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Has Your Organization Been Breached By Solar Winds Malware?

Has Your Organization Been Breached By Solarwinds Malware?

Although mainstream media coverage of the massive Solarwinds hack seems to indicate the danger is over, the sophisticated hackers may still be hiding in plain sight.

Microsoft recently uncovered at least three strands of malware deployed by the alleged Russian hackers. This new revelation raises alarms across industries that the Solarwinds attacks may not be over. The question business professionals need to be answered is whether their network has been breached and if cybercriminals are actively copying and selling digital assets on the dark web.

Has Your Organization Been Breached By Solar Winds Malware?

What Is The Solar Winds Hack?

Highly skilled cybercriminals reportedly penetrated a Solarwinds system known as “Orion.” These stealth hackers managed to insert malicious code into its software products that were inadvertently dispersed to the outfit’s 33,000 customers in the form of updates.

This code created secret backdoors that allow digital thieves and spies to infiltrate wide-reaching networks, including government agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and Treasury Department, among others. The so-called Solarwinds attacks were not limited to government targets. Malicious code has been identified in private sector organizations, and the full breadth of the cyberattacks remains unknown.

So pervasive and potentially destructive is the Solarwinds attack that congress held hearings to get a handle on its business and national security implications. Under intense questioning by lawmakers, an official from the Solarwinds reportedly blamed the breach on an intern who ignored the corporation’s cybersecurity protocols. According to news reports, the intern used the weak password “solarwinds123” and posted it online. Cybersecurity experts attribute upwards of 95 percent of breaches to human error.

Who Has Been Impacted By The Solarwinds Attacks?

To say the attacks blindsided private businesses and government agencies would be something of an understatement. Government-vetted firms such as FireEye were compromised due to the sophisticated methods used to hide the malicious code in software updates. The widespread embarrassment from organizations previously considered among the most secure has led many to believe critical information continues to be withheld. Much of the information released about the devastating breaches fails to identify the organizations that have been breached.

On the one hand, working with Solarwinds as a vendor or customer does not necessarily mean that an organization suffered a breach. But by that same token, the supply chain nature of the cyber-attack suggests that outfits outside direct Orion software users could be infected right now. That’s largely because congressional hearings and investigative reports indicate the hackers possess heightened skills, appear well-funded, and demonstrate a determination to hide in networks as long as possible to pilfer off digital assets and valuable personal data. Solarwinds appears to be an ongoing cybersecurity nightmare that should worry industry leaders.

How To Know If You Suffer A Solarwinds Breach?

As Microsoft and others continue to ferret out malicious strands of code, cybersecurity responses are being developed. Industry leaders who are concerned their organization may have been compromised enjoy access to open-sourced CodeQL queries. These are being rolled out by Microsoft to investigate incidents of Solarwinds Orion Malware laying hidden in networks.

Microsoft offers concerned parties free access to its cybersecurity software that was crafted to hunt down this malware. Decision-makers would also be wise to take the following proactive measures to ensure the integrity of their digital assets.

  • Enforce Strong Password Policies
  • Use Multi-Factor Authentication For Employee Login
  • Backup Data To Cloud & Offline Resources
  • Monitor Third-Party Controls & Interactions
  • Develop A Company-Wide Cybersecurity Policy
  • Require Employees To Undergo Cybersecurity Awareness Training
  • Maintain Enterprise-Level Firewalls & Virtual Private Networks

The Solarwinds attack highlights how clever, well-financed hackers can infiltrate seemingly impenetrable defenses such as the Department of Homeland Security. That’s why it’s essential for organizations to harden their cybersecurity defenses and deter emerging threats. However, the average business with even sound cybersecurity protections in place was no match for these Russian hackers. If you are concerned your network has been compromised through the Solawinds supply chain or by other threat actors, contact a cybersecurity expert and have your system analyzed and penetration tested.

Has Your Organization Been Breached By Solar Winds Malware? Read More »

Inclusive Work Environment Is Vital for Digital Transformation

Inclusive Work Environment Is Vital for Digital Transformation

As an ever-increasing number of companies implement a digital transformation, decision-makers need to adopt viable ways to transition successfully. Creating an inclusive work environment is undoubtedly one of the best ways to achieve this objective. Many organizations find it easier to create the workplace of the future by embracing diversity.

In doing so, they create a people-centric, inclusive work environment that leverages digital solutions to supercharge efficiency and productivity. The best part is that such an environment is more likely to attract the best talent in various fields.

IT experts recommend keeping things simple and implementing changes incrementally. Critical aspects like employee well-being and mental health also play an integral role in bolstering inclusivity. This aspect is vital for remote work because many workers often feel stressed and grapple with concentration and motivation challenges.

Thus, managers and executives need to foster a workplace rooted in flexibility and empathy. Successful transitions require executives to adopt bold measures capable of driving meaningful change.

