By Ryan Klund - Business Development Associate
Hiring a cybersecurity expert to work for/on your business has become a necessity for even small businesses in Wisconsin and across the United States.
Every Business is at risk
You might not want to believe it if you've never dealt with the fallout from an attack, but every business is at risk no matter the size of the organization. The simple truth is that if your business connects to the internet and uses data - you have something valuable that criminals will try to access.
According to Microsoft, more than 250,000 new malware samples are created and spread every day, 81% of breaches involve weak or stolen passwords and 75% of individuals use only 3 or 4 passwords across all their accounts. These statistics add up to a business landscape that is extremely vulnerable to attack.
In December 2019, more than 100 nursing homes were unable to view patient records after Virtual Care Provider Inc. (VCPI), an IT vendor in Milwaukee, was breached by Russian hackers and asked to pay a $14M ransom in exchange for data. According to reports, the initial intrusion may have occurred more than a year in advance and could have been prevented after the initial breach if cybersecurity software was actively looking for signs of an intrusion. This example goes to show how vital cybersecurity tools and experts are for detecting and preventing an attack.
It’s Not Easy to Hire a Cybersecurity Professional
Shouldn’t every business just hire a cybersecurity professional to manage their data and accounts? Unfortunately, it’s not easy to find a cybersecurity professional.
According to projections, there is a 1.5-million-person talent gap in the cybersecurity industry. Additionally, the demand for cybersecurity professionals is going to continue to rise as teams focus more on remote work and moving business processes to the cloud.
Cybersecurity experts are also expensive. Cybersecurity analysts are demanding minimum salaries of nearly $100,000/year and there is no shortage of competition for talent in the marketplace.
Here’s how to hire a Cybersecurity Expert
It depends on the type of role that you’re hiring for at your organization, but generally speaking, a cybersecurity professional should have a good understanding of methods and tools to protect data. There are expert disciplines within cybersecurity, and you want to be sure all your bases are covered, so here are three methods to get your hands-on cybersecurity professional:
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Start recruiting college graduates
Colleges and universities are realizing the growing demand for cybersecurity professionals and are offering more specialized degree programs. Degrees that graduates are receiving are four-year degrees in cybersecurity, information security or digital forensics and cyber investigation. Starting a relationship with graduates while they’re in school can help recruit a professional to your team.
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Up-skill your team
Because finding and recruiting cybersecurity talent can be so difficult, maybe the organization’s next cybersecurity professional is on your team right now. Employees with knowledge of your systems can be good candidates for up-skilling. There are several training programs available to send an existing team member through.
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Hire a Managed Service Provider
The quickest and easiest way to immediately increase the cybersecurity protection of your organization is to outsource your cybersecurity to a Managed Service Provider. Managed Service Providers, like SWICKtech, can provide locally outsourced, expert cybersecurity tools and advice for a fraction of the cost of hiring a cybersecurity professional.
We understand that every organization has different technology goals and hiring an in-house cybersecurity professional might not be an option for you.
If you are interested in having a no-strings-attached conversation about outsourcing your cybersecurity to SWICKtech, contact us today for a free consultation.