Executive Summary
- From social engineering attacks to sophisticated malware such as ransomware, there’s certainly no shortage of attack vectors for modern cybercriminals.
- To protect your business from cyberattacks, there are several things that your IT support provider should already be doing.
- To make things as straightforward as possible, rather than giving you a list of what to do, we’ve compiled a list of 5 questions to quiz your IT team or Managed Service Provider with to get the answers you need.
Introduction
It’s difficult to overstate just how big of a concern cybersecurity is for modern businesses.
To put it in context, consider that there were 9.8 million cyberattacks or breaches during June 2021 alone – and those are only the ones that were detected.
Whether you’re already working with an IT support company to improve your cyberthreat defences, or you’re still shopping around for a Managed Service Provider, we’ve compiled a list of 5 key questions to ask them.
It’s a short quiz, but it’ll definitely give you an insight into whether they have your best interests at heart when it comes to cybersecurity.
#1: “Are we protected against zero-day attacks?”
We’ve talked before on the Get Support blog about the threat posed by so-called ‘zero-day’ attacks, and that advice still stands today.
These are particularly insidious attacks because they’re entirely novel – they’ve never been seen before. This means you need specialised protection, like Endpoint Detection and Response, to help deal with such threats.
Be sure to ask your IT support company if they have mitigation measures in place for this type of threat.
#2: “What happens if a cyberattack succeeds?”
Sometimes, even with all the protective measures in the world, cyberattacks just slip through the net. It’s important, then, to ask your IT support partner exactly how they would deal with this scenario.
To give you some pointers as to how you’d want them to respond, the least you’d expect is to have a solid disaster recovery and business continuity plan in place. If they haven’t even heard of these things… run for the hills.
#3: “What are the biggest threats to my business today?”
Earlier in 2021, we covered the biggest cyberthreats that UK businesses are facing this year, and this list hasn’t changed. If anything, even more threats are being added all the time.
That’s why you should ask your IT support team exactly which threats they believe pose the biggest risk to your business. They should at least be able to give you the basics of current-day malware, including ransomware and phishing attacks.
#4: “Do our cybersecurity measures meet industry best practices?”
Say what you will about the UK government, when it comes to cyberthreats for UK businesses, they’ve got things pretty much nailed down. This is all thanks to the NCSC’s Cyber Essentials scheme, which effectively serves as a punch-list of the easiest ways you can protect your business. So, when you’re quizzing your IT support company, it’s a good idea to reference this list to spot-check some of their knowledge – or knowledge gaps.
#5: “How quickly can we detect cyberattacks?”
Closing the loop on this line of questioning is a query all about how fast cyberattacks can be detected and eliminated.
With an average detection time of 228 days in 2020, according to IBM, it’s essential that you stay alert to threats as soon as they happen. Again, a platform solution like EDR, with real-time protection, is one of the only systems capable of detecting threats this early – so be sure to ask your IT support provider if they can, well, provide it.
Need an IT support team with all the answers?
The questions above are a quick snapshot to help guide you when working with an IT support company to improve your cybersecurity.
If you’re concerned about your level of protection against modern cyberattacks, be sure to review our very own Cyber Essentials Checklists or ask about EDR protection today.
To get in touch with the cybersecurity experts at Get Support, drop us a line on 01865 59 4000 or simply fill in the form below – and we’ll get back to you.
