Artists Security Framework
In order to sell or promote creative products and services, it is mandatory for artist’s who distribute their creations online to use cybersecurity strategies in order to maintain their operations.
All companies possess similarities during the business registration, product development and ongoing maintenance aspects of a company’s life-cycle. The research in this article uses small online businesses as a paradigm for explaining the need to collaborate with cybersecurity professionals as companies implement security technologies and allow them to be used by employees and customers.
The data explains the beginning of work conducted by company founders, how to protect the contributions of web designers and software engineers, and how to save companies time and money throughout daily operations. The initial obstacle among small businesses with remote employees, concerns the connection of multiple internet services to the company web server, which can transfer threat agents from employee computers to the network. Despite not having a central office, implementing security technologies can protect the network even when employees work remotely from around the world.
Even though small businesses possess fewer resources, the need for sound cybersecurity policy and technology implementation remains similar to medium and large corporations. The installation of virtual private networks (VPN) and SSL (secure socket layer) certificates encrypts data transmitted from company web properties to the server and vice versa. Updating policies and technologies, as well as offering efficient training for employees will assist an organization in handling its operations while maintaining a secure network that will evolve along with the number of employees and assets added to the company over time.
Introduction to Technical Security
Entrepreneurs consider the implementation of cybersecurity policies and procedures throughout the business registration process, product development, and daily operations. The main objective concerns the ability to protect assets from potential threat agents which exploit vulnerabilities in networks and compromise physical security. Even though cybersecurity principles help companies maintain effective procedures for protecting business and customer data, some entrepreneurs may not invest in building a relationship with a cybersecurity consultant or hire an information security professional in the early stages of a company.
In the absence of hiring a cybersecurity professional, the responsibility for creating and implementing security policies falls on the company founders or upper management. Mitigation is the most important goal of any employee responsible for cybersecurity which ensures the company’s ability to implement cost-effective strategies for protecting networks. In some cases, it may not be possible to remove a threat, instead causing upper management to decide on accepting the vulnerability or finding a way to mitigate it. Sometimes developing patches for vulnerabilities may not represent the most cost-effective strategy for protecting company assets. While new companies may lack the resources to establish sound cybersecurity strategies, the need for developing policies remains a significant component of effective business operations. Some company founders may view cybersecurity as an integral business component in which they can invest in at a later stage. Even though designing and implementing cybersecurity strategies costs time and money, it ensures companies can effectively build a product or service and deliver it to consumers through secure networks from the beginning of a company to daily operations.
How to Implement Security Strategies
Prior to the development of an online product or service, cybersecurity professionals can make recommendations on designing networks, developing policies, and implementing security strategies. Cybersecurity professionals can perform an inventory of company assets in order to develop a plan detailing the secure use of technology.
In collaboration with upper management, cybersecurity professionals can make recommendations on where to install servers, firewalls, and virtual private networks. The professional can help upper management decide on installing these technologies in a secure location or outsource them to other companies.
Entrepreneurs who invest in cybersecurity during the early stages can provide a secure environment in which customers may submit and transfer personal information like home addresses, credit and debit card numbers, and purchase history. A 2014 study concluded approximately 82% of internet users connected to online banking, which underscores the need for policies that establish encryption as a method of information security.
Since technology use continues to expand in most countries around the world, it is safe to assert that there will be an increase in the number of internet users connecting with web properties that store and transfer personal information, which leads to the need of more companies investing in encryption in order to allow them to securely use company assets. Ignoring the necessity of cybersecurity policies puts organizations at risk for exploits which may arise during any stage of the business life-cycle. Hiring a cybersecurity professional prepares organizations for threat agents both digital and physical throughout the business development process.
Why should Artist Invest in Cybersecurity Early?
Although company founders and upper management may seek legal assistance from employment lawyers on business registration, viewing the process from a cybersecurity perspective may prevent companies from publishing unauthorized information and lawsuits. Most cybersecurity consultants would advise companies to refrain from registering businesses as a sole proprietorship. While some small business owners believe sole proprietorships represent an efficient method of registering new startups, it does not offer founders liability protection. Sole proprietorships view the company founder and business as the same entity under the law.
