Wednesday, March 2, 2022

Businesses Must Be Vigilant About Cybersecurity Concerns



Companies are asked to stay vigilant because of the increased cybersecurity issue over the existing situation in Ukraine.

Rising geopolitical tensions in Ukraine and Russia have led to increased cybersecurity concerns. This was exacerbated when Russia mobilized its forces along the border and launched a series airstrike. The invasion saw cyber-attacks on the Ukrainian government, banks, and commercial websites in the weeks that followed.

The United States Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency has issued guidance to help firms strengthen and protect their cyber programs. This article provides information on the cyber threat and recommends actions to reduce risk for your company.

Steps to take to boost cybersecurity

CISA has issued guidance to organizations on the immediate actions they should take in order to protect their businesses from cyberattacks that escalate due to the conflict in Ukraine. Although the agency has yet to detected any threats, they advise firms to follow their recommendations to stay resilient and prevent future attacks.

Secure access controls

  • Staff should use strong, unique passwords that cannot be shared with other systems.
  • Review any accounts with administrative or privileged access carefully and delete old or unrecognized accounts. Accounts with privileged access or other rights must be managed carefully. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is recommended where possible. Privilege can be used to access sensitive information or system administration.
  • Validate that remote access to the network of your organization and administrative privileges require MFA.
  • Verify that all ports and protocols not required for business purposes have been disabled by the IT support staff of your organization.

software-patching-300x150.jpgRegularly patch

  • Make sure your users have their desktops, laptops, mobile devices, and other software updated. This includes third-party software like browsers and office productivity suites. Turn on automatic updates if possible. Prioritize updates that address exploited vulnerabilities as identified by CISA. CISA also released a digital catalogue of tools that can be used to help critical infrastructure owners combat rising tensions.
  • Make sure your internet browsers and interfaces are updated for security vulnerabilities.
  • Ensure that all of your critical business systems are patched. Make sure that you have other mitigations in place for any vulnerabilities not yet fixed.

Make sure you test your backups

  • Verify that backups are working properly. To ensure that you are comfortable with the restoration process, test a restore from a backup.
  • Make sure you have an offline backup of your backup. This will ensure that you are always able to access it in case of an attack that causes data loss or changes to the system configuration.
  • Make sure that machine state, as well as any other critical credentials (such private keys or access tokens), are backed up.

network-monitoring-1-300x197.jpgLogging and monitoring

  • Make sure that IT security personnel are focused on quickly assessing and identifying any unusual or unusual network behavior. Allow logging to help you investigate any issues or other events.
  • Know what logs you have, where they are stored and how long they are kept. Ensure that logs are kept at least for one month if possible.
  • When working with Ukrainian organizations, be extra careful to inspect, isolate, and monitor traffic from them; carefully review access controls.

Network security

  • Make sure antivirus software is installed. Also, ensure that signatures are up-to-date and active on all systems.
  • Check to be sure your firewall rules work as they should – especially temporary rules that might have been left in place for a longer period of time.
  • Verify that your records regarding your internet footprint are accurate and current. This includes information such as which IP addresses are used by your system on the internet and which domain names are owned by your company. You should ensure that domain registration data is securely stored in accounts that support multi-factor authentication.
  • Do an external vulnerability scan on your entire internet footprint to ensure that all vulnerabilities have been fixed. Unpatched security vulnerabilities in internet-connected services pose a serious risk.

incident-response-300x256.jpgIncident response planning

To increase operational resilience, identify critical services and systems (banking and power/utilities, communications) to which you can create contingency plans.

Check that your incident response plan includes:

  • Designated crisis-response team with clear roles/responsibilities from members across the organization, including technology, communications, legal, and business continuity.
  • How to respond to an emergency outside of regular office hours and/or when the business system is down.
  • To ensure everyone understands their roles in an incident, conduct a tabletop exercise.
  • To ensure that critical data can quickly be restored in the event of ransomware attacks or other cyber-attacks, test backup procedures.
  • Conduct a test of the operation of industrial control systems and operational technology to verify that critical functions are still available if the network is down or not trusted.

