Information Security advice
for Small and Medium Business (SMB)

The SMB is an easy target

The SMB is an easy target

Information security continues to challenge SMBs. They are under attack from malware, ransomware, external threats and data breaches.

This is not about spreading fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD).

According to the 2017 Ponemon Institute Study,
it’s happening!

SMBs have become a lucrative target because most do not have sufficient defenses in place to protect, detect or react to attacks.

2017 vs 2016

2017

More than 61% of SMBs

have been breached in the last 12 months

---------

-------

2016

55% of SMBs

have been breached in the last 12 months

------

--

-----------------------------

In fact only 14% of SMBs said:

Our security is “highly effective”

Peoples

But, it’s no easy feat securing the SMB

The Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report highlights common challenges for SMBs.

Lack of
Training

Lack of
Time

Lack of
Information

Lack of Expertise/ Understanding

Lack of
Resources

It’s not so much these exact reasons - although they are all very relevant and real. The common issue on why we are seeing SMB as an easy target is because there is a ‘lack of something’.

Developing a proactive SMB security strategy

Security solutions should not be any less effective than for an enterprise client. The data is no less sensitive, the disruption no less serious.

Here are 8 smb-friendly criteria
to achieve maximum impact
with minimum effort

1

Limited administration

Most small and medium sized businesses do not have a sizable IT team. Security solutions with ‘stickiness’ tend to be simple to implement and intuitive to manage.

Limited administration
Automated controls

2

Automated controls

Should something fall outside a set of established restrictions, your solution should automatically take action before the damage is done – not only when IT intervenes.

3

Intelligent

Solutions that just offer information result in the need to hire a watch dog. Choose intelligence and insights that can help spot and stop a breach.

Intelligent
Accurate

4

Accurate

SMBs cannot take a lot of false positives. There is no time to chase down 50 alerts a day.

5

Cost effective

If you agree with the ‘when’ not ‘if‘ premise, then you already know your security strategy is incomplete and requires more investment. Security doesn’t have to come at a high cost – but it does have to be effective in relation to its cost.

Cost effective
Non disruptive for IT

6

Non disruptive for IT

Solutions that work alongside existing infrastructure don’t frustrate IT teams.

7

Easy adoption

If security overwhelms and stifles productivity, users can’t do their job and the solution is already dead on arrival. Security should be behind the scenes, protecting the users and the environment until the moment the user is truly conflicting with security protocol.

Easy adoption
Effective

8

Effective

Look to add layers to your security strategy. Putting a layered defense in place maximizes your chances of stopping a threat before it starts.

SMBs need enterprise caliber defense in terms of focus and effectiveness,
but with SMB sensibilities in terms of implementation and use.

Two such Software Solutions
for Securing SMBs

UserLock

With context-aware user login rules, real-time monitoring and risk detection tools, UserLock works alongside Active Directory to guard against compromised logins on Windows systems.
Discover Discover

FileAudit

FileAudit monitors and alerts on all file access and access attempts. Contextual functions help detect any malicious access and alteration of sensitive information on Windows systems and in the cloud.
Discover Discover

UserLock and FileAudit are trademarks of IS Decisions S.A. All statistics are from the 2017 Ponemon Institute Study and Verizon Data Breach Investigation Report

Feel Free to Share our Infographic

Use the embed code provided below. Just drop it in to your site.

<a href="https://www.isdecisions.com/it-security-advice-smb/" title="Information Security advice for Small Medium Business (SMB)" target="_blank"><img usemap="#infographic" src="https://www.isdecisions.com/resources/images/solutions/it-security-advice-smb.png" alt="Information Security advice for Small Medium Business (SMB)" /></a><map name="infographic"><area shape="rect" alt="UserLock" title="UserLock" coords="249,7169,407,7213" href="http://www.userlock.com" target="_blank" /><area shape="rect" alt="FileAudit" title="FileAudit" coords="684,7169,842,7213" href="http://www.fileaudit.com" target="_blank" /><area shape="rect" alt="IS Decisions" title="IS Decisions" coords="753,7396,991,7458" href="https://www.isdecisions.com/" target="_blank" /></map>

White Paper
The Challenge to Secure Small and Medium Sized Business (SMB)

Discover how SMBs and the MSPs serving them can achieve enterprise caliber IT security in terms of focus and effectiveness, but with SMB sensibilities in terms of implementation and use.

Read the white paper