Why you should kick-start 2023 with an IT audit

The new year is a time for reflection and resolutions. It’s also the perfect time to conduct an audit of your business IT. Many business owners put off this important task, but there are many benefits to be gained by doing an IT audit at the start of the year. For one, it is a great way to ensure that your business is in its best shape heading into 2023, and it can help you gain an edge even before Q1 ends.

Scheduling one now for your Salt Lake City business, and having it done either by your IT team or outsourced IT consultant, means having more time to tackle challenges as they come up throughout the year ahead. In this article, we will discuss what an IT audit is, its purpose, and the benefits of conducting one.

What is an IT audit?

An IT audit is an assessment of the security, compliance, and efficiency of a company’s IT systems and infrastructure. It helps businesses identify weaknesses in their cybersecurity or data protection measures and any potential risks that could arise from these vulnerabilities. Some of the main purposes of a technology audit is reducing the risk of data loss or theft, ensuring compliance with legal requirements and industry standards, and improving overall organizational performance.

There are many different types of IT audits that a business can perform, but these are the most common ones:

General control review – involves assessing the effectiveness and accuracy of existing policies and procedures
Application control review – done to spot issues related to software applications such as viruses or other malicious code
System integrity review – focuses on detecting any problems with an organization’s operating systems
Vulnerability assessment – used to discover any known vulnerabilities in the system that attackers could potentially exploit
Penetration test – entails simulating an attack on the system in order to further examine its security posture
Configuration review – aims to ensure that user accounts follow best practices for authentication and authorization according to organizational policy

Benefits of an IT audit

Conducting an IT audit right at the start of the year can benefit your business in the following ways:

Improved security

An IT audit can help your company detect and mitigate threats early in the year. By being proactive, you can identify weaknesses in your data protection measures, as well as any potential risks associated with these vulnerabilities, before operations get busy. It’s interesting to note that the beginning of the year is when retail businesses, in particular, traditionally experience a slump, with sales and foot traffic usually dropping.

Increased efficiency

By conducting an IT audit, you can identify areas where your business’s processes are inefficient or outdated. This helps to reduce costs and improve overall organizational performance by streamlining operations and enhancing user experience. Clients feel valued and respected when a company swiftly tackles areas of improvement and addresses them early in the year.

Strengthened reputation

There’s also no better way to build trust with customers and business partners than by conducting an IT audit at the start of the year. This is a good way for your company to demonstrate your commitment to cybersecurity and data protection and showcase your dedication to compliance with legal requirements and industry standards. In highly regulated industries such as legal, healthcare, and finance, this is crucial.

Greater efficiency

A thorough IT audit enhances your team’s workflow efficiency by streamlining processes. The audit should be tailored to your organization’s specific needs, size, industry type, and geographic location so that it provides meaningful insights into operational risks while creating minimal disruption during the process.

If your business in Utah is facing IT security and data risks, invest in an auditing service custom-made to your business’s needs. Doing so will ensure that all of your company’s assets remain secure and uncompromised. Get in touch with NetWize’s team of IT professionals to get started. Call us today.

Your cybersecurity architecture needs to have these 6 critical components

With cybercriminals employing a wide array of methods to steal your business’s confidential information nowadays, your IT team should always be fully alert to any cyberattack that may occur. But they can’t do it alone. People, tools, and processes must work in sync in safeguarding your organization’s IT infrastructure. In this article, we’ll discuss the vital elements of any cybersecurity infrastructure so you can maintain a strong cybersecurity posture.

Cybersecurity architecture and its essential components

Cybersecurity architecture is a framework of policies and processes for securing an organization’s IT infrastructure. This combines all the technologies, tools, and security measures that work together to protect computers, networks, and data from internal and external attacks. If done correctly, your security architecture can help ensure that any sensitive information stored in your organization’s in-house databases or cloud-based systems remains safe.

Make sure you incorporate the following critical components into your cybersecurity architecture to boost your IT systems, anticipate potential cyberthreats, and block them before they do any damage.

1. Firewall

Firewalls allow you to control the type of traffic that can access your network and block anything that does not meet your established policies. They also let you segment access to all areas of your network and restrict access to certain users.

