Introducing the Baseline Employee Cybersecurity Assessment
Is it good or bad news to know that ransomware and phishing are no longer terms that need further explaining to most people? Yes, it is favorable when you’re trying to explain how important a cybersecurity plan is for your clients to have – you don’t necessarily need to start at the beginning when it comes to identifying the risk factors. But having a “place to start” is sometimes comforting to people when they are venturing into the unknown, and while a security risk assessment is critical to a business and an invaluable tool to you as an MSP, sometimes management has a hard time accepting that their team may be part of the risk landscape.
Inside Threat
The threat to a business from outside perpetrators is very real when it comes to cybercrime. But sometimes the threat comes from within, and it is even harder to detect or prevent in the first place.
Why would someone try to intentionally hurt the very company that provides them with a paycheck? The reasons vary, but there are a few that are repeat offenders. They include stealing proprietary information to take to another job, selling to the competition, or working with cybercriminals to provide the foundation for an attack.
Unemployment Scams
We tend to not ask too many questions and let things slide when we aren’t certain about the situation.
Is that normal?
Should that happen like that?
I guess so. I don’t really know. I mean, it seems ok??
And as with all things related to COVID-19, there’s an air of uncertainty that hasn’t left the planet in nearly a year. So, we’re all a little uncertain. We’re all a little confused about what is actually ok or normal. It’s all new.
Is Punishment Proper?
The emphasis on smart cybersecurity practices is vital. As professionals in the IT industry, we know this, we work to ensure policies and procedures are in place that keep the topic at the forefront of every business we support and work within. But while training employees to learn these behaviors is important, there is one aspect of it that isn’t discussed frequently, or at the very least publicly: The repercussions of making a mistake.
Before & After
Imagine if you had two emails that were worth a million dollars each. You would do everything that you can to protect those emails and ensure that no one deleted them. You would back them up, have multiple copies in place so that if you lost those emails, you would have a quick way to recover them. You would make sure that access was limited, with strong password protection, and everyone who had access to the delete button was properly trained on how to open and read the emails safely.
Marketing Magic
Marketing Magic
Having an in-house marketing team is not always possible for small businesses. Also, it can be difficult to maintain an ever-growing and ever-changing list of vendors and products to market.
As a Managed Service Provider you face the struggle of not only supporting your clients full time but also carrying the full-time weight of being a business owner. This can leave little time – or headcount – for a marketing department that is hitting on all of the needs you require to get leads, maintain clients, and educate yourself on what is new to you as a managed service provider.
MSP Guide to Remote Security
A New Normal
Working from home has become a new normal for you, your customers, and communities across the country, with dining room tables and shared spaces becoming the offices where we conduct business of all kinds. While this structure has many benefits to productivity and employee satisfaction when done correctly, the fact that most people were thrust into it without enough time to prepare, makes for possible security gaps in the way your customers are conducting their day-to-day business, many out of your control.
Security Training and a Remote Workforce
Technology at the Forefront
Many companies are finding that the technology projects that were put on hold, or on the back burner, have moved up to the top of the list of priorities. This is happening for a variety of reasons.
Working from home is now a necessity, and so are the technical features and security measures that go along with it. Securing a remote working strategy wasn’t a necessity for most companies; it was a one-off or something that they might look to do for employees one day. One day came without anyone expecting it to be here. Now, you’re likely facing hardware and software issues, as well as the behaviors that need to be in line with company policies, outside of company walls.
Know Better – Do Better
Knowledge is power. And when it comes to fighting hackers, we need all the power we can collectively find. Educating your employees is the key to preventing cyberattacks, and Chubb’s Third Annual Cyber Report confirms this.
With small businesses having a tendency to have limited funds and resources when it comes to “extras”, cybersecurity training is no longer an extra to be dismissed until the time is better. The time is now and the best defense is to make sure you are taking the steps to protect your business.
Employee Buy-In for Security Awareness
Every Cog in the Wheel Matters
Whether your name is on the sign out front, or you are in a leadership role, the success of the business is in your hands. In that role, you know that each department feeds into the overall health of the business, and you need to ensure everyone, and everything is operating at maximum wellness.