Tag Archives: miami cybersecurity company

02.11.21
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Top Warning Signs & How to Prevent an Internal Data Breach

Is your business one misstep away from a cyber-attack due to an insider threat?

 

If you’ve been following our blog, then you already know what insider threats are and how they affect your business.

 

As a reminder, insider threats are security risks that originate from within an organization. Essentially, an insider threat involves someone who is a part of your business network or has access to it.

 

An insider threat can present itself in two different ways:

  1. A malicious insider — someone who intentionally steals or compromises your data
  2. A negligent insider — someone who unknowingly puts your network at risk

 

So, how can you identify insider threats before they become a bigger problem?

 

Although accurately identifying insider threats can be tricky, there are some early warning signs you can watch out for to prevent a cyber-attack.

 

Keep a keen eye out for these signs so you can recognize unusual patterns early on.

 

First let’s look at the main types of warning signs and what you should look out for.

 

There are two main types of warning signs:

  1. Behavioral
  2. Digital

 

First, we’ll look at behavioral warning signs of an insider threat.

 

Behavioral Warning Signs of An Insider Threat

 

An employee or a stakeholder could be a potential insider threat if he/she exhibits any of the following behavioral patterns.

 

  • Attempting to bypass security controls and safeguards
  • Frequently and unnecessarily spending time in the office during off-hours
  • Displaying disgruntled behavior against co-workers and the company
  • Violating corporate policies deliberately
  • Discussing new opportunities and/or the possibility of resigning

 

Now let’s take a closer look at the digital warning signs of an insider threat.

 

Digital Warning Signs of An Insider Threat

 

Some of the digital actions mentioned below are telltale signs of an insider threat.

 

  • Accessing or downloading substantial amounts of data
  • Attempting to access data and/or resources unrelated to his/her job function
  • Using unauthorized devices to access, manage or store data
  • Browsing for sensitive data unnecessarily
  • Copying data from sensitive folders
  • Sharing sensitive data outside the business
  • Behaving differently from their usual behavior profile

 

If you notice any behavioral or digital warning signs, don’t ignore them. You might be at risk of an internal data breach.

 

How to Prevent an Internal Data Breach

 

While some cyber attacks are inevitable, the government expects you to do everything in your power to prevent them. If not, you will face regulatory action.

 

In the event of a data breach, you will be audited for compliance. At this time, you will need to present documented evidence of the preventive and corrective measures you took to protect your business’s sensitive data from insider threats.

 

Here’s what you can do to protect your data now and steer clear of potential penalties in the future:

 

  • Identify, document, and o troll access to your sensitive data
  • Define data privileges for employees and stakeholders based on their needs
  • Build suitable infrastructure that monitors abnormal behavior and raises timely alerts
  • Add insider threat parameters to your regular risk assessment
  • Introduce a robust security awareness training program for all stakeholders
  • Devise a strategy to investigate a breach caused due to insider threats

 

If you take these steps, they will go a long way towards significantly securing your business from insider threats. Plus, they will show regulators that you are committed to ensuring data protection.

 

Make Data Protection a Priority Now

 

Cyber threats are at an all-time high, and you simply cannot ignore the risks.

 

Make data protection a priority and rest knowing your network is secure. Every minute you wait is another minute you risk a cyber attack. Don’t wait to set up your cybersecurity strategy.

 

Connect with the cybersecurity consultants at Third Power IT to safeguard your network now. Visit www.ThirdPowerIT.com to get started.

 

The post Top Warning Signs & How to Prevent an Internal Data Breach appeared first on Third Power IT – Managed IT Services.

Courtesy of Miami IHIPAA Compliance IT Company - ThirdPowerIT.com

01.25.21
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Miami IT Consultants Talk the Top 4 Internal Cyber Threats To Your Network

Is your business at risk of an insider cyber-attack?