Furthermore, firewalls help protect against malware, ransomware, and other malicious attacks by inspecting incoming and outgoing data packets. They may use port and protocol filtering to monitor inbound and outbound traffic on ports commonly used by cybercriminals, thus preventing malicious traffic from getting through your network’s defenses. Additionally, firewalls can be configured to detect suspicious activity such as large file transfers that could indicate an ongoing attack or one that’s about to take place.

2. Intrusion prevention systems (IPS)

Intrusion prevention systems work hand in hand with firewalls by monitoring all data packets entering or leaving the network for signs of malicious activity. If it detects any suspicious behavior, the IPS will alert the system administrator to take the appropriate action, such as blocking or quarantining a connection before it does serious damage.

3. Endpoint protection

The primary goal of endpoint protection is to detect and prevent malicious activity from occurring in your network, which can be done by monitoring endpoints like computers, mobile gadgets, and Internet of Things (IoT) devices for signs of suspicious behavior. Endpoint protection solutions can be hardware, software, or a combination of the two and are designed to detect advanced threats such as zero-day attacks and malware that can bypass traditional security measures.

4. Web filtering

Web filtering helps protect against malicious threats that can come from accessing malicious websites. A web filter analyzes and categorizes web traffic to identify potentially malicious sites, and then blocks access to those sites.

In addition to providing protection from malicious content, web filtering can also be used to enforce acceptable use policies within an organization, such as prohibiting access to certain types of content like pornography or gambling sites.

5. Access control systems

Access control systems allow organizations to protect sensitive information by restricting who has access to the system and what they can do within it. They do this by monitoring user activity, determining which users have access to which network resources, and providing authentication so that only authorized users are allowed in.

Access control systems usually include user authentication, role-based access control (RBAC), and multifactor authentication protocols.

User authentication requires users to provide a username and password before they can access the network.
Role-based access control is a mechanism that grants privileges and restricts access based on the user’s specific role in the organization.
Multifactor authentication protocols require users to enter multiple pieces of information (e.g., a password and biometric data) before they can gain access.

6. Cyber resiliency assessment

Cyber resiliency assessment provides a comprehensive overview of the organization’s current cybersecurity posture. It evaluates the effectiveness of existing measures, identifies any potential gaps, and helps to develop an actionable plan for improvement.

A cyber resiliency assessment should include an in-depth review of the organization’s security policies, procedures, and tools used to protect against cyberattacks. This includes identifying any potential vulnerabilities that could be exploited (such as weak authentication or inadequate encryption) and determining the risk associated with each threat. The assessment should also consider internal factors such as employee training and awareness programs, patch management policies, and the organization’s response plan in the event of a breach.

NetWize’s IT experts help businesses in Salt Lake City and across Utah stay on top of their cybersecurity infrastructure and make sure it is up to date with the latest security measures and protocols. Call us today at 801-747-3200 or leave us a message to get started.

Should your business invest in a password manager?

If your company is like most companies today, you probably have a lot of passwords — and it has probably gotten to the point where you can’t keep track of them all. This can be troublesome and it’s why a password manager is vital for businesses like yours.

What is a password manager?

A password manager is a program that stores and generates passwords for all of your accounts. It functions like a digital wallet in that it keeps your passwords in a secure place and allows you to access them with a single master password. A good password manager will also include other features, such as password breach notifications, password resets, password syncing across devices, and more.

Why do I need a password manager?

If you have passwords for emails, online bank accounts, project management applications, etc., it can be difficult to keep track of them all, especially if you have unique passwords for dozens of accounts. Using a password manager removes the risk of you forgetting or leaking your passwords.

Also, a password manager can help you generate strong, unique passcodes for each of your accounts. This will make it nearly impossible for hackers to gain unauthorized access to your accounts and confidential data.

Is a password manager safe?

Yes, a password manager is safe, and it’s a lot safer to use one than to try to remember all of your passwords, list them on a spreadsheet, or note them down on paper. When you use a password manager, your passwords are encrypted and stored in a secure location that only you can access.

Additionally, most password managers like Keeper, Dashlane, 1Password, and a few others include two-factor authentication and encryption. Most password managers use AES encryption, which is the industry standard. AES 256, in particular, is the strongest level of encryption that is indecipherable to third parties.

Why should you invest in a quality password manager?

