How an SMB Can Secure a Business Network and Protect its Systems

It’s one thing for a Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) or an IT Manager to secure an organization’s business network and systems. It’s another thing entirely for a small franchise owner, business owner, manager, or designated tech person to be tasked with securing the business network. It’s a lot – if you haven’t been educated. It’s a lot even if you know cybersecurity best practices.

Hackers, ransomware gangs, and other bad actors are executing innovative, sophisticated methods. And these attackers view smaller businesses as easy pickings. Here are a few cybersecurity fundamentals that are appropriate for small business leaders to secure a small business network, including some quick wins that will drastically reduce the probability of a successful cyber-attack or data breach.

Prerequisites to Secure Network Connections: Encryption, Firewall, VPN

If criminals are targeting a small business, they are likely motivated by customers’ valuable personal identifiable information (PII) and credit card data. These cornerstone cybersecurity practices go without saying... but let’s say it. Encryption and a firewall are mandatory to secure your internet connection. For small businesses, ensuring that your Wi-Fi network is hidden and password-protected is crucial. Additionally, employees working remotely should use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to securely connect to the company network.

Implementing Multi-Factor Authentication in Your SMB

If your small business has not set up multi-factor authentication (MFA), doing so will give your small company a quick win in protecting its systems. In order for a bad actor to exfiltrate or corrupt a company’s data resources, they must first find their way into your computer systems. In many cases, identity and access management (IAM) is the epicenter of strong cybersecurity, because password hygiene falls under the category of human error, which is by far the #1 vulnerability leading to cyberattacks. Hackers have a variety of tried-and-true tactics designed to crack easy passwords. In credential stuffing, they take advantage of those users who reuse the same passwords across multiple platforms. In password-spray attacks, they attempt to sign into a large number of accounts using a small subset of popular or common passwords

MFA adds an extra security layer by requiring users to provide two or more forms of identification before accessing your systems. The FTC provides free how-to guides for small businesses on MFA and securing remote access, among other things.

Extended Detection and Response (XDR) cybersecurity solutions are essential tools to provide threat detection and threat intelligence to detect emerging threats before they can affect an IT infrastructure. Our own Samurai XDR uses machine-learning powered analytics engines and algorithms to defend against advanced persistent threats that attempt to remain undiscovered while they perform malicious reconnaissance or data exfiltration activities.

The Importance of Regular Software Updates and Patching

Keeping all software up to date is essential to protect against vulnerabilities that cybercriminals often exploit. That is obvious, right? The number of breaches involving the exploitation of vulnerabilities as an initial access step tripled in 2023; and 15% of breaches involved a third party or supplier, such as software supply chains. Popular vendors, software-as-a-service (SaaS) and remote management tools have become prime targets for adversaries looking to maximize victim count with exploitation.

Regularly applying patches and updates to your operating systems, applications, and security software helps close such security gaps. Small business owners should ensure that all software, including vendor software, antivirus and operating systems, are set to automatically update. They should put procedures in place to install security patches as soon as they become available. Vendor-supplied security patches should be installed promptly. This practice is crucial for defending against newly discovered vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.

Why Regular Data Backups Are Essential for SMB Security

While small business leaders are installing automated updates, they can also install automated and regular data backups. Backing up critical data such as financial records and customer information to secure offsite locations or cloud storage helps ensure that the company can recover quickly from an incident. A successful attack or virus can cause hours or days of business interruption, a time during which the business ceases to collect revenue and customer services suffers.

Cybersecurity Training for Employees: A Must for SMBs

As mentioned before, human error is the top cause of attacks. Owners should educate employees regularly on spotting phishing attempts, using strong passwords, and handling sensitive information. In its 2023 study, the National Cybersecurity Alliance found that over a third of small business employees had started using MFA and half said they became better at recognizing phishing. Of course, human error will always be a concern, as will the human ingenuity of the hackers. Luckily, we have some ingenuity too.

Our Samurai XDR uses threat intelligence to identify known and emerging threats to the IT environment so they can be addressed before causing damage. The solution works seamlessly with your current cybersecurity stack to improve your ability to protect your IT resources.

To dive deeper into essential measures to secure your small business network, see our earlier article featuring a cybersecurity checklist for SMBs.

About the Author:

Greg Garten is the Chief Technology Officer of NTT Security Holdings and Samurai XDR, with 25 years of experience ranging from telco/carrier to advanced technology startup environments, focusing on the creation and delivery of global managed services. Greg has been with NTT for over 10 years, focusing on the engineering and product development of their cybersecurity platforms, products, and services. Greg has also held various engineering and executive roles at companies such as Intuit, Cisco, Silver Lake Sumeru, Exodus Communication, Cybera, and several overseas technology startups and multinational technology companies. He is an active Member IEEE, ISC2, and ISSA.

3 Takeaways:

1. Essential cybersecurity practices for small businesses include employee education and awareness, strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, firewalls, VPNs.

2. Ensuring that all software, including antivirus and operating systems, is set to automatically update is crucial for defending against newly discovered vulnerabilities that could be exploited by attackers.

3. Regular data backups are crucial for minimizing the impact of a cyber attack.

Bibliography:

1. A notorious ransomware group has received the largest ransom payment ever

2. NIST Small Business Cybersecurity Corner

3. 2024 Global Threat Intelligence Report

4. National Cybersecurity Alliance resources

5. FCC Cyberplanner