Lack Of Confidence In Cybersecurity Posture Prompts Increase In IT Budgets

Almost 80% of IT executives and IT leaders think that their companies have insufficient protection against cybersecurity even with the increased investments made on cybersecurity last year in an effort to address the challenges brought on by work-from-home and distributed IT.

That increased level of concern over the capability to address cybersecurity threats in these day’s complicated IT environment has prompted 91% of companies to boost their cybersecurity budgets this year, almost matching the 96% increase in ITspending last year.

The Cybersecurity at Crossroads report was based on the impact of the transition to a work from home setting and the distributed IT landscape on IT security. The survey revealed that 78% don’t trust their organization’s IT security posture and think that improvements should be made. About 32% of the respondents of the study have the least confidence in the IT security posture of their company. About 30% don’t trust their security related technology and 27% on their skillsets and internal teams. They reported the highest confidence level on the data management strategy of their company however only 45% trust this part of security operations.

The Other Key Findings Include:

1.      Cybersecurity is being added into different business aspects, which indicates an increasing recognition of the risk that a cyberattack presents to company operations.

2.      Organizations shifted their cybersecurity modernization priorities last year as a result of the urgent challenges that were presented by the global pandemic.

3.      Most long range and complicated security projects were placed at the back seat to prevent and deal with activities such as anti-virus and anti malware upgrades, firewall as a Service or FWaaS, and multi-factor authentication.

The Survey Includes Key Challenges That Companies Face When Boosting Their Security Posture

1.      55% of the respondents said that lack of automation is the primary challenge in terms of security management and operations. Companies are unable to evaluate and respond to the countless events and notifications generated by the rising complicated security infrastructure.

2.      Only a meagre 27% of the respondents expanded their security staff last year, marking a slight decrease from 30% the previous year. Because of this, IT teams and ITConsultant Columbia SC were stretched thin and without most of the IT support experts needed to perform the range of IT tasks required by the evolving threatscape of the year.

3.      Only 57% performed a data security risk assessment last year even though there was a need to recheck their security posture as new threats came out during the global pandemic.

About SpartanTec, Inc.

We offer the Best Managed IT and Co-Managed IT Services and Cloud Solutions in the Carolinas, dedicated to the highest level of customer service and support.

At SpartanTec, Inc. we are committed to continuing education; increasing our knowledge base ensures that we stay on the cutting edge of technology. In an ever-changing world of technology, we provide our clients with top Managed IT Services, or provide IT department staff augmentation with our Co-Managed IT Services.

When you have a reliable partner in computer network maintenance and IT Support, you can get back to what you do best. Call SpartanTec, Inc. now for more details.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 408-7166
http://manageditservicescolumbia.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Why Your Business Needs Managed IT Services

 

Regardless of the type of business you’re running, your company needs an IT department. Nowadays, technology connects the world and you can’t remain competitive if you’re not part of it. Developing and managing your very own IT department could be quite costly and sometimes impossible for many small businesses. The good thing is that there’s something you can do to deal with your company’s IT needs. You can go for IT outsourcing and let a third party company take care of your IT tasks for you at a price you can afford.

 

 

Reasons To Get Managed IT Services

 

IT Outsourcing

Using managed IT services means you’re handing over your IT needs to a different company who employs experienced IT professionals. Whether you need to optimize your whole network or an equipment needs to be set up on site, IT support Myrtle Beach professionals will come to you when you need their help.

Even if you already have an in-house IT team, you can still use a managed IT services especially when you need extra help from IT experts. A good IT service provider can give you the help you need whenever you need it.

Access To Innovative Technology

You’ll have access to the latest technology when you use managed IT services. As you know, technology constantly evolves and it can be difficult to make sure that your IT team are regularly trained so they’re always updated. Through IT outsourcing, you can always depend on IT experts being trained to deal with the latest tech. It’s convenient and offers you an advantage over your competition.

Consultation and Review

In case you are not tech savvy in today’s world of technology, it could be difficult to determine what systems will work best for your company. Depending on the equipment providers could be problematic because their main interest is to profit by selling their equipment. On the other hand, IT companies like SpartanTec, Inc. will make sure that you are satisfied so you can always rely on them and rest easy knowing that they have your best interest in mind.

Managed services Columbia SC involves a comprehensive review of your existing technology setup. It will let them assess the strengths and weaknesses of your system and suggest the best solutions for your unique situations.