Here are several reasons your business should ditch password spreadsheets and start using a password manager:

It is simple to use and can be accessed from any internet-connected device.
It is infinitely more secure than your “Passwords” Excel file, which is easily hackable and not as handy as a password manager.
It can save you a lot of time because instead of having to remember or look up multiple passcodes or passphrases, you can simply use a single master password to log in to an account or app. Additionally, a password manager can autofill online forms, so you don’t have to enter usernames and passwords every time you log in.
It’s affordable. There are free and paid password managers, and for the security they give you, investing in one will eventually save you money in the long run.
Some password managers enable you to share passwords with coworkers, which makes it easier to keep your team’s or organization’s information safe.

Some caveats

A password manager can offer you a lot of advantages, but you should also keep in mind certain things when using one.

Make sure you never forget your master password! If you do forget your master password, you won’t be able to access your passwords. You could get into a lot of trouble if you do, and your password manager cannot help you if you forget the master password. It’s still necessary to choose a difficult-to-guess password, but it should be one that you will remember.
A hacked password manager could be catastrophic. If for any reason, hackers get their hands on your master password, they’ll have access to your other accounts as well. But as long as you choose a strong, unique master password and enable two-factor authentication, you can rest assured that your passwords are safe.

If you’re looking for an affordable way to improve your business’s security, a password manager is a great option. And if you’re interested in other cybersecurity solutions to boost the security of your company’s data, talk to our IT professionals today.

5 Ways to stay cyber-secure during the holiday season

The holiday season is a great time to reconnect with family and friends, but it’s also a prime time for scammers to prey on unwitting victims. Whether you’re planning a party, shopping for gifts online, or making travel arrangements, the festive season is not the time to let your guard down, especially since cybercriminals are working doubly hard during the holidays.

In fact, like you, cyber scammers are very busy during the season. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, highly impactful ransomware attacks occur during holidays and weekends because it is when people tend to be less vigilant against threats.

Here are some ways to protect yourself and your loved ones from holiday scams:

1. Be aware of common scams

Common holiday scams include fake charity solicitations, free vacation offers, and fake delivery notifications. If you’re unfamiliar with a particular offer or solicitation, research it before responding.

Scammers will take advantage of people’s generosity during the festive season and pretend to be a charitable foundation soliciting donations for the needy. To make sure you are giving to legitimate organizations, use online resources that verify charity foundations and provide detailed information about where their donations go.

Scammers will take advantage of people’s generosity during the festive season and pretend to be a charitable foundation soliciting donations for the needy.

You might also receive fake vacation prizes during the holidays. Scammers might send an unsolicited email or give you a call to tell you that you won a free getaway to a popular vacation destination. If you’re asked to pay fees or taxes, you should ignore the message or alert the authorities, as it’s likely fraudsters looking to steal your sensitive information and make money off of you.

Scammers are also aware that many people are expecting packages during the holidays, so be careful when receiving package delivery notices, whether via email, text, or phone call. These may be phishing attempts designed to steal your personal data.

2. Don’t give out personal information

This includes your complete name, contact details, Social Security number, or financial information like credit card or debit card number. Scammers can acquire these details to commit a variety of scams including identity theft or fraud.

3. Be cautious about online shopping

When shopping online, only visit or purchase from secure websites. Around the holidays, cybercriminals create fraudulent sites that look like real ones. To entice prospective customers, they might offer products and services at very low prices for a limited period.

Follow these tips for a secure online shopping experience:

Shop only from established online retailers whose websites’ URL starts with “https,” and look for a padlock icon. This means that a site uses SSL protection and is therefore safe to submit your payment details to.
Read reviews about the seller’s site and products, including those found on its social media pages. These could tell you whether a site is trustworthy.
Use a credit card or prepaid debit card when making a purchase online rather than a a debit card linked to your bank account. Credit cards are less risky to use, as most credit card providers provide fraud liability protections.
As much as possible, connect to a secure Wi-Fi network when shopping online. Public Wi-Fi connections like those in airports and cafés may be free but aren’t 100% safe.

4. Use strong passwords and enable multifactor authentication (MFA)

Use a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters when creating passwords for online accounts. Better yet, create long passphrases. Avoid using easy-to-guess words or phrases such as your name, address, or birthdate.

For added security, enable MFA whenever possible. MFA is an additional layer of security that requires you to provide another piece of information beyond your password when logging in. This can be in the form of a code that’s sent to your phone or generated by an app, or a biometric factor like your fingerprint or facial recognition.

