Why You Need to Consider Virtual CIO (vCIO) Services

Small business owners are often short on time while trying to manage a variety of tasks each day. A lack of focus on certain areas of your company often results in many missed opportunities. One way to overcome these issues is to invest in virtual CIO services for your small business. A virtual CIO can assist you with a wide range of tasks, which takes a lot off your plate and creates a less stressful work environment.

 

Here are a few of the top reasons why you need to consider virtual CIO services. 

 

Cost-Effective Strategy

Many businesses aren't large enough to hire a full-time CIO or even in-house IT employees. All of these salaries and different benefits can quickly add up and make it impossible for your company to stay within budget. However, using a vCIO is a great way to take advantage of these IT services without the high costs. You will only pay a fixed fee without paying overhead expenses or worrying about the costs of training new employees.

 

Greater Cybersecurity Protection

An added benefit of using vCIO services for your company is that it provides you with more cybersecurity protection. These IT professionals are responsible for maintaining network security infrastructure while also keeping your system up to date with the latest patches. Taking these additional precautions can make a big difference in giving your business an extra layer of security against the ever-evolving number of cyber schemes.

 

Future Tech Planning

Preparing for the future is an essential strategy for any small business owner. Using a vCIO adds a strategic element to your business, as they help develop long-term strategies to maximize your chance for success. One of the main objectives of a vCIO is to help you leverage technology to fuel business growth while keeping your costs to a minimum.

 

Disaster Planning

A cybersecurity incident can impact your business even if you take all of the necessary precautions. Developing an incident response plan to these situations is critical in limiting these damages. A vCIO can play a key role in helping you with disaster planning by creating a mitigation strategy for handling a wide range of scenarios.

 

Around the Clock Support

Sometimes tech problems can arise and lead to hours of downtime. Trying to figure out these issues on your own creates a lot of stress. On the other hand, using a vCIO is a great way to receive immediate assistance for tech issues, big or small. Around the clock, support will keep downtime to a minimum and boost the productivity levels of your employees.

 

Closing Thoughts

Choosing to partner with a vCIO is a great choice for many small to mid-size businesses. Using these services is more affordable than hiring your own IT team while also giving you access to state-of-the-art cybersecurity protection. These IT professionals will also offer guidance for implementing future tech strategies for your business. All of these different benefits make selecting a vCIO an excellent investment for business owners.

 

by

Robert Blake

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5831

One Little Email Carries Big Risks

One Little Email Carries Big Risks

---

The biggest danger to your company’s cybersecurity isn’t someone hacking into your systems. It’s one phishing email. Phishing is the primary delivery system for all of today’s nastiest cyberattacks, from ransomware to business email compromise, and every organization is at risk for falling victim to an attack. In a record-breaking year for cybercrime, phishing risk ballooned by more than 600% in Q2 2020 and stayed elevated for the rest of the year.

What facilitates more phishing? More email. As businesses went remote last year (and many remain hybrid this year) an enormous increase in email volume led the way for equally enormous increases in every type of phishing attack. Cybercriminals did not hesitate to capitalize on that opportunity. Industry reporting notes that business email compromise attacks were up by 14%, while cloud-based attacks shot up by more than 40%. Experts estimate that one out of every 99 messages a business receives contains a phishing attack. 

Reduce your company’s risk of phishing disaster through security awareness and phishing resistance training with BullPhish ID. Results come quickly. Companies \that run phishing simulators for the first time learn that 40% to 60% of their employees are likely to open malicious links or attachments. But after about 6 months of training, that percentage drops 20% to 25% and after 3 to 6 months more training, that number can drop to only 10% to 18%. 

An estimated  97% of employees in a wide array of industries are unable to recognize a sophisticated phishing email. With phishing as the primary threat vector for most damaging cyberattacks, that’s bad new for businesses. Reduce your chance of getting caught by phishing by keeping your employees’ phishing resistance training up to date, because phishing attacks are definitely coming your way, with potentially devastating consequences.

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5831

Now More Than Ever, Getting the Right Advice on Cybersecurity is Critical

Now More Than Ever, Getting the Right Advice on Cybersecurity is Critical

---

These days, stories of devastating cyberattacks are in the news every day. From frightening attacks on infrastructure targets by nation-state threat actors to ransomware threats from small-time operators looking to make a quick buck, cybersecurity threats are around every corner for businesses in 2021. Last year, more than 80% of businesses saw an increase in cyber threats in a record-breaking year for cybercrime – and damaging attacks like ransomware are already up by more than 40% in 2021. How can your business stay safe from cyberattacks in this volatile atmosphere?

