Most organizations over-complicate cybersecurity because they realize it is a crucial element you will have to eventually provide for your company. Business owners have a plethora of potential “needs and services'' being thrown at them every day. With the magnitude of choices, it’s extremely difficult to cut through the fluff and identify what is critical and what is just nice to have.
Here at Pulse, we take the approach of educating the community on cybersecurity to help business owners make an informed decision on what’s best for their business and budget.
Download our Full Executive's Guide to Cybersecurity
This guide breaks down exactly what kind of threats a business faces, and the many cybersecurity layers that solve each one. We kept it short because we know you’re busy.
So, once you know which layers are recommended and WHY, it’s important to understand the two primary factors a company should evaluate when choosing the right fit for each of these layers.
The two factors we will be reviewing are effectiveness and user impact.
Effectiveness
This is THE most important aspect to consider. Is the layer effective at doing what it says it’s going to do? For example: Is the spam filtering service catching spam? If so, at what rate?
Let's look at a specific example: Microsoft 365 has built-in spam filtering, so why would a business invest in additional spam filtering?
The answer is effectiveness.
The built-in spam filtering does stop some spam, but not at a rate that your IT provider is comfortable with. That is why they recommend an additional layer of protection. It’s not to sell another service, it’s because it is their job to protect your business.
We go through a standard checklist and review process for every layer to ensure they are effective in the current environment. We say the “current environment” because cybersecurity is constantly growing and adapting to accommodate new technology and situations. We continuously repeat this process to ensure our recommendations are the right fit for your company!
User Productivity
This is sometimes unconsidered, but user productivity is oftentimes the main pain an organization feels. If a cybersecurity layer slows your users down and costs more money in the long run, it just doesn’t feel worth it.
For instance, multi-factor authentication is a layer that requires a second form of authentication or “login” to gain access to an account. This can be cumbersome for the end user but truly is an important layer.
Pulse identifies how to make this easier for our clients:
- Authenticator app – this will send a quick push notification to your mobile phone. All you must do is click “Yes” rather than remembering and typing in a code.
- Safe devices – We set devices you log in from often as safe devices. This will limit how often you are asked for a second form of authentication.
User impact is crucial because you are the one having to work with the cybersecurity layers. If you or your company begins to feel like your current service has become time-consuming and more like a chore, reach out to us today so we can get you working securely AND fast.
Don't forget to download your copy of the Executive's Guide to Cybersecurity.
