In 2023, around 32% of UK businesses found that they had fallen victim to a cyber security attack, with these attacks ranging from ransomware and malware attacks to phishing attempts. Although sometimes unpreventable, a lot of cyber attacks happen as a result of poor cyber security defences being in place. This then leaves businesses vulnerable to these attacks – highlighting the importance of regular cyber security health checks.
As a business, you will, understandably, want to protect your business from cyber attacks. This is not always a straightforward process. Cyber attacks are constantly evolving and vary in sophistication, meaning that they are hard to keep on top of. This is why conducting a cyber security health check will help you identify weaknesses within your business and cyber security infrastructure.
A cyber security health check is essential to build and establish a solid foundation upon which to develop and improve your cyber security defences. Conducting a cyber security health check will provide you with information on your current risk status and will help you to leverage best practices.
Ultimately, a cyber security health check allows you to uncover weak points within your cyber security practices. With that in mind, let’s take a look at whether or not your business needs a cyber security health check.
Why does my business need a cyber security health check?
A cyber security health check is vital for establishing a solid security foundation and it can help you to identify the weakest points within your cyber security practices. This then allows you to take the appropriate steps and measures to further mitigate your risks. A cyber security health check enables a secure infrastructure, which is a requirement of several regulatory practices such as GDPR and Cyber Essentials.
Having a regular cyber security health check carried out for your computers, devices and networks is important for two different reasons – cyber security and maintenance. Maintenance is required to allow your business to run at peak efficiency, especially if reliant upon digital devices and networks.
Over time, files can become fragmented and programs or settings can become outdated, which only increases the risk of vulnerabilities to your business. Cyber security health checks which look into and include maintenance checks are more likely to spot issues earlier, meaning that your business is less likely to fall victim to cyber security risks.
What does a cyber security health check do?
A cyber security health check will provide you with an indepth and detailed report, looking into your current cyber security risk status. A cyber health check allows you to gain more detail about your weakest security areas and provide recommendations for the appropriate measures required to mitigate any such identified risks.
Following a cyber security health check, you will be provided with a report which offers feedback in areas, including:
- Cyber risk management
- Legal and regulatory requirements
- Incident management
- Further training and awareness recommendations
- Vulnerability assessments
What is the difference between a cyber health check and cyber security audit?
A cyber security audit provides a comprehensive review and analysis of your business’s IT infrastructure. It is designed to be conducted as a one-time approach, offering a real time analysis on the day it is carried out. A cyber security audit works by identifying key areas of risk or threat.
A cyber security health check is, typically, more exhaustive in terms of what is analysed and reviewed. As well as the audit and technical cyber security reviews which are conducted as part of a cyber security audit, a cyber health check will also include vulnerability scans of the cyber infrastructure of their business. A cyber security health check can also, if required, include phishing analysis.
A cyber security audit, whilst indepth, provides a snapshot only of your business’s IT infrastructure and security at a certain moment. A cyber security health check takes a much deeper dive into policies and procedures which contribute to the security of your IT landscape.
When does my business need a cyber security health check?
To keep your business protected from cyber attacks and threats, it’s recommended that a cyber security health check is conducted regularly – at least once every 6-12 months, or when major changes are happening within your business. This can include if you integrate a new system or upgrade to new versions of a programme or network. This can help to give you peace of mind and keep your business protected against potential cyber security breaches.
Conclusion
Ensuring proper cyber security health is vital to the smooth running and protection of your business. Here at CYFOR Secure, we understand just how important looking after your business is, which is why we offer cyber security health checks and can provide further support and advice when it comes to cyber security consultancy, cyber security audits and assessments.
Our team are here to help you identify cyber security risks and can create bespoke and custom action plans to identify such risks in line with your business objectives and plans. For more information on our cyber security health checks, or to speak to a member of the CYFOR Secure team, contact us today!