When you visit an ecommerce site, you’ll see labels that state it’s safe and that its payments are protected. What do those labels mean, and why do they matter? In this blog, the team at TNTMAX will take you through the basics of cyber security in NJ – what the term means, and why it’s so important if you own a business with an online presence.

Cyber security in NJ: What it means

Digital Guardian sums it up best: “Cyber security refers to the body of technologies, processes, and practices designed to protect networks, devices, programs, and data from attack, damage, or unauthorized access. Cyber security may also be referred to as information technology security.”

Your organization needs to be cyber aware, and you can hire companies like ours to help you with that process. We’ll take you through the various steps in becoming cyber aware, and help you understand cyber security and what it means for your business in particular. However, for the curious or for those looking for some general knowledge, this article is a good starting point.

Why is cyber security important?

There are a lot of reasons why cyber security is important. Perhaps the biggest reason is that for every place where money is exchanged, there’s someone trying to exploit the process. So, if your business has an online presence, it presents hackers with a way to attack your business and get paid to stop.

Digital Guardian says: “Cyber security is important because government, military, corporate, financial, and medical organizations collect, process, and store unprecedented amounts of data on computers and other devices. A significant portion of that data can be sensitive information, whether that be intellectual property, financial data, personal information, or other types of data for which unauthorized access or exposure could have negative consequences.

Organizations transmit sensitive data across networks and to other devices in the course of doing businesses, and cyber security describes the discipline dedicated to protecting that information and the systems used to process or store it. As the volume and sophistication of cyber attacks grows, companies and organizations, especially those that are tasked with safeguarding information relating to national security, health, or financial records, need to take steps to protect their sensitive business and personnel information.”

In 2013, intelligence officials in the United States warned us that cyber attacks and digital spying are among the top threats to national security. The situation is so dire that cyber attacks are in fact a worse threat than terrorism.

So, this is why cyber security in NJ is important.

The benefits of cyber security

Depending on the scale of your business and your needs, cyber security can be as basic as installing some antivirus software onto your computer. All it’ll take is five minutes, and you’re good to go. However, this quick little process is what might just save your business from a catastrophic malware attack that can cost you dearly. Let’s look at some of the benefits cyber security offers:

1. Protection

The obvious one. Cyber security solutions will protect your business digital (online or offline) so you’re protected from adware, ransomware, malware and more.

2. Higher productivity

If the computers at your business are infected with a virus, they can be a lot slower, and files may mysteriously disappear and other strange problems can occur. This makes the device highly inefficient. By getting cyber security tools and training, you’ll help to eliminate this possibility.

3. Inspires confidence

Your customers will feel more confident making a purchase from your website if they see a label that tells them about how your website is secure. So, when you take any steps towards making your business secure, make sure your customers know (if it’s something that will affect them, like a safer payment system).

4. Protect your customers

Cyber attacks can’t just damage your business, they can also cause damage to your customers. The aim of these attacks isn’t always directly monetary – the hackers may try to get at your customers’ personal details such as their login or payment info. By ensuring you’re safe from cyber threats, you also ensure that your customers are safe when shopping with you.

5. Avoid harassment

Hackers have been known to take a website down, and demand a ransom to restore it. What this means for your business is that not only will your website be down and your customers concerned, but you’ll also lose money. Having a secure website that isn’t vulnerable to attacks safeguards you from this possibility.

So, to sum up, cyber security in NJ is highly important, and it offers enough benefits to be more than worth the expense.

Is not having an online presence acceptable?

Earlier in the article we wrote that cyber security is important for businesses with an online presence. However, is having an online presence necessary? Most people are aware that the answer is yes – however, that’s only the case in most situations. Certain types of businesses may not require a website. Just having social media pages and an up-to-date Google Maps listing may be enough. Let’s go over some more details.

If you try and look up the title of this section, you’ll find article after article about why having an online presence is important. However, it isn’t strictly necessary for anyone and everyone. There are businesses that don’t necessarily need an online presence, and this section is for them. Here are some examples:

• Professionals, like graphic designers or web developers, who work locally
• Micro business owners who have social media pages
• Home business owners who supply homemade goods locally
• Small stores and businesses
• Businesses in industries where scaling isn’t sustainable

While it is true that not having an online presence means you lose out on some business and it isn’t as easy for your customers to find information about you, there are always exceptions. So if you own a micro business that doesn’t have the budget for a website, that’s completely alright!

Effective cyber security in NJ from TNTMAX

With more and more cloud-based services and products than ever, businesses need to fortify their cyber defenses to prevent security threats. TNTMAX assesses your company’s cyber vulnerabilities and creates a customized cyber defense plan that protects valuable data and company assets from malicious hackers. From conducting pen tests to installing up-to-date anti-virus and anti-malware software, we give you peace of mind that your network is safe and secure.

In the latest Verizon 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report, several critical cyber security findings were revealed, including:

• 76% of breaches are financially motivated.
• Ransomware is currently the most available malicious software.
• Healthcare is the only industry where cyber threat is greater on the inside than outside.
• More than two-thirds (68%) of breaches took months (or longer) to be discovered.
• A majority of compromises (87%) only took minutes to bring a company workflow to a halt.

TNTMAX knows that cyber security is becoming a bigger issue as we move more and more of our life and business online. Using tried-and-true methods and the latest cyber security strategy in the industry, we will work with you to devise a cyber security and compliance program that helps you meet industry rules and regulations and ensure that your data remains secure from malicious insiders and outsiders.

We can also help create a custom-made website for your website that’s as safe as a fortress, easy for your customers to use, and optimized for search engines. Contact us today to learn more!