A Vulnerability Assessment is a critical first step that SMBs can take to protect their business from cyber threats before they occur. When you hear or see a pop up which says “Threat Detected”, automatically, you’re alerted to respond. If your computer warns you of a suspicious site or activity, most people will not proceed to an untrusted source. Regular antivirus systems help identify and attempt to treat online viruses, but a Vulnerability Assessment is crucial in preventing damage before it occurs to your business-critical data.

A Vulnerability Assessment is a process of identifying, analyzing, and prioritizing the vulnerabilities in a system. Some examples of where the assessments are performed include information technology systems, energy, and water supply systems, and communication systems.

For small to mid-size businesses especially, regular Vulnerability Assessments (VAs) are essential. Security vulnerabilities can enable hackers to access IT systems and applications. Organizations have significant amounts of very valuable, private data, and attackers seek to steal or lock this information for financial gain. SMB’sare often viewed as easy targets, as they may not have the technical expertise of larger enterprises.

According to research posted on CBSN, 61% of breach victims in 2018 were companies with under 1,000 employees. They estimated that ransomware damage costs will rise to $11.5 billion by the end of 2019 and that a business will be harmed by a ransomware attack every 14 seconds.

In 2017, Wannacry ransomware used a cryptoworm designed to target computer systems using Microsoft Windows operating systems. This ransomware attack was massive, affecting and taking money from organizations globally. Companies that had strong VAs in place were able to detect the vulnerability and apply a patch, a remediation tool, released by Microsoft to prevent disaster.

Regular antivirus systems are not enough when a company has files and information worth millions of dollars. Organizations of any size should invest in a skilled cybersecurity team to provide a professional Vulnerability Assessment annually as their first line of defense.

Here are some of the main benefits for companies to hire professional Cybersecurity Services to provide Vulnerability Assessments: 

 

1. Gather information & discover: Cybersecurity service professionals will go through all of a company’s software and hardware present in the environment. They go through thoroughly to understand the systems, specific to the organization. By network scanning, they discover the hosts most likely to be attacked, and by port scanning, they detect the servers and protocols which may be vulnerable.

2. Provide a clear report: A vulnerability assessment discovers different types of vulnerabilities or threats and can provide an organization with a full report on the security weaknesses specific to their environment. They determine the full extent of what is known as an ‘attack surface’ vulnerable to hackers.

3. Asses the risks:  From the information gathered in the report, the cybersecurity team can provide the company with direction on how to asses the risks associated with identified weaknesses and evolving threats. Guidance is provided to reduce future risks with the aide of remediation tools and ongoing assessments to detect new threats. 

4. Apply remediation tools: After using detection tools or vulnerability repositories such as the National Vulnerability Database (used by the US Government), remediation tools can be applied. These are solutions to patch, configure, or debug assets to reduce or eliminate threats to a system.

5. Provide ongoing analysis: Ongoing analysis is essential, as there are always new and emerging risks and threats in any cyber system. Cybersecurity experts provide clients with the option to receive regular assessments to ensure that their systems and databases are not vulnerable to cyberattacks.

6. Prove to clients they’re protected: Businesses working with an expansive database of customers benefit from regular vulnerability assessments, especially from expert cybersecurity teams. Customers trust their personal information and data in the hands of companies in healthcare, law, financial services, and other industries. By investing in expert assessments, these customers are more likely to continue doing business with a company and recommend their services to others.

At Simple Secure Group, the trusted team of experts provide a detailed report of findings which include: 

  • Key observations
  • Recommendations
  • A risk analysis workbook that assesses overall risk determination based on the likelihood and impact of their clients’ vulnerabilities. 

By working with cybersecurity professionals, you can ensure your recommendations are accurate to maximize the education of future risks to your company’s valuable systems and data.

For a limited time, Simply Secure is offering a Vulnerability Scan for the introductory price of $1,000. To take advantage of this exclusive offer, email: info@simplysecuregroup.com or call +1 561 332-4844.