Based on how the rest of the year has gone, it should come as no surprise that 2020 has come to an end with the news that the United States was targeted in the largest cyberespionage attack ever. Let’s go into what this attack signifies, and what we should all take away from it.
One of the most valuable things for a business to know, in terms of its cybersecurity, is how vulnerable it is to breaches and exploits. This kind of information can be gathered via a process called penetration testing, or “pen testing.” Let’s go over how the average pen test is conducted to see how these insights are collected.
We’re pretty outspoken in our support of VPNs (virtual private networks) as an indispensable tool for your online security. However, considering that there are things that a VPN can and can’t do, we thought it would be helpful to specify what a VPN is really for.
The COVID-19 pandemic has certainly changed the way we do things in a very short period of time. Unfortunately, in times of absolute crisis and anxiety, cybercriminals use it as camouflage to steal data and infiltrate normally-secure networks. Let’s take a look at some of the ways hackers are able to exploit your employees and how you can work to protect your business.
It isn’t exactly news that businesses of all sizes need to be concerned about cyberthreats - especially since, as time passes, these threats have become more serious and insidious. Up until this point, there have been tried-and-true methods that businesses could leverage to stop these threats, but hackers are very clever when it comes to their attacks. What can a business do?
The way a business handles its network security typically defines what kind of problems come from their use of information systems. As a result, cybersecurity has become a major part of any forward-thinking organization’s IT strategy and has become a multi-hundred-billion dollar a year industry. Of course, it wasn’t always such a huge problem. The history of cybersecurity doesn’t go back very far, but since it has such a major impact, we thought it would be interesting to go back a couple decades and look at the brief history of the practice.
Threats to data security are seemingly everywhere. Some companies spend millions of dollars a year on data security, but it only takes one unwitting user to tear down their huge investment. In fact, 2018 saw over 446.5 million records compromised, even if the number of data breaches dropped by almost 25 percent. Today, we will look at the biggest breaches that have happened from the beginning of May.
Phishing attacks are more commonplace than you might think. Whether it’s scamming someone into sending payments to fund who knows what or simply spreading malware or viruses, these phishing attacks are a part of doing business; therefore, it’s important that you take measures to avoid some of the most clever tricks in the book. Let’s examine some of them.
Whether or not you’re familiar with computers, there are a few terms that are thrown around commonly enough that chances are good that you know them. One such term is “firewall.” Unfortunately, there are often misconceptions as to what these terms refer to or what they do. Firewalls are a prime example, as many believe that a firewall is the only security they need.
If your business is taking advantage of the cloud to meet its operational and data storage needs, then you’re already doing something right. The cloud has changed the way businesses function, but this also needs to extend to the way businesses think about data security. How is your business or cloud provider securing your critical business data and applications stored in the cloud?
With so many breaches showing up in the headlines and their impact being felt across the world, one would think that businesses of all sizes would do more to protect their data against cybersecurity threats. A recent study has shown that this is unfortunately not the case.
You are going to inevitably be in the position where using public Wi-Fi is better than not using any Wi-Fi at all. The issue with this is that public Wi-Fi is considerably more dangerous to use than the secured in-house network of your office. How can you maximize the productivity of your business’ staff while on the go, without sacrificing security by allowing them to use public Wi-Fi to access important data?
We’ll discuss some of the reasons why a public Wi-Fi connection might be putting your data at risk, as well as what you can do about it.
Why Public Wi-Fi is So Dangerous
You’re walking down the street and you need to access something important on your smartphone. However, you don’t want to use your mobile data plan to do so. Instead, you’d prefer to connect to a local wireless network. Tracking down the closest mobile hotspot, you find yourself at a coffee shop where the connection doesn’t have a password. You access the data you need, but you have no way of knowing whether or not everything you do on the network is being monitored.
Hackers frequently like to lurk on busy public wireless connections for this express purpose. Since there is no barrier for entry, they can simply log onto the network and take advantage of its lack of security features. Therefore, your business’ devices need to have some sort of security measures implemented so that public Wi-Fi doesn’t put your sensitive data at risk.
Password Protection is Key
You might remember how your company’s in-house wireless network is secured by a credential. These passwords should always be used when possible, as there is otherwise no way to guarantee that your company’s network isn’t open to just anyone. In fact, we recommend setting up multiple wireless networks--one for your in-house staff and network, and one for any visitors (still protected by a passcode). This way, you can partition your network in such a way that only your staff can access specific information, while you still provide wireless access to those visiting your office.
It’s key that any public wireless network that you access have some sort of encryption protecting it from letting just anyone log in. If you notice that there is a wireless network, but no passcode, try asking someone who works there--or look for a poster with the code on it. You should also ensure that you do this for your own wireless networks.