Digital Transformation

Inclusion as a Top Business Priority

Although many companies stepped up diversity and inclusion efforts, there is still considerable room for improvement. According to a recent diversity report, approximately three percent of Fortune 500 companies release diversity information. This figure shows that many organizations express interest in boosting inclusion and diversity, but progress is sluggish.

To implement meaningful changes, organizations should put in considerable effort. A diverse workforce enables companies to solve problems more effectively and enhance innovation.

Your organization should reinvent its talent pool by examining future staffing requirements from a digital transformation perspective. The future requires a more diverse workforce capable of handling challenges more dynamically. Pick a team that is ready to handle the current and future digital trends. Team members should bring considerable digital competencies.

Long-term success depends on strategies that enable your company to attract the right talent steeped in digital transformation. The new talent can help existing staff embrace digital transformation while transferring critical skills. Agile talent plays an essential role in preparing your organization for the future.

The Role of CIOs and HR Managers

Chief information officers and human resources managers play a pivotal role in implementing diversity and digital transformation plans. This dynamic duo needs to work closely to ensure that employee engagement, culture, and the work environment leverage technology.

Diversity and inclusion strategies share similarities with gamification, which empowers businesses to attract and retain highly skilled professionals. Human resources departments play a vital role in implementing gamification by embracing technology. This approach is also critical when it comes to digital transformation and diversity.

Hiring digitally inclined, diverse team members is more important than just following a trend. It represents a cultural shift capable of propelling your business to long-term success. Many business leaders, including CIOs and HR managers, boost their reputation by implementing successful diversity and digital transformation policies. The cultural revolution leads to improved operating efficiency, increased productivity, and higher profits.

To achieve overall success, you need to formulate viable plans. Furthermore, it is vital to outline timelines and milestones to help your team gauge the plan’s effectiveness.

Business Cases vs. Cultural Revolution

Many organizations grapple with the idea of justifying digital transformation and diversity initiatives based on specific business cases. In the end, some businesses struggle to make progress while trying to identify business cases. Thus, the process becomes a waste of time. Experts recommend skipping the business case and focus on the cultural evolution.

Understanding the role of diversity and inclusion in overall business success helps decision-makers concentrate on the ultimate prize. Digital transformation and an inclusive work environment represent the future of work. Your team does not need to make a business case since complex organizational structures and communication systems drive today’s corporate ecosystem.

Companies gain useful insights by tapping into analytics powered by augmented reality and artificial intelligence. Companies should focus on embracing this reality without making a business case. Digital transformation encompasses various aspects of customers’ and the workforce’s activities. On the other hand, transformation requires the support of a diverse workforce capable of making meaningful contributions.

Once you consider these two aspects, your team has proven a business case. Thus, eliminating the need to spend time deliberating the topic. Experts recommend getting on board or risk missing out on a significant opportunity for your company. Additionally, assess the downsides of diversity parity and the benefits of a digitally connected work environment.

Also, consider how the entire workforce and customers benefit from the initiative. The right decision does not depend on information in spreadsheets and presentations. Focus on the human aspects.

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How To Have a Successful Zoom Call

How To Have a Successful Zoom Call

When the world went into lockdown, it effectively shut down business for a little while. In the legal world, however, you can’t just stop. This led to law firms and courts using Zoom to conduct hearings and trials. Naturally, this caused some issues. If you are not comfortable with Zoom, you run the risk of making a fool of yourself unintentionally. Follow this guide to ensure your Zoom meeting goes off without a hitch.

Successful Zoom Calls

Familiarize Yourself

The more you know about a product, the easier it is to use. This is true with Zoom. If you know you will have to do Zoom calls, you need to understand how to use the program. You DO NOT want to wait until the last minute and try to figure everything out. Zoom offers free, unlimited 45-minute sessions, so it is easy to go in to explore the options.

Audio and Video

When you are participating in a Zoom call, it is essential that you know how to turn your microphone on and off. When you turn on Zoom, it will prompt you to turn your volume on. You can turn it off by clicking on mute in the lower left-hand corner.

You will want to be muted whenever you are not talking, so any background noises you have are not disturbing the meeting. You will also want to make sure that you remember to unmute yourself every time you go to talk. A trick is to hold the spacebar down if you will only be speaking for a brief period.

You also want to be aware of how to turn the video on and off. When you enter the meeting, you will want your video to be on, and generally, it will stay on the entire time. However, if something comes up, and you don’t want your background showing for whatever reason, you can turn off your video by clicking stop video.

Background

Zoom has a background feature, and you can set virtually any image as your background. You can choose something as simple as a colored background, select an image on your device, or download premade zoom backgrounds and upload them.

You can set your background ahead of time by going into your zoom settings and selecting virtual background. You can also do it when you are in the meeting. If you click on the video arrow, you can choose the background and select an image there.

