Furthermore, NIS regulations have been extended to IT Managed Service Providers.
These regulations are in place to ensure organisations develop adequate cybersecurity measures. The aim is to better protect essential, everyday services including computing against increasingly sophisticated cyber-attacks.
Oz Alashe, CEO of CybSafe, called it “a legislative step in the right direction.”
“Regulations, however, can only go so far in protecting data from cyber criminals,” he warned. “The public and private sectors need to work together to ensure organizations are treating cyber security as a business priority. Cyber-attacks are not just more frequent; they are also increasingly complex. Therefore, businesses need to begin treating a positive cyber security culture as an active core value. We need to focus on measuring and changing specific security behaviors, not just ticking boxes on a risk register. While this move from the government is positive, there is much left to be done.”
What can you and your (MSP) Managed Service Provider do to keep your company safe from attacks?
You and your MSP need to protect your data more than ever. Here is what you can do to protect your business assets.
First of all, consider what are your top risks?
Use this time to prioritise and mitigate. Consider what assets are most important, i.e., what would cause most damage if lost or destroyed.
Maintain Industry standards
Hacking and ransom attacks evolve so it’s important to keep ahead of all new changes. A cybersecurity accreditation like Cyber Essentials ensures you are set up as securely as possible and are staying ahead of the trend.
Backup alone is no longer enough.
Many companies are now turning to a hybrid solution whereby data is not only stored on servers locally but also migrated the cloud. Click here for further reading on the Hybrid Cloud Solution.
Training and education
Keep staff informed on ways to spot cyber security attacks, actions to take and how to keep their data as safe as possible. There are plenty of resources available such as Phishing Tests to test the vulnerabilities of your employees.
Ensure access is always secure:
Use MFA (multi-factor authentication) to access data.
Support
Ensure that your external MSP has a secure method of resolving your issues and accessing your data. A reliable MSP will be able to provide you with their security policy and procedures, so you know your data is in safe hands. Ideally, they would also be accredited with Cyber Essentials or similar qualification to show that the meet industry standards.
Cybersecurity should be as second nature to your business as locking your front door.
Make sure your MSP understands your business, its vulnerabilities, and is aligned to your cybersecurity goals and requirements.
