As cyber crime continues to rise and thrive, security teams are left scrambling, trying to keep up and protect their assets. Morale can be low under such circumstances while anxiety can be high. What can businesses and organizations do to protect their data and reputation in an age of cybercrime?
Working with cybersecurity experts is often a wise course of action for businesses today. In partnering with a cybersecurity firm, they have access to the knowledge, skills, and support that they need when they need it. A third-party firm can get a business on the right track to developing defense strategies, strengthening measures already in place, and setting procedures so that the unthinkable doesn't happen.
Finding a strong, reputable firm can be a challenge since cybercrime is so widespread that many more security professionals will be needed in the not-too-distant future.
3 Qualities the Right Cybersecurity Firm Should Have
- A Proven Track Record
- End-to-end Solutions
- Tailored Security Plans
A Proven Track Record
When it comes to cybersecurity, the best partner to have is one who's been battle-tested. A strong cybersecurity firm should be one that has actually been working in the field, who've been where the prospective client is now and have an idea of what they're facing. If a business or organization can find that, they'll have a firm with the perspective and ability to provide the guidance they need to put defensive measures in place and to deal with crisis situations when they arise.
Ensuring that any security firm a business enters into an agreement with has such experience will save a lot of time and frustration. A strong firm will also be infinitely more useful to a prospective client than a firm that understands cybersecurity in theory, through books or education, but not in practice.
End-to-End Solutions
Security is a work in progress and the set up is different for every company and organization. Whether a given company is fairly new or they're well-established with a sterling reputation, the business has unique needs that require different products, services, and solutions for its protection. With the wide range of business sizes and types, no generic security plan will be able to ensure adequate protection.
More often than not, organizations count on security programs for basic support and hope for the best. While there's nothing wrong with the vendors who sell such programs, they often don't know a lot beyond those programs and how they function. They usually aren't able to jump in, regardless of the size and age of a given business, analyze the situation and make solid suggestions for how to protect the company's assets and information.
No matter if the company in need of security measures needs guidance, managed services, tools, or a combination of any of those, only a diversified provider will be able to meet all of the business's security needs. An appropriate cybersecurity firm should be able to help the business who wants all of their security operations in-house or be able to manage security for them if they would like all security to be handled by a third-party. Otherwise, the business will try one firm after another until they find something close to what they need or get frustrated enough to give up.
Tailored Security Plans
Many things factor into the security choices each business or organization makes. There are budget considerations, compliance needs, resource limitations, risk tolerance, technology issues, and more. The right security firm should be able to navigate many of these issues to provide solid security solutions.
Should a business require particular standards, the ideal firm should be able to help meet those objectives and be able to implement security measures in a way that integrates with the system in place. The firm should also be reputable and able to handle the vetting required by companies or organizations. They should be able to tailor the security plan to the firm, help implement it, provide support for it, and more.
Most importantly, does the given security firm have the potential to be a long-term partner? Can they handle all technical issues punctually and within budget? If the answer is an easy yes, the firm might be a strong candidate for helping a business with security needs.
In Summary
As opposed to confining themselves to single vendors with limited products or services, or subjecting themselves to the confusion of multiple vendors, businesses in need of cybersecurity should seek a firm that offers a full range of services and solutions. The selected firm should be able to design a solution for any business, regardless of size, age, and complexity to help them meet any possible challenges, help during cyber-attack situations, and have the potential to be a viable partner for many years to come.
