Industry & Regional Dangers Can Complicate Your Security

Industry & Regional Dangers Can Complicate Your Security

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While you’re considering your security needs, are you also considering your unique threats by industry or region? Cybersecurity isn’t a one-size-fits-all proposition in any business. you may face a higher incidence of certain threats depending on your region, as some cybercrime types are more prevalent by locale. In North America, Asia and Australia, social engineering through things like phishing reign as the leading regional cause of danger, but for European firms that factor changes to web application attacks, with social engineering in third place.

The reasons why companies are attacked change by region as well. Malicious insiders and cybercriminals have different motivations for undertaking cyberattacks in different parts of the world, and that can add variables that change your risk calculation. In North America and the Asia Pacific region including Australia, over 96% of the bad actors involved in data breach incidents are in it for the dough. While that is still the largest motivator for bad actors in Europe, that figure drops to 89%. 

Considering regional and industry risks is also important when you’re forming relationships with new vendors to determine what level of risk they may be bringing to the table. Unaddressed vulnerabilities in a supplier or service provider’s cybersecurity can have a negative impact n your business too. One great way to mitigate that risk is to add multifactor authentication (MFA) to your credentials to provide extra protection against intrusion with a stolen or compromised credential. An affordable secure identity and access management solution like Passly includes MFA and more tools to help you guard your systems and data from third-party risk. 

To make sure that you’re protecting your organization correctly and completely, schedule a cybersecurity tuneup at least once per year. By going over your resources and determining where you may have unexpected vulnerabilities because if regional variances, you’ll increase your company’s cyber resilience making it more able to withstand a dangerous cybersecurity landscape.

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

Automation Reduces Delays and Headaches

Automation Reduces Delays and Headaches 

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Everyone dreads having something go wrong in IT. The process of filing tickets, looking for answers and tracking down personnel doesn’t improve your day. But there is an easier way to get the job done. By choosing security solutions that make the most of today’s smart automation technology you can save your employees time and headaches – and you won’t have to blow up your budget to do it.

Security automation is an essential tool for businesses that want to maximize every dollar that they spend on security. In a recent report by IBM and the Ponemon Institute, experts noted that security automation can save more than 80% of the cost of manual security. That’s a big chunk of change for a small investment. 

In the same report, researchers uncovered another important piece of information: an estimated 80% of leading cyber-resilient organizations rely on security automation for all kinds of tasks. Why wait for a trouble ticket to resolve when you can just reset your password immediately using automation technology. Plus, smart solutions that utilize AI are constantly learning, reducing the need for maintenance.

Best of all, today’s automation technology isn’t expensive, allowing every business to access the benefits. Talk to your MSP about adding smart automation to your security plan and you can choose from an array of affordable options including dynamic solutions from ID Agent and Graphus to secure your business without breaking the bank.

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

Does a Data Breach Damage Your Company’s Financing Prospects?

Does a Data Breach Damage Your Company’s Financing Prospects? 

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The last thing that you want to discover when your company is in a bind is that a data breach that you had two years ago is impacting your ability to secure new financing at a rate that you can afford, but that’s exactly what has happened to many companies in the last few years.

In a recent study by the American Accounting Association, “Do Banks Price Firms’ Data Breaches?” it’s easy to see that a data breach can be a huge blot on a company’s financing prospects from banks and other lenders. Companies that experience a breach pay higher interest rates, face a 22% higher loan spread and a 40-basis-point increase as well as negative impacts on their collateral requirements and loan covenants.

The best way to stay out of that group is to take every possible security measure that you can to keep your systems and data safe. The most effective one for you to adopt immediately is secure identity and access management using a smart, affordable solution like Passly. Just by adding Multifactor Authentication (MFA), you’ll stay safe from 99.9% of password-based cybercrime. Plus, Passly gives you so many additional security boosters it’s like getting three solutions for the price of one.

Waiting until you’ve had a security disaster isn’t a good way to save money. Make a small investment in secure identity and access management now to ensure that you’re taking sensible precautions to protect your organization’s financial future.

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

Businesses Report Increasing Cyberattacks in 2021

Businesses Report Increasing Cyberattacks in 2021

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2020 was a banner year for cybercrime, and that trend isn’t slowing down in 2021. In a recent survey, more than 35% of businesses reported double-digit increases in cyberattack threats including ransomware and nation-state threats. At the same rate, hiring people with security experience for in-house security is extremely difficult and risks are changing constantly. How can you defend your business effectively? 

By turning to the same thing that the big players are using: security automation. Today’s smart tools enable companies to make a lean team more effective in spotting and stopping security threats. In fact, more than 40% of the organizations in IBM’s most recent cyber resilience survey cited security automation as a major factor in their success at improving their cybersecurity posture.  

Strengthening your security without a big spend is especially important in an era of burgeoning risk and shrinking budgets. In the same survey, researchers reported that choosing solutions that employ security automation can save more than 80% of the cost of solutions that rely on manual security, welcome news after a year of pandemic-related expense.  

Most solutions that include security automation also include other powerful protections against cybercrime. From automated password resets that accompany multifactor authentication and single sign-on in a solution like Passly to automatically delivered security awareness training from a solution like BullPhish ID, today’s strong solutions pack a punch that knocks out cybercrime making security automation a smart choice for every business.  

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

A Strong Security Culture is Your Secret Weapon

A Strong Security Culture is Your Secret Weapon 

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In a volatile risk landscape, businesses are looking for new ways to improve their security and avoid becoming victims of cybercrime like 2 in 5 SMBs did in 2020. But as businesses continue to grapple with the challenges of the continuing pandemic, and no one has the time or the budget to vet and purchase a bunch of new solutions.

Good news – you don’t really need to. One resource that you already have at your disposal is a more powerful defense against cybercrime than any software you can buy: your employees. By building and maintaining a strong security culture you can harness and direct the power of this asset, putting it to work to bolster your company’s security.

Making cybersecurity a priority starts with security-forward leadership at the top. If security is a priority for the boss, employees will make it a priority too. Establishing clear policies and procedures around cyber security that are enforced for everyone helps that focus carry weight for employees, and that makes them more likely to encourage compliance among their peers.

It’s also essential that everyone know that there is no penalty for reporting security concerns or mistakes to anyone. A third of employees in an IBM survey say they don’t report incidents for fear of getting in trouble, losing their jobs, being ridiculed or being forced to take security awareness training (which should never be used as a punishment). Every IT team would rather deal with a problem right away, before it becomes a nightmare, so making it easy for employees to report problems is just good business.

Provide your employees with support that they need to help out, and you’ll be pleasantly surprised at the result, Rely on a robust security awareness training program using a solution like BullPhish ID to teaches them about phishing and a host of other of cyber threats like ransomware and credential compromise. Empowered employees will feel like they’re part of the security team too, and that gets everyone on the same page to defend your business from cybercrime.

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

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

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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