Meeting cybersecurity standards ahead of the pack can be a competitive advantage—one that sets companies up to be more strategic about additional cybersecurity investments and decisions. That’s why it’s important for established businesses to pull from the playbook of new businesses in implementing cybersecurity

Here are five takeaways that can help any company trying to enhance its security profile.

Move fast

New businesses are eager to work through operational issues so they can focus on their core business. The lesson for you: Once you know what you need to do, move fast. The longer you wait to make changes, the costlier they are. Applying the brakes on inevitable changes, like security or modernization, delays costs but also benefits.

Company-wide thinking

New companies tend to be more egalitarian than established ones, so determining and implementing new policies or procedures involves everyone. Learn from that and communicate your needs for increased cybersecurity to your entire workforce. Be clear about changes, what will happen, when, who it impacts, and why it’s important. 

Top representatives from across the company to help with cybersecurity, too. Who better to point out risks, define needs, and share departmental challenges than those with front-line knowledge? The process may mean additional training for that group but you won’t regret it, and will help drive a culture of security.

Bring in experts

Startups know what they don’t know and quickly turn to experts for help. In the same way, your organization can benefit from a cybersecurity partner. Cybersecurity consultants take the pressure off IT, upskill existing staff, and provide a more efficient path to getting compliant and protecting the company. 

Borrow and evolve

Startups take proven best practices and adapt them for their own use. Learn from this: There’s no need to reinvent the wheel regarding cybersecurity policies and procedures when best practices abound. Borrow the basics and evolve them to fit your business plan and employees. Thoughtful policies start with the philosophy, “Don’t tell me what I can’t do, tell me how I can do it safely.”

Get involved

In startups, everyone rolls up their sleeves and pitches in to get things done. The same mindset is important for leaders of established companies adding cybersecurity. The top brass needs to show their commitment to cybersecurity, not just talk about it. They can do that by:

• Prioritizing budgets, time, and other resources for cybersecurity
• Becoming knowledgeable and involved in compliance initiatives
• Demonstrating that they personally follow protocols
• Having zero tolerance for non-compliance

You can teach an old dog new tricks, and startups are a great place for more established companies to look for fresh ideas and approaches, including how to smoothly integrate cybersecurity into the flow and fabric of operations.

Bio

Edward Tuorinsky, Founder and Managing Principal of DTS, a government and commercial consulting business, brings more than two decades of experience in management consulting and information technology services. 

The post 5 Ways Businesses Can Have a Startup Mindset for Cybersecurity appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

As entrepreneurs build their tech stacks, though, they need to be aware of a couple of potential issues. The first is security. Cybercrime continues to be a legitimate concern for anyone online. Businesses should take necessary measures to improve and maintain cybersecurity.

Second, owners must make sure that they’re optimizing their small business technology. With so many options available, it’s easy to become buried under an avalanche of 21st-century solutions. This is true even if they aren’t all benefitting you the way they should.

Here are a few suggestions for ways small businesses can both optimize and secure their digital activity to ensure that they’re getting the most out of their tech.

Start with your Wi-Fi.

Your Wi-Fi is the digital gate to your company. In a tech-heavy world, this makes it the main entrance to your tech stack, your files, your data, and your business as a whole. If you want to optimize how your small business works, you need to start by setting the stage with a quality Wi-Fi solution.

The Wi-Fi experts at Plume point out that this obviously includes the need for a strong and dependable wireless signal, but it shouldn’t stop there. As is the case with the company’s small business-focused WorkPass Wi-Fi solution, a good Wi-Fi network should also be safe, easy to use, and intimately woven into the fabric of your business.

By using a quality small business Wi-Fi solution, you can simultaneously tap into the simplicity and ease of residential routers as well as the firepower of an enterprise-level internet connection.

Small business Wi-Fi has the potential to double as a business intelligence (BI) platform that collects and turns data into actionable insights. This can help you manage your workforce and communicate with guest users. It can also keep your entire team engaged with adaptive connectivity that is fast, reliable, and ultra-secure.

If you want your small business to be productive and secure at the same time, make sure to start by using a reputable and capable small business Wi-Fi solution.

Establish solid cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity can be intimidating. The need to keep your technology safe and secure from outside threats is an ever-present concern. Many solutions can also be prohibitively expensive — but not all of them.

There are many small-yet-effective ways that you can secure sensitive data while optimizing your small business technology. Intel suggests half a dozen ways to do this, such as:

• establishing a solid private Wi-Fi setup (see the previous step) that doesn’t require logging in on any public Wi-Fi connections;
• keeping hardware upgraded at all times — and, of course, making sure your team installs all software patches and updates in a timely manner;
• using strong passwords and implementing MFA (multi-factor authentication) whenever possible;
• utilizing apps like Windows 10 Pro security and Norton Antivirus to block unwanted malware; and
• teaching your staff to use proper digital hygiene (maintaining strong passwords, installing updates, etc.) at all times when using office tech.

If you feel like overseeing all of these steps is too much, consider using a Device as a Service (DaaS) solution to increase security. This is a new kind of service that bundles the distribution, management, and IT support for a business’s tech. These are then overseen by a third-party provider, taking the perpetual responsibility off of your plate.

Manage your marketing.

Marketing is one of the easiest areas to bleed cash and ooze inefficiency. This is partly due to the subtle and intangible results that marketing can generate.

If you have a sales team, you can measure their success in dollars and cents. You can apply the same simple math to other areas. These include manufacturing, paying an accountant, or shipping and handling costs.

When it comes to marketing, though, it’s easy to pour endless money into things like content creation and brand awareness without really knowing how effective they are.

If you want to optimize your marketing activity, the first thing you need to do is set up analytics tools to track your results. There are many ways to do this, including free tools, like Facebook Pixel and Google Analytics. In addition, many tools, like Shopify or Mail Chimp, come with built-in data collection dashboards.

The top companies in IT are often admired for their innovative products, cutting-edge technology, and forward-thinking leadership. These companies not only shape the future of the tech industry but also have a significant impact on the global economy.

Of course, tracking data in a dozen or more applications is challenging. That’s why you may want to consider an additional third-party tool to unify your analytical marketing data. AI-powered solutions like Hawke.ai can bring all of your marketing results into a single dashboard where you can find insights to help you make informed, optimized decisions.

Optimizing and Securing a Small Business (Without Panicking)

There are many factors that go into keeping a business both efficient and safe. For small businesses, this task can feel time-consuming and expensive.

However, if you approach things with a strategy in place, you can manage both concerns without too much trouble. Start by putting things like a solid Wi-Fi solution in place and establishing key cybersecurity protocols. From there, focus on conducting ongoing digital hygiene training. Use the tools available to gather data and turn it into actionable and efficient business strategies, too.

Optimizing small business technology is an assumed aspect of any startup venture at this point. The critical factor is making sure that your tech stack is helping, not hindering, your small business.

The post How to Begin Securing and Optimizing Small Business Technology appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

You know all too well that many businesses owe their success to luck as often as labor. That’s not to say that the risks you take aren’t carefully calculated – they are. However, many of you reading this may have risked everything by waiting to take effective cybersecurity measures.

The cybersecurity risks have never been higher than right now — and the government knows it.

It’s why the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced the Shields Up program. Shields Up is designed to protect American businesses from malicious cyber activity surrounding Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. It’s also why the DOJ announced it will fine government contractors and other businesses that fail to follow cybersecurity standards or fail to report cybersecurity incidents.

Waiting on security upgrades until regulatory agencies mandate security can be costly and dangerous for your businesses.

Any company, including contractors and subcontractors, who do business with the government faces a slew of orders to be compliant with various cybersecurity frameworks. This includes NIST 800-171, which outlines the required security standards and practices for non-federal organizations. Likewise, FAR 52.204-21 lays out 15 basic safeguards surrounding data, physical security, and cyber hygiene. Similarly, the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) program is a framework designed to protect the defense industrial base.

Playing a Dangerous Game of Cybersecurity Chance

As regulators negotiate, discuss, and finalize, we’ve noticed an alarming trend. Many companies are hitting the “Pause” button.

We get it. Last year’s CMMC town halls highlighted small business concerns. The new policies being proposed put a disproportional burden on smaller companies that might not have the systems, in-house expertise, or budget for the required response.

The industry developed CMMC 2.0 to address those issues. And in many ways, it does. But it also contains a few surprises.

The Reality Check

If you’ve pumped the brakes on investing in more robust cyber security and are waiting to see what the regulations will look like, you’re taking a huge gamble. Here’s the reality.

Attacks won’t wait.

While you spend time waiting on security, your business continues to be at risk for a data hack or ransom.

The business interruption, reputation damage, proprietary information losses, recovery fees, and customer or contract losses are often enough to sink even the most stable businesses. And any cyber insurance policy you’ve got won’t be sufficient. It won’t cover everything.

If hackers return your data after a ransomware attack, your problems may multiply. Corrupted and inaccessible data aren’t much use.

The “final” version will come up too quickly.

When DoD starts using CMMC 2.0 guidelines it will be with just 60 days’ notice.

That’s not enough time for most companies to complete remediation work. Waiting for a final version or official start may cost you contract opportunities. If you’re ready to go sooner, however, you might be able to grab work from others who are not.

While not fully finalized, DoD is planning to offer incentives to organizations that go through the certification process prior to the final rulemaking for CMMC.

Your to-do list has 320 tasks!

The requirement to be compliant with NIST 800-171 cybersecurity framework has 110 controls that require 320 assessment objectives.

For Maturity Level 1 and non-prioritized Maturity Level 2 contracts, senior leadership will self-attest to their company’s compliance each year.

But that’s not a free pass. The DOJ has already used the False Claims Act to go after companies who self-attest, have a security incident, and are found, through an investigation, not compliant.

Documentation did not go away.

Many companies believed that CMMC 2.0 would do away with documentation: It. Did. Not.

Companies must document all of the 320 assessment objectives. It’s a significant amount of work — and few companies can do it all internally. Another reason that waiting on security measures will backfire when the a time crunch comes.

The ROI Dilemma

We acknowledge that the cost of cybersecurity seems daunting.

Many companies haven’t invested in an enterprise-level solution or even budgeted for ongoing cybersecurity work. But they need to.

Cybersecurity has become a normalized expense for business operations, like paying payroll taxes or carrying insurance. If you’re struggling to see the ROI of cybersecurity consider three things.

1. Small businesses are the ideal target for ransomware hackers.

Cybercriminals know you have fewer resources and staff to prepare for, defend against, and recover from attacks. Attacks have doubled in the last year because they are incredibly lucrative and you’re a great testbed to prepare for larger attacks.

2. The average cost for a data breach in a small company is $108,000.

But money isn’t the only thing at stake. The disruption, recovery, and unanticipated costs — plus customer frustration — have been shown to take a far greater financial toll on companies. This can total as much as $3 million per incident for companies with fewer than 500 employees.

3. Cybersecurity can be a competitive advantage.

While others delay, you can cash in on customer and partner trust built on the strength of your cybersecurity program.

There is an easy way to begin.

A slow roll is still a step in the right direction. We advise small businesses to do several things right now to get things started. Most of them won’t cost you a dime!

Talk real numbers.

A realistic estimate is the first step toward developing a compliant security plan.

A good cybersecurity services company will provide a basic assessment and estimate free of charge. A great cybersecurity services company will further your education, explaining the standards you will need to follow, where you stand now, and the scope of a solution.

Real numbers allow you to plan ahead and budget for security. Very often, we surprise small businesses when they learn that cybersecurity compliance doesn’t cost as much as they expected.

Understand your attack surface.

The physical front door isn’t the only way people are entering your business.

All of your web apps, portals, and bill pay systems are entrance points too. Identifying all of your assets is the first step in securing them.

Now is the time to conduct a thorough audit of your digital ecosystem to understand your attack surface and plan for ongoing monitoring.

Revisit your incident response plan…and practice it!

In case of a security incident, every employee with network access should understand the plan.

Above all, your Incident Response Team, encompassing leadership, IT, HR, legal, and communications, should also practice their first steps. Similarly, it may be helpful to have written procedures and a printed phone tree that clearly spells out whom to contact and under what circumstances.

Back up your data.

