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Security as a Service (SaaS)

  • Written by Jonathan Adams, cyber security lead at LoughTec

    Every day we hear of the cyber security risks with massive organisations being attacked, whether it’s the HSE or Toyota – accelerated all the more by the Russia and Ukraine crises. But the smaller attacks on SMEs do not make the news, and these are also on the increase. Ireland alone has seen a 25% increase in March 2022. I see this more and more every day. But while the large organisations can survive 3 weeks of downtime or a large ransom/fine/loss of earnings, can you?

    Why attack an SME?

    1. SMEs can tend to have a thought of “It’ll never be our company”. Yet, 1 in 5 Irish SMEs will suffer a breach this year.

    2. Large businesses can have massive teams and dozens of IT Security tools in place, which can make it difficult for threat actors. SMEs who do not, are much easier targets.

    3. SMEs cannot afford to be shut down by an attack so often pay the ransom. The typical downtime after an attack is 19 days – can you survive that downtime?

    4. The typical ransom figure for Irish SMEs is €25,000. Can you afford this in the first place? Cyber insurance isn’t always the answer either - they will not pay out unless you have the correct plans, processes, tools and investments in place.

    Is there a solution?

    Yes, there are numerous solutions for SMEs and no, they do not cost millions. One solution is to do the basics correctly. These basic steps were referenced in my previous article, ‘Cyber risks with the current Russia and Ukraine crisis - how these impact your business.’

    However, the most effective solution for SMEs, in terms of protection/cost/ROI, is a Managed Detection and Response (MDR) tool, backed up by a 150 person strong, 24/7/365 Security Operations Centre (SOC). But what is this?

    We know SMEs do not have the budget, tools or people to effectively monitor and protect their network from cyber threats 24/7/365. So a ‘Security as a Service’ offering, uses next-gen tools and a team of 150+ IT Security professionals to monitor and protect your network from threats, whether you’re in a monthly meeting at 3pm or in your bed at 3am.

    What do you get in return?

    • Return on your investment – time and money saved on IT Security, while avoiding the ransom note.

    • Enhanced and continuous security – protection past 5pm on a Friday!

    • Expertise – from people that simply do not exist in your area currently.

    • Compliance – help meet GDPR, ISO 27001 and PCI DSS requirements.

    Most importantly – the combination of an MDR and SOC keeps your business up and running, despite the increased threat, which in turn, allows you to help it thrive. Do not become a statistic.

    About the author

    Aoife is a Sync NI writer with a previous background working in print, online and broadcast media. She has a keen interest in all things tech related. To connect with Aoife feel free to send her an email or connect on LinkedIn.

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