With highly publicised cyberattacks to some big companies, believe it or not, there are still so many businesses out there – especially small ones – that don’t take IT security Melbourne as seriously as they should. Their reasons could be anything from a false feeling of security, especially those that use Apple Mac computers, thinking their operating system is, by default, more secure than Windows computers. The most common reason is that these companies believe cyberattacks can’t possibly happen to them due to the nature of the work or the trust they put in their staff – they are so wrong here! Cyberattacks can happen to any business of any size. If it can happen to large corporations, it most definitely can happen to small and medium-sized businesses.
Notwithstanding the long history of cyberattacks to prominent businesses, many businesses still are not investing in higher security measures for their IT systems. With the modern times necessitating the digitisation of business records, most businesses these days are run through computers. And with such obvious vulnerability, you’d think businesses should prioritise IT security Melbourne to protect their businesses. That would be the ideal course of action, but in reality, rather than investing in IT security, these businesses hinge their trust – and their business – on some myths.
Busting 5 Myths About IT Security
1.
“Mac computers are safe, because they’re expensive.” Well, that is definitely not true and has been proven many times over by the recent spate of ransomware attacks against Mac OS X users. It was such an opener and a hard way to learn a lesson for Mac OS X users that they too are vulnerable to malware-caused cyber breach. Having invested a lot of money on their OS X system only to find out that their privacy was breached easily – easier than Windows and Linux) – was a big slap to their faces.
2.
“We have all this great technology in place, there’s no way we’ll get hacked or cyber-breached“. This is a wrong and complacent way of thinking. Just because your business has all the latest cyber-protection, doesn’t mean you’re safe. Even with all that, you can still get hacked. Half of the reported cyber-breaches in 2015 were either inside-job or human error caused by staff members. To be virtually hack-proof, your business should encompass three levels of cyber-protection: the latest technology, updated software, and cyber-security measures adopted as policy by your business culture.
3.
“We’ve increased our protection since having been hacked once, so it won’t happen again.” If your business is one of those data-rich targets for hackers, you’re out of luck. It’s been observed that hackers will continue to target businesses like you, especially if the protection that was installed was generic and did not really address the specific weak point that allowed the first incident of hacking. Just because you learned your lesson and step up your IT security Melbourne, don’t mean you can get complacent now; this is akin to Myth #2 above.
4.
“We are not and have not been considered an at-risk industry, so we don’t need ransomware.” No, you’re wrong. Hackers may have favourites (healthcare, education, financial, or accounting industries), but studies have shown that they also do hack even the ‘poor targets’ such as your business. Just think of it like if you use computers to run your business, you can get hacked; simple as that. What hackers find with those businesses like yours is that they think like you, and that makes them vulnerable to hacking.
5.
“We covered everything from hardware to software to cyber safety policies in place to amp-up our security. We should be safe now.” No, you’re still not safe. This is complacency from a false sense of security, which can bring your business to its knees when an unexpected attack hits you. Your business’ IT security Melbourne is only as good as the computer users in your company. You may think every one of your staff will not fall prey to malware because they’ve been oriented and there have been zero incidents for a couple of years. But just like you – human and prone to mistakes – they also get complacent with their cyber safety practices. They stop being vigilant, or the hackers get more creative at a much faster rate than what your business can protect itself from. Just one inadvertent click from a careless staff can put your business at risk.
Where to Get Help for Your IT Security?
As mentioned above in Myth #2, your business must cover IT security Melbourne at all three levels: hardware, software, and safe culture. You may have tried doing all these in-house, but it came at a great cost. The better solution and more cost-effective could be engaging an outsourced IT support team and/or virtual CIO to monitor your computer systems 24/7, advise, check, and implement flexible IT security strategies IT outsourced or Virtual CIO support team there to monitor, advise, analyses, and implement flexible security strategies for your business.
We have a team of IT experts in Melbourne who have a portfolio of providing protection to a lot of businesses in Australia. Whether you need help now or preventing an incident from taking place, our specialists can help you and protect your business. Come to our office to discuss how we can protect your business from all kinds of cyber-attacks, so you can focus more on your business’ core activities.