5. Monitor your bank activity

Keep an eye on your bank account and credit card statements for any unauthorized charges. The moment you see something suspicious, notify your bank or credit card company immediately.

To learn more about advanced security options that can protect your Salt Lake City company all year round, contact NetWize’s IT experts. Request a free consultation today.

6 Reasons to implement zero trust security in your business

Similar to how castles are protected with moats, networks are traditionally secured using tools and measures, such as firewalls, to create a barrier between the organization and potential threats. Users within the network are considered trustworthy and free to access any resource they please.

However, the castle moat analogy no longer works in today’s interconnected world, where users often access sensitive data from outside the network using their personal devices. To effectively protect your business’s data, you need a more stringent security strategy that doesn’t rely on network perimeter defenses. This is where zero trust security comes in.

What is zero trust?

Zero trust is a security model that treats all users and devices — even those already within the network — as potential threats. Users are given access to just the resources they need to do their tasks and must go through strict authentication and authorization processes. Zero trust usually employs advanced measures like encryption and multifactor authentication to safeguard data.

Why should you implement zero trust security?

There are many reasons to implement zero trust security in your business.

Enhanced security posture

Sophisticated cyberthreats are usually adept at breaching conventional network perimeter defenses. Zero trust acknowledges that breaches have become inevitable in today’s digital landscape and focuses on identifying malicious activity and preventing it from spreading throughout the network. It prevents unauthorized parties from accessing sensitive data, even if they have managed to penetrate the network perimeter.

Greater resistance to insider threats

An insider threat comes from within your organization, such as a current or former employee, contractor, or business partner. These threats can have malicious intent, like when a disgruntled ex-employee purposely leaks sensitive company data. In other cases, an insider threat could be accidental in nature, such as when an employee unwittingly falls for a phishing scam.

Zero trust security can help mitigate insider threats by strictly limiting access to resources, preventing insiders from taking sensitive data they’re not supposed to have access to. In this manner, zero trust also deters hackers who may have stolen your employees’ credentials and are trying to access your network.

More visibility into activity within your network

With zero trust, you can see who is accessing which resources and when. This can help you quickly identify malicious or unauthorized activity, so you can take corrective action before any damage is done. This also helps you develop more effective cybersecurity policies for future use.

Cost savings

Zero trust security can help you save on costs associated with conventional cybersecurity strategies. For example, since zero trust security doesn’t rely on network parameters for user segmentation, a virtual private network becomes optional. What’s more, zero trust can help you avoid the costs associated with data breaches, such as fines, reputation damage, and loss of customer trust.

Improved compliance

Businesses in highly regulated industries like healthcare and finance are required to go beyond basic cybersecurity measures to protect their customers’ data. The extra layer of security zero trust offers can help your business meet stringent industry compliance requirements imposed by frameworks like PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR.

Increased productivity

A zero trust security strategy doesn’t rely on network parameters to segment users and devices, so employees can work from anywhere without sacrificing security. This increases productivity, as employees don’t need to be on site to access the resources they need. They can work even in situations when they can’t make it to the office for some reason. This also allows them to work wherever is most comfortable and conducive for them.

Given the rate at which cyberthreats evolve, you need to adopt more advanced cybersecurity strategies like zero trust to effectively defend your business and its data. At [company_short], our IT experts can help you develop policies and identify the tools you need to implement such a strategy. Contact us today.

What are the responsibilities of a cybersecurity consultant?

Up until a few years ago, you could protect your business adequately from cyberthreats by installing a firewall and antivirus software on your work devices. Considering the rapid pace at which new cyberthreats emerge and existing ones evolve, your business needs the expertise of a cybersecurity consultant to ensure that your cyber defenses are always adequate.

What is a cybersecurity consultant?

A cybersecurity consultant is an information security expert who helps businesses determine their cybersecurity risks and the measures they need to take to mitigate those risks. They are also sometimes called information security consultants or cybersecurity advisors.

Cybersecurity consultants are rarely full-time employees. Instead, they are usually hired on a per-project basis to assess a specific cybersecurity concern or to help implement a new cybersecurity strategy. After the project is complete, the consultant may be retained to provide advice and support as needed.

What does a cybersecurity consultant do?