Educate

  • Make sure that all teams within your organization are aware of the situation and the increased threat.
  • It is important that everyone within your organization understands how to report security incidents and why it is important to do so during times of high threat.
  • Boost your company’s IT security with the help of professional IT specialists.

It is a daunting task ensuring your companies cybersecurity systems meet all of the above criteria. SpartanTec in Columbia SC will perform a security audit to ensure your data and employees are secure. Call us today or complete the form to the right and our team of experts will contact you. We look forward to hearing from you. In the meant- stay vigilant.

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

Serving: Myrtle BeachNorth Myrtle BeachColumbiaWilmingtonFayettevilleFlorence, Charleston

Monday, February 28, 2022

Four Focus Areas of Cybersecurity



When it comes to cybersecurity, there are four focus areas that you need to know about.

Cybersecurity Columbia SC is a threat that affects all organizations, no matter how advanced or large. Technology has brought many unexpected and amazing benefits but it also presents the possibility of increased risks to businesses and even more serious attacks.

Cybersecurity attackers use many of the same technologies as you to create global intrusions using automation and advanced capabilities.

These attacks have been successfully dealt with using reactive methods in the past. However, cybersecurity initiatives today simply cannot afford to sit back and be reactive – you need a proactive approach. Nobody wants to make international news headlines.

Key Areas Of Cybersecurity

Your best opportunity for complete cybersecurity in the future is proactive thinking that considers these four key areas.

#1: Systems

Although it might seem absurd to talk about cybersecurity’s traditional core, it is essential that we take a new approach in protecting applications and networks. Security is a 24×7 job. Many organizations fail to take into account the growing number of devices, software, and products available.

It is important to strategically deploy new technology in your organization so that they do not pose a threat or intrusion. Before implementing these technologies in your IT environment, it is important to understand who they impact and where they will be connected with other systems.

#2: Information

Organizations have failed in information security for many years. It is no surprise that strict laws such as the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), are now being passed around the globe.

Cybersecurity is changing from protecting network infrastructure to accessing and managing identity. Hackers continue to attack enterprise data that has high value. You need clear processes and guidelines to guide you in this process. These should not only outline best practices but also provide specific steps to take in the event of a catastrophic situation.

#3: Environment

Modern cybersecurity must go beyond data and devices. It also needs business processes and procedures to ensure effectiveness.

Technology protections will not have a long-lasting impact if they aren’t comprehensive. Security strategies must consider the interaction of employees with technology in order to identify any potential vulnerabilities and unsafe workarounds.

#4: Mobile Technology

While IT security technology is essential, it does not address the most dangerous threat to cybersecurity: people. End-user education is a key component of IT programs today to counter the ever increasing number industry threats.

If employees fail to adhere to industry standards, they have the potential for creating harm. Your work does not end there. Your entire cybersecurity project will be affected if you don’t teach users the right technology management skills.

IT security has been difficult. Every day, hackers are more sophisticated and creative. It’s not always possible to define and know what the best practices are. SpartanTec, Inc. can help.

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

Serving: Myrtle BeachNorth Myrtle BeachColumbiaWilmingtonFayettevilleFlorence, Charleston

Wednesday, February 23, 2022

Why Businesses Shouldn’t Ignore A Data Breach



According to 1E, an endpoint management firm and security firm, US companies are still vulnerable to cyber attacks and data breach despite making significant security investments.

Based on an independent survey, the report includes  300 IT security decision-makers from the US.

Cybersecurity has been receiving more attention and investment. Global spending is expected to surpass $1tn by 2021. However, the report stated that the largest gaps remain in plain sight.

More than three quarters (77%) of respondents think they aren’t prepared to respond to serious data breaches. 60% reported that they have suffered a security breach within the last two years. 31% said this happened more than once.

