Each year, organizations of all sizes become victims of a data breach, and the financial losses are staggering. A recent study sponsored by IBM puts the total expenses per incident at $4 million, with a per-record cost of $158. This is an increase from previous years. Stolen records aren’t the only cost of a security attack. Disruptions in productivity and damage to your reputation can have long-term repercussions.
Small Businesses Are Hacked More Often
As cybercriminals become more sophisticated, the question isn’t if you will be hacked, but when. In fact, the same research predicts a 26 percent probability that a material data breach impacting 
10,000 stolen or lost records will occur within the next two years. The issue isn’t limited to large organizations like Target and Sony. Companies of every size can be targeted, with 60 percent of attacks aimed at small businesses. Unfortunately, small businesses often lack the resources necessary to repair the damage, and many are forced to close after a data breach.
Advanced technology can prevent many cyber attacks — and with the right tools in place, it is possible to minimize business disruption if a breach does occur. When issues are caught within the first 30 days, impacted organizations save an average of $1 million. Whether a hacker attempts to gain entry to your network, an employee makes an error or a software glitch exposes sensitive information, there are steps you can take to ensure your business remains intact.
Network Security Services
Experienced providers of information technology services will begin comprehensive security planning with technology specifically designed to combat data theft. These four tools are critical to the security of your infrastructure:
Access Control
At the base of every security plan is access control: who can access which information and for what purpose. All sensitive information should be available on a need-to-know basis only, and your IT manager will make this a primary focus of security measures.
Device Management
Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a trend that is not likely to disappear anytime soon. Employees and employers benefit from remaining connected through mobile technology. However, when coupled with laptops that are connected through a variety of secured and unsecured Wi-Fi networks, companies run the risk of exposing sensitive information. Using advanced technology, your business IT support provider will create a security plan that includes device management, monitoring and immediate remediation of any issues.
Email Security
Email has transformed business communication, making it a tempting target for those with malicious intent. Unsecured messages can be intercepted and sensitive information stolen. In addition, hackers can use company email to introduce malware to your network. IT service providers use a variety of tools to combat these issues, including anti-spam, anti-malware and IP filtering software.
Network Intrusion Prevention
Finally, preventing unauthorized access to your business network is a critical component of your data security plan. Advanced tools make it difficult for hackers to gain entry to your systems. However, no prevention plan is perfect, and hackers are always evolving. Therefore, appropriate intrusion detection tools are necessary, too.
Xact IT Solutions is a leader in Philadelphia technology services. We work with companies of all sizes to provide business IT support, and we will implement a comprehensive security plan to keep your data safe from internal and external data thieves. We will ensure that if a breach occurs, it is caught early, and we will reduce the loss of productivity by minimizing downtime.
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