Sharing Screen

Depending on the settings of the person hosting the Zoom, you may have the ability to share your screen. You will want to try this out because you have to have the window you are trying to share actively open in order to share it. Otherwise, when you click on Screen Share, you won’t have access to that tab.

Screen share also has a whiteboard function. So you can essentially share a whiteboard and either write or type information on it. It will then display on everyone else’s screens who are in the Zoom.

Finally, you can also share multiple screens at the same time via the screen share option.

Waiting Room

If you are hosting a zoom, you will want to enable a waiting room. This means that anyone who enters your zoom link will be placed in a virtual waiting room and cannot enter until you allow them to. This is helpful because it allows you to control who does and does not enter the Zoom. It is common for people to try to “Zoom Bomb” meetings and do inappropriate things. With the waiting room, you can only let in people you know are supposed to be there.

Personal Meeting Room

If you will be hosting a lot of Zoom calls, you should set up a Personal Meeting Room. This is your own private zoom, and you can call it whatever you want. It starts with https://zoom.us/my/, and then you fill in how you want it to end. You will want to keep it simple, so people can easily remember it. Whenever you need to host a meeting, you open up your Zoom application and click start, and it will begin the Zoom. You can then let in anyone trying to access the Zoom.

Touch-Up

If you look exhausted or have poor lighting, you can use the touch-up feature to provide a soft-focus on your screen. This helps you look professional and polished in very little time. To access this feature, go to Zoom settings and then click video, and finally select touch-up my appearance.

Filters

Zoom does have a variety of filters you can use during your video call. To access them while in Zoom, click on the arrow next to the video icon and select filters. You can select any filter that is listed there. To turn the filter off, go back into the same area and click on none under filters.

Practice

Once you have played around with Zoom’s different features, set up a practice Zoom call with someone. It really does not matter who. Go through the different Zoom features while you are on the call, and make sure you know how to turn everything on AND off.

Zoom Master

It’s also a good idea to have someone in the company be a Zoom Master. This means they know Zoom inside and out, and if you are having any issues, you can call them to save the day. Make sure this person is always available during any Zoom calls, so you aren’t frantically trying to find someone to fix your issue.

If someone in your company isn’t willing to do this, reach out to your IT department and have them explain everything to you to make sure you have a thorough understanding of how everything works. If your IT department doesn’t do this for you, reach out to us, and we will be happy to help.

We want to help you with your technology needs. Contact us today to see how we can help.

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Does Your Workforce Create Strong Passwords?

Does Your Workforce Create Strong Passwords & Have a Plan B Cybersecurity Defense?

As the old saying goes, “a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.” Unfortunately, the new saying is that a business network is only as secure as its employees’ passwords.

Despite widespread knowledge that hackers exploit weak passwords to breach entire systems, trusted workers still use ones that are easy to guess at and repeat them across platforms. If that seems counterintuitive, business leaders may want to consider these statistics.

  • The two most commonly used passwords remain “iloveyou” and “sunshine.”
  • Approximately 23 million people use the password “123456.”
  • More than half of workforces use the same password for personal and business purposes.
  • Upwards of 57 percent of phishing email scam victims do not change their password.
  • One-third of people stop doing business with organizations responsible for compromising their credentials.

What seems stunningly illogical about rampant password protection failures stems from this statistic: Approximately 90 percent of internet users say they are worried about getting hacked due to a compromised password. Industry leaders may be left scratching their heads. But as a decision-maker responsible for ensuring the integrity of digital assets, something needs to be done. You can set company policy that educates team members about how to create and remember strong network passwords. If that doesn’t work, there’s always Plan B.

Strong Password

How To Educate Employees About Strong Passwords

Getting workers to create powerfully secure passwords may not be that difficult. Insisting on a series of unrelated letters, numbers, and characters will fend off most hackers. On the other hand, team members will likely lose productivity, resetting a difficult-to-remember login profile. Fortunately, a happy medium can be achieved without too much difficulty.

Passwords do not necessarily need to be obscure. They just need to be difficult for hackers to unveil. A password employing 8-10 characters can be hard to crack if done cleverly. For example, the too common “iloveyou” can be tweaked to “iLuv2Make$,” which could be a tough one. That’s largely because it uses untraditional “Luv” in place of the spelled-out word, employs uppercase letters, a symbol, and a number. All an employee has to do is remember the phrase “I Love To Make Money” as a trigger.

Repeated passwords also need to be addressed. Consider training those under your leadership to make variations on one primary password. In this case, it could include “uLuv2Make$2” or “iH82owe$.”

It’s also important to share the reason that complex passwords are necessary. Hackers have a toolkit at their disposal that typically includes brute-force and dictionary techniques. When brute-force attacks try to run every conceivable combination of letters and characters possible. This tends to be time-consuming, and digital thieves are likely to give up when faced with strong passwords. Dictionary attacks run common words at the profile. If your worker’s password is “sunshine,” consider your network breached.

