#1 Require Strong Passwords

No doubt you’ve heard this advice before. While it’s simple advice, it really is one of the most important things you can do to protect your organization. Your passwords are the first line of defense against would-be attackers, yet many organizations overlook lax password practices. Just like you’re good at what you do, hackers are great at their jobs. They have a lot of knowledge and tools at their disposal to gain access to your network by exploiting weak passwords. Check out our guide to creating strong passwords and make sure your employees follow our advice.

Whenever possible, you should enable multi-factor authentication. 2-step verification is easy to set up and provides an extra layer of protection. In the event that a password is compromised, there would still be an additional hurdle to jump in order to gain access to your data. Many websites and applications allow you require 2-step verification when logging in. At the very least, utilize it in applications that contain sensitive information.

#2 Perform Regular Updates

Your operating systems and programs are constantly making updates to fix gaps in security, and address the latest cyber threats. It may be inconvenient at times, but you should never ignore a prompt to perform an update. Even if the update doesn’t enhance your security, it will likely improve compatibility with your other applications and hardware.

#3 Create Cybersecurity Awareness

It’s up to you to create a culture of Cybersecurity at the office. Employees who don’t know potential risks and how to avoid them can leave your business vulnerable. Hackers rely on there being a weak link in your office, and usually it’s a person falling for a carefully engineered attack. Providing cybersecurity training to your employees is a great way to make sure everyone is on the same page about threats and their role in protecting the organization. We have also compiled this detailed guide to ensuring cybersecurity in the workplace to help you with this initiative.

#4 Don’t Forget the Backup

Your business should be creating regular backups and testing them frequently. Store backups offsite and offline and make sure you’re protecting your data in the cloud. According to the 2020 Sophos State of Ransomware report, 56% of organizations whose data was encrypted were able to restore it via backups, rather than paying a ransom. Having reliable backups will considerably lower the cost and downtime associated with a cyber attack.

#5 Get a Good Endpoint Security Solution

Endpoint Security involves securing all points of entry to your network, including end-user devices. A good Endpoint Security Solution is much more than traditional antivirus, it will provide comprehensive network security to stop even the most sophisticated attacks. Hackers constantly evolve their strategies, so having a solution that keeps up with their efforts is a must. We recommend InterceptX from Sophos, which utilizes a combination of deep learning malware detection, exploit prevention, anti-ransomware, and more to protect your network from a wide range of attacks.

These 5 tips are a great place to start. When it comes to Cybersecurity, it’s best to work on the assumption that your business will be affected by a cyber attack at some point. With strategic protections in place, it doesn’t have to be a disaster. Our Managed IT Services experts can help your business fortify your network and implement a plan. With our free network analysis we can provide insight into your network security and any potential weak spots.[/cz_title]

Laurie Clarke, a staff writer at Computerworld, outlines a list of pros that make a lot of sense. She suggests that you can expect to see the following benefits when you outsource your IT:

Pros: [/cz_title][cz_stylish_list id=”cz_80868″ items=”%5B%7B%22title%22%3A%22Gain%20Greater%20Expertise%22%2C%22icon_type%22%3A%22icon%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Lower%20Cost%22%2C%22icon_type%22%3A%22icon%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Improved%20Equipment%20and%20Security%22%2C%22icon_type%22%3A%22icon%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Free%20Up%20Internal%20Resources%22%2C%22icon_type%22%3A%22icon%22%7D%2C%7B%22title%22%3A%22Focus%20on%20Your%20Business%22%2C%22icon_type%22%3A%22icon%22%7D%5D” default_icon=”fa czico-193-checked” sk_icons=”font-size:20px;color:#ba0230;”][cz_title id=”cz_19439″]

Make Sure You’re in Control

In order to make sure outsourcing your IT works for you, it’s important to minimize the potential cons by investigating potential service providers. For example, if you feel like you may lose some control by outsourcing, and control over the way your network is run is important to you, make sure to have a clear SLA (Service Labor Agreement) that outlines your specific requirements.

A good SLA should not be one-size-fits-all. Since your organization is different from every other organization, your SLA should include items that are unique to your needs. For example, your SLA may require an IT specialist to physically be at your location during emergencies, as is the case with a First Responder Agency. You could require that a specialist is present at your Emergency Headquarters for the entirety of the emergency, even if those hours stretch into off-business hours. This is just one example to illustrate the point that you can gain greater control by outlining your needs in a Service Labor Agreement.[/cz_title][cz_gap height=”25px”][cz_image id=”cz_56324″ image=”13728″][/cz_image][cz_gap height=”25px”][cz_title id=”cz_96489″ cz_title=””]

Close the Quality Gaps

Not all service providers are equal. You’ll need to do your research to make sure the service provider is a quality vendor. Look at their Google ratings, do they have a lot of happy customers? It’s also a good idea to ask for a list of their clients in case you’d like to interview them to see if they are happy with their performance. Review your SLA, to be sure that your outsourced IT provider can do everything you would require them to. An IT service provider may do great work, and have glowing reviews but may have certain gaps in expertise or services they can provide.