Cybersecurity consultants may specialize in certain requirements or industries. For example, some may be specialists in regulatory compliance. But in general, cybersecurity consultants perform the following tasks:

Analyze threats and system vulnerabilities through routine checks and tests
Develop, implement, and update protocols for detecting and preventing cyber incidents
Train employees in cybersecurity awareness and best practices
Provide supplementary guidance to the client’s in-house IT team
Provide sound IT advice based on the latest cyberthreats and data security trends

Why should you hire a cybersecurity consultant?

Cyberthreats continue to evolve, becoming more and more dangerous to businesses with time. Ransomware, for instance, can now compromise cloud-based systems in what is called a ransomcloud attack. Working with a cybersecurity consultant can help your business stay prepared and equipped to face such changing threats for the following reasons:

1. Consultants possess specialized knowledge and experience

If you already have an internal IT team, you may think hiring a cybersecurity consultant is nothing more than a redundancy, but you’d be wrong. IT professionals specialize in various fields, and those that comprise your in-house team may be well-versed in network administration or software development but lack the necessary cybersecurity expertise. Putting them in charge of your business’s data security could result in a suboptimal cybersecurity infrastructure.

Cybersecurity consultants, on the other hand, specialize in information security. They know the cybersecurity landscape well and are up to date with the latest cybersecurity trends. As such, they can provide your business with a thorough assessment of your cybersecurity posture and make well-informed recommendations for improvement.

2. They offer objective solutions

Because a consultant is technically an outsider to your company, they can provide an objective perspective on cybersecurity issues. Oftentimes, cybersecurity concerns are not immediately apparent to those within the company who are too close to the problem. A consultant can help you identify potential cybersecurity risks that you may have otherwise overlooked.

What’s more, a consultant’s third-party status means they are not as affected by internal company politics as full-time employees are. This allows them to make cybersecurity recommendations that are based solely on what is best for the company, not on what will further the agenda of any particular person or group. For instance, a consultant may recommend the implementation of a new cybersecurity solution even if doing so means replacing an existing system that is championed by a powerful individual within the company.

3. They can help educate your employees

As they perform their daily tasks, employees are exposed to cybersecurity risks through a variety of channels, such as email, the internet, and social media. Oftentimes, these risks are not immediately apparent, and employees may inadvertently put the company at risk by clicking on a malicious link or opening a phishing email.

A cybersecurity consultant can help educate your employees on how to identify cybersecurity threats and how to avoid them. Increasing their awareness transforms your employees from a potential vulnerability into a veritable cybersecurity asset. Doing this also empowers them to take an active role in protecting the company, which can further strengthen your cybersecurity posture.

If you’re looking to improve your cybersecurity posture, hiring a cybersecurity consultant is a step in the right direction. At [company_short], we have cybersecurity specialists who can help you augment your company’s cyber defenses and equip you to face any cybersecurity risk. Contact our IT experts now to get started.

5 Crucial elements your data security strategy should cover

Cyberthreats continue to evolve as cybercriminals refine their methods and tools. Not only are there more ways to launch cyberattacks today, but cyberthreats have also become more dangerous to businesses. Newer ransomware versions, for example, do not just prevent user access to key systems, but also steal victims’ data.

Thus, it’s imperative for businesses in Salt Lake City to develop comprehensive cybersecurity strategies against multiple types of cyberthreats. In order for such strategies to be effective, they need to cover the following key elements of data security:

1. Access control

Some of the biggest threats to your data security come from within your company itself. Insider threats, as they are called, are former and current members of your organization whose negligence, errors, or malicious actions endanger your cybersecurity. They could be disgruntled workers who steal your data to sell to competitors or they could be executives whose compromised work accounts were used to hack company databases.

An effective way to protect your business from insider threats is through access control. It involves granting employees only the access they need to do their respective tasks. For example, the members of your sales team can access customer data but not your company’s financial or employee information.

By limiting employees’ access to information, access control minimizes the amount of company information that insiders can leak. It also makes it easier to determine how a data breach occurred, as well as develop measures to prevent the incident from reoccurring.

2. Authentication

Passwords remain among the most popular methods for securing online business accounts, even though they’re far from the most effective. In fact, 61% of data breaches in 2021 involved credentials, according to Verizon, with 25% of these incidents involving stolen passwords.

