Four reasons why business cybersecurity is a important industry in 2022? Now, more than ever, cybersecurity is a top priority for organizations of all sizes. Cyberattacks are routinely front-page news, and these security breaches aren’t things that “only happen to other companies” — not only is the targeted company damaged by the hack (both financially and reputation-wise), millions of individuals are routinely affected by them. The scope of cyberattacks can range from the smallest sites to large, multinational corporations and government sites, and it seems that companies of any size are exempt from being a target.

Protecting your business against such attacks is not impossible, but you must be diligent. Regular data backups should be mandatory. It’s imperative that you use an offline or cloud-based backup, otherwise the ransomware can spread to those backups over the network in the same way they did your original files. Additionally, simple strategies such as two-step authentications can limit the spread of harmful malware and if user information is stolen, it can’t then be reused. Proactive security monitoring is a critical component of a fully functioning IT facility. By having the security in place, you automatically minimise the risks against emerging cyber threats. Our monitoring services can oversee your systems 24/7 and react to threats immediately to mitigate damage. Our team of experts will respond to alerts quickly and efficiently, providing you with ultimate peace of mind.

Although most common in the form of emails, phishing can take place outside of this field. Hackers are now using punycode, a lookalike method which sees remarkably similar domain names linking to a fraudulent, malware-infested site, gaining access to your private information in seconds. It’s important to be vigilant and if something looks suspicious, it probably is. Having standard anti-virus software within your business could certainly help you maintain security short term, but with consistent new threats ready to strike at any time, it’s no longer enough to keep your systems secure. Most commonly, it is in fact user error that allows malware threats to find their way into a business. A staggering 95% of cybersecurity attacks are a result of some kind of human error. We all make mistakes, and the likelihood is more so if the threat is presenting itself in disguise. It could be a simple click on a deceiving link, or not updating your systems as soon as required. Surprisingly, standard protocols like passwords are still not being implemented in companies. This offers cybercriminals an all access route into your business’ systems. A simple security measure is to make sure all company passwords are strong and cannot be easily guessed.

Mergers and acquisitions require a mix of strategic and tactical work – cybersecurity is usually an item on the tactical list. Many organizations are drawing up plans for mergers and acquisitions right now, as leaders look for growth after the pandemic slowdown, and as new business models emerge. However, weakened cybersecurity hygiene throughout the last year means that these M&A transactions elevate the risk of cybersecurity incidents. “M&A can be a breeding ground for cyberattacks and data breaches,” said Mordecai Gal, operations director at AccessHeat Inc. “Stringent due diligence that includes a focus on cybersecurity will help reduce regrets later in the deal lifecycle.” Today’s M&A plans need to include cybersecurity at several strategic and tactical points, to address growing scrutiny from regulators and other evolving cybersecurity risks.

The industry saw many of its biggest players pursue acquisitions throughout 2020, into 2021. Accenture bought Symantec’s Cyber Security Services business; CrowdStrike bought Preempt Security and Humio; Cisco confirmed its plans to acquire Kenna Security, Splunk snapped up TruSTAR, and Imperva agreed to buy CloudVector. Ivanti acquired MobileIron and Pulse Secure, announcing both at the same time late last year. These deals show a few key patterns. Large security companies are filling in the gaps in their product strategies with smaller startups, while private equity firms are taking more established businesses, presumably to fine-tune them and later refloat them, industry expert say. The past year and a half has been an interesting time for the security industry, which has been an active space for mergers and acquisition in recent years.

Latest cybersecurity consolidation news: US financial software company Intuit (NASDAQ: INTU) has announced that it has completed the acquisition of Israeli application programming interface (API) security technology for enterprises company Imvision. Imvision develops technology that enables enterprises to automatically discover, test and protect against attacks, by monitoring API traffic to identify threats and vulnerabilities. Financial details about the deal were not disclosed although media reports say that Intuit is paying $50 million for Inuit. Founded in 2014 by Sharon Mantin, VP R&D Yossi Barshishat and Eli Plotnik, Imvision’s platform is able to auto-discover APIs based on network traffic, classify them using machine learning, identify data exposure, and detect anomalous user and data activity.

Crossword Cybersecurity PLC said Tuesday it has agreed to acquire an undisclosed cyber-threat company for 1.5 million pounds ($2 million). The U.K. cybersecurity technology commercialization company said that it will pay for the transaction in a mixture of cash and shares, and that some of the payment will be deferred. The company said the deal would bring its portfolio to five cybersecurity offerings alongside its cybersecurity consulting business. “We are delighted to have the opportunity to acquire this fast growth company, and to complete our objective of having five cybersecurity software as a service products in our portfolio almost a year ahead of schedule,” Chief Executive Tom Ilube said.

Cybersecurity is at the forefront of any tech company and has become a top priority for just about any industry where data is stored and shared. As large companies seek to create more sophisticated platforms to protect their data assets, the increase in recent cybersecurity mergers and acquisitions has drastically grown over the past ten years. Companies are now recognizing this technology to be just as essential as any other component of their business. The lack of an all-encompassing security blanket in today’s platforms is the primary driver in this consolidation trend. AccessHeat Inc. is in the market to acquire cybersecurity firms and leverage their varied technologies to achieve combinational and transformational synergies. If a profitable exit strategy is one of your future goals, our investors will work directly with you to transition your company into our investment firm.