Security

Peerless Small Business Cybersecurity Starts with Independent Testing

Penetration tests and other third-party network analysis lets small businesses know where they stand.

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Ryan has been a magazine and newspaper editor for 21 years, with the last 15 covering a variety of bases for CDW’s family of tech magazines. As Editor in Chief, he works on developing editorial strategy and is always on the lookout for new writing talent and sharing great stories with the IT world. In his spare time, Ryan enjoys spending time with his family, biking and obsessively following Iowa Hawkeye sports and Cubs baseball.

One thing has become clear in the last few years: Digital transformation isn’t just a marketing slogan dreamed up by technology companies. The concept is changing the way businesses operate.

Companies of every size have deployed new networks that better respond to business needs, collaboration technology to support mobile work, cloud-based data storage and more. But when I ask business and IT leaders what’s top of mind for them, they typically mention security first. They worry that all of the great work that’s taking place to reinvent their businesses will mean nothing if their networks aren’t secure.

IT pros are also concerned about the growing sophistication of hackers’ attacks. It was not a bunch of amateurs with laptops who transformed cybercrime into a global industry worth $600 billion a year.

On the other hand, hackers aren’t the only ones who have been getting smarter. The good guys have some game too. I’m impressed by many of the latest firewalls and other security products now on the market (including one we reviewed recently), and I’m encouraged by companies taking steps to work with partners to protect themselves proactively.

Third Parties Help Companies Fight Back Against Threats

Most businesses know that while it’s vital to have the right tools in place to mitigate attacks, it’s just as crucial to take preventive action. And for small businesses especially, it’s often difficult to know what those steps should entail. Just deciding what to tackle first can seem overwhelming.

My advice is to emulate mature companies that place a premium on cybersecurity. Take Cantor Colburn, an intellectual property law firm that worked with experts at CDW to analyze and validate the security of its infrastructure. Getting independent analysis provides peace of mind not only for Cantor Colburn, but also — more importantly — for its clients.

Many other companies are taking similar steps to protect their data and their customers. The hackers aren’t going to stop, so neither can we.