Cybersecurity has become one of the most important topics in the modern business world, and for a number of crucial reasons. But if we would have to stress its importance as succinctly as possible, then the only thing you should know is that you can’t run a successful business if you skimp on cybersecurity. Without a strict security policy in place and the necessary solutions to enact it, your will quickly lose customers and partners, and you might even experience severe legal penalties.
On the other hand, if you adhere to a comprehensive cybersecurity policy and introduce the right security measures, you can expect your business to flourish. Let’s put all of this into perspective and take a look at how poor cybersecurity can jeopardize your brand. Of course, we’ll outline the best ways to prevent this and ensure your company thrives in the years to come.
Increased risk of human error
The first and most obvious way poor cybersecurity can affect your business is through your employees. Keep in mind that your employees can be your greatest assets and your biggest liabilities in the online world – it will depend on how well you educate and train them in proper data handling and security. Your employees need to be equipped with the right knowledge and skills to keep themselves and your data safe in all communication and online interactions.
That said, hackers and scammers are getting more skilled in their trade by the day, so you need to prioritize employee training and education to keep them one step ahead at all times. Be sure to conduct cybersecurity workshops with an emphasis on email security, password creation and storage, spotting potential cyber-attacks, and the like. This will minimize the risk of human error and prevent inadvertent data leaks that could ruin your brand.
Jeopardizing your brand’s image
Nowadays, businesses big and small are connected to the rest of the world via the web, which means that there are countless ways your brand’s image can be at risk. If people are bad-mouthing your brand online, you need to know about it and remedy the situation. If you’re getting negative reviews, it’s imperative that you transform them into success stories quickly. And if you experience a data breach, you need to conduct damage control immediately.
Of course, it’s better to prevent data leaks rather than trying to save face in front of disgruntled customers, which is why you need to invest in comprehensive cybersecurity. Make sure that your data stores are protected by the latest firewalls and be sure to combine software and hardware firewalls for maximum effect.
Increased downtime and lower business continuity
When a cyber-attack breaches your system and the server you’re on, you can expect your website to crash, or worse, to start leaking sensitive customer information. You cannot allow this to happen, because a single successful cyber-attack is enough to put your brand into the ground for good. Now, because companies are increasingly migrating to the cloud, it is imperative that you choose the right cloud providers.
Ideally, you will find a trusted hyper-converged infrastructure vendor that employs the latest cybersecurity measures and web monitoring solutions to keep your company safe on all fronts. The provider should continuously employ new measures and update its firewall solutions to ensure your business always stays ahead of potential cyber-attacks.
Negatively affecting your bottom line
It should go without saying that a data breach will cause you to lose even the most loyal customers for good. Not only that, but your brand’s reputation will be tarnished to the point that customer acquisition becomes a failed dream rather than a reality.
Your priority must be to keep your customers’ sensitive information safely stored on the server at all times. But that’s not enough to ensure their peace of mind, of course, as you also need to display trust badges on your website for every cybersecurity solution you employ. Let your customers know that their information is safe by showing them that you’re working with the leading cybersecurity providers and that you’re using the best security solutions.
Compliance issues and potential ramifications
Last but definitely not least, the cybersecurity laws and regulations around the world are becoming more stringent every year. The last thing you want is to get flagged by the EU or any other region where you have a digital presence for not abiding to the latest cybersecurity standards.
As you might imagine, this will ruin your reputation and penalize your site on Google and other search engines. Whether you have an in-house cybersecurity team or if you’re working with a provider, make sure to write up a detailed cybersecurity policy that complies with the governing laws in every region. This way, you will protect your brand against legal ramifications and high financial fees.
Wrapping up
As you can see, skimping on cybersecurity doesn’t pay off. If anything, it will quickly drive your company into the ground, so make sure to follow these tips to better cybersecurity in order to ensure success for your brand in the years to come.
