Hello, and welcome back to this next TomCast from GuardSight, an IronBow Technologies company; we are a tactical cybersecurity-as-a-service organization dedicated to helping businesses protect their data, their assets, and their endpoints.

Today we are going to discuss local cybersecurity, or maybe a better term would be local business cybersecurity. Think of organizations that actually reside near you, and those are what I am referring to. If you live near an Amazon warehouse or corporate office, that is a local business. If you live in a more rural area and the local donut shop is near you, that is a local business. Are there stark differences between the two? Absolutely. Are there commonalities? Why, yes there are.

I mention local business cybersecurity because many times rules, regulations, policies, and guidelines differ in local municipalities. Yes, if you are a larger organization you have to abide by the regulations specified in your particular industry regardless of location. Not all businesses have those regulations to adhere to, however. Also, local businesses have the privilege of being members (if the local area has this) of a chamber of commerce. There are no size restrictions here, so Martha’s Donut Shop that has four employees can be a member just like a large bank, warehousing entity, or other large org. That chamber has the ability to connect the businesses with each other. The chamber also connects with other chambers in the state, so similar to the internet you have a web of businesses that are seemingly interconnected with each other.

That is a terrific thing, and I believe businesses should take advantage of that opportunity if presented. I do caution organizations, however, to do their due diligence on any group or association they join. Imagine connecting your organization with another that has little to no practice of cybersecurity. Would that worry you? If an organization was riddled with vulnerabilities, exposures, and more than likely threats camping out inside, what would a connection do? It could possibly open up YOUR organization to the same threats.

So, the commonalities lie in professional responsibility. If you are a member of or operate your own organization online (and I challenge you to find an organization that does NOT operate online), you have a responsibility to secure your data, your assets, and your endpoints. If you are interested in member organizations or associations like a chamber of commerce, then that responsibility increases in importance. Why? Well, your lack of cybersecurity posture could then adversely impact other businesses in that association, and the threats could spread exponentially.

Getting back to the size of the organization, cybersecurity practices and cybersecurity postures differ greatly from the small donut shop to the large enterprise. So, how do the smaller organizations increase their security when they have little to no ability to hire a cyber professional or even an MSSP? Through education and awareness. There are several resources out there that can help instruct on how to conduct business in a more secure fashion. If you aren’t familiar with cybersecurity, that’s ok, just understand that it is part of the responsibility of operating a business. So, either look into self-help, or like when you have a problem with your car and you take it to a mechanic, take your business to a security professional and see what can be done.

And yes, GuardSight is one of those MSSP’s that could assist. Think of GuardSight as your cybersecurity mechanic. That trusted shop that makes sure your business runs in optimal fashion. They have the expertise that will show you where your gaps or exposures are, and they have the experience that will help you understand what YOU can do to minimize those gaps and exposures. Give them a call, they are there to help you!

We here at GuardSight thank you for taking the time to listen to this TomCast. For more information on various cybersecurity tips head on over to our website and check out more TomCasts. Those are located over on www.guardsight.com/tomcast. Or, if you would like more information on what GuardSight or IronBow can do for you, head on over to www.guardsight.com or www.ironbow.com and contact us. There are several free cybersecurity tools out there that can help you improve your overall security posture. We’d love to hear from you! Thanks!