As cyber threats become more and more complex, many small and medium businesses (SMBs) are now thinking about protecting their data. And for some solid reason.
As technology advances and becomes more complex, hackers are going one step ahead. With the growth of the Internet of Things, businesses are installing more and more ‘always-on’ smart devices. This gives hackers another potential access to your systems. System breaches have become commonplace as well as difficult to detect. It has also taken serious tones making it difficult for companies to understand what went wrong.
What should you do to stave off hackers? Should you hire a dedicated team of in-house cybersecurity experts or outsource it to external cybersecurity specialists? Should you talk to a consultant who would come, put the systems in place, train your people, and leave?
The fact is there is so much happening in the world of computers and the internet, there’s a shortage of security talent that can fill up all the available vacancies. According to an estimate by (ISC)², which is the world’s largest nonprofit association of certified cybersecurity professionals, there’s a shortage of over 4 million cybersecurity experts worldwide and this is making it more challenging for companies to hire and retain cybersecurity experts.
Choosing to set up an in-house team of cybersecurity experts or outsourcing the requirement depends a lot on factors such as the size of your company, the amount of data you have or generate, exposure of the assets/copyright contents and resource availability.
Managing cybersecurity in-house gives you the power to maintain full control of the operations. This also means you will have a dedicated person on-site to address any issues. However, there are several challenges to this arrangement. For one you need to onboard a team which is quite expensive. Secondly, with the increasing sophistication of attacks, companies need to be confident that they will upgrade as and when technology improves and this means you will have to train the team continuously and also invest in newer hardware and software, which isn’t cheap.
Here are four advantages of outsourcing your cybersecurity to external experts.
They bring experience to the table.
First things first. There's a huge demand for skilled and experienced security professionals but their availability is far lower. If you were to onboard security professionals all by yourself, you'll have to spend a lot on salaries as well as that of the team and on buying equipment. But by outsourcing, you get several benefits. Firstly you get immediate access to a professional that is up-to-date on the latest security tools and threats.
Improved threat detection
External cybersecurity professionals are trained to respond to threats in real-time and provide faster insights for quicker response. External specialists are better trained because they are better networked and better equipped with global threat knowledge.
Better technological decisions
Attackers are always one step ahead and this means you have to be as smart as they are if not smarter. New attacks mean using new tools that require training to install and use effectively.
Companies with specialization in cybersecurity have greater insights in threat knowledge and mitigation and that significantly improves threat detection and incident response times.
We are upto date with Information security in the similar spaces and clients
Being cyber security expert, Goavega tracks the changes that are happening at the information security space. We also have the technical knowledge about various frameworks and infrastructures in the space. This helps to validate the customer’s portals, software applications and infrastructure using the latest methods, technology and knowledge.
Better network and control of the supply chain
It’s critical to know and understand the vulnerabilities in a security vendor or service provider’s tools and it’s always a challenge for in-house teams. As external cybersecurity companies deal with several companies and vendors, they are aware of the pros and cons of a system or vendor and will always suggest you the best one that suits your budget.
External service providers can monitor all software and equipment for vulnerabilities and will suggest the best remedy for immediate action in case of a compromise.
When you have decided to outsource your cybersecurity services, it’s important to speak to several partners to understand which one fits the bill for you. While one may be good at understanding hardware, the other may be well-versed in software while a third one might be good in knowing the threats. Some companies can provide expertise in all three and you need to be clear about your cybersecurity needs so that you can convey the same to the outsourcing partner. The partner should fulfill all your security requirements and also provide the latest tools teams needed for a completely comprehensive cybersecurity solution as part of a long-term deal.
If you want to have a blend of an in-house team and outsourced service, then you need to understand what is your company's core strengths and weaknesses and what you need to bring from outside. This combination of business and risk management will allow you to define and assemble the team on the threat map and within your control.
If you don’t know where and how to start or which approach works very well for you, you need to start by mapping the threats and understanding how to address them. And if needed, check internally what kind of security measures you have in place and what you need from outside.
Although cybersecurity is an important focus for all companies, it is often overlooked or not given enough attention until it harms. Despite the best security measures in place, cyberattacks happen and they are only increasing every single day.
According to cybersecurity firm VMWare Carbon Black, there has been a surge in the number of cyberattacks related to coronavirus pandemic. According to the firm, as reported in Yahoo Business, a little over half or 53% of respondents said they encountered or observed an increase in cyberattacks exploiting COVID-19. According to experts, the increase in cyberattacks is due to remote access inefficiencies as well as due to the increase in the number of people working from home. They also highlighted vulnerabilities in a virtual private network (VPN) and shortages of cybersecurity professionals as reasons for the surge in cyberattacks.
As a business, you need to give attention to cybersecurity because that’s the need of the hour. An investment in cybersecurity is super strategic and worth the investment. Businesses should pay attention to their core business and outsource cybersecurity service to an external partner so that you can continue to do what you do best without bothering much on anything else. Although outsourcing might look a little expensive now, it can save you a lot of money in the long run just by avoiding an attack crippling your systems or networks.
When you choose company like Goavega as your cybersecurity partner, you get round-the-clock access to a team of experienced security experts. All in all, we are not just any cyber security solution providers but an all-round data and cyber security services company that enables your business to operate smoothly without any cyber-related threat to worry about.