If you consciously analyze the world around you today, you will realize that more than a decade ago and more than ever, we now rely on technology for almost everything on a daily basis. Technology has done humanity a lot of good, yet there are potential threats beneath every gadget and platform we use to leverage technology. The prevention of these threats is the foundation of the concept of "Cybersecurity". Cybersecurity is coined from the two words cyber," which means anything "that involves or relates to a computer network or the internet," according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, and "security," which means "the quality or state of being secured," also according to the Merriam Webster dictionary.

The term "Cybersecurity" is a subset of computer science that deals with ways to protect systems and services from malicious online attacks, including spammers, hackers, and cybercriminals. In the world today, the duty of major Cybersecurity specialists is more concerned with figuring out how to safeguard all assets. Be they computers, cellphones, networks, and databases against attacks.

Cybersecurity is as important to technology as technology is to humanity. Remember that in the beginning, we noted that in the world today, humanity seems to rely on technology for almost everything.  This makes Cybersecurity a must for both individuals and organizations in the age we are in. A successful hack is bound to incur financial losses, reputational harm, legal and regulatory penalties, and compromised personal and sensitive data on individuals, governments, and businesses.

Since the internet has made the world "a global village", systems are interconnected. Hence, a breach in one area might have a detrimental effect on others. A cyberattack on vital infrastructure, such as electricity grids or transportation networks, might interrupt important services and even threaten the safety of the public. For these reasons and more, Cybersecurity is a factor every individual, business organization, and government should pay serious attention to. 

Why startups need to take cybersecurity seriously. What are the pros and cons? 

If you're a startup founder, it's possible to be lured into believing that hackers will never target your company because you're "small". You may imagine this each time you see news of cyberattacks on established organizations/companies. And if you've actually been feeling this way, it's time to bury that feeling and face reality (small businesses are also a great target for cyber hackers).

According to Sravani Bhattacharjee, an IoT cybersecurity expert, small Businesses are a lucrative target for hackers. Bhattacharjee also signified that in 2021, 61% of cyberattacks targeted small businesses, and according to Verizon’s 2021 Data Breach Investigations Report, nearly half (46%) of cyber breaches impact businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees.

These statistics are evidence that, irrespective of the size of your company, you're vulnerable to cyberattacks as long as you're an internet user. Why should you really take Cybersecurity seriously? Here:

• It safeguards data:

Personal data is one of the most precious resources of any startup. Be it employees' data or that of the customers. Cybersecurity guards against personality theft by making sure the data of people in your startup is not exposed to threats, whether intentionally or not.

• Efficient data management:

The foundation of marketing and product strategies is data. If it is compromised by hackers or competitors in your industry, the foundation may need to be rebuilt (from scratch. The time it would take you to rebuild means you're giving those competitors an opportunity for a competitive advantage. Therefore, startups must continuously check their data to guarantee that data security requirements are implemented flawlessly. Cybersecurity aids in operational efficiency in addition to security.

• Keeps reputation intact:

Remember, you're a startup; you're new to the market and building strategies to gain the trust of the target audience. For any startup, it takes years to develop customer loyalty and brand recognition. If there are data breaches, your reputation will suffer greatly. But you can prevent unexpected setbacks by putting in place a cybersecurity system. Access and authentication can be strengthened using software like network security and cloud security. What this means is that you get to be in the glare of all eyes and attract investors quickly.

• Increase in productivity:

Cybercriminals are using advanced methods to access data as technology advances. Networks, workflows, and functionality are all significantly impacted by viruses, which lower productivity. Which is to say, your company would experience a halt in workflow because of these challenges. This is why one of the most promising cybersecurity benefits is the increase in productivity that businesses may achieve with tools like automated backups and better firewalls. 

• Support remote working experiences:

Remote working has come to stay. Startups and established organizations have all recognized the benefits of remote working and have embraced it with open arms. Employees working remotely now have access to a variety of remote models for their workflows due to the remote working model that includes Wi-Fi, IoT (Internet of Things), etc. At the same time, cyberattacks have a bearing on these models. Because of this, it may be difficult for employees to share data and information remotely. However, cyber security acts as a safe place to store data and can shield personal Wi-Fi from user data snooping.

• Strengthens overall cyber posture:

Sophisticated cybersecurity strategies in a startup mean employees have flexibility, freedom, and security to access the internet. With a simple click, sophisticated cybersecurity technology tracks every system in real-time on a single dashboard. Automating actions and responses in the case of a cyberattack means your startup's operation will be more efficient and will fortify cybersecurity policies against threats.

Now the disadvantages/cons;

The advantages of Cybersecurity are, of course, alluring. Yet, putting all these into practice can be expensive and somewhat difficult, especially for startups. The reason is that startups are often tight on budget, and acquiring this security software might mean stretching this budget to include cybersecurity expenses. Additionally, the absence of qualified personnel makes it even more difficult since cybersecurity is a special niche on its own that requires professionalism for the desired results. Lastly, it is challenging to achieve an ideal security posture due to human errors.

How to get started with cybersecurity for startups

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to begin implementing your startup's cybersecurity:

• Purchase the most recent cybersecurity software. 
• Use a firewall and internet security software 
• Install SSL certificate 
• Configure secured cloud storage 
• Create a cybersecurity culture in your team 
• Employ complex and strong passwords.

