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The 7 Irresistible Qualities of Cloud ERP
Learn why ERP tools are an critical component for many businesses.
Why a Business Continuity Plan is Essential
Learn why your company needs a business continuity plan.
Ransomware 101
If you’re looking for ways to stop ransomware dead in its tracks, the experts at CCS Technology are here to help.
How managed services make the difference
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Cloud Services and the SMB Revolution
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Office 365 Migration Made Easy
Migrating over to Office 365 has never been easier with CCS Technology.
The Advantages of Working with I.T. Pros
Learn how working with a seasoned technology pro makes your work easier.
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Learn several critical cybersecurity tips and tricks any SMB can use.
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What to learn from the most interesting data breaches of 2017
/in Blog, Security /by wpengineSeveral high-profile organizations experienced data breaches in 2017. For instance, you probably saw media reports about data breaches involving Equifax or the InterContinental Hotel Group.
It isn’t enough to know that these breaches occurred. Companies and organizations need to pay attention to the mistakes that made the security breaches possible. That way, you can inspect your own company’s policies to make sure you protect yourself and your customers.
Equifax proved that how you behave after a data breach matters
A 2017 data breach at Equifax, one of the world’s largest credit reporting companies, exposed the personal information of approximately 143 million Americans. The problem was deemed so important that Congress held several hearings to understand what had happened.
According to Equifax, the breach happened because of a flaw in one of the company’s web applications.
Obviously, Equifax didn’t get the help it needed closing common cybersecurity holes. The worst part, though, was how Equifax chose to handle the situation. Some of the company’s most egregious actions included:
The most important thing to learn from Equifax is how to behave after a breach happens. Basically, do the opposite of what Equifax did. The organization’s tarnished reputation may never recover.
InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) exposes thousands of consumers to identity fraud
InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) revealed in early 2017 that a data breach had affected 12 of its properties. Malware on the company’s servers had stolen credit card information from guests who used their cards at the hotels’ on-site restaurants and bars. Understandably, the announcement concerned thousands of people.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of IHG’s security problems. A couple of months later, the company admitted that the malware hadn’t attacked 12 of its locations. Instead, it had targeted 1,200 locations. The malware also did more than gather credit card information from restaurants and bars. It had stolen personal information from payments processed at hotels, too.
A better cybersecurity process would have likely uncovered the malware before it had a chance to affect so many people. Unfortunately, IHG didn’t have the IT security to identify the threat before it had an opportunity to spread from a handful of locations to thousands.
Ransomware Targeted Organizations in Nearly 100 Countries
In 2017, ransomware became such a huge problem that it affected organizations in nearly 100 countries. Hospitals in Great Britain had to turn away patients because they couldn’t access their medical records. The malware also affected hospitals, police stations and businesses in the United States, Russia, Spain and Portugal. Overall, the ransomware affected about 57,000 networks around the world.
Educating employees to recognize phishing attempts is one of the most effective ways to prevent ransomware attacks. Organizations also need to update their systems and applications to patch security vulnerabilities.
Given the excessively wide reach of the 2017 attack, it’s obvious that most people don’t know how to protect themselves from ransomware.
If you’re worried that you don’t have the right technology or policies to protect your company from data breaches, contact your managed services provider to learn more about the most effective defenses. Without the right tools, you could fall victim to attacks just as easily as the organizations mentioned above.
Internal threats 101: What they are and how to avoid them
/in Blog, Security /by wpengineWe’ve warned you before that half of all small to midsize businesses have endured at least one cyberattack. But did you know that “the biggest cybersecurity threats are inside your company?”
That’s an eye-opening claim from a 2016 report by the Harvard Business Review. It’s also backed by data from IBM’s 2016 Cyber Security Intelligence Index. According to that report, some “60% of all attacks were carried out by insiders,” with 75 percent of those coming from malicious actors. (The rest were inadvertent—which is better but still bad.)
What’s more, these internal threats can be particularly harmful. A 2017 article from Tripwire stated that “53 percent of companies estimate remediation costs of $100,000 and more, with 12 percent estimating a cost of more than $1 million.”
Ouch.
On top of that, insider threats can go undetected for years on end. And guilt in such cases is really difficult to establish. It’s little wonder why an estimated “74 percent of companies feel that they are vulnerable to insider threats,” and a whopping 7 percent classify their vulnerability as “extreme.”
The conclusion?
While it’s critical to defend against external cybersecurity threats (and they are, generally speaking, more widely sensationalized), internal threats are just as important to catch. Today, we’ll be giving you a leg up by delving into what constitutes an internal threat and how you can mitigate the risks.
Just what is an internal threat?
For a straightforward definition, we turn to SecureList:
“Internal threats include any harmful actions with data that violate at least one of the fundamental principles of information security (integrity, availability, and confidentiality) and originate from within a company’s information system.”
Easy enough to comprehend, but classifying internal threats goes even deeper. According to CSO, internal vulnerabilities come in three main flavors: accidental, negligent and malicious. Those first two have a degree of overlap, as there’s no ill will on the part of the employees who are responsible.
Accidental threats arise when employees aren’t well-educated on proper protocol (and, by extension, open your company to maladies like ransomware and phishing schemes). Negligent threats occur when employees understand the protocols but willfully ignore them in favor of completing a task the “easy way.”
Malicious threats, on the other hand, are a whole different ballgame.
The offending employee might be holding a grudge. They might have been paid off. Whatever the case, malicious instances are categorized by employees within your company who wish to intentionally cause damage. Those employees use their knowledge of your systems to further their less-than-well-intended goals.
How to guard against internal threats
The strategies you employ for mitigating internal threat risk will vary based on the types of danger we listed above.
For accidental and negligent threats, education and enforcement are key. As EY so succinctly put it, “education is prevention.” Getting employees up to speed is a great way to cut down on the mistakes that can put your organization in a cybersecurity predicament.
A solid IT support team can help with educational efforts. Combine that with a no-nonsense policy that reminds employees that cybersecurity rules are not to be taken lightly. That’s how to deal with a sizable portion of the internal risks your company faces.
Malicious threats require a different approach.
Preventing these are where background checks, employee monitoring and restricted access to various systems will benefit your overall preparedness. Again, leveraging IT pros to formulate a strategy will grant you significant benefit.
With the right methodologies in place, your vulnerability will diminish drastically.
Client Testimonial: 25N Coworking
/in Blog, Managed Services /by wpengine“The biggest thing that was for me is that they can handle everything—
you know, a single source solution.”
– Mara Hauser
CEO & Founder, 25N Coworking
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