Michael Johnson

Wireless networking has become a very important aspect of human life. The global marketplace has forced businesses to find new ways of reaching their customers in countries around the world. However, wireless networking isn’t just for business owners. Various people in every way of life rely on wireless networking for different reasons.

Teenagers, young adults, parents, and even senior citizens count on wireless networks to perform a wide range of tasks each day. From paying the bills to visiting favorite social media sites, consumers depend on these services in an ever-increasing number of ways.

Today’s business people can’t survive without wireless networks to maintain an online presence. Dependable networking is extremely important for the success of any business in this complex online world. There are various providers who specialize in wireless networking. Both individuals and businesses now have numerous options available to them. In this sea of service providers, it may be difficult to find the service that best suits your needs. Each business has its own requirements and usually a tight budget to work with.

Professional services

Managed wireless networking services are most often offered by professionals. These are IT pros who specialize in wireless networking and a wide range of other services. Outsourcing your IT services can make your life much easier. But it’s important to find a provider who understands the specific needs of each customer; someone who will become a trusted partner. This is one of the major pain points of small business owners. They feel as if their IT needs will be lost in the busy workday of an IT specialist and they will not get the exact networking solution they need to thrive in the marketplace.

Eliminates the need to hire trained IT pros

Upon contracting for managed wireless services, the service provider brings his or her own team of professionals in to do all IT-related work. The costs for getting your professional services are factored into the contract price. Usually, this includes 24/7 support, which can be a big expense for some. This can eliminate a major headache for most business owners. You don’t have to hire and train employees to perform these services. Managed wireless networking services thus ensure that businesses employ a smaller number of personnel and therefore save on hiring costs.

Customized solutions

One of the major benefits from outsourcing your IT services is that you can get exactly what you need at a price that fits your budget. Managed service providers are specialists in their field. They are in a position to offer customized solutions to their clients. They most often have an IT consultant on staff who will work with you in determining your specific business IT requirements. For some, this is an easy process and for others, it is more complex due to HIPAA compliance and other government regulations. Most small business owners are not experienced enough to determine how to best handle these complex issues. But, an experienced IT professional knows. Depending on the service provider that you decide to partner with, you may have the option of choosing from different wireless options. The advantage of this is that you can choose specific services depending on their prices. You can select scalable options that will grow with your company.

Extra services

Managed networking service providers usually deliver many extra services, such as assessing, designing, deploying, and managing network services. This can take a real load off any business owner’s plate. It can be a burden to deal with older equipment that’s constantly breaking down. But if your contract includes unlimited service calls, you can rest easy. You won’t have to pay extra or employ people to handle things. As a result, you get inclusive services and at rather affordable costs. Your employees don’t have to spend time trying to fix networking equipment that breaks down. Simply call your IT service provider and you can get back to doing your regular job.

Legal liability

With the increase in the number of cyber crimes, managed networking providers become very important. First of all, these people are in a position to handle any type of data leak or security issue. Having the necessary knowledge of the latest advancements in cyber security is a valuable asset. Your managed service provider is responsible for keeping your systems well-protected.  Secondly, cyber thieves are constantly improving their methods of breaking in and stealing your data. Keeping up with these issues is a time-consuming and complex task. With managed wireless service providers, you do not have to worry about this. Your provider will stay on top of all the latest technology to ensure that your computers and network are protected.  This helps to reduce your liability as well.

Consistent monthly charges

Managed wireless networking agreements state an exact amount of money that the organization is to pay for their services. This means that your company can budget for these expenses. This eliminates enormous charges for broken equipment and outdated software. In most cases, the cost of handling all these problems and charges for networking and computer repairs will be far more than your regular monthly charge. This gives business owners peace of mind and prevents unexpected charges.

Final thoughts

In this era where wireless networks are an absolute necessity, it’s wise for any size business to opt for managed IT services. Find professionals in your area that have a good reputation; a company that stands behind its promises. Most IT service providers include regular maintenance to keep your computers running smoothly. They ensure that your network is protected against cyber intruders. Managed Wireless Networking Providers are a great choice for any organization looking to alleviate the burden of networking, computer repairs, and dependable IT services.

Technology is constantly evolving, and so is its relevance. In the world today, technology is fast-becoming a human being’s best friend. Just think of the number of times that you rely on technology in a day’s time. Everyone, even the self-proclaimed analog dinosaur, depends on technology to some extent.

Of course, this has spawned a major increase in the number of cybercrimes that occur daily across the globe. Cybercriminals are targeting information technology systems that are simply not well-protected from intrusion. The fact that people are so reliant on technology makes it easier for these criminals to achieve their goals. This is where Managed Detection and Response (MDR) comes in.

Information Technology experts face a constant struggle to curb cybercrimes. This crime, which has become deep-rooted in our society today, has led to the loss of time, money and reputation. Cybercriminals target websites with weak security because they’re an easy mark. Then they sell that data on the black market. It’s an ongoing crime and has quickly become a familiar scenario to many.

This is why MDR is so important in our society today. MDR is not a new concept; it has been around for a long time. Like technology, however, MDR continues to evolve with the changing trends in hacking. The main goal of Managed Detection and Response is to ensure that cybercrimes are prevented. It’s not enough to arrest and prosecute these criminals. The crimes need to be stopped before they actually happen.

How can MDR help with this cause? The simple answer to this question is that MDR is a system used to enable organizations to better understand their cybersecurity environment. With this program in play, your organization can more fully understand the IT environment in which you operate. This will provide you with some important advantages that can help prevent hacking.

Environmental threat detection

First, as mentioned above, the main goal of MDR is to aid in detecting cybersecurity threats in a particular environment. To this end, this system performs a series of functions including analyzing the types of risks that your organization may be exposed to. This can enable you to determine exactly what the most critical threats are. Using MDR, companies are able to gauge which threats are more serious. This allows you to take preemptive steps to close those doors to cyber thieves. Preventing just one attack can save you millions of dollars.

Makes threat detention faster

By making the organization aware of the threats they face, MDR makes threat detection simpler. Since MDR enhances threat analysis, your business can fully understand exactly which cybersecurity threats you face. Imagine being able to act before a breach occurs. You can take action today and avoid a nightmare tomorrow. With MDR, your company can quickly assess its level of security and take action right away.

Increases ability to respond to threats

MDR enhances the capabilities of organizations that use it to respond to cybersecurity threats. Preparation is everything when dealing with hackers and cyber thieves. Your organization needs to be prepared for every type of threat, from ransomware and hacking to data leaks. Having greater knowledge of those threats that pose the biggest risk helps you to respond with more precision. Anticipate threats before they happen. Define those weaker areas and eliminate them.

Enhances threat prevention

An ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure, they say. This holds true especially when millions of dollars are at stake. The impact of cybersecurity in our world today is far-reaching. Every year, cyber breaches cost businesses millions of dollars. They damage your reputation and slow your forward progress.  With MDR, threat prevention becomes your greatest ally. Proactive security monitoring can apply proven rules to your security system, thus offering a new level of breach management.

Do we really need MDR?

Many business owners feel frustrated by the sheer number of cyber breaches occurring each day. It seems that the criminals have the upper hand and there’s nothing we can do to stop them. MDR allows you to take back control of your data security. It’s a reliable system that focuses on one thing: preventing cyber breaches from occurring.

The threat of cyber-attacks is ever looming. Thieves are constantly finding new ways to get through any crack or hole in your security system. And, their methods are getting more and more sophisticated as the days go by. The whole cyber security industry evolves at such a fast pace that most business owners are unable to keep up with it. This fact leaves you at a distinct disadvantage.

Final thoughts

Though the intricacies of MDR may be somewhat complex, it is important to remember the advantages of this system. With MDR in place, you can avoid being the next victim and sleep much better at night. For business owners, peace of mind is priceless. You can focus on running your company once again and take pride in your accomplishments.

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation goes into effect on May 25, 2018. Many U.S. and Canadian businesses have been working hard to meet the new GDPR guidelines., but it’s not clear if others have the technology in place to notify individuals that their data was breached within the required 72-hour period. This is one of the primary components of the 2018 GDPR. No matter how you look at it, three days can go by very quickly when it comes to sending out data-breach notifications, especially if you haven’t planned in advance.

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Many U.S. and Canadian businesses, even large enterprises, don’t always plan ahead and, instead, operate in a reactionary mode. Security professionals in the U.S. and Canada are concerned–The mandatory 72-hour GDPR breach-notification period has them worried because they don’t think most businesses are prepared.  The U.S. doesn’t have a national data-breach notification requirement. However, most states do require notification within 30 to 45 days. If businesses don’t comply, they will be fined 4% of their global revenue up to $20 million. Plus, the consumers whose data is breached can file class-action suits against them for noncompliance.

Experts know that the GDPR is something to take very seriously.

They believe that the regulators in the European Union will impose the largest fines they can and that they’ll make an example of organizations that lack compliance–and will do so within the first 90 days of the breach. This is much like the U.S. Health, and Human Services/Office of Civil Rights does with their “Wall of Shame” and HIPAA breaches of personally identifiable information (PII).

The GDPR requirements apply to any organization that does business in Europe and collects personally identifiable information on European citizens. It doesn’t only apply to large multi-national corporations; it applies to any business that has 250 or more employees. Smaller companies are typically exempt, except in the case where a data breach results in a risk to the rights and freedom of individuals, isn’t an occasional occurrence, or where the processing of data includes special categories like those relating to criminal offenses or convictions.

The 2018 GDPR replaces the old Data Protection Directive of 1995. The most recent GDPR breach notification requirement was enacted in April 2016.  It set a higher compliance standard for data inventory, and a defined risk management process and mandatory notification to data protection authorities.

Breach notification is a huge endeavor and requires involvement from everyone inside an organization. In-house tech support and outsourced Technology Service Providers should have acquired a good understanding of the consequences a data breach causes and the data breach notification requirements for their organization.  They must be prepared in advance to respond to security incidents.

Is your technology ready for the GDPR?

Smart CIOs and CEOs in the U.S. and Canada have been preparing for the GDPR for the last year. And many larger enterprises, especially those that regularly do business in the European Union, have seen this on the horizon for a while and have taken advantage of the two-year implementation period to seriously prepare for GDPR. These organizations are ready and won’t need to worry that they can’t meet the 72-hour notification deadline.  Many U.S. financial organizations and banks are already prepared as they are accustomed to notifying regulators and customers, and they have the IT infrastructure in place to respond quickly. Plus, banks in the U.S. have been functioning under more stringent regulations since the 2007-2008 financial crisis–They’re already well prepared.

The following are steps your organization should take to prepare your technology for the GDPR.  

• Perform a thorough inventory of your personally identifiable information, where it’s stored–in onsite storage or in the Cloud, and determine in which geographical locations it’s housed. Don’t forget about your databases. PII is often stored in databases.
• Perform a Gap Analysis. This is a process where you compare your organization’s IT performance to the expected requirements. It helps you understand if your technology and other resources are operating effectively. By doing this, your Technology Solution Provider (TSP) can then create an action plan to fill in the gaps. The right TSP will understand the GDPR regulations and how your IT must support your compliance efforts.
• Develop an Action Plan. Your TSP should document a detailed action plan for how to use technology to meet the GDPR if you experience a data breach. This should include individuals’ roles and responsibilities. Conduct tabletop exercises to practice how the plan will work with specific timelines and milestones.
• Ensure data privacy. If you don’t have a Technology Solution Provider, then you need one for this. Data protection is key for organizations of any size. Consumers have the right to have their data erased if they want. This is called “the right to be forgotten.”  This is a concept that has was put into practice in the European Union in 2006, and it’s a part of the GDPR. You won’t be able to do this if their data is stolen.
• Be sure to document and monitor everything that you do that’s related to GDPR Compliance. This includes any changes or upgrades that your Managed Service Provider makes to your IT environment. You may need to demonstrate that you’ve done your due diligence when it comes to protecting citizens’ private information and that you practice “defense-in-depth” strategies where you use multiple layers of security controls when it comes to your technology.

If you have all these processes properly in place, you should be able to meet the GDPR breach notification 72-hour period. The organizations that have met most of the International Organization for Standardization information security requirements should also be ready for the new regulations.

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Unfortunately, many organizations won’t do this, simply because they’re not educated about the new GDPR, or they’re so busy they don’t think they have the time to make it a priority. Some think that the GDPR doesn’t apply to them. And others who don’t undertake proactive technology methods, in general, simply “bury their heads in the sand.”  These organizations have waited too long now to make the May 28th deadline. Hopefully, yours isn’t one of them.

In the era of modern technology, effective database security is more important than ever. Your business stores a range of sensitive information (for clients and employees) all of which needs to be kept safe at all times. Should any of that data get exposed, either by malicious hackers or internal human error on your staff’s part, it could very quickly lead to severe consequences for your business. Loss of business, the trust of your clients, financial damages, lawsuits, compliance infractions, or worse. Don’t let it happen to you.

Why Should Database Security Be Enhanced?

Information stored on your business database is more than likely to be misused – either hackers who want to access, steal or corrupt it, or simply by employees who aren’t entirely sure of what they’re doing. Additionally, the database is at risk of malware infections that may lead to inappropriate effects, unauthorized access, or deletion of crucial data. Data breaches can cause an overload that would result in poor business performance and lower operational efficiency. Besides, if hackers access your private business data, it could lead to data corruption and inappropriate activity that would potentially damage your reputation. That’s why it’s so important for you to enhance database security by employing various strategies aimed at protecting the information from any unauthorized access. These strategies involve physical, administrative, and software controls. They include:

Enhancement of Physical Database Security
It may sound simple, but it’s a vitally important part of database security – make sure your servers are kept protected by physical security implementations. Locked closets, numbered keypads, video surveillance, etc. Similarly, you need to ensure that you allocate different machines from those running the web servers for your database. Given that such servers are publicly accessible, they are at a higher risk of hacking and may help in accessing the database irregularly.

Use of Database Firewalls
A firewall will help to enhance the security of the database by denying access to traffic from unidentified sources and reducing the initiation of unnecessary outbound connections. In this case, it identifies a few web servers of applications that are allowed to access the data. Web application firewalls can also be used to prevent malware such as SQL injection attacks that have a potential to delete database information.

Encryption of Data
Encryption should be a foundational aspect of your cybersecurity practices, but especially those concerning your database. In layman’s terms, encrypted data is formatted in a secret code that would be meaningless if intercepted. It is one of the most efficient ways to secure a database given that decryption can only occur through a key, which is essentially a “secret password”. In this case, there is a need for updated encryption software to ensure that private information is only accessible through the database program.

Use of Secure Passwords
Given that a password grants access to your database, it is imperative that you ensure it is complex enough that it can’t be easily guessed. In recent years, hackers have developed sophisticated tools and systems for identifying simple passwords. Therefore, combining letters, numbers, and symbols are simple ways to ensure your passwords are more difficult for hackers to crack using their standard methods.

Auditing and Monitoring Database Activity
Regular database auditing and monitoring help to detect any unusual activity or login attempts by an unauthorized individual. In addition, doing so can help you detect cases of account sharing or any other suspicious activity. The organization may need Database Activity Monitoring (DAM) software that is important in monitoring such activities automatically and independently. Additionally, auditing the database helps to identify accounts that are no longer in use, which could increase the risk of hacking.

Tight Management of the Database Access
It’s important to limit the number of people accessing the database in order to enhance monitoring. Besides, your administrators should only get the minimum privileges that are necessary for their jobs. In some instances, employees are caught colluding with external hackers to defraud an organization or steal crucial data. Therefore, it would be prudent for your business to consider acquiring access management software that provides temporary passwords to authorized users and more specific privileges when necessary. That way, any attempts to access the database with these credentials after they expire won’t work and will notify you of such attempts.

Segmentation of Database
A large, singular database is at a higher risk of exposing private information because it involves so much data. That’s why it can be useful to segment the data by creating various roles within the database. This help prevents all administrators from viewing all data whenever they like. Were you to segment your database, depending on the roles, your administrators may be classified with different privileges and access to different levels of database information.

The security of a database is undeniably important for businesses like yours. Be sure to follow strict cybersecurity practices in order to keep your database secure from malicious hackers and careless employees.

We have seen firsthand the common errors and oversights that lead to infections and intrusions – and we want to help your business learn from those mistakes.

When it comes right down to it, cybersecurity best practices are not nearly as complicated or confusing as they seem on the surface. That’s not to say that security is simple, but rather that the best precautions have more to do with common sense and practicality than anything else. Yes, the software and safeguards you choose matter, but the best way to avoid something like malware damaging your business is to be smart about all aspects of your cybersecurity – not just the technological parts.

Here are the 10 main reasons businesses like yours are still at serious risk of suffering a malware attack.

1) You Still Think It Can’t Happen To You – Smaller businesses have a habit of assuming that just because they’re not a Fortune 500 company, a cybercriminal would have no interest in disrupting their operations or stealing their data. The reality is that couldn’t be further from the truth. It takes minimal effort on a hacker’s part to successfully target an SMB that has invested very little in their IT security, letting them use your business for practice or sport, and profit off of your stolen data. Most of the new malware variants are automated and target ANY business that lacks protection from a particular vulnerability.

2) Threats Evolve Faster Than You Realize – Like any other aspect of technology, malware and other cyber threats are constantly changing and evolving. Hackers are continually coming up with new ways to target businesses, and are creating more advanced threats. If you’re not up to date on the latest malware strains and zero-day exploits, you very likely have a gaping hole in your cyber defenses. This level of vigilance is all but impossible to achieve without full-time IT security staff at your disposal.

3) Your Staff Isn’t Up To Date With Security Best Practices – Your employees are both your best defense and your biggest weakness. Just about every cyber threat out there relies heavily — if not entirely — on the unwitting assistance of someone inside your organization to be effective. If your staff isn’t well-educated on security best practices and offered ongoing training and information to keep them up to date, any number of threats can target your business with ease.

4) Your Policies And Protocols Are Lacking – Your policies need to focus on more than just password control. At the minimum, you should have two-factor authentication and access controls in place to protect mission-critical data. By tightly regulating access to your files, folders, and systems, you can reduce the odds of an unauthorized users getting their hands on your data or finding a way inside your network.

5) You’ve Got Major Exposure To Multi-Vector Attacks – A standard firewall or antivirus will only protect your network against certain types of infections or attacks. If your security measures and protocols don’t take into account email, web browsing behaviors, file sharing, and network activity, your defenses won’t hold up under a multi-vector attack.

6) Your Technology Is Too Complex For Your Administrators To Manage Effectively – When you leave the responsibility for your business’ cybersecurity in the hands of a single in-house IT person or designate a staff member the administrator of these systems, you could be setting your business up to fail. A solid IT security system is far too complex for a single individual to manage on their own. Automating as much of your cybersecurity as possible can help to lighten the load, but these systems still need oversight to run effectively.

7) Your Systems And Software Are Out Of Date – An alarming number of malware infections — including the now-infamous WannaCry ransomware virus — use pre-existing system or software exploits to gain access to targeted systems. More often than not, security experts are aware these exploits exist, and release patches and updates designed to rectify the problem long before a hacker figures out how to make use of said exploit. However, if you’re not keeping on top of these patches and updates, you’re essentially propping a door open for a cybercriminal to waltz right through.

8) You’ve Got Zero Network Visibility – If you’ve got little to no idea about what’s going on inside of and around your network, it’s more than a little difficult to spot threats. Network monitoring tools can quickly detect both internal and external threats, and contain them before they can cause damage.

9) You’ve Got Lackluster Data Backup Practices – The most terrifying malware infection to date has been ransomware, and no other infection makes a better case for the importance of data backups. Without current and complete backups available for your business to restore from – specifically offsite backups that are insulated from threats that target your network and systems – it’s next to impossible to survive a ransomware attack. Businesses that don’t have reliable and up to date data backups to count on will typically close their doors within six months of a major data loss incident.

10) You’re Falling Short Of Compliance Requirements – Any compliance regulations your business is subject to – whether that be HIPAA, PCI, or any other industry-specific guidelines – will make strict recommendations for security. Simply by working to make sure you’re meeting these requirements, you can take a huge step towards better cybersecurity practices.

At the end of the day, great cybersecurity is not impossible to achieve. Often, it just comes down to having the right support in place. The true value of working with an MSP like InfiNet Solutions comes not from the specialized tools and support we can offer, but from the guidance and advice, you can only receive from experienced and knowledgeable technology professionals who understand your world, and the threats present in it.

Want to learn more about the industry-leading cybersecurity solutions and support we have to offer? Contact us at (402) 895--5777 or [email protected].