According to IBM’s 2024 Cost of a Data Breach Report, the average global cost of a data breach reached $4.88 million this year, representing a 10% increase from 2023. The reality is, the threat of a cyber attack is always looming as bad actors continue to evolve, adapt, and manipulate their approaches to take advantage of even the smallest entry points. One small mistake or overlooked process could open the door to these cyber criminals, causing economic and reputational damage, unnecessary stress and frustrations, and increased security challenges going forward. 

Cybersecurity mistakes happen for a number of reasons: 

• Lack of knowledge or understanding (e.g., lack of internal expertise focused on cybersecurity and/or lack of internal staff training)
• Poor planning (e.g., lack of a robust cybersecurity plan)
• Distractions or lack of focus (e.g., an overwhelmed internal IT staff that is spread thin in their existing responsibilities)

While mistakes naturally occur, some can be avoided. Here are a few common cybersecurity mistakes and what you can do today to ensure they don’t happen to you. 

#1: Weak access controls 

Weak or ineffective access control measures can lead to negative consequences – including a dreaded data breach. The more employees or systems in place, the more important it is to ensure you have a solid access control plan in place, including two-factor authentication, strong passwords, and a Principle of Least Privilege (PoLP) policy (i.e., users are granted permissions to access only the resources and authorizations needed to perform their specific job functions). 

If an employee or partner leaves the organization, it’s important to rescind their access to your systems. Often, when someone leaves on good terms, the sense of urgency to remove their access is lessened compared to an individual leaving on bad terms. Whatever their reason is for leaving, it’s essential to close that door and eliminate the risk.  

#2: Ignoring or delaying software or system updates 

Just as you’d expect with personal devices (e.g., mobile phones), your business systems and applications will require patches or other updates to further fortify their security and address any known vulnerabilities. Delaying or ignoring these updates will put the respective application or system at risk. This is a simple oversight or mistake that is easily avoided by applying the latest patches and updates as they are released. 

#3: Insufficient employee training or internal expertise

Employees are your greatest asset and your greatest risk. Without the proper training, your employees could inadvertently expose sensitive company information, including passwords that enable cybercriminals to access your backend systems. Help your employees become defenders of your business with regular security training.

But we have an IT team … Shouldn’t they have the expertise we need to cover everything? The short answer is not necessarily. Cybersecurity is a growing field that requires deep knowledge and understanding of the existing and future risk landscape. Cyber criminals are sophisticated and have proven to be not only persistent in their pursuit, but also savvy in the tricks and tools they use to gain access to business information and systems. If you don’t have a dedicated cybersecurity professional on staff, mistakes are bound to happen. 

#4: Not investing in cybersecurity

Antivirus software is not enough to protect your business. It is just one component of a robust cybersecurity strategy. Other components should include secure Internet access, email/information protection, data backup, mobile device management, access controls, monitoring, vulnerability testing, and reliable IT support. Cybersecurity is easy to push aside in favor of high priority business tasks, but it quickly takes center stage in the event of an attack. Don’t make the mistake of pushing it off and hoping for the best. Be proactive; invest in cybersecurity systems and partner with a dedicated IT support and cybersecurity team like GainSide to ensure your business is safe and secure. 

Avoid common mistakes with a trusted IT support and cybersecurity partner

By reading this article, you’ve already taken an important step forward in strengthening your cybersecurity defenses. The next step is to add a partner that can support not only your cybersecurity initiatives but also your overall IT support needs. At GainSide, we don’t just help you mitigate cybersecurity risk, we help you streamline your business and support your internal teams with fast, reliable, and scalable IT support. Ready to shift from reactive and mistake-prone to proactive and mistake-avoidant? We can help.