Museums, like any other organization, are in need of cybersecurity. You might be wondering, why would a museum need to stay safe from cybercriminals when they do not have data that can be stolen? Well, a lot of people do not consider that museums do collect data by selling products and tickets online, they collect and update their members’ details, they send mail newsletters, they keep records about donations, and they grant their staff access to collection cataloging software. This is why it is important to implement cybersecurity in museums. Before going on to the reasons why you should implement cybersecurity in a museum, let’s take a look at what it is and what it implies.
Cybersecurity refers to using preventative methods for protecting the integrity, confidentiality, and availability of your data. An effective cybersecurity approach includes firewalls and gateways, anti-malware programs, user access management, authentication controls, business continuity, backup management, software updates, and a disaster recovery plan. Supported by your executive, your cybersecurity strategy should align with your museum’s goals.
To test out your security and learn more about firewall testing, try webpages as the Firewall Guide that could guide you more in-depth about some steps on how to protect yourself.
4 Reasons Why You Need Cybersecurity in Your Museum
1. Cybercrime continues to grow
Cyber attacks are increasing and they are becoming more and more disruptive for all businesses. Over 89 percent of health care facilities experienced data breaches and 43 percent of all cyberattacks target smaller businesses. These attacks can be very detrimental and this is why it is important to address your museum’s cyber risk and develop a strategy that can prevent the chance of a cyber attack.
2. Growth of Data Needs and Values
Museums are increasingly using and storing data as a basic part of their activities. Due to the growth of processing data, platforms such as the cloud are used to support and store the data. However, this data storage is most vulnerable to cyber-attacks because it contains the most important information – private employees and members information. If this data is made public, a lot of your clients might lose the trust they had in you and your organization, hence, you might be losing a lot of money.
3. Online Infrastructure Growth
Museums might have one or several websites connected to it, and as previously mentioned, cloud platforms are also used by museums. Hence, you will need a security protocol to keep these activities and communication private and safe. According to the experts from Tier One Technology Partners, the more your museum relies on the Internet, the greater your need is for cybersecurity professionals that will help you keep everything safe and protected.
4. Hackers Continue to Develop More Advanced Skills
IT is an industry that is constantly developing and changing, and this is especially true in the area of cybersecurity. Hackers and cybercriminals work every day to come up with new ideas and ways of breaching data. Cybersecurity does not only require an understanding of IT principles but also the ability to implement those principles in new ways to battle new threats.
Conclusion
As you can see, your museum might need cybersecurity. It will help keep your data safe, your members happy, and it will also save you a lot of money.
