IT security doesn’t start at the computer

Cyberattacks are among the most significant risks facing businesses and organizations today. And it is by no means only KRITIS companies that are affected. Ransomware, data theft, phishing, and industrial espionage can impact businesses of any size and in any industry.

Symbolbild für Cybersecurity in Unternehmen

Added to this are unintentional data leaks or data losses, such as those caused by misconfigurations, human error, or inadequately secured access points. The potential consequences range from business disruptions and financial losses to data breaches and lasting damage to reputation. It is therefore important to view cybersecurity not as a single technical measure, but as a holistic endeavor.

Cybersecurity serves to ensure the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of IT systems, applications, and data. To achieve this, technical, organizational, and physical security measures must work together seamlessly.

Cybersecurity involves more than just software and networks

Firewalls, encryption, strong passwords, and regular updates are key components of an effective security strategy. However, they provide only part of the necessary protection.

In particular, the rise of working from home, remote work, cloud applications, and increasingly interconnected company locations has changed the demands on IT security. Employees and external service providers access applications and data from various locations. At the same time, companies must ensure that, even on-site, only authorized individuals have access to sensitive areas, IT infrastructure, and information.

This makes it clear that digital and physical security cannot be completely separated from one another.

For example, even a system with robust technical security measures can still be at risk if unauthorized individuals gain access to server rooms, workstations, production areas, or other sensitive parts of the company. A comprehensive security strategy should therefore take into account access procedures and authorizations in addition to digital security measures.

How ASTRUM IT Supports You with Cybersecurity

ASTRUM IT takes a holistic approach and supports companies throughout the entire lifecycle of their IT solutions—from design and development through hosting and operation to ongoing support.

Security by Design in Software Development

In software development and software engineering, we take security requirements into account right from the planning and design stages of individual software solutions.

This approach is known as Security by Design: Security aspects are not added as an afterthought, but are integrated into the architecture, development, and operation from the very beginning. This allows potential risks to be identified early on and appropriate protective measures to be implemented.

Cybersecurity does not end after development. Software and the components used must be continuously maintained. Patches and updates help to address known vulnerabilities and ensure that applications can be operated securely over the long term.

Secure Hosting and Reliable Operation

The infrastructure on which applications run also plays a central role in cybersecurity.

With our fully managed service in the area of hosting, we handle the professional operation of servers as well as cloud and SaaS applications. This includes, among other things, regular updates and backups.

Hosting takes place on German servers that comply with the GDPR. In this way, we combine technical requirements for availability and security with regulatory requirements, which are particularly important for companies in sensitive and regulated industries.

Identifying Vulnerabilities and Ensuring Reliable IT System Operations

Cybersecurity is not a one-time task. New vulnerabilities, changing system landscapes, and new attack methods make it necessary to continuously monitor and improve IT infrastructures.

Our IT Service Management offers a wide range of services to address this. If needed, we’ll help you identify vulnerabilities in your IT systems and implement appropriate measures to resolve them.

The goal is an IT environment that is not only high-performing but also secure, stable, and maintainable over the long term.

Physical Security as an Essential Component of Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity does not take place exclusively in the digital realm. Physical access to buildings, office spaces, production facilities, and IT infrastructure can also be relevant to security.

This is because anyone granted uncontrolled access to a company’s premises or sensitive areas may, under certain circumstances, also gain access to workstations, network connections, servers, documents, or other sensitive information.

That is why physical access controls also play an important role in the context of information security management systems. Access controls in accordance with ISO 27001 can help systematically reduce physical security risks.

With solutions for visitor management and yard management, VISIT helps companies organize access in a structured manner and document it in a traceable way.

How VISIT Contributes to Security on Company Premises

Professional visitor management provides transparency regarding who is on company premises, when, where, and with what authorization.

With VISIT, companies can digitize access processes and assign individual authorizations. Visitors, suppliers, service providers, or other external individuals are thus granted access only to the areas for which they have been authorized.

Another key component is reliable identity verification. With VISIT, identities can be verified during check-in, and the information provided by arriving individuals can be compared with the stored visitor data. This ensures that only the expected person is granted access to the company premises.

This is particularly relevant when a company’s premises include areas with different security requirements—such as administration, production, research and development, or IT infrastructure.

At the same time, visits can be documented and traced seamlessly, even retroactively. If, for example, a security-related incident occurs, it is possible to verify which external individuals were on the premises at a specific time.

Integrating Security Briefings into the Visitor Process

Technical access permissions alone are not always sufficient. Visitors and external service providers often also need to be informed about security, data protection, or behavioral guidelines.

With VISIT, the access process can therefore be linked to appropriate security briefings. This allows relevant information to be conveyed before or upon entry and integrated into the visitor process.

This also allows for the communication of specific content related to IT security. For example, visitors and external service providers can be informed about handling confidential information, accessing IT areas, or other company-specific security requirements. This ensures that cybersecurity is addressed not only from a technical perspective but also through clear behavioral guidelines for interacting with external parties.

In this way, visitor management, access control, and security requirements can be seamlessly integrated.

Cybersecurity as a Holistic Endeavor

An effective cybersecurity strategy consists of many components. Secure software, protected IT infrastructures, regular updates, and backups are just as important as clear processes, defined responsibilities, and controlled physical access.

The key lies in the interplay of these measures.

With its full-cycle approach, ASTRUM IT supports companies from consulting and software development through hosting and operations all the way to IT service management. With VISIT, we complement this approach with solutions for professional visitor and yard management, thereby also supporting the physical aspect of information security.

This results in a security strategy that considers digital and physical processes together and helps companies strengthen their digital vitality over the long term.