The biggest misconception small businesses owners have is that Cyber Security is a singular thing. The term Cyber Security is vague and does not lend itself to thinking of a multifaceted or complex solution. The prevailing idea is that X company or X hardware or software will provide protection from all the cyber threats imposing on our lives. This is far from the truth. I will try to dispel common myths about Cyber Security and provide clarity on what a true solution should look like.

MYTH 1

"My antivirus software will protect us from cyber threats."

While antivirus software is a valuable tool in protecting your network from cyber threats, it is only as good as the solution it is a part of. If you are only using antivirus to protect your environment, then you are vulnerable in so many more areas. Traditional antivirus is reactive. It must identify a process or system action to start doing its job. By that time, it is already too late. Hackers know that most companies depend heavily on antivirus. They also know how antivirus works and bypass them when possible.

MYTH 2

"I have a firewall; nothing gets through to our users!"

Marketing for various security products gives you the "warm and fuzzy" feeling of protection. The harsh truth is firewalls are only as good as the policies and makeup of the security systems built into them. Out the box, firewalls are simply a routing device with default rules in place. If you leave it at that, you are creating a greater threat to your network than if you did not have one and your users were on "high alert".

Make no mistake, firewalls are an integral part of any solid cyber security solution. But it can become your weakest link if unproperly configured. Depending on your organization, that configuration can look different than the next company's configuration. That is 100% normal as rules and policies are created incorporating your workflows and operation. There are no one-size fits all setup. Companies utilize VPN Tunneling. Others use VLANs. Others use MAC Address filtering, or all three. It depends on your organization's workflow.

MYTH 3

"My company uses spam/phishing filtering software/hardware, and we have nothing to worry about."

This is the greatest threat to a secure network environment. While most network infections happen through company email networks, it is hardly the only threat facing them. The best spam/phishing applications can only protect you at the server. They also do not detect and stop 100% of phishing or spam messages. Vulnerabilities will continue to make it to the end users.

Additionally, users can introduce spam/phishing attacks from documents brought in on USB drives or by visiting hacked websites or download malicious software to contend with. By no means does a filter prevent or guarantee a completely save environment.

WHAT TO DO?

"I'm not afraid! It will not happen to my business!"

If you have not suffered any significant downtime due to an inadequate cyber defense, it is just a matter of time before you do. By now you must be thinking there is nothing you can do and just waive a white flag, acquiesce to hackers, pay the ransom. No! You can fight back and win! While no magic bullets exist, a well-crafted cyber strategy built through understanding the network environment and corporate vision can protect you. The goal is business continuity. Preserving the data, reducing the vulnerability of networks, and giving network users the tools to become the defenders of the network all but assures you of your cyber safety.

Any solution must be multi-layered and involve the entire organization. Everyone is necessary to sure up the network. If your solution is not comprehensive, layered, and constantly evolving, you are vulnerable. And we have not touch upon remote users!

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