 

Many business owners – and the IT professionals they rely on – focus on protecting their companies from external threats:

 

  • the lone hacker out for a large ransom
  • the industry competitor pilfering secrets
  • organized cyber-criminals with sophisticated phishing schemes

 

But what about internal threats?

 

The Dangers of Internal Cyber Threats

 

Some organizations fail to consider the true risks that insiders pose to their cybersecurity. But internal risks are every bit as dangerous and damaging as the external ones, even if there is no malicious intent.

 

Did you know a quarter of all cyber attacks happen because of an insider threat?

 

The 2019 IBM Cost of Data Breach survey revealed that 24% of all data breaches in the past five years were the result of negligent employees or contractors.

 

Another report, Insider Data Breach Survey, found:

  • 60% of executives felt employees who made mistakes while rushing to complete tasks were the primary cause of internal breaches.
  • Another 44% pointed to a lack of general awareness as the second most common reason.
  • 36% cited inadequate training for their organization’s security tools as a close third.

 

To drive home the full harm of insider threats, we’ve compiled four actual case studies of internal people who’ve wreaked financial and reputational damage when they got careless, or abused their knowledge and positions for personal gain.

 

Learn the top four internal cyber threats to your network now.

 

Top 4 Internal Cyber Threats to Your Network

 

Internal Cyber Threat #1: The Careless Employee

 

A report by a company’s chief security officer discovered that one of the organization’s techs was using duplicate credentials across multiple accounts and failed to set up two-factor authentication on at least two of his accounts.

 

The employee neglected to do two important cybersecurity best practices:

  1. Do not use the same log-in for more than one account
  2. Apply two-factor authentication for additional protection

 

This weak security enabled hackers to easily infiltrate the company’s network where they disabled and deleted all data backups – local and cloud. After sabotaging the organization’s backups, the hackers then installed ransomware and demanded payment. Without a usable backup, the company was forced to pay the ransom to recover its data.

 

What You Can Do

  • Set up automatic scans to check each client’s security settings on each machine to ensure that your IT security policies are being enforced.
  • Generate an automatic alert when two-factor authentication is not turned on where it should be.

 

Internal Cyber Threat #2: The Sneaky Former Employee

 

Former employees take your proprietary information with them when they leave. Unfortunately, some of them decide to appropriate that information.

 

In a case study, an engineer quit his job to start his own business that would be in direct competition with the company he left. According to court documents, the engineer hacked his former company’s server using a former co-worker’s stolen credentials.

 

Once inside the network, he was able to retrieve AutoCAD files, design schematics, project proposals, and budgetary documents – all information that could provide a competitive advantage over his former employer. The value attributed to proprietary information he stole was between $250,000 and $550,000.

 

For his efforts, the engineer was sentenced to 18 months in prison and two years of supervised release.

 

What You Can Do

  • Establish “exit procedures” for employee turn-over that includes the immediate removal of ex-employees from Active Directory.
  • Scan the network daily for suspicious log-in attempts by ex-employees and others, and generate an alert for each incident.

 

Internal Cyber Threat #3: The Compromised Third-Party Vendor

 

An “insider” doesn’t have to be located directly within your walls to become a threat to your network. Trusted third-party vendors may have enough access to your data to be unknowing conduits for external hackers and do damage to your network.

 

In one scenario, a hacker infiltrated a billing collections agency and gained access to patient information that belonged to one of the agency’s clients: a healthcare laboratory.

 

Almost 12 million patient records were compromised, including credit card numbers and other personal identifying information. A security firm that tracks compromised data found 200,000 patient payment details from the billing company for sale on the dark web.

 

Fortunately, the lab had insurance in place to cover some of the potential cost and liability as a result of the HIPAA violation.

 

What You Can Do

  • Set up internal IT security policies that limit storage of credit card and other personal identifying information.
  • Only grant access to select employees with security clearance levels.
  • Regularly scan the network for any suspicious log-in attempts and generate alerts to investigate.