How Can Business Leaders Implement a Plan B?

Practical business leaders learn that human error ranks among the top reason things go sideways. Cybercriminals send out thousands of scam emails, knowing someone will open one, download a malicious file, or respond with critical information. Someone will make a mistake. Given that your financial future can be one mistake away from ruin, organizations are using multi-factor authentication as a fallback defense.

Multi-factor authentication requires employees to receive and enter a secondary code before gaining access to the network. This may be sent to another device that hackers cannot access. In some instances, an email alert is sent that must be approved. Even if someone foolishly uses “password123,” a cybercriminal would still need to know the authentication code or approve login access to upend your network.

If you are concerned about password security, consider working with a managed IT professional to educate employees about password protection, and install multi-factor authentication just in case.

Does Your Workforce Create Strong Passwords? Read More »

What Is PCI Compliance?

What Is PCI Compliance?

You’re probably reading this because you looked up information on PCI compliance. This article explores how you can meet PCI requirements and secure your clients’ sensitive cardholder data.

Today’s business world is highly regulated, and while this has its upsides, there is a great deal of pressure on businesses to stay compliant with all the relevant standards. If your business processes, stores, or transmits credit card information, you need to ensure you meet all the PCI requirements.

PCI non-compliance poses a frightening host of risks such as:

  • Compromised data that can harm your clients and business
  • A severely damaged brand image
  • Account data breaches that could result in lower sales, and destroyed relationships
  • Lawsuits, government fines, insurance claims, payment card issuer fines

If you aren’t PCI compliant, don’t panic just yet. Our team has assembled this article to share what you need to start your journey towards PCI compliance. Let’s first define some important terms.

PCI Compliance

What Is PCI Compliance?

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards (PCI DSS) is a set of requirements designed to create a secure data environment for any business that processes, stores, or transmits credit card information. It’s a legal requirement and assigns two compliance levels for service providers (third-party vendors) and four for merchants (brands). Behind its launch in 2006 was the need to manage PCI security standards and bolster account security throughout the transaction process.

What Is PCI DSS?

The PCI Security Standards Council (PCI DSS) is an independent body that administers and manages the PCI DSS. It was created by Visa, MasterCard, American Express, JCB, and Discover. However, the responsibility of enforcing compliance falls on the payment brands and acquirers.

How Can You Achieve PCI Compliance?

PCI compliance involves consistently adhering to the PCI Security Standards Council’s guidelines (PCI DSS). PCI DSS has the following six major objectives:

  1. Maintain a vulnerability management program
  2. Build and maintain a secure network and systems
  3. Regularly monitor and test networks
  4. Protect cardholder data
  5. Maintain an information security policy
  6. Implement strong access control measures

Apart from 78 base requirements and over 400 test procedures, PCI compliance also has 12 key requirements.

What Are the 12 Key PCI DSS Compliance Requirements?

  1. Use and Maintain Firewalls: Firewalls are highly effective in preventing unauthorized access to private information.
  2. Proper Password Protections: We recommend keeping a secure device/password inventory and implementing basic precautions like regularly changing passwords.
  3. Protect Cardholder Data: By encrypting data and performing regular scans to ensure no unencrypted data exists.
  4. Encrypt Transmitted Data: Even data sent to known locations need to be encrypted.
  5. Use and Maintain Anti-Virus: This is required for all devices that interact with primary account numbers (PAN).
  6. Properly Updated Software: This includes firewalls, antiviruses, and any other piece of software.
  7. Restrict Data Access: Cardholder information should be exclusively “need to know.”
  8. Unique IDs for Access: These enhance security and reduce response time in case data is compromised.
  9. Restrict Physical Access: Cardholder data needs to be kept in a secure physical location and access locked.
  10. Create and Maintain Access Logs: You must document any activity involving cardholder information and PAN.
  11. Scan and Test for Vulnerabilities: This will help you identify potential weaknesses at any stage of your compliance efforts.
  12. Document Policies: Everything needs to be recorded, from equipment to software to authorized employees to access logs, and so on.

Need Reliable IT Support with PCI Compliance?

Our experienced team is eager to help your organization achieve PCI compliance and safeguard your sensitive cardholder data.

Contact us now to schedule your first PCI compliance consultation.

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Getting Started With Microsoft Teams?

Getting Started With Microsoft Teams?

What drives workplace performance? A few years ago, a Stanford study published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology suggested that workplace performance was driven by collaboration. In fact, just the thought of collaboration was enough to improve performance. One interesting statistic: 64% of employees working collaboratively had higher success rates than those working independently.

