Navigating Outsourced IT Risks for SMBs
As a business owner, you’re likely no stranger to the delicate balance between operational efficiency and your cyber security needs. For many small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs), outsourcing IT services is a really attractive solution to help manage costs and have access to specialist expertise when needed. However, this approach can introduces a unique set of cybersecurity challenges that may not always be obvious until after it’s too late.
One of the primary concerns we hear is concerning the limited amount of cyber experience available from the IT Outsourcer, particularly those with small IT Security teams. These teams may often lack the specialised and experienced cyber skills needed to tackle complex cyber threats, which again unknowingly leaves your business exposed to sophisticated cyber attacks. Moreover, relying solely on the standard IT security measures such as firewalls and antivirus software is unlikely to be sufficient against today’s threats, furthermore advanced cyber solutions are often beyond the reach of small IT security teams.
Outsourcing your IT can also increases your level or risk if it’s not managed effectively – especially if your chosen third party also outsources elements of your service or delivery to fourth parties. The more third and fourth parties that have access to your data and services, the more likely it is that you are inadvertently creating vulnerabilities through process weaknesses or social engineering attacks. Additionally, should the worst happen, having a wide and varied supply chain of third and fourth parties can be challenging during an incident, especially if their processes were partly to blame. If other customers have incidents they will be managing multiple clients, potentially leaving your organisation vulnerable at the worst possible time.
To mitigate these challenges, it’s crucial to partner with cybersecurity experts, such as the team at Somniac Security, who can provide you with comprehensive solutions tailored to your business needs. They can also help fill the cyber expertise gap required to support your business and assist the IT outsourcer to implement advanced cyber security measures beyond the standard IT Security tools. In addition they can ensure you have secure data handling practices compliant with industry standards, establishing clear communication channels and response protocols, which ensure you are managing your cybersecurity risks in an open, transparent and cost effective way.
By engaging with Somniac Security, we can help you build and maintain the appropriate cyber strategies and processes for your organisation, which will enable you to effectively manage your cybersecurity risks.
Contact Somniac at info@somniacsecurity.com today to help safeguard your business against tomorrow’s challenges!