Put together an ironclad schedule for backing up all data. Likewise, it’s valuable to test the procedures for restoring information, too, in case you are hit with ransomware or another cyberattack.

A good look at cybersecurity realities can help small business owners and leaders change the game. Therefore, there’s no need to gamble with your company’s future and reputation.

Cybersecurity-building steps often start with a slow roll and pick-up speed as companies understand more about their requirements and the business benefits of a robust security stance.

Derek Kernus is the director of cybersecurity operations at DTS and holds CISSP, CCSP and CMMC RP certifications. DTS provides tailored, scalable cyber solutions for small- and medium-sized organizations leveraging top resources and the expertise of talented individuals with a passion for excellence to help protect our clients’ people and data.

The post Waiting on Security: The Real Cost appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Every few years, the speed of the digital revolution accelerates. We are now in one of these eras. For fraudsters, the future of fraud looks bright, but for those of us who rely on technology, it’s a never-ending struggle to protect assets.

A genuine present meets a very futuristic future in Experian’s Annual Fraud Forecast for 2022. Like the now-iconic and authentic Tinder Swindler, cybercriminals build each new scam on a new habit. Fraud is always an antidote to action.

NFT? Metaverse? Exercise caution.

In his now-viral YouTube video Line Goes Up, Dan Olsen characterizes the present hoopla surrounding NFTs as a poverty trap.

The creation of the rich and winners puts newbies at risk. Dan says cryptocurrency is a larger fool scheme, where users must encourage others to participate in recouping their investment. This inevitably causes price increases in the small business technology sector.

According to Juniper Research, merchant losses due to online payment fraud would total $206 billion between 2021 and 2025. That’s why organizations need to invest in fraud protection systems to avoid future frauds and losses. Businesses and consumers must be mindful of fraudsters’ ingenuity and agility in our digital-first era, said Kathleen Peters, North American chief innovation officer at Experian Decision Analytics. They use data and sophisticated analytics to assist companies in detecting fraud and safeguarding customers. The way we pay for goods has changed, and it hasn’t only gone more online.

The way we pay increases our vulnerability to fraudsters.

Paying for internet purchases in installments rather than buying everything at once is becoming more popular. These companies didn’t invent the notion. They use credit and installments only for significant transactions.

As a result of making smaller transactions more appealing, in 2021, 45 million BNPL customers will spend over $20.8 billion. Since 2018, the industry has grown above 300 percent annually.

Then there’s Bitcoin. Record investment and hype naturally lead to record frauds.

From October 2020 to March 2021, the FTC recorded over $80 million in Bitcoin fraud losses. Suddenly, a $4.5 billion crypto laundering plan operated by a husband and wife team with a rapper alter ego dubbed Razzlekhan surfaced. Netflix has everything it needs for its next real crime documentary.

Confusion provides an opportunity for malfeasance.

Because cryptocurrency is so new, people will use it to extract, store and hide stolen assets. The size of the business doesn’t matter.

Cryptocurrency is very confusing, says Tina Mulqueen, creator of The Block Talk and Admonsters’ Top Women in Media for 2021.

Fraudsters will exploit any uncertainty. We witnessed that with ICOs and now with NFTs. There are good projects, but investors need to educate themselves about the market. It shouldn’t deter people from using cryptocurrencies, investing in them, or even investing in blockchain.

But it takes practice. The initial measures are to utilize several levels of verification and a hard wallet or “cold storage.”

Decentralization is an intriguing notion since using blockchain — hundreds of online ledgers to verify anything — makes it more verifiable. But customers dislike being misunderstood. It’s the same reason most parents don’t want their kids on TikTok.

Blockchain and crypto will expand. We recently had the first “Crypto Super Bowl” in terms of advertising. BMCS established the first Sumcoin Index Fund last week, effectively one coin that follows the Top 100 cryptocurrencies based on market capitalization.

The metaverse will expand opportunities for fraud.

Then there’s the metaverse, which is currently only partly known.

The idea of effortlessly engaging in a virtual environment isn’t new. They already sell marketers on new income streams from virtual shopping experiences and digital products.

If our workplaces become part of the metaverse rather than simply a Zoom screen, we need to make sure our meta identities mirror what we want to show to the world, our coworkers, or anybody else.

We’re already living in a metaverse of sorts.

For example, this happens if your child plays NBA2k. They play, earn virtual cash, and spend on character costumes, traits, and haircuts. As characters in an evolving online realm, they compete against other online rivals. It’s a pretty basic metaverse.

But it also makes you more aware of the deception.

In the new Horizon Worlds app, parents are already worried. We can already observe concerns with identity fraud in the metaverse. The uncontrolled market for purchasing and selling NFTs will witness significant scam efforts.

It’s impossible to build long-term wealth in crypto and the metaverse. This argument is from Alan Smithson, co-founder of MetaVRse and co-creator of the metaverse’s first mall, set to debut in 2022. Smithson also developed the Metaverse Manifesto, which describes future XR ethics.

Building the future of human connection, cooperation, culture, and commerce requires more responsibility.

The now requires alertness.

Even if the attention shifts to new digital behaviors, ransomware is still a significant problem.

The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center estimates a theft of $133 million between January 1, 2021, and July 31, 2021. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FCEN) reported $590 million in ransomware activity in the first half of 2021, compared to $416 million in 2020. Remember The Tinder Swindler, the cautionary story (no spoilers).

People could create intimate reliable connections without meeting in person since more people used dating apps and social media to find love during the epidemic. A rise in romance-related scams certainly was inevitable. Con artists take advantage of romantic connections to beg for money or a “loan” to pay anything from a vacation to medical expenditures. Nine Perfect Strangers on Hulu highlights this vital story (again, no spoilers).

The key is never to let your guard down, whether in business, cyberspace, or personal concerns. It doesn’t hurt to think like a fraudster in an increasingly virtual world.

The post Opportunity For Fraudsters Digital Dependency appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Even the tiniest local stores, restaurants, dancing studios, and car garages create sensitive cybersecurity data to serve their customers better, including customer profiles, payment credentials, and service records.

On the other hand, it could be different. But internet exposure has its drawbacks.

Every day, a fresh wave of cyber threats hits innocent companies. Likewise, malicious emails deliver ransomware and password-stealing trojans to inboxes, while other threats use software flaws to get access to systems and data. For example, you might use your website to spread malware to users without your knowledge. Cybersecurity trends lean that way.

Cyber-attacks are a massive headache for large corporations. They are an existential danger to small businesses. Interruptions in operations cost money, while reputational damage and possible legal consequences from data breaches are difficult to overcome. Smaller firms generally lack the means to withstand the storm, much alone pay a ransom for speedy data and system restoration.

Every firm must have cybersecurity.

Businesses of all sizes might take solace in the notion that they are “too tiny to target.” Likewise, the truth is far grimmer.

Cascade Technologies founder Cramer Snuggs used to see one customer attack every six months. For example, one assault every two weeks in the past year. Even with those stats, many of our clients believe they would not be victims, Snuggs adds. They mistakenly think today’s cyber-criminals aren’t interested in small businesses.

Modern cyber threats use automation and even AI, making it easy for criminals to create new threats and strike at scale at little cost. You may utilize personal data from social media accounts and past breaches to enhance assaults with little human effort. For example, this sinister net can readily catch even the tiniest groups. Another method is supply-chain assaults on software suppliers and IT service providers.

Today’s SMBs are vulnerable to phishing, malware, and other digital dangers.

On the other hand, cybercriminals no longer need to choose targets and adapt attacks to fit their needs manually. The need for comprehensive security has never been greater. Even small enterprises rely on the availability and integrity of their data and services.

Penetrations cost an average of $3.56 million in the first half of 2021. And the average ransomware payout hit $100,000. For example, new product categories — such as cyber insurance — have risen in popularity. Likewise, these metrics are critical for every firm, but for most small enterprises, they are lethal.

These products don’t provide the amount of organizational protection you need to rest comfortably, nor do they scale well as your firm expands. On the other hand, when your organization is at risk, you need expert help.

Here’s how MSPs can help with security.

Think how you would hire an electrician to connect your home or fix a faulty outlet. Consequently, there is great benefit in outsourcing cybersecurity to experts. Managed IT services can help.

On the other hand, today’s cyber threats target small enterprises. Likewise, most lack modern anti-malware protection that combines with data backups and IT security expertise.

Knowledgeable people will set up the software and adapt to changing scenarios correctly. For example, they also don’t always teach personnel cybersecurity best practices, which leads to weak passwords and increases phishing scam risk.

On the other hand, it’s hard to blame smaller businesses for the existing situation. Effective cybersecurity is becoming more difficult for resource-constrained enterprises. Most are also unaware of the grave concerns posed by current cyber threats, any of which might spell catastrophe.

If firms merely adopted multi-factor authentication, they would be immensely more secure, says a prominent Virtual Chief Information Security Officer. So why don’t you? It’s not complicated or expensive to do. Managed service providers make it easy and economical to safeguard your corporation with features like Endpoint protection.

In a world of quickly developing cyber threats, you must be proactive.

Working with a managed service provider provides small companies access to security experts. These experts can help them strengthen their cybersecurity posture and configure security solutions.

For example, service providers will detect risks via frequent vulnerability assessments. Likewise, they take measures to reduce your exposure and implement solutions as soon as they become available.

Privacy protection is the new focus.

Do you know where you keep your data?

Even small organizations often depend on global cloud services and infrastructure — and most nations have their laws and regulations around data storage and access. On the other hand, managed service providers can help you comply with data storage and privacy rules. Furthermore, they’ll help by avoiding legal issues you may not have been aware of.

Businesses need to back up their data, but recovering from backups may take time. Likewise, the restoration procedure may not be feasible immediately after a catastrophe if your systems are locked or have no power.

Managed service providers can help you swiftly recover from a catastrophe. Their expertise is in storing backups as virtual machines in the cloud and limiting service disruptions. For example, they’ll also help you detect and repair data leaks.

On the other hand, used to be that if our customers had backups, we merely restored them and went on, Snuggs adds.

Likewise, we have more to worry about now. Often, customer data is exclusive to their firm or sector and, if hacked, may create considerable disruption. In healthcare, for example, we must be concerned about personal data hackers put on the Dark Web.

The post Cybersecurity: The Small Business Savior? appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

That’s because hybrid cloud deployments consist of a private cloud established on a company’s proprietary data center. This setup is then combined with public cloud services from a recognized provider.

With hybrid cloud networking, your enterprise can have its own data center. You can keep sensitive information safely stored behind a firewall, without sacrificing the benefits of public cloud services. Using hybrid cloud networking can have many benefits for your business. These benefits include cost-cutting for enhanced security, increased scalability, higher networking speed, and even fewer headaches for your IT team to deal with.

Hybrid Cloud Networking Combines Security with Speed and Scalability

A hybrid network environment isn’t intrinsically any faster than a public or private cloud. However, it does allow your IT to optimize the network so that users can get their tasks done faster on it.

For example, your IT team can use edge computing to bring the most important of your cloud services closer to users. This boosts overall speed and help data get where it’s going.

Hybrid networking consists of a combination of both public and private cloud services. your organization isn’t reliant on its own data centers and their finite ability to store and process data. Additionally, you can take advantage of the theoretically limitless storage and computing capabilities that public clouds offer.

However, public clouds are more generic in their construction — they have to meet the needs of a wide range of enterprises. Your enterprise can tailor the private cloud portion of your hybrid cloud network to make it exactly what you need. That’s because the private part of your hybrid cloud network exists in a protected data center. You can keep your sensitive operations and data secure while taking advantage of the scalability offered by the public cloud.

Whenever you need more computing power — or less — public cloud services can deliver.

Hybrid Configurations Are Ideal for Regulatory Compliance

Some jurisdictions have regulatory guidance dictating the time and place for storage of sensitive data. You may not be able to store your sensitive data on data centers in another country or state. Many industries also treat certain kinds of data as strictly confidential. Not all of your data will need to be kept secret. However, for any data that are governed by regulations, you need extra security.

Hybrid cloud networking combines bespoke private cloud infrastructure with public cloud infrastructure. As a result, you can keep your sensitive data safe on the private network while performing less sensitive operations on the public side.

For example, you can keep personally identifiable information in the private infrastructure. You can then move it to the public infrastructure after it’s been sanitized for processing.

