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IT Risk Assessments: How to Spot Cybersecurity Deficiencies

By Brittany Fugate, Founder

Cybercrime seems to be around every corner these days, and the impact is often devastating. Every business is at risk — yes, even small ones.

Unfortunately, implementing antivirus software or a firewall isn’t enough these days. You need a more comprehensive, proactive way to protect your business: regular IT risk assessments.

IT risk assessments are a full analysis of any factors that could cause damage to your business, its digital infrastructure, or the data that it holds. A proper risk assessment identifies and ranks threats based on level of risk so you know how to prioritize fixing them. The results of the assessment are a tool to help you implement strong protections to prevent cyberattacks.

What does a risk assessment include?

IT risk assessments look at every point of your network infrastructure. It analyzes who has access to your systems, the permission levels, and the strength and uniqueness of passwords and other authentication methods, as well as how often passwords are changed.

The assessments will also look for vulnerabilities within the network. These vulnerabilities should be patched quickly and in order of priority. There are often backend weaknesses (called zero-day vulnerabilities) that linger unnoticed — until a hacker finds it. Risk assessments help you find and fix those weaknesses before a cybercriminal exploits them.

Why does an SMB need regular risk assessments?

Thanks to AI making cybercrimes easier and more believable to victims, it’s becoming more and more common for cybercriminals to find and exploit these vulnerabilities in your systems. Every organization (not just highly regulated businesses or huge corporations) needs to identify and address risks for their sakes — and their customers’.

If you store any sensitive information such as names, addresses, passport or Social Security numbers, bank details, email addresses or login credentials, then you have a duty to protect this information. You could face non-compliance fines if your data protection measures don’t meet the required standards of any regulations you’re subject to, as well as a damaged reputation and the loss of your customers’ trust.

Performing risk assessment regularly (at least once a year, but ideally every quarter) will help you find security weaknesses before they become a problem. Paired with consistent network maintenance and monitoring, regular IT risk assessments will protect your business and your customers’ data. If the worst happens, a strong disaster recovery plan will help you get back to business faster. 

Let Cenetric keep a close eye on your IT risk

Not sure how to approach IT risk assessments on your own? Cenetris is here to help. We can analyze your systems, identify any weak spots and vulnerabilities, and create a strategy to improve your risk posture.

We can also help make sure you have disaster recovery plans that suit your unique business in place. Having a written, well–planned guide to turn to if a worst-case scenario occurs is vital for protecting your customers and preserving the integrity of your business.

Want to protect your business from cyberthreats? Cenetric has the experience and availability to help you prevent an attack — or respond if you’ve already been hit. Let’s set up a time to talk about cybersecurity.