As technology continues to grow and advance, so too does the advent of cyberattacks by hackers, as evidenced by recent attacks like the hack on SolarWinds. Figuring out a strategy to combat these attacks without a plan, however, means you’re going to waste valuable time and resources scrounging a meager defense. So what tools can you use to avoid this outcome?
Well, that’s where we enter the picture. We’re here to give you all the information you need about comprehensive IT security plans and the components of a security plan. Before we can make any more progress, we first need to ask ourselves one question: what is a comprehensive security plan?
What Is a Comprehensive Security Plan?
A comprehensive security plan refers to the overarching plan your company develops to combat security issues. Every piece of the plan needs to work in harmony with one another, or you risk cracks showing and leaving a door open to your system for hackers.
Some companies also use these plans towards physical safety. This reduces the chance of workplace injuries.
This also extends to educating your employees on cyber-safety and good IT practices. Not only does this reduce the risk of incurring malware attacks like phishing scams, but helps prevent you from losing valuable data and wasting company resources recouping said data.
The Components of a Security Plan
When devising a comprehensive security plan, the first thing you need to do is figure out what your goals are. Which aspects of data security are more vital to your company? How will implementing these changes disrupt the current workflow, and how can you work around that disruption?
Next, you’ll want to start implementing the individual components of the plan. This doesn’t mean you only have to get a solid anti-virus software and firewall and call it a day. You also need to take a look at factors like how your employees interact with company computers and networks.
For example, let’s say your employee takes a company laptop home with them to do work and visits a sketchy website while on their home Wi-Fi. The computer then gets stuck with a virus it can transfer to your company network when the laptop comes back in.
To counter this, you could place blocks on what websites your employees can visit via admin settings. You should also require strong employee passwords and two-factor authentication on work computers. This helps stop unauthorized parties from gaining access.
Additional Add-Ons
You’ll also want a file backup system in place in the event you have to deal with ransomware or a corrupted file. Using a VPN (virtual private network) or another form of encryption helps provide some bonus security to your data, as does implementing logs of all employee activity (to catch patterns of suspicious activity). You can even integrate virtual security networks into your company that flag threats and alert you before they grow into a serious problem.
You should also make sure that your plan keeps you compliant with regulations set by federal organizations and acts like HIPPA. Failure to meet these requirements can submerge your company in serious legal trouble, even ending in jail time for prominent company members if the violations are severe enough.
Further Security Plan Components
Once you’re done designing the plan, you need to make sure every employee in the company understands the plan and how to execute it. When they have this information, find a way to enforce it regularly throughout the workday.
For example, offer incentives for employees who remember to log off every day or send fake phishing emails to see how well your employees can analyze a threat. These repeat enforcements help drill the information deeper into your memory, reducing the chance of a slip-up.
Finally, don’t think you can kick back and relax once the plan goes into play. A good comprehensive security plan requires you to come back to it and modify it to meet the new needs of your company.
This lets you address weaknesses you missed the first time during planning. You can also make changes to any practices that are hurting the plan and ensure all your cybersecurity tools are running at full power.
Why Bother Creating a Security Plan?
That said, putting all the pieces of a comprehensive security plan into place takes a considerable amount of time and money. So why do it?
For starters, you risk wasting a lot more time and money than you’d spend on the security plan if you decide to ditch it. Hackers can break into your network from the outside. From there, they can start stealing financial info and valuable files and either holding it for ransom, selling it off to the highest bidder, or leaking it to the public.
Your risk of attacks from within the company also rises. Failing to have strong application security means an unscrupulous employee can easily sabotage your systems and swipe data without you even knowing who attacked you. This means you have to waste company time tracking down the offending party and losing lots of potential dollars to company downtime.
A strong security plan is also good for the public perception of your company. After all, would you rather do business with a company that protects your data, or one that loses it to frequent cyberattacks?
\When you take on more accountability through implementing a security plan, customers notice. As a result, you’ll raise both the public opinion of your company as well as your client base.
Ensuring a Prosperous Future
So, now that you have the answers to questions like “What is a comprehensive security plan?” and “How do I build this plan?”, you’re ready to implement digital security that will ensure a prosperous future for your business.
But what if you lack the time to dedicate towards creating the plan, or don’t have the team/knowledge base to implement it? If that’s the case, reach out to us and let us know what you need. We work side-by-side with you to develop a cybersecurity plan that keeps you safe while working in tandem with your business model.