Hybrid Cloud Gives You More Control Over Your Network

You don’t want to trust a third-party service provider with all of your data and processing power. You shouldn’t have to.

Hybrid cloud networking gives you more control over your data storage and processing infrastructure. It allows you to build part of that infrastructure from scratch and keep it secure. A portion of your network remains private. IT can have control over the management and maintenance of servers and other infrastructure, as well as critical daily processes.

Hybrid Cloud Networking Is Cheaper than Private Cloud

Putting together a private cloud isn’t cheap.

Most enterprises understandably want their private cloud networks tailored to their own needs.

It’s well worth it to store some of your data on a private cloud network. There, you won’t have to worry about migrating it from one public cloud service to another. You won’t be concerned that perhaps you’ll need to pay a termination fee in the process.

Some public cloud services won’t even give you back your data in a format that you can use! If your public cloud provider goes out of business unexpectedly — or has problems like the ones that affected some public clouds during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic — you won’t have to worry about hastily migrating your data.

However, maintaining a private cloud for all of your networking processes is overkill. It’s cheaper to supplement with public cloud services. You don’t need to sacrifice your data security in order to save money on cloud computing.

Hybrid cloud is the next big thing for businesses that want to save money on cloud networking. You can keep your sensitive data safe. You’ll enjoy some bespoke network structuring. Additionally, you can call on the resources of the public cloud whenever you need them with hybrid cloud networking.

The post Hybrid Cloud Networking: Here’s Everything You Need to Know appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

There are those who wish to take advantage of any and every vulnerability. However, according to a recent survey of business owners and independent insurance agents in the United States, many businesses are simply not taking the necessary steps to protect themselves and their assets.

This is bad news. It should give all SMB participants nightmares. Because a breach in one company can lead to a domino effect. More companies can fall within a matter of hours.

Some also seem to be attempting to persuade themselves that they are invulnerable, even though they are aware that they should be doing more.

The news has been full of small business technology and security trends this year. Following cybersecurity industry trends, knowing how hackers infiltrate networks, and taking the necessary safeguards to keep them out are important parts of defending your organization.

The following are the top cybersecurity trends to watch in the New Year.

1. Implementation of multi-factor authentication.

Multi-factor authentication is a method in which users must authenticate their identity by using two or more different devices at the same time.

Example: When trying to log into a program, users may input their password on their computer’s browser and then get a code on their cellphone, which they must enter on the computer once more to be successful. It increases the security of logins by certifying that the user is who they claim to be in at least two locations.

Businesses may utilize a variety of third-party programs. To incorporate multi-factor authentication into their systems. If you market to clients who use applications such as Facebook, Robinhood, and Netflix, you may discover that they are already acquainted with the process. This is because prominent apps such as these already employ the method.

While many firms still consider multi-factor authentication to be optional, others are using multi-factor authentication systems as an extra layer of protection against a cyber attack.

2. Increased cyber-threats to remote employees as a result of technological business advancements.

In the opinion of cyber security experts, the transition to remote or hybrid work that has been prompted by COVID-19 has placed workers at greater risk of cybersecurity attacks.

In addition, when individuals bring their personal networks and devices into the workplace, they become more vulnerable to phishing emails and ransomware assaults. Their preparation is lacking. They don’t have the security protections that a company would put in place on its internal systems.

Your workers will benefit from having better security measures installed on their cloud-based apps, home devices, and home networks if you provide them with tools and training.

Find out more about the best practices for cybersecurity training. Consult in-house or get a professional consultant. Don’t rely on your Uncle Fred or some online website!

3. Attacks against cloud-based computing business services.

According to a survey by Northeastern University, cloud-based computing services have grown in popularity in recent years, and businesses are using them more than ever across a growing number of international employees.

They make it simple for workers to access the resources they need to be successful from any location, and they are both accessible and reasonably priced to host and maintain. The downside is that they are a great target for cyber-attacks, as well.

As a precaution, make sure that your cloud-based systems are up to date. You should also run breach and attack simulations to identify any security system flaws.

4. Simulation of a breach and an assault.

When there is illegal tampering with your technological systems, this is referred to as a cybersecurity breach.

Test your system frequently with BAS. These breach and attack simulations (BAS) are crucial. Even for the smallest business. They help you discover the most vulnerable parts of your cyberinfrastructure. Once discovered, they can be quickly strengthened.

Implementing BAS may assist you in identifying and eliminating vulnerabilities in a timely manner.

Learn more about the ramifications of a data breach on your company. Do some simulations at the beginning of the New Year.

5. Managing the use of technology and gadgets.

For the purposes of this definition, the Internet of Things (IoT) is a structure of physical things. These devices contain sensors, automation, and other software technology in order to communicate and exchange data with other devices and systems through the internet.

The term encompasses anything from linked equipment on the factory floor to smart home items and automation technologies. It’s swiftly encircling us and shows no signs of slowing down any time soon.

Begin to incorporate artificial intelligence and smart technology into your organization. Develop an enterprise-wide plan to detect and manage every connected machine.

This is critical to maintaining the security of your network and data. Don’t put off the hard work, because the payoff can be significant.

The post What’s New in Cybersecurity for the New Year? appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

The Business of Chicago

One Monday morning, 35 workers of a Chicago business board of directors turned on their computers. They were met by a desiccated head popping up and demanding nearly a quarter-million in Bitcoin. Hackers had shut off their internet access. Their databases had been scrambled and rendered unusable.

This NGO had vital infrastructure but no skilled cybersecurity professionals or even a proper data recovery and business continuity strategy, much like thousands of other ransomware victims whose tales never reach the news.

Company management believed that its data and networks were secure until they experienced that dreadful Monday morning return to work. The company also lacked the financial wherewithal to pay the ransom.

Productivity loss is the biggest price tag paid by ransomware victims. In addition, they suffered the time-consuming job of controlling and cleaning up after the assault.

According to Proofpoint and the Ponemon Institute study, a ransom payment generally amounts to less than 20% of the entire cost of a ransomware attack’s interruption.

The staff at the Chicago organization discovered too late that their data recovery methods did not actually back them up. The organization labored over finding paper documents in order to recreate its records from the ground up.

Businesses In a Bind

Many smaller businesses believe they aren’t vulnerable to ransomware. That is very clearly not the case.

According to the National Cyber Security Alliance, small and midsized firms are the target of the bulk of cyberattacks, with up to 60% of them going out of business within six months of the ransomware assault.

Three Simple Steps to Defeat Hackers

Some may reasonably question, if a $44 billion firm like Accenture can fall prey to ransomware, what hope does a smaller company have?

Everyone requires a reaction plan if no one is immune to an assault. Consider the following three essential steps:

1. Provide cyber awareness training to all staff.

PEBCAC stands for “problem exists between computer and chair” in the world of cybersecurity.

Because email phishing is by far the most common threat vector for ransomware, the first line of defense is to teach all employees not to open unfamiliar attachments or clickbait links — “You’ve just won $1 million!” — and to protect their login credentials, preferably with two-factor authentication.

Some employees, believe it or not, still retain passwords on Post-it Notes stuck to their computer displays. Every employee in today’s networked remote workforce is a member of the security apparatus. Employees play an essential role in data protection. However, they must be given the correct knowledge and training.

2. Update all of your applications.

An inventory of operating systems and software is the first step in any threat assessment.

Updates defend a computer network from known security flaws. Additionally, you must properly maintain and configure every firewall and server to stay safe.

Unfortunately, this seemingly simple task of data governance is a big undertaking. It’s made considerably more difficult by the abundance of endpoints. Think smartphones, industrial systems, IoT devices, and all the equipment used by work-from-home staff.

3. Put backups and recovery strategies to the test.

This is the one step that many companies skip. You shouldn’t.

Pick a day, perhaps a Saturday, when everyone “pretends” to be victimized by a hacker. Test the reliability of your backups and the amount of downtime you can expect to endure should you fall victim to ransomware.

How You Can Recover

To recover from an assault, every firm needs dependable backups and, equally essential, a business continuity strategy. Form a cyber incident response team and conduct penetration testing to ensure the safeguarding of vital infrastructure. Be proactive rather than reactive in your cyber response.

No one is immune to assault. These are merely the beginning of your defenses.

Monitor network traffic in real-time. Otherwise, your organization is extremely susceptible. Mechanisms must be in place to detect and respond to intrusions before you suffer damage. Be aware that 100 percent prevention is neither cost-effective nor practical.

Virus Software

Virus software and firewall hardware have come a long way. However, at the end of the day, the greatest defense is a skilled cybersecurity team.

A monitoring and incident response control center will allow speedy data recovery, reducing downtime for both internal and external cyberattacks. Outsourcing a security operations center may help businesses with limited resources reduce their risk.

Consider the cost of business disruption as the first step in making systems more robust. Governments, utilities, and even IT corporations are all vulnerable to assault. Put a solid data security strategy in place. Without one, it’s not a question of if, but rather when hacking will occur.

Make sure your cloud storage is secure.  It’s imperative that you do so ASAP. Without this safeguard, all sorts of malware, such as ransomware, can run riot through your systems.

The post Small Business Is Vulnerable to Ransomware appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Imagine that you sent private romantic texts to someone you were interested in. Now imagine that you’re on trial for fraud and a former company executive reads aloud the private message you sent. In recent times, prosecutors have subpoenaed millions of private text messages to incriminate people.

What about text messages that highlight our most intimate moments?

For journalists, whistleblowers, and political dissidents talking to sources, secure messaging is crucial.

A conversation doesn’t have to be harmful to a government. You don’t even need to share anything highly-publicized to be at risk.

In addition to being subject to law enforcement subpoenas, private chats often pop up in social groups. People post them on social media. Reporters publish them. They even end up in civil trials.

The heart of the viral New York Times story “Who Is The Bad Art Friend?” is gossipy group chats, emails, and documents unearthed during legal discovery.

Private chats implicated several Bollywood actors in a recent scandal involving drugs. Law enforcement officers used WhatsApp messages to prove their innocence. Sen. Ted Cruz’s plans for fleeing Texas during a power outage to travel to Cancun, Mexico, became famous. Turns out that a member of his wife’s group chat leaked portions of a private conversation. Then, of course, there are various hacking tools that governments and private entities can use to gain access to your smartphone data.

Many people send text messages they aren’t proud of, have a private conversation go public, or be targeted because they attended a protest. Taking precautions may help, but they won’t guarantee your safety.

Alexis Hancock, director of engineering for the non-profit digital rights group Electronic Frontier Foundation, succinctly makes the point: “Nothing makes a ghost.”

Find out where leaks are happening.

Apple devices feature default end-to-end encrypted chat software. Although end-to-end encryption is the best method for secure messaging, there are still some ways that these chats could land in court. The growing list of people who found this out the hard way includes ten prime ministers, three presidents, and a king.

Access to your smartphone and the ability to unlock it allows you to see all messages in the various chat apps. Sometimes, law enforcement can force someone to unlock their phone.

Chats require at least two people. As a result, the other person may hand over the conversation to a law enforcement agency. It’s possible that your private discussions could be stolen. This is especially dangerous when backups live in a place where third parties have access.

Remember that cloud backup can be a good thing.

For Apple devices, you can turn iCloud backups on to make iMessage chats more secure. Apple automatically saves all messages to the cloud so that you can transfer them over to a new device. These messages get encrypted. However, Apple holds a key that law enforcement can request directly.

If you’re concerned, disable iCloud backups of messages and delete all previous backups.

The same applies to cloud-based backups to which you don’t hold the encryption key. You can keep them on to prevent sensitive messages from being saved to your account.

You should immediately delete messages after the recipient has read them. iCloud backups run only once per day, so it’s best to delete them as soon as possible.

Of course, the other person may still have a record of your conversation. You can choose to have your message history deleted automatically after 30 days or after one year. Try going to Settings – Messages – Message History.

Signal is one tool that allows you to delete text messages automatically.

Signal is a popular, secure messaging platform that uses end-to-end encryption. It’s designed to preserve as little metadata as possible about your communications.

One of Signal’s most valuable features is the Disappearing Messages setting. You can choose to have messages deleted immediately or hours or days after sending. While there is always a time window in which recipients can see them for quick copy-paste or a quick screenshot, this reduces the trail if it’s accessed later.

