Archive for category: Cybersecurity

Cyber Security Tips from The ITeam

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All month long, we’ve been sharing daily tips for Cybersecurity Awareness Month. We have gathered here some that we feel are most important to keeping your organization safe.

Use Strong Passwords

Looking for a way to make passwords that are easy to remember but are not breakable? Try a phrase or sentence that you’ll remember that is at least 12 or more characters long. To really strengthen your protection, add multifactor authentication. And remember to keep your passwords secure.

Apply Multifactor Authentication (MFA)

A password just isn’t enough anymore. MFA makes it virtually impossible for someone to hack into a user’s devices, the network, or a database.

Back Up Your Data Regularly

It is much more cost-effective and efficient to have replication and cloud backup services, rather than paying a ransom and working to decrypt infected files. Create an effective data disaster recovery plan with our guide for creating a backup and disaster recovery plan.

Patch and Update Regularly

Organizations that postpone patching or don’t have a team dedicated to keeping their applications and operating systems up to date risk ignoring vulnerabilities that invite hackers.

Stay Updated on Current Threats

Being proactive can save you a lot – in terms of money, time, and customers. But you can’t be expected to know about every new threat. That’s why layers of security and monitoring, managed with the support of a strong IT security partner, is essential.

Develop a Proactive Approach to Your Compliance and Cybersecurity

When you wait for network processes to slow down or for something to go wrong with your IT infrastructure before you invest in upgrades, you are forced into a costly cycle of repairs that prevents you from investing in up-to-date cybersecurity safeguards and getting ahead. When you work with an MSP, they constantly monitor the state of your infrastructure and network, heading off issues and replacing equipment before it stops your business from operating. The difference between proactive IT and reactive IT can be measured in the thousands of dollars. Act now to protect your business.

Work with a Trusted IT Vendor

The ITeam is committed to helping Calgary- and Alberta-based businesses develop proactive IT strategies that keep them competitive. Contact us to learn more.

lessons from data breaches

Lessons from Data Breaches

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learning lessons from data breachesMore than 6 million Canadians were impacted by the Capital One data breach that happened this year – and that was not even the biggest breach by any stretch. The biggest data breach is still Yahoo, whose breach impacted more than 3 billion people. Big or small, however, each data breach is costly and damaging – to consumers, to businesses, and to the economy. We can – and should – learn everything we can from these incidents to avoid repeating them. In analyzing security breaches that have occurred over the last 10 years, experts found that the main reasons data breaches occur are:

  • Failure to patch
  • Human error
  • Insider attacks
  • Poor mobile device management

Failure to Patch

Too often, a breach occurs because an organization has delayed patching, leaving them vulnerable to hackers. This often happens because the organization does not have a dedicated IT staff, leaving one or more employees responsible for IT on top of their other duties. Those other duties – their “real” jobs – take priority and patching jobs get postponed.

Partnering with a managed services provider (MSP) can help solve this problem and extend the strength of your IT team, whether your team is a whole department, or one person assigned with additional responsibilities. An MSP ensures patches are installed in a timely manner, but they’re also there to monitor your network 24/7.

Human Error

Clicking links and opening attachments in emails that appear to come from within your organization or from a trusted vendor cause more data breaches than we can measure. It’s possible your organization has malware sitting on your network right now that has been introduced by an errant employee and has yet to have been detected.

While we can never completely remove human error from the equation, we can drastically reduce the number of email-related data breaches by:

  • Developing, implementing, and enforcing strict zero-trust policies
  • Providing ongoing training to employees to help them recognize potential phishing scams
  • Limiting the data to which employees have access
  • Requiring multi-layer authentication that includes complex passwords and other access barriers

Download The ITeam Email Security Guide; then discover how you can transform your employees from your weakest link to your first line of defense through security training.

Insider Attacks

Insider attacks don’t account for many data breaches, but they can be the most devastating simply because of the betrayal involved. According to the 2019 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, insider threats are on the rise, accounting for 34% of data breaches. In one case highlighted in the DBIR, a hacker admitted that when all other efforts failed, he bribed an employee to get him inside the network.