Since the registering agent possesses complete liability for business operations, he or she could face potential lawsuits which can put their business and personal assets at risk during litigation for exposing customer personal data to unauthorized parties. In general, the longer an organization takes to identify and patch a vulnerability the more difficult it would be to defend against lawsuits that claim the company was not in compliance with the “reasonably commercial standards of fair dealing” aspect of the law.
Effective cybersecurity policies save money and reduces the prospect of facing litigation from customers and employees during exploits. In addition, the registration process involves submitting business information to the Secretary of State’s office, requiring the registering agent to submit their personal address when the business does not use office space. From a cybersecurity perspective, replacing the founder’s home address with a PO Box will prevent internet users from having access to the founder’s personal information. While a sole proprietorship may be useful for individuals providing some professional services, most companies artists will create would greatly benefit from registering with a different type of business.
Limited liability companies and corporations represent the best options of registering businesses that use technology to provide products and services. Both options give founders the ability to separate their private assets from business assets, establishing them as two separate entities under the law. Therefore, when consumers bring a lawsuit against the company for exposing their personal information, the founder’s personal assets will not be in jeopardy during the litigation. Limited liability companies require the submission of the Articles of Organization and corporations involve submitting the Articles of Incorporation. Both documents list the addresses of the company founders; submitting a PO Box like in the case of registering a sole proprietorship can prevent internet users from accessing personal information. After business registration becomes complete, the Secretary of State’s website in each state stores company information in a database and publishes it. Founders can update the documents should their business gain a physical address instead of publishing a personal one from a member of the company. Once the registration process completes, entrepreneurs typically change their focus and spend time on developing the online product or service.
Deciding on building local networks or outsourcing remains one of the most crucial decisions for a company during the startup phase. While most cybersecurity professionals would agree that the larger an organization becomes the more need for secure technology, small businesses without many resources contain significant challenges to companies as well. Many online businesses do not possess a physical location for the business during its early stages. In the absence of a physical address, entrepreneurs rely on staff to use personal computers and internet connections in order to reach company assets online.
Early employees often use the technology available in their homes in order to conduct company objectives. Since each employee will use a different Ethernet or wireless internet connection to access company technology, the business remains at risk for viruses and malware which can transfer from employee computers to company servers, particularly in the absence of a virtual private network. A survey of 443 businesses in the United States, government agencies and other organizations reveals that 64% of the participants received at least one malware attack throughout their company’s lifespan. Since exploits remain common in many types of businesses, companies need to hire cybersecurity professionals in order to protect assets, preferably before the completion of product development. In the early stages of business, cybersecurity professionals can help upper management build a strategy for keeping networks secure despite the fact that human and technological resources exist in multiple locations.
Deciding on Where to the Place the Server
Often the first step in designing cybersecurity networks involves the decision to install a server on company property or outsource the management of the technology to another business. Servers allow companies to store information and share it with multiple computers through networks. Depending on company needs, the purchasing and installation of a server can be an expensive expenditure for a company during its early stages. Companies with office space can purchases their own web server, connect it to a network, and allow it to communicate with other computers on the network. The advantage of establishing a server on company property concerns the ability to make changes to the computer’s files and operating system without the need of communicating with another business. Companies would also provide security by ensuring the server exists in a secure location.
Due to limited resources, many entrepreneurs decide to rent server space from online providers. The advantages of outsourcing server maintenance include the ability to pay a small amount each month for the services instead of spending thousands of dollars on the technology, and it would also make another organization responsible for handling the physical security of the device-which may lead to spending less money in the short-term during the lifespan of the business.
Why Install a Virtual Private Network?
The next step involves the purchase and installation of a virtual private network (VPN) in order to secure information being transmitted from employee computers and servers on a network. Most cybersecurity professionals would agree that using a VPN represents a secure method of protecting networks for companies regardless of the number of employees.
Installing a VPN can help a company remain secure if they operate from a central office or different locations. The technology encrypts information and allows employees using different computers to share files and communication with each other. VPNs enhance threat detection by making it nearly impossible for hackers to discover the content of communication being shared throughout a company. When upper management decides to install a VPN in its office space, it gives them control over where to place the technology and the opportunity to make adjustments to settings in order to make networks more secure without the need of contacting another company. Many online companies decide to outsource the installation and maintenance of VPNs, choosing to pay a monthly service fee in order to reduce costs in the early stages of business.