Quality Communication is Key

We all know that good communication is the key to any relationship that works. Today there are many communication platforms from email and texting, to countless apps that help us stay in touch. Be sure that your IT provider will be willing to communicate with you in the same way that your team does day-to-day. Also make sure they will provide regular reports about the health of your network, with recommendations to improve your infrastructure. Another thing your outsourced IT provider should be able to offer is a Virtual CIO (Chief Information Officer), someone who is there to help you make critical technology decisions when you need them. They should be brand-agnostic so that the infrastructure you build is the best for your investment. Another important thing is to make sure they communicate with you as a partner, rather than just another client.

Helping Adapt to the “New Normal”

During the last few months company cultures across the world have evolved in order to survive during the COVID-19 Pandemic, and will undoubtedly need to keep adapting to weather the financial impact in the years following the pandemic. So much is changing and people are looking for ways to save money and streamline their business performances. There has never been a better time to talk to outsourced IT providers and see what they can do for you. They will often be able to provide a comprehensive technical staff of experts that are certified in many areas of IT.

Building a team of your own processionals with the same experience and qualifications would be very costly to your organization. The benefits of having a large talent pool working for you today, at a lower cost than hiring your own in-house staff can be very attractive as long as the provider you choose meets the criteria that’s important to your business. Additionally, a good IT service provider can help your organization navigate the technologies required to meet the demands of remote workers. They can get a secure remote work environment set up, while providing remote troubleshooting and support to employees whether they’re working at home or in the office.

We hope you feel empowered with the information you need to choose the right outsourced IT provider for your organization. Les Olson Company serves customers in Utah and Las Vegas, Nevada. If your organization is in one of these areas and would like to speak with one of our IT representatives please fill out the form below, or simply click to call. We look forward to meeting you virtually or in person.[/cz_title][cz_gap height=”25px”][cz_image id=”cz_22306″ image=”13734″][/cz_image][cz_gap height=”25px”]

#1 Create a Culture of Cybersecurity

It’s important to create an office culture that emphasizes the importance of staying safe online. All employees should have the understanding it’s the shared responsibility of everyone in the office to ensure cybersecurity. You probably have an I.T. department tasked with protecting the organization from cyber attacks, but all it takes is a mistake by one employee to allow an attacker access to your network.

#2 Create a Cybersecurity Policy & Provide Training

A Cybersecurity Policy is a document that should outline specific requirements for appropriate use of your organization’s devices, data, internet, email, passwords, etc. Your policy should apply to each employee, as well as contractors and any other person with access to your network and data. We highly recommend using one of the many templates available online, they will serve as an excellent starting point. Once you have a clear Cybersecurity Policy in place, make sure each employee gets a copy and hold a company-wide training to make sure everyone understands what is expected.

#3 Encourage Strong Passwords & Responsible Management

Encourage your employees to only use strong passwords that can’t be easily guessed or stolen. Passwords should be at least 8 characters long, use a mix of upper and lowercase letters and contain special characters. Passwords should never include things like birth dates or names or people and should be changed frequently. All employees should avoid writing their passwords down. If there are many different passwords that are hard to remember, consider a secure password keeper. Exchanging of credentials should also be avoided. Check out our helpful guide on how to make a strong password.

#4 Educate About Spam & Phishing

Phishing emails and calls are one of the most common risks your employees will face at work. Educating them about spotting and avoiding these attempts is critical. Train employees to be critical of things like vague titles, grammar mistakes, attachments, and unknown senders. In addition to the obvious attempts, make sure they understand that many phishing emails are sophisticated and designed to trick you into acting. Emails could appear to be from someone at the company or even a familiar organization. Teach employees to hover over any hyperlinks to preview where they will be taken if clicked. More detailed information about phishing attacks can be found here.[/cz_title][cz_gap height=”25px”]

#5 Communicate About New Threats & Scams

Be sure to keep your employees informed about new threats. If there’s a particular phishing email going around or a breach, make sure they know about it. US-CERT (United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team) has a great resource for alerts on current security issues.

#6 Require Installation of Updates & Patches

Make sure employees know they are expected to install all available updates and patches. No clicking “maybe later”. These updates and patches often include the solution to combating the latest vulnerabilities. If you have an in-house I.T. team, have them double check that everyone is up to date.

#7 Remind Them to Lock Their Devices

Employees should be expected to keep devices password protected and lock them when not in use.

