Cybersecurity is more important now than at any other point in history, particularly for small and medium-sized businesses. If you as a business owner think that your organization is safe from hackers and data breaches because of its small size, it’s time to think again. Cyberattacks now pose a very real threat to smaller businesses, frequently targeting them because of their weaker and less rigorous security measures. It takes tested and reliable cybersecurity methods to ward off these attackers in order to safeguard your customers, team members, and yourself, and managed detection and response, or MDR, is one of the tools at your disposal to keep these events at bay!
MDR is a powerful facet of cybersecurity that could be incredibly useful for you and your business, and you won’t want to miss out on the benefits it can offer you! Keep reading below to learn more about MDR and what it can do for your business.
Cybersecurity: The Facts
- According to Astra, a cyberattack happens every 39 seconds on average in the US.
- 46% of all data breaches are targeted at small businesses with 1000 or fewer employees.
- IBM reports that it takes an average of 49 days to identify a ransomware attack and an average of 70 to contain it, leaving businesses and organizations vulnerable for an extended period.
- In the US, a data breach costs an average of $4.88M according to IBM.
- According to KPMG, more than 20% of customers stop purchasing from companies that have been hacked.
What is Managed Detection and Response?
Managed detection and response is a cybersecurity technique that focuses on finding and responding to suspicious activity on a network promptly, designed to combine the benefits of both technology-driven security and human-driven security. It relies on continuous monitoring, active threat hunting, and guided responses. It provides 24/7 protection to a network, monitoring your endpoints (devices) and cloud environment, and reduces the risk of hacks and breaches!
What are the Benefits of Managed Detection and Response?
MDR has a wide range of benefits that it can offer to businesses and organizations that use it, and the main one is its constant monitoring. Continuous monitoring for your digital environment is the computer equivalent of having a security guard on the premises at all times. It means that there are always eyes, whether digital or human, on your network, patrolling for anything that might indicate that a cyberattack could be happening. Organizations that use MDR catch their cybersecurity events far faster than those that don’t, greatly reducing the impact of attempted attacks.
This is far from the only benefit of MDR, however. Its protocols for action and response when a threat is discovered are able to stop sophisticated, high-level attacks in their tracks, and can allow company devices to be restored and usable again in much less time, reducing the amount of time that a cyberattack can take out of your organization’s workflow. These responses also make MDR a far more comprehensive security offering than some other kinds, which might only focus on monitoring and alerting for threats, but not doing anything to resolve them.
Does My Business Need Managed Detection and Response?
All this information begs the question– does my business need this kind of cybersecurity? Once upon a time, the answer might have depended on a number of factors, including the size of your organization and the field you were in. These days, however, the answers to these questions matter less and less. Any source, from government agencies and major banks to local retail stores and schools, can provide a tempting target for a cybercriminal.
Whether or not you need the kind of security offered by MDR comes down to a roll of the dice. If you never happen to be unlucky enough to find yourself on the receiving end of a hack or breach, then you might never actually need this kind of security, but to encounter even the simplest phishing email or virus could spell disaster if you don’t have the proper security measures in place. That’s not a risk worth taking!
Updating Your Cybersecurity with Progressive Computer Systems
Adding a cybersecurity protocol like MDR to your system can seem intimidating, but with the right cybersecurity service provider, the process can be simple and easy! If you’re interested in learning more about managed detection and response and what it can do for your organization, contact Progressive Computer Systems today, and our team will be happy to help you!
