What are Managed Firewall Services?

There has been a lot of changes in the digital threat landscape since early last year. What was once an effective strategy no longer works and here are several new methods for bad actors to compromise your systems. Among the biggest trends last year was for small businesses to move the responsibility for firewall and other network security management to third party companies. Managed firewalls Wilmington NC services have grown over the years and several providers have consolidated.

If you have not received any email or call informing you of these services, don’t worry. You’ll probably get one soon. But that may not necessarily be a bad thing. If you’re busy running a business or if you’re IT professional is busy working on the Wi-Fi, hackers are doing all they can to gain access to your network. This is where managed firewall services come in and help. They will provide an additional layer of security on top of your existing security equipment to make sure that your business is secured and will not go through a possible catastrophic outcome.

 

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Why Hire Third Party Managed Firewalls Wilmington NC Services

Your firewall configurations are probably wrong.

In most cases, business owners have misconfigured their firewall. Even those with an IT staff tend to get this crucial part of the firewall set up wrong since the firewall is like a specialized aspect of IT. You need a highly trained IT Support Wilmington NC to for the proper configuration of a firewall to a certain individual network.

Your firewall may even be rendered useless if its minor parts have missing configurations. That’s why you need to have managed firewall services. Before the third party company can track the network, they have to set the firewall correctly first.

Maintaining Compliance

The number of cybersecurity experts these days doesn’t meet today’s demand for these professionals. Businesses often leave the security of their company in the hands of an internal IT professional who is knowledgeable with various things except for the firewall. In most cases, you may find that the IT guy will struggle to maintain the company’s security. Unless you manage to hire an all-around network security engineer, you will always be one step behind cybercriminals. If you work with a third party managed firewall service firm, you will get access to top talent since they only hire experts who have the skills needed in managing firewalls along with the other touchpoints of your network.

All-around Network Monitoring

Hackers work day and night and your firewall network security team must also do the same in order to protect your network. Managing network security doesn’t follow a 9am-5pm and Monday through Friday work schedule. Companies that offer managed firewall services will offer round the clock monitoring as well as threat detection protection for businesses that seek out their expertise. So regardless of when you encounter a problem, trusted IT professionals from SpartanTec, Inc. will actively protect your business and make sure that it’s secured at all times.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you need IT experts that can provide you effective managed firewall services.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

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

Do Small Businesses Need Managed IT Services?

Small business owners know that many of their business operations depend on technology. In case you have problems with computer software or hardware, internal databases, or internet connections, all processes will stop. Although you might have thought about hiring an in-house IT employee to assist you with your tech problems, there are several advantages to why your small business should have managed IT services Wilmington NC.

Here are a few points that you should consider regarding IT support services, especially when some of your staff members have shifted to remote working.

Managed IT support are an in-depth way of outsourcing the daily management of your business IT needs. Not only will it free up your time so you could concentrate your schedule on crucial tasks but it also supports the growth and development of your business.

A managed service provider could support your in-house IT department or they could become one for you, based on your business objectives.

What are managed IT services?

Although a lot are familiar with the role of an IT department in a company, there are those who are unfamiliar with what an external IT team could do for their small business.

An in-house IT department is commonly made up of at least one staff member who knows network administration software and hardware installation, as well as troubleshooting technical problems. In a few small businesses, it may be you, the business owner.

On the other hand, you can get all these and so much more from an MSP. They have several IT experts, a lot more than a regular IT department. An IT team possesses a wide array of expertise and knowledge. But rather than working in your office every day, they will take care of your IT needs remotely. The MSP is just one email or phone call away whenever you need them, even if it’s outside the normal business hours.

An MSP can provide the technology services you need for a fixed monthly fee. This will let your business become more proactive rather than waiting for a problem to happen before hiring somebody to deal with it.

Since you’re paying an affordable monthly fee, your small business could easily budget for the expert services you need and allow you to predict your IT spending for the coming months, quarters, or years.

So how can your employees benefit from all these? These professional IT services will keep your staff connected and on top of the latest technology without having to break your budget. Because of this, you’ll get to focus more on building your business rather than your technical concerns.

