‘When all else works, humans become the weak point in Cyber Securi­­ty.’

In today’s digital age, where businesses rely heavily on technology to operate efficiently and stay competitive, the role of IT teams has become increasingly critical. Many IT teams are lacking in the knowledge to fully understand the threats they’re facing. This is a big risk in terms of financial performance and overall cyber security. As the technological landscape evolves, so do the security challenges that IT teams must confront.

On average IT teams spend 26% of their time on cybersecurity

As technologies and cyber threats become increasingly sophisticated, it’s imperative to examine how different security approaches, from traditional methods to cutting-edge techniques like CryptoGuard, machine learning, and anti-exploit mechanisms defend our data. In response, there’s a strong desire to have better teams in place and to work with cybersecurity solutions to provide the best possible protection for the organisation. Let’s explore the challenges.

The Human Factor: A Pivotal Challenge

Cybersecurity has always been a battle between attackers and defenders, with the human element playing a pivotal role. Users remain a significant vulnerability in the security chain, often falling victim to phishing, social engineering, and other forms of manipulation. The shortage of skilled cybersecurity professionals is a significant challenge faced by IT teams as well as the COVID-19 pandemic accelerating the adoption of remote work. This brings about a new set of security challenges. Remote employees often use personal devices and unsecured networks, creating vulnerabilities that malicious actors can exploit. Traditional security measures that focus on perimeter defence, firewalls, and signature-based antivirus software is crucial – but often fail to address the constantly changing tactics of attackers and the inherent unpredictability of human behaviour. IT teams must establish secure remote access protocols, promote employee cybersecurity awareness, and implement multi-factor authentication to safeguard against unauthorised access.

’A single weak link in the supply chain can expose the entire network to potential attacks.’

The Traditional Approach

To stop threats, historically we’ve used a combination of signatures and heuristics. The traditional approach to IT security primarily relies on predefined patterns and known signatures to identify and block threats. While this approach has been effective to a certain extent, it struggles to keep up with the rapid evolution of new attack vectors and the increasing volume of zero-day exploits that have never been seen before. This is what traditional endpoint security is based on. It works very well for known threats.

Enter CryptoGuard and Machine Learning

CryptoGuard is a signature-less system that analyses software in real time and shuts down processes attempting to encrypt documents maliciously.  The system stores copies of potentially exposed files in a separate location for safekeeping while assessing executables, and automatically reverts documents impacted by a ransomware attack to their pre-encrypted state. By doing so, CryptoGuard can identify and block even previously unknown threats, making it more effective in combating zero-day attacks. It is a great protector against ransomware.

Machine Learning takes this method a step further by leveraging algorithms to recognise patterns in vast amounts of data. This technology can learn from historical data, adapt to new threats, and make intelligent decisions without explicit programming. By analysing user behaviour, machine learning models can identify deviations that might indicate a potential breach or security incident. 

Achieving a Balance

 IT security is a multifaceted challenge that requires a holistic approach. To summarise, organisations need help for the following reasons:

• Organisations are struggling to keep up with the rapidly changing threat landscape.
• Very few organisations want to and are equipped to manage cybersecurity in-house.
• Most organisations worldwide don’t want to become cybersecurity experts. They want to be secure so they can get on with their “real” business.

Ultimately organisations need better cybersecurity outcomes to allow for:

1. Less Risk – 72% of organisations saw an increase in the volume/ complexity/impact of cyberattacks last year.
2. Greater Efficiency – 69% of IT pros have seen their cybersecurity workload increase over the last year.
3. Lower Costs – £1.4m is the average remediation cost.

The average organisation has 46 different vendors integrated across its security environment. To effectively address the human element in IT security, a combination of strategies is necessary. While advanced technologies like CryptoGuard, machine learning, and anti-exploit mechanisms provide powerful tools against emerging threats, user education and awareness remain critical. Nexus and Sophos are working in Partnership to support your Security Journey with the very best foundations.

Sophos Cyber Security As A Service:

• Sophos Cybersecurity as a Service seamlessly combines world-leading services, technologies, expertise, and tools in one holistic solution.
• Cybersecurity as a Service delivers the outcomes like less risk, greater efficiency, and lower costs, for organisations of all sizes.
• MSP, MSSP, and MDR are the various services managed and marketed by Sophos and the partner community.
• Protection 24/7, 365 Days a Year.

Threat expertise is super important, whether you have this in-house within your IT team, or through a managed threat response service. Understanding the landscape and the threats themselves is a great step towards protecting your business and its assets. Discover how Sophos Security can shape the future of your Digital Protection. Call us on 01908 760 940 or Email sales@nexusfusion.co.uk