 

If you are searching for managed IT services that you can depend on, call SpartanTec, Inc. now. With extensive knowledge and several years of experience in the IT field, you can always count on our team of IT experts to provide you with the best IT services. Call us now.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 408-7166
http://manageditservicescolumbia.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

 

5 IT Services That Have A Huge Effect On Your Business

 

The IT sector in the U.S. is worth nearly $1.5 trillion and it’s still growing. Global IT spending is expected to reach $4 trillion this year. This massive increase in the demand for IT services will pave the way for more IT jobs. This sector is expected to create more than 500,000 job opportunities.

The question now is what are the IT services that will be provided by such new jobs? What’s more important is to determine which infotech services companies like yours need to invest in.

5 IT Services You Need To Invest In

1.    Network, Infrastructure Procurement and Management

IT procurement firms will give all the required equipment to set up a new network. They are your go to company for getting your business programs and computers. They can create your telecommunications network such as your internet connection. The majority of procurement companies also offer asset management and maintenance services. They can upgrade your devices and fix damaged equipment. They can provide hardware equipment, software equipment, and wireless or wired connections.

2.    

Cybersecurity Solutions

Another IT service Columbia SC you need to consider is cybersecurity solution. It protects your computers and networks from online threats and digital hacks. Hackers may disrupt your business operations or extort money from you, or worse, both. They do this by changing, stealing, damaging, or destroying your confidential information. Spreading malware is only one of the methods cybercriminal use to get what they want. That’s why you need cybersecurity to make sure that your business is protected against malware and other forms of online attacks.

3.    Cloud Based Services

Cloud based services are IT support that are done from a remote facility. Cloud service providers will lease their software, hardware, as well as operating systems to their clients. They will also handle the maintenance of both the programs and equipment. It gets rid of the need for companies to have a sizable office space. It will free you from expensive equipment maintenance. The three most common types are infrastructure as a service, platform as a service, and software as a service.

4.    Internet Based Communications

IT service providers can set up internet based communications for your firm. They will maintain software and hardware that will power all these programs. They can also create your own communication programs based on the needs of your company. A few good examples are voice over Internet Protocol (VOIP), videoconferencing, and chatbots.

5.    Technical Support

Technical support is the least complicated of all IT services. But it is considered as the backbone of them all because they are the helpdesk for every technical issue encountered. It can be offsite, provided by a managed IT service provider or on-site, through your in-house IT team.

Once you have determine the appropriate IT support Myrtle Beach SC your company needs, the next thing to do is find a reliable company that can provide you with what you need. Call SpartanTec, Inc. now for more information.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now for more information about the managed IT services we offer. 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 408-7166
http://manageditservicescolumbia.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Preventing Financial Services Data Breaches

 

Cyberattacks on financial services institutions are becoming increasingly sophisticated and frequent. By using stolen legitimate credentials and malware to disguise criminal activity, these breaches can remain undetected for some time, making the financial impact irreparable. Take the recent attack against the central bank of Bangladesh, for instance, that not only made global headlines, but to date has cost the bank $81 million.

Professionals in the financial services sector are well aware of such risks. The Financial Services Edition of the 2016 Vormetric Data Threat Report surveyed 1,100 senior IT security executives at large enterprises around the world, including over 100 U.S. financial services organizations. The report found that 90 percent of respondents feel vulnerable to data threats, and 44 percent have already experienced a data breach - with nearly one in five (19 percent) indicating they had experienced a breach in the last year. This just goes to prove the sentiment, “it’s not if you will get hacked, but when.” To which we can add, “and how quickly you learn about it.”

Where should financial services IT teams start in better defending their networks? From sports fields to battlefields, there’s an adage that has been used for centuries that states “the best defense is a good offense.” The idea behind this theory is that having a proactive offensive attitude (rather than a reactive defensive posture) is the best way to keep the opposition occupied and limit their ability to conduct an attack.

This strategy can also be highly effective in the business world, specifically for cybersecurity teams at large financial institutions. Cybersecurity Columbia SC professionals who are able to step away from the defensive side of security and think like a cybercriminal will likely be better prepared to put solutions and strategies in place to protect their data.

Here are some questions financial services IT professionals should ask themselves to put them in the frame of mind of a cybercriminal in order to better their defense:

 

 

What industries should I attack?

Before an attack is launched, cybercriminals will evaluate the landscape and identify areas where they can prosper the most. The financial services industry is consistently at or near the top of cybercriminals’ lists because, quite literally, it’s where the money is.

