Overview of Common SME Information Security Concerns

By | | Outsourced IT Support

Whilst many SMEs find information security management to be a complex subject, it is something which must be clearly understood. Failure to protect vital business systems and data can threaten the very existence of company. Indeed, companies that lose either (or both) do not tend to survive for very long.

So, if you own or manage an SME, you may well find the following information to be very important.

Ifosec Theory
The theory of information security (infosec) for business is often reduced to ‘CIA’ as it reflects the need to protect the Confidentiality, Integrity and Availability of your business data. However, whilst the theory is relatively simple, the ability to implement it is not, sadly.

In this article, we want to highlight two of the most common infosec (or cyber security) concerns for B2B SMEs, their potential outcomes, and how to combat them. They are getting hacked (a potential breach of integrity); and a loss of access to systems and data.

Getting Hacked
In essence, hacking is the incursion of an unauthorised entity onto your network that has the potential to compromise confidentiality, integrity and availability. Unfortunately, hacking is a not just a complex problem – it is a growing one (especially among SMEs).

Sadly, there is no simple or singular way to combat hacking. Indeed, the nature of this threat is such that it requires a combination of technological solutions (things like firewalls and antivirus), robust security policies, and above all, diligent employee awareness. The latter is perhaps the most important as almost all hacks involve tricking users into doing something they shouldn’t do.

Loss of Access
Loss of access can be caused by physical as well as cyber-based events. For example, ‘Acts of God’ such as fire, theft and flood are all more than capable of leaving you unable to access your system. The main way to combat these scenarios is to maintain effective business backup and continuity measures and to have relevant disaster recovery plans in place.

A cyber-based event can be created by a hack or a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack. Small businesses are becoming increasingly common targets in this respect as DDoS attacks are now seen as being effective weapons for individuals looking to gain from extortion and for organisations endeavouring to gain a competitive advantage.

Sadly, combating DDoS is not simple. A correctly configured firewall can help, but not against major attacks. There are some specialist hardware defences that can filter out bad packets; but these aren’t full-proof. The fact is, the only real solution is to use specialist IT technical support services such as those offered by us here at Syntax Integration as these will manage your bandwidth and take necessary steps before any attack reaches your network.

Truly, keeping your SME’s IT system safe and secure can be a big challenge. However, keeping up to speed and having the most up-to-date IT services London has to offer on your side will most certainly help your cause.