Eighty percent of respondents claim that digital transformation has increased cyber risk. Only 23% believe that their IT operations and IT security teams work well together to protect the business. However, 97% said their organization would benefit from greater collaboration.

Over three quarters of respondents (77%) believe that remote work will remain a security threat until organizations can reach, patch, and secure remote workers effectively.

Most respondents want to see more investment in areas like software migration automation (80%), breach response and remedy (67%), or software patching (65%).

Cyber-hygiene-300x300.jpgCompanies must maintain a high level of cyber hygiene to avoid major breaches. This leads to a software arms race, a fierce competition between exploiters as well as the entire software industry. In a constant loop, one creates an problem, and the other builds defenses.

Kurt De Ruwe (CIO at Signify), stated that IT operations and IT security must collaborate, set common goals, and use the same toolset.

Companies are at risk because they use older operating systems and software versions without patching and without proper encryption.

De Ruwe stated that new technology was an important tool to improve IT operations. He said that live information is crucial because viruses, phishing attacks, and other things can happen at any moment. Therefore, you must be able react quickly.

Daniel said, “Too often I see organizations spend far too much budgets and resources on expensive tools.” “But the problem is not always about a lack of technology. It’s often the absence of a cohesive relationship among IT security and IT operation, which can lead to gaps in an organization’s security profile.

While you cannot eliminate your cyber risk completely, you can reduce your risk profile by combining IT and cyber security operations.

cybersecurity-300x247.jpg10 ways to reduce an organization’s risk of data breach

1.) For pragmatic security and operational needs, align goals closely with the business.

  • Identify which IT systems are the most important for business operations.
  • Recognize systems that can be retired in order to increase efficiency and reduce security requirements.

2.)  Establish shared goals and responsibility for IT security operations and IT security:

  • Get 100% asset visibility
  • Upgrade and patch are based on a set of agreed KPIs.
  • Make sure your most important assets are updated and patched as a top priority.
  • If you are unable to patch or update, mitigate the vulnerabilities.

3.) Automated patching and updates to the greatest extent possible

  • Reduce the need to intervene when possible.
  • Remote workers can self-serve OS upgrades, which will reduce IT’s burden.
  • Allow operational and security tasks can be performed in real-time at every endpoint, without users being distracted.

4.) Provide transparent progress reporting to IT and security teams

  • Make sure everyone is able to see the progress toward the visibility and patching goals.

5.) Report consistent information to the board on security status

  • Establish a Key Performance Indicators driven framework to report to the board that raises awareness about security posture.
  • Both IT operations and IT Security should be held accountable for the achievement of and reporting on these KPIs.

6.) Join a cyber-information sharing organization relevant to your industry

  • You should ensure that your IT operations and IT security personnel have the most current threat information.
  • Based on this threat information, adjust your security and operations.

7.) Identify the person responsible for which actions in a cyber-incident

  • Create a shared plan for incident response and recovery.
  • Rehearse such eventualities.
  • Incorporate the technical response activities into your company’s overall incident response plan.
  • You must be able to recover from cyber-incidents when they happen.

8.) How to break down communication barriers

  • Managers should communicate their priorities and goals.
  • If possible, physically locate IT operations and IT Security together.
  • Encourage regular communication between IT operations personnel and IT security personnel.

9.) Consider co-managed services

  • Co-managed services can take the burden of IT support off your internal staff
  • Outsourcing some of your IT operations insures you are current with the latest threats, techniques and security monitoring.

10.)  At least once a year, update your action plan, KPIs, and priorities

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you want to protect your business against cyber attacks and security breach.

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

Serving: Myrtle BeachNorth Myrtle BeachColumbiaWilmingtonFayettevilleFlorence, Charleston

Friday, February 18, 2022

Overview of Network Monitoring



Network monitoring reviews the health of a network’s hardware and software layers. Network monitoring is used by engineers to detect and prevent network failures and outages and watch for suspicious activity.

