In a study done by IT and networking firm Cisco, it was revealed that more than 8 in 10 small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) in the Philippines are more concerned about security today than they were 12 months ago.
The study also revealed that more than half (57%) of SMBs across the Philippines suffered a cyber incident in the last 12 months. Over a quarter (28%) said that these cyber incidents cost their business more than $500,000. The number one reason? Their cybersecurity solutions are not adequate to detect or prevent the attack.
This is why Cisco launched a new cybersecurity assessment tool to enable SMBs to better understand their overall security posture.
The new online assessment tool assesses the “cybersecurity readiness” of each organization through the lens of Zero Trust—the concept that all attempts to access an organization’s network architecture are not granted until trust can be verified. When a user accesses an application using a device, both the user and device are verified, with that trust continuously monitored. This helps secure the organization’s applications and environments, from any user, device, and location.
The tool assesses the organization’s level of maturity in six areas of Zero Trust:
- User and Identity
- Device
- Networks
- Workload (applications)
- Data
- Security Operations
Once the organization enters details of its security capabilities and policies, the tool assesses the overall security posture of the organization based on industry and sector benchmarks.
It then generates a report that indicates the organization’s level of maturity, challenges, and opportunities in each of the six areas of Zero Trust. Where applicable, it offers tailored recommendations on the technologies and solutions that can help strengthen the organization’s overall security posture and preparedness in a hybrid work environment.