An assortment of variables can impact your company’s safety, from the industry that you’re in to the desirability of your data. Even the location of your company can play a part in your likelihood of experiencing cybercrime. Your employees’ habits and your staff makeup can also impact your security calculus in good and bad ways. Don’t forget to consider the conditions of the world economy and the dark web economy as factors. Plus, the way that technology is changing and potentially providing cybercriminals with new avenues of attack.

The size of your business won’t keep you safe from cybercrime either. Many small and medium-sized businesses (SMB) have value as strategic targets that enable cybercriminals to gain access to larger operations. Even without that aspect, SMBs aren’t a potential profit center that cybercriminals are going to overlook. Not only can they provide valuable data and other assets, but they can also be profitable sources for making a quick profit from ransoms. Two in five SMBs were the victims of a ransomware attack in 2020.

An estimated 47% of small businesses aren’t adequately prepared for a cyberattack. Are you? Make sure that you’re ready for trouble by making the right cybersecurity moves with expert guidance from a trusted partner like an MSP. to give your business an edge against cybercrime as the threat level continues to rise.

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5831

Is Your Business in Danger from an Infrastructure Attack?

Is Your Business in Danger from an Infrastructure Attack?

---

Infrastructure targeted cyberattacks aren’t just the problem of big business, government and military targets these days. Increasingly, cybercriminals including nation-state actors, are setting their sights on smaller companies that may have weaker security. One in four attacks that IBM Security X-Force Incident Response remediated in 2020 were caused by ransomware. But by taking a few sensible precautions, you can bolster your defenses against this threat. 

Experts estimate that 51% of businesses were victims of ransomware in 2020. These included companies in data handling, cloud computing, medical information processing and storage, transportation, manufacturing, education and many other sectors that may not at first glance seem like infrastructure targets. By attacking companies that do business with big fish, cybercriminals can gain information about them, or even gain access to the systems of major targets, like recently happened with Solarwinds.

Cybercrime gangs overwhelmingly favor ransomware as their weapon of choice in these attacks. This multifunctional tool can be used to shut down production lines, steal data, lock down servers and cripple services. The number one delivery system for ransomware is phishing – 94 % of ransomware arrives at businesses via email. By preventing phishing attacks from finding success at your business, you can protect your business from ransomware.

BullPhish ID is the perfect solution for training staffers to resist phishing attacks. Customization capability means that your employees can be trained in simulations that mimic real threats that they face every day, no matter what your industry – including URLs, attachments and content. Plus, increased security awareness training that includes phishing resistance can reduce your risk of suffering a cybersecurity incident by up to 70%!

Take action now to protect your business from this growing threat by implementing sensible precautions like a security assessment to find vulnerabilities and increased security awareness training to ensure that you’re ready for trouble.

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5831

Is Cybercrime a Public Health Menace?

---

Healthcare organizations worldwide have seen an onslaught of cyberattacks in the last 12 months as cybercriminals seek to profit from an overburdened yet essential resource. In the midst of the global pandemic, heartless cybercriminals chose to slam healthcare and healthcare-related organizations with ransomware, phishing, hacking and other dangerous and disruptive cyberattacks. That means that cybercrime isn’t just an expensive inconvenience – it’s a public health menace. 

Ransomware incidents had a huge impact on the healthcare sector in 2020 – attacks against healthcare organizations have jumped about 45% since early November. Many of those attacks didn’t just snatch data from hospitals. Some ransomware attacks caused significant patient care disruptions, forcing staffers to rely on old-fashioned pencil and paper records in the midst of the world’s worst health crisis in generations. 

Data breaches at healthcare organizations have also soared by an estimated 55% in 2020, with huge spikes in Q4. These breaches affected more than 26 million people. That’s a big contributor to the flood of personally identifiable information that made its way to the dark web last year, increasing every company’s risk for dangers like a credential compromise. 

Protect your business from the increased risk of ransomware and credential compromise that healthcare and even healthcare-adjacent businesses are facing today. You’ll get the most value for your money by adding secure identity and access management using a dynamic solution like Passly. It includes multifactor authentication, one tool that provides strong protection against 99% of password-based cybercrime, like a phished password. You’ll have peace of mind knowing that you’ve made a strong move for your business.

If you only do one thing to improve your company’s cybersecurity posture this year, make it adding powerful protection against cybercrime with secure identity and access management with Passly.

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5831

The Healthcare Sector is Still Under Siege by Cybercriminals

The Healthcare Sector is Still Under Siege by Cybercriminals

---

Although every industry has been impacted by cyberattacks during the unprecedented wave of cybercrime in 2020, the healthcare sector really experienced a disproportionate share. That wasn’t good news in the middle of a global pandemic that was driving already challenged healthcare organizations to the brink and beyond in the worst health crisis in generations. Cybercriminals saw an opportunity and they took it – confirmed data breaches in the healthcare industry increased by 58% in 2020. Now industry experts are wrestling with a thorny question: are healthcare cyberattacks a legitimate public health crisis?

