In coming up with a cybersecurity budget for your small or medium-sized business in New Jersey, you may find yourself with a dilemma: Where should you spend your money — training your staff on cybersecurity best practices or upgrading your cybersecurity tools?
End-user training versus advanced threat detection
End-user training and advanced threat detection are both crucial components of cybersecurity, but they serve different purposes.
The human factor is one of the leading reasons for lapses in cybersecurity. To minimize human error, you can implement end-user training, which teaches your employees how to identify and respond to potential risks. This way, your staff acts as an effective layer of security against cyberattackers.
On the other hand, investing in advanced threat detection tools means you’ll be equipping yourself with the latest technology against cybercriminals.
In an ideal world, you should be able to effectively invest in both equally. Unfortunately, budget constraints likely mean you have to decide on which component gets the most attention and spending. To make an informed decision on how to direct your limited resources, you need to understand the strengths and weaknesses of both end-user training and advanced threat detection.
End-user training
Pros:
- Cost-effective: End-user training is a relatively inexpensive way to improve cybersecurity. With training, you equip your staff with the knowledge and skills to become a robust first line of defense.
- Wide-reaching: You can provide training to all employees, regardless of their technical expertise or role.
- Long-term benefits: Trained employees are less likely to click on phishing links or succumb to other social engineering attacks.
Cons:
- Time-consuming: Effective training requires ongoing commitment and resources.
- Difficult to measure: It can be difficult to track the effectiveness of training programs.
- Not foolproof: Even well-trained employees can still make mistakes.
Advanced threat detection
Pros:
- Can detect sophisticated threats: Advanced threat detection tools can identify and block threats that traditional security measures may miss, especially newer threats.
- Provides real-time protection: These tools constantly monitor your systems for new and emerging threats.
- Reduces the risk of data breaches: They can help prevent data breaches by identifying and blocking threats before they can cause damage.
Cons:
- Expensive: They can be expensive to purchase and maintain.
- Requires skilled personnel: Implementing and using advanced threat detection tools requires skilled personnel as either in-house employees or third-party service providers.
- Can generate false positives: Investigating the false positives that these tools sometimes generate can take up a lot of time and resources.
What factors should you consider when budgeting for your cybersecurity?
Deciding on how much a company should set aside for cybersecurity isn’t straightforward, because different companies have varying levels of risk. For example, a small clinic handling patient data will need to comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), so investing in robust tools would be necessary. But a small furniture repair shop with little online business may need only basic cybersecurity tools and focus more on training.
In order to allocate the appropriate budget for your cybersecurity, you need to consider the following factors:
- The size and complexity of your organization: Larger and more complex organizations remain the most likely targets of cybercriminals, so these companies will need to invest more in cybersecurity.
- The sensitivity of your data: If you store sensitive data, such as financial records or personal information, you will need to take extra precautions to protect it.
- The cost-effectiveness of each approach: End-user training might require recurring sessions, while advanced threat detection tools often come with subscription fees and maintenance costs.
- The current vulnerabilities of your organization: If you’ve had issues with employees falling victim to phishing attacks or if your team lacks awareness of cybersecurity threats, investing more in end-user training might be beneficial.
- The potential impact of a successful cyberattack: If losing important data would be really bad for your business, then focusing on advanced threat detection should be a top priority.
What to choose: End-user training or advanced threat detection?
For many businesses, deciding between training or tools can be tough. But instead of choosing one, the smart move is to take a layered security approach that combines both end-user training and advanced threat detection. Teaching your team builds a human firewall, and using advanced tools adds a technological shield. It’s all about finding the right mix that suits your organization’s unique needs and risks, ensuring top-notch protection from cyberthreats.
Get in touch with our IT security experts at Online Computers. They will help you plan and choose what you need to protect your New Jersey business. Call us today.