Why we shouldn’t need scaremongering to sell security

It’s a popular discourse, cyber security – scaremongering or sincere concern? The answer, as is usually the case in hotly debated arenas, is somewhere in the middle. As much as it comforts us to believe that our technology and security protection is constantly evolving and improving – and this is true- we must also consider that cyber threats in turn are becoming more advanced and sophisticated. So, the cries of need for high level cyber security are founded, this much is hard to dispute, but, it must still be asked whether scaremongering surrounding the constant threat of cyber attack needs to be the foregrounded messaging around which we pivot our understanding of cloud security.

‘Positive’ cyber security

Whilst the punchy, attention grabbing narratives of security horror stories do spread the ethos of necessary cyber security – and we’ve been known to share a few we’ve seen in our time – it is also important to consider the benefits of a security solution in a less immediate manner. At Synergi we have often seen significant cyber security investment as a result of an incident or breach, this is usually an afterthought rather than part of a well-planned security strategy.

Security as education

Security actually offers us an educational opportunity through which we can better understand our organisation and its policies, processes and permissions. Threat protection and information protection tools offer shadow IT detection, allowing organisations to identify the application or transmission of data that is not under the jurisdiction of a centralised IT department. Furthermore, security management tools offer end-to-end visibility of your organisation and allow you to centrally manage your policies. With improved visibility into policies, processes, and access permissions, organisations gain an improved understanding into both their operations and their security.
By researching security tools and educating yourself in the potential security risks your organisation may face, you are then approaching cyber security offerings from an informed position. This could help you pick a more comprehensive and effective solution, rather than making a knee-jerk response to the latest trending threat and leaving your data exposed to other risks. A Managed Service Provider (MSP) is a great resource to assist your research into security tools, as their specialist knowledge will allow you to learn about all manners of security and find a solution that works for you and protects your information on multiple fronts.

Security as peace of mind

Security offers peace of mind in two major ways. The first and most obvious is that an effective security solution protects data, documentation and information and detects early stage threats, offering peace of mind that sensitive information is well protected. Additionally, the use of automated capabilities such as automated access management leaves less room for cyber attack opportunities through human error. For example, automated identity processes like the user lifecycle add new access rights when employees join or move teams and revoke these rights when individuals leave the organisation. This is a task that may be delayed or forgotten if completed manually, but by automating this task we are granted the peace of mind that these access rights will be appropriately revoked.

Security as extension of your existing business solution

As a quick precursor, this final point speaks predominantly to Microsoft security solutions. Microsoft’s host of security capabilities available under its Enterprise Mobility + Security packages offer a security solution that is integrated within your existing Microsoft Office and SharePoint solution and that can scale with your business. Tools such as Windows Defender Security Centre offer flexible mobile device and app management controls that allow employees or volunteers to work with their preferred apps and devices whilst additionally protecting secure information meaning you don’t have to compromise experience for security. Additionally, data loss prevention tools protect against malicious or accidental data loss from a known insider, securing sensitive information and addressing a prime concern for many businesses.

Ultimately, a security solution operates as more than just a direct response to fear of cyber attacks, it offers insight, education and peace of mind and needn’t be clunky and invasive, it can simply be an extension of your existing operations. To further embrace this opportunity, cyber education is recommended. Cyber education is especially important as new services are deployed. For example, a move to Office 365 is a great time to provide resources and training to staff on the importance of effective data handling.

Security solutions

To find out more about security solutions, get in touch today to speak to our managed services team. Simply call 0191 4770365 or email enquiries@teamsynergi.co.uk.
To find out more about the tools that power our solutions, check out the pages linked below.
Managed Services
Security
Sophos
Datto
Azure