Every day, hour, and minute, more and more individuals and businesses are victims of cyberattacks. They lose precious time, money, and clientele as they work to restore operations and get back on their feet after an incident.
Performing a professional cyber risk assessment is a proactive way to prepare for and avoid these attacks in the first place. Read on for a closer look at how risk assessments work and why hiring an expert IT company to perform yours is worth the investment.
Why Does Hiring an Expert Matter?
You may have been offered some package deals for your IT from various non-specialized providers. While this may seem like an efficient, cost-effective solution at first, hiring a company that doesn’t specialize in IT poses some problems.
Non-specialists don’t have the same experience, expertise, and access to advanced tools as professional IT companies. Since technology and cybersecurity are not their main focus, these companies likely aren’t as focused or up-to-date on best practices, and you may miss out on personalized services and the latest threat protection.
Also, without the tools, resources, and dedication of an IT company, non-specialists may offer subpar cyber risk assessment, auditing, compliance, or disaster recovery services—or they may not offer them at all. More complex solutions like these require acute attention to detail, niche knowledge, and advanced tools that non-IT companies simply don’t have.
What Is a Cyber Risk Assessment?
Getting a cyber risk assessment is like going to the doctor for a checkup or physical. IT professionals act like “doctors” for your business’s technology, but instead of evaluating blood sugar or identifying diseases you’re at risk for, they look for gaps or weak spots in your systems and determine which cyber threats you’re most likely to experience.
The assessment also includes reports of the likelihood of these attacks and the damage they could cause to each aspect of your infrastructure. These evaluations are crucial because they show you how to make your systems “healthier” and what kinds of threats you should defend against—just like a doctor recommending specific foods and habits to help a patient with a high risk of diabetes.
What Can a Professional Cyber Risk Assessment Protect Me From?
Cyber threats grow more sophisticated and damaging every day, and it’s important that you have expert advice for protecting yourself from them. Here are just a few of the specific threats your professional IT team can catch that a non-specialist might miss.
APTs
Advanced persistent threats are sophisticated, prolonged attacks where cybercriminals gain unauthorized access to a network and remain undetected for an extended period. They aim to gradually steal sensitive data over time rather than launching a larger, immediate attack.
Detecting an APT involves identifying unusual traffic patterns and unauthorized access attempts, often requiring advanced monitoring tools. An IT specialist has access to these and other resources they can use to find vulnerabilities that could be exploited by APTs. They can suggest defenses like more detailed monitoring and additional access controls.
Supply Chain Attacks
Supply chain attacks involve encoding malware or viruses into a trusted vendor’s hardware or software, which then infiltrates the buyer’s systems. By exploiting the trust between vendors and clients, attackers can access sensitive information or disrupt operations.
Recognizing these vulnerabilities requires thorough vetting of third-party providers and routine software audits. A cyber risk assessment can highlight trustworthy practices and enforce strong security protocols between you and your suppliers to mitigate these risks.
Steganography
Steganography conceals data within another file, such as images or audio, to evade detection and deliver malware or steal data. This stealthy approach makes it challenging to detect through standard scanning tools.
In a professional risk assessment, you’ll have access to more intense scanning tools to catch hidden attacks. You can also use the information gained in the assessment to tailor file and software checking practices to your organization, lowering your risk of a steganography attack.
Social Engineering
Social engineering attacks (like spam emails or phishing phone calls) can be difficult to detect because they don’t come from your systems but from your employees—attackers prey on human error rather than technical vulnerabilities.
While you may not be able to identify these attacks in your cyber risk assessment, you can evaluate your preparedness to prevent and combat them. Techniques like installing robust spam filters and network segmentation can help prevent social engineering attacks and contain the damage if they occur.
See the Specialized Difference with Run Networks
Your business is important. It represents a huge investment of time, energy, and money, not to mention your passions and your livelihood. So don’t leave your cyber risk assessment to just anyone—you deserve the higher quality and results of an expert IT company like Run Networks.
Cybersecurity and effective IT solutions are our specialty, and your success and cyber safety are our priority. With prompt and professional service, a love for what we do, and access to a wide range of advanced tools, we’re ready to step in and take care of your tech. Send us a message, and you’ll see the professional difference in no time.
