One clear advantage of working with an MSP such as Exigent is access to IT expertise. Not only do you gain the specialized experience of your IT provider's team, but that of vendors with whom your MSP works closely. When it comes to cybersecurity, those insights can have a tremendous impact on your organization and its security posture.
Needless to say, investing in cybersecurity will continue to be a major line item for most businesses in 2025 and beyond. In fact, research firm Gartner predicts security spending will increase 15% next year, with investments into cybersecurity services increasing 13.8% in 2025 as more and more organizations turn to outsourced cybersecurity guidance and implementation.
The Cybersecurity Landscape for 2025
AI is leading the pack when it comes to security threats – not surprisingly. Bad actors can use AI to create new attacks – leveraging the same automation as you can to work faster and smarter. Additionally, because many organizations overlook the process of vetting new AI tools for security and forget to roll out clear AI policies, it can be easy for employees to inadvertently expose sensitive data and intellectual property to the internet. If you're interested in a deeper dive into small business cybersecurity trends, be sure to check out this Microsoft blog.
Simple Key Steps to Improving Your Cybersecurity
Step 1: Identify Key Threats and Vulnerabilities
Tackling any challenge starts with fully understanding the current situation. Simple cybersecurity risk assessments paired with vulnerability scans can offer your organization the information you need to start exploring needed cybersecurity solutions. While it's best to partner with an experienced IT partner for a full risk assessment, you can begin the process by answering some simple questions and gathering basic data:
- What security policies do we have in place? Are they up to date?
- Are we using multifactor authentication everywhere we can?
- Do we have a clear password rule, and do we enforce it?
- Does our team understand cybersecurity?
- What access controls do we have in place? (i.e., are the file rooms locked, and digital storage limited to admins?)
- What is our guest Wi-Fi password (and when was it last changed?
Step 2: Core Cybersecurity Investments to Consider
While the exercise above can help you make quick, simple changes that vastly improve cybersecurity in your organization, you will need to work with an IT expert such as your managed services provider to manage the next layer of preventive measures.
After a risk assessment of your current environment, your MSP should be able to walk you through gaps in your current security posture and advise on the more effective next steps. They should also guide you through a long-term, ongoing approach to improving cybersecurity. Critical security measures that you should consider include:
- Firewalls
- Multi-factor authentication
- Email and data encryption
- Real-time monitoring
- Endpoint protection
- Email filtering
Step 3: Understand and Address Industry Requirements
Keep in mind, there are many industry-specific cybersecurity challenges for organizations in the healthcare, legal, and nonprofit sectors. Because organizations in these sectors are often governed by strict compliance standards, cybersecurity can be particularly complex.
In healthcare, regulatory rules about personal health information are strict. Because healthcare organizations manage vast amounts of sensitive patient data, they are prime targets for cyberattacks. A breach can expose even the smallest doctor's office to substantial financial and reputational losses, as well as potential legal repercussions due to regulations like HIPAA. Mobile medical devices, payment services, and digital medical records all create opportunities for data exposure, making proactive cybersecurity policies and seamless technology solutions a requirement in this industry.
Law practices and nonprofits also face severe regulatory consequences for similar reasons – they often house sensitive personal data, and confidential business information and both rely on trust with their clients and donors for success. Both face significant liability from a data breach or ransomware attack. Encryption, endpoint protection, employee training, and detailed security policies are a must for these organizations.
Step 4: Training and Awareness Programs
Speaking of employee training, every organization should invest in cybersecurity training for their team. Educating your first and best line of defense against phishing and other social engineered cyber threats can be the single most crucial step to improving your security stance.
If your MSP doesn't offer security awareness training, they can certainly recommend an effective program. Remember, your training solution should include security attack simulations, educate, and empower employees in a positive manner, and become an integral part of your culture to be effective.
Stay Vigilant with a Strong Cybersecurity Partner
While awareness, training, and optimized cybersecurity technology solutions are critical to your cybersecurity posture, remember that true cybersecurity effectiveness requires a proactive, thoughtful, comprehensive approach that is understood throughout your company. At Exigent, we often hear from our small to midsize clients that they believe they are too small or are sufficiently protected from cyber threats when they aren't. As noted in this article from Forbes, most smaller organizations don't know what they don't know, and require guidance from cybersecurity technology experts, such as Exigent. We will help you work through the key steps – assessment, tailored cybersecurity roadmap for improvement, right-sized solutions that don't overwhelm your team, and expertise that helps you create a cyber-aware culture. Achieving cybersecurity resiliency and maturity is not a "one-and-done" effort. Rather, it's a journey that requires ongoing assessment, improvement, and adaptation to new threats.
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