Your cybersecurity strategy should, therefore, include more stringent measures for verifying user identities than simple passwords. One such method is multifactor authentication (MFA), which requires users to provide two or more proofs of their identity before they can gain access to an account.

Besides passwords, verification factors can include biometrics (e.g., fingerprint and iris scans), security questions, one-time codes (sent via text or email), and physical items, such as tokens and keycards. MFA makes it much harder for cybercriminals to gain access to your company accounts by increasing the number of verification factors to gain entry.

3. Data encryption

There are several methods cybercriminals can use to access your data. On top of infiltrating your network, they can also capture your data as it is transmitted over the internet. Or they could eavesdrop on your phone or online conversations in order to gain access to sensitive information.

Data encryption protects your data against these threats. It scrambles stored or transmitted data into a code that unauthorized users cannot decipher if they do not have a decryption key. This ensures that even if cybercriminals were to intercept your business’s data, they won’t be able to read, use, or sell it for profit.

4. Mobile management

Smartphones and tablets have become essential tools for business, as they allow employees to work remotely. However, these devices are also a major security risk because they can easily be lost or stolen.

Mobile management involves the use of software to secure and manage mobile devices that are used to access company data. It enables you to locate lost or stolen mobile devices and lock them remotely. You can even use mobile management solutions to remotely wipe all business data stored on these devices in case they’re lost or their owner leaves the company.

5. Data backups

Having backups of crucial business data ensures that after a data loss incident, such as a natural disaster, cyberattack, or hardware failure, you have the files necessary to immediately resume operations. This way, you can prevent extended downtime and its many adverse effects on your company.

When developing a data backup strategy, you should follow the 3-2-1 rule. This rule stipulates that you should create three duplicates of your data, which are stored on two different media types, and with one copy being kept off site. This way, you can be confident that even if your primary and secondary data storage solutions fail, you’ll still have a backup copy to fall back on.

Cybersecurity can play a significant role in your business’s resilience and potential for growth. To ensure that your cybersecurity strategy effectively covers all your bases, consult with the cybersecurity specialists at [company_short]. We will evaluate your company’s cybersecurity infrastructure and help you develop a business plan that addresses all the required elements and helps you meet your data security goals. Talk to our experts today.

Everything you need to know about privilege escalation threats

Today’s IT systems are designed to support multiple user accounts, each of which provides the user with a specific set of abilities called privileges. These privileges may include accessing certain hardware or applications, viewing or editing files, and making modifications to the IT system. High-level privileges, such as those held by IT administrators, often provide greater access and control over the system than lower-tier privileges, such as those given to guest users, do.

What is privilege escalation?

In privilege escalation, an attacker exploits errors, vulnerabilities, and configuration oversights in an operating system to access IT resources and areas beyond what their privileges normally allow. For instance, cybercriminals who have stolen a low-level employee’s user account credentials can use privilege escalation techniques to gain abilities reserved only for members of the company’s IT team.

Privilege escalation is rarely the end goal for cybercriminals — rather, it is often one of the initial steps toward various malicious activities. When successful, it gives crooks greater control over the victim’s IT system, enabling them to access sensitive data and disable key security measures. They can then more easily plant malware, commit data theft, and launch more specific cyberattacks.

There are two types of privilege escalation, namely vertical and horizontal. Vertical privilege escalation involves someone with low-level privileges attempting to gain higher ones. Horizontal privilege escalation, on the other hand, involves someone with high-tier privileges trying to access company resources that are outside their normal area of responsibility. For instance, a cybercriminal may use IT admin privileges to access the company’s bank accounts.

Privilege escalation is rarely the end goal for cybercriminals — rather, it is often one of the initial steps toward various malicious activities.

How can you prevent privilege escalation?

Preventing privilege escalation can save your company from the reputational and financial damage caused by cyberattacks. To do this, you will need a two-layered approach that addresses the various privilege escalation techniques used by cybercriminals.

Layer 1: Employees/Users

In many cases, cybercriminals must first gain access to your employees’ credentials. You can address this risk with the following steps:

1. Enforce the principle of least privilege

Give your employees access to only the specific resources they need to accomplish their tasks. For example, HR staff should not be able to reconfigure IT security. This limits the amount of data that cybercriminals can access and prevents them from easily moving laterally across your network.

