In life and in business, we all make mistakes. Unfortunately for business leaders, mistakes in our work lives relating to cyber security can become exacerbated when they result in data breaches. Some security-related mistakes are bigger than others, but there are a series of faults you should always strive to avoid in order to protect your business and stay successful.
Experts from Syntax IT Support use the familiar seven deadly sins to illustrate the cyber security transgressions you should steer clear of.
Wrath
The deadly sin of wrath is something we’d all be able to identify with in the moments after a security breach. Intense feelings of anger and rage are completely understandable when your business is the victim of cyber crime, as it may be that you’ve lost everything and have no idea how you’ll bounce back. Wrath is closely linked to the desire to seek vengeance, and it’s certainly tempting to try and track down the culprit in order to make an example of them.
This isn’t the approach that will save your business, however, and it’s vital that you get a handle on your anger so you can respond to the attack in a sensible and level-headed manner. If a business spends too much time focusing on the identification and punishment of the culprit, they are wasting valuable recovery time and potentially harming the organisation further.
Instead of getting hot-tempered, you should be focusing on your incident response plan and taking steps to mitigate the damage.
Gluttony and Greed
Gluttony and greed are sins of desire, with gluttony relating to overconsumption and greed being an insatiable need for more, whether this is more profit, more success or something else. Both of these deadly sins can lead to a reluctance to out-source, with a concern for cutting costs overriding investment in what the business actually needs to stay secure against potential cyber attacks.
A common problem for small businesses is that they take on more than they can manage, refusing to invest in additional resources that would keep them protected. It is vital to put the needs of the business and its network security before profit, as without the essential resources you could stand to lose everything.
Envy and Lust
Envy and lust are similar in that that they are both characterised by an intense sense of longing. When related to business, envy can cause the best of us to desire what other companies have, while lust might make you pursue something regardless of whether it would be a good fit for your own organisation.
It might be that you’ve read about another company’s new cyber security tools or spoken to a business contact about a new tech solution they’ve integrated, and now you want it for yourself – but be careful before you dive head first into investing, as something that works for one business could well be a mistake for your own.
When investing in a new tool or strategy concerning cyber security, it’s vital to do your research and seek the advice of professionals. Adding the wrong IT tools to your network could compromise your whole existing security strategy or have a negative impact on workflows, so don’t feel pressured to invest just because someone else has.
Sloth
Sloth typically relates to a lack of interest or energy, which is certainly a sin in many businesses when it comes to cyber security. Becoming complacent about your company’s security strategy is a huge mistake, as this lack of concern can cause you to overlook important alerts or leave your business open to attack. Staying aware and keeping on top of the latest trends in cyber crime is vital to protect your assets.
Pride
Pride can also lead to complacency in the workplace, as it is this deadly sin that tells business leaders their existing security strategy is perfect, and that they could never fall prey to a cyber attack. This unfortunate arrogance is what stops businesses from fully testing their network security and reviewing it periodically, which prevents them from detecting breaches and thereby puts their organisation at greater risk.