The Importance of Firewalls and Anti-virus Programs
Installing firewalls on employee computers can provide warnings to users when they approach an unsecure section of the internet. Firewalls help organizations restrict the types of packets that can transfer through a network, preventing the spread of certain types of information based on company need. Firewalls exist as software and hardware; it is possible to make it required that each employee install firewall software on their computers and the cybersecurity professional can ensure the program runs on servers or VPN. Installing firewalls can be outsourced similarly to servers and VPNs, but can also provide security for multiple computers in different locations when upper management provides the software for each employee within the company. Firewalls present a number of advantages to users; they protect systems from being controlled by hackers should there be an exploit in the network. Firewalls can intercept unwanted messages and pop-up windows on the internet by providing a warning to users before presenting content. The technology can also block inappropriate material from being accessed on a company’s network. Although firewalls represent a sound strategy for threat detection, additional technology may be required to eliminate viruses from computers.
Anti-virus software can work in conjunction with firewalls in order to identify threat agents and provide a method of removing them from systems. Offering anti-virus protection is not always a solution in which a company would need to outsource. Cybersecurity professionals can make recommendations on the types of anti-virus software to install. Some programs do not require payment in order to download; however, free programs may not include all of the features present in a paid subscription. The cost of anti-virus software remains minimal in comparison to other software and hardware security solutions. For early-stage small businesses, some employees may have anti-virus software already installed on their computers. However, it may be a more effective strategy to select a particular solution and make it mandatory for all employees to download and install. Anti-virus software holds many advantages for users, including the ability to remove viruses and malware, a solution for restoring a system after the effects of a phishing attempt, and the ability to protect computers from any corrupt file downloaded from the internet.
How Artists can Protect their Creations During the Development Process
During the product development process, cybersecurity consultants will suggest strategies for protecting digital products while they are being designed or tested by web designers and software engineers. One main goal involves protecting unfinished assets from being seen by internet users around the world. Google and other popular search engines use algorithms to observe new web properties and index them into their web service. If designers and engineers publish parts of a website to the internet before finishing the project, there is a possibility that search engines will crawl and index the website. Protecting assets from being viewed by internet users help companies to defend against the spread of potential viruses and restricts access from threat agents who may steal the company’s business ideas. Cybersecurity professionals use the Robots Exclusion Standard, or the robots.txt file, to instruct search engine robots to not crawl and index specific web pages or the entire site. Upon completion of the project, the robots.txt file can be adjusted to allow search engine robots to proceed with indexing the website. Another effective procedure would be the use of a coming soon or under-construction web page on the front end of the website, while allowing designers and engineers to develop on the backend of a content management system. A coming soon or under-construction page prevents internet users from seeing potential errors and code used by company employees. After completion of the project, the page can be removed to reveal a functional company asset that is ready for use by employees and customers.
Once all the encrypting technologies are installed, it may be necessary for cybersecurity professionals to update policies in order to maintain the effective use of company assets. Policies provide specific guidelines for staff to follow in order to appropriately use technology. While many cybersecurity strategies exist today, each of them requires staff to track employee performance and cost-effectiveness of implementing each policy. Information security professionals ensure the appropriate dissemination of policies by allowing a reasonable amount of time for employees to read the information while also providing hard copy and electronic documents. Security professionals may need to use alternative methods of informing employees if they have difficulty reading policy documents; this may include translating policy into different languages and placing them on audio recordings for staff who prefer listening rather than reading. Organizations must ensure that employees understand the policy and may use assessments to determine the retention level of staff members. In order to enforce compliance with policies, information security professionals may require employees to sign an agreement indicating they have read and understand its contents. Information security professionals also seek to prove that policies were delivered to all employees throughout a company without respect to their work status. Policies describe the effective use of many different aspects of technology and typically include a method for backing up company files, controlling access for authorized and unauthorized users, restrict staff from using company assets to connect with personal email accounts and social media, and encourage employees to change passwords regularly.