However, aside from seeking out customer information to commit fraud, cybercriminals see value in stealing data like bank employee email addresses and passwords. With this information they are able to pose as an employee to infiltrate the bank and commit theft. By understanding the industries that are commonly attacked, and the ways attackers try to get in, cybersecurity teams will be better prepared to put an effective strategy in place and make the investments where necessary to match the capabilities used by criminals.

Where are the vulnerabilities?

As the network expands, so does the attack surface. With the proliferation of mobile devices in the workplace, employees working from remote locations, etc., today’s cybercriminals have more opportunities than ever before to find ways into targeted networks. Additionally, when financial institutions acquire a company to expand their presence, they typically acquire the disparate technology that comes with it, often adding complexity to the organization’s security posture. All of these components equate to challenges that need to be addressed.

However, nobody knows the network and its vulnerabilities better than those who have put it together in the first place.

IT security professionals in financial services should look for openings in their own defense via white hat hacking and penetration testing. Since there isn’t a single piece of technology that will be able to stop every threat, those cracks in the system that are both easy access points and lead to sensitive data should be the ones focused on first. Remember, cybercriminals are just human beings looking for the fastest and most financially rewarding way to do their jobs.

It’s also important to remember that employees are a part of the system as well. An employee who is uneducated about security can be just as dangerous to data as any other digital or physical entry point. One way to test for employee vulnerabilities is to simply conduct test attacks. Many CIOs will send out fake phishing attacks to see if their employees will provide login credentials or click on malicious links. If a high number of employees fail the test, security teams know it is an area that demands added focus.

Cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to penetrate networks. IT security teams should be doing the same as well. By conducting threat intelligence research, cybersecurity teams will be able to better monitor existing vulnerabilities and identify new threats before they take hold within the network.

Best practices for better security

Once IT teams begin to like cybercriminals they are better prepared to proactively and offensively implement robust strategies to defeat attempts at compromising their networks:

• Identify weaknesses: How do you address cloud and IoT vulnerabilities? Have your employees been trained in safe email management and other everyday security issues? Utilize penetration testing services to find out where your greatest liabilities are and start there.
• Focus on compliance, data privacy and regulations: The financial services industry is so heavily regulated specifically because of the high value of its data and dollars and the vulnerability of its customers and clients. Violations can be expensive and destroy credibility. Conduct regular, and even automated audits to ensure that all regulations are being met, and if not, find solutions to quickly shore up these weak points.
• Meet with the C-suite: The role of the C-suite with regards to security has transformed. Cybersecurity threats put a company’s finances and value at risk, and increase the need for mature strategies to safeguard a company’s data, resources, reputation, and brand. As a strategic business and risk management executive, the C-suite should have significant oversight and guidance in these areas. They can no longer be IT-only considerations.
• Implement an end-to-end security strategy that provides:
  • Operational visibility at scale. An effective  solution should provide the ability to run multiple security applications without degrading performance.
  • The ability to integrate an adaptive architecture that’s designed to incorporate multiple security vendors’ products to enable security against threats from IoT to the perimeter, across the network, and into the data center - both on premises and in the cloud.
  • Advanced threat protection, which provides up-to-date defenses against the latest attacks. Many of the recent data breaches have fooled or evaded legacy security solutions.
  • Unified threat intelligence and management. In this way, all components—networks and other elements of the infrastructure—can be easily managed from one place.

Final thoughts

For the financial services sector, cybersecurity is one of the primary business imperatives that firms must put front and center to not only safeguard their clients’ financial data, but to also serve as a business enabler and drive innovation to stay ahead of the growing threat landscape.

Financial services IT teams that think like cybercriminals will be able to take an offensive approach to security. Understanding what makes the organization an attractive target, and how malicious actors will attempt to gain entry will lead to a more secure network and reduce the number of costly data breaches that impact the organization. Implementing these best practices will enable secure services that deliver the peace of mind that their networks are secure and protected from even the most sophisticated attacks.

Let’s get a conversation going on Twitter! Have you ever thought like a cybercriminal to prevent a data breach?

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and our IT experts will boost your cybersecurity so your business is well protected against possible data breach.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

SpartanTec, Inc.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 408-7166
http://manageditservicescolumbia.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Zoom Phishing Scams: What You Need To Know

 Zoom hosted about 10 million users late last year. It was a pretty good figure for a service that only a few people knew existed. With COVID-19 burning through the entire world, preventing people from going out of their house, the user base of the service has grown to a massive 200 million users. That’s an impressive increase. However, it also comes with a threat since cybercriminals would want to have a piece of the pie.

