Recent Blog Posts
A lot of times it can be a complete lack of risk identification that can put your business? computing resources in jeopardy. The unfortunate reality is that when something bad happens, it?s in human nature to find a scapegoat for the event or to point our fingers at something deemed to be the cause. This need to blame someone for an attack like a data breach can alienate and frustrate employees to the point where they may start to think, ?What?s the point of being careful if I am going to be blamed, regardless of the amount of effort I invest in this?? It?s a dangerous mindset to have in today?s age of cyberthreats. One of the absolute worst things that can happen as a result of this culture of blame surrounding cybersecurity is that employees might find themselves reluctant to come forward when they have made a mistake. When employees do not own up to their mistakes, they might even try to hide the mistake and sweep it under the rug. When cybersecurity is involved in such a decision, the situation can get ugly. Imagine if an employee accidentally downloaded a malicious file to their device, then didn?t report it to anyone for fear of punishment or scolding. That threat could very well multiply on your network and eventually cause all kinds of damage. It might steal credentials or harvest personal information. It might even install other threats, too! It?s safe to say that any threat that goes unreported could become quite problematic, and it?s your job as the business owner to foster an office environment and culture that encourages employees to come forward when they make mistakes like this. So, how does one make a culture of acceptance surrounding cybersecurity? Oftentimes, the issues surrounding the culture of cybersecurity within businesses are systemic and have a lot to do with either the security systems in place or the training provided to employees. You can start with the following: Make cybersecurity easy for your employees to understand and relate to. Train your employees on how to identify threats. Let your employees know that it?s okay to make mistakes. Regularly test employees so that mistakes are simulated in safe environments. What do you think about this approach to cybersecurity? Do you think it can help employees be more cognizant of their actions, or at least more likely to report when they have messed up? Good questions to consider when you consider that while most data breaches are the result of employee mistakes, they aren?t (usually) the ones actively attacking your business. If you would like to talk to one of our IT professionals about cybersecurity strategy and how to keep your business? IT resources secure, give us a call at (603) 889-0800 today.
Let?s go over some essential backup best practices that you need to keep in mind for your business? data. What Lessons Should We Take from World Backup Day? The whole idea behind World Backup Day is simple: normalize the practice of backing up data, while emphasizing its importance. We believe that the foundation of any solid backup strategy is to follow what is commonly known as the 3-2-1 Backup Rule. The 3-2-1 Backup Rule: The 3-2-1 Backup Rule is a simple way of looking at the accepted best practice for redundant (a good thing, in this case) data that is saved in case of emergency. It can effectively be summarized as follows: You have at least three copies of all your data. One of these copies is your operational copy, the one you work from. The other two are backups. You want your backups to be stored separately from your functioning data, on at least two different storage mediums. You want at least one copy of your data to be stored offsite, in the cloud. We Can Help You Get These Backups in Place While it might not be possible to get your comprehensive backup up and running in time for World Backup Day, it?s like we said before?every day is an important day to have a backup. Give us a call to find out more about how we can help make backing up your business? data far easier and more reliable by calling (603) 889-0800.
Implement the Cloud With the cloud on your side, your business can make its assets much more accessible while out of the office. Furthermore, your employees will have more freedom in how to approach their work. It?s very likely that the majority of the tools and services your company utilizes can be virtualized and stored in the cloud for ease of access. If you can think it, you can virtualize it in the cloud, from software solutions to data storage to hardware virtualization. Provide Hardware for Your Employees (In Some Capacity) It doesn?t matter how mobile your business is if your employees don?t have access to devices to access your data on. Obviously, it is a little harder to acquire the necessary hardware at the moment due to the ongoing supply chain disruptions, but if you can, you should consider providing hardware to your employees for work purposes, like laptops and smartphones. In cases where you can?t, you can utilize virtual desktops and hardware to host certain parts of your hardware infrastructure in the cloud. Consider BYOD Policies If your business cannot supply its entire workforce with devices, don?t fret?you can rely on your employees to use their own personal devices for work, provided they meet specific criteria outlined in your Bring Your Own Device policy. BYOD can empower your employees to get more work done with devices that they are comfortable with, and it can save your business plenty of device acquisition costs, too. If you can get your employees to use their own devices for work, all you need to do is make sure they are kept up-to-date and secured; this goes for any data accessed by these devices, too. For businesses that don?t want to commit fully to remote operations, there are hybrid solutions out there, too. Some employees might spend a certain amount of time in and out of the office utilizing shared workspaces to get work done. Ask us today how you can implement a hybrid work policy for your business. Naturally, the shift to remote work has its kinks that need to be worked out, but with White Mountain IT Services on your side, we are confident you can work your way through them and make your operations more mobile than ever before. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.