10 cybersecurity tools for startups

Cybersecurity tools are software that helps companies, government organizations, and businesses monitor and fix Cybersecurity concerns. The idea is to help these companies, organizations, and individuals maintain their online privacy and security. Cybersecurity tools continuously monitor computer systems and networks and then warn the user of potential risks the moment they detect them.

Below are the best 10 Cybersecurity tools you can consider choosing from as you step up your startup's cybersecurity:

1. Metasploit

Penetration testing is Metasploit's specialty and most significant feature. The software strengthens a company's cyber defenses and identifies holes in systems and networks.

‍Important characteristic: 

• Testing the system security of servers, networks, and online and web-based applications. 
• Finds even the smallest growing holes and offers exceptional security round-the-clock.

2. Kali Linux  

This cybersecurity tool is one of the most well-known. It is also one of the most ready-to-use tools. It provides more than 300 tools that businesses use to check for vulnerabilities in their networking systems. The platform's ability to be customized for professionals with various degrees of comprehension is its key feature.  

3. Sprinto

For SaaS businesses, Sprinto is a compliance automation tool. In order to make sure that these systems adhere to the chosen compliance standard, Sprinto provides interfaces with corporate technologies like GSuite, AWS, Github, Google Cloud, and more. 

Important characteristics: 

• In order to prevent unwanted and unauthorized access, Sprinto creates, amends, and manages users' access
• It tracks the user's activity and actions and contrasts the information with benchmarked patterns.
• It uses real-time analysis of security configuration and infrastructure data to identify vulnerabilities and provide best practices.

4. Wireshark

Here's an open-source console program for examining network protocols. Cybersecurity experts mostly use it to continually capture and analyze data packets and assess network security flaws.

Important characteristics:  

• Compatibility with several operating systems, including Windows, Linux, OS X, FreeBSD, etc.
• Real-time data is collected and evaluated
• The encryption protocol supports several networks and various output formats.

5. Nikto

For testing web vulnerabilities, Nikto, an open-source cyber security application, is one of the finest options. It checks for and patches web vulnerabilities.

Important characteristics: 

• To compare the findings of a web vulnerability assessment with its database of 6,400 threats.
• Networks and web servers are both covered. 
• Developers routinely update the database with fresh threat information to address new vulnerabilities.
• To guarantee that the tool is compatible with many types of systems, numerous plugins are regularly developed.

6. KisMAC

By scanning wireless networks that are supported by Wi-Fi cards, such as airports, KisMAC offers wireless network security specifically for MAC operating systems.

Important characteristics:  

• Dedicated PCAP import and export for Mac OS software.
• It features Kismet drone assistance
• It uses scheduling brute force attacks to increase network security
• It offers support for a variety of third-party USB devices, including the Ralink RT2570, Intersil Prism 2 RT73, and Realtek RTl8187 chipsets.

7.  Splunk

Splunk is one of the cybersecurity software programs known for its adaptability and speed. It is a completely automated web vulnerability scanner for monitoring network security. Real-time network analysis and history searches are both done with Splunk to check for threat information.

Important characteristics:  

• Data is generated from essentially any place and source, and the tool's uniform user interface makes it user-friendly.
• It has strong data-unlocking capabilities and can be deployed on-premises or as a cloud-based platform across the entire company.

8.  Netstumbler

This is a free cybersecurity solution specifically designed for Windows-based systems. Because it was solely created for Windows computers, there is no provision for source codes.

Important characteristics:

• It aids specialists in locating open ports on a network.
• It is used for wardriving
• It is a widely used network defense solution because it employs a WAP-seeking strategy to look for open ports.
• It is able to spot network vulnerabilities.

9. Nexpose

Nexpose is focused on on-premise infrastructure and provides real-time functionality for scanning and managing vulnerabilities. It is used by security teams to find and reduce potential system weaknesses as well as to find and patch vulnerabilities.

Important characteristics:

• Nexpose provides real-time views and security analysis of all activity.
• In order to enable the tool to react to various threat contexts in software data, Nexus continually updates its database to make sure it contains the most recent danger information.
• Assigning a risk score to the found vulnerabilities results in prioritizing according to their levels of severity.
• It also enables security professionals to prepare a coordinated response to many vulnerabilities.

10.  Forcepoint

This cybersecurity tool assists in modifying SD-Wan and is frequently used by networks and security administrators. In this manner, only users with permission can access a particular resource's contents. They can detect malicious activity within the network using Forcepoint. After detecting them, they can then employ appropriate controls and compliances to correct them.

Important characteristics:  

• Seamless channel-to-channel integration of classifiers, rules, and fingerprints
• With a high degree of customization and the likely exploitation of weaknesses, intrusions can be blocked.
• Provides a third-party worldwide and cross-portfolio shared threat intelligence network that offers real-time classification and content analysis.  

Remember…

It is impossible to overestimate the significance of cybersecurity as society becomes more and more dependent on technology. Startups need to understand that they are not immune from cyberattacks, despite the fact that they frequently perceive themselves as "small" and less likely targets. Cybersecurity protects valuable data, guarantees effective data management and operational procedures, upholds reputation and customer trust, increases productivity, and facilitates the expanding remote work trend. The top 10 cybersecurity tools presented here show that there are ways companies can curb cyber attacks, as these tools are designed to aid startups in their quest for strong cybersecurity and help them thrive successfully without data loss.

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