Cybercriminals will follow the herd since that is exactly where the money is. As Zoom’s user base continue to increase, scammers will also work double time as they try to trick users by launching phishing scams.

 

 

More Hackers Impersonate Zoom

A report by Check Point Research showed that hackers have registered nearly 2,500 domains related to Zoom from April to May this year. About 320 of these domains were considered suspicious while 32 were considered malicious.

Cybercriminals are using email in order to launch phishing emails to steal the credentials of Zoom users to spread malware. Scammers will run the phishing attacks that sent legitimate looking emails. It contains a button that says open the Zoom app. But once users click on it, a malware will be downloaded on to their device.

Everyone is at risk of Zoom attacks. However, most cases involve businesses and individuals that are related to the government, transportation, manufacturing, and telecommunications.

Signs of Zoom Scams

The first email contains a Zoom account as the subject and it comes with a welcome message that’s intended for new users that recently opened an account with the service. Scammers will try to convince users to click on a malicious link to active their account by inputting their login credentials on the fake website that is controlled by the cybercriminals, who will collect and steal your information.

The second email has missed zoom meeting on the subject line. It will try to convince you that you have missed a zoom meeting and that you can check your missed conference by clicking on a link. Once you click on that, you will be directed to a fake website where you’ll be asked to enter your Zoom credentials.

The third email targets industrial firms, technology, marketing, construction, IT, energy, and manufacturing with malware, instead of phishing Columbia SC. The email subject line says your meeting has been cancelled and that you can do a Zoom call instead. Hackers are trying to get access to your personal information, computer files, and credit card details.

What to do to avoid Zoom phishing scams?

1. Be careful when opening emails from people you don’t know. Do not reply to the email and don’t forward it to others.
2. Do not download files or click on links on an email that comes from a person or company you don’t know.
3. Update your operating system and all of the applications you have on your computer.
4. Use unique and strong passwords.
5. Zoom’s official domains are zoom.us and zoom.com. Other domains similar to these two are fake.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our IT experts help make sure that your business is safe from phishing attacks and other types of cyberthreats.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

SpartanTec, Inc.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 408-7166
http://manageditservicescolumbia.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Tips For Measuring Network Performance

 

These days, you need to have enough budget to make sure that your internet connectivity and other technology depending operations work seamlessly if you wish to run your enterprise effectively. As an increasing number of organizations continue to depend on SaaS and cloud applications to finish most of their tasks, it becomes crucial that they’re not only online 24/7 but that they can also offer their IT services reliably and effortlessly. These creates a much greater need for a company to measure their network performance periodically to make sure that:

1. They are getting their money’s worth.
2. Each component is working optimally
3. The rate of data flow between the network and users are consistently monitored.
4. Metrics are established to let them improve their user satisfaction.
5. Impending errors or bottlenecks that could result in network crisis are detected in advance.

 

 

What are the challenges that surrounds the measurement of network performance?

You have to know the different components and parameters that are included in a network before you can offer an assessment. Taking into account the complexity of a contemporary wireless network, choosing manual approaches, an indepth evaluation is nearly impossible and would be very cumbersome to process as well as finalize. As a result, trying to measure the network performance without using a specially made tools and processes, will consume the company’s productivity, and have financial losses for each minute of downtime.

The demands of networks grow daily and that’s why it’s important for measurements to be conducted correctly. The quantitative and qualitative aspects of a network has to be captured in every measurement process, so that all required data are made for use, in case there’s a network performance problem.

Common Network Performance Challenges

A common issue when trying to gauge the performance of a network was the insufficient real time provision that allows instant detection of issues in bandwith, servers, network paths, routing, and transmission. This mean that IT experts had to perform network measurement half blind up until they come across issues halfway. In most cases, the data obtained isn’t complete as packet loss or errors in latency may not be identified, therefore causing technical oversights that could result in IT crises over time.

Measuring Network Performance

Network Latency – used to measure the delays in the network, concentrating on the time spent in the successful packet transfer or a data packet from one point to another in a network. A network that has zero or almost zero latency is a network that’s working properly.

Things to consider when measuring network latency:

• Distance between points
• The quickest route between the ends
• Delays probably due to applications or hardware processing the transmission of data

Packet loss – number of packets that have been sent out successfully but never reached their destination.