What is Network Monitoring?

Networks allow information to be transferred between two or more systems. This includes between two applications or computers. Open Systems Interconnection (OSI), a model that breaks down many functions computer systems use to send and receive information.

Data must pass through the OSI to send information across a network to the end user. It will use different protocols starting at the physical layer and ending with the application layer. Network monitoring gives engineers visibility into all components of a network and allows them to troubleshoot any issues that may occur at any layer.

Hardware To Monitor Network

Companies that manage on-premises workloads and datacenters must ensure that the physical hardware that transports network traffic is operational and healthy. This usually includes the physical, datalink and network layers of the OSI model.

Companies monitor components that transmit data using this device-centric monitoring approach. This includes network cabling and network devices like routers, switches and firewalls. Network devices can have multiple interfaces connecting them to other devices. Failures at any one interface could result in network downtime.

Benefits of Network Monitoring

network-monitoring-1-300x197.jpgMajor business disruptions can be caused by network failures. In complex networks with distributed networks, it is crucial to have full visibility to identify and fix issues. Managed IT service providers such as SpartanTec, Inc. in Columbia SC can help. If cross-regional queries are not answered, it is possible for a connectivity problem in one area or availability zone to have an enormous impact on the entire service.

Monitoring network devices have the common benefit of helping to prevent or minimize business-impacting outages. Monitoring tools for network devices can collect information periodically to verify that they are functioning as expected and alert you if they are not.

Network engineers can quickly respond to any issue that may arise, such as high saturation at a particular interface. This will prevent outages or other user-facing impacts. If monitoring shows that one server is not sufficient to handle the request volume, then teams can implement load balancers to distribute traffic among multiple servers.

Network monitoring and IT support can also help companies improve their application performance. Network packet loss could manifest as user-facing latency. Engineers can pinpoint the source of packet loss and fix it with network monitoring.

Companies can reduce their network traffic costs by monitoring network data and identifying inefficient cross-regional patterns. Engineers can use network monitoring to verify that their applications are able to reach DNS servers. Without this, websites won’t load properly for users.

Modern monitoring tools allow engineers to access the same data when troubleshooting and diagnosing network issues. The ability to consolidate monitoring data allows teams to easily determine if latency or other errors are caused by the network, code, host-level issues, or any other source.

Over the past few years cybercriminals have found ways to access the networks of businesses of every size. This may cause a data breach and your company money when they demand a ransom. Network monitoring looks for cyber attempts from the outside as well as the inside. monitoring can identify as threat before it becomes a problem.

Primary Use Cases of Network Monitoring

Datacenter Monitoring

Network engineers can use network monitors to gather real-time data from data centers. They can also set up alerts when problems occur, such as device failures, temperature spikes, network capacity issues or suspicious activity.

cloud-computing-300x188.jpgCloud Network Monitoring

To ensure that applications dependencies communicate well, companies that host cloud services can use network monitoring tools. Network monitoring can be used by engineers to analyze how much traffic passes between regions and how different cloud providers handle it.

Network Monitoring for Containerized Applications

Network containers enable teams to package and distribute applications across multiple operating system platforms. Engineers often use Kubernetes container orchestration system to create scalable distributed applications.

Teams can use network monitoring to make sure that all components of their containerized apps communicate properly, regardless of whether they are running on-premises or cloud.

Network monitoring may be used by companies that adopt a hybrid approach to hosting their services. Some workloads are managed internally while others are outsourced and hosted in the cloud. This hybrid approach allows for some flexibility.

A network monitoring tool is useful in this situation to provide a holistic view of both on-premise network metrics and the health of data flows between them. When an organization is migrating to cloud computing, it’s common for them to use a hybrid approach. For small to medium size business, outsourcing network monitoring may be a better option. This will free up or eliminate  IT staff.

