What Does Your Business Need to Consider When it Comes to Its IT and Cyber Security in 2024?
Happy New Year from everyone in the TwentyFour IT Services team!
As we enter 2024, many businesses are looking ahead at projects, digital transformation, budget seasons and much more. But when it comes to your business IT and Cyber Security, what should you be considering? To ease you into the new year, we wanted to cover a few of the key topics you may want to look into over the year ahead.
IT Support and Solutions:
Ensuring the smooth and efficient running of your entire business can be challenging at the best of times without the additional worries of your IT and Cyber Security. Thankfully, none of this needs to be your concern, our Managed Helpdesk Service is designed to take the hassle of IT woes away, freeing up your time to focus on your business. Our friendly team of professional and experienced engineers are here to help. We are continually investing in our people and in our business to provide the best services possible for all our customers. This shows in our 95%+ Average Customer Satisfaction scores over 2023, and in 2024 we will be continuing to innovate, bringing industry-leading tools that will allow us to provide better support than ever before.
In addition to supporting your existing hardware, we can also proactively manage your users, ensure they have the right access rights, set up new users and devices, order and configure hardware designed specifically for the users who need them, provide Microsoft & Adobe software licencing and much more.
Are you looking to install new Wi-Fi access points? Set up Staff/Guest Networks? Cable a new office? Our projects team can work with you on all of this and more to provide you with complete end-to-end support. We position ourselves not as a “provider of services” but as a Business Partner, our goal is to help you succeed.
Emerging Cyber Threats:
Over the past year, there have been an estimated 2.39 million cyber attacks on UK (United Kingdom) businesses, which is the equivalent to 4.55 attacks every minute. 81% of those businesses who suffered a Data Breach or Cyber Attack were Small to Medium Sized Businesses, and 97% of all attacks could have been prevented if those businesses had a Modern Comprehensive Cyber Security Solution in Place. Did you know that traditional Anti-Virus can only protect against 30%-50% of the more than 500,000 new cyber threats which are discovered daily?
At TwentyFour we work with businesses to understand their needs and develop tailored solutions designed to protect their business, whilst also providing education and advice to help businesses improve their overall operational efficiency.
Employee Training:
Regardless of advancements in technology and security solutions, your employees will always be your weakest link when it comes to your business Cyber Security. Regular training programmes can educate staff on the latest cyber threats, what to look out for and best practices, fostering a culture of security awareness within your business. A well-informed workforce acts as a formidable first line of defence against cyber threats and should be an essential element of your business’s cyber security strategy.
Dark Web Monitoring & Multi-factor Authentication (MFA):
Your email addresses and passwords are the keys to your business’s digital kingdom, if these fall into the wrong hands, someone could cause significant damage. Many businesses are not aware that many of these details are available on the dark web for anyone to find and if you do not have the necessary monitoring or precautions in place to protect from unauthorised access this could mean that malicious individuals could potentially wreak havoc on your business.
Dark Web Monitoring scours the dark web for any of your business’ leaked credentials, instantly alerting you to the latest breaches before attackers can use this information against you, giving you time to restrict access and change your passwords.
But what happens if those attackers get there before you do? Or if they manage to steal your credentials through more direct means? Multi-Factor Authentication adds an additional layer of security to your accounts by requiring user authentication or temporary one-time codes on a device you have with you (such as a mobile phone or tablet).
Disaster Recovery and Incident Response Planning:
Even with the best security in the world, natural disasters and hardware failures can still cause significant downtime. The saying “It’s not a matter of if, but when” holds true throughout your IT and Cyber Security landscape. Even if you have the best cyber security in place, there is still the potential that malicious threat actors could access your sensitive business data elsewhere in your supply chain, by breaching third party services. Having a robust incident response plan in place is crucial for promptly addressing any security breaches, minimising potential damage, and expediting recovery. Disaster Recovery Plans can work alongside your Incident Response plan, providing you with the framework to recover from a Cyber Attack or other Disaster (such as hardware failure or flooding) through the restoration and recovery of your key business data and plans in place to allow your employees to continue seamlessly operating.
Cloud Security:
The convenience and scalability afforded by cloud services have led to an increased reliance on cloud environments. However, the security of these environments is often overlooked, which can be perilous. Cloud services operate on a “shared responsibility” model, meaning that whilst they are responsible for your ability to access your cloud environments, you are responsible for the data and the security of the data within those environments. Ensuring robust cloud security through measures such as encryption, privileged access controls, and regular vulnerability assessments is indispensable for safeguarding business data and applications.
Regular Audits and Assessments:
Complacency can be a business’s worst enemy when it comes to cyber security. Conducting regular cyber security assessments can uncover new and hidden vulnerabilities, allowing you time to secure potential security holes before attackers have the chance to target them. These audits and assessments also provide valuable insights into the effectiveness of existing security measures, allowing for continual improvement and adaptation to the evolving threat landscape. Your business Cyber Security is not a “one and done” process, it is a continuous effort to stay one step ahead of the latest cyber security threats.
Supply Chain Security:
The security of a business’s supply chain is often the weakest link in its cyber defences. Attackers frequently exploit vulnerabilities in the supply chain to target businesses whose security is too tight to target directly. Assessing and ensuring the security of your supply chain and putting measures in place such as Advanced Email Security, is critical to prevent potential cyber-attacks and ensure business continuity.
Investment in Cyber Insurance:
In the unfortunate event of a cyber incident, the financial repercussions can be devastating. Cyber insurance provides a financial safety net, helping to cover the costs associated with data breaches and other cyber threats. It is a prudent investment that can provide significant financial relief, enabling the business to recover and resume operations swiftly.
How can TwentyFour IT Services help your Business in 2024?
At TwentyFour we work with businesses to provide a holistic and proactive approach encompassing technology, services, processes, and people. It’s imperative that businesses bolster their cyber defence to combat the rising and evolving cyber threats.
Staying up to date with the latest advancements in cyber security, nurturing a culture of continuous learning, and investing in comprehensive security solutions are pivotal steps towards fortifying your business against advancing threats.
To find out more about how we can help you with your IT, Cyber Security, and other Digital Transformation projects throughout 2024 and beyond, fill out the form below or Contact Us to find out more.