 

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The Benefits of Managed IT Services

Knowledge – IT services Wilmington NC who have a wide range of knowledge and expertise. You’ll have access to professionals who have several years of experience.

Variety of Service – MSPs offer different service tiers, which is ideal if you want to grow your business. An MSP makes it a lot easier to scale services while your business grows. You probably require essential services for your small business operations, but it’s also good to know you don’t have to worry about your MSP as you expand your business.

Maintenance and Monitoring – An MSP could help prevent problems before they even happen. If you have an IT team to help you out, they could make sure that all the software and hardware are updated and could notice security problems before they become a major problem.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you’re looking for a reliable and trustworthy provider of managed IT services.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

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

The True Value of Data

Personal data is extremely valuable to the person from which it originates that's why data protection is a must. We all have it (or at least pretend to…more on that in my next blog), and we all want it protected when we share it. There are global legal expectations for personal information protections, such as those provided by:

• The European Union Safe Harbor framework – this has been around for a while now but is still a privacy gold standard globally.

• Singapore, where personal information is protected for ten years after an individual’s death.

• Canada, where there are two primary personal data protection laws - the Privacy Act, which covers federal government departments and agencies handling of personal data, and the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act (PIPEDA).

These laws and standards (and others like them) have been enacted to protect an individual’s right to be left out of the marketing race to find, analyze, and sell personal preferences, habits, and spending patterns. They were created to establish a degree of trust between data owners and data users. However, it is relatively common to hear or read about broken trust relationships as a result of data theft. We see it almost every day.

The question for today’s topic is this: how much is that information really worth?

If we were to take a dive into the world of stolen information, we would find a wide range of pricing depending on details such as the type of data, the volume being purchased, and the target from which the data was collected. While prices vary widely, here are a few rough approximations for the current value of information.

Credit Card Numbers

You can purchase valid credit card numbers for around $.50. If the credit card comes with names, PINs and other vital information, the value increases to the $2.00 to $2.50 range per card number.

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Yahoo! Accounts

This was probably the largest cybersecurity breach data theft in history, or at least that we know of. We didn’t find out about this one well until after the fact, but according to various reports there were roughly one billion records stolen back in 2013. Three copies of the entire data set sold for about $300,000 per copy. That makes each record worth a whopping 1/3 of $.01 on a per-sale basis. Bulk sale stores have done well with the business model of offering volume discounts, and apparently stolen Yahoo! data validates that strategy. The basic premise is to provide customers with the ability to buy more so they will save more on a per-unit basis.

Bank Accounts

These are a little tough to value, but generally speaking a valid bank account, to include login credentials, varies according to the amount associated with the account. There is only one verifiable instance I know of, maybe there are more out there. An individual was incarcerated last summer for selling account credentials for $10. The accounts had balances of $100 to $500, so the payoff (if it could be realized) compared to the investment was relatively high.  For accounts ranging up to $20,000 balances, the price jumped to the $70 mark for complete login credentials. Again, this is based on one person being arrested for selling them. There are bank accounts and associated names being sold relatively cheaply (under the $1.00 range). Typical bank account information is sold at a pretty low price.

Medical Records

These are a little more interesting, as they currently bring in from $10 to $20 per record. This is relatively steady and accurate compared to bank account information. It seems that medical records have an intrinsically higher value placed on them than the more common types of financial information.

The questions is…why?

Financial Information Issues

When we analyze financial information, there are a few issues that become readily apparent. The primary one relates to the longevity of the information’s usefulness. This includes credit card numbers/PINs and banking account information. Fraud detection, velocity of discovery, and tracing activity are the three major problems criminals encounter with financial information.

Fraud Detection

Banks live and breathe fraud detection. When it comes to credit card operations, we have all been prevented at one time or another from using our card due to a variety of circumstances occurring at the time of purchase. I was running from airplane to airplane and had to buy a birthday gift for a loved one. I was in an airport jewelry store a thousand miles from home and tried to make the purchase with a few minutes to spare to my next flight. The transaction was blocked and I had to jog off to catch the flight without purchasing a gift. It was halted because a handful of fraud prevention rules were broken, such as where the purchase was attempted, the amount of it, and other spend patterns that broke the rules and blocked the transaction.