Other apps provide ephemeral messaging and social media options. However, this doesn’t necessarily mean that messages get deleted forever. For example, you can save Instagram stories even if they are no longer publicly available.

Remember the old saying: “One can keep a secret but two cannot.” It’s always best to share your most intimate thoughts and emotions with your pillow and nobody else.

Even married couples should be wary of exchanging private messages concerning anything outside their own relationship. Otherwise, things can get awfully messy and embarrassing if it comes to divorce.

The post Keep Private Text Messages Secure appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Simply stated, to put off the implementation of reliable digital security infrastructure is to put your entire enterprise in jeopardy. If you feel as though you could be doing more to protect your own company in the digital arena, you’re far from alone. To help protect your interests against malicious intent, give some careful consideration to the tips and tech tools listed below. You may want to implement one or more of them sooner rather than later.

What is digital fraud?

At its simplest, digital fraud occurs whenever a cybercriminal attempts to deceive someone into inadvertently giving them access to financial assets or sensitive data. Unfortunately, damaging incidents of digital fraud hitting small business owners come in many forms. They can show up in a wide array of venues.

Successful cyber-attacks can be exceptionally difficult to recover from. This is particularly true for smaller businesses operating with thin profit margins. It can be overwhelming for small business owners to split their attention between protecting their assets and establishing a good reputation with customers. The first step is to stay informed. For example, you can greater insight into how cybercrimes such as takeover fraud occur by checking out this page.

Install company-wide email compliance software.

We’ve experienced a sudden rise in remote work and a worldwide increase in screen time. The digital realm is packed with more emails than ever before. Every email created represents another piece of hackable data. Any increase in data creation spells more opportunities for cybercriminals.

Steps should be taken to eliminate vulnerabilities. A reliable email compliance system can do just that. Effective email compliance software can regulate your emails on a company-wide basis. It can also allow you to archive and store information for later access should a security incident take place.

Insist on a strong authentication system.

Adopting a stronger authentication system can greatly reduce opportunities for small business digital fraud. It might mean something as simple as requiring every employee to come up with strong passwords on their first day of employment. Instituting this practice might seem obvious, but bad passwords are far more common than you might guess.

If even one of your employees conducts business on your network with a weak password, they represent the weakest link in your chain. They are, in effect, creating a vulnerability through which cybercriminals might gain access to the deepest parts of your infrastructure. Educating your employees and raising awareness is a good way to combat this widespread practice. Another safeguard to consider is introducing a two-step authentication system.

Moreover, if you’re handling vast amounts of sensitive data or highly valuable digital assets such as product blueprints, it may be worth thinking about introducing a tiered access system. That way, only your most trusted employees have access to the portions of your network housing make-or-break data systems. 

Set up security-related SMS alerts.

Sometimes cybercriminals will attempt to hijack an account by force. They typically employ methods such as a brute force attack that utilizes ransomware…or even just by successfully guessing an employee’s password.

Setting up SMS alerts can help. These can notify you instantly whenever unusual changes occur to your business account. These provide a timely way to give yourself a heads-up warning. In many cases, instantaneous notification gives you time to change passwords before any lasting damage takes place.

Install anti-spam software on all company machines.

Anyone with an email address will, unfortunately, be well-acquainted with spam messages. Most of these can be easily spotted and avoided. However, an increasing number can come across as incredibly convincing and appear authentic. To avoid having your small business “phished” and your reputation damaged, installing anti-spam software might be able to provide a helping hand.

Not only are spam messages incredibly annoying, but they can also be extremely harmful. Taking steps to reduce spam and phishing attempts across the board is a must.

Perhaps one of the best ways to prevent a successful phishing attack is to educate your employees. Unfortunately, it’s not always easy to discern the telltale signs of a spam email. However, doing so has become absolutely necessary to keep your business safe. 

Adopting an approach to tackle human error can be immensely helpful. This is one of the main ways phishing attacks manage to succeed. Teach your staff to spot telltale signs of fraudulent emails by running through a simple list of markers.

• Check for spelling and grammatical mistakes.
• Find out whether the sending email address is from a legitimate domain.
• Recognize when a request is genuine vs. unusual or overly demanding.
• Notice when branding is wrong or “off somehow” even when the message contains stolen images and logos.

Use a cloud-based VPN for core business functions.

Implementing a virtual private network (VPN) is a great way to disguise your location online. This might be especially helpful for small businesses who want to avoid being directly and preemptively targeted by cybercriminals.

Disguising your location can help free your business up to make use of the online world in peace. Setting up a VPN has many other great benefits, too, such as bypassing content that is locked by region.

Adopting centralized, cloud-based security solutions provides an effective way to ensure that your digital assets are kept safe in one location. Losing digital assets can be a highly expensive problem, even a business-ending one. Adopting a safe, singular location for your employees to access and share information might just be the best way to go.

The post Small Business Digital Fraud: Newer Tech Can Help Protect Assets appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

It does seem like going digital is the new call for this decade, right? We’ve already seen rapid changes in the global market, across all verticals, with more and more sales being chalked up online.

At the local level, having an individual online persona for your small business is all well and good. That trend has been popular for quite a few years now. However, moving your business activities to online platforms is still a relatively new concept.

Many larger companies have already made their move toward digitization, though many more have yet to take the plunge. Smaller businesses, in particular, remain ambivalent. This is likely linked to the high rate of failure that accompanies attempts to make this change. A recent report by McKinsey states that approximately 70% of large-scale transformations do not successfully meet the expectations they set. Clearly, a better road map is vital for those reluctant to dive in.

Listed below are some high-level categories to keep an eye on as your small business prepares itself for the increasingly digital 21st-century marketplace.

Why Successful Digital Transformation Will Prove Critical

Before we jump into the “how-to” part, let’s briefly take a look at the “why” of digital transformation.

Digital transformation encompasses several comprehensive measures that migrate your business needs, functions, and operations to the appropriate digital platforms. The overarching goal is to simplify and optimize your processes. Simply stated, the motivation to digitize is to stay lean and competitive. In the new economy, “busy work” won’t cut it. There will be plenty of work for everyone as sales increase, though job responsibilities will obviously have to evolve.

Keeping this working definition of digital transformation in mind, the points below drive home its importance.

Improving Customer Experience and Convenience

Today, most of your competitors are already moving their shops online. This will give both your existing and potential customers a whole new and wider range of options to choose from.

Be warned. If you stick to your “bricks-and-mortar-only” model, you will quickly end up losing sales to your competitors. The lockdowns of 2020 made this point abundantly clear.

Providing a comfortable experience to customers who now prefer shopping online will be a major move toward gaining and keeping their confidence and loyalty.

Maintaining a Sharper Competitive Edge

In one scenario, all of your competitors have gone digital and you haven’t. In another, none of them have done so and you have yet to make the move. In the latter case, you could be the first to take this step. By doing so, you establish an authority in the market and gain a first-mover advantage.

This enhanced reputation can also help you attract customers who previously were beyond your reach. Now, they are just a few clicks away.

Embracing Decision-Making Through Data-Driven Insights

Digitization also benefits your business by providing access to a detailed list of insights about your audience’s shopping patterns, demographics, etc.

You can use this data to create more relevant marketing and promotional campaigns that truly resonate with your audience.

4 Steps to Successful Digital Transformation

The significance of investing in digital transformation is clear. Listed below are the steps you can take to ensure a successful digital transformation for your business.

1. Identify and set realistic goals.

The first step to successful digitization is setting goals for your small business. These goals must be realistic and backed by thorough, research-based data.

For example, one goal might be to move all your HR-related activities to a single digital platform that your team is comfortable with.

Your goals must also be measurable. Whatever you can’t measure is what you can’t successfully achieve.

2. Successful digital transformation will require an increased focus on strategy.

Once you figure out your goals, creating a strategy — a clear plan of action — is of utmost importance.

You can either take the entire process of digitization on your shoulders or invest in a Digital Adoption Platform (DAP). A DAP streamlines the adoption of your digital tools and ensures every employee makes the most of their new toolkit.

You may have heard of Appcues as a tool that facilitates product adoption, but today there are great alternatives to Appcues that go beyond baseline functions. These alternatives neatly assist with user onboarding, training, and supporting employees on enterprise applications. They also offer a host of other features that facilitate digital transformation.

3. Ensure the security of all data.

Today, most consumers believe that their data is unsafe on the multiple online platforms they use on a near-daily basis.

Assuring the safety of the information they choose to share with your business is a vital step toward gaining their trust. It also helps to create a positive brand image.

As you upgrade your systems from analog to fully digital, be sure to monitor and seal all the nooks and crannies that might result in a data leak.

4. Regularly analyze usage data.

Make a habit of utilizing the data and usage insights you’ve collected over time to make informed decisions as to your next steps.

Data analysis gives you a better understanding of how well your employees and customers are leveraging the digital platforms you brought in.

You can determine which digital investments are driving desirable returns and which ones may need to be replaced or dumped.

With a data-informed overview, you can determine a clear path to take that will help grow your business, both online and off.

Key Takeaways

An insightful 2018 survey by The Economist found that there was a 48% increase in efficiency following effective digitization. A 47% reduction in operational costs was another key metric cited.

These statistics demonstrate the power of successful digital transformation. In essence, all you need is a clear roadmap for successful digitization. That roadmap may evolve as you move forward, but we’re clearly at a tipping point that may force our hand.

Do your research. Partner with proven experts as needed. The one thing you don’t want to do is wait around as more and more customers move to online puchases.

The post Steps to Achieving Successful Digital Transformation for Your Business appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

In the case of small businesses, their less secure networks make it easy to breach the data. Also, lack of expertise for proper security, low budgets, lack of awareness of the risk, imperfect employee training, and failure to update security programs are a few more elements that pose risks.

Common Cyber Attacks That May Target Your Business

Cybercriminals use new forms of cyber attacks every day, but there are common ways your small business could get breached.

• Phishing Emails or Business Email Compromise Scams

Verizon’s 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report suggests that around 22% of breaches in 2019 were caused by phishing. Consequently, 86% of organizations experienced business email compromise (BEC) attempts. Phishing attacks harm both individuals and organizations. 

For BEC scams, hackers generally use subject lines that include words like request, urgent, payment, attention, and important. With these subject lines, cybercriminals encourage email recipients like you to open a malicious attachment or a malware-laden website. Specifically, they want you to open one that could download ransomware.

• Watering Hole Attack

Hackers look for genuine websites in which targets show interest, and then they turn the site into a malicious website. When the user clicks on a link, downloads a file, or discloses any information on that attacker’s site containing malware, the cyberattack is successful. 

These kinds of cyberattacks are not common. However, they pose a significant threat for you because they are very tricky to detect.

• Drive-by Download Attack

Here, a malicious website tries to install software or code on your computer without your permission. Such an unintended download, even without clicking anything, leads to a cyberattack. 

These attacks happen when your operating system is outdated. They can also happen when proper security systems are not followed on your business’s devices. 

Key Cybersecurity Tips for Your Small Business

You can achieve cybersecurity for your small business with the best practices. To stay away from being a victim of a cyberattack, you should try to employ the following cybersecurity practices for your business.

1. Educate and train your employees with cybersecurity practices.

Train all your employees who access the network on your company’s digital security best practices and security policies. For example, you should emphasize the need for strong passwords, the regular updates on the latest protocols, etc. 

Also, you should strictly employ security policies such as appropriate internet usage and the handling of vital data, like customer information. Get a document signed by each of your employees that states you have informed them about the security policy. Then, they will be accountable and pay the penalties if they violate the rules. 

2. Provide firewall software and support for your internet connection.

A firewall is the first important element when it comes to preventing cyberattacks in your business. This set of related programs acts as a barrier between your data (on your network) and outsiders or cybercriminals. Enable the operating system’s firewall, install standard firewall software, or even go for an internal firewall for additional safety. You should also make sure that the home network, for remote employees, is protected by a firewall as well. 

3. Install anti-malware and antivirus software for your business’s protection. 

Even though your employees know they should never open phishing emails, it does happen accidentally. Phishing attacks invite malware on your employee’s computer when the link gets clicked. Therefore, you should install anti-malware software on every device and your network. Also, make sure your anti-virus software performs a scan after you install each update. Furthermore, you should install software updates as soon as they are needed.