Challenges of Monitoring Your Network

Modern networks transmit millions of packets per second and are extremely complex. Engineers use flow logs to examine traffic between two IP addresses. They can also manually log in via Secure Shell Access (SSH) to remote access equipment to run diagnostics.

These processes are not scalable, do not provide network health heuristics and may not be able to identify the root cause of network problems.

Network monitoring in Columbia SC can also be a challenge for engineers when companies shift to the cloud. Cloud workloads and the underlying infrastructure can cause network complexity to increase. Cloud instances that are short-lived may disappear due to changes in user demand.

The cloud provider can shift the network infrastructure. This means that network issues can often be out of the client’s control. Workloads may need to be moved to another available zone or region in order to avoid problems until they are resolved.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you’re interested in network monitoring and you would like to get the help of our IT experts.

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

Serving: Myrtle BeachNorth Myrtle BeachColumbiaWilmingtonFayettevilleFlorence, Charleston

Thursday, February 17, 2022

IT Services West Columbia SC



IT Solutions That Advance Your Business

SpartanTec, Inc. West Columbia SC can help your business remain safe, productive, and profitable by effective use of technology. Companies of all sizes have been relying on our comprehensive range of managed IT services to solve their IT problems for over 15 years. Our confidence can be put to work for yours.

Our Managed IT Services

Reliable and nimble. To remain competitive in today’s economy, a business must be agile and responsive. It often involves leveraging technology to optimize business performance, reduce costs and protect security. SpartanTec, Inc. West Columbia SC offers three levels of service to help you:

1. An IT strategy that is proactive – evaluations and tactical planning geared to your business. This provides flexibility, scalability and adaptability

2. Preventative IT Support – Remote Monitoring which identifies potential problems before they can disrupt operations

3. Reliable – A local team made up of highly-skilled technicians who can respond remotely or onsite via a Network Operations Center and Network monitoring.

IT-solutions-west-comumbia-sc-300x212.jpgWe provide IT outsourcing, co-managed IT support, and consulting services for special projects. SpartanTec, Inc. West Columbia SC offers the following:

  • Accessibility. Accessibility. Our certified technicians and engineers are available to assist you.
  • Cost predictability. We stick to a budget.
  • Peace of mind. We’re there for you when you need us.
  • Transparency and hassle-free. We make it easy to do business.

Technology is constantly changing and evolving. SpartanTec, Inc. West Columbia SC can help you ensure that your systems and data are secure and protected. We’re always available to assist you when you need us. This is a competitive advantage.

Why Manage It Services

Your Vision is Realized. Technology can make companies more productive and provide faster response times. It protects against viruses, bad actors, and human error. It can help you save time and money. As you attempt to find viable IT solutions yourself, it can be distracting and a draining. SpartanTec, Inc. West Columbia SC is your managed IT service provider and can help your business realize its unique vision.

You need more bandwidth? Even with an IT department, you may find yourself lacking the skills and resources necessary to meet deadlines or solve speed-to-market problems. SpartanTec, Inc. West Columbia SC can help you bridge the gap and meet your goals and deadlines.

Do you need full-time IT support? SpartanTec, Inc. West Columbia SC is available 24/7 to assist you when you realize that you require IT support. We offer cost-effective, pragmatic outsourcing solutions that can be tailored to your business. We bring local expertise to help you with everything from remote monitoring and trouble-shooting, to equipment upgrades, and network assessment.

Are you looking for IT services and special skills? SpartanTec, Inc. West Columbia SC offers a wide range of IT services and skills to assist you in solving your business problems. We work closely with you to help you find the right solutions.

Cybersecurity Assessment

cybersecurity-west-columcbia-sc-300x200.jpgUnfortunately, these are the cyber threats of today and businesses cannot ignore them. Sixty percent have been the victims of cyberattacks, including phishing, DDoS attacks and social engineering attacks. Cyber threats are constantly evolving and require constant monitoring. Although it sounds dire, you can rest easy knowing that your business is being protected and monitored by SpartanTec, Inc. West Columbia SC. With our Cybersecurity Services, you can have peace-of-mind.