So, what drives successful collaboration? It’s the people collaborating as much as it’s the program used to facilitate collaboration. A program that cultivates different ways to communicate, share, and grow is fundamental to success. Microsoft Teams has been proving to be critical to this end. Here’s how you get started using it.

What Is Microsoft Teams?

Microsoft Teams is a Microsoft 365 tool that allows you to meet, chat, call, and collaborate with anyone and everyone in the workplace and beyond. Microsoft Teams is more than a collaboration tool but an inclusive program with tools to create “teams” of people and content. It’s where Slack and Zoom meet, plus much more.

Though Microsoft Teams is rather new, launched in 2017, its growth has been exceptional––a testament to its unique and handy features. The number of daily active users, according to Statista, has doubled this year, “from 32 million users on March 12, 2019, to 75 million as of April 30, 2020.” Part of the growth is driven by the coronavirus pandemic but much of it, too, is simply based on the quality of the program.

How Do You Get Started with Microsoft Teams?

To get started with Microsoft Teams, you must be a cloud-based Microsoft 365 suite customer––the program is included free of charge though you can upgrade it for a fee and receive much more in the way of features.

An Overview of the Free Version of Microsoft Teams

The features included in the free version of Microsoft Teams include:

  • The ability to involve up to 500,000 members (per organization)
  • File storage of up to 2 GB per user and 10 GB of shared storage
  • The ability to allow guests access to the program
  • Person-to-person and group online audio and video calls and channel meetings
  • Unlimited chat messaging
  • Unlimited searches
  • Background blue on video calls (to protect privacy)
  • Channel meetings––these are the groups you create
  • The ability to shared screens during video-conferences and chats
  • The ability to schedule meetings

Microsoft Teams is also thoroughly integrated with most other Microsoft Programs, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, SharePoint, OneNote, Planner (Tasks), Microsoft Lists, and Power BI. So, if your company already benefits from Microsoft 365 (or wants to start benefiting from it), it’s time to start incorporating Microsoft Teams.

An Overview of the Paid Version of Microsoft Teams

The paid version of Microsoft Teams includes all of the above and much more.

  • Scheduled meetings that are integrated with your company’s Exchange calendar
  • The ability to involve potentially unlimited members with an enterprise license
  • File storage of up to 1 TB per user
  • The ability to record the meeting (available with Microsoft Stream)
  • The ability to make phone calls and/or audio-conferencing
  • The ability to host online events for up to 10,000 participants
  • Cool first line worker features, like Shifts, Walkie Talkie, and more
  • A set of useful administration tools, like:
    • Tools to manage users and apps
    • Usage reporting fro Microsoft 365 services
    • 99.9% financially-backed SLA uptime
    • User settings that are configurable and customizable.
  • 24/7 phone and web support
  • Additional compliance and security features

Recommended Steps to Get Started with Microsoft Teams

You may be anxious to get started with Microsoft Teams today and, as a consequence, may want to ditch the other programs you have. But you should roll out the new program with a plan, not as a knee-jerk decision.

It’s recommended that you:

  1. Prepare to sample Microsoft Teams by preparing your network, including licenses for all participants and configurations for Microsoft 365 or Offie 365 domain, Exchange Online, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business
  2. Create a few teams and channels (two or three). For the sake of clarity, a team is the group of people assigned to one goal while a channel is the collaboration space within the team where members get the work done.
  3. Select a small group of people to use these teams and channels.
  4. Install both the desktop and mobile applications so that both experience and feedback are comprehensive.
  5. Monitor the members’ usage and analyze their feedback.
  6. Create a plan based on this data to roll out the program to everyone in the organization.

Starting small means you can “test” it out on certain members of your company and get a good feel of the program and all that it has to offer. This process will also provide insight into how Teams work but also how to deploy the program across the whole of your company.

Why Choose Microsoft Teams?

It’s not about choice but about performance. Today, we need tools that are functional, strategic, and cost-effective. Microsoft Teams offer these things and more. For example, rather than having to spend all morning sorting through emails that are related to a number of different projects, Teams cuts out this mindless work for you by sorting information into the appropriate channels, so all messages related to the one project are already there within the work station of that one project.

Also, as work spaces diversifyy and grow, Teams promote transparency. It can be a huge challenge to keep all employees or the relevant employees updated on what’s going on organization-wide or project-specific. Teams keep everyone in the loop and minimize the need for excessive and redundant emails. As such, employees can focus more on getting work done then spending time trying to figure out how to get the work done. Teams is essentially a way to optimize productivity.

To get started on Microsoft Teams, get Microsoft Office 365. If you already have it, then download the program and start implementing the benefits of it today.

