Cybercriminals are targeting small businesses more than ever before. Small and medium-sized enterprises often think that attackers are only interested in bigger, global companies. However, that is not the case, and they are just as susceptible to cyberattacks.

Many cybersecurity professionals focus too much on achieving compliance and become complacent once they have done so. This can be very dangerous and contribute to a data breach.

Not Having a Security Policy

It’s important to remember that cybersecurity and compliance are two different things. You can have robust cyber security protocols and still not be compliant, and vice versa.

It’s also crucial to have a clear security policy. A security policy communicates senior management’s intent when protecting sensitive data. The goal is to provide a foundation for the security and IT teams so they know what the company’s expectations are.

A security policy should define what resources must be protected and who can access them. It should also include a risk assessment process that evaluates the likelihood of an attack and its impact and a plan for managing risks. A security policy should also have 24/7 monitoring in place.

Not Having a Security Incident Response Plan

An incident response plan is essential because the more quickly you can detect and respond to a cyber attack, the less damage it can cause your business. This can help you minimize financial losses, maintain customer trust and reputation, and even prevent revenue loss.

A comprehensive CSIRP should cover everything from isolating affected systems, conducting forensics, and notifying stakeholders to temporary measures that can be implemented during an attack. It should also address how to mitigate future incidents and prevent them from occurring in the first place.

It’s important to note that many cyber security compliance standards require an effective CSIRP, including the CCPA and ISO 27001. It’s vital to review your CSIRP periodically to ensure it’s up to date.

Not Keeping User Permissions Up to Date

Keeping user permissions up to date is critical to cyber security compliance. This is because it helps reduce the risk of data breaches by ensuring employees who have left the company can no longer access systems. It also helps to ensure that sensitive information is not accessible to hackers.

Data breaches are costly for businesses and can have long-term consequences for their brand reputation. Legal problems and loss of customer trust can arise due to these actions.

To protect against cybersecurity threats, it is essential to continually monitor and refine your business’s systems, networks, and software. This can be done by deploying a managed cyber security solution to detect and respond to potential threats in real time.

Not Having a Security Audit

Security audits help organizations identify risks and take steps to reduce them. They also prove compliance with internal policies and external standards and can help businesses avoid costly cyber-attacks and data breaches.

When performing a security audit, it is essential to identify all stakeholders and communicate who is responsible for which parts of the process. This helps keep security teams accountable and prevents them from accidentally missing requirements. Having a clear plan for how often audits are performed is also helpful, as some standards are frequency-bound and must be completed monthly or annually.

Aside from ensuring that basic security measures are in place, such as patching, vulnerability management, user account security hygiene (removing accounts promptly when employees leave), two-factor authentication, and a strong password policy, it is essential to perform regular security audits.

Not Having a Security Training Program

Cyber security compliance refers to meeting rules established by regulatory bodies, laws, or industry standards. These requirements can be a legal obligation, or a voluntary set of standards businesses pursue.

A key component of cybersecurity compliance is ensuring staff understand the importance of following best practices and recognizing the risks associated with social engineering attacks like phishing. Achieving this requires a well-developed security training program.

Unfortunately, many organizations fail to value training as an opportunity to strengthen their enterprise security posture. These organizations often view training as a compliance requirement or another activity to check off the list. As such, their training programs could be more effective and executed better. Security awareness training should be engaging and focused on educating with empathy.