 

Internal Cyber Threat #4: Software and Devices

 

Out-of-date devices and software typically do not receive critical security updates, rendering them accessible to hackers.

 

In one instance, a massive cyber attack penetrated a software vendor’s IT management systems through a legacy IP scanner tool and compromised an unknown number of end-user client servers.

 

Some clients had administrative superuser accounts created within their Windows active directory, so unidentified intruders had full access to their systems and data long before detection.

 

More than two months after the attack, the full extent of the damage was still unknown.

 

What You Can Do

  • Scan all networks daily for software that is missing the latest security patches.
  • Generate alerts for machines that need updating.

 

Protect Your Network With Third Power IT, Miami’s Most Trusted IT Consultants

 

As a reputable MSP, we understand cybersecurity and its significance to your business.

 

At Third Power IT, we provide cyber threat detection and protection that can accommodate networks of any size. Our specialized security software runs a daily check on your network and alerts us immediately when it detects potential cyber attacks.

 

Get the protection you need now. Call us at 844-677-3687 or visit www.ThirdPowerIT.com.

 

Sources:

  • Cost of a Data Breach, IBM, 2019
  • Insider Data Breach Survey 2019, egress, 2020

 

 

The post Miami IT Consultants Talk the Top 4 Internal Cyber Threats To Your Network appeared first on Third Power IT – Managed IT Services.

Courtesy of Miami IHIPAA Compliance IT Company - ThirdPowerIT.com

01.21.21
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Could Downtime Cost Your Business Thousands?

Are you aware of the costly consequences of downtime?

Downtime related to one cyber-attack could cost your business the equivalent of an employee’s salary for a whole year!

This 5-figure risk shouldn’t be taken lightly, especially when there are ways to prevent it from happening to you.

Before we dive into how you can prevent downtime from happening to your business, let’s quickly cover what downtime is and how it can affect you.

 

What Is Downtime In Business?

Downtime refers to the period of time when your company is offline. During this time, you don’t have access to your network. This prevents you and your employees from performing routine tasks online. As a result, your online business transactions are halted, your email is inaccessible, and you’re losing money by the minute.

No business owner wants this. Not only does it make you look unprofessional, but it also eats away at your productivity and your profits.

Keep reading to find out what causes downtime so you can prevent it from happening to you and your business.

 

What Causes Downtime?

Downtime occurs when a network connection is interrupted. That can mean a simple internet outage, or it can be more serious like a cyber attack.

One of the most common cyber threats is called a ransomware attack. If this happens to you, you risk losing a whole week of sales.

As you can see, this is a serious threat to your business. Luckily, it’s possible to minimize the risk of downtime and protect your business from cyber attacks.

Read on to discover how to minimize downtime so your business can operate as lean as possible.

 

How To Minimize Downtime

Keep your business up and running by preventing downtime from happening to you.

  • Secure your network
  • Enable data protection
  • Assess cyber risks regularly

Now you know the importance of protecting your business from downtime. But where do you start?

Luckily, you can hire experts to oversee your network management. These managed IT services will help you keep your business safe and secure.

Are you ready to get started?

 

Prevent Downtime: Invest In Network Management Now

Now that you know how much downtime can cost you, you’re most likely certain that you don’t want to experience it. But how do you keep that from happening?

 

If you don’t know how to keep the risks at bay, that’s what we’re here for!

Third Power IT provides the most trusted Managed IT Services in Miami and South Florida. If you are looking for a network management partner who understands your unique needs, you’re in the right place.

The experts at Third Power IT, South Florida’s best IT consultants, use a 3-prong approach to protect your network:

  1. Strategy
  2. Security
  3. Stability

To start designing your custom network management plan, contact us at 844-677-3687 or visit www.ThirdPowerIT.com right now.

 

The post Could Downtime Cost Your Business Thousands? appeared first on Third Power IT – Managed IT Services.

