IT’S NOT A QUESTION OF “IF.” IT’S JUST A MATTER OF “WHEN.”
YOUR NETWORK AND DATA WILL BE TARGETED BY HACKERS. WE CAN HELP YOUR COMPANY DEFEND ITSELF.
Attacks on information technology networks and data systems have increased exponentially in recent years. Problems increased as office-based businesses allowed more employees to work from home during the COVID pandemic without implementing much-needed cybersecurity measures to prevent the malicious work of hackers who were ready to disrupt operations, leak confidential data and often extort large sums of money from companies of all sizes.
Leaders from army generals to football coaches will tell you “The best offense is a good defense.” Just as you invest in insurance to protect your company’s physical assets, you need to invest in measures to prevent damage to your data, network, hardware, software and, most importantly, your company’s reputation and your customers’ trust in you.
If you are not 100% sure you have taken all the necessary steps to prevent cybersecurity threats at your business, now is the time to talk to Invision. Our experts can identify and evaluate IT security issues and risks, and can implement solutions to defend your operations and data.
Invision’s cybersecurity services for businesses include:
ON-SITE, FAST-RESPONSE SERVICE
When you know or suspect your business has been hacked with ransomware or attacked by a virus, time is of the essence, and there are many problems that a remotely located IT support team cannot fix, including issues with your hardware, network, network switch, firewall and internet connection. Invision provides fast response with “feet on the ground” support at your Kansas City Area business location.
SECURITY AUDITING
When is the last time you had a professional IT team assess your business’s technology security? If your answer is “never” or “more than a year ago,” you’re at substantial risk of being hacked. Cybercriminals continuously get smarter, so the safety measures you took a few years ago won’t protect you now. Schedule an IT audit to determine the strength and reliability of your current technology infrastructure.
An IT audit, when performed by Invision’s consultants and database administrators, assesses the security of your company’s data access, storage and backup, plus your servers and their performance. With new technology and the need to have a solid, reliable infrastructure to weather whatever happens next, this audit is designed to find any improvements that could be made. Once upgrades are in place, ongoing support keeps everything and everyone connected and protected.
From a network administration perspective, an IT audit evaluates software, hardware and LAN/WAN protocols to determine if they are still your best options for minimizing downtime and glitches in your employee and operation workflows.
EMPLOYEE TRAINING
In most companies now, employees access company email, servers, software and other applications from a variety of company-owned and personal devices, including their own mobile phones, computers and tablets. Employees mean no harm, but most don’t understand how their well-intended actions can put your company at risk. Invision can train your employees on ways to prevent a widespread attack on your systems, which are most often made through innocent-looking emails and text messages. Ongoing education is the best defense. Invision will also instruct, or provide direction to new employees so that your security measures are part of your onboarding process.
Invision can also help you and your leadership team develop an incident response plan that outlines the immediate steps you’ll need to take in the event of a ransomware or other malware attack.
MALWARE REMOVAL AND BREACH MITIGATION
Viruses and malware such as spyware and ransomware can enter your company network through malicious emails and their attachments. There will come a time when one of your employees, or maybe you, click on the wrong thing. Ransomware locks computer files and the hacker sends a demand for ransom, promising a key to unlock data once the ransom is paid.
Invision can help you implement two-factor authentication to add a layer of protection against stolen passwords and unauthorized access to your network, and we can install air-gapped backup systems that will enable you to recover your data in the event of an attack.
DATA SECURITY, STORAGE AND BACKUP
To save time and resources, businesses are migrating most or all of their data to the cloud. Not only is moving to the cloud driven by the need for tighter security and data protection, it is one of the best practices that will help you mitigate threats of breaches and ransomware.
The cost of operating in the cloud is attractive to business owners when compared to keeping their networks on site. A secure, cloud-based system enables you and your employees to work more efficiently from anywhere there’s internet access.
Trust Invision for Security Services
You have a business to run, employees to manage and customers to serve. Running your information network and all of its associated hardware and software should not eat up your valuable time and energy, and it certainly shouldn’t keep you awake at night. Let Invision be your IT security blanket, and rest easy.
Security and safety are key concerns to local business owners and managers, especially when it comes to cybersecurity in Kansas City. We all know the physical and visible risks to our people, property, equipment and inventory. But business owners must also consider an even more pervasive and real-world risk: the danger of a cyberattack and loss of information security. Thefts and misuse of company and customer data are the most frequently occurring crimes affecting small businesses today.
While no business is perfectly protected from cybersecurity threats, there are several steps you can take now to prevent major problems. Here are seven recommendations to consider.
- Work with your IT service provider to prepare a cybersecurity plan. If you don’t have an IT service provider, connect with us at Invision to discuss how we can support your information security, network, hardware, software and other technical needs.
If you’re just starting to think about a cybersecurity plan, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), has an easy-to-use cyberplanner tool to get you started. Hackers work 24/7 and their next target could be your business.
- Be smart about your company’s passwords. It’s very easy to get lazy when it comes to passwords. Use a unique password for each application and platform. Try to avoid obvious words like your company name or street address. Utilize a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numerals, and symbols.
Be extremely careful about publishing a master list of passwords. Consider giving employees only the passwords for the applications they need and use. When an employee leaves, whether on good or bad terms, change the passwords to all the applications that former employee had access to. Even if you have total trust in that former employee, you never know who might find a misplaced electronic file or printed note.
- Train and warn your employees. Communicate frequently with your employees regarding email phishing and spoofing scams, viruses, ransomware, “man-in-the-middle” impersonation, phony text messages and other cyber threats. Employees should know they should never open an attachment if they are not sure of the sender, and to look at the email address of the sender before clicking on any links or attachments in the email. Hackers have become very clever and are able to send emails and texts that appear to be from a company owner, manager, employee or even a board member.
Mistakes happen, but the worst way to handle a problem is to ignore or hide it. Reassure your employees that even the most well-trained professionals can sometimes slip up and open a malicious link or attachment, and that the sooner they report their error to their manager and IT provider, the better. There is never a wrong time to do the right thing, and employees should be encouraged to raise an issue as soon as they suspect it.
- Keep your hardware clean. Be sure all company-owned devices, especially laptop computers, have the most secure and current anti-virus/anti-malware applications. Instruct employees when to implement security and operating system updates. Advise that use of company-owned devices should be limited to company business. Be sure they understand your restrictions on downloading files and applications for personal use and entertainment as these often contain malware or malicious software.
- Set standards for working from home on company equipment and networks.In a post-pandemic world, “WFH” is still common on many people’s calendars. Many of today’s employees work in a hybrid home/office arrangement. This means employees are accessing your sensitive company networks through their residential internet service providers. Be sure your employees use the proper firewall and security applications to keep your company’s data protected when your team members work anywhere outside your company’s facilities.
- Back up company files to the cloud. Discourage or prohibit file storage on individual computer hard drives without backup to the cloud. Even when there is no security breach, hardware can fail. This is especially true for laptops that are carried from place to place, and might be dropped and damaged. Your company should have a cloud-based, password-protected file server where employees routinely store all important documents, including those still in development and draft stage.
- Be extra-careful with mobile phones and tablets. These devices are carried everywhere and are often lost or stolen. Even if your employees use their personal phones for company business, be sure their phones are password-protected and have the proper security applications to ensure that information cannot be stolen from their phones on public networks.
Does this all sound complicated? It certainly can be. And you’re probably up to your ears in running the daily operations of your business, with your honest employees serving your honest customers. You don’t need to spend your time and energy worrying about all the invisible cyber criminals who are ready to disrupt you and your company’s operations. Let Invision be your 24/7 eyes, ears and protection against a world of threats. Contact us today.
