Cybercrime is getting increasingly sophisticated. Worse, it is getting more common: COVID-19 has been seen as a catalyst for fast rises in cybercrime affecting businesses worldwide. The fact that cybercrime is increasing should be a signal that this is an issue that needs to be taken seriously and that it must be continuous.

It is true: gone are the days that a company could rely on a strong firewall and antivirus software to deal with any problem a cybercriminal could throw at them. These pieces of software are still essential in the battle against cybercrime - but they now need to be deployed alongside other tactics.

Some companies, however, are still in the mindset they need not do anything else.  3 out of 5 small business owners believe their websites are not a target of cyber-attacks because of their supposed size.

Unfortunately, this complacency can lead to them becoming an easy target for criminals, which is the reason 43% of cyber attackers prefer to attack small businesses. If you count your business amongst the number that hasn’t updated their defences in years, now is the time to act.

Here we consider the cybersecurity services and tactics that should be considered essential for every company to minimize the risk of cybercrime.

Vulnerability scans

A vulnerability scan is a software-led cybersecurity measure that businesses should utilize regularly.

These scans should be used throughout your business’ network, where they will look for any known weaknesses that could be exploited by cybercriminals. They can be a fairly blunt instrument, but they are fantastic in picking up on threats that can be easily dealt with.

While you might think that they can be run once and any issue can be effectively dealt with, the truth is that many aspects of a business system evolve. New applications are added, updates can be made that have unforeseen issues, and much more. Vulnerability scans help to minimize the risk these issues can later be exploited.

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Penetration testing

While vulnerability scans are essential, they can’t pick up everything. This is why it is vital to simultaneously do penetration testing.

In a penetration test, a cybersecurity professional will use tactics and techniques that could be utilized by cybercriminals (such as sending phishing emails or intercepting passwords) to establish how well your business is prepared to defend against these issues.

This approach will reveal the aspects of your operation that could be exploited by cybercriminals. The cybersecurity professionals can then provide you with information and suggestions on how to remedy the issues.

Thorough cybersecurity training for staff

It cannot be forgotten that staff is a vital part of good cybersecurity. If your team doesn’t know how to deal with situations, investment in even the most powerful cybersecurity features won’t be effective.

It should be considered essential to provide staff with regular, high-quality training on the latest cyber threats and what to do about them.

Proactive cybersecurity technologies

The issue for software such as antivirus and firewalls is these are reactive forms of defence. They can only react when an attack has either just struck or has already taken effect. The virus may have already been able to do some significant damage.

That is why investing in proactive cybersecurity technologies such as BitNinja Server Security can be so important.

Firewalls and antivirus software have become ingrained as essential cybersecurity investments - but they are no longer enough on their own. A similar effort must be made to ensure that companies treat services andtechnologies such as vulnerability scans, penetration testing, and proactive cybersecurity technologies in the same way.

Cybersecurity is not optional anymore. It is a must!

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This article was written by Chester Avey, who has over a decade of experience in cybersecurity. He enjoys sharing his knowledge with other like-minded professionals through his writing. Find out what else Chester has been up to on Twitter: @Chester15611376.