Most banks offer fraud alerts on credit cards. Many of us have separate cards for business and personal use, possibly issued by different banks. Details regarding every card purchase I make are delivered as a text to my cell phone, typically within seconds of transaction completion. This is a relatively common customer service capability. The banks, of course, are interested in cutting the cost of fraud within their managed accounts. Regulators also play in the fraud prevention picture, adding pressure to apply technologies for creating fraud detection rule sets and alerts to the consumer. Consumers exert a high demand for implementing adequate financial protections. In order to stay competitive, banks have to keep pace with the marketplace, regulators, and consumer trends. Fraud detection is a competitive edge from a cost and customer confidence perspective.

Chip and PIN systems also assist in thwarting the bad guys. Even though cards and pin numbers can be bought, the chip also contains a variety of details the criminal may not know that is checked at the time of transaction. Some chips implementations validate the chip serial number and credit card pair back to the bank prior to releasing funds. There are a variety of potential barriers to block unauthorized use of the chip and PIN combination.

Velocity of Detection

We now have the ability to rapidly identify suspicious behavior as it pertains to our financial transactions. As previously stated, we have almost instantaneous reporting of credit card transactions. We can set clip levels of transaction alerts for our bank accounts. These include the ability to block transactions based on transaction amount, location of purchase, time of purchase, and other parameters – all customizable by the account holder. Accounts can be frozen until the suspicious behavior is properly communicated, analyzed, or managed.

Gone are the days of receiving a mailed account activity summary that, if it included fraudulent activity, resulted in days of gathering details, submitting the information, and waiting for account restoration. Now the account or credit card is simply suspended until resolution of the issue. If fraudulent activity was perpetrated we can rapidly restore funds and operational use of the account within a short period of time.

Traceability

Financial institutions have the ability to trace transactions with a high degree of accuracy as money flows between accounts. In the earlier example of the individual selling account information, it didn’t take very long to identify and incarcerate the perpetrator. The digital paper trail was a glowing set of arrows pointing back to the individual. Customers that had their accounts emptied reported it to the bank, who notified the authorities. They worked with the banks to back trace account transfers and arrest some of those individuals involved in stealing funds. All it took was one to talk to lead them to the kingpin of the operation that was selling account information. The path back to the involved criminals was relatively clear.

So if we look at bank account and credit card data from those three perspectives, the information has a very limited shelf life and poses a higher potential for identification of the individuals stealing money. It is simply a high risk model best left to amateurs or those criminals with little imagination.

Medical Records

Cyber criminals love medical records for several reasons.

Depth of Information

Medical records contain full names, date of birth, parental information, social security numbers, addresses, phone numbers, next of kin information, and a wide variety of other types of personal information. This information is useful for a wide range of cybercrimes. Tax season is upon us in the United States, and tax fraud associated with identity theft has more than doubled in the past two years. In order to fill out a fraudulent tax return, all a criminal needs is a valid name, social security number, and address.  Medical records carry a great depth of information about an individual, allowing for a wide range of fraudulent crimes to be leveraged using the data. They provide information that can be used either directly or in a support role for a wider range of . More about that in a bit.

Longevity

As previously stated, bank accounts and credit card numbers have a very short lifespan in terms of usefulness for a criminal. Conversely, medical records provide a much longer shelf life for the cybercriminal. It can take months for medical record theft to be discovered, and an even longer period of time to notify the individual that their data was stolen. This allows a deeper analysis of the information at an almost leisurely pace.

Limited Recovery

When details relating to a bank account or credit card are used to perpetrate fraud, the recovery is relatively simple. The financial institution simply stops the card from being used and issues a new card, changes account passwords, or closes the account and reopens a new one for the individual. When a medical record is stolen, recovery to an operationally restored state is extremely difficult (if not impossible). Your name will remain the same, and the likelihood is high of you retaining the same social security number, address, telephone number, blood type, and other details pertaining to you. The only viable recourse is to work with credit rating companies so you can be notified of suspicious behavior such as new loan requests, account openings, or credit card requests. Notifications to government agencies and law enforcement can help remediate a situation if your information is used fraudulently, but you are adopting a very reactive posture. The bottom line is that once your medical record information is stolen, it has a very long shelf life from a criminal’s perspective.

