What is IT security and why is it important?

As the yearly number of cyberattacks grows, IT security has become critical for every modern business. Here’s everything you should know about how IT security helps businesses and enterprises.

What threats does IT security fend off?

IT security encompasses different technologies, strategies, and tools to protect organizations against external and internal threats. To understand how IT security works, it’s important to familiarize yourself with the threats themselves.

IT cybersecurity threats have evolved significantly in just the last decade, posing a serious challenge to information technology security, as it continuously needs to keep up with existing and emerging dangers. Common threats include:

Ransomware. Hackers use ransomware to encrypt an entire device, network, or database. Then they demand a ransom to be paid for access to be restored.

Spyware. Malware that illegally collects internal business data is called spyware. It can sit on company devices for a long time without being detected, which makes it especially dangerous.

Phishing. Phishing happens when hackers fabricate messages to steal sensitive information. For example, an employee may receive a fake email asking for login credentials to an important business account.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks. DDoS attacks occur when hackers flood company servers with thousands of bots to overwhelm them and shut them down.

Cyber threats may differ in their form, but they all inflict damage. Getting hacked can lead to seized (in the case of ransomware) or breached data and a halt in business operations. At best, cyberattacks will result in minimal monetary losses. At worst, your business will be forced to shut down. That’s why IT cyber security should be a priority.

Types of IT security

A company’s digital infrastructure comprises many different parts—human, hardware, and software alike. All these components call for different types of IT security.

Internet security

The beauty and the horror of the internet is that it’s accessible to everyone—hackers included. They can plant malicious links, target victims through unencrypted websites, and perform DDoS attacks, resulting in stolen credentials, leaked data, or a crashing website. To improve their internet security, businesses should use the following:

• Encryption. Encryption tools scramble confidential data using a special encryption key, making it inaccessible to outsiders. Using a virtual private network (VPN) is one of the easiest ways to encrypt all of your organization’s internet traffic.

• Strong passwords. Creating strong passwords is a must to protect online accounts against cyberattacks. Password managers like NordPass simplify the process of creating sufficiently strong passwords. NordPass’ Password Generator lets employees in your organization secure their accounts effortlessly.

Endpoint security

Endpoints include all devices connected to the same network. In a company, the endpoints are all employee computers, tablets, and phones. Hackers can target separate endpoints to gain access to the whole network. This means that business network security is fully dependent on how secure the endpoints are. IT security services like antivirus software and a firewall are part of solutions to protecting the endpoints.

Cloud security

Cloud computing has allowed companies to store, manage, and access data quickly and easily. It has eliminated the need for middlemen when transferring data and has optimized most business operations. However, the risks to data stored on the cloud are far greater than those of conventionally stored data because cloud computing operates over the internet. Cloud security seeks to overcome these threats by encrypting data and filtering traffic.

Application security

Businesses operate through many different applications. From browsers to websites to mobile apps, they all have vulnerabilities. Application security aims to protect all of these from outsiders. To secure your web application, you should:

• Use a secure hosting provider like Hostinger

• Get an SSL certificate to encrypt all incoming and outgoing data on the website.

• Use CAPTCHA to detect DDoS bots.

User security

Although IT security takes place in the digital world, it all comes down to people. In business, “people” means employees. IT security should be a team effort with all members on board. To increase user awareness and security, educate employees on all IT security threats and countermeasures. Encourage them to use cybersecurity tools responsibly and to report any suspicious activity.

What is the difference between IT security and information security (InfoSec)?

When the conversation turns to IT security, it’s not unusual to come across the term “information security” (or InfoSec) as well. In fact, IT security is an intrinsic part of the InfoSec practices. Information security aims to protect and preserve all data as part of information risk management strategies. This includes both physical and digital data.

The job of InfoSec is not just preserving it in its most updated, intact state but also preventing copywriting infringement, unlawful use, illegal copying and distribution, modification, and other actions that may adversely impact the data. Here’s where IT security comes into play. Securing technologies is part of the overall InfoSec process. This can be the theoretical and practical information of what technology a company uses and how, as well as prototypes and blueprints. By protecting each type of IT security from malicious attackers, specialists contribute to overall information security.

What is information security risk management?

