The prevalence of cybercrimes involving ransomware, hacking, phishing, viruses, and malware has become a daily occurrence, with most news reports covering cyberattacks against governments, large corporations, and critical infrastructure. However, even with the constant innovation and improvement of cybersecurity solutions by providers, cyberattacks still occur. Some wonder whether cybersecurity companies solve nothing at all, or whether hackers are much faster and smarter than the cybersecurity solutions developed to protect us. Others believe that cybersecurity is too complex, too expensive, or that companies do not think they are a potential target. While these may all be contributing factors, some other obstacles and barriers also affect the efficacy of cybersecurity solutions.
Firstly, most of the solutions offered are not suitable for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). These solutions do not have the capabilities needed to protect SMEs, and they offer lousy technical support in a foreign language. Additionally, many cybersecurity solutions are sold at prices that are not proportional to the services they offer. Companies selling these solutions rely on confusing terminology to market their products, leading SMEs to purchase expensive and complicated features that they do not need. In some cases, SMEs may purchase a solution that may have been effective at some point but does not offer software updates or evolve with new threat vectors, making it ineffective against modern threats.
To achieve maximum cybersecurity, the zero-trust security model advocates for “never trust, always verify.” A good cybersecurity solution consists of seamlessly combining multiple layers of protection, including internal and external cybersecurity risks. A zero-trust approach is an excellent philosophy that ensures unused doors remain closed and locked at all times. Keys are only given to those who need access, and access policies are managed automatically and centrally to prevent cybersecurity breaches.
In addition, automation and AI are necessary to permanently analyze all traffic and get real-time reports of any anomalies that occur on a network. Automated countermeasures have more processing power at their disposal and work much more efficiently. Thanks to clear and frequent threat reports, it is possible to quickly gain insights into what is happening within an IT infrastructure and make adjustments where necessary.
The importance of creating awareness amongst employees cannot be overstated. SME managers are often not familiar with cybersecurity matters, making it necessary to call upon a reliable and trusted IT partner. A reliable IT partner unburdens the SME and is familiar with countless topics, disciplines, and markets, such as installing networks, setting up guest Wi-Fi connections, configuring laptops and other user devices, network maintenance, making arrangements with Internet Service Providers, taking care of mobile phone subscriptions, configuring VoIP infrastructure, and data backups.
In summary, the efficacy of cybersecurity solutions is affected by several factors, including the unsuitability of most solutions for SMEs, the high cost of cybersecurity solutions not proportional to their services, confusing terminology used to market products, and the lack of software updates or evolution with new threat vectors. The zero-trust security model advocates for “never trust, always verify,” and combining multiple layers of protection, including internal and external cybersecurity risks, is necessary to achieve maximum cybersecurity. Automation and AI are necessary to permanently analyze all traffic and get real-time reports of any anomalies that occur on a network. Creating awareness amongst employees is essential, and SMEs need to have a reliable and trusted IT partner. The IT partner must be familiar with countless topics, disciplines, and markets to provide SMEs with the best cybersecurity solutions.