2. Implement password best practices

Sometimes, cybercriminals can steal user accounts by simply guessing the owner’s password. Prevent this by requiring your staff to follow password best practices, including:

Creating passwords that are at least 12 characters long and composed of letters, numbers, and special characters
Using a unique password for each of their online accounts
Never keeping their passwords in notebooks, memo pads, word and text documents, and other media that can be easily seen or stolen

You can also use password managers like LastPass and Dashlane to make creating, storing, and updating passwords easier. To further boost account security, implement multifactor authentication where possible. This requires users to submit several proofs of their identity before they can enter online accounts or access resources, preventing cybercriminals from getting far across your network even with stolen passwords.

3. Train your staff

Cybersecurity awareness training can help your staff avoid mistakes that can lead to cyber incidents and turns them into valuable assets for your company’s cybersecurity.

Layer 2: Applications

Cybercriminals may also exploit vulnerabilities in your business applications to infiltrate your network. You can address this risk through the following methods:

1. Update your applications regularly

Software manufacturers typically release patches for errors, bugs, and security vulnerabilities in their products. You should install these updates the moment they become available to prevent cybercriminals from abusing these flaws at your company’s expense.

2. Review and correct permissions

Make sure that the access permissions on all of your company’s files, directories, and servers can be accessed only by the right users.

3. Remove unused user accounts

Regularly audit current user accounts and delete those created for former employees. Unused accounts can be used by cybercriminals as entry points and may also be utilized for insider attacks.

Privilege escalation is a complex issue that poses immense risk to your organization. At [company_short], our cybersecurity specialists can help by uncovering weaknesses in your IT infrastructure and developing strategies to effectively address these. Start taking steps against privilege escalation by contacting our IT experts today.

What are the risks and benefits of a BYOD setup?

In a bring your own device (BYOD) arrangement, employees use their personal computers or smartphones to perform their tasks. This setup became especially popular during the COVID-19 pandemic when many workers were forced to work from home. If you want to successfully implement a BYOD arrangement in your company, then you must first understand and address the risks it could pose.

What are the risks of a BYOD setup?

There are several reasons why many business owners hesitate to adopt BYOD arrangements.

Cybersecurity risks

Allowing your staff to use their personal devices to access and process critical business data can increase your risk of data breach and loss. This is because, unlike office devices that are equipped with enterprise-grade cybersecurity tools, your employees’ personal devices likely only have free security software, if at all.

To resolve these issues, require your staff to install anti-malware software on all personal devices they use for work. Your staff should also create a separate user account on their device specifically for work purposes. You can then use mobile device management (MDM) solutions to take control of and secure work accounts without intruding on how your employees use their devices outside work hours. To ensure that you’re on the right track, ask our experts at [company_short] for BYOD security best practices you should implement

Lack of control

You have little to no control over how personal devices are used beyond work hours. That is, your staff could be using their devices to visit malware-laden websites or download potentially dangerous files. They may also be connecting to unsecured networks, such as free public Wi-Fi, putting their own and your company’s privacy at risk.

Resolve this issue by developing and implementing acceptable use policies that define which applications and assets your employees may access using their personal devices. At the same time, train your employees on good digital hygiene practices, such as avoiding suspicious networks, files, and websites.

What are the benefits of BYOD?

Addressing the risks of BYOD will help your company reap the following benefits:

Increased productivity

Many people know their personal devices like the back of their hands. They understand their gadgets’ capabilities and can even troubleshoot minor issues, and these devices are configured to suit their users’ preferences and habits. Because of these, workers are very comfortable when using their personal devices for work and can be more efficient when doing so than if they were using relatively unfamiliar company-issued hardware.

Enhanced flexibility

Your employees likely have their smartphones or laptops with them all the time. If your company is following a BYOD setup, this means your staff can work on their tasks wherever they are. Flexible working arrangements can keep your employees safe during dangerous times (like during a pandemic) and allow them to work where they are most comfortable. This is why flexibility is such an important perk, especially for younger workers.

Great savings

Issuing work devices can cost your company a lot of money. You’ll need to pay for the machines themselves, as well as the licenses for all the applications and tools that will be run on those devices. Additionally, your company will have to shoulder the cost of troubleshooting, maintaining, upgrading, and updating both hardware and software, not to mention utilities, space, and other associated expenses. Even with only 10 employees, each with their own work devices, you could lose several thousand dollars a year because of these costs.

