We all know cybersecurity is a major problem for everyone these days, but there are certain industries that have an even higher need for cybersecurity than others due to government compliance requirements or the nature of what they do day-to-day.
Furthermore, a strong cybersecurity plan ensures that your company isn’t sued in the event of a data breach owing to carelessness or inadequate precautions taken by it to safeguard sensitive information.
Let’s take a look at five industries that need to improve their cybersecurity:
1. Healthcare
Businesses that deal with healthcare are one of the most prominent examples of industries that need to rethink cybersecurity. There are all sorts of variables to juggle: the privacy of data for patient confidentiality, compliance with HIPAA privacy rules or the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act, etc. But there are cybersecurity measures your business can take to heighten cybersecurity measures for your business.
For starters, ensure that cloud computing services are secure, which is a major concern in healthcare. Hackers could gain access through a lack of security protocols or vulnerabilities in a virtual network to fraudulently change electronic health records (EHRs) or patient information stored in cloud computing services.
Encryption is crucial for sensitive healthcare data just as much as financial data. Security of data is important because it needs the right amount of cybersecurity to keep sensitive information secure and prevent cybersecurity breaches. Encrypting data can help protect it, which allows you to abide by HIPAA compliance requirements and legislation like HITECH.
Additionally, cybersecurity measures like digital rights management (DRM) can be used for compliance with EEOC guidelines. DRM is necessary because it’s crucial for the confidentiality of information, which includes medical records, patient identities, and financial transactions.
2. Public sector
Just like with cybersecurity for healthcare businesses, cybersecurity is also very important in the public sector due to compliance requirements and the nature of what they do day-to-day.
The Department of Defense (DOD) requires cybersecurity training for everyone that has access to DOD systems or networks to prevent cybersecurity breaches that could lead to unauthorized disclosure of classified information or impact mission readiness. So it’s really no surprise cybersecurity is important within this industry since complying with government regulations can be quite costly without cybersecurity expertise, especially for small businesses.
The Internet Crime Complaint Center reported cybercrime complaints rising exponentially year over year, making cybersecurity an even bigger priority for businesses. This means cybersecurity should be a top priority in the public sector since cybersecurity attacks could damage their reputation and lead to loss of funding or other legal repercussions.
3. Education
If you run a school or a university, cybersecurity is crucial. The safety of your students and faculty is at risk if cybersecurity isn’t up to par; cybercriminals could steal their information or deface school websites (think defacement like the Twitter account for Harvard Universit.)
On top of that, cybersecurity is especially important on campus because of compliance requirements. Schools and universities must meet the standards and regulations set by different governing bodies for education, such as the Commission on Higher Education (CHED). They implement cybersecurity measures to make sure they’re ready if audits come up.
4. Transportation
The transportation industry is among other sectors that are highly targeted by cybercriminals who want to steal data and use it for malicious (or illegal) purposes. Geotab, a telematics data company that provides cybersecurity services to the transportation industry, noted cybersecurity breaches involving trucks and other large vehicles happen too much in North America; they happen not only to individuals but also to businesses.
Geotab’s cybersecurity research shows how cybersecurity attacks affect trucking companies and big rigs. More than 80% experienced a cybersecurity breach in the last year; 19% of cybersecurity breaches are ransomware attacks on business data.
Currently, cybersecurity breaches in the trucking industry are not isolated cases; these cybersecurity incidents happened to different organizations, even local public utilities which transport water and electricity across cities.
5. Finance
Physical crimes like robberies may not be as common today due to advancements in technology, but cyberextortion is on the rise. You need cybersecurity protocols in place in order to protect your business from cybersecurity breaches and attacks, both big and small.
Financial institutions need cybersecurity measures not only to protect themselves but their clients as well. No one likes a cybersecurity breach when it comes to their personal finances – especially since they’re giving you all their personal details when they open an account or apply for a loan. It’s important to ensure cybersecurity in financial institutions so data is kept safe on both sides of the spectrum.
Final Thoughts
Cybersecurity matters across all industries, which means that your organization should always be proactive when it comes to cybersecurity concerns. Once your data has been breached, it’s hard to get back any trust you’ve from clients.
Not all cybersecurity threats are the same, so it’s important to consider every risk factor when determining cybersecurity measures for your company or personal information. At the very least, businesses should reevaluate cybersecurity at least once a year.
To learn more about how you can protect your business, talk to one of our IT experts at Syzygy 3 by contacting us today.
