5 of the Most Useful Cybersecurity Investments for UK Businesses
Cybersecurity threats are constantly evolving, and businesses need to learn to evolve with them in order to stay ahead of the curve and avoid falling victim to a data breach. Prioritising cyber investments is a must for any modern organisation, but it can be difficult to know where to put your time and money.
To help you protect sensitive data and maintain operational integrity, the expert cyber security consultants at SRM have put together our list of the most impactful cybersecurity investments for UK businesses to consider. Each of these data protection investments is designed to safeguard your business against the looming threat of cybercrime.
1. Penetration Testing
Sometimes referred to as ethical hacking, penetration testing is a critical business investment that helps businesses identify vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them. This promotes a proactive approach, simulating cyberattacks to test how robust your security measures are.
Investing in penetrating testing not only identifies vulnerabilities, but also grants you insights into your security posture overall, helping with compliance journeys and preventing data breaches. Penetration testing is one of the useful tools for seeing where your business’ weaknesses lie.
2. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Systems
SIEM systems offer real-time monitoring and analysis of security events, collecting and correlating data from a variety of sources. This provides you with a comprehensive view of your security landscape.
As well as real-time threat detection, investing in SIEM systems helps you gain a centralised view of your network’s security status, simplifying your compliance reporting by automating log collection and analysis.
Overall, SIEM systems improve your ability to investigate and respond to security incidents with efficiency and speed.
3. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
One of the most straightforward cybersecurity tools is also one of the most powerful. MFA requires users to provide two or more verification factors when accessing systems and data. This significantly reduces the risk of unauthorised access.
The improved security offered by MFA adds an extra layer of protection beyond simple passwords, reducing the risk of credential theft. Even if a password is compromised, the additional verification steps introduced by MFA can still keep data staff.
What’s more, MFA is user-friendly, and helps you meet key regulatory standards for compliance, especially those calling for strong authentication methods.
4. Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
By focusing on monitoring and protecting endpoints such as laptops, desktops, and mobile devices, EDR solutions provide advanced threat detection, investigation, and response capabilities. This allows businesses to conduct detailed investigations into security incidents.
With EDR, businesses can engage in continuous monitoring and protection of all endpoints, providing comprehensive endpoint security. EDR utilises machine learning and behavioural analysis to identify even the most sophisticated threats, while also quickly containing and remediating incidents to minimise their impact.
5. Employee Training and Awareness
Human error is still one of the most significant cybersecurity risks, as a simple mis-click can lead to disastrous consequences for any business. As such, businesses should invest in regular training and awareness programs. This can help build a security-conscious culture across the organisation.
Training and awareness helps to reduce the risk of phishing attacks, as employees will be better equipped to spot a scamming attempt. It also provides best practices for security that can be shared and followed throughout your organisation, dealing with everything from password management to data handling. As a result, staff will feel more empowered to act as a first line of defence against cyberthreats, acting with both conviction and confidence.
By prioritising these key cybersecurity investments, you can protect your business against the ever-changing landscape of cybercrime.