After the completion of the product development process, cybersecurity professionals create a plan in which to monitor the security of company assets on an ongoing basis. Even though the cybersecurity professional may have implemented technologies and strategies for protecting a company in its early stages, new threats emerge over time which may require new policies and procedures for identifying and eliminating new viruses. Company growth also factors into the process of security maintenance, more employees and customers having access to company assets creates the need for more training and policies. Threat agents also evolve over time in order for hackers to expose new vulnerabilities within systems. As small companies grow into larger institutions, they may decide to acquire new assets or change existing ones, which develops the need for cybersecurity professionals to devise strategy for implementing new technologies and training staff on its appropriate use. Implementing new technologies changes the process of threat detection by potentially exposing new threats to an organization. If the company merges or collaborates with another business, it may be necessary to combine policies from two entities and train all staff on the implementation of the other’s security strategies. Information security maintenance also changes when employees leave a company or new hires start their new positions, it remains vital to change assets in order to prevent access from a departing staff member while providing authorization to the new member. Documenting and reporting new changes in information security policy to upper management remains an ongoing objective, which ensures to them that employees gain access to new policies.
In order to improve the effectiveness of employees during daily operations, cybersecurity professionals devise strategies for tracking staff compliance with security policies. Companies often use a tracking system in order to monitor key metrics related to employee performance. The tracking system can be something developed in-house by software engineers or licensed from established vendors. Tracking systems monitor employee awareness and training retention while notifying information cybersecurity professionals and upper management of areas in which staff can improve its understanding of security policies. Monitoring compliance gives companies the opportunity to compare the information retained by employees to security policies and determine if additional training may be necessary. Circumstances in which the tracking systems identifies areas in which many employees lack understanding of a particular policy, cybersecurity professionals and upper management may recommend revising or adding additional measures in order to raise the number of staff members in compliance with company standards.
Companies develop risk management strategies in addition to tracking systems in order to provide a method of identifying vulnerabilities on an ongoing basis. Analyzing data in association with potential risks can help organizations prevent exploits or mitigate situations in which a threat agent has already compromised networks. Risk management provides a framework in which to address vulnerabilities while ensuring effective business operations and the cost-effectiveness of policies. The process includes evaluation and assessment strategies to ensure systems operate securely. Risk management has a direct impact on daily operations, maintaining an appropriate level of security in order to allow employees to carry out business objectives in a secure manner. When companies implore risk management strategies and tracking systems they create a framework in which to measure employee effectiveness with cybersecurity policies and determines the amount of resources needed in order to address potential vulnerabilities.
What should Artists who are Entrepreneurs know?
Businesses with online products and services require the same cybersecurity principles despite being a small, medium or large company. Prior to the product development stage, companies exist as legal entities requiring registration and management by founders. While it may be wise to hire a cybersecurity professional during the early stages of business, founders sometime delay bringing on a security expert until the business needs maintenance for daily operations. Due to studies proving that the majority of established companies experience an exploit at least once during its existence, it would be safe to assert that security professionals can help organizations reduce the number of threats by eliminating and preventing viruses and other agents from spreading throughout company networks. While it may be helpful to seek the help of a cybersecurity professional during the business registration phase, the need for a security team increases during product development and ongoing maintenance. Hiring an experienced cybersecurity professional will ensure effective network design, policy development and implementation of security strategies. Sound security measures save companies money, time and reduces the prospect of any liability for a compromised network. The most crucial decision involves the implementation of security measures at an office or outsourcing it to other companies. Depending on company budgets, upper management will decide which strategy will be most cost-effective for the organization’s budget. Even though small companies possess fewer resources than larger ones, the process of providing cybersecurity depends on the same technologies and strategies. The major risk to starting a business without central office space involves the use of many different internet connections used by remote employees in order to access company assets. The more internet connections used to access information on company web servers, the higher the chance of a threat agent transferring from employee’s computers to the networks. With effective policies and training, companies can inform their employees on the appropriate use of technology and reduce the prospect of a data breach. Selecting a cybersecurity professional from the beginning of a company to analyze potential risk provides the best solution for securing company assets. Although sometimes founders delay the hiring of a cybersecurity professional, it is safe to assert that information security personnel would be a tremendous asset during the product development and ongoing maintenance stages of a business. Cybersecurity professionals help maintain the functionality of small business, and provides a secure framework in which the company may use to assist it in becoming a larger entity over time.
The form of medium an artist chooses to use may be a determining factor of how he or she should register their business. However, in all cases it is important to protect your businesses as they store the data needed to create new art, communicate with collaborators and ultimately launch and manage a platform for selling products and services. There are many options available to artists who are entrepreneurs, but it is important to remember that security at all levels can greatly benefit the artists and their companies with their operations and distribution.