A strategic approach to the growing cyberthreat landscape

Sponsored By: ISA

As the frequency and sophistication of cyber threats intensify, organizations around the world have stopped asking if an attack might occur. The questions today are how best to prepare for the inevitable and, if an attack does occur, how to avoid any serious damage and recover quickly.

Consider these facts:

  • Cybercrime costs the world’s economy almost $600 billion per year, or about 0.8% of global GDP. (Source)
  • In 2017, there were over 5 million new instances of ransomware. Total instances of ransomware topped 47 million for the year. (Source)
  • Seventy percent of IoT devices are vulnerable to hacking, and there will be 20 billion of them by 2020. (Source)

But even in the face of those startling statistics, the reality is that few organizations truly have the capacity to manage their own security; and fewer still have personnel with training and expertise to navigate the cyber threatscape and prevail against hackers, threat actors, and cybercriminals. The “bad guys”, on the other hand, are often well-resourced with an ever-expanding arsenal of dirty tricks.

The challenge for businesses has become more strategic in their approach to cybersecurity. Maximizing the ability to detect security threats early and mitigate possibly disastrous results is a serious issue for all organizations, with important cost and other business implications. So what’s the answer?

 

A growing number of companies are turning to hosted services to provide 24/7/365 protection against today’s threat landscape.

Hosted services provide the highest level of cybersecurity detection and mitigation, but alleviate the need for significant time, resources and specialized skill sets. For businesses of all sizes, outsourcing security to a dedicated third-party provider seamlessly integrates a strategic security plan into the organization, providing proactive protection against threats ranging from adware, viruses and phishing schemes to spyware, ransomware, and distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.

A key benefit of a hosted security service is the cost saving related to outsourcing security to a third-party provider. Rather than investing in on-premises infrastructure, people and processes to handle security, companies that opt for a hosted solution can leave the heavy lifting to the professionals and focus their time and money on core business activities.

The increased sophistication of cyberattacks is playing out in unprecedented ways for business, including reputational harm, costly downtime, infrastructure damage and even financial disaster, so organizations have no choice but to be vigilant 24/7/365

Bell Canada’s recent experience is a cautionary tale. In 2017, the telecom giant refused to pay ransom when a hacker stole almost 1.9 million customer email addresses. The result: company’s shares fell by 0.8 percent. That is an unacceptably high cost in today’s business environment, yet a comprehensive security landscape, such as a hosted service, is a great way to identify and head off such threats before they became a reality.

 

Learn more: Informative White Paper

ISA, Canada’s largest security-focused solutions provider, has published an informative white paper on advanced threat intelligence and contextualization — Hosted Security Services: A proven strategy for protecting critical IT infrastructure and devices.

The white paper provides important insights:

  • The extent of the booming and evolving threat landscape
  • Why businesses are struggling with IT security
  • How hosted services address the challenges of today’s threat landscape

Download the ISA white paper now.

 

What is the ISA Hosted Security Service really all about?

ISA Hosted Services provides comprehensive network and device security with a proactive posture:

  • Hosted endpoint security platform: Cloud-based suite of industry-recognized endpoint security technologies that detect and protect organizations from threats.
  • Security monitoring service: 24x7x365 monitoring with built-in management, threat intelligence, triage, incident investigation and access to security experts.
  • Vulnerability management platform: Identifies critical flaws and provides solutions for remediation. Helps organizations comply with regulatory requirements and gain a more holistic view of their environment.
  • Security awareness program: User-based risk assessment to evaluate the organization’s security landscape and identify vulnerable users, followed by focused training programs.

For more information about ISA, visit their website

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Jim Love, Chief Content Officer, IT World Canada

Sponsored By: ISA