Work Correlation

Medical records provide names, addresses, telephone numbers, and other important personal information, but they contain other pieces of extremely valuable data as well. One example is the medical plan identifier. This is typically represented by numbers or an alphanumeric, and relate directly to a single company’s medical plan. If a cybercriminal knows the company associated with a medical plan, it is relatively simple to discover other records using that same plan identifier.

Once that is completed, the resulting pile of medical records can be further sifted to provide an even stronger probability of linkage between individuals. The simplest method is to take the country code and next two or three digits of a phone number and cross reference them. In the US the area code is used, and other phone systems around the world use a similar approach for determining the locality or region of the phone user. It is also relatively simple to correlate home addresses and find people that have even a higher probability of knowing each other. Maybe they carpool together.

Once these steps are completed it is relatively simple to socially engineer a situation that results in malware being inserted into a corporate IT environment. Cybercriminals can create emails from one friend in a company to another with commonly used document formats harboring malicious code. They can even determine the department, such as finance, HR, receiving, etc., and leverage that to customize a malware delivery package that will have a very high potential of success.

Data Protection is Crucial

Millions of medical records have already been stolen. With the static nature of the information contained in them, cybercriminals have years to analyze and mine data, then correlate that information to create highly customized malware packages. Employee awareness training, data backups, or the daily integration of malware signatures into firewalls may not be enough. Reactive measures fail.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you want to know more about our managed IT services and how we can help protect your business.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

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

Do I need a managed firewall?

Qualified managed IT service providers generally offer managed firewall services as a solution for firewall administration, operation, monitoring, as well as maintenance of the firewall infrastructure.

The service provider can help create, maintain, and change firewall rules, check your network and offer feedback, reports, as well as analysis to improve your company’s computer security Wilmington NC.

Based on the extent of your service agreement, the service provider can do firewall installation, application control, as well as web content filtering because they help in determining what web content and applications must be blocked. They could also assist in managing updates and patching.

Do you need a managed firewall?

Firewalls are essential when it comes to protecting network traffic and that includes the flow of confidential data. They’re needed for compliance with regulations such as the GDPR, HIPAA, and PCI DSS. Firms that do not have the personnel resources needed to manage their firewall or other devices that could fill in the gaps in data security and better prevent data breaches can use managed firewalls Wilmington NC. Some companies use internal IT personnel who can manage their firewalls but others would rather use an experienced, reputable, and trustworthy managed firewall service so that they could concentrate on their business goals.

 

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In-depth firewall management needs constant vigilance and a high degree of expertise. Firewalls aren’t just a set once and forget it type of technology. Buying and configuring a firewall that is suitable for any given setting is just the start.

Whether it is for data security or compliance, a managed firewall service could a significant amount of security to your company’s network.

Common Failures in Firewall Management

Security analysts often come across security risks that involve firewall configuration and management. The common issues are as follows:

Multiple firewalls – having one firewall needs regular maintenance and monitoring daily. You have to check the rule sets, patch the firmware, and update the configuration. You have to multiply the work if you have several firewalls Wilmington NC in place. This can be a problem if you lack the staff or critical skills needed to maintain them. It could lead to overlooking serious security problems which could lead to compromise or loss of sensitive data.

No firewall auditing –firewall auditing, which involves checking and auditing the firewall on a regular basis, is left undone by many firms. One advantage of hiring an MSP is that they can do regular firewall audits, which they commonly include in their core services.

Misunderstanding of how firewalls work – not all IT personnel are familiar with all the aspects of firewall management. The area between internally facing the network and externally facing the network should be secure. Some organizations leave their network exposed and at risk to external malicious activity because they left some firewall ports open internally or externally.

Lack of oversight and inexperience – IT personnel are usually expected to just make sure that their network, computers, and other devices work. There is immense pressure to keep the systems operational every day. This pressure could lead to careless or risky configurations that could leave your network vulnerable.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team of IT experts protect your business from cyberthreats by having a well managed and properly configured firewall.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

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

What You Need To Know About Managed Firewalls?