Information security risk management (ISRM) is an essential subset of IT security risk management. Its main purpose is to guide organizations in identifying, managing, and mitigating potential threats to their valuable information assets. Given the rising prevalence of cyber threats and data breaches, the value of a well-structured ISRM strategy is high.

Adding another layer of defense, ISRM contributes to building a resilient and secure IT infrastructure capable of withstanding the ever-evolving cyber threats. It's more than just a technical process—it involves the collaboration of various departments and stakeholders, reinforcing the idea that security is everyone's responsibility. Ultimately, the goal of ISRM is to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of an organization's data. It enables smooth operations, safeguards customer trust, and reinforces the company's reputation in the long term.

Enterprise IT security

Enterprise IT security is a comprehensive approach employed across an organization to safeguard its crucial information assets from cyber threats. By employing enterprise IT security solutions, businesses effectively shield their digital infrastructure from malicious activities. This practice encapsulates a range of measures, from robust security systems to custom IT solutions designed to fend off cyberattacks.

Furthermore, enterprise risk management in IT security plays a pivotal role in this strategy. It aids in identifying, assessing, and prioritizing risks, which can then be addressed by implementing appropriate countermeasures. This proactive approach ensures that the organization is well-prepared for potential cyber threats, thereby minimizing potential disruptions or damages. Tools like NordPass Enterprise help large businesses stay safe and uphold high data security and management standards.

The ISRM process for an enterprise typically includes four key stages:

• The first stage involves identifying valuable assets and their associated risks. They could include anything from databases and software to hardware and intellectual property.

• The second stage, risk assessment, prioritizes these identified risks based on their potential impact and likelihood of occurrence.

• The third stage, risk mitigation, involves the formulation and implementation of strategies aimed at reducing the impact of high-priority risks. This might involve preventative measures such as the implementation of firewalls or antivirus software, as well as incident response plans.

• The final stage, evaluation and maintenance, is an ongoing process of monitoring and reviewing the effectiveness of risk management strategies. This ensures the strategies remain relevant and robust as business operations evolve and new threats emerge.

IT Security for Small Business

While small businesses are a significant part of the economy, they often face a unique set of vulnerabilities in terms of IT security. One common misconception is that smaller organizations are less likely to be targeted by cyber threats. In reality, due to limited resources and a lack of robust IT security measures, they often become easier targets for cybercriminals. This makes cybersecurity for small businesses a dire issue that needs addressing.

Several threats focus their target on small businesses in particular. These include phishing, ransomware, and data breaches. Other risks include insider attacks caused—often unintentionally—by poor employee security practices and DDoS attacks. Given these vulnerabilities, IT security for small businesses is not an option but a necessity. Here are the top 5 cybersecurity tips for small businesses:

• Employee training. Educate employees about safe online practices and how to identify phishing emails or malicious links.

• Regular backups. Back up your company’s critical data routinely so that it can be recovered in ransomware or data loss scenarios.

• Robust authentication. Implement strong password policies using a password manager for teams or small businesses and consider multi-factor authentication for added security.

• Update and patch. Keep all systems, software, and applications updated to fix security issues and avoid zero-day vulnerabilities.

• Incident response plan. Develop an incident response plan to manage and minimize the impact of a potential cyberattack.

Small businesses can’t afford to overlook IT security, neither from a financial nor a reputational perspective. By proactively addressing existing and potential vulnerabilities and implementing strong security and precautionary measures, small businesses can safeguard their critical data and operations against the growing number of cyber threats.

Bottom line

Digitization has brought many new opportunities to business, but it has also expanded its attack surface to levels never seen before. Responsible companies must recognize the upsides and downsides of modern technology and act accordingly. The different types of IT security mentioned above play an integral role in a business’s success, so it’s critical to enforce them all.

So, make a plan and get your first steps into IT security sorted. Whether you’re an enterprise or a small business, data security protection should be your priority. Start easy by getting IT password management in order with the NordPass password manager. NordPass is a solution for SMBs and enterprises that supports centralized password policies and ensures secure credential practices for all employees.

NordPass employs the XChaCha20 encryption algorithm and zero-knowledge architecture to provide robust encryption of sensitive data, including passwords, passkeys, and credit card details. Try NordPass in your organization for free and discover the full benefits of credential security and data breach monitoring.