Your SMB's cybersecurity is at risk. You read that correctly. Your small business is at risk of suffering a cyberattack. For all you know, a cybercriminal may have already penetrated your systems.
Millions of cyberattacks occur every single day. Why wouldn't your SMB account for one of those numbers? Small business owners tend to assume that cybercriminals are disinterested in their "little" enterprise, but they're wrong. Cyber crooks go after SMBs the hardest. Why? SMBs have the easiest networks to infiltrate.
To keep your business from becoming another statistic, you'll need cyber insurance coverage for protection. Not only do you need cyber insurance, you need an experienced cybersecurity analyst on your team to be able to find and boot cybercriminals lurking in the shadows of your code, waiting to strike off of your server.
First thing's first: what is a cybersecurity analyst's (AKA IT security analyst's) job description?
A cybersecurity analyst's "job duties typically include planning and implementing security measures to protect computer systems, networks and data. [Cybersecurity] analysts are expected to stay up-to-date on the latest intelligence, including hackers' methodologies, in order to anticipate security breaches."
In essence, it is the responsibility of the IT analyst to keep abreast of new hacking methods and to employ cybersecurity methods that keep hackers out of and away from an SMB's server.
To find the quintessential cybersecurity analyst, here are three traits to be on the lookout for!
Vigilance
To remain sharp in their work, cybersecurity analysts must be on constant alert. This means thoroughly checking server networks for suspicious behavior, following up on the latest hacking tools cybercriminals are sharing on the dark web and making sure staff are not breaching cybersecurity protocols. Hackers do not take a break. As soon as a new software security update goes out, cybercriminals immediately set to work on infiltrating and destroying the new security codes. For cybersecurity analysts, there is never a day off.
Wide Professional Background
In an interview with CSO, principal analyst at Forrester Research Jeff Pollard remarks that other security analysts he has met came by the profession by accident; after working in another area of tech, analysts learned that cybersecurity was where their true passions were. "This is an industry of people who either stayed intentionally or got in intentionally."
Having a passion for their profession, a solid cybersecurity analyst will have experience in other areas of tech. By building a solid educational foundation through school and practice, a cybersecurity analyst with a varied background can better read between the lines of a new form of malicious code or corrupted download. Because the analyst understands how the industry as a whole works, they better understand how to manage a cybersecurity problem before it happens.
Friendly and Professional
The cybersecurity analyst, at one point or another, will need to have facetime with every member of your staff. If the IT professional is unprofessional or rude, your staff is unlikely to go to them for help if they suspect the company's network has been breached or that they have made an IT mistake. A reputable cybersecurity analyst will make everyone feel comfortable and will teach them what to look out for in a cyber data breach.
To safeguard your small business, hire a cybersecurity analyst. To prepare for the worst, get a cyber insurance policy with CyberPolicy. While you're at it, consider getting business insurance with our parent company, CoverHound.