Getting Started With Microsoft Teams

Getting Started With Microsoft Teams? Read More »

MFA Bug Opens Door For Hackers To Attack Microsoft 365

New and heightened digital threats develop every day, and having standard security software may not be enough to protect your personal data and business from exploitation from malware attacks. Businesses across industries are vulnerable to new attacks, as many security software lags behind. Hackers find ways to work around the most common security platforms to find new ways into systems to gain access to all sorts of information, and the only way to ensure that you are as protected as possible is to work with an IT expert who knows how to take the preventative measures to keep up with the latest malware developments.

Microsoft 365 Bug

One of the latest bugs causing a lot of damage to businesses is a vulnerability to the Microsoft-based cloud office platform, Microsoft 365. This platform allows businesses to push their productivity almost entirely online, giving employees access to their data from literally anywhere in the world while still collaborating in real-time. The use of cloud platforms allowed businesses to stay productive during the 2020 shutdown. The use has grown exponentially in popularity as everything from law firms, doctors’ offices, and schools have shifted as much business as possible over to the virtual platforms.

Hackers recently exploited a bug present in the multi-factor authentication system for access into the Microsoft 365 platform, which meant that there was a somewhat easily accessible back door into the otherwise secure cloud system. There is a lot of damage done when a hacker can get access to your business or personal data. Information can be stolen or deleted, which could lead to costly repairs as you spend time re-collecting data or ensuring that your employees and clients are protected from additional attacks on their finances and identity based on the type of information accessed by the hackers.

System flaws happen, and typically patches are issued to fix bugs that may allow hackers into programs — especially in the case of well-funded, popular programs like those owned by Microsoft. However, that doesn’t mean that there isn’t a chance of an attack before that patch being issued. Also, if your employees aren’t receiving guidance on keeping up with regular updates and maintenance on their work computers, they could be putting everyone at risk as those updates are how patches are installed. A single point of access through an outdated computer can allow hackers to access all sorts of data.

In the case of the latest vulnerability that impacted Microsoft 365, the issue was present in the WS-Trust, an OASIS standard that delivers security extensions and is used to renew and validate security tokens, thus ensuring identity. A bug in this system could be disastrous, allowing for the easy manipulation of security tokens and identity, allowing hackers in. The attacker could easily access mail, files, data, contacts, and more — depending on the amount of information stored on the cloud.

Working with a strong IT support team is the best way to ensure that you are protected from the latest developments in malware. Keep your computers up to date and your employees knowledgeable on the best ways to stay protected by having a strong IT support team to rely on.

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What Is The Dark Web?

What Is The Dark Web?

Are your company’s data and network secure? Solidly secure? Or, are you worried you may have been hacked, putting sensitive data at risk? You may be wondering about the latter if you’re looking up information on the dark web and how it may impact your business. Because, indeed, if you were hacked, that information is likely on the dark web and it can deeply and detrimentally impact your business.

An ongoing study series most recently released in 2019, Into the Web of Profit by Dr. Michael McGuire, explored the Dark Web and shed light on just how serious and dangerous it is to businesses throughout the nation and the world. From bespoke malware to hacking services targeted at FTSE 100 and Fortune 500 companies, the Dark Web has gone deeper underground to thwart law enforcement as much as to share new and advanced ideas with fellow hackers on how to best to hack businesses.

So, if you are thinking that your data and network system aren’t secure enough, or––alternatively––think it is secure enough: (1) you need to get it secure immediately; and (2) you should know that secure enough won’t cut it ever again. Having a comprehensive security plan that evolves with the changes and advancements in security is key to protecting your data, your identity, your company, your company’s brand, your clients, your customers, among other things. Read more to learn about the Dark Web and how to protect yourself.

What is the Dark Web as opposed to the Plain Ole’ Internet?

The internet isn’t plain at all, and it’s made up of three parts:

  1. The surface web, also known as the clear web, which makes up the websites and webpages of the Internet that are indexed by search engines (e.g., Google, Yahoo!, Bing, Wikipedia, etc.);
  2. The deep web, which consists of pages that you can find and access by using login information (e.g., your bank account or medical records); and
  3. The dark web, also referred to as the DarkNet, which is the part of the Internet not indexed by search engines and which cannot be accessed unless done anonymously by using special anonymizing software.

Due to its anonymity, the dark web has been used for good in some respects. Importantly, people who live in countries where access to the internet is restricted can communicate more openly on the dark web. Mostly, however, it has been infiltrated by criminals. They deal in drugs, illicit firearms, and child pornography. They also, however, deal in things like malware, stolen data, and stolen identities.

So, in that respect, the dark web is a source of serious concern for businesses.

What Do We Know About the Dark Web’s Impact on Businesses?

If statistics matter to you, then your business needs to up its game. Below are facts providing an overview of what we know about cybercrime generally and the dark web specifically and its impact on or threats to businesses.