Preventing insider attacks can be difficult; they are often only discovered after the fact during forensic analysis– and often after the employee is long gone. But you can minimize the risk of insider threats by having multiple layers of security, strictly limiting employee and third-party access to data, and by conducting regular audits. Often, insider attacks come from former employees whose access to the network was not terminated; make it protocol to immediately revoke all access to employees who leave – whether they leave on good terms or not.

Poor Mobile Device Management

Mobile phones are being used to conduct business whether you authorize it or not, so your best bet for protecting your organization is to have a highly sophisticated MDM security plan in place that includes the following:

  • Strict usage requirements that include installing your security on the device being used and requiring the use of a secure network when conducting business
  • Remote wipe capabilities to disconnect the device from your network in the event that it is stolen, or the employee leaves the organization
  • A no-tolerance policy for any employee who refuses to comply with the security requirements

Data breaches are not going away, but you can minimize the risk to your organization with strong IT security and a comprehensive disaster recovery plan. You can’t just address one of these issues; you must have a comprehensive, proactive data security program that addresses all of these risks and more.

The ITeam understands the IT security issues facing businesses in Canada. We are committed to helping Calgary- and Alberta-based businesses develop proactive, cost-effective IT strategies that minimize risk and maximize efficiency. Contact us to learn more.

Canadians are concerned about cybersecurity

Canadians Are Concerned About Cybersecurity

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Cybersecurity is a major global concern as technology improves connectedness, furthering opportunities for both digital growth and malicious attacks. New research shows that most Canadians see cybercrime as a threat to the overall country, and they aren’t wrong. However, despite the fact that Canadians are concerned about cyberscurity and view cybercrime as an internal threat greater than other global challenges, such as terrorism and human trafficking, few people trust that the people who have access to their data are doing everything they can to mitigate risk.

The public wants to trust technology.

As technology becomes an integral part of our lives, there is growing concern that protection against cyber criminals is not what it should be. There are data breaches virtually every day, with businesses frequently coming forward to admit that private data has been lost. This impacts millions within the country, exposing citizens to risk of identity theft, damaging the economy, and confirming that cybersecurity is more important than ever. The trust erosion is significant.

Who is responsible for preventing cybercrime?

Canadians are concerned about cybersecurity

Should cybersecurity be a government-mandated industry? Legislation like GDPR holds businesses more accountable when in possession of private data and offers citizens more rights in regard to their private information. In Alberta, medical and dental practices are required to comply with the Health Information Act and submit a Privacy Impact Assessment. However, in many ways, cybersecurity is treated as an isolated risk, as if a data breach on a single device is not capable of affecting overall society. Unfortunately, that is not the case. A single click by one employee could crash an organization’s entire infrastructure, or one home device could grant access to financial networks. Cybersecurity is a societal concern and Canadians are noticing.

Why is cybersecurity important to individual citizens?

A strong cybersecurity strategy prevents more than financial loss for small-, medium-, and large-sized businesses. Once privacy and trust are lost, they are difficult, if not impossible, to regain. Identity theft could damage an individual’s life permanently, and family-owned businesses could face bankruptcy in the event of a data breach. By impressing the importance of cybersecurity upon individual citizens, the risk of cybercrime can be reduced across the board. By adopting best cybersecurity practices in personal and professional realms, prevention simply becomes a way of life. Like buckling up before you put your car in drive, the government can establish cybersecurity programs that promote good habits that will mitigate risk.

Cybersecurity is essential to the entire country.

Managed service providers can assist businesses in establishing the best strategy for their needs, and individuals can be more mindful of how they use technology. The role that authorities will play has yet to be determined, because cybercrime is continuously evolving. Eventually, legislation will have to be implemented to help both businesses and individuals protect their private information, and everyone will need to be mindful of how technology advances.

The ITeam understands the cybersecurity issues facing Canada businesses. We are committed to helping Calgary- and Alberta-based businesses develop proactive, cost-effective IT strategies that minimize risk, maximize efficiency, and build trust with Canadian citizens. Contact us to learn more.