quicker.
Often businesses fail to realize that the costs of not having cybersecurity can quickly become greater than if they had invested in protection in the first place. This is especially true when they fail to recognize the affordability of managed services.
Managed services save companies the expenses of security hardware and software and the salaries of cybersecurity specialists. MSSP’s charge fixed monthly fees so you always know what to budget for. And if your boss still insists on cutting corners, you can alter your services to find a compromise between the protection you need and your budget.
Obstacle 3: Are employees trained in security awareness?
They say what you don’t know can’t hurt you, but that’s simply untrue when it comes to cybersecurity. Employees with poor security awareness are one of the leading causes of cyber-attacks. Too few companies offer or require security training for employees. This creates a major obstacle to protecting a company from data breaches.
If you can’t trust employees to take cybersecurity seriously, who can you trust? The answer is your MSSP. They are best equipped to understand the threats you face and the solutions to block them. They also have a plan of action for when an employee slips up and it looks like your company might be the next news-worthy data breach.
ATSG – Transforming the customer experience through tech-enabled managed services
Today’s choices for mobility, cloud, infrastructure, communications, applications and operations are mission-critical for small, mid-sized and large enterprises. ATSG, Inc. is leading the transformation into Technology Solutions as a Service with our tech-enabled managed services portfolio and a commitment to technology innovation, operational excellence and client intimacy. Recognized by industry leaders and industry-leading publications, ATSG has 25 years of operating history delivering exceptional client experiences that directly result in competitive advantage, cost-savings, growth and improved operational efficiencies. Visit ATSG.net, and call 1.914.517.2919 or visit one of our five Tri-State locations today for more information.
