Questions to Ask Your IT Security Provider
In information security, a decision has to be made about how important confidentiality, integrity, and availability are. In most cases, the company will make these decisions depending on their industry or compliance requirements.
Most companies that hire IT Support providers have a particular focus for them. One of them is usually breached prevention, while the other is incident response. When hiring an IT security provider, there are a few questions you should ask:
- What is your process when it comes to penetration testing? Who does it? How often do they do it? Is all software tested or just some types of applications? What results do you get when you run credentials through common password lists? How much time is spent on remediation if vulnerabilities are found in production?
- Are you familiar with the compliance requirements for our industry? Do you have experience conducting assessments against these regulations?
- What is your approach to vulnerability management? How do you prioritize vulnerabilities? Do you use a threat model to help make decisions about what is important and what is not?
- How do you handle phishing attacks when they occur? What is your process for incident response? Are there certain steps that need to be followed in order for us to be compliant with any applicable regulations?
- Can you provide us with case studies or examples of how you have helped other companies improve their security posture? We would like to see examples of specific threats that were mitigated and how your team responded.
- What is your experience with cloud security? Do you have any recommendations for us when it comes to securing our data in the cloud?
- What is your experience with the incident response? Are there particular types of incidents that you are more prepared to deal with than others? Do you have a plan for how we should handle an incident if it occurs?
- How do you manage third-party risk? Do you have a process for assessing the security posture of our vendors? Have you ever had to help companies recover from a breach that originated from a vendor relationship?
- Are you familiar with our environment and our specific needs? Do you think there are any other areas of security that we should be focusing on? Are our expectations of you realistic, or do they need to be adjusted?
- What are the reporting requirements for security assessments and audits? Do we have any reporting requirements as part of a regulatory requirement or from an insurance provider? Can I log into your system and see the results from each assessment as it is being done so that I know what is going on?
If you are willing to expose yourself to the risks associated with doing business in today’s world, then you had better be comfortable with understanding your security posture and ensuring that it is as strong as possible. Questions like these should help point out any areas of concern within an organization. It also highlights the real need for more cyber-security professionals to enter the workforce since they are sorely needed at this time. Good luck!
Why Are So Many SMBs Going Digital?
There is no wonder that so many SMBs are going digital. It’s not just about the day-to-day convenience of having online versions of documents to work from. In today’s complex organizations, business data and process integration have become essential to success, and SMBs that do not transform themselves into digital enterprises risk being left behind by their competitors.
In addition to enabling a digital workforce, it also empowers companies with information at the fingertips of every employee, insight to make better decisions, and an ability for a company to quickly gain a competitive advantage in a cut-throat market.
Here are some benefits you can expect from your Business going Digital:
- More transparency – You can see how productive everyone has been on a particular project or assignment
- Better utilization of resources – Data becomes the basis for making informed decisions. Allocations are made based on facts instead of a gut feeling.
- Customer centricity – Now, you have access to all your customer information, whether it’s business or individual customers. You can provide them with personalized service that was not possible before.
When asked, many small and midsize businesses (SMBs) believe that their digital initiatives aren’t generating the expected ROI. This is mainly because they overlook opportunities when entering new markets or customers. More than ever before, these businesses need to start thinking like a venture capitalists when building out their portfolio of investments to find returns for all budgets and projects.
That means cost-effective solutions should be at the top of SMBs’ priority list. For example, cloud-based operations are one path to making internal processes more efficient while simplifying data storage; yet many companies still remain hesitant to make the transition due to perceived costs. The truth is that there are plenty of affordable options that don’t require capital outlays like servers or network upgrades.
But the benefits of going digital go beyond just cost savings. Other advantages include improved communication and marketing efforts, as well as better customer service. With so many tools at their disposal, businesses can tailor their messaging to specific demographics in order to increase conversions and overall ROI. Additionally, online platforms provide a means for two-way communication with customers, fostering loyalty and repeat business. And finally, automating routine tasks frees up employees to focus on higher-value work, improving productivity and morale.
The bottom line is that SMBs that don’t embrace digitization is at a disadvantage relative to those that do. By taking a holistic view of their operations and implementing solutions that make the most sense for their budget and goals, these businesses can make the most of their investments and find success like never before.
Quick Ways You Can Improve Your IT Security
As the threats of cyber-crime rise, it has become paramount for companies of all sizes to ensure IT security. The best way to do this is by taking regular proactive steps to limit vulnerabilities and identify breaches before they cause any damage.
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Here are a few quick ways you can improve your IT security:
- Use strong passwords – Your password should be a minimum of 10 characters long and include at least five out of the following eight criteria – uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, special characters, or symbols – avoid common substitution patterns such as ‘@’ for ‘a’, or ‘3’ for ‘e.’ You also need 2 passwords; one which you use every day as usual and another that you log in with at least once a month for security updates.
- Get enterprise antivirus software – There are several great antivirus applications on the market; however, some come with additional features that can protect your company’s data. For example, Panda Antivirus Pro offers advanced ransomware protection and firewall features, while ESET Smart Security has technology that can stop both spam email and zero-day attacks, making it one of the most feature-rich applications on the market.
- Keep all devices updated 100% of the time – Most companies use some form of mobile device management (MDM) to ensure that their employees’ smartphones and tablets are protected at all times. However, even without MDM in place, you can still keep Android or iOS-powered devices safe by allowing automatic updates and disabling the option for a device to be “Not Configured.”
- Keep Your System Patched: Installing all available updates is one of the easiest things you can do to protect your system from cyberattacks.
- Use Security Awareness Training: A critical element in any successful security program is training users on how they should behave online. This will help minimize the risk of phishing scams, viruses, and other attacks that exploit human vulnerabilities.
- Update Your Firewall Software: Firewalls are the first line of defense against cyberattacks and should be kept up-to-date with the latest security patches. By using these three tips, you can improve your IT security without breaking the bank.
As the world becomes increasingly digitized, the risk of cybercrime increases. However, by taking a few simple steps, you can greatly reduce your vulnerability to these attacks. Use strong passwords, get enterprise antivirus software, and keep all devices updated 100% of the time. These are just a few of the many things you can do to improve your IT security. For more tips and advice, please visit our website. Thank you for reading!
The Best Tech Support In Denver
The IT industry is full of promises to fix your computer problems, but who can you trust? In the video below, an apparent “geek” appears on a doorstep offering his services. But instead of fixing anything, all he does is put Windows XP on the machine and install some viruses—which now have free reign over the system since he refuses to install any antivirus software.
The IT industry is full of promises to fix your computer problems, but who can you trust? In the video below, an apparent “geek” appears on a doorstep offering his services. But instead of fixing anything, all he does is put Windows XP on the machine and install some viruses.