4. Be ready with a plan for your mobile devices.

You should implement a BYOD policy that focuses on security precautions, if you allow BYOD (Bring Your Own Device). Your policy should also include wireless wearables such as smartwatches or fitness trackers. 

You need to prioritize imperative security norms for your business. This is especially the case if mobile devices have confidential information and are accessing corporate networks. Your employees should password-protect their mobiles, follow your company’s password policy, encrypt data, and set up automatic security updates. Additionally, you should encourage them to set up security apps. This will help prevent breaches while accessing the public networks. 

5. Regularly backup your key business data and information.

It is recommended that you require regular backup of the crucial data on all your computers. This is vital to prevent the losses of cyberattacks. Your company data, such as your word processing documents, your databases, your electronic spreadsheets, your financial files, your accounts receivable/payable files, and your human resources files, contain critical information you can’t afford to lose. You can choose to do automatic data backups. But, if you don’t, you should at least do it weekly. Also, backup data is stored in the cloud. You should store your backups in a separate location to be on the safer side in case of natural disasters. 

6. You should use strong and unique passwords.

Make sure that employees use unique passwords and regularly change them after three months. Try to use numbers, upper-case letters, lowercase letters, as well as symbols to create a strong password. Verizon’s 2016 Data Breach Investigations Report suggested that 63% of data breaches occurred because of lost or weak passwords. 

7. Implement multi-factor authentication on your devices.

The multi-factor authentication provides you extra protection, and you should apply it on major network and email products. This is in addition to your employees’ password. Your employees’ cell numbers are a good option. This is because it is hard for a hacker to get both the PIN and the password. 

Conclusion:

As cybercriminals are getting smarter every day, your small business shouldn’t skimp over any of the above best practices for cybersecurity. All of your employees should make it a top priority. Protecting your data is mainly in your hands!

The post Cybersecurity for Your Small Businesses appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Right after Thanksgiving, Small Business Saturday kicks off the busiest shopping season of the year. As the shopping holiday rapidly approaches, businesses everywhere are doing everything they can to prepare for and contend with the ongoing challenges brought on by the pandemic.

This year, Small Business Saturday is a chance to support and champion businesses hit hardest during 2020. Brick-and-mortar small businesses rely on foot traffic and in-person customer interactions. This year, they have already had to pivot, change, and transform their business models to meet customers where they are now — at home. Small businesses have increased their website capabilities, adopted curb-side pick ups, or partnered with larger delivery services to connect to their customers. 

As these new business avenues have been adopted, additional marketing and customer engagement programs have been set in motion. Local shops have expanded their online presence with email marketing campaigns, created larger online presences and experimented with increased digital advertising. With these adaptations, there are also greater risks for being a cyber crime target. For a smart small business, preparing for the holiday shopping season also means reassessing and reaffirming cybersecurity posture. 

Phishing scams during the holiday shopping season are almost a given. Phishing emails can range from a fraudulent email sent by a business owner to an employee asking for personal data verification or a malicious email disguised as a promotional offer to customers. These emails often include small clues like misspelled email addresses or mismatching url destinations. 

While it can be tempting to look at cyber crime as a distant problem or one that is more likely to happen to a larger enterprise, the reality is that small businesses are as frequently the target of cyber crime. This can wreak havoc in a number of ways from leaking customer data and damaging customer trust to even debilitating critical business operations. Phishing attacks are just one of the most common and simple ways that a potential bad actor could cripple an otherwise healthy business.

Phishing attacks can generally be spotted with some fundamental “basics” on what to look out for that can significantly help businesses, their employees, and their customers identify fake emails and questionable notices in their inbox. Businesses should always be encouraging a security-oriented workforce, but for employees in customer-facing roles during the busiest time of year, it can pay to be especially vigilant. Some of the most important clues to watch out for are:  

• Email address comes from a “trustworthy” source: Phishing emails often appeal to a sense of authority. These emails can often attempt to trick small business owners by imitating the address of a government agency or financial service, but can even imitate common companies, most especially Google and Amazon.

• Makes an urgent appeal: Does the email make reference to an emergency? Does it call for immediate, quick action or a set of tasks? Demanding requests are created to distract the reader. Making the task seem necessary is designed to cast doubt for preoccupied readers who may have otherwise noticed the signs of a false email.

• Uncommon internal requests: Is this email coming from someone you do not normally work with, especially an executive? Employees should be trained to be vigilant for emails like this, which can imitate the business owner to hide the email’s true intentions and make an employee reluctant to refuse to comply. Small businesses can alleviate this by making clear to their employees the usual chain of command in everyday operations.

• Random misspellings of common words: One subtle sign of a suspicious email is the tendency to use words which are commonly misspelled, to give the phishing email a human touch.
  

Small Business Saturday is a great way to encourage communities to shop locally or with specialized online retailers, especially this year as small businesses have been hit the hardest with the coronavirus pandemic. As small businesses are working to meet the demands of their customers, and reach new customers with online advertising and partnerships, they must be aware of cyber criminals lurking in the dark. Preparing employees to quickly identify and report suspicious emails can go a long way to support other network security policies in place. 

With the proper tools in place to defend the network and a strong culture of cybersecurity at the individual employee level, small businesses can drastically reduce their risk of attack and be better prepared to expand their online operations for a healthy and secure holiday season. 

The post Safeguarding Your Network in Preparation for Small Business Saturday appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Your IT department is probably having palpitations with their inability to control policies and procedures in today’s #WFH reality. At work you are on a corporate network. Regardless of whether it’s a VPN, cloud repositories, on-premise secure network storage locations or your own drive, it’s all set up. Companies have tested and proven their networks to ensure that everyone complies. And if they don’t, IT is right there to help.

Now your office has moved into your home. And while you are probably still connecting via VPN or other secure technologies to access your company servers, you are accessing it from your own home network. Additionally, we all have a desire to collaborate, so we are heavily reliant upon third party platforms to connect us and share our data. This is where vulnerabilities to security begins to reveal itself.

IT Hates Scattered Data – You Should Too.

At home, you are using your computer and your own home network, but what else is connected to that network? Your wife’s computer? Your kids’ gaming system? Your home entertainment music or movie streaming devices? Not only does this impact speed of connectivity, but it also compromises the security of the network.

We don’t have enough hours in the day to work, make sure the kids are online doing their classes, and  troubleshoot IT issues. So we make band-aid decisions to keep our workflows going when things go haywire. Internet searches have taken the role of IT. 

How many times have you had the need to put a file on a stick and use your spouse’s computer and send it out due to an IT or connectivity problem? How many times have you uploaded corporate information to your personal Google drives because the VPN went haywire and you couldn’t connect? Every time it happens we think, “just this once”. While no one thinks that Aunt Betty is going to reveal trade secrets, suddenly you have sensitive information out there in the open. 

Even worse, you now have the root file, the copy on your zip drive, the one in the Google Drive, and the one that is now in the recipient’s inbox. It doesn’t take a mathematician to see how that issue compounds itself into multiple copies. Before you know it, the root file is no longer the only copy, but it is also no longer the most current.

On a Call Together Doesn’t Equal Working Together

So, what are we to do? #WFH appears to be here for at least the near term and we need to find ways to stay connected—both to our data stores and to one another. In recent months, we’ve all gotten very comfortable with video conference call technologies to keep us connected. Sure, these provide a way for us to talk to one another (and see the cat who has taken up residence on our co-worker’s keyboard), but there is still no way to collaborate beyond the limits of screen sharing. 

While that may have been a great band-aid in the early stages of WFH, companies now must look to innovative technologies that do more than just put people on the same computer screen and phone line. Technologies such as Vizetto’s Reactiv SUITE go beyond that by enabling coworkers to simultaneously collaborate and participate as if they were sitting across the conference room table from one another, regardless of their physical locations. 

Participants can not only share video and audio, but seamlessly share files and even interact, ink and move or edit content—at the same time, live, during your meeting. Think of it as your “Digital Table,” where multiple remote users can simultaneously access, push and manipulate any type of content as if it were a piece of paper on your desk or ideation on your conference room whiteboard.

This creates a work-from-home situation that actually works for the long haul.

The Best News? Connectivity Does NOT Have to Come at the Expense of Security

When looking for the best solutions to keep your colleagues connected, make sure the product(s) offer the following benefits: 

• Agnostic to where data is stored
  Look for solutions that don’t host content and are not cloud-based. You want a solution that seamlessly integrates with your cloud repositories, or servers, so your employees can access data where IT prefers it to be stored.
• Archives back to root file
  Make sure that all work is automatically synchronized and archived back to the root folder and file to help eliminate version control issues and ensure that all the data your workforce needs to access is contained in one consistent source. You cannot rely on individuals to be doing this regularly.
• Allows a simplified workflow
  Keep an eye toward how the solution can streamline workflow for your employees who are now wearing many different hats during the day as they get into the groove of WFH. If you can eliminate the need to download attachments, saving, reattaching and re-sending files and replace it with a simple click-and-drag action, imagine how much time (and frustration) will be saved each day. 

Work-from-home may be easier on the commute, but it is much harder for companies to keep employees connected to one another and to their careers. Closing that distance and replicating the in-office, collaborative experience is key to ensuring the quality, productivity and profitability of our work, as well as the overall happiness of our workforce. Just like we have all had to adjust to the work-from-home reality, we need to adjust what technologies we need to have at our fingertips that will enable us to keep working—from wherever that may be.

The post Keeping Corporate Files Safe While Working-From-Home appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Damages average about $200,000 per instance, and a blow this size can cripple many small enterprises with 60% of victimized small businesses closing permanently within six months of the attack.

For businesses operating any part of their business online, robust cybersecurity is a must. And yet, few small enterprises have taken serious preparations. Despite being the target of 43% of all hacker attacks, only 14% of small businesses have adequate defenses against them.

In many cases, cost (or perceived cost) prevent business owners from investing in needed protection. However, with many companies one bad blow away from insolvency, many are stumbling upon a surprising solution.

Managed IT Service Firms Offer One-Stop Tech Shopping For SMEs    

The math couldn’t be clearer – at the best of times, IT employees are a budget-busting expense. If you’re a small company, hiring a two-person IT department will run you, on average, about $233,000.

These days, revenues are under extreme strain, while expenses remain constant. And so, the pressure has been on to cut the fat. However, you can’t just scan your balance sheet for the biggest expenditures and start slashing away. As pricey as IT employees are, they are essential to the operation of any 21st-century business.

You can’t do away with IT, but you can outsource many tech responsibilities. For example, this award-winning firm charges its customers in Washington, DC, no more than $100 per user per month for IT support. If you have a team of 30, that means you’ll spend about $36,000 per year on outsourced IT. 

Here’s the kicker – with a managed IT services firm, you’re not just paying for an outsourced help desk. They cover most (if not all) of the bases that your in-house team currently does. To be specific, they also handle areas like network management, on-site equipment installation, and cybersecurity. 

Managed IT Service Firms: World-Class Cybersecurity at a Fair Price

That last one is a huge deal. Of all the functions that in-house IT departments handle, cybersecurity is by far the most complex. Online threats are sophisticated and ever-evolving – to protect against them, you need a team that’s one step ahead. Proactive Data IT solutions can provide you best IT services.
As a small enterprise, it’s tough to afford a standalone cybersecurity expert. In DC, entry-level hires, at a minimum, command high five-figure salaries. As such, many firms task an IT generalist or help desk employee with stringing together a security solution. Given that about 60% of small businesses get hacked annually, it appears this strategy isn’t working out.

That’s why outsourced cybersecurity is a fantastic opportunity for many small businesses. As we mentioned above, managed IT service companies often offer cybersecurity coverage. For less than half the cost of an entry-level cybersecurity employee, DC businesses can protect themselves from cybercriminals.

What Threats Can Outsourced IT Firms Protect Against?

