How does Physical Security impact Cyber Security?

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    Restrata Team
    Restrata Team

    In this day and age, it is not possible to talk about the security of your business without talking about cyber security. Every company depends on technology and the cyberspace to some degree so it is important to take cyber security into account. Security means making sure that hackers cannot remotely access your network or tamper with your company’s cyber protocols. However, there are several different ways your network can be accessed, and company or personal computers can be used more easily to compromise your security measures.

    Here is what you need to consider on the physical security side of cyber protection.

    Internal Threats

    When it comes to the biggest threats to businesses of any size, the most likely enemy comes from within. Consider the level of access that your employees have to the network and computers used to update or change your website. Any devices with backend passwords saved on the login screen are vulnerable. Even passwords written down on paper could potentially be discovered. Employees will not only have more access to the vulnerable areas, they are also more likely to know where they are and the best time to exploit them.

    The other consideration is how much they know about the internal workings of your network. If there is sensitive information such as financial records of the company, partners, customers, etc., there is a greater chance of someone stealing that info. Internal threats are more likely to be able to fully extort the access they get. This is on top of the ability to crash your network or installing malware on it.

    External Threats

    A large consideration for external threats is that equipment will be stolen and/or destroyed. Without redundant backups, stolen hardware can cause a lot of downtime for your site. If devices are stolen, it can also be very difficult to understand your future risk. It must be assumed that you are more vulnerable to a network attack if sensitive information was on a stolen computer. This also places your clients data at risk, which eventually comes back to negatively impact your company.

    There is also the danger that what was not stolen will be compromised. If certain devices were left behind after a break-in, there is a chance that malicious software could have been installed. It is dangerous to use equipment that was exposed in this way to interact with your website.

    Mitigating Risk

    In terms of limiting the risk of external and internal threats to your business, you need to sure up your vulnerabilities. There is the obvious need for some form of increased cyber security, but also procedural refinement, and access control. The procedure determines who has what information, and their level of access. Access controls are the physical security standards you put in place to reinforce your efforts for compartmentalization.

    These efforts should focus on prevention. Lock the doors of rooms with unsupervised sensitive or valuable information. Make sure that you use high-security locks. Do not store passwords on computers or in written form within your office. If these documents are stored in the office, make sure that they are discretely titled and never accessed in front of employees.

    Limiting what employees know will also decrease the risk of external threats attacking your website physically. The fewer people who know what your business has and an easy way to get to it, the smaller the chance of an outsider taking an interest. For external threats, the main focus will have to be locks, cameras, and alarms. Commercial lock installation should be handled by third party professionals to decrease the risk of victimization. Any electronic security should be monitored as well as having a personal alert feature.

    Conclusion

    Cyber security is still a monumental necessity, but the threats are not always lurking around in your code. Sometimes they are breaking into your business. That is why it is important to layer your security. The best way to keep your cyber security in perfect conditions is to balance your protections.

    If you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to us or learn more about our holistic approach, addressing physical and cyber threats within one solution.

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