10 Jun How IT Support Service Providers in Southampton Can Boost Your Cyber security
As the world becomes more digital, staying safe from cyber threats has never been more important. Contrary to some popular beliefs, small to medium-sized businesses are being targeted with smarter and more scalable tools compared to the past. They just don’t make the headlines in the same way a big corporation would in the event of a breach! In this blog, we will explore how IT support service providers in Southampton can enhance your cyber security, ensuring your business stays safe and compliant with data protection regulations such as the UK GDPR.
What is Cyber security and Why Does It Matter?
Cyber security is about keeping your digital premises secure. That’s your network, devices, data, and user accounts across your applications, as well as IT infrastructure like your servers. They do this using a range of solutions, including:
- Network security monitoring for potential breaches and threats, helping you to stop them before they can cause harm and disruption to your business continuity.
- Security for your apps includes streamlined multi-factor authentication, user access controls based on what they need to access, and rolling out secure IT policies into your apps so that they are used more securely.
- User awareness training to help transform your people (often the weakest link in business security and starting point for compromise) into your strongest cyber security asset.
- Data protection measures include data encryption and smart monitoring systems that can follow the flow of your data to ensure it is being held and processed securely, flagging up any incidents for investigation.
- Designing a secure IT policy that aligns with cyber security and data protection standards can then be used to ensure your IT is operating securely.
Cyber security is crucial for protecting data, maintaining compliance, minimising risks to your operational continuity and customer delivery, and safeguarding your reputation. Cyber security services in Southhampton and elsewhere minimise the chances and impact of cyber threats on your business.
Core Cyber Security Regulations and Standards in the UK
In the UK, businesses must comply with several cyber security regulations to ensure the protection of personal and sensitive data. Some key regulations include:
- GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation): Enforced since 2018, GDPR requires businesses to protect the personal data and privacy of EU citizens. Non-compliance can result in hefty fines.
- PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard): This set of security standards is designed to protect credit card information and applies to any business that handles card payments.
- Cyber Essentials: A UK government-backed scheme that helps organisations protect against common cyber threats and demonstrates their commitment to cyber security.
While there are many other industry-specific data protection standards, such as the SRA for legal firms and the MHRA for healthcare providers in the UK, these three standards are especially likely to be relevant for your business.
Cyber Essentials covers the key defences that every business should have to stay secure today and is an invaluable form of social proof you can use to show customers and partner organisations that your business takes cyber security seriously.
How IT Service Providers Ensure Your Business’s Cyber security
IT support service providers in Southampton, like our team here at Vostron, offer a range of services and solutions to bolster your cyber security. Here’s how they ensure your business remains secure:
1. Proactive Monitoring and Threat Detection
IT providers will use 24/7 network monitoring tools to detect network issues and cyber compromise before they have the chance to hurt your business. When these issues are flagged, the provider will proactively address them for you to keep your business safe and on the road.
2. Regular Security Assessments and Audits
We cannot control the things we are unaware of, and this is why security assessments are so important. An outsourced IT company will be able to do a thorough audit of your IT and discover any vulnerabilities and security gaps that could compromise your business. They can then take action for you and remediate these issues accordingly.
3. Implementation of Advanced Security Solutions
Some businesses today, perhaps because of their size or the nature of their work, need advanced cyber security solutions. This can look like AI-driven threat detection and prevention systems that constantly learn from your IT and the wider threat intelligence community and use these insights to keep your business safe in real-time. Advanced solutions like a dedicated 24/7 Security Operations Centre offer enterprise-class security for businesses at an accessible price.
4. Employee Training and Awareness Programs
As mentioned, the human factor is often the leading cause for cyber compromise. IT support providers offer training and awareness programs to educate your employees on the best practices for cyber security. They’ll learn how to identify even a sophisticated phishing email, as well as cyber security best practices that they should use to keep your business secure.
5. Incident Response and Disaster Recovery
Having a clear plan and fast on-call support in the event of the unexpected can make or break a business. IT support providers can offer a data backup and recovery solution that creates regular backups of your business’s data ready for restoration whenever needed. They can help you to build a plan for addressing cyber incidents quickly and robustly and help you to carry out this response, greatly mitigating the potential harm of a breach, for example.
Demonstrating Your Security with Cyber Essentials
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification scheme designed to help organisations protect themselves against common cyber threats. Achieving Cyber Essentials certification demonstrates your commitment to cyber security and provides several benefits:
- Customer Confidence: Certification reassures clients and partners that you take cyber security seriously and have implemented key defences to protect them.
- Reduced Cyber Insurance Premiums: Some insurance providers offer lower premiums to businesses with Cyber Essentials certification. With Cyber Essentials certification, you can also get some complementary cyber insurance coverage!
- Minimised Risk: The chances of a cyber attack and the potential harm it can cause will be greatly reduced through the layers of defences you’ll have in place.
- Competitive Advantage: Being certified can differentiate your business from competitors, showing your proactive approach to security. For example, many government tenders now require Cyber Essentials certification.
In The Dark About Your Cyber Security? We’ll Help You Shine a Light on It!
Unsure of your IT’s security? Not had a vulnerability assessment done for a while? We can help you shine a light on your cyber security and help you secure your business. Book an informal chat with us today for actionable insights for keeping your business secure from today’s cyber bad guys.
Final Thoughts
Cyber security can get left behind until cyber threats catch up! With an IT support partner in Southampton on your side, you’ll be able to grow your business securely and enjoy peace of mind while you do it! If you’d like to get your business secure, we’d love to help you. Getting secure can just start with an informal conversation with our team. Let the experts handle your cyber security so you can focus on what you do best – growing your business.
Vostron: Delivering Exceptional IT With Personal Service to Southampton’s Businesses
Our mission is to help Southampton’s SMEs thrive with powerful and secure technology, all backed by a personal and proactive approach. We offer a complete managed IT solution that takes care of your tech, so you can take care of your business. Whether you need IT support, a cyber security or data backup solution, or help achieving your strategic goals with technology, our team stands ready to help you succeed with technology.