Maybe! Passwords are Ultimately Problematic, and It?s Our Fault Guess what the most popular password was in 2020? 123456. Guess what it was in 2021? 123456. Guess what?and I wish I was making this up?it was at the beginning of 2022? 123456. This is just one example of some pretty shameful password practices that research has shown time and again, based on data breach information. However, we aren?t going to focus on the still very problematic and important security ramifications that passwords have. Instead, we want to focus on how passwords can actually waste a lot of time in your business. Password Resets Monopolize Help Desk Calls Various reports have shown that password resets are one of the most common reasons that help desks are contacted. While many people might assume that their password reset requests are a simple matter to see through, they aren?t. Let?s walk through the process and highlight where time is potentially lost each time a password needs to be reset. The user types in a password, only to have it kicked back. Whoops?they either mistyped it, or they forgot it. Either way, your user tries a few until they either lock themselves out or give up? wasting time there. The user then has to reach out to the support team, where they?ll need to wait until someone is available to help them? wasting time there. Once someone can assist them, they?ll need to bring the support desk up to speed?wasting time there. The support desk then needs to take the time to resolve the problem. Remember, the employee has not been able to work throughout this process, sapping productivity throughout the day. Plus, it isn?t as though the employee is thinking about this?so, when they have the means to easily set a new password, they?re going to be a little more prone to forget what they used. In This Context, Passwordless Technologies Make More Sense Of course, this has been just one of many reasons that passwordless authentication measures are a great option for businesses. Reach out to us to learn more about passwordless options and other cybersecurity solutions for your business. Call (603) 889-0800 today.
1. Consider What You Click On It?s almost automatic for many users to click on every link they see on a website, in their email, and elsewhere. This is something that hackers are very aware of. You?ll need to build up the habit of hovering your cursor over a link before clicking on it. This will display the actual destination of a link somewhere on your screen, which you should always check so you will know that it is legitimate. 2. Use Access Controls While this may be obvious, you need to make sure that someone who isn?t allowed access to your business? files or location isn?t able to access them. This means that you need to have all the suggested data security measures and practices in place to protect against the unauthorized access of any of your files, including any hard copies. Keep your physical data locked up, and protect all data with multiple layers of authentication requirements. 3. Keep an Eye Out for Scammers While we?ve already covered this in part with tip number one, there are other ways to catch attempted cybercrimes that are often used in conjunction with misleading links. Cybercriminals use various methods, referred to as phishing, to manipulate their targets into behaving the way the attacker wants. Sometimes it is by using a falsified link, sometimes through scare tactics, and often through a combination of the two. Some phishing attacks are researched extensively to be as effective as possible against a certain target, while others are broader and more generic and meant to catch as many people as possible with minimal work. Make sure your team is informed of these attacks and knows to double-check requests through a different communication method if there is any doubt at all. When in doubt? Pick up the phone and call the sender. 4. Two-Ply Protections Make sure that you are layering your defenses against cyberthreats. Maintain an updated antivirus solution and utilize a virtual private network when accessing the Internet and activate all onboard protections that your devices offer and use all of the assorted solutions and practices that are available for you to leverage. To discourage cybercrime on a comprehensive scale, you need to take thorough actions and fill in all the small holes that could potentially exist in your security. White Mountain IT Services can help with all of this and more. For answers to any technology questions you may have, or direct assistance in implementing any of this, give us a call today at (603) 889-0800.