Managed firewalls offer protection against outside attackers by protecting your network or computer from unnecessary or malicious internet traffic. Firewalls could be set up to block information from specific locations while granting access to necessary or relevant data. They are used to compartmentalize internal system with PCI, HIPPAA, as well as other Level 1 information from systems that might not have the exact level of security or sensitivity requirements.

SpartanTec, Inc. provides firewall design and management to make sure that the firewalls are deployed in line with the best practices and industry standards. Managed firewalls Wilmington NC are crucial in securing your computer as well as your network.

What are the benefits of managed firewalls?

• It provides a layer of security between the internal servers and the internet as well as other network resources and devices and computers.
• It offers authorization and integrity for network connections coming in and going out.
• It can prevent remote connections that are not authorized while allowing those that are desired.

If your computer can be access through Wi-Fi network or an internet connection, it’s at risk of attack. But you can also limit outside access to the computers as well as data on it through a firewall.

 

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What type of firewall works best?

Hardware-Based Firewalls

Firewalls Wilmington NC comes in to categories such as software and hardware. Also known as network firewalls, these are physical devices that are placed between the internet and the computer. A lot of vendors and a few internet service providers provide integrated home office/small office routers that include firewall features.

Hardware-based firewalls are useful for securing several computers and managing the network activity that tries to go through them. The benefit of this kind of firewall is that it offers another layer of protection against attacks that reach the desktop computing systems. The downside is that they’re different devices that need experts to handle their configuration and maintenance.

Software-Based Firewalls

Many operating systems have a built in firewall feature that you can enable for an extra layer of protection, even if you already have an external firewall. A firewall-based software is also offered separately from a software vendor, local computer store, or an internet service provider. If you decide to download it from the internet, be sure that you’re doing so from a reputable source and through a secure site.

The benefit of software firewalls is that they can control certain behaviors of each application on a system. A major drawback is that it is located on the exact same system that you’re trying to protect, which could prevent the ability of the firewall to detect and prevent malicious activity. Another potential drawback is that when you have a firewall for every computer within a network, you have to update as well as manage every firewall in the computer.

How do you know the best configuration setting?

Many of the firewall products available in the market, both software and hardware based, are often preconfigured and are ready to use. You have to make sure that you understand if the default firewall settings suits your needs. Although firewalls that have been configured properly may block a few attacks, don’t be fooled into having a false sense of security. Firewalls can’t guarantee that your computer or network can’t be attacked. Keep in mind that they protect you against malicious traffic not programs. It may even not be able to protect you if you run or install a malware on your device accidentally. But using a firewall in addition to other protective measures can help strengthen your computer security Wilmington NC.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team of experts explain the importance of installing firewall and how our managed firewall solutions can help boost your company’s cybersecurity.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

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

Why Aren’t Passwords Good Enough?

Before discussing what a 2FA or two-factor authentication is, let us first take into account why it is crucial to do all the things you can to make sure that your online account is secure including securing your passwords. With so much of your life happening on laptops and mobile devices, it is not a surprise that digital accounts have started to become an excellent magnet for various criminals.

There have been malicious attacks against companies, governments, as well as individuals. But unfortunately, there are no indications that data breaches, hacks, as well as other types of cybercrime are decreasing. Fortunately, it is quite easy for companies to add another level of protection to user accounts through 2FA or two factor authentication.

Rise in Cybercrime Rates Demand Stronger Security and Passwords

In recent years, there has been a substantial rise in the number of websites that are losing the confidential data of their clients. And with data security breaches become more sophisticated, firms are finding that their old security systems are no match for the complex attacks and threats these days. In some instances, it’s just because of a simple human error. And it is not only user trust that could be damaged. All kinds of organizations including startups, non-profits, small businesses, and global companies could face severe reputation and financial loss.

 

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For the clients, the effects of a targeted identity theft or hack could be very devastating. Stolen information are utilized to get fake credit cards and are then used for shopping sprees, which could damage the credit rating of the victim. It will just take one night to drain cryptocurrency accounts and even an entire bank. Apps and online applications require tighter security. And if possible, consumers must have a habit of protecting themselves with something that is way stronger than just a simple password and that’s where two factor authentication comes in.