Try a Virtual Private Network
If your organization wants to ensure anonymity while out of the safety of your own office, consider implementing a virtual private network, or VPN. VPNs implement encryption for any data traveling to and from a network, meaning that any onlookers will be sad to see that they’re only getting a jumbled mess rather than anything worth stealing. A VPN is certainly necessary for a company that has remote employees or likes to take their business on the go.
Does your organization require a VPN? To learn more, call us today at (844) BIZ-EDGE.
It makes sense that your organization would want the best security possible and to mitigate the risks that it faces, whether they are physical or virtual. However, there is no definition for “perfect” security, as there isn’t one solution that can completely meet all of your business’ specific needs. As a result, you want to set realistic goals for yourself so that security doesn’t become difficult to gauge.
Instead of waiting for the perfect opportunity to implement security, it’s more beneficial to take a look at your measures and ensure that they are indeed what your business wants and needs to meet the immediate threats you face. Below are three ways that the modern business fails when implementing their security initiatives.
Setting Your Standards Too High
While many of the security measures that you research might sound great on paper, it’s unlikely that your organization’s IT isn’t the same as the ones outlined in the marketing material. If you don’t implement measures that meet your specific needs, you are doing yourself a disservice; but, you also have to consider what those needs are. Sure, you need certain protections (which any number of solutions can provide), but to get comprehensive security coverage for your network and technology, you need to know what your threats are, and how the solution you choose to implement is going to protect your technology. If you aim too high and get a solution that is just too much for you and your projected company growth, you may waste significant amounts of workable capital
Conversely, every solution you consider will offer more or less protection, and you shouldn’t take much time looking for problems in a solution that does exactly what you need it to do, as this could make for a long and drawn-out implementation; and waste more time and money.
Waiting for the Perfect Moment
Project implementation can be intimidating, and extraordinarily costly. You may have to move resources around, and you will likely be paying more to get it done. Lots of businesses will look for a small, more manageable fix rather than taking on large projects. Since any security implementation would have to be installed and tested every which way, they most likely will drastically affect organizational data access, presenting you with operational downtime that just boosts the cost of implementation. That’s the reality, but ultimately would you accept a little downtime to keep your network and infrastructure safe? The answer is a resounding affirmative.
If you are going to implement new security solutions, strategize how it will cost you the least amount in time and materials before you start. This will go a long way toward getting the solutions you need in the time frame and cost that you need it to be at. If you wait and wait and wait to implement a crucial piece of IT, whether it be security or otherwise, you could be caught in an unenviable situation where you have no protection when you need it most.
You have to know going in that there is rarely a perfect time to implement a new project, so with a solid strategy and thorough implementation plans, you can get what your business needs, without hedging your decision to implement it. You’ll thank yourself when catastrophe is eliminated later.
Having the Wrong Priorities
We get it, network security is not a glamorous thing. You are going to spend time and money that could go elsewhere to defend your network and infrastructure against a threat that may never come. Conversely, if you are worried about everything it can be easy to overestimate how dangerous certain scenarios are. To get around this oversight, it’s critical that your organization take a realistic look at potential threat scenarios.
You wouldn’t build a retaining wall to keep flood waters out when your building is in the desert, tight? Why then would you spend a huge chunk of your IT budget on network security if you don’t need to. Make sure you understand the situation your organization is in and prioritize from there. It will go a long way toward allowing you to properly manage risk.
Does your business need help with implementing an IT security strategy that is right for it? BEI can help. To learn more, call us today at (844) BIZ-EDGE.
If your business isn’t protecting its technology infrastructure, you need to rethink your priorities immediately. After all, hackers aren’t going to wait for your business to secure itself. They will instead seize any easy opportunity to steal your organization’s sensitive data. There are countless threats out there that want to take advantage of your business, or at least see your sensitive data on-sale at the online black market. We’ll walk you through some of the most important factors regarding your organization’s security.
Patches and Software Updates
According to an article from NPR, a new type of cyberthreat from Russia is beginning to target small businesses in a greater capacity. Some of the devices at risk of compromise are those that you might not immediately think about, including routers, network switches, and firewalls, all for the express purpose of stealing information, spying on your infrastructure, and infiltrating your network at their convenience. Therefore, you need to take measures to ensure that even your minor devices are secured.
In this case, it’s best to implement patches and security updates from the device developers. It’s easy to forget about your router on this list, so be sure to keep up your maintenance and patching to ensure that no stone is left unturned.