---

---

 No one disputes that cyberattacks against hospitals, health systems, research facilities, pharmaceutical manufacturers and even temperature-controlled transportation were incredibly disruptive to the COVID-19 pandemic response around the world. Experts estimate that the healthcare sector alone lost $25 billion alone last year and an estimated 27% of all cyberattacks in 2020 targeted healthcare organizations. That’s not including pharmaceutical companies, research facilities, testing laboratories, equipment manufacturers, technology providers, insurance companies and myriad other healthcare-related businesses.

This onslaught led to huge problems exactly when hospitals and clinics couldn’t stand to have anything else go wrong. Unfortunately, according to researchers at Blackberry, healthcare sector businesses are the most likely to pay ransoms, making them extremely attractive targets. The information gained in healthcare data breaches is also exceptionally desirable and valuable. During the race to develop a COVID-19 vaccine, the pressure was on pharmaceutical companies, with three major contenders breached in one week at the peak of the pressure. Two specific outcomes for healthcare-related cyberattacks have made an especially strong case for healthcare cybercrime constituting a public health crisis. 

---

Ransomware

Ransomware attacks against every target soared in 2020, and healthcare was no exception. Attacks against healthcare organizations dramatically increased in Q4 2020, with a month-over-month increase of about 45%in early November. That followed an alarming 71% spike in October. Researchers noted that on average, businesses and organizations faced an average of 440 ransomware attacks per week in October 2020 – and by the end of November 2020 that number climbed to 626 — nearly 90 attacks every single day.

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) didn’t wait to make a pronouncement about the status of ransomware attacks on healthcare targets. CISA, FBI and HHS joined together in a rare joint warningthe healthcare sector on October 28, 2020, to be on high alert for a new flood of attacks and continuing pressure, including potential activity by nation-state threat actors. Private security experts agree that it was the right call. At the time, the alert specifically called out TrickBot ransomware, but the suggested precautions would offer healthcare organizations strong protection against most other types of ransomware as well.

---

---

Care Continuum Impacts

The most feared result of potential cyberattacks against healthcare targets is a disruption in care. Many hospital systems experienced IT outages as a result of cyberattacks that caused serious problems. In some cases, hospitals were forced to resort to old-fashioned written records during these outages, or they experienced an inability to access important test results, scans, x-rays and other important patient information. Universal Health Services (UHS), a nationwide hospital and health facility operator in the US, experienced a massive IT network outage in late September 2020. The company was forced to disconnected its IT system after identifying a malware attack. The outage lasted for eight days in the middle of a pandemic wave, creating more stress for already overburdened medical; staffers in its facilities. In hundreds of UHS healthcare facilities across the US, healthcare workers were forced to resort to cumbersome downtime protocols and paper records during the outage.

It wasn’t just hospitals who have felt the pinch. Just last week, scores of US hospitals were impacted by a security breach at a specialist provider of equipment for cancer treatments.  Supply chain and third-party riskhas been a nightmare for every industry in the last 12 months. Swedish oncology and radiology system provider Elekta’s announcement of a data security incident, purported to be ransomware, was a heavy blow to 42 hospitals that were reliant on its first-generation cloud-based storage system. This led to an inability for providers to access the precise notes and details of radiotherapy treatments for patients. Yale New Haven Health in Connecticut was forced to take its radiation equipment offline for over a week, resulting in many of the hospital’s cancer patients being transferred to other providers with little notice.  Care disruptions are an unfortunate reality for many hospitals, and that makes cybercrime like this a public health emergency.

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5831

The Future of Fax A Look at Where It Is & Where It’s Going

The Future of Fax A Look at Where It Is & Where It’s Going   Wednesday, June 2, 2021 1:00 – 1:15 p.m. EST     Enterprise digital fax is evolving and it’s important to stay ahead of the curve. Whether you are running a fax server in house, having it hosted and managed in the cloud, or using software as a service (SaaS), join us for this informative 15-minute mini-webinar. We'll highlight where fax stands today and where its headed.   We'll also show you the various approaches to deploying your fax server, dive into some of the newest features available, and offer a peek into what the future holds.    You will learn: Various deployment methods for fax Some of the newest features & modules RightFax road map for upcoming versions Where fax technology is headed   This session is a must for developers and business teams alike.    We hope you can join us!

Sign Up Here

Bit by Bit, 115 West 29th Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10001

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5831