SpartanTec, Inc. West Columbia SC offers comprehensive cybersecurity services that will protect your business. We begin our process by conducting a thorough Cybersecurity Assessment to determine and support your cybersecurity requirements.

Cybersecurity Assessment examines your most critical IT infrastructure, data, and procedures. It also identifies areas where improvement or remediation is needed through risk, policy, and device-level reviews. We will use the results of the assessment to create a plan for addressing any exposed areas. Then, we will outline ongoing managed IT services to ensure your business is secure.

The Cloud

cloud-management-300x300.jpgThe cloud is the great equalizer. It gives small, medium and larger businesses unlimited data storage and cloud computing. The way you use the cloud will depend on your company’s structure, business goals and security requirements. SpartanTec, Inc. West Columbia SC experts will help you navigate the available solutions – private, hybrid, and public – to determine which approach best suits your needs.

More businesses are turning to the cloud in recent years to ensure their future success. Cloud services enable you to work anywhere and on any device. Today, cloud solutions are more important than ever to ensure a remote workforce. Cloud subscriptions and consumption-based business models make IT a capital expense that can be used to support operations. The latest technology is now within reach. Isn’t this the time to move your business into the cloud?

Cloud Migration & Management

Your virtual office. Today, business is not limited to the office. Mobile business is possible on smartphones, tablets, and laptops anywhere, from airport lounges to golf course fairways. Cloud provides 24/7 permission-based access for your company’s data and mission-critical software apps. Customers, employees, and vendors have access to what they need at any time, so your business can continue to move uninterrupted. Cloud environments offer unlimited usage potential and are scalable. Cloud services are available as either an annual subscription or monthly pay-as you-go plan so that your business can adapt to its needs.

Cloud Backup and Storage

Do more with less. There are three main types of cloud services: 1) Data storage, 2) Desktop as a Service, and 3) Infrastructure as a Service. Cloud services allow you to archive data assets, which will help your computer run more efficiently and faster. Your data is stored in the cloud, so it’s not only on your computer but also online, which means that your data can be recovered should your equipment fail.

Cloud computing also presents great opportunities to explore back-office and front office cloud computing applications.

These are the areas that cloud solutions can cover:

  • Data Backup/Business Continuity
  • Hosted Voice over IP (VoIP)
  • Desktop-as-a-Service (DaaS)
  • Applications
  • Database Servers
  • Storage
  • Hosted Email
  • Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

SpartanTec, Inc. West Columbia SC is here to keep your business safe and help you meet your business objectives. Call us today for a comprehensive analysis of your security policies. We can give you recommendations that provide peace of mind.

SpartanTec, Inc.
West Columbia, SC
(803) 408-7166

Tuesday, February 15, 2022

Tips to Improve Cybersecurity in Small Businesses



We saw an increase in sophisticated phishing emails schemes after the COVID-19 pandemic. Google blocked more than 18 million coronavirus-phishing attempts daily at the start of the pandemic crisis. Cybercriminals will never miss an opportunity, even if it means a tragedy or a global crisis.

Cybercrimes saw an increase in recent years, with 54% of companies having experienced an incident in their industrial control systems. Even though cybersecurity spending is expected to rise to $1 trillion over five years (2025), not all companies spend enough to secure their networks and data. Cybercrime is predicted to cause the loss of 33 billion records by 2023.

Cybersecurity is a serious concern for small businesses

This is especially true for small and medium-sized businesses. Recent data shows that 70% of small businesses are not prepared to handle a cyberattack and 51% have not allocated any budget to cyber security. No matter how small or large your business may appear, 43% of cyber-attacks target small businesses.

Small businesses are often too small to invest in cyber security, and therefore they are not equipped to handle increasingly sophisticated cyber-attack strategies. This makes them a lucrative target for hackers. This is a dire situation when you consider the cost of a malware attack against a company at $2.4 million.

