As a business professional, you may not spend a lot of time thinking about how to hack into others’ devices, invite yourself into secured networks, or take data that doesn’t belong to you. However, that’s exactly how cybercriminals spend their time–which is why they’re so good at causing trouble. Today, with a little help from managed IT services, we’ll take a walk in a cybercriminal’s shoes to find out how you can outsmart them.

A Word From Managed IT Services

Before we get into the “criminal mindset,” let’s take a step back and understand why this approach works in the first place.

Think of managed IT services as an ex-detective. This detective had to go undercover plenty of times, learning all about cybercriminals, their strategies, and how they approach companies like yours. After stepping back from detective work, managed IT services switched to the security game, and now managed IT providers help you protect your data and devices from the very criminals they used to track.

Okay–maybe that’s not how managed IT services actually works. Still, this is a good way to understand why it’s helpful to look at things from a cyber criminal’s perspective–and how an IT support provider can help.

Protecting Your Company with Managed IT

Now that you know why you should take a walk in a cybercriminal’s shoes, let’s find out how to make it happen:

#1: Understand why you’re a target.

Small businesses are a target for the same reasons predators go after the smaller prey: They figure you’re an easy target because you don’t have as much experience or as many defenses as your bigger neighbors. Luckily, with managed IT, you can give those cybercriminals a nasty surprise by meeting their attacks with solid security.

#2: Look for weak points.

Digital bad guys hide in the shadows, looking for weak points in your defenses. Think from their perspective: If you were trying to gain access to your own company, where would you start? Would you target new employees who may not be up to speed on systems? Would you use the company name or address to start guessing passwords because you figure no one would think to use complex phrases instead? (Hint: Managed IT services can help you create good password habits!)

#3: Stay up-to-date.

Cybercriminals can’t afford to get behind on the latest tools of the trade. To think like one, you’ll need to pay attention to which “trends” are popular among these troublemakers (and try to anticipate which approaches they might try next).

In conclusion, it’s often best to approach your own security solutions from the perspective of a cybercriminal. Managed IT services can help you do just that, providing the insight, tools, and experience necessary to help you dodge danger in all its forms.

Looking for a little security help? Contact us today to get started with managed IT services!