Letting your staff use their personal devices spares your business from many of these expenses. For one, your employees likely already have important business applications, such as the Microsoft Office suite, installed on their gadgets. Under a BYOD setup, your staff will also shoulder the cost of repairing, maintaining, upgrading, and running their personal devices, unless you agree on terms that state otherwise.

A BYOD arrangement can be advantageous to your business, especially if you’re aiming to improve your company’s productivity and reduce costs. At [company_short], we can help you develop and implement BYOD policies that take into account and address your company’s unique needs. Talk to our experts today to get started.

What is Ransomcloud, and what are its dangers to your business

Ransomware is one of the most dangerous cyberthreats today. In fact, a recent study found that businesses in the United States suffered 22 days of downtime on average after they were hit by a ransomware attack.

Normally, ransomware works by encrypting a computer’s local file system, preventing a user from accessing their data until they pay a ransom. A new strain called ransomcloud, however, can infiltrate cloud-based systems. In this blog, we will discuss how it works and what you can do to protect your systems.

What is Ransomcloud?

Ransomcloud is a ransomware variant that attacks cloud-based platforms such as Google Workspace and Microsoft 365.

Ransomcloud attacks leverage phishing emails, or messages that appear to come from trusted entities like banks, business partners, or colleagues to gain the victim’s trust. These emails typically contain a link to a web page that, when clicked on, will ask the user to log in to their account. The fraudulent web page will request permission to access the user’s data, sign into their accounts, and read their calendars and contacts.

Should the user grant these permissions, the ransomcloud will encrypt the user’s emails and files to make them unreadable. It will then demand a ransom for the user to regain access to their data.

What are the dangers of Ransomcloud to your business?

If one of your employees grants ransomcloud access to your systems, they can lose access to their email accounts, messages, contacts, and files. And when your workers cannot access their apps and files, their productivity suffers. Cybercriminals can even send emails as the victim to spread the malware even further across your IT network.

Cybercriminals can also threaten to leak your business’s sensitive data unless a ransom is paid. However, we at NetWize highly discourage you from paying the ransom, as there’s no guarantee that you’ll regain access to your cloud systems. Some cybercriminals may leak your data even if you paid the ransom. Paying also sets a bad precedent because it only encourages cybercriminals to victimize more individuals and businesses.

How can you protect your organization from Ransomcloud attacks?

Keep your business protected from ransomcloud attacks through the following best practices:

1. Deploy role-based access controls (RBAC)

If every employee in your company can access all of your files, cybercriminals will only need to infect one account with ransomcloud to compromise your data.

By implementing RBAC, you can regulate network access based on each employee’s role. This means that a worker can only access the files and applications needed to perform their tasks, thus minimizing the potential damage of ransomcloud.

2. Use multilayered security

Using multiple layers of cybersecurity solutions mitigates the risk of future ransomcloud attacks. Each layer provides an additional level of protection, making it harder for threat actors to infiltrate your cloud systems. Your security framework should include the following:

Email protection solutions: These must have a spam filter, data loss protection, and end-to-end encryption to protect your cloud systems from email-based cyberattacks.
Antivirus software: The best antivirus software should be able monitor your IT infrastructure round the clock to protect against malware.
Intrusion prevention system (IPS): An IPS regularly inspects network traffic to identify vulnerabilities and prevent threat actors from exploiting them.
Web content filtering: This prevents users from accessing malicious websites, thus reducing the risk of a malware infection.

3. Create offline backups

Back up your important data in external hard drives, DVDs, or flash drives, as they cannot be infected by ransomcloud. Alternatively, you can partner with a reliable managed IT services provider like NetWize. We will store your files in our secure off-site servers and monitor them round the clock to prevent any issues.

4. Educate your employees

Because ransomcloud attacks use phishing emails, teach everyone in your organization how to recognize these messages. For instance, you can train them to be wary of messages that ask for their login credentials or permission to access their data.

You should also teach your staff to use strong passwords and enable multifactor authentication. Lastly, conduct cybersecurity awareness training regularly to help your employees identify and avoid the latest cyberthreats.

NetWize offers reliable protection from cloud-based threats like ransomcloud. We will monitor your cloud systems 24/7 and make sure that issues are taken care of before they cause productivity-crippling downtime. Get your FREE IT assessment from us today.