Passwords and Its Bad History

Passwords have become vulnerable. Even if there are several alternatives out there, user names as well as passwords continue to be the most commonly used type of user authentication. Generally speaking, passwords must be something that only you know and should be hard for someone else to guess. And even though passwords are better than having no protection, they are not foolproof.

First of all, humans have terrible memories and tend to have several accounts. Some consumers try their best to make it harder for online attackers by coming up with more complicated passwords as well as passphrases. However, with the many different data breaches happening, a lot of people end up giving up and falling back to using common and weak passwords across different accounts.

2FA is The Best Option

Two factor authentication is an additional layer of security used to ensure that those who are trying to get access to an online account are exactly who they say they are. First of all, a user will key in their username and then their password. After that, they still won’t get access to the information they need, because they need to provide another important information. The second factor can come from categories like something you know, something you have or something you are.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you need help in securing your business and client information.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

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

Boost Data Recovery and Backup Plans For Hurricane Season

The hurricane season is here and you need to prepare your business by boosting your data recovery and backup plans. The hurricane season in the Atlantic begins on June 1 and lasts until November 30. The weather this year is expected to be similar to last year and that means businesses need to prepare for possible damage caused by flooding, heavy rains, and high winds. You have to make improvements to your data recovery and cloud backup procedures.

If you don’t, it may spell disaster for your business. Natural disasters can lead to software and hardware failures. The Federal Emergency Management Agency said that almost 40% of SMBs don’t resume their operations after facing a disaster.

Refine Your Data Recovery Plan

The main objective of data recovery services is to maintain customer communications, infrastructure, and staff safety during a natural disaster like a hurricane. You can achieve this essential goal by making sure that you prevent possible downtime and shorten the recovery time. By reducing the possibility of losing data and strengthening the integrity of your information, as well as fortifying data security and infrastructure are among the most important cybersecurity practices.

 

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Tips To Create A Bullet Proof Data Recovery Plan

Identify your assets – it’s impossible to back up all of your business and customer data without first having a detailed inventory of your IT resources including mobile devices, servers, computers, as well as software applications. Since not all of your assets are created equally, it will be helpful to categorize them based on their priority. This should show how important the assets are for your company to operate and grow successfully.

Check your insurance – data recovery insurance will gidatve you the funds your company needs to resume its operations. However, it’s important to check that your insurance coverage will do everything that you expect it to do.

Create a data recovery and backup plan – these days, you can select from various data recovery and backup options for your company. These include local network backups, USB drives, tapes, as well as different cloud backup providers. When creating a data backup plan, you have to consider the backup cost, security, and frequency. Several cloud data backup companies provide continuous data protection, saving copies of all the changes made to your information automatically. This kind of backup is perfect for protecting data that’s critical to your business.

Test your data recovery plan and backup – even if you have a well-thought-out data recovery and a backup plan, it won’t do you any good if you didn’t test it. You’ll only end up with more problems if you discover that it has a flaw at the time you need it most. You have to test your plan to ensure successful data recovery.

Keep your customers in mind – when a disaster happens, your company will concentrate on fixing infrastructure and resuming your business operations. But, you should remember your clients. You should treat them like your business partners who need to know what’s happening with the recovery of your company.

Natural disasters and the hurricane season are inevitable but there are things you can do to prepare for them and make sure that your company can resume operations as fast as possible while successfully retrieving lost data.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team of IT experts come up with an effective data recovery plan and backup solutions for your business.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

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

Tips To Prevent A Data Breach

Many people are hearing about news regarding a data breach. Consumers are now wondering how this is always happening. It would appear like companies must be more serious about their data security. Needless to say that a data breach can cost millions and can tarnish the reputation of the company involved.

Consumers may recall that Target was breached back in 2013. Shoppers became worried about shopping at the retail giant. Now, the data breach has cost over $90 million and nothing can help them measure the damage to their reputation. Just like other stores, Target stores are suffering from the trend wherein consumers prefer to shop online. A lot of surveys confirm that shoppers are reluctant to purchase at smaller online stores. The general belief is that bigger stores have better cybersecurity.

