The web has become a popular source of an attack. Web security is a vital part of keeping your business safe. After all, 43% of cyber attacks target small businesses. 60% of those businesses closed as a result of the hack.

The best way to protect your business is web security from Cisco. When it comes to web security and control, Cisco is second to none.

Why Use Web Security?

Hacking is now a recognised industry. Criminal enterprises are more advanced than ever. Attacks are always changing, becoming more damaging and harder to detect. In a post-GDPR world, securing your business against cyber attacks should be a priority.

After all, web hackers aren’t just in this for fun. More often than not, they are in it as a career and will hold companies to ransom or sell data for cash.

A breach could cost you a small fortune too. It’s estimated the average business spends over £1.5 million due to the breach.

This money covers:

  • Downtime
  • Equipment damage
  • Equipment replacement
  • Incident response
  • Forensic investigation
  • Internal audits
  • Lost productivity and income
  • Loss of customer trust

But keeping data secure isn’t the only issue.

Research by Cisco shows that 71% of executives said concerns over web security had an effect on innovation at their company. Some even halted mission-critical initiatives due to web security issues.

So, threat defence is of paramount importance.

So let’s look at some of the requirements you should consider before you begin to dive into web security.

Requirement 1: Protection Across The Attack Continuum – Before, During, And After An Attack

In today’s landscape, the chance of a compromised network is assured. The web security perimeter has extended to the cloud and data is a prime target for attack. Businesses must be prepared to address a broad range of attacks wherever a threat can appear. Networks, endpoints, mobile devices, and other virtual environments are all at risk.

Requirement 2: Flexible Deployment Options

The “Cisco Security Manifesto,” outlines several basic principles for achieving real-world web security For example, “Security must work with existing architecture and be usable.”

To be effective, a web security solution must fit into your existing infrastructure. This reduces the need to “rip and replace” infrastructure and technologies. It must also adapt and scale to provide the same high level of protection as your company grows and changes.

Requirement 3: The Capability To Protect Sensitive Data And Prevent It From Leaving The Business

Cisco Talos research suggests that companies may not be able to prevent all malware from infiltrating their networks. However, web security solutions can help reduce the chance that critical data will leave the network either by accident or by design. Enterprises need web security solutions that can scan all inbound and outbound web traffic in real time. This solution must cover new and known malware. It must also consider the dynamic reputation and use behaviour-based analysis on every piece of accessed web content.

Requirement 4: Reduced Risk Through Robust Controls

Businesses need advanced control over web content and applications for all network users. Companies must consider their exposure to risks that can undermine web security. Some of the most sophisticated web-based threats are designed to hide in plain sight on legitimate websites. They serve up data-stealing malware to unsuspecting users.

Blocking websites is not practical or realistic in today’s Web 2.0 world, but blocking features is. Content security solutions help admins control or block embedded content within websites. It can do this without hindering workforce productivity or burdening IT resources. This helps businesses reduce their exposure to web-based malware and prevent data loss.

Requirement 5: Quick Identification And Fixing Of Zero-Day Attacks

It’s no longer enough to focus solely on hardware or scan only once for suspicious activity. Today’s threats change with time, evading detection by point-in-time solutions.

Identifying attacks requires big data analytics. Solutions need to examine data on users and traffic over time to flag suspect behaviours. Discreet attacks over time have become the norm. Businesses must be prepared.

Furthermore, if a web security threat is identified, companies need to be able to “turn back time” to reset the network. This aims to eliminate malware in all infected devices.

Why Choose Cisco?

To protect their data, networks, and users, today’s businesses need a reliable security model. They must be able to address the full attack continuum across all attack mediums. They need to respond at any time, all the time, in a continuous fashion – before, during, and after an attack.

With web security from Cisco, businesses can monitor and control data flowing into and out of the enterprise. Cisco’s advanced threat defence starts with the work of Talos. They are the primary team that contributes information to Cisco. Cisco’s Collective Security intelligence (CSI) uses this information to provide industry-leading web security protection.

Cisco has several products to help keep your business safe, such as:

Cisco Cloud Managed Security

Cisco Meraki Cloud Managed Security offers brilliant web security coverage and centralised management. Deployment is simple and fast. Administrators can set and enforce specific web-use policies across the entire environment.

Cisco VPN

Cisco VPN technology provides key information that help enable Cisco firewall solutions to enforce network access based on context.

Cisco Advanced Malware Protection (AMP)

AMP is the only advanced malware protection system that covers the entire attack continuum – before, during, and after an attack.

Cisco Firewalls

Firewalls add a physical layer of protection to your business. They prevent attacks from passing through to your system.

In addition, security features are built into Cisco managed and smart managed switches, routers and more.

Conclusion

Robust web security solutions, like those from Cisco, are a core component of a modern content security strategy. They rely on real-time intelligence, provide precise access control, and are content, context, and threat aware. With Cisco security solutions, you are protected across the entire attack continuum.

Cisco service offerings are quick to install and cost-effective. If you need more information, see our full range of Cisco security products or call our Cisco experts on 01245 459492.