According to how prevalent the attacks are, the cyber-attacks against small businesses can be divided into these categories:

  • Attack via the Internet 49%
  • Phishing and social engineering 43%
  • General malware 35%
  • SQL injection 26%
  • Compromised / stole devices 25%
  • 21% of people refuse to use services
  • Advance malware / zero day attacks 14%
  • Malicious insider 13%
  • Cross-site scripting 11%
  • Ransomware 2
  • Other 1%

Unfortunately, many small businesses continue to believe that they can ‘fly under the radar’ because they are small. 69% of small businesses continue to not enforce password policies. 16% of small businesses report that they only review their cyber security after a major security incident. Small businesses can use managed IT services to help them protect their networks from rising cyber security threats.

Tips to Improve Small Business Cybersecurity

Layered security can be used to limit access. This will help protect your most important data even in the event of a breach. This could mean that sensitive information can only be accessed on a strictly need-to-know basis. Additional protections such as encryption and passwords can be used. You can use layers of security to include the following:

Asset inventory – A comprehensive review of all hardware and software is necessary to ensure their security and performance. A current inventory of mission-critical and sensitive data, as well as periodic checks of user accounts for inactive accounts, can help to prevent data theft and credential theft.

cybersecurity-Columbia-300x300.jpgNetwork security and perimeter – When threats do infiltrate your defenses, it is helpful to divide your network into zones that have different access levels and security levels. Malicious attacks can be prevented by reviewing your SQL code and using web-application firewalls.

Activity auditing – Regular monitoring and review data and network activity can pinpoint user access and flag suspicious activity.

Use Enterprise-grade firewalls. Enterprise-grade firewalls offer more control and better traffic management than regular firewalls. They are your first line of defense against malicious traffic and prevent accidental clicks to compromise websites.

A strong Mobile Device Policy is essential – Most employees use mobile devices to work remotely and for any other reasons. Access to sensitive data off-premise can make it difficult for employees to use work email from mobile devices. Strong password protection should be used and security apps installed to monitor the use of these devices should be used.

Hire outsourced managed IT services – If this has been a long read, and you are overwhelmed by the steps required and/or estimated budgets to protect your business against cyber security threats then you should seriously consider consulting a local managed service provider in IT Support. They can help you assess your business’s risk and provide the most recent defensive strategies, tools and technologies at predictable and manageable monthly costs.

Centralize hardware management – Please make sure you have a centralized dashboard for all hardware on site (including mobile devices), with pre-set configurations. An asset inventory is a great way to keep track of your equipment. All network logs should also be audited in order to trace any unauthorized device access.

You should strengthen your password policy. In addition to enforcing strong password policies at work, it is important that all employees are required to change their passwords at least once a quarter. For assistance in creating strong passwords, you can use a complex password generator tool. This includes a mixture of capital and lowercase letters, numbers and special characters.

Zero Trust Policy – Although the idea of zero trust policies is still relatively new, it can be very useful in protecting enterprise data and networks. This means that users have access to data and applications only on a need-to-know basis. The strict enforcement of zero trust limits the damage caused by breaches, credential theft, and user violations (accidental and deliberate).

Regular Data Backups – Automate your backup processes. At the very least, make regular backups that are stored offsite. Offsite backups can be used to ensure uninterrupted business services and continuity in the event of a network attack or disaster.

Secure Your Website with SSL – All your website should be secured with secure socket layer (SSL). It ensures that all data can be transmitted securely over the Internet between any computer on your network server and any other computer. This makes data theft impossible. SpartanTec, Inc. can assist you in implementing SSL on your website. This will allow for a higher ranking on Google and safer data practices.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. in Columbia SC now if you need help in improving your computer and network security measures against cyberattacks.

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

Serving: Myrtle BeachNorth Myrtle BeachColumbiaWilmingtonFayettevilleFlorence, Charleston