With ever-evolving cyber threats year-on-year, IT and cybersecurity must be a focus for all organisations. If you aren’t yet convinced of how devastating an attack can be, just look at the extensive list of notable breaches that occurred in 2022, from Optus and Medibank, to Bunnings and Telstra.

No company can truly say that they aren’t at risk of an attack. Given the way cybersecurity threats have evolved, SME targets can be just as appealing as enterprise organisations—in fact, they represent a growing number of data breach reports. The Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC) Small Business Survey, for example, reports that “62 per cent of respondents have experienced a cyber security incident.”  Interestingly, almost half of participants reported spending 'less than $500 per year' on their cyber defenses. This raises the question of whether investing in Cyber Security Services might be a wise choice for enhanced protection. 

To assess how your current security posture stacks up—and to avoid becoming this year’s big news headline—use our IT security checklist to strengthen your systems as we continue into the future. Not only can taking these steps reduce your risk, but doing so may also help you to reduce your cybersecurity insurance premiums, if you’ve seen the cost of your cover soar recently.

Of course, some of these items may not apply to you, depending on your organisation’s type, size, geographic region, or industry. If you need help assessing your company’s specific vulnerabilities, reach out to Canon Business Services (CBS) for help with a customised security assessment.

Your 2024 Cybersecurity Checklist starts here.

Document your environment.

To build a strong security program, you need to understand the environment you’re working in. That’s why it’s important to begin by assessing your environment and documenting all of the following assets or elements:

Depending on the specifics of your situation, it may also be a good idea to:

Manage your technology.

Next, when it comes to managing the security of your technology, make sure you can tick each of the following boxes. If you can’t, take action to do so ASAP, either on your own or with the support of an external partner.

Truly, your systems are only as secure as the people working within them. In addition to securing your technology, invest in educating all of your company’s users on proper security behaviours. Can you tick each of the following boxes?

Monitor your progress.

Finally, keep in mind that security is not a ‘one-and-done’ activity. To maintain protection once you’ve established practices that govern the security of your technology and people, establish ongoing processes that tick each of the following boxes:

Support for your security priorities.

If our IT security checklist sounds like a lot, that’s because it’s meant to. Even as security management has become more complex than ever, it’s become more important than ever for companies of every size.

So if you aren’t sure what any of these items mean—or if you aren’t sure how to implement them on your own—CBS can help. Reach out to our team for a personalised assessment of your security needs or for expert support uplifting your security in 2024.

Want to learn more about how working with an MSSP can boost the security of your organisation? Contact Canon Business Services (CBS) today.

Canon Business Services ANZ (CBS) is proud to be among the few Australian MSSPs in the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA), which means we can better defend you against a world of increasing cyber threats. Choose the team with 3 Azure advanced security specialisations (Identity & Access Management, Cloud Security and Threat Protection) to safeguard your organisation today.