What cyber threats could a managed services IT firm protect your business against? We reviewed a top provider of outsourced IT services in the Washington, DC, area – here’s what we found:

• Brute Force Attacks

  This is the simplest, and thus, one of the most common cyberattacks out there. Experts estimate that more than 80% of Americans use weak passwords – 10% use the top 25 worst passwords. Even more worrying, 80% of Americans use the same password on more than one site. As a result, novice hackers can easily break into the average small enterprise server using a dictionary script. Managed IT service firms combat this by implementing two-factor authentication. In addition to a password, users must input a one-time code (often sent by SMS) to log in. Additionally, many firms will conduct a seminar on optimal password hygiene (e.g., using complex passwords).

• More Sophisticated Network Attacks

  Your network has other, less apparent vulnerabilities than your login client. From poorly-configured firewalls to SQL injections, the list is intimidatingly long. Hire a managed IT services firm, and they’ll find weaknesses others may miss. On top of this, they have monitoring systems that alert them to in-progress attacks. That way, countermeasures can be taken to defend your data.

• Phishing/Social Engineering Training

  All the monitoring systems in the world won’t help you if an unaware employee lets the bad guys in. These days, phishing e-mails look more legit than ever. As if that wasn’t bad enough, silver-tongued hackers have gotten really good at impersonating officials over the phone. Outsourced IT firms can set up seminars where they brief all employees on what they need to be watching out for. From weird URLs to “bank CSRs” attempting to “verify” sensitive information, knowing the signs can protect your business from a breach. 

Don’t Let A Cybercriminal Put You Out Of Business

We’ve been through a lot this year – don’t let some two-bit hacker put you out of commission. Invest some cash in outsourced cybersecurity solutions – that way, you’ll be more likely to stick around for 2021 and beyond.

The post How Secure Is Your Network? Why Companies Are Outsourcing IT Support appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

With the economy beginning to contract, many small businesses may be struggling to find the funds or staff to address evolving cybersecurity concerns. Small businesses already make up 43 percent of cyber crime targets in the U.S., and in 2019, data breaches cost small businesses an average of $200,000, with 60 percent of those attacked going out of business within six months. 

Improving cyber security might cost some money, but it’ll surely be worth keeping your business afloat — and it might even be cheaper than the cost of a data breach. Protecting yourself is often as simple as implementing a few smart policies, and using the right security tools.

Update Your Policies to Address the Realities of Remote Work

If you have employees working remotely during the crisis, you need to implement some policies that acknowledge the unique security risks of working from home. First of all, employees won’t be behind a company firewall, and might not have company security software running on their systems.

Require that employees access company data over a private network — anyone who doesn’t have access to a home network should be required to work onsite, where they can access a secure connection. Public connections, like those in coffee shops or libraries, might not be available anyway, and if they are, they’re not safe — hackers can jump on them to access your data. Clarify that employees shouldn’t save company data to their personal devices, including storage like flash drives, personal cloud storage, or personal email. All of these are insecure places to store data. 

Use the Right Tools

Software solutions are available to give you and your employees the tools you need to stay secure while working in a challenging situation. Employees can use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) to access your company’s internal network and even use a virtual desktop there, which provides both storage solutions and an extra layer of security.

Employees will also need endpoint security, including anti-malware protection and firewall protection. Advanced threat protection will include security for endpoints and other network devices and email, as well as malware protection. The best advanced threat protection offers real-time monitoring to catch breaches and other attacks before they do too much damage.

Train Your Employees

Of course, employees will need regular security check-ins to make sure their security features are optimized. However, they’ll also need additional training in cybersecurity, especially as everyone is on-edge and stressed-out at the moment — in other words, employees are more likely than ever before to be in the perfect state of mind to fall for a phishing email or other social engineering tactic. Regular training, even if it’s just videos and online quizzes, will help keep employees on their toes, and will maybe help you single out individuals who need further attention.

Supply Devices

If you can, it’s safest to supply your employees the devices they need to work from home. It’s more fair to the employees, who may otherwise have to use old or underpowered equipment, or scramble to come up with what they need on their own. But it’s not just about fairness — you have much more control over what happens on company devices, and you can, at least in theory, keep employees from using them for personal stuff. This can help keep hackers from compromising your company data, since you don’t know what emails your employees are answering in their downtime, or which questionable websites they might be visiting. Their personal devices could already be compromised.

The COVID-19 pandemic has been dangerous in all kinds of ways, some more predictable than others. Make sure your company is aware of the dangers COVID-19 poses for your cyber security, so you protect yourself on every front.

The post Small Business Cybersecurity in a Post-COVID World appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

The typical small business might not seem likely to suffer a break-in. But because small business leaders often have fewer cybersecurity protocols in place, hackers often see them as “low-hanging fruit” opportunities. 

Security information and event management (SIEM) systems have become affordable enough for many small businesses. Despite issues with false positives, modern ones are good at identifying signs of intrusion. In most cases, however, SIEM systems can’t confront threats themselves.

To actually stop threats, businesses are turning to SOAR security. But what, exactly, is SOAR, and why does it make more sense than manual incident response?

What is SOAR?

SOAR is a combination of software programs that work together to stop cyber threats. SOAR stands for “Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response.”

To understand SOAR, it helps to think through some of the challenges that cybersecurity teams face. Three are particularly relevant to SOAR:

1. Monitoring data stored on and transmitted by networks, devices, and third-party software is a massive undertaking. 
2. Every company has more vulnerabilities than it can possibly deal with. As a result, teams prioritize fixing a few glaring ones.
3. Patching vulnerabilities takes time because the process is complex and, in some cases, teams lack the internal expertise.

Some companies address those issues by hiring more staff, but cybersecurity talent is difficult to find and expensive to employ. The obvious solution is to accept that you can’t fix every vulnerability or check every file, and instead focus on stopping threats. 

That’s exactly what SOAR seeks to do. Let’s look at how it works: 

• Security Orchestration

Every company’s network consists of multiple software and hardware components. Security Orchestration makes sure all of these technologies are “talking” to one another. 

• Automation

Only when network technologies communicate can security processes be automated. SOAR systems use a combination of pre-set and customized automations to deal with certain security risks. This reduces response times and the general burden on the IT team.

• Response

SOAR systems’ ability to respond in real time is what makes them uniquely valuable. A lot of cybersecurity solutions can describe the threat, but they can’t actually do anything to stop it. SOAR responds using its programmed automations by, for example, isolating devices or interrupting transfers.

Why Do Companies Use SOAR?

It’s true that a trained information security team can do most or all of what a SOAR system can do. So why would a company invest in one? Three reasons stand out:

1. SOAR Improves Efficiency

The most obvious advantage to SOAR is how much it improves efficiency. The bottom line is, companies that use SOAR stop more security issues in less time. 

A good analogy is email automation. Sure, marketers can type out every email newsletter to every customer. But that takes an awful lot of time and creates opportunities for human error. Like email automation tools do for marketers, security automation systems help IT teams work faster and make fewer mistakes. 

With SOAR, security staff can automate recurring tasks that humans do not need to oversee. These automations are refined over time, progressively reducing the IT team’s workload.

What’s more, SOAR orchestrates systems that may have previously been managed by multiple departments. That further improves efficiency and reduces errors by minimizing cross-team communication. 

2. SOAR Is Flexible

Another plus of SOAR systems is how adaptable they are. Whether you run a small business or a global enterprise — which face different types of threats, and in different proportions — SOAR can improve your security posture. 

You add or remove networks from SOAR as your company’s technology landscape shifts. No matter how many different tools you use, you can analyze and protect them from a single dashboard.

SOAR systems are also flexible in terms of automations. If you discover a certain one is doing more harm than good, you can modify or delete it. And if you realize your team is doing certain tasks repeatedly, you can add new automations. 

Every company has different challenges and goals. Security automation systems cannot be one-size-fits-all. 

3. SOAR Is Affordable

Because SOAR is flexible and boosts productivity, it saves companies money. Not only is hiring security staff expensive, but the average cost of a data breach — including soft costs, such as reputational damage — is nearly $4 million. 

SOAR let businesses do more with their current security staff. And because a SOAR system can prevent certain breaches from happening in the first place, it can pay for itself by stopping even a single attack.

The fact of the matter is, cyberattacks will only increase in regularity and complexity. The best time to implement a SOAR system was when you started storing sensitive data; the second best time is today.

The post What Is SOAR? (And Why You Should Care) appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Technology continues to change the way companies do business every day, and it’s poised to become even more influential as time goes on. No sector is safe from change, and it’s important to have a plan in place for dealing with any potential continuity issues your business may face. 

If disruption were easy to predict, it wouldn’t really be disruption. While there’s no surefire way to know what’s next for your business, there are a few key factors to keep a close eye on, including: 

Cybersecurity

The number of targeted large-scale cyberattacks increases 27 percent annually, but that number is hardly surprising to anyone who reads the news regularly. Yahoo, Equifax, Sony — the list of major companies affected by poor cybersecurity seems to grow almost daily. 

This isn’t just a problem affecting the big players, either — 55 percent of business experienced a cybersecurity breach in 2015 and 2016, with each attack costing, on average, $2 million in recovery costs and damage to normal operations. Investing in adequate digital security infrastructure may be costly, but it will almost always outweigh the potential harm a breach would do to your business. 

As operations become increasingly digitized, your business is at risk. If your company is doing business more frequently on digital platforms, digital threats should be one of your biggest disruption concerns. 

Government Regulation

It’s not the kind of disruption we tend to think about, but government regulation has a massive impact on who wins and loses in any industry. Think about the 2018 Farm Bill and how it legitimized and legalized large portions of the hemp and CBD industries overnight. Any movement from world governments can have a massive impact on the way your business operates.

Tabled legislation like the Green New Deal could affect anything from energy costs to building materials. You should be keenly aware of how the government sees your sector and how it might influence the way you do business. Changes in spending, subsidies, or even legality can turn everything upside down — be prepared for it by keeping an eye on tidal changes happening within your industry. That’s an early signal that the government will take notice. 

Artificial Intelligence

When a group of experts was asked whether it thought AI would cause a net loss or a net creation of jobs by 2025, the members were split on the issue, 48% to 52%. The contention around the impact of artificial intelligence is obvious, but one thing is certain: It’s already changing the way business is done. 

AI has already started increasing the value of user data, eliminating the need for menial tasks and beating humans at just about every game imaginable. Calum Chace, one of the world’s top futurist speakers, has long researched the relationship between computer and human cognition and determined a serious possibility of human unemployability in the face of increased automation. AI may affect every business differently, but it’s something all businesses should be prepared for. 

New Partnerships

Partnerships might be old news in business, but they’re increasingly happening in new and innovative ways. Fifty-seven percent of disruptive business are making innovation happen by branching out of their organization. Whether it’s through acquisition or alliance, innovative partnerships are bound to shake things up in a big way. 

Take Burger King, for example. Its partnership with startup Impossible Foods facilitated the creation of the Impossible Whopper — a vegan burger that looks and tastes like real beef. While some might see this as a gimmick, the numbers say otherwise: Foot traffic at franchises offering the Impossible Whopper increased by 18 percent, while foot traffic at others fell by 1.75 percent. 

Innovators like Impossible Foods are hungry for the opportunity to showcase their offerings on a larger scale, and its partnership with Burger King shows how successful combinations like those can be. Look for potential partnership opportunities in your sector — how could they affect the way you do business, and are you prepared for that kind of shift?  

If you knew how you were going to be disrupted next, you’d never be disrupted at all. While you can’t be sure what’s coming next, you can take notice of fast-moving segments. Remember that disruption waits for no one.

The post How Will Your Business Be Disrupted Next? appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

• The U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Small Business reported that of 60% of all cybersecurity attacks small and medium-sized businesses were the target.
• 60% of those businesses that were targeted suffered an average financial loss of $200,000 and closed their doors within 6 months.

But your business doesn’t have to fall victim to a cyber-attack this year! Here are 5 tiny tweaks for better security that are easy and cost-effective to implement:

Get Your Employees Trained ASAP

You probably thought that better security for your small business meant spending a ton of money and investing in the latest tech. While this isn’t a bad approach, doing so without training and educating your employees on good security practices can still leave your business vulnerable to a cyber-attack. According to Shred-it’s 2018 State of the Industry Report,

“Nearly half of C-Suite Executives (47 percent) and Small Business Owners (42 percent)

reported that human error or accidental loss by an employee was the cause of a

data breach.”

