The cost of recovering from a breach could be much higher than you think.
All over the world, more and more money is being spent on cyber security, for a number of different reasons. New regulations, like GDPR, have made it a priority for businesses, there’s more awareness of the dangers of cyber crime, and the time and effort needed to keep up with criminals is naturally pushing up costs as well.
But none of that is any excuse for poor cyber security. Yes, cyber security can be expensive, but there are solutions to suit all budgets. There are even security measures you can take that cost nothing.
The DNS service Quad9, for example, is completely free. It works by blocking web domains known to be harmful, based on information from leading cyber security companies. Of course, new web domains won’t be blocked until they make it onto the list, but Quad9 remains a simple and fairly effective way to protect networks.
Also potentially free, or at least very cheap, is basic cyber security awareness among the workforce. A lot of successful cyber breaches still use social engineering techniques, so teaching people how to be more vigilant against it can be hugely effective.
Businesses can also do themselves a big favour by using affordable, subscription-based cyber security solutions like TMB’s own Fully Managed Security & Maintenance Endpoint Service. It rolls up some of the most essential elements of cyber security into one convenient package, creating a reliable form of basic protection.
It’s not, however, intended to encompass all areas of cyber security. The simple fact is that, like most things in life, you get what you pay for (although high pricing doesn’t guarantee high quality, of course). Investing in other security solutions, like firewalls, network upgrades, backups and disaster recovery, is necessary to get the greatest level of protection, and things like Quad9 can complement such measures but cannot replace them.
That doesn’t mean you should rush out and buy the most expensive security kit on the market; instead you should consider what your needs are, how much a security breach would cost you (including long-term costs) and what you can afford.
The worst thing you can possibly do, though, is to declare it all too expensive and do nothing at all. One day, that decision will come back to bite you.
