By Rich Kenney
Over time, many great ideas are occasionally re-examined and reconsidered by the scientists and businesspeople of the day. Was the world flat or round? Did the other planets revolve around the earth or the sun? Was Michael Jackson the greatest entertainer in history? Additionally, innovators are known for rethinking how we do things. Henry Ford imagined a better way to build cars, Steve Jobs created a better way to use a cell phone, and Ray Croc (and the two other guys who really founded McDonald’s) introduced a new way to serve cheeseburgers. Yes, throughout history, we’ve constantly re-examined our world and used innovation to find new solutions to old problems … but never before at the pace we are doing that today!
Today, we are rethinking almost everything … faster and more completely than we ever have. Change is everywhere, and it often results in an uncomfortable feeling for many people. As we start moving forward from 2020, we find change in our technology landscape, our economic recovery solutions, and our healthcare expectations, just to name a few. Cyberattackers are changing too!
But … so is Cybersecurity. Which is good. Because as the bad guys change and improve their techniques, so should the good guys.
First, cyberthieves have new goals. Ransomware pirates want big money and are attacking almost anyone these days. The cost of ransomware has skyrocketed. It wouldn’t surprise me to find actual ransom quotas being put on the cyberthieves responsible for that in their organization.
Second, hackers have different objectives. Sure, they want your money, but they also want to test the waters of causing massive disruptions to life as we know it. Your $50,000 bitcoin ransom is very different than the effects of shutting down a pipeline or monkeying with the US food supply.
Third, the way cybercriminals attack is different. They are constantly developing new techniques. They find and exploit weaknesses that we did not even know existed a year or two ago.
Finally, methods for defending your business are also constantly evolving. Today, a well-protected business has layers and layers of protection in use to decrease the risk. The firewall, the virus protection, and the server back-up system are not enough anymore. All of the extra layers of protection cost more than it once did. Simply put, it is just the cost of doing business.
Cybersecurity professionals across the country, and the world, are rapidly rethinking the way we protect your business. The game is different now, and so is the way we play the game. We are rethinking everything.
This means three things for most small to mid-sized businesses.
- Work closely with and trust your specialist in Cybersecurity. It is a full-time, multi-disciplined job to keep you protected these days.
- Keep an open mind when your IT team tells you they are changing their approach or when they suggest something new. The solution needs to be different because the problem we are trying to fix is constantly changing.
- Be patient and understand that the added protection many times means increased costs. Try to understand the risks involved and perform your own cost-benefit analysis of mitigating those risks with extra protections that cost more money.
Together, we must rethink our approach. Understand that the goal to protect your business has not changed; however, the way we defend your IT network is always changing.
We are rethinking everything.