It only takes one click…
It’s a Friday afternoon, the sun’s shining and your Marketing Assistant set to take an early mark after one last quick check of his emails. Only half paying attention, he clicks on an attachment that looks legitimate… but then all hell breaks loose. Or does it?
Without taking the necessary steps, a world of trouble could be just around the corner: You and your clients’ valuable data could be vulnerable; your company’s reputation could be on the line; fines and the cost of lost business could mount up.
But if your organisation is well prepared for a cyber attack, then you and your employees can rest easy and enjoy that well-earned weekend.
Albeit, you’re here because you’re ready and able to deal with cyber security threats and avoid the world of pain mentioned above, but you’re unsure where to begin? Applying a Cyber Security Maturity Model could be the first step in discovering the solution.
Failure to prepare is preparing to fail
From malware to trojans; phishing scams to data breaches, cyber threats are a significant threat to businesses of all shapes and sizes - especially those that are ill prepared.
Cyber Security Maturity Models are used to analyse a business’s ability to withstand cyber security threats, then provide planning measures and recommendations that can dramatically increase the efficiency and impact of how threats are dealt with.
Take the email example above - a situation that requires at least comprehensive firewall and antivirus management - these are two simple steps the Model would certainly recommend to stave off any potential threat, and could be extremely cost- and reputation-effective if they help avoid the consequences of an ill-timed click.
What’s more, should the worst happen, adopting this Model approach will provide a holistic look at all aspects of your cyber security maturity, prompting a business to backup its data, and allowing rapid and safe recovery from a cyber attack.
So how do I find out my business’s Cyber Security Maturity Level?
At Agile CIO Partners, our Cyber Security Maturity Model examines businesses of all sizes, and rates its cyber security preparedness on a three-level scale. With Level One indicating a very high risk of a cyber security issue. It’s not uncommon for businesses to start here - by identifying the problem you’ve already taken the first step to dramatically reducing your risk.
Level Two shows that steps are in place to significantly reduce the impact of a cyber compromise. If you’ve prioritised a successful recovery after a cyber attack, you’re on the right track, and most businesses should aim to be at least at Level Two.
Although it’s tough to guarantee total protection, the top Level 3 means cyber compromises have been significantly reduced.
We understand that a Maturity Model is not one-size-fits-all, and therefore 3 models have been created according to the size of your business.
In isolation, the Model’s recommendations aren’t unique - it simply offers suggestions that can be implemented either internally or externally. However, using a Model that has been created using years of expert advice and experience to group cyber security solutions together is where the value lies, and that’s what makes it so much more effective, as capabilities are tailored, no matter how many clicks you make.