As businesses and organizations of all sizes become increasingly reliant on their IT software and systems, protecting these crucial components against security breaches is becoming more and more of a priority. The challenge, however, is that security threats in the form of viruses and malware are constantly evolving, and security software installed in the past may no longer be up to the task of protecting your vital information.
In order to ensure that your security software and protocols remain up to date, periodical security assessments are strongly recommended.
What is a Security Assessment?
When a security assessment is performed, IT security professionals analyze the technology used in your business or organization, searching for weaknesses that could be exploited and offering recommendations about how you can improve your security. In the first phase of a security assessment, a focus is placed on reviewing your current system in order to better understand the types of devices and software your businesses uses as well as how they are used on a day-to-day basis. The second phase of a security assessment involves a thorough examination of your current system. At this point, any weaknesses in your security are identified and fixed. Finally, these fixes are tested in order to ensure that the desired result has been achieved, and if any improvement can be made, the process starts back from step two. Once the assessment is complete you and your staff are given a detailed explanation as to what changes were made and why as well as a report outlining procedures that should be taken in the future.
What are the Advantages of a Security Assessment?
As with any business decision, the decision to request a security assessment for your business must be justified by weighing the advantages. To help you determine if a security assessment is a good choice for your business, we’ve listed the top benefits that security assessments offer:
Bolstered Security
The first and most obvious advantage of a security assessment is the fact that it bolsters the security of your business or organization. A quality security assessment will find gaps in your security that you may have not even known existed then offer a solution to remedy them. Not only can a security assessment prevent your proprietary information from being stolen, it can also prevent you ever having to deal with the disaster of losing all function of your IT system entirely. Many threats such as viruses and ransomware will result in a complete meltdown of your IT infrastructure, effectively crippling your business if you rely on your technology to stay running (which most businesses and organizations these days do). A simple security assessment is a preemptive measure that can keep disasters such as these from happening, potentially saving you a fortune.
Increased Productivity/Efficiency
A detailed security assessment report provides a wealth of information that will be incredibly valuable for your IT staff. It’s something they will be able to reference and refer back to as they do their jobs, allowing them to be far more productive and efficient. A security assessment can also boost efficiency by improving communication between your IT and management departments. Since both of these departments play a vital role in making decisions that relate to security, and since both departments are provided with a detailed analysis after the assessment is complete that is meant to be understood by them both, a security assessment provides common ground between your management and IT departments. This common ground and common understanding of how the IT security in your business works streamlines communication concerning your security and makes it easier to efficiently address issues as they arise.
Increased Awareness
Sometimes, the online habits of a business and its employees can be just as big a security risk as outdated software. The benefit of a security assessment, though, is that it draws awareness towards IT security and causes employees to pay a little more attention to what they are doing online. A little extra attention to security is always a positive thing, and it’s one of the consequences of having a security assessment performed.
Simplification
The new system that a security assessment produces should be simple enough to be used by anyone, not necessarily just those with a background in IT. This simplification allows more departments to play an active role in the business’s IT security and helps proper security become part of the culture at your business or organization. If you would like your executives and management staff to be able to start playing a more active role in security, a security assessment that produces a simplified, easy to use system and process may be the best way to get them involved.
Better Targeting of Resources
There’s a decent chance you may be spending a lot of time and money on security resources, software, and procedures that you don’t need. A security assessment not only pinpoints which areas of your system need more attention, it also pinpoints areas where too much attention is given. By relocating focus and resources that are allocated towards low-risk areas and allocating them to areas of high risk instead, a security assessment keeps you from wasting time and money in places they are not needed.
Consistency
Different applications and systems within your business may be secured in completely different ways. This type of inconsistency can be a nightmare for your IT staff and can actually decrease how secure your business is. With a security assessment, though, all of the systems and applications that you rely on are updated to use the same security software and follow the same security protocols. This creates a reliable, consistent approach to security across your business and increases both the efficiency and effectiveness of your IT department.
Someone in Your Corner
A good security assessment comes with the assurance that there is a team of experts that you can go to at any time with any questions you might have about your business’s new security system. If issues arise, it’s nice knowing that there is someone in your corner who can provide assistance if need be. Though hiring assistance after a problem has arisen is an option, having a team you’ve already worked with on call allows you to respond far more rapidly and address potential problems before they spiral into full-blown disasters.
How to Request a Security Assessment
Getting a security assessment for your business is an incredibly simple and straightforward process, and you are completely free to choose your level of involvement throughout the assessment. A security assessment is non-disruptive and can be conducted without any major inconvenience to your business and employees. Best of all, a high-quality security assessment is more affordable than you might think, making it an easy expense to justify for even small to medium sized businesses and organizations.
If you would like to learn more about the benefits of a security assessment and receive a free consultation with to discuss how a security assessment would work for your particular business or organization, feel free to contact us today!