Suffolk Computer Consultants, Inc. Blog

In IT, we often talk in terms of firewalls, encryption algorithms, and next-generation detection and response tools. We meticulously patch systems, configure complex security policies, and deploy the latest hardware. After two decades in this field, I can tell you where the biggest, most persistent vulnerability lies: the people.

Most modern businesses are powered by their on-premise server hardware assuming that it creates a more secure environment for them. While having your data close by, where you can easily access it, sounds like a great idea, know that there are also issues that arise from these kinds of arrangements. In fact, your business might be the most dangerous place you can host your data. Here’s why.

If and when an employee departs from your business, they should go through a comprehensive offboarding process. This process should include the physical handoff of keys, laptops, and any other assets or resources they used during their employment with your business. While it’s easy enough to collect these physical items, it’s harder to shore up your business on the digital side of things.

As a cybersecurity professional, I've seen organizations of all sizes and sectors make a critical, often fatal, mistake: they wait for the water to boil. They operate under a reactive cybersecurity model, adopting the same slow, passive approach as the hapless subject of the boiled frog analogy.

It’s a tale I recently rediscovered, and it's a chillingly perfect metaphor for modern cyberrisk. Imagine a frog enjoying a cool bath as the water is slowly, almost imperceptibly, heated. It thinks it’s enjoying a relaxing bath until the water reaches a lethal temperature. By then, it’s too late. The danger has crept up, and the frog is boiled.

Imagine you’re going through your workday, business as usual, until all of a sudden, you lose control of your computer. A message displays across your screen stating that your files have been encrypted and they will be permanently deleted unless you pay a huge ransom. Meanwhile, you’re sitting there thinking, “Why me? Why my small business?”

Cybersecurity is not just for enterprises; it’s for all businesses, big and small. You need to take proactive measures now so you don’t pay for your inaction later.