One of the main problems when it comes to cybersecurity boils down to the simple issue of naïveté. All too often, businesses choose to subscribe to certain ideas about cybersecurity whether or not they’re true. These misconceptions then have the potential to have an incredibly detrimental impact on overall organizational protection. In order for businesses to have the most robust infrastructure possible, one of the first key steps is to recognize and correct false beliefs about cybersecurity.

Dispelling The Myths

Fortunately, the folks over at Bloomberg Businessweek put together a list of some of these myths that enterprises buy into. Here are some of them:

  • There’s such a thing as being 100 percent attack proof. This is patently false. Indeed, the malware sphere is not something that can ever be totally defended against. It’s best to equate malware with diseases in the world: Just because a cure for one illness comes out, that doesn’t prevent the emergence of a different one. In much the same way, cybercrime is a constant battle of new threats versus new defenses. For this reason, it’s extremely important to avoid complacency at the enterprise security level. Businesses must recognize that company security efforts are a constantly evolving thing, and adapt accordingly.
  • Cybercrime is limited to credit cards. Ah, if only it were so simple. While some businesses would love to believe that cybercrimes all boil down to a quest for credit card information, that’s just not the case. Yet many companies that don’t store credit card data are somehow under the misconception that they’re impervious to malicious incursions. They couldn’t be more wrong. When it comes to hackers, practically anything on your company’s system is potential fodder for them, whether that’s employee contact information or intercepted emails. Instead of trying to guess what cybercriminals want, assume they want everything and plan your company’s information security based on that knowledge.
  • In the cybersecurity realm, IT is everything. Wrong! Sure, it’d be nice to dream that a strong business IT department is all it takes to combat all the threats out there, but that’s plain old fanciful thinking. After all, with the proliferation of BYOD in the workplace, it’s becoming harder for IT departments to have the range of vision that will encompass all the business’ connected devices. For this reason, it’s vital to implement additional protective measures such as mobile device management. In the workplace of today, MDM is quickly becoming an absolute necessity, since mobile devices present more vulnerabilities than machines within the physical company.

Working Toward Better Security Practices

OK, so the myths are on the table — now what? After acknowledging these misconceptions, it’s important to act on that knowledge and implement better enterprise security. Luckily, that’s something that doesn’t have to be a major burden. Here are some key ways to defeat false security beliefs and work toward a more protected enterprise:

  • Educate staffers about the importance of safe computing: Cybersecurity isn’t an IT issue — it’s a companywide concern. Therefore, education about Web security should encompass an entire enterprise instead of just being limited to the tech folks. By doing things like holding organizational meetings on safe computing and sending emails with quick safety tips, your business can take a step toward a more secure infrastructure.
  • Pursue solutions that solidify cybersecurity: Education and a strong IT department are great assets, but these things alone can’t protect an enterprise. In addition, companies need to look into the kind of solutions that will truly make the business as unbreachable as it can be. One great example of such a resource is two-factor authentication. By implementing multifactor authentication for both staffers and customers on your business’ website, you put in place an additional identity-verifying wall that makes it extremely difficult for someone’s account to be maliciously accessed.
  • Be consistent about the effort: It’s important to never become self-satisfied when it comes to cybersecurity. Since the cybercrime realm is always in a state of growth, so too should cybersecurity efforts. Never fall into a mindset where you believe your cybersecurity is good enough. Trust us — it’s probably not. With regard to cybersecurity, the best approach is to acknowledge that it changes, and you need to follow those changes.

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