Hackers Attack Businesses

The Consequences of Stolen Data on the Dark Web are Costly

  • Cybercrime on the dark web is incredibly profitable––according to Cybersecurity Ventures, it’s more profitable than even the global illicit drug trade.
  • According to RSA, a consumer account could go for as little as $1.00 on the dark web––this means just about anyone can purchase at least one stolen account; it also means that the hacker needs to obtain a significant amount of your data to reap the benefits, which could be good or bad for you.
  • SecurityIntelligence’s 2019 report on the Cost of a Data Breach Report found that the “global average cost of a data breach … is $3.92 million, a 1.5 percent increase from its 2018 study.
  • According to SeurityIntelligence’s reporting, the average total cost of a data breach for a U.S. business is $3.86 million.
  • Also, according the SecurityIntelligence’s reporting, it takes on average 280 days before a company identifies and contains a breach.
  • What’s probably most troubling is this: according to Fortune, 66% of businesses experiencing a hack lacked the confidence that the company would recover from it.

The Dark Web is Creating the Need for More Cybersecurity Experts

Because the demand is high, the need for cybersecurity experts is high––in 2019 alone, there were more than 715,000 cybersecurity experts as reported by Cyberseek. Meanwhile, Cybersecurityventures estimates that will be more than 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs come 2021.

What Can You Do About the Dark Web’s Threats to Your Business

Many of us have taken for granted network solutions and cybersecurity. Further, many businesses have limited resources to address cybersecurity comprehensively and on an ongoing basis. But this needs to change. Priority must be given to a comprehensive security system that can aptly and proactively protect your business’s data.

So, what can you do about the dark web’s threats to your business? Things like changing passwords regularly, training employees, choosing the right ISP, monitoring spyware, encrypting client and customer data, among other things are necessary. But it all must be included in a customized plan that is always reviewed, updated, and addressed the new concerns of the day.

Remember: hackers are constantly changing and advancing their methods, so your business needs to do the same to stay on top of it. If you don’t have your own team to address these issues specifically, then you may want to consider outsourcing it to a professional group. With 2021 upon us soon and the economy hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic, the time is now to ensure the safety and integrity of your data.

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What Exactly Is NIST?

What Exactly Is NIST?

No matter what industry you work in, chances are you’ve encountered the term NIST at one time or another.

It’s most often used in relation to technology and, specifically, in relation to cybersecurity.

Like many things related to these fields, NIST is both complicated and simple. It’s complicated because you have to have a bit of background to fully understand what it represents. It’s simple because once you understand this background, NIST actually makes a lot of sense.

What Is NIST?

NIST is a federal agency within the United States Government (specifically, the U.S. Department of Commerce). The acronym stands for National Institute of Standards and Technology.

As an agency, NIST was founded by Congress in 1901. Basically, it was established as a way to standardize and promote competitiveness within the fields of science and technology in the U.S. A simultaneous mission was to promote the harnessing of science and technology to improve quality of life in the U.S. and protect our economic security.

What Does NIST Have to Do With Cybersecurity?

Essentially, the National Institute of Standards and Technology has its hands in many areas of industry. But more recently — from the late 20th century up until today — it has particularly impacted how we create, use, and disseminate technology.

As computers and the Internet became more ubiquitous in recent decades, it became apparent to the government that some standardized practices needed to be established. NIST became the authoritative body that would create and disseminate these standardized practices.

According to the NIST website, “Congress has given NIST responsibility to disseminate consistent clear, concise, and actionable resources to small businesses.” That goes for all other sizes of businesses too.

In addition, NIST standards generally apply to all industries. Most importantly, where cybersecurity is uniquely concerned, NIST 800-171 was created to control unclassified government information that is being stored and/or handled by non-governmental organizations.

What Is NIST 800-171?

NIST 800-171 is a special publication that was created and is mandated by the National Institute of Standards and Technology. The goal of this publication is to maintain uniformity in how organizations handle data — especially sensitive government data.

Both small to mid-sized businesses and large enterprises should know about NIST 800-171. As a business owner or C-level executive, it’s important that you, specifically, know about it. And if you work with the federal government — either directly or indirectly — it’s absolutely critical that you know about it.

Essentially, any business that works with the government or with government information needs to be NIST 800-171 compliant. But even companies that don’t work directly or indirectly with government information can find it useful as well.

Here are the basics:

Special publication NIST 800-171 was created to protect something called “Controlled Unclassified Information.”

What is “Controlled Unclassified Information,” you ask?

Controlled Unclassified Information, or CUI, is information that is relevant to the federal government but not necessarily classified. A good example would be legal documents or technical drawings of government projects.

This is important information to keep secure, and though it is not technically “classified” and doesn’t include “state secrets,” the government has an interest in protecting it and making sure it doesn’t fall into sinister hands.

How Does a Business Stay Compliant With NIST 800-171?

We’re not going to tell you that it’s impossible to stay compliant with NIST 800-171 on your own — without the help of a managed service provider.

However … it’s much harder.

