IT Security is an increasing concern amongst businesses of all sizes and industries. These businesses must protect against malware, hackers, employee mistakes, and natural disasters. According to a 2013 Symantec report, 31% of attacks were aimed a businesses with fewer than 250 employees. with these dangers come the risk of a site outage, loss of intellectual property, leaked customer information, and worker downtime. If these risks are realized, this can lead to a drop in revenue, lawsuits, negative publicity, and even loss of the business. Fortunately, an IT Security Consultant can protect your business from these failures.

An IT Security Consultant will complete the following tasks:

• Increase application security
• Update company security policies
• Set up virus/malware protection and firewall management
• Prevent/Stop Denial of Service (DoS) attacks
• Secure the business Wi-Fi network
• Create Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Policies, primarily for mobile devices

When selecting an IT Security Consultant, you must ask these questions:

• What is my company's biggest security risk?: You and your IT Security Consultant must determine which failures would put the company's livelihood at the greatest risk. From there, the IT Security Consultant should conduct an IT security analysis.
• What experience do you have?: Your IT Security Consultant should have more to their credit than certifications. They should tell you stories about managing specific security failures with their other clients.
• Who will do the work?: If the consultant has to delegate any advanced level work,  they must use a Tier 3 or Tier 4 technician.
• How will you communicate with me?: The consultant must let you know when they will contact you during each step of implementing the IT security project.
• What will you do in case of a disaster?: The IT Security Consultant must have a policy in place in case disaster does strike.
• Will the rest of the company support these efforts?: If your employees do not commit to following the company's updated IT policies, efforts to tighten IT infrastructure security will be undermined.

SwiftTech Solutions can protect your business livelihood by managing your organization's security risk. Protect your business now by contacting SwiftTech Solutions for a review of your IT security. You can call 877-794-3811 or email [email protected] for a free consultation.

SOURCES

Humphries, D. 7 Essential Questions to Ask When Hiring an IT Security Consultant. (2014, March 6). Retrieved from: http://intelligent-defense.softwareadvice.com/questions-to-ask-when-hiring-security-consultants-0314/

Dell SecureWorks. Application Security. Retrieved from: http://www.secureworks.com/consulting/technical-testing-assessments/application-security-testing/

Jain, N. Startup guide to become an Information Security Consultant. Retrieved from: http://www.myinfosecjob.com/2010/10/startup-guide-to-become-an-information-security-consultant/

WikiHow. How to Become a Computer Security Consultant. Retrieved from: http://www.wikihow.com/Become-a-Computer-Security-Consultant

Ferrell, R. How to hire an IT security consultant. (2005, March 28). Retrieved from: http://www.infoworld.com/article/2672379/security/how-to-hire-an-it-security-consultant.html