Cybersecurity attacks are on the rise. As the internet becomes more and more advanced, cybercriminals are only getting smarter. Technologies like AI and cryptocurrency make it easier than ever for cybercriminals to get away with cybercrimes, attracting more criminals than ever, who are at the top of their game.
In 2022, 62 percent of businesses experienced cybersecurity attacks. If you run a business, it could be a threat just like this that brings your business to its knees.
Don’t let yourself lose money and timeāhire a great managed cybersecurity service.
You might have an IT guy on staff, and he might do his job very well. However, he’s likely very busy in his day-to-day job, dealing with outages and your employees’ questions.
One worker doesn’t have the time to stay abreast of updates in the cybersecurity world. If you get hit with an attack, he might work so hard on the issue that everything else falls apart.
Don’t let this happenāhiring services will only make your IT guy happy. This article will walk you through some of the questions you should ask a cybersecurity service when you do.
1. How Do You Train Employees?
One of the most important things a cybersecurity company can do is train its employees. Phishing attacks are still some of the most popular cybersecurity attacks out there, and they rely almost entirely on a lack of internet literacy.
Essentially, they work like this. A cybercriminal poses as a trusted entityāan employer, a credit card company, Apple, Amazon, etc. They send a link that masquerades benign; maybe a link to re-do your password or enter some information for a reward.
This link contains malware that lets the cybercriminal access that person’s account. If the person who fell victim to a cybersecurity attack is an employee, this could very well open the whole system to an attack on the whole system.
Even if your employees understand these types of attacks, they still might fall victim. There’s a new cybersecurity threat out there called “spearphishing.” These work the same way as phishing attacks but are more targeted.
A traditional phishing attack is widespread, trying to catch as many people as possible. A spearphishing attack targets a specific employee, studies their information, and learns what makes them more likely to believe a message from a trusted party.
They know exactly who to pose as, and what would make this employee perfect for this.
A managed IT company can teach your employees about all of this, and provide them with examples of situations that have happened in the past. Your employees can learn the consequences of their potential actions from seminars that teach this.
On top of this, these companies can teach standard practices like good password protection and safe browsing.
2. What Is Your Disaster Recovery Plan?
Cybersecurity attacks can sometimes be inevitable in this day and age. Even the best cybersecurity team can’t stop hackers from getting in all of the time.
However, a key element of a great cybersecurity team is disaster recovery. Though you might lose a lot of money in a cybersecurity attack, one of the worst parts is the aftermath.
You’ll spend time trying to find where your security went wrong, gaining access back to your data, and being nervous about what might happen next. You could very well spend so much time doing these things that you don’t end up putting all the effort you need to into your business.
A competitor could very well pull ahead of you in this downtime.
On top of this, you might not even get taken out by a cybercriminal. Natural disasters can wipe out your computing ability, leaving you behind. Your own individual IT guy can very well be flustered by thisāit might be a bigger issue than he can handle.
Ask the IT company that youāre talking to how they deal with disasters. Youāre going to need a company that moves smoothly and fast in the face of adversity. Sure, operating well in peacetime is important, but the true sign of a great IT company is being able to stand up under pressure.
3. How Do You Use Automation?
AI, machine learning, and automation are all used by cybercriminals. They often use these new technologies to find the most valuable data out there and target their victims with extra precision. They can also use automation to brute force passwords and key phrases more effectively than ever before.
If criminals are using these technologies, why shouldnāt a cybersecurity company use these as well? Your IT company needs to be able to fight fire with fire and use the most cutting-edge developments in the cyber world to keep you safe.
A cybersecurity team making use of automation can have machines handle processes, flaws in the system, and alert problems. These processes are often tedious and boring, making it more likely for a human to miss something important.
This also lets the high-level security professionals focus on more expert and high-level issues.
You need to make sure your cybersecurity company is working to the best of its ability, and theyāre not going to be able to do this if they don’t have part of their processes automated.
4. Why Did You Get into Cybersecurity?
The above questions are very technical and personal, so weāre going to take a break from that on this list to get to a basic question. Make sure you ask your potential IT company why they got into cybersecurity.