NIST compliance is not simple.

First, you have to know which information is CUI and where it is located (all copies). You then have to classify and categorize that information. After that, you have to limit access to the CUI so that only authorized workers can see and use it. You also have to encrypt it.

Once that’s done, you should implement a system of monitoring to ensure that all CUI access dates and times are logged. From there, you need a system of training that can educate your employees on all of this information and how to reduce the risk of CUI access across the board.

Interested in Discovering More About How to Stay NIST Compliant?

As we said, NIST 800-171 compliance is not simple.

It’s far easier to have a managed service provider handle it for you. If you already work with an MSP you trust, talk to them about NIST compliance. If not, get in touch with a reputable MSP in your area today. Managing your NIST compliance is something that shouldn’t wait.

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Remote Workers Are Here to Stay! Important Tips

Exactly a year ago today, no one would’ve thought that this many people would be working from home.

Yet, here we are.

The numbers are truly astounding. In June, the estimate was that 42% of the United States’ labor force had transitioned to full-time at-home work.

For a while, most of us thought it would only last for a few weeks … maybe a few months.

Now, it’s been half a year. And many people are beginning to ask themselves: Is there an end in sight to the working-from-home-economy?

A recent survey of 317 finance leaders and CFOs in the United States says no.

Work At Home Solutions

Will Working From Home Be a Permanent Transition for the Labor Force?

The survey, performed by Gartner Inc., has revealed that 74% of the surveyed leaders intend to permanently shift at least some of their employees to remote work. After all, there are many advantages to employees working at home — both for employers and employees.

Some businesses had already noticed these benefits and were already making a slow transition to this employment style. Google, for example, would often let their employees do some of their work at home. The rise of the gig economy allowed freelancers to essentially start their own businesses by finding clients on their own or going through brokers like Fiverr.

Now, the pro-work-at-home mentality is on fast-forward.

If you’ve been thinking about transitioning some of your employees to permanent at-home work, there are some things you need to know. Most notably, you’re going to need to step up your IT game as you will be relying even heavier on technology and your IT support provider.

Here are several questions you should be sure to ask yourself as you go about this shift.

1. Are we backing up?

Every business needs to back up their data. It needs to be backed up properly, often, and securely. With the proper backup solutions, even if someone accidentally deletes a file, you’ll have it duplicated somewhere else. More importantly, though, you’ll have security knowing that even if a security breach occurs, it can’t break your company entirely.

2. Do our employees know how to avoid a security breach?

Most breaches in security happen through employees. Often, phishing emails are the culprit. Your IT company should help you train your employees so that they know exactly how to avoid falling victim to a phishing email scam. Moreover, you need to teach them what to look out for and where to go if they do see something that makes them suspicious.

3. Who has access to which files?

Often, when employees work in only one area and only access networks and data storage through clean and secure access points, upper management doesn’t really confine file access. Not only should this change even if all of your employees are still working in your brick-and-mortar space, but it should definitely change now that more employees are working at home.

Whether you like it or not, many employees will be using unsecure networks and devices that do not have the proper security to keep your files safe. Therefore, you need to start limiting the number of employees with complete access to all of your data.

4. Do we have multifactor authentication enabled?

Multifactor authentication makes passwords more secure. Inevitably, you and your employees will be using passwords every day, all day. You probably have multiple passwords that you use interchangeably between home and work.

First of all, it’s important not to reuse passwords. You should have a new password for every account that you have. This goes for you, all other upper management employees, and other workers.

Second, multifactor authentication should be enabled wherever possible. This ensures security for all of your accounts and data because it requires that the individual puts both their password and the second proof of identity into the login fields when logging into a given account or device.

Which Is Better: In-House IT or Outsourcing IT to a Managed Service Provider?

All companies will have different needs concerning their IT. For some companies, having in-house IT support has historically been the best option. It allows IT workers to be there on-demand, and in-house relationships can be formed between the IT department, upper management, and workers at large. In some cases, in-house IT is absolutely necessary, even now.

For the vast majority of companies, however, the updated circumstances of 2020 have proven the value of outsourcing IT to a managed service provider. Not only are MSPs already “at-home workers,” in effect, because they aren’t directly in your employ, but they’re also used to working outside of the clients they serve.

They have all of the proper channels set up for you to communicate effectively with them at any time. In some cases, managed service providers can offer even better on-demand service as they are often available 24/7 to answer your questions or address concerns or security breaches.

One thing to keep in mind is that well-managed service providers are being nabbed up fast. Organizations across the U.S. are quickly realizing that they need reliable IT service and enhanced support for the new systems and subsequent risks that have been presented during this time of COVID-19.

Find your reliable and trustworthy managed service provider today, and start building a relationship that you can grow into. Despite these challenging times, your business still has the opportunity to grow and prosper. The right technology and the best IT support will help.

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