Cyber security is gradually becoming a top priority in all industries, including the IT channel. However, creating and maintaining a solid technology protection plan is not as easy as it sounds for most IT Principals.
According to a report from IDC, 65 percent of companies have a formal documented security policy. IT executives cited complexity of security solutions (53 percent), increased sophistication of attacks (61 percent) and increased volume of threats and attacks (63 percent) as the top challenges to having a proper security plan. All of these numbers are an increase of at least 8 percent from the past five years.
A recent article from Harvard Business Review examined the steps that companies need to take to respond properly when facing an IT security threat and optimize any system that is already in place. Many of these steps seem like no brainers—have one executive on top who knows all, continuously refresh the system, have tough decision protocols ready in advance and have documents about the plan with important information available to everyone.
However, there are also key talent acquisition steps that need to be considered. Executives need to ensure all staff members are aware of the IT security system and understand their role in it. On top of that, all critical team members need to be identified and the purpose of their roles need to be established. Once all that is complete, it's time to test.
"Train, practice, and run simulated breaches to develop response 'muscle memory.' The best-prepared organizations routinely conduct war games to stress-test their plans, increasing managers' awareness and fine-tuning their response capabilities," the article said.
Creating this kind of plan can be complicated. Many businesses rely on an experienced VAR or MSP that specializes in cyber security for help. Those solution providers that have partnered with VAR Staffing can ensure they have the impactful talent needed to optimize these systems.
