How Can Cybersecurity Improve IT?

Did you know that the average cost of a data breach reached an all-time high in 2024 of $4.88 million? That number alone should serve as a wake-up call. IT teams cannot protect your business on their own. Many companies mistakenly believe that “IT is enough” or worry that cybersecurity will replace IT. In reality, IT and cybersecurity are most effective when they work together, not in competition. 

It’s not a matter of IT versus cybersecurity; it's about IT plus cybersecurity working together. While IT ensures your systems stay operational, cybersecurity protects them from threats. Combining the two builds a stronger, more resilient foundation for your business.  

Protecting your business from cyber threats is similar to fortifying a castle. You wouldn’t rely on a single wall or guard—you’d employ multiple defenses like walls, gates, watchtowers, and escape tunnels. Cybersecurity operates on the same principle. 

A single layer of security is no longer sufficient. According to Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report, 74% of breaches involve human error, while Ponemon reports that 68% of companies experience endpoint attacks. Additionally, recovery times average between 7 to 21 days. The key takeaway? Cybersecurity must be multi-layered. IT cannot protect devices and private data alone. It often needs a little help from cybersecurity. Let’s dive into how cybersecurity can help to improve IT and foster a beneficial relationship.   

Ensures Data Protection 

Data protection is the implemented security strategies that help secure private data against corruption, cyber criminals, and loss. The RockYou2024password leak revealed a staggering 9.9 billion credentials, making it the largest data breach in history. IT teams are already overwhelmed with support tickets, system updates, and user management tasks. Cybersecurity professionals play a crucial role by providing advanced tools and effective processes to secure data, easing the burden on IT teams and minimizing security risks. IT professionals are often tasked with items out of their field so that a company can save money on cybersecurity professionals. Cybersecurity professionals have the tools and knowledge to ensure private data is protected.  

Strengthen Network Security 

Network security is the protection of the networking infrastructure from unauthorized access, misuse, or theft. Strengthening network security is essential for businesses of all sizes. Network security is now essential for all businesses, regardless of their size. While IT teams handle daily technical issues, cybersecurity professionals set up firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and monitoring tools to prevent intruders from moving laterally within your network. 

But, when working with larger companies, it is beneficial to have a cybersecurity team in addition to an IT team to help with this type of task. While IT handles the common tech issues for employees, cybersecurity can put in place the protections needed to strengthen network security.  

Enhance Threat Protection  

Email continues to be the primary method for delivering malware, with 92% of malicious payloads transmitted this way Cybersecurity professionals are employing advanced threat detection, filtering, and incident response strategies, enabling IT teams to prioritize maintaining system uptime over constantly battling infections. This statistic further proves the need to have enhanced threat protection. 

Cybersecurity professionals can offer their expertise in threat protection and help IT keep all devices and networks safe. This frees up time for both teams to work on other projects and protection measures. By enhancing threat protection, companies will face less and less issues. Cybersecurity professionals can offer their expertise in threat protections and help IT keep all devices and networks safe. This frees up time for both teams to work on other projects and protection measures.  

Increase Endpoint Security 

Endpoint security refers to the protection of devices such as workstations, laptops, servers, and more. Endpoints—laptops, servers, mobile devices—have become the new perimeter of cybersecurity. According to a Ponemon Institute study 68% of organizations experienced at least one endpoint attack that resulted in data breaches. To protect these endpoints, cybersecurity measures such as Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) are essential, ensuring they are properly deployed and tuned. Additionally, IT teams must keep these defenses patched and fully operational to maintain security. Endpoint security software can enhance the protection of individuals within a business from cyberthreats. By ensuring all individual devices are protected, the workloads for both parties are cut. Cybersecurity and IT professionals can provide the needed software to be installed and keep devices and servers protected.   

Protect Company Reputation  

It is essential to protect the company reputation at all costs. A single security breach can erase years of customer trust. In today’s digital economy, reputation is a valuable currency. Cybersecurity professionals help minimize the risk of public incidents, enabling IT teams to concentrate on delivering reliable services instead of managing scandals. USA Business News discusses how customer trust is vital to any organization.  By employing a team of cybersecurity professionals, companies can be assured that private data is protected, and a potential scandal is avoided. Cybersecurity professionals can help IT keep all systems secured, which lowers the chances of cybercriminals hacking into servers or devices. This partnership can save any company from a terrible scandal.  

Boost Employee Productivity 

When employees trust that their devices are secure, they can focus more on their tasks instead of worrying about security issues. Robust cybersecurity safeguards against malware and cyber threats, while IT support ensures quick resolution of any problems. The outcome is fewer disruptions, faster fixes, and increased productivity. And, if something does happen, IT can help employees. Much quicker if their cybersecurity coworkers are handling the other side of things. Also, having cybersecurity assistance helps employees to avoid unnecessary disruptions due to cyberattacks throughout the workday.  

Maintain Regulation Compliance  

Maintaining regulation compliance is necessary for all parties. Cybersecurity professionals can dedicate time and energy to ensuring all compliance items are up to date. But what does maintaining regulation compliance entail? Let’s see below: 

• Implementing security controls 

• Regular training and updates  

• Risk management 

• Compliance management 

And more. This cannot be done by one small IT team. This takes a partnership between both departments. If an entire cybersecurity department is not within your company’s budget, contracting out is also an option and is just as effective. Compliance is mandatory, non-negotiable. From HIPAA to GDPR, failure to comply can lead to hefty fines and lawsuits. Cybersecurity teams play a crucial role in implementing security controls, managing risks, and providing ongoing training. Today, AI-driven tools are increasingly vital, with 44% of companies leveraging AI to automate compliance tasks. Without strong cybersecurity support, most IT teams lack the bandwidth to keep pace with evolving requirements. It is essential to use a cybersecurity team maintain compliance because according to Jump Cloud, 41% of organizations lack the tools needed to enforce the policies required to achieve compliance. 

Ensures Business Continuity 

Business continuity is essential to all businesses but especially small ones. One small cybersecurity issue can put a business out for days, weeks, even months. According to Neotech Networks, the average down time is 7 to 21 days after an attack, however this can fluctuate depending on the severity of the attack. If business disruption goes on too long, smaller businesses especially can shut down permanently. Also, Invenio IT reported that the cost of continuity breaks ranges from $137 to $16,000per minute depending on the size of the business. This is where a cybersecurity team can help support IT and ensure business continuity. When a large cybersecurity breach happens, it can be difficult for just IT to handle. A cybersecurity team can help lift the burden and fix the breach.  

Does Your Business Need Additional Cybersecurity Help? 

Is your IT team overwhelmed? Don’t wait for a security breach. Partner with Castile Security to enhance your cybersecurity defenses. From data protection and compliance to employee training, we’ll help protect your business and reputation. Contact us today to schedule a consultation. 

Schedule a call with us today!