Cybersecurity is a highly serious and technical jobābut there are people out there who care deeply about these issues. This can be because theyāve seen devastation as a result of cybercrime, theyāre passionate about computers/the internet, theyāre passionate about security, and etc.
However, you donāt want people who got into the business because itās experiencing a boom right now and itās a place they can, make a lot of money. People who are only in it for the money are more likely to do a less thorough job and leave you open to cybersecurity attacks. Letās leave money as a motivation to the criminals.
5. What Are Your Cloud Securing Abilities?
Cloud computing is one of the most efficient technologies to come out in the 21st century. Gone are the days when you needed to store tons of data on a flash drive, send emails, and present things to others in person.
Now, you can edit documents and create information and other people can see it at the exact same time. The cloud is all about making sure everyone in your business is able to communicate quickly and run as one collective unit.
Unfortunately, the interlinked nature of the cloud, and the fact that so much information is secured in the same place, is a cybercriminal’s dream. Since the rise of the cloud, cybercrime has dramatically increased.
Make sure your cybersecurity company has a specific plan on how they’re going to secure your cloud system.
Make sure that they donāt just handle private clouds but a public cloud system as well. Their ability to handle and secure workloads in Google Cloud or Azure is just as important as any other kind of cloud. Even if you use a private cloud, knowing that they can secure a public cloud is key in making sure theyāre at the top of their game.
6. What Does Your Facility Look Like?
Learning how your IT company keeps their business space can give you a better understanding of their practices. Do they have a real in-person business? If they donāt, this could mean theyāre embracing the future of technologyāor it could mean theyāre not professional enough.
If they have an in-person business, what does it look like? If itās big and lavish, you might be compelled to think that itās a very professional business. But make sure they know exactly why they need a big and lavish space, and what theyāre using everything for; make sure youāre not overpaying to fund a business that doesnāt need all of the things it has.
A small business could be a sign that the business is operating quickly and efficiently. If itās run out of a home or a warehouse with one overhead, it could be more cost-effective. But is it operating up to your standards?
7. What Is Included in the Price?
Recognize the different types of cybersecurity services. Become fluent in the language and playbook of the managed IT world. This will help you understand exactly what you want, and ask for these things in your communication with an IT business.
On top of this, it will also help you learn if the cybersecurity company you’re dealing with has the services that you need in their standard package. Each IT company has its own focusesālearn all you can to be able to tell if a particular IT company has values that align with yours.
You don’t want to have to pay extra for a service that your business needs. Find a business whose top priorities align with your top priorities
8. Can You Help Grow Our Business?
You could simply hire one of the great managed cybersecurity options out there to fix things when they end up broken. However, this might not be best for your business long term. To truly experience the maximum growth that a cybersecurity program can provide, hire a cybersecurity team that’s interested in growing your business.
A great cybersecurity company will onboard quickly, ensuring that you won’t lose any time when you’re making this transition. They’ll grow your technical operations and make sure they’re in top condition to fight off attackers.
9. How Can You Reduce Our Costs?
One of the benefits of a great cybersecurity company is to reduce costs. Though you’ll be spending money on a company handling these services, you ultimately want a company that’s going to let you do these things for cheaper than doing it unassisted.
It costs a lot of money to run the processes and programs that need to be run to keep a business safe. If your contact can’t do this for a relatively low price, they might not be worth it. Always make sure you’re getting your money’s worth.
10. Can You Scale?
Are you planning for your business to grow? Plenty of people are happy with the place their business is in, but if you’re like many people out there in the business world who started your own business, you likely want your business to grow.
Accompanying the growth of your business is going to be a growth in your computing capabilities. You’re going to need larger systems, a stronger cloud network, more accounts for your employees, etc.
This is all going to require larger cybersecurity capabilities. After all, a bigger business is a bigger target.
Make sure that your managed cybersecurity company is willing and able to grow with you as you grow. If you’re in it for the long haul and they’re there to help you grow your business, you might just want to take them along for the ride.
Hire a Great Managed Cybersecurity Service
There are many factors that go into making a great managed cyber security service. Ask the above questions, and you’re more likely to find someone honest and good at what they do.
For more information about cybersecurity services, contact us today.