Your information security strategy shouldn’t be built around threats like Meltdown and Spectre or ransomware. You need a broader strategy that can cope with general threats rather than specific implementations. Do you have a strategy to address these threats to your business?

1. Loss of connectivity. Whether or not you use the public cloud, information technology today relies on network connectivity. Any disaster recovery strategy that assumes employees will simply connect to a secondary site or work from home won’t be successful if network infrastructure isn’t functioning.
2. Attacks on the internet of things. Every time you connect an IoT device to your network, you introduce a potential threat to your data security. Besides the risk that devices can be hijacked by others and allow malware access to your network, data stored on the IoT device’s backend systems is also vulnerable to theft.
3. Insider threats. Most information security strategies focus on preventing outsiders from getting in; you need to focus equally on preventing insiders from taking data out. Whether accidentally providing a response to a phishing email, using an insecure file-sharing service, or deliberately stealing confidential data, some of the biggest threats to your data security come from your employees.
4. Unreliable data. As business grows more dependent on analytical programs that guide decision-making, the quality of the data driving decisions becomes more important, too. Ensuring that data can’t be altered by unauthorized users is as important as preventing theft of data.
5. Vulnerabilities in new technology. The technology industry is often driven by hype, with new technology adopted based on hopes and promises. One of today’s hottest technologies, blockchain, is intended to keep secure ledgers of transactions. However, specific implementations of blockchains come with their own security vulnerabilities.
6. Privacy regulations limit monitoring. Concerns about consumers’ privacy and the security of their data are driving new regulations such as the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Because GDPR requires obtaining specific agreement from users’ as to how you use their data, businesses are not free to use analytics that monitor user behavior without their consent.

Keeping up with the latest information security threats is hard; developing an effective strategy to handle those threats is even harder. The team of certified experts at Prescient Solutions works with businesses and organizations in the Chicago and Schaumburg area to deliver comprehensive cybersecurity solutions. Whether you just need an assessment to identify vulnerabilities or managed services that ensure your systems are protected around the clock, Prescient Solutions brings a deep level of knowledge and insight that guides development of a customized solution. Contact us to learn how you can protect your business against the information security threats it faces.