For me, empathy is an essential guiding principle in business. The ability to better understand and appreciate the other person’s perspective undoubtedly has value, whether it’s employees or customers.
My role as an IT manager for a large food production company in a previous life has stood me in good stead as CEO for LoughTec, but I often wonder what my approach to Cyber Security would be today had I stayed in that role.
There’s a degree of responsibility and pressure placed on IT managers that could be described as ‘intense’ on those good days.
Managing the networks effectively and protecting the business’s critical data is your job.
With our reliance on digital technologies and IoT, the chances are you’ll be making the business more efficient making significant savings along the way.
An unintended consequence is that you’re probably increasing your company’s reliance on the technology stack used daily.
Endpoints, networks, servers, back-ups, mobile devices, internet of things.
In the good old days, I used a floppy disk. (I am anticipating a bit of Googling from some of you at this point.)
Arriving in the post from McAfee. The magic bullet. It was a simple matter of going from device to device and installing the updates. Then you were safe.
Back then, patching was likely to be an annual occurrence you dreaded just in case everything stopped working. Life was simple. The good old days, eh? With the proliferation of technologies available today, how does your IT manager know how to protect your infrastructure?
Nobody has ever sold a bad IT solution, yet in our work we come across many who have bought precisely that. The same can be said about Cyber Technology.
Many of the solutions are heavily venture capital-backed and can create marketing strategies that would make you believe that you are 100 per cent safe if you invest with them. Some appear on the side panels of Formula One cars.
They must be good. No? And for all that, the excellent work undertaken by your IT team can be undone by the single click of a mouse on a malicious email.
Whether you choose to believe it or not, these threats are incoming from all angles and directions. All day. All night.
Targeting anyone and everyone. And the magic-bullet solutions are everywhere we look. The floppy disc has now been replaced with the paradox of choice.
It can be intimidating for businesses to know what to invest in and commit to fully, and it adds another level of pressure onto your IT department.
Our advice is to get the basics right - do what you can with what you already have.
Cyber Security is all about reducing risk, reducing your attack surface and lowering the possibility of the worst case. Cybersecurity has evolved significantly over the years as technology has advanced, and cyber threats have become more sophisticated.
While it is true that the landscape has become more complex, there are still some principles and practices from the “good old days” that remain relevant today.
Here are a few aspects that were important in the early days of cybersecurity and continue to be crucial:
Strong Passwords: Creating and using strong, unique passwords is still a fundamental practice. It helps protect your accounts from unauthorised access. Password managers can assist in generating and securely storing complex passwords.
Regular Updates: Keeping your software, operating systems, and devices up to date with the latest security patches is as vital as ever. Software updates often include critical security fixes that address known vulnerabilities.
Awareness and Education: Educating yourself about common cyber threats, phishing techniques, and best practices is critical. Staying informed about the latest trends helps you recognise and respond to potential risks effectively.
Antivirus Software: Installing and maintaining reputable antivirus software helps protect against known malware and provides an additional layer of defence.
Firewalls: Firewalls help monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic, protecting your devices and network from unauthorised access. Configuring firewalls appropriately is still crucial.
Data Backups: Regularly backing up critical data remains an essential practice.
In the event of data loss or ransomware attacks, having backups can help you recover quickly and avoid significant disruptions.
User Awareness: Practicing good cyber hygiene and being cautious about clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources are still highly relevant habits.
Being vigilant and sceptical helps prevent falling victim to phishing attacks.
While the cybersecurity landscape has evolved and introduced new challenges, these foundational principles can still form the basis of a strong cybersecurity posture.
Additionally, with the growing complexity of cyber threats, organisations and individuals are adopting more advanced security measures and technologies to protect their systems and data.
It is crucial to stay updated and adapt to the changing cybersecurity landscape to ensure robust protection in the digital age.
Seán McDermott is CEO of LoughTec.com