#8 Test Them

There are many great solutions for phishing simulation awareness training. Fake phishing emails are sent to your employees, allowing you to identify and address potential weak spots without ever putting your network in harm’s way.

#9 Discourage Unauthorized Software Downloads

We recommend requiring employees to check with your network administrator before downloading software to their computer’s. Even programs that are commonly downloaded onto home computers without a second thought can open your network up to risks like ransomware. Many times the software being downloaded and installed by employees is not even work related.

#10 Limit Internet Access or Establish Browsing Rules

If you’re not blocking employees from certain websites then it’s important to at least establish browsing rules. An internet usage policy should be outlined in your policy. This will help employees avoid risky behaviors like downloading questionable material, sending confidential information, visiting unsecured websites, and more.[/cz_title]

However, with so much of our time spent plugged into the internet, it is becoming an increasingly common place for crime. Providing both convenience and anonymity, it’s no surprise that criminals are using the ever-evolving technological landscape as their playground. Your digital world and everything in it is potentially filled with scams, viruses, malware, spyware, and other less pleasant surprises for your electronic devices.

The Start of It All

When the first computer was built at the University of Pennsylvania in 1946, there wasn’t much risk for virus or scams. Firstly, because the computer weighed about 50 tons and contained more vacuum tubes than circuit boards. Secondly, because the computer (named ENIAC or Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer) was capable of solving numerical problems through reprogramming, and therefore did not connect to anything but itself. There simply wasn’t a virtual world from which to catch a virus.

It wasn’t until about 1972, when HP launched its microcomputer, or 1975, when MITS Altair gained traction, that computers began their takeover. Later, the personal computer boom, brought about by IBM and Microsoft, created the starting point for technology in our daily lives. This was, no doubt, what author Bruce Sterling had in mind when he said,

“The electronic landscape changes with astounding speed. We are living through the fastest technological transformation in human history. I was glad to have a chance to document cyberspace during one moment in its long mutation; a kind of strobe-flash of the maelstrom.”

— From the afterword, The Hacker Crackdown: Law and Disorder on the Electronic Frontier, 1993

How right he was; we are continuously experiencing the transformation of innovative technology. Sterling, an American science fiction author, dubbed the internet “cyberspace” and from there the virtual realm was taken to the big screen. In 1995 Sandra Bullock starred in The Net, which depicted the internet as a cyberspace, showcasing criminal activity and the pitfalls of unsecured electronic information. That same year Hackers, starring Angelia Jolie was released; giving us a virtual view of the internet and cyberspace as a digital highway. Both films brought to light the increasing number of threats and malicious content to be found online.

Why is all this important? We exist in a physical world tracked on a virtual space, filled with pitfalls and danger zones that must be avoided. Treacherous but hidden behind pretty wrapping.

Internet Crime is a Crime You Can Report

We must remember when being targeted, that internet crime is just that; a crime. Those individuals or groups that use illegal methods, like scams and phishing schemes, are criminals. Reporting those crimes to the right authorities is crucially important to protecting ourselves in the future. Regardless of whether we bite the sour fruit or not, reporting the attempt will enable the right people with the right connections to shut down the illegal activity before it becomes profitable.

According to news released by the FBI Cyber Division, they receive over 20,000 complaints a month. That is a lot of data to sort through. However, they need all the information they can get. Taking down hackers and halting cyber-crime requires much of the same work you would expect from a local police force, and then some. Most often hackers are working across national boundaries, either bouncing signals or living in countries without stringent anti-hacking or piracy laws. Because of the road blocks halting traditional law enforcement work, many task forces are created to work across national boundaries. Tracking these trends to locate cybercriminals requires every bit of information about where attacks are coming from.

That is where every correspondence is important to those working to hamper cyber-crime. It’s no joking matter either. For some time, internet crime was considered a minor offense with little repercussions; and in many cases, a slap on the wrist and a fine was considered appropriate. With increased crime, there has been more stringent punishment. To date, the lengthiest prison sentence issued in the USA for hacking/identity theft occurred in 2010 when Albert Gonzalez, then 28 years old, received 20 years in prison for stealing some 90 million credit/debit card numbers from a collection of high-profile companies including TJX, Office Max, and Dave & Busters.

Cyber-crime does not help our economy, they hurt it and injure consumers’ confidence in the security of their purchases. Technology is changing at an exponential rate; so too should our security measures be adapting to combat the latest threats.

We now have automated cars that park themselves, and hoverboards inspired by time-traveling Marty McFly. Touchscreen technology has evolved from a dream, based in science fiction, to something that many of us use daily. What are we dreaming of today in the field of technology that currently seems unattainable?

How innovative of us as a people to dream up something, and achieve what was once impossible.[/cz_title]