What is Your Policy? IT Security Basics for SMBs Bismarck ND

Posted by : Bruce Campbell

Given the ubiquity of IT systems in small-to-mediumsize businesses today, the reliance that those firms have on thosesystems, and the sensitivity and importance of the data that flowsthrough them, it's no wonder that IT security is a hot topic. Threats tothe security of your firm's data come from a myriad of vectors, bothfrom outside your network and from within.

If your firm's data iscompromised by a cyber-attack, the effects it can have on the businessmay be devastating. First of all, your firm's operations may bevirtually shut down as you scramble to contain and mitigate the attack.Every minute your firm's staff can't do their normal work costshundreds, if not thousands of dollars.

If sensitive information isfound to have been stolen or even accessed, your firm could be heldliable. Legislation such as Sarbanes-Oxley, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act,and HIPAA has penalties for noncompliance that would have very seriousconsequences for small-to-medium businesses.

Perhaps the mostinsidious way that a security breach can affect your firm is damage toyour firm's reputation. In the highly competitive SMB space, firmsdepend upon hard-won reputation to attract and keep clients, and if yourfirm is perceived to be anything less than completely in control of itsinformation and processes, you will find that a tarnished reputation isdifficult to remedy.

It's important to understand that IT securityis a process that must become a part of you...

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