This theory was questioned when JP Morgan Chase, the largest banker in the nation, lost the personal information, addresses, and names of 76 million customers. Data breaches as such will diminish public trust and cause shoppers to stop shopping online even more.

So how could you prevent this from happening to your business?

 

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How To Prevent A Data Breach?

Restrict Data Access

In the past, every employee can access all their computer files. These days, firms are starting to learn the hard way, to restrict access to their more important data. After all, there is no reason for an employee who work in the mailroom to access accounting documents. If you limit those who can view certain data, you will narrow down the pool of people who may click on harmful links accidentally. As companies move forward, you should expect to see all of the records to be partitioned off so that just those who distinctly need access can access it. This is only one of those common sense methods that firms need to do.

Third Party Vendors Should Follow

Companies work with different third party vendors. It’s more crucial to know who these individuals are. Firms could even open themselves to legal cases by letting strangers to get into their premises. What if the person who delivers the office supplies just got out of jail? You should consider this carefully. Apart from that, make sure to restrict the kinds of documents that vendors can view.

Perform Employee Security Awareness Training

According to the latest surveys, employees are considered to be the weakest links in the chain of data security. Even with training, staff open suspicious emails on a daily basis that have the possibility to download viruses. Among the mistakes that employees make is believing that one training class about cybersecurity is enough. In case you are serious about protecting your crucial data, you should schedule regular training every month or quarter.

Update Software On A Regular Basis

Cybersecurity experts suggest to keep all application software as well as operating systems are updated on a regular basis. Install all of the patches when possible. Your network will be vulnerable if the programs are not regularly updated and patched.

Create A Cybersecurity Breach Response Plan

Your business must have an in-depth cybersecurity breach preparedness plan because it will allow both the employer and employees to know the possible damages that may happen.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and learn how our IT experts can help protect your business against data breaches and other types of cyberattacks.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

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

How Does A Data Breach Happen?

A data breach is more than just a temporary terror. It could change your life significantly. Individuals, governments, and businesses alike could experience major complications from having their data exposed. If you are online or offline, hackers can still get to you through text messages, Bluetooth, internet, and other online devices that you are using.

If you don’t pay attention to detail, a minor vulnerability could easily lead to a significant data breach. Because many people don’t know how common these modern threats are, they do not pay that much attention to it. Read on if you want to learn more.

What is a data breach?

A data breach will expose protected, sensitive, and confidential data to unauthorized individuals. The files affected by a data breach are shared and/or viewed without the owner’s permission.

Anybody could be at risk of a data breach from high level enterprises to individuals to governments. Aside from that, anybody could put others at risk when they are not protected.

 

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Generally speaking, data breaches happen because of weaknesses in the user’s behaviour and technology. As our mobile devices and computers have more connective issues, there are many places where data will slip through. New technologies are being developed faster than they can be protected. Devices within the IoT sector provide proof that people are valuing convenience more than data security. A lot of smart home products have many flaws such as lack of encryption and hackers are making the most out of it.

However, even when the backend technology has been set up appropriately, there are users that have poor digital habits. All it needs is a single individual to compromise a network or website. Without a comprehensive cybersecurity plan in place at both the enterprise and user levels, you’re sure to be at risk. Protect others and yourself by knowing and understanding how data breaches take place.

How does a data breach happen?

It’s not always true that a data breach is caused by an outside hacker. There are many reasons why a data breach takes place. It could just easily be due to a basic oversight by someone or flaws in the infrastructure of a system.

Here’s how a data breach can happen:

It can be due to an accidental insider who could be an employee who is using the computer of a co-worker and reading their files without permission or proper authorization. No information is shared and the access is unintentional. However, the data is still considered as breached because it was viewed without authorization.

Another cause is a malicious insider who intentionally accesses or/and shares the data with the intention of causing harm to a company or individual. The malicious insider may be authorized to use the information but has a bad intention for the use of the information.

Stolen or lost devices is another way a data breach can happen. An unlocked or unencrypted external hardrive or laptop or anything that has sensitive information is lost or missing.

Malicious outside criminals are hackers who are using different kinds of attack vectors to get information from a person or individual.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and learn more about our managed IT services and data recovery Wilmington NC and how our team can help prevent data breach within your company.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

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