Cyber risks are an enormous problem for small businesses and large corporate enterprises alike. The threat posed by cybercriminals and poor data management habits costs business dearly. In 2020, it’s reported that cybercriminals cost global business interests around $945 billion (or about 1 percent of the worldwide GDP)! Developing strong defenses against these intrusions is therefore an obvious necessity for all types of businesses.

Surprisingly, the most common data intrusions of the modern age are coming from a hybrid approach that must elicit a highly mobile threat detection response.

Small businesses must start with personnel training for a full response.

Many cyber threats are coming through a channel termed “social engineering.” This is a particularly nasty branch of the phishing attack approach. Criminals call, email, or otherwise initiate contact with large swaths of a corporate workforce with an official sounding request. They ask for personal details, a password change, or some other seemingly innocuous request based on the apparent authenticity of the source.

These phishing attacks often seek to exploit weaknesses in the overlapping lanes of communication between departments or regional offices. By making requests that seem commonplace and originate from a source that sounds authoritative and distant enough to sound legitimate and somewhat taxing to verify, phishing attacks can penetrate even the strongest digital security systems by gaining sensitive data “the old fashioned way.”

Training your staff to spot these assaults is crucial to securing your data. A vault is only safe if the burglars can’t gain access to the key, after all. The most important thing a team can do when faced with a potential phishing attack is to communicate. Communication foils these sorts of systemic penetrations because social engineering relies completely upon an individual’s willingness to trust an email or other form of correspondence without an additional layer of verification. For instance, if staff members are trained to physically seek out their IT manager to verify emails containing a password change request, the office is far less likely to fall victim to this type of breach.

The sad truth is that people are often the weakest links in the long chain of security measures enacted by business entities of all varieties.

Rely on the expertise of a professional security firm.

After training your staff to be wary of communication from questionable sources, the next step is to implement data protection measures. These are crucial to maintaining the secure access protocols that can block data centers and personal devices from malware and other digital attacks. Firms like Securd who offer their signature Securd Edge Protection service to their enterprise clients, have years of experience in the industry and have seen it all when it comes to cybercrime.

The security services offered by professional data protection vendors like Securd are unmatched. These are the best in the business, and should be a go-to service for your business as it begins to expand into new territories or product lines.

While the modern, hybrid hacker is adept at extracting sensitive information from human sources, the tried and true method of penetrating secure servers remains in the capable yet malicious hands of custom malware. Network security is built completely on a firm’s ability to resist attacks through these digital channels, and the help of a network security professional is the best way to ensure that you are prepared for the most sophisticated of malware infections and data breaches.

Protecting yourself and your business from the threats posed by cybercriminals is a tall order. With a smart approach and the assistance of a professional cloud service and network security team, these threats can be minimized for peace of mind and a focused energy on product growth rather than on defensive posturing.