There are very ambitious projects that can have a wide reach and resounding success. It is key, tIt's essential to consider cross-cutting aspects, such as having a project manager, a fully committed team, and the necessary security measures. In this publication, we'll tell you about the growing importance of security in today's business landscape.

Example of a cyberattack

At the General Meeting of shareholders of a major multinational, it was planned to detail the investments made and how they had benefited the profit and loss account.

They were in the middle of the session when an unwanted guest digitally entered the presentation, took control of the camera and microphone, and began displaying inappropriate information and images, disturbing the participants.

The person in charge of the event apologized, while trying to regain control, wondering what had gone wrong?

Cybersecurity: A Business Problem or Challenge

Numerous studies highlight the significant risks threatening Spanish businesses. The report Mimecast It shows a 33% increase in the number of cyberattacks suffered during the first quarter of 2020, compared to the previous year.

According to IBM, during that same period, 60,000 fraudulent websites were detected, along with a 6,000% increase in spam. They also identified fake social media accounts, malicious apps, banking trojans, and even impersonations of public agencies.

Since the internet became the central hub for business operations and communication, cybersecurity has taken on a leading role. Therefore, it has had to meet the challenge of maintaining the integrity of equipment and the confidentiality of data.

According to a study published by IBM, the problem is that 76% of organizations lack a Computer Security Incident Response Plan (CSIRP).

Furthermore, the arrival of the coronavirus has presented even greater challenges. It has forced companies to adopt a new work methodology in a short period of time. People have transitioned to working remotely from environments that lack secure equipment and protocols.

The National Cybersecurity Institute (Incibe) confirms that cybercriminals are taking advantage of a particularly vulnerable group: SMEs. The tragedy is evident when we see that attacked companies suffer losses of around €80,000, and a high percentage of SMEs are forced to close.

Possible consequences of a cyberattack

The consequences of cyberattacks are losses of money, capabilities, time, reputation and, not least, trust.

When a cyberattack occurs, everyone is in the eye of the storm: partners, employees, users, suppliers, and even technology consultants—everyone becomes a suspect!

At that moment, paranoia takes hold of the client; no matter how successful an implementation has been, the shadow of suspicion hangs over the consultants.

A kind of bipolar disorder emerges, the same one that Stevenson described as inherent to the human condition, giving rise to the duality of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

On the one hand, the client is highly satisfied with the new management or automation tool achieved, and on the other hand, blames the technology consultancy for the cyberattack suffered (even when the project in question is unrelated to cybersecurity).

Mistrust stems from a lack of knowledge

As he explains Edelman Barometer 2020This phenomenon of distrust stems from a widespread lack of knowledge regarding technological security within companies. Furthermore, the report explains that trust in the technology sector falls by an average of four points per year for two reasons:

1. Technological changes happen very quickly and society does not have time to understand and adopt them.
2. Technology companies are failing to prepare society for the impact of their innovations.

Many technology consulting firms face the difficulty that clients end up attributing responsibility for security to them, even when the project is clearly defined and falls under another area.

Therefore, it is essential for the success of a technological implementation that:

1. Companies understand the scope of the project, and
2. Take into consideration the relevant technological security measures.

The security protocol: an effective solution

An effective way to deal with cyber risks and threats is to design a security protocol that includes three lines of action: protect, detect and respond.

1.-Protect: This refers to the protection of equipment and data, which includes proactive backups, data restoration, and capacity expansion. In other words, before equipment or networks reach load saturation.

In this context of digital transformation and modernization, where companies are acquiring comprehensive cloud services, businesses are called upon to have disaster recovery (DR) capabilities. These include migrating workloads from on-premises to the cloud and vice versa, or even redundancy solutions.

2.-Detect: This process begins with a vulnerability analysis and diagnostic that identifies existing weaknesses within the company and provides recommendations for addressing them. It includes penetration testing, monitoring systems, reviewing access certificates, and auditing web and Wi-Fi anti-hacking tools, among other things.

Additionally, it defines what information is critical, which users may pose a threat, and which platforms may affect the organization's main assets.

3.-Answer: This refers to the protocol that a company must follow in the event of a cyberattack, in order to provide support and respond quickly.

It is becoming increasingly common to have a risk manager who is prepared for adversity and able to respond quickly if business security is compromised.

What does the action plan include?

• A technological equipment capable of resolving errors, recovering data, and restoring normal operation.
• A legal team who notifies those affected, assesses the legal consequences and ways to resolve them, and
• A crisis cabinet responsible for promptly initiating the necessary actions to reduce damage and reputation to the brand.

Reality shows us that technological innovation will continue to grow rapidly, providing companies with a wide range of solutions, among which the following stand out:

• 5G technology and Wi-Fi 6
• Implementation and integration of business solutions (ERP, CRM, Business Intelligence)
• Big Data
• Document management
• AI Artificial intelligence
• IoT Internet of Things
• R&D and R&D&I
• Cryptocurrency
• Interconnected and autonomous transport system for Smart Cities
• Robotic Process Automation (RPA)
• Cybersecurity, among others.

Cybersecurity, in turn, encompasses a wide range of products: firewalls, anti-spam, anti-fraud, anti-malware, access control, key authentication, identity certificates, data encryption, and redundancy solutions. All of these products are designed to protect an organization's most important assets.

As we've seen, cyberattacks are more a present-day reality than a future threat. That's why at Grupo Azulae we want to help companies be better prepared, defend themselves against cyber threats, and above all, ensure successful 100% technology implementations.

If you want more information about Cybersecurity or technological innovation. Contact usWe'll help you get solutions tailored to your needs.