Bandwidth and Throughput – Bandwidth is the number of data that could be transmitted between two points in a certain time period. Throughput is the number of data that was transmitted between two points in a given time period.

Jitter – its measurement could be detected while using the network for VoIP, by identifying the closeness of the VoIP video or audio to real life interaction.

What Affects Network Performance?

Applications – there are certain applications that are not streamlined to meet the network capacities or those that have slow performance could add unneeded stress on the bandwidth of the network and negatively affect the user experience.

Network and Infrastructure Issues

All switches, firewalls, and routers are included because they could in a certain way cause network performance issues.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. for information on how we can assist your business to manage and measure your network performance regardless of the size.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 408-7166
http://manageditservicescolumbia.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Creating Your Dream IT Team For The New Cybersecurity Era

If every member of your IT security team concentrates only on a single small slice of pie, then it’ll be very easy for your enemies to infiltrate all the cracks they could find. How can you stop them?

Nowadays, businesses are comprised of complex interlinked environments that consist of different servers, infrastructure devices, mobile end user devices as well as a range of applications that are hosted in the cloud and on-premises. Unfortunately, conventional cybersecurity teams were not made to deal with these concerns. Cybersecurity teams were initially developed with traditional IT in mind, which includes a certain group of people who are dealing with a certain set of projects and tools.

The enterprise environments have evolved significantly, the siloed method of dealing with cybersecurity is no longer effective. You won’t be able to stop intruders if your security team is focused only on a single aspect of cybersecurity. Listed below are some important steps that need to be taken if you wish to create your own dream team that would usher your business towards the new age of cybersecurity.

 

 

Talent Inventory

Before hiring new employees, the chief information security officers have to assess their existing cybersecurity talents and identify the gaps and competencies of every member of their existing IT security team. You need to have people who are creative including those who knows how your enemies think. Successful cybercriminals are inventive and resourceful, and they know how to search for ways to go around your company’s standard security controls. In case the members of your existing security team are just focused on making sure that your current controls are working correctly, then you will eventually suffer a data breach. The attack surface is already massive but still continue to grow every day. Your IT team must always search for any new vulnerability that hackers may try to exploit so they could also create strategies to address problems once they come up.

Consider IT Outsourcing

Retaining or hiring only the best for your cybersecurity team is important in boosting your company’s cyber-resilience. This can be quite difficult especially since the shortage in cybersecurity skills is worsening. You also have the option to train your current staff members on various security skills and providing them with tools that make the most out of artificial intelligence, automation, and machine learning. IT outsourcing is another option. It doesn’t matter how you want to assemble your IT team, what’s important is for IT team to understand the needs of your network and business context and help improve your cyber-resilience. They should also have the required tools and skills to protect the company assets while improving their security posture.

Companywide Buy-In

These days, cyberrisk is no longer managed only by the security team. Gartner said that at least 95% of the failures in security until 2022 will be due to human error. This could possibly come from anybody in the company. Every stakeholder in a company including vendors, partners, customers, employees, and C-suite, negatively or positively affect the company’s security, and how the company’s success lives and dies with its cyberresilience.

Cybersecurity is not only a technology issues but also a business concern and that’s why everybody should do their part, according to IT services experts. The CISOs will take on the primary responsibility of making sure that everybody is aligned with their security goals. They must also engage with the company’s board of directors, inform them about the cybersecurity challenges, and make sure they agree and follow with the approaches and objectives to boosting cyberresilience.

Be Proactive and Prioritize Accordingly

Different security approaches concentrate on reactively identifying and addressing attacks. IT teams are oftentimes overwhelmed when attempting to go through alerts. If this is what you do, you’ll always fall behind and you won’t ever get ahead of your enemy. Instead of concentrating more on the efforts on proactively avoiding and predicting data breaches. Your CISOs must allocate a budget as well as team resources that concentrate exclusively on the proactive efforts to boost your company’s security posture. It’s also crucial to install programs that will deal with cybersecurity posture strategically like bastion hosts and two factor authentication.

Add AI to Your IT Team

Humans are unable to go through the countless vulnerabilities to prioritize and monitor for threats. Even the largest IT security team that is comprised of the most skilled IT experts cannot achieve this effectively without the help of artificial intelligence. These tools have become increasingly important for keeping up with the ever changing attack methods used by cybercriminals and the ongoing digital transformation of companies.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our IT professionals protect your business against the online threats in today's ever changing cybersecurity landscape.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 408-7166
http://manageditservicescolumbia.com/

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence