Why Businesses Need Affordable Layered Security

The latest cybersecurity attacks are complicated—and potentially costly. That’s why many businesses are prioritizing a multi-tiered approach to protect their business digital assets.

What Is Layered Security?

Layered security, also known as multi-layered security or “defense in depth,” is a network security approach that employs multiple layers of controls and defenses throughout an IT system. In the IT environment, layered security provides defensive redundancy. If one layer fails, another continues to protect the system and its data.

The Elements of Layered Security

These are the elements of layered security that can help small businesses:

1. Administrative Controls: These controls are policies and procedures put in place by a business to reduce vulnerabilities. Examples include regular security training for employees, audits of security practices, and user access management through role-based access control systems.
2. Physical Controls: Businesses can put various control measures in place that restrict physical access to IT systems. For example, they can limit access to physical servers and equipment for network security.
3. Technical Controls: Technical controls—such as the use of strong passwords, multi-factor authentication, firewalls, antivirus software, and encryption—are steps to secure your network and prevent unauthorized access.
4. Cloud Controls: This layer concentrates on data security and applications in cloud environments. This is especially crucial for remote work setups. Some practical solutions include using cloud-based identity and access management systems and establishing comprehensive remote work policies and procedures. H2: The Importance of Layered Cyber Security

Diverse Work Locations Mean Increased Vulnerabilities

The shift to hybrid work models in the modern work environment means employees access company networks from various locations, often using different networks. And with more endpoints on a network, there are more opportunities for cybercriminals.

According to a recent McKinsey survey, 35% of workers now work from home full-time, while an additional 23% work from home part-time. Each of these points can be a potential vulnerability. Layered security helps ensure that your network is secure, no matter where your employees access it from.

Complexity of Threats

A single line of defense cannot adequately protect against cyber threats or phishing attacks, which are becoming even more sophisticated. Layered security combines various security measures, such as firewalls, encryption, endpoint security, intrusion detection systems, and user authentication, to create multiple layers of protection. With this comprehensive approach in place, organizations can counter a wide range of cyber attacks, enhance their resilience and minimize the risk of falling victim to cybercriminals.

Compliance and Regulatory Requirements

For many industries—from healthcare to legal to political organizations—data protection and privacy regulations are more stringent than ever. For these businesses, layered security measures are especially critical.

One way to start is by thoroughly evaluating your cyber security insurance carrier’s annual questionnaire. This questionnaire will help you assess the level of protection provided by your insurance coverage and identify what you need to be compliant.

You should also review your PCI compliance questionnaire to see what your business needs to do to comply with industry standards. These frameworks provide specific layered security controls that must be met, offering a clear roadmap to enhance the security of your business.

An Affordable Approach to Layered Security

At Ciracom Cloud, we proactively research your industry to deliver measurable results through our virtual Chief Information Officer (CIO) and Chief Technical Officer (CTO) service programs. Small and midsize businesses need to find ways to approach layered security that are cost-effective and scalable. Resources might be scarce, and adopting a broad layered approach to security takes time and planning. We can assist in defining your budget, technology requirements, and security measures.

Ciracom Cloud is committed to assisting our clients in implementing zero-trust networks by leveraging top-notch frameworks from industry leaders like Microsoft, Cisco, and SonicWall. Our layered approach to cyber security extends across various domains, including identity, endpoints, applications, data, infrastructure, and networks.

With a zero-trust approach to layered security, Ciracom Cloud take the stance that any device, employee, or network can’t be trusted. Therefore, we must establish rigorous verification and authorization processes for every access request. Our zero-trust strategy is built upon three key principles: thorough verification, minimal access privileges, and assuming a breach.

We Make Cloud Business Solutions Simple, Affordable And Secure

Rest assured that we practice what we preach — Ciracom Cloud also employs internal industry security controls. With a focus on resilience, we build IT strategies that not only support our clients now but also set them up for success in the future. Explore our catalog of services.