Because of the high value of money and goods involved, logistics companies are particularly susceptible to multiple types of crime. While all companies invest in a certain level of physical security, it’s also necessary to have good cybersecurity in place to protect the information systems. In fact, logistics are more likely to be hit with a cyber crime than with a physical crime against their business. Let’s look at four ways that logistics companies can be proactive on cybersecurity.
Ransomware Defense
Perhaps the most dangerous type of cyberattack for logistics companies is ransomware, where a hacker gains entry to the system, changes passwords, and denies the company access unless they receive a ransom payment, usually in the millions of dollars.
From 2021-2023, nearly 1.5 billion ransomware attacks were reported worldwide. The best strategy to counter these attacks is to have regular offline backups scheduled, as this prevents the hacker from having any leverage if you can simply reload the system.
Adhere to Industry Standards
Industry standards exist for a reason: they generally work. Both the federal government and private companies issue routine cybersecurity guidance, which should be followed to keep your company aware of active and potential threats. It’s important to stay well informed so you can take the proper precautions to protect your logistics company.
These include using strong passwords and firewalls, restricting access to essential personnel, and more. Your employees might not enjoy having to constantly enter passwords, but the alternative of allowing hackers easier access to essential systems is much worse.
Constant Employee Training
One of the biggest issues with training across all sectors, not just logistics, is employee memory retention. Studies have shown that 30 days after a training session, the average employee forgets 90% of what they “learned.”
With an organization as large and unwieldy as the average logistics company, it’s usually not practical to redo employee orientation every 30 days to ensure employees know everything that they need to know.
However, while training classes should take place at least once or twice per year (ideally more often), it doesn’t hurt to give your employees constant reminders of what they’re up against.
Use Managed IT Services
A great way to bolster cybersecurity defenses and save money at the same time is to use managed IT services. Instead of paying a full IT department salary and benefits every year, you can outsource some or all of your IT work to a company of industry professionals while employing a smaller internal department.
This doesn’t completely absolve your company of cybersecurity responsibilities, of course, as you’ll still need strong passwords, training to avoid phishing and social engineering attacks, and other safeguards in place. However, it’ll give you a leg up on the technical side.
Final Thoughts
The best ways for a logistics company to remain proactive on cybersecurity are to remain vigilant at maintaining industry standards, hold regular employee training, maintain ransomware defenses like offline backups, and outsource to managed IT services firms.
With these safeguards in place, logistics companies can protect their information, prevent hackers from gaining damaging access, and ensure that operations run as smoothly as possible well into the future.