April 25, 2015

Part2: Cloud-Enabled Superior Protection for SMBs

 

New security threats emerge daily with various trojans, worms and other malware seeking to steal corporate and customer information, lock computers or create other havoc.

Ransomware has been particularly active recently with threats such as Cryptowall hitting at least 1 million victims and collected about $1.8 million in ransom, according to Dell Secureworks. The malware locks computers until the victim pays the ransom, often in Bitcoin so that the payments can’t be tracked.

Hackers continue to evolve their attacks. They use social networking and very convincing-looking language, logos and layouts to fool their targets into believing that a message is from a trusted source like a bank — or at tax time — the IRS. Malware is often embedded in images, PDF files and seemingly innocuous links.

When operating with on-premises equipment, , SMBs must attempt to protect themselves from these threats by configuring, installing and managing the security of all systems whether they are in the office or are in the hands of remote workers. These security threats are particularly dangerous for SMBs because they don’t have the in-house staff to address new malware as it arises, nor do they have the time or manpower to install new security patches. This lack of manpower is particularly dangerous in today’s business world where many SMBs rely on remote devices in addition to on-premises systems.

Failure to protect the company’s financial and other sensitive information is dangerous and expensive to correct by itself, but protection of any personal customer information can lead not only to fines but also to lost customer trust and sales, as Target discovered after its 2013 data breach. The retailer is expected to settle the data breach lawsuit for $10 million. Additionally, Target reported in February that the total expenses incurred from its data breach amounted to $162 million (2013 and 2014 figures combined). For Target’s fourth quarter, it incurred $4 million worth of breach-related expenses.

As bad as the breach was for a large company such as Target, any such compromise of customer data could easily wipe out most SMBs, which have much thinner margins and financial reserves.

By moving processing from an installed environment to the cloud, companies ensure security and compliance with HIPAA and other rules for protecting customer information.

When operating in the cloud, the company’s apps and data are stored in a secure, enterprise-grade datacenter and not on a local device. This also allows for easy and quick recovery if a device is lost or stolen. The cloud-supported SMB will always be using the latest version of apps. Security measures like password protocols, firewalls and security patches are always up to date so that the SMB can concentrate on the business rather than on where the latest cyberthreats are coming from and how to protect the business against them.

Cloud-delivered security can secure, encrypt and archive e-mail. The cloud layer also can filter Internet access to prevent network users from downloading unapproved content; control and ensure that security measures like password protocols, firewalls and security patches are up to date; and help ensure that only authorized people have access to company applications and information.

So as SMBs consider how to best protect themselves against the increasingly diverse and complex security threats, it’s clear that the cloud provides the best solution in terms of keeping protection up to date and enabling the business to devote its time to the bottom line.

The third article in this series will discuss how will discuss why it’s important for SMBs to pay for value as it’s consumed. For more information, go to https://secaas.sonicwall.com/.