The hackers aren’t even your biggest worry, it’s your own employees, and probably yourself, too. One of the most important steps you can take toward better security for your small business is to make sure your employees know how to protect your company’s data. Help your staff understand how to prevent cyber-attacks by training them on things such as:

• How to correctly dispose of documents that contain sensitive customer data.
• Recognizing potential phishing emails or suspicious email attachments and what to do with them.
• Create strong passwords for their business accounts and always lock devices when they are away from them.
• Avoid accessing sensitive business data on personal devices unless they are authorized and have the appropriate encryption settings installed.
• Secure notes and papers on desks and in cabinets and shred them when no longer needed.
• Ensure employees know who to contact if they suspect they’ve been a target for a cyber attack.

Use a VPN

This simple solution can actually go a long way. A virtual private network, or VPN, allows you to remain anonymous and secure while sending information online. While VPNs have primarily been marketed to personal users, more enterprises are getting onboard to secure their business networks and devices.

A VPN can be installed on an entire office network as well as individual devices. If you have remote employees they can use your company’s VPN service to ensure your data is secure, even if they are working on the other side of the world. If you’re getting it for your cell phone, make sure you get a VPN that covers your network, eg a VPN for Vodafone, this will ensure it covers the Vodafone network.

There are free VPN options out there, but beware—”there ain’t no such thing as free lunch.” Opt instead for a pay-for VPN service. Prices are reasonable across the board and if you pay for the whole year upfront you often get a sizeable discount. You can get service with most reputable providers for under $10/month. Most VPN providers offer a free 30-day trial. Take advantage of this and test out a few.

There are tons of VPN service providers out there, so you’ll have to do some research to figure out which one is the best choice for your business depending on the features, like number of devices, and price point.

Antivirus Software and Regular Updates

Another super easy and effective solution to better security is making sure your devices and antivirus software are up to date. New viruses and malicious software are popping up on the daily. Luckily, anti-virus software companies do a pretty good job of updating their software so it can detect and block new threats. However, all of that means nothing if you ignore the prompts to update for six months. You’re already paying for the service, so just do the updates.

Back It Up

What would you do if your business fell victim to a cybersecurity attack today and you lost all of your data? We’re talking customer contact info, emails, invoices, point of sales system function…all of it. It’s pretty safe to say it’s going to be a rough day. If you backup your data, however, the impact might be minimal. There are many backup strategies, but as a minimum, you should:

• Back up data frequently.
• Have multiple backups— for example, one on a physical hard drive and one on the cloud.
• Check your back up routinely to make sure it’s working properly.

Let Someone Else Do the Job

Maybe you’re already in over your head and just don’t have the time to implement better security solutions. You know what, that’s ok. Some businesses are just too small to employ their own IT team. But, there are companies out there, called Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP), who will gladly manage your small business’s security for you. Bringing an MSSP onboard will take a lot of the guesswork out of better security for your small business. An MSSP will perform a risk assessment and identify risk and how to fix them. It will be worth it to be able to sleep a little better at night knowing your business is protected.

The post 5 Tiny Tweaks for Better Small Biz Security appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

Limited budgets and manpower, as well as tight timelines, often force small businesses to backburner their cybersecurity plans. What they fail to realize is that the costs of a cyberattack—

• ransom payments,
• customer trust erosion, and
• even closure of the business—

are much higher than what it takes to implement an effective cybersecurity plan in the first place.

Small businesses need to invest time and money in building a strong cybersecurity plan that includes both technology improvements as well as security awareness training for employees to detect and mitigate risks early and save unnecessary costs in fines and ransom payments.

Goal setting is the first step in building a strong cybersecurity plan

As with any business strategy, the first step toward building a successful cybersecurity plan is identifying the security goals your business wants to achieve.

These goals could include:

• storing your data more securely,
• ensuring that your email communication is not interceptable,
• recovering more quickly from system outages or blackouts caused by disasters, or determining how secure your website is and taking remedial measures.

You should discuss these goals, and brainstorm how you can achieve them, with your IT team, your de facto IT manager, or an external security consultant and it services. A successful cybersecurity plan for achieving these goals will include steps to implement security technology solutions as well as to improve security awareness among employees. To meet this standard you must ensure that the requirements are not just met but are built into your current security process. A key component to PCI compliance is having a pci test performed on services within your business.

Software solutions automate and strengthen your cyber defense

Installing security solutions, such as antivirus software, is one of the first steps that many small businesses take in their approach to cybersecurity. Security technology solutions automate the process of monitoring your IT network for anomalies, scanning documents for malware, updating operating systems and applications, and quarantining or removing malicious files.

The security software landscape today offers many integrated and niche products that cover network, application, infrastructure, and internet of things (IoT) security. This wide array of available security products can make it challenging to choose the most essential tools for your business.

The technology solutions discussed below are those that are most commonly needed for small businesses that want to build a strong cybersecurity foundation.

• Access controls. Access management tools use controls such as authentication, authorization, passwords, and biometrics to ensure that only the right people have access to company data.
• Backup software. Backup solutions store a copy of your data that can be recovered and worked on in the event of data loss or a system outage.
• Encryption. Encryption tools encode information to ensure that only authorized persons can access/open it. It is important to encrypt data while in transit to reduce data theft losses.
• Endpoint protection. Endpoint protection software safeguards desktop devices, servers, and mobile devices from getting hacked using anti-malware, data loss prevention, and device control features. IoT security capabilities are also included in advanced endpoint security solutions.
• Network security. Network security solutions monitor and control access to your IT network. Firewalls, antivirus tools, and intrusion detection systems are the main components. Advanced solutions also offer machine learning capabilities to detect anomalies and threats.
• Patch management. Patch management tools automate installing updates on existing applications to ensure that known security loopholes are plugged and the latest features added.

If budget constraints are keeping you from implementing cybersecurity solutions, there are many free and freemium versions of security software for data backup, anti-malware, and network security that you can explore.

Security awareness training reduces social engineering attacks like phishing

Educating your employees about the consequences of cyberattacks and how they can remain safe is as crucial as deploying security software. It also helps you build a security-driven culture where employees proactively adopt safe cybersecurity practices such as using strong passwords, not sharing confidential data, and installing updates on time. Making sure your employees understand the importance of and doing a review of VPNs with them is critical as well. Especially if said employees travel for work and are using their work computers in hotels, airports and other public spaces

Here are some components you should institute into your security awareness program:

• Security awareness training plan. Prepare an ongoing security awareness training plan with computer-based awareness programs, regular email tips, simulated phishing exercises, and red team versus blue team exercises (where employees are divided into two teams to identify vulnerabilities and improve defenses). Lot of exercises for using tools like 10 minute mail for protecting privacy.
  
• Data privacy policies. Consult with cybersecurity legal experts and prepare data privacy and acceptable use policies. Ensure that your employees are aware of it, as well as put it to practice every day.

A strong security foundation protects businesses against diverse cyberattacks

The nature of cyber threats will constantly change with time and advancements in technology, but the fundamentals of a strong security structure—network monitoring, data protection, endpoint security—remain the same. If you handle a business the best thing you can do is hire IT Security services to avoid problems with your clients.

In addition, scaling up your security structure and adding more advanced capabilities, such as IoT security, is easier if you already have a well-defined cybersecurity plan and a strong IT security foundation in place.

Revisit your cybersecurity plan at least once a year and modify it to reflect the changing threat landscape and regulatory compliance requirements. A well-defined, well-executed, and up-to-date cybersecurity plan will go a long way toward securing your business, making it more difficult for hackers to target and penetrate your systems.

Authored by: Gitanjali Maria

Gitanjali Maria is an analyst at GetApp covering cybersecurity, IT management, and data analytics topics. She writes on various themes including cybersecurity awareness, security assessments, remote asset monitoring, business continuity strategies, and related topics.

The post A Strong Cybersecurity Plan Requires People and Technology appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

According to the 2018 Verizon Data Breach Report, phishing attacks were at the heart of 93% of data breaches.  In fact, the FBI’s 2017 Internet Crime Report indicates that business email compromise (BEC) and phishing drive 48% of ALL internet crime-driven loss — more than all other business-related internet crime combined.  And with $12B lost globally, it’s proving extremely effective.

While these facts indicate defending against phishing attacks need to be a priority for all organizations, many small businesses (SMBs) often underestimate their risk level. “Why would I be a target – I don’t have anything worth stealing?” Unfortunately, that mindset could cripple a small business.   

Why Small Businesses Are Targets

Small businesses are targets simply because they exist. The cybercriminal marketplace, combined with attack automation, makes organizations of all sizes easy targets. Add in the preponderance of readily available information from numerous social media channels, and crafting legitimate-looking phishing email is child’s play. All of which create an environment where unsuspecting (multitasking, overwhelmed, distracted?) users unwittingly fall prey to the latest phishing email. If a cybercriminal can target thousands of organizations with a single campaign, varying the attack just enough to bypass traditional email security technologies, then any business can be a target.

Small businesses need to stop thinking “I’m not a target” and realize that everyone is a target.    

In more advanced scenarios, cybercriminals use small businesses as a gateway to much larger prizes.

With minimal security in place, small businesses are often the entry point to gain access to larger businesses with which they do business.

The massive data breach at a US-based retailer a few years ago is a good example. Through a phishing attack, cybercriminals gained a foothold in a third-party vendor that supplied services to the retailer and used that entry point to get into the IT environment. They went unnoticed for months and exfiltrated enormous amounts of customer data. While the direct financial impact on the small business may have been minimal, the effect on broader relationships could be insurmountable.    

What SMBs Can Do to Protect Themselves from Phishing Attacks

SMBs don’t need large budgets to effectively defend against phishing attacks. However, they need to change their mindset and recognize that it’s no longer if you will be attacked, but when.  

A good starting point is:

1. Understanding the threat landscape
2. Knowing where your sensitive data resides
3. Knowing what could likely cause your business harm

Most successful phishing campaigns tend to be very targeted (Spear Phishing and BEC), going after specific job functions in the organization that have access to or manage critical data and finances – C-level, HR, IT, Accounting and Finance. This is where cybercriminals pull emotional levers like trust and fear to get employees to take the bait.  Focus on securing those areas of the business as an initial priority, yet don’t stop there. Successful anti-phishing programs need to touch all employees through cyber intelligence training. 

SMBs should focus on three key areas to help defend against phishing attacks:

• Understanding the nature of phishing email
• Building a cybersecurity-aware corporate culture
• Deploying relevant anti-phishing security technologies and tools

Understanding the Nature of Phishing Emails

• Always be on your guard. While obvious issues like grammatical errors and spelling mistakes still exist, modern phishing emails look very legitimate. Treat anything from the internet as suspicious.    
• Be cautious of individuals or organizations that ask for personal information or transferring of funds. Don’t click on any links – verify directly with the company itself to avoid any potential issues.
• Take a close look at the sender’s email address (not the display name – this can be easily spoofed) when checking the legitimacy of an email. Would your CEO truly send you an email from their “personal” account asking you to transfer money?
• Don’t be frightened or intimidated by messages that have an alarmist or urgent tone.  Contact the company or individual directly if they are uncertain about the status of their accounts or the request.

Building a Cyber Aware Corporate Culture  

• Leverage free resources like the FTC’s Cybersecurity for Small Business and get educated.
• Make cybersecurity a priority for all employees, not just the IT team, and provide a written cybersecurity policy that all employees must read and acknowledge.
• If your business works with third parties and systems are integrated (e.g. retail POS), make it a policy to ensure their applications are secure – ask them about their security policies before deploying.
• Set formal, explicit security policies to stop BEC or CEO Fraud. For example, all wire transfers or movement of company funds requires verbal and written approval.  

Deploying Relevant Technologies and Tools

• Deploy a multi-layered email security posture including email gateway, anti-phishing and incident response technologies like EdgeWave’s Email Security
• Utilize two-factor authentication to access critical applications and systems
• If you have the budget, consider periodic security audits to identify security gaps

While small businesses tend to be more vulnerable to phishing, there are steps they can take to help protect their organization.  Although there is no silver bullet, a combination of employee education, formal cybersecurity policies and anti-phishing technologies can drastically reduce the risk of falling for a phish.

