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Businesses are still risking plenty when it comes to remote working

Many businesses still haven’t figured out secure remote working

It’s been more than two years since the pandemic forced much of the world into lockdown, with many companies thrown into a remote working environment.

But new research has shown the majority still haven’t figured out how to keep their workforce secure as they work from their kitchens, local libraries, coffee shops, and airports.

A survey of 3,000 IT staff and other employees conducted by TechRadar Pro, in partnership with Perimeter 81, shows that more than three-quarters of businesses have at lease some remote employees.

Their responses to questions around intended spending for 2022-23, however, revealed that many still do not have the necessary protections in place; 10% will look to implement some form of access management, while 9% will prioritise VPN and zero-trust solutions, respectively.

Further, just half (50%) of firms have a cloud-based cybersecurity solution in place, with an additional 15% saying they are currently exploring their options.

VPNs and firewalls reign supreme

Ever since the pandemic, the number of cyber-incidents, data breaches, business email compromise attacks, and ransomware attacks has spiked, bringing with them billions of dollars in damages.

Cybersecurity researchers argue that many employees who were forced into a remote working environment weren’t prepared, and ended up compromising their corporate networks with malware-laden home devices running no antivirus solutions, password sharing, and falling victim to phishing and other social engineering attacks.

However, now more than two years since the transition, it should be expected that businesses hold up their end of the bargain too, putting in place the necessary services to protect against threats.

The data shows that companies are performing strongly when it comes to a web security (more than two-thirds have either web or malware filtering solutions set up). Cybersecurity solutions like VPNs and firewalls have also seen relatively high levels of adoption.

But the survey data also serves to highlight the number of businesses that remain at risk, when the inevitable occurs.

If you are looking for an expert to help you find the best solutions for your business talk to GCInfotech about a free technology assessment

Published with consideration from TechRadar SOURCE

July 27, 2022/by John Murray

Data Protection, Mobile Workforce, Security

Working remotely? Follow these cybersecurity tips

Working from home is becoming an increasingly popular option for employees around the world. While this flexible work arrangement can be a great perk for employees, it also comes with its own set of security risks. Follow these cybersecurity tips so you can protect yourself, your personal information, and your company’s data while telecommuting.

Patch your software regularly

Although installing software updates can be a major nuisance, these updates generally address critical weaknesses and protect your systems from the latest threats. Most apps now offer an automatic update feature so you don’t have to manually patch your software.

Another option for your business is patch management software. These track patches on employee devices and roll out the most recent updates on a company-wide scale.

Fortify your accounts

When everyone is working remotely, user accounts must be properly secured. One way to achieve this is by setting at least 12-character long passwords with numbers and special characters mixed in to make them more difficult to guess. More importantly, these passwords must be unique to each account, to minimize the damage if hackers manage to compromise one set of credentials. If you find it difficult to generate and remember login details for all of your accounts, consider using password managers like LastPass, Dashlane, and Keeper.

To further strengthen your accounts, you’ll also need to enable multifactor authentication (MFA). This adds another layer of identity verification — like fingerprint scans or one-time activation codes sent through SMS — to make it more difficult for cybercriminals to hijack your accounts.

Use a virtual private network (VPN)

VPNs are primarily used to circumvent geographic restrictions on location-specific websites and streaming services, but they’re also a crucial tool for remote workers. A reliable VPN creates secure connections between devices and networks by encrypting internet traffic. This hides web activity from prying eyes, protecting your employees’ online privacy and mitigating the risk of hackers stealing company information.

Set up firewalls and antivirus software

Make sure to enable firewalls in your operating systems and hardware. These provide a strong layer of protection between your device and the internet, preventing malicious programs and other network threats from reaching your device. Your managed IT services provider (MSP) may also provide third-party firewalls in case your computers don’t have any built in by default.

In addition to firewalls, you’ll want to implement antivirus software to detect and remove any malicious programs that manage to infiltrate your device. Just remember to constantly update the software so it can effectively detect the newest malware strains.