Securing your network data begins with an IT security audit

The growing complexity of cloud services, data networks, and disaster-recovery backup services make comprehensive IT security audits a must for business owners – without an audit, your business may be at serious risk.

Why your business needs an IT security audit:

1. Your data is more valuable than ever

Malicious hacks and ransomware, such as Cryptolocker, cause downtime and are costly to a business. A 2018 Cost of a Data Breach Study conducted by Ponemon and sponsored by IBM reports the global average cost of a data breach is up 6.4 per cent since 2017 to $3.86 million. The average cost for each lost or stolen record, including sensitive and confidential information, increased by 4.8 percent to $148.

Translation: if you lose just 100 critical data pieces, you could be out almost $15,000 – which will put a dent in any budget.

2. What you don’t know CAN hurt you

You may think that, because you are a small- to medium-sized business, your IT infrastructure isn’t vulnerable to data breaches, hacks and lost productivity. But, no matter your business size, you are vulnerable and require a dedicated IT team to respond to security issues.

Without proactive, all-inclusive support and comprehensive security audits, it’s hard to know if your systems are secure – especially if you don’t keep up with vendor-management best practices or implement proper strategic-technology planning. The third-party software that you use represents potential vulnerabilities for your business, and an experienced, focused and dedicated IT team can help you stay secure by analyzing it, and mitigating the potential damage.

3. Security breach can be catastrophic for your business

An IT-managed services provider can also help you secure your networks and third-party cloud platforms. If your business suffers a large data breach, the results could be catastrophic. According to a 2016 study conducted by IBM, cyberattacks target small- to medium-sized businesses 62 per cent of the time – often because they have poor security, low responsiveness, and no ability to defend themselves. A more alarming statistic is that, of the businesses hacked, around 60 per cent go out of business.

365 Technologies can help your business stay up and running

365 Technologies provides Worry-Free IT™ – proactive IT security monitoring and auditing – as part of our 365Care+ service or consultation. Our expert analysts specialize in protecting SMBs from hackers, and ensuring your data is safe. When you partner with us, we’re there 24/7 for your business – including IT security audits, network maintenance and monitoring, upgrades, and help-desk support.

Protect your business from hacks, viruses, and data breaches, contact 365 Technologies today.