Authored by:

The post Small Business, Big Cybersecurity Risk appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

These tracking techniques bypass online privacy rights by hiding terms of agreement discretely in the site’s footer – with a visit used to trigger consent. The grouping of your personal data also exposes you to a high level of risk in the event those tracking tools and/or companies experience a data breach.

If you’re wondering how safe your information is, Google, Facebook, Target, Macy’s, Adidas, Sears, Kmart, Best Buy, Panera Bread, Sonic, Whole Foods, and Arby’s have all been hacked – the majority in the last year – exposing the personal information of their customers.

While it may seem like your personal data is doomed to fall into the wrong hands, there are a few ways you can cover your tracks and protect your privacy. Here are three ways to hide your digital fingerprints:

1. Regularly clear your cookies and browsing history

A ‘cookie’ is a message that web servers send to your web browser when you visit a site. Your browser stores that message until you go to a new page then sends it back to the server. Think of it as a nosy neighbor reporting on where you’ve been. While traditional tracking relies on browser cookies that are tied to a single device, today’s tracking technology can identify you across multiple devices. Clearing your cookies and browsing history on a regular basis only protects you from older tracking tools, but leaves you exposed to the more modern and powerful tracking threats being used today.

When you clear your browser cookies and history, you delete this information from your browser – like shutting the windows and locking the door so that neighbor can’t see what you’re doing. These tend to build up over time, so (added bonus) clearing can also sometimes increase the speed of your browsing.

2. Browse private or ‘Incognito’

For additional privacy protection, use private browsing mode, available on all popular web browsers (Google Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Internet Explorer). Private browsing mode will allow you to browse the web without storing any cookies or history data after you close the browser window, which can cover your tracks on the front end and help save a few clicks later.

3. Use a privacy tool

Some modern tracking tools are so advanced that clearing your browser history and cookies doesn’t protect you. These tools use a technique called ‘device fingerprinting’ to track and match your behavior from different devices – so they know it’s you whether you’re using your phone, your laptop, or your tablet.

The good news is that tools like TrackOFF now exist to hide you from being tracked and targeted. These tools use state of the art algorithms to alter your digital fingerprints in real-time so that you look like a different user every time you visit a website. That helps keep your information safe from being profiled and easily found in the event of another major hack.

Protect your information from being gathered and falling into the wrong hands by taking advantage of browser settings and privacy tools. That way when the next major breach happens, you don’t have to worry.

Authored By:

Chandler Givens is the CEO & Co-founder of TrackOFF, a data privacy company that offers the most advanced protection against the newest online tracking threats.

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With the internet of things rapidly on the rise, I think it’s important for businesses to turn to web application firewalls (WAFs) for safeguarding their websites, that’s why you should always hire  legal firm security. Fortunately, services such as Sucuri and Cloudflare provide the required protection against cross-site scripting (XXS) vulnerabilities, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks and other online threats. according to great managed it services equally imperative is keeping real-time backups of all important information. – Derek Robinson, Top Notch Dezigns

3. Create Strict Password Protocols

Password protocols are an easy first step to improving an organization’s data security. These protocols encompass things like the frequency of password changes, the complexity requirements of the passwords, the number of password-protected programs, levels of access, etc. If you need to improve security, then the first step is to look at how your organization manages passwords. – Baruch Labunski, Rank Secure

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Protect your business from cyber attacks

As you grow your business, it is important to find a local IT consultant who specializes in security. But, before you commit to one, there are a few things that you can do to protect your business from cyber attacks:

1. Use complex passwords that are not easy to predict.
2. Change your passwords on a regular basis, like on the 10th of every month.
3. Use different passwords for each account.
4. Hire employees that you trust.
5. Be alert to unusual activity on your accounts.
6. Only use private WiFi for sensitive transactions.

Secure your computers and data

Small business owners should secure their computers, data, and financial information from potential cybercrime. One place small business owners can turn is Kaspersky Lab and their new Kaspersky Small Office Security solution. This easy solution offers several features that small business owners appreciate. They include:

• Protection against crypto-miners and ransomware that can invade servers
• Support for Microsoft Windows during updates and reboots
• Updated notifications for product alerts, so customers have fewer interruptions
• Upgraded console that is easier to use than previous versions

Are you protected?

According to Kaspersky Lab, nearly one-third of small businesses, especially those with 50 or fewer employees are not properly protected from cybercrimes. This gives cybercriminals a relatively good chance of attacking vulnerable businesses. Those businesses without proper security often rely on an employee to provide the security, even though the employee may not have any training in cybersecurity.

Those small businesses without cyber-protection no longer need to worry, because Kaspersky Small Office Security offers an affordable option for businesses with five to 50 employees. Along with providing outstanding security against the latest types of cybercrimes like crypto-mining and ransomware, it also keeps businesses safe while employees are surfing the net. Small businesses can trust that they will not become victims of phishing and spamming through private browsing features. Kaspersky also included a feature they call “Safe Money” that keeps financial transactions safe while making payments online.

About Kaspersky Lab

Kaspersky Lab provides cybersecurity on a global scale and they have been doing that for over 20 years. The company has a portfolio that includes over 400 million users and 270,000 businesses. Kaspersky Lab provides sophisticated services that are constantly evolving against digital threats for businesses of all sizes.

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7. Change Passwords Frequently

9. Write a Simple Security Policy

10. Consider Hiring a Cybersecurity Consultant

The post 11 Ways to Beef Up Your Business’s Cybersecurity appeared first on SmallBizTechnology.

In an annual test of cybersecurity in corporations around the world, Kaspersky Lab found that nearly three-quarters of the tested networks were not protected properly. The cybersecurity giant conducts perimeter penetration tests annually to provide information to IT departments regarding the safety of their online data. Without proper protection, corporations and all of the organizations connected to them can have major issues that can lead to financial and operational problems that can be damaging to their reputations.

Kaspersky Lab provides cybersecurity for business and residential customers. This company has been providing cybersecurity to companies around the world for over 20 years. As the world of cybersecurity changes, Kaspersky Lab constantly monitors and updates their security protocols to continue to keep up with people who try to infiltrate businesses, government agencies, and other organizations around the world. According to Kaspersky Lab’s website, the company has over 400 million customers.

It is a wise business move for a company like Kaspersky Lab to conduct studies that show how important its services are. In order to provide strong cyber protection, Kaspersky Lab needs to understand how to break into networks. And, cybersecurity experts clearly know how to break into IT systems. Kaspersky Lab was able to use weak credentials to gain access to one-third of the administrative-level areas of the companies they tested. This gave them access to entire systems, including servers, individual employee workstations, and other vital systems.

They were able to access even more corporate internal networks. With their mock attacks, they found that almost all of the systems they analyzed had underwhelming security. In most cases, Kaspersky was able to access the highest administrative levels using only two or three attack steps.

This should be concerning for business owners because once a cyber-attacker gains access to the administrative levels of a system, they can get to everything. By showcasing these weaknesses, Kaspersky Lab proves how important their services are and how important it is for businesses to invest in Kaspersky Lab’s products.

Interestingly, instead of using the findings of the cyber-attack study to sell products. Kaspersky Lab made recommendations which can be implemented by IT administrators without needing to contact Kaspersky. The recommendations included basic security steps like monitoring firewalls and updating software on a regular basis. It also included educating and encouraging employees to use strong passwords. IT administrators should also conduct security tests and develop a real strategy for finding and responding to cyber attacks.

Kaspersky Lab shared their findings in a PDF file filled with thorough information. It included the steps they took to gain access to so many vital systems and where the weaknesses exist. This PDF file provides a wake-up call to businesses that may not take their cyber-security seriously. It seems as if too many businesses do not think that their businesses can be attacked, but it is clear that an excessive amount of businesses are seriously vulnerable. And, while this 28-page PDF full of information is accessible to business owners and their IT administrators, it is also readily available to the people who make their living hacking. This should put some fear into the business owners who do not invest properly in cybersecurity.

Authored by: Kristen Bentley, reporter, Smallbiztechnology.com

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1. Do an Annual Security Check

Work with a security advisor to do an annual check for vulnerabilities to determine the best place to make an investment in new technology. This can help small-business owners get the most for the money they invest in security and uncover areas they didn’t realize were vulnerable. – Murray Newlands, Sighted 

2. Implement Standards Early

Developing and implementing a strong password procedure for your company early will save you a very big headache down the road. From our experience, it’s worth the time and effort to find a password policy that works best for your team. Use an app (like 1Password) to make adoption universal and to assist in ensuring your policy is maintained consistently with each user. – Blair Thomas, eMerchantBroker

3. Talk to Your Employees About It

Cybersecurity is as strong as your weakest link. We had invested tons of money into designing solutions to keep our systems safe, until one day we learned that a team member had lost their phone. They did not have a code to unlock it. Invest your time in speaking to your employees about the importance of keeping their systems safe. They are the gatekeepers in safeguarding your data. – Diego Orjuela, Cables & Sensors 

From hardware and software set-up and optimization to system monitoring and performance assessments to 24/7 technical services and managed SOC, Computer Support Service provide all the services you need to maintain the security, health and efficiency of your network. You will get latest updates on pruittvillefarms .

4. Make Sure the Plan Is Being Followed

Establish password standards (or implement a password manager) and code development best practices (and ensure they are followed). Make sure everyone who has access to your company’s tech, data and infrastructure adheres to your standards. Proper planning only works if the plan is followed. – Shawn Schulze, CallerCenter.com 

5. Use Two-Factor Authentication

We require that everyone on our team has two-factor authentication enabled on all business-critical accounts, such as code repos and e-mail, etc. This isn’t a foolproof system, but it is a big step in the right direction to avoid falling into the trap of stolen passwords that have become far too common these days. – James Simpson, GoldFire Studios 

6. Look Into a Password Management Utility

Using a password management utility can substantially strengthen small-business owners in the face of cybersecurity threats. Password management apps can help the organization ensure passwords are both difficult to hack and easy to remember. By centralizing the password process, these apps ensure passwords, which are the first and most significant line of defense, are properly protected. – Robby Berthume, Bull & Beard

7. Stay Up to Date On Vulnerabilities and Security Issues

Knowledge about what type of security issues are happening, new compliance and regulations, and security solutions are the best weapons and they don’t necessarily cost money. It’s about due diligence, and well worth the effort to educate yourself through significant online content about cybersecurity on numerous sites like Medium, Business Insider, TechCrunch and more. – Andrew O’Connor, American Addiction Centers 

8. Update Systems Regularly

As a cloud hosting provider, we’re on the frontline of the fight against online crime, including the recent waves of ransomware. Almost every ransomware attack could have been avoided if the victims had updated their machines regularly. The same is true of many other types of attacks. Updates bring security patches and without those patches, servers and PCs are wide open to exploitation. – Justin Blanchard, ServerMania Inc. 

9. Have a Plan for Mobile-Device Issues

Mobile devices pose significant security risks, one that few employers are addressing. Require employees to encrypt their data and install security apps to protect from information theft on public networks. Set up protocols for lost or stolen devices, as personal phones increasingly contain critical business information. – Marcela De Vivo, Brilliance 

10. Secure Your Wi-Fi Network

Many small business do not pay attention to Wi-Fi network security. To hide your Wi-Fi network, set up your wireless access point or router so it does not broadcast the network name, known as the service set identifier. Password protect access to the router. – Piyush Jain, SIMpalm 

11. Install a Firewall

Installing a firewall will help you reduce, and potentially eliminate, takeover attempts by third parties. If you pair it up with the right anti-virus or malware software, you should experience very few problems.- Karl Kangur, MRR Media 

12. Always Have a Backup

As the saying goes, “Don’t put all of your eggs in one basket.” One compromise and all of your precious data is gone. Having a backup will save you and your team time and money. Depending on what kind of business you’re operating, you should back up your data on a daily, weekly or monthly basis. – Patrick Barnhill, Specialist ID, Inc. 

13. Keep Asking ‘What Else Can We Do?’

I’ve heard many business owners say their business is compliant and their data is secured. At the same time, most of the security breaches happen to those compliant businesses that got too comfortable with their safety checks. Cybersecurity should be a part of every company DNA, not just tech and data startups. Change the mindset of “we need to do five things and we’re safe” to “what else can we do?” – Andrey Kudievskiy, Distillery 

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