Endpoint Security
If you need to support even minor devices to mitigate security risks, what does this say about your more advanced technology solutions like servers and desktops? What about mobile devices? It goes without saying that any devices accessing important data should be secured in some way, shape or form. In most cases, we’re referring to having a licensed antivirus and firewall on your computer.
The good news is that BEI can provide your business with the best kind of solution for this purpose: a Unified Threat Management (UTM) tool. What this allows you to do is implement a number of enterprise-level solutions all at once, including a firewall, antivirus, spam protection, and content filtering.
Follow Best Practices
Ultimately, the success of your business’ security is going to boil down to whether or not your organization is following network security best practices. You can implement the most powerful solutions, but they mean nothing if your users aren’t following the right practices. It’s your responsibility to make sure that your employees have the right security mindset--these include password best practices, securing important data on a user level, and sharing information sparingly.
To learn more about security for your organization, reach out to BEI at (844) BIZ-EDGE.
It’s no secret that a business’ security is one of its most important considerations. It would seem that there is a daily reminder of this unfortunate fact - but it’s even more unfortunate that many people aren’t aware of where many threats can actually come from. Below, we’ll discuss how some threats start on the inside - as well as what you can do to help stop them.
From the Inside?
Some may be surprised to learn that one of the biggest threats to your business technology is the group of people you’ve hired to work with it. There are a variety of reasons that your end-users can create a security problem through their actions.
Vengeance - As melodramatic as it sounds, if an employee is dissatisfied enough by something to do with their job, they might just lash out against the business. Whether that takes the shape of deleting critical files before storming off, unleashing malware into your system, or just breaking some critical component, your business could find itself in deep trouble. Even worse, if the employee thinks ahead about it, they could potentially figure out how to hide their actions until they are long gone, or just access your network later to mess with your business - and the longer an issue persists, the more it will ultimately cost you.
The best way to fix this is to simply remove an employee’s credentials the moment they are no longer in your employ - and to mitigate this kind of situation from happening in the first place. If you keep your employees satisfied, engaged in their work, and happy, if they do ultimately leave, it will most likely be a departure spurred by greener pastures elsewhere, and not animosity toward your business. Being Bamboozled - How many of your employees read these blogs, or have gone over our website? Are they up-to-speed on how to best protect themselves against social engineering attacks by cybercriminals? These attacks can be particularly effective, as they take an employee’s instinct to do as they are told and pit it against their ability to shrewdly analyze an incoming message.
A social engineer will reach out to your employee under the guise of being someone else, as either an authority figure in your company, a client, or another business contact. This allows them to request certain information that some employees would be only too eager to hand over (after all, if the boss is asking for something, you deliver it, right?). The simplest way to eliminate this threat is to make sure your employees appreciate the reality of it, educating them and reinforcing the proper procedures to ensure that information isn’t just given out to someone who asks nicely.
Inappropriate/Illegal Activities - Unfortunately, a workstation is not just a great productivity tool. It is also one of the most potent distractions out there, thanks to all the content available online that should not be accessed by someone in a professional environment. From games, to adult material, to social media, to watching x-animal try to mimic y-human activity on YouTube, you are up against a formidable foe if you try to wrangle the Internet. However, it is crucial to your network security that you do so, as threats can be very easily hidden in content that would seem harmless on the surface. Protecting yourself against these threats means that you have to apply patches as they become available, and it can’t hurt to block access to certain websites if you discover that there is a tendency for them to be accessed during work hours.
Of course, there’s inappropriate, and then there’s illegal. Unfortunately, unless you can establish that you have taken measures to prevent such activities, any illegal activities performed on a business’ network are the responsibility of the owner. Citibank learned this the hard way, when its employees downloaded materials from the Internet that had absolutely no business being accessed in the workplace. This activity got Citibank sued for $2 million. This is why it is especially important to monitor your network activity, and again, block access to certain sites. You should also keep a documented acceptable use policy, signed by every employee, so that you can legally protect yourself should the need arise.
Leaking Information - There are a variety of reasons that an employee could want to take information out of the safe environment of your network. Those with good intentions may just want to get some extra work done at home - but we’ve all heard where the road paved with good intentions leads to. A frustrated employee might decide to take a little something along when they leave to entice their next employer into hiring them.
Either way, your data is at risk, so you need to take steps to prevent such activities. A few options are to require permissions for certain devices to access the network, and to require authorization to connect a device to Wi-Fi or Bluetooth within the office.
As unfortunate as internal threats inherently are, you need to accept that they are real in order to deal with them. BEI can help. Reach out to us at (844) BIZ-EDGE to learn about our solutions to your security concerns, inside and out.