Is Your Company Communications System at Risk for a Cyber Attack?

Technologies that connect and automate production have become a vital part of today’s corporate ecosystem. We have shifted from self-contained company systems and agencies working in silos to an interconnected world of devices and multi-agency collaboration. The ability to share data and collaborate with co-workers around the world has given critical infrastructure sectors new opportunities for growth and operational efficiencies. With all of the advancements in communication through the Industrial Internet of Things, cyber attacks have become more frequent and sophisticated putting the data of critical infrastructure sectors, like public safety and the government, at risk.

Traditional circuit-based Land Mobile Radio (LMR) systems have migrated to Point-to-Point IP-based networks for a more efficient, large-scale communications solution. Sectors such as healthcare, utilities, and information technology are all aware of the potential for cyber attacks, yet cybersecurity is reported to be the least supported item of all system management tasks by those responsible for LMR systems. Motorola Solutions recently survey 100 LMR system managers around the world and uncovered inconsistencies in the actual measures being taken to safeguard mission and business-critical communication networks from cyber attacks.

While 78% of respondents point to cybersecurity as extremely or very important, only 11% of organizations said that establishing a cyber incident plan is a priority for the upcoming year. When asked which security measures are applied to LMR systems, active security monitoring is the most cited at 53%, followed by documenting security policies and procedures at 48%, security patching at 42%, and periodic risk assessment at 30%. Nearly a quarter of respondents (22%) say they are not applying any of these security measures. These trends are similar for LMR associated technologies for dispatch systems, command centre technologies, broadband networks, mobile devices, and cloud solutions.

Too many companies act as if cybersecurity is a “set it and forget it” initiative, thinking that once a solution is in place, their system is protected. It’s this kind of thinking that leaves the door open for a cyber attack. Cyber threats are constantly evolving. The strategy and solution you have in place today need to evolve with the changing threat landscape. Staying ahead of potential threats requires consistently applying measures such as risk assessments, information assurance road maps, security patching, encryption, and active security monitoring.

Safeguarding your critical communication networks and technologies from cyber attacks requires a comprehensive approach. You need to address existing vulnerabilities, take proactive measures to monitor your network, assess your risk posture, and understand how to respond and recover from intrusions. While cyber attacks are growing in frequency and sophistication, company budgets are decreasing, making the ability to stay ahead of system threats an even bigger challenge.

Companies are searching for affordable ways to stay on top of cybersecurity, without sacrificing quality. To meet industry needs, Nova Communications has created Wireless-as-a-Service, offering complete management of all devices, software, and security for low monthly payments. This relieves all of the pressure from the company to manage multiple devices, software updates, networking monitoring, and troubleshooting. Do you think your organization could benefit from a cost-effective way of maintaining network security?

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