A SMB Model for Modern Digital Security
Posted on: January 6th, 2023
In an ever-changing digital landscape, all businesses, from small and medium to enterprise, must consider the digital security of their organization and team members as a part of their ongoing business plan. As a marketing services agency with a passion for modern technology, Merit Mile had to evolve with not only proactive digital security measures, but also adhere to the requirements of several clients cascading security mandates to vendors. This article may help a SMB understand and embrace digital security solutions and rationalize investment in this critical area of the business landscape.
Like physical security, digital security requires constant monitoring, improvements, and due diligence to help ensure the most secure environment for your organization. As the web and corporate networks evolve, so do the tools and tactics used by others to gain access to corporate networks. But, as we move forward, so do the tools used to protect and defend ourselves as business owners. Similarly, and like several Merit Mile enterprise clients; if your company provides services of just about any kind to other businesses, your clients may now require your company meet or exceed a variety of digital security measures. And if you don’t adhere to these requirements, you may jeopardize your business relationship with them.
A good best practice, and one that Merit Mile embraces, would be an annual analysis of your organization’s digital security layers. You should think of this as a starting point to make sure your organization is secure as possible. For small businesses that do not have a full IT staff to handle these annual deep dives, there are options for you, such as third-party vendors who specialize in IT services, like an MSP. Or find a security-focused vendor that can perform the penetration tests needed to find the holes in your security layers and suggest the steps you can take to resolve any issues they may find. There is no better time than the beginning of the year to get things in order. If you want vendor recommendations for your own review and consideration, please email us at Hello@MeritMile.com.
With the results of your annual security analysis in hand, you can begin to take the steps to remedy the most critical issues first. Then, work on the others you and your team have identified and decided to tackle this year. If your organization has not already implemented multi‑factor authentication (MFA) for your workstation and communications credentials, then now would be the right time to add that to your list. It will help prevent most intrusions where the username and password credentials have been compromised (Microsoft claims 99.9%).
Another layer we have added here at Merit Mile is digital security training for our entire team. By learning together, we help make our organization safer and our team stronger and more informed!
There are many other ways to add layers to your digital security blanket depending on your organization’s needs. Your IT staff or vendor will be able to assist you so that you and your team can continue doing business as usual. If you have other tips and tactics for improving your organization’s security layers, let us hear them.
Finally, beyond the obvious benefit of minimizing outages and digital security threats, other benefits of adopting security best practices for your SMB include:
- Keeping pace and staying ahead of ongoing IT security threats for peace of mind
- Empowering while also protecting remote and hybrid workforces
- Maintaining business confidentiality, including contracts, HR, and NDA compliance
- Earning discounts on various business insurance premiums
- Differentiating your business from your competitors
There are several moving parts to the Merit Mile digital security model, and this article only captures the highlights for your organization to consider. Similar to any other business decision, your security protocols should be tailored for your unique needs.
Unlike 20 or even 10 years ago, the idea of digital security for modern organizations should no longer be considered optional—it should be a must. If you want to talk all things marketing or digital security, drop a note to Hello@MeritMile.com anytime!