Courtesy of Miami IHIPAA Compliance IT Company - ThirdPowerIT.com

12.31.20
by

Top 5 Cyber Threats For Businesses In 2020

Did you know that cyber attacks were 400 percent higher in 2020 than the attacks reported before the onset of the coronavirus? The COVID-19 pandemic changed life, business, and cybersecurity as we know it. Unfortunately, as we step into a new year, these cyberthreats are still very real and should be top of mind for you as a business owner. 

First, you should know what a cyber threat is and how it can affect your business. 

 

What is a Cyber Threat?

 A cyber threat is a breach in the protection of your sensitive data.

Cyberthreats come in different shapes and forms. From a simple spyware monitoring your network transactions to a full-fledged ransomware attack that holds all your critical data for a ransom, there are multiple ways your IT network could be compromised. 

When you know the potential risks surrounding your IT infrastructure, you can build a resilient cybersecurity strategy that enhances your IT environment and keeps vulnerabilities at bay.

 Don’t let the top 5 most common cyberthreats happen to you.

 

The Top 5 Most Common Cyber Threats for Businesses

 

#1. Phishing Scams

Phishing emails still pose a major threat to the digital landscape of many business organizations across the globe. COVID-19 communications have provided the perfect cover for these emails to lure unsuspecting users. 

By creating a sense of urgency, these emails might persuade your employees to click on malware links that could steal sensitive data or install malicious viruses inside a computer.

 

#2. Ransomware

Targeted ransomware attacks are increasing every day. It is estimated that a ransomware attack will happen every 11 seconds in 2021. Ransomware attacks hold an organization’s critical data for ransom, and millions of dollars are paid to hackers every year as corporations do not want to risk losing their sensitive data. 

However, there is no guarantee that your files will be secure even after you pay the ransom.

 

#3. Cloud Jacking 

With the cloud becoming a more sophisticated way of storing data, incidents of cloud jacking have become a serious threat. These attacks are mainly executed in two forms:

  1. Injecting malicious code into third-party cloud libraries
  2. Injecting codes directly to the cloud platforms

As estimated by the 2020 Forcepoint Cybersecurity Predictions, a public cloud vendor is responsible for providing the infrastructure while most of the responsibility concerning data security rests with the users. 

So, bear in mind, you are mostly responsible for your data security even when it is on the cloud.

 

#4. Man-in-the-Middle Attack

Did you know hackers can insert themselves in a two-party transaction when it happens on a public network? Once they get access, they can filter and steal your data. 

If your remote working employees use public networks to carry out their official tasks, they are vulnerable to these attacks.

 

#5. Distributed Denial-of-Service Attack

This attack happens when hackers manipulate your normal web traffic and flood the system with resources and traffic that exhaust the bandwidth. As a result, users will not be able to perform their legitimate tasks. 

Once the network is clogged, the attacker will be able to send various botnets to the network and manipulate it.

 

Why You Should Protect Your Business from Cyber Threats

 As you can see, cyber threats are not going away, and an attack can be very costly. It can even cause irreparable damage to your business.

A cyber attack can:

  • Compromise your sensitive data
  • Decrease your brand’s value
  • Lose the trust of your customers
  • Result in hefty fines and penalties 
  • Cause your business to close for good

Don’t let this happen to you. Stop a cyber attack before it starts.

 

Protect Your Data With the Cybersecurity Experts at Third Power IT

The Best Managed IT Services in Miami and South Florida

Every business needs a data protection strategy in order to survive in today’s digital economy. Not only is it recommended, but in many countries, it’s the law. 

Are you ready to ensure your business is protected and compliant?

Team up with a trusted MSP partner who can continuously monitor and secure your IT infrastructure. Reach out to the experts at Third Power IT to discover how you can safeguard your data right now.

Visit www.ThirdPowerIT.com to learn more and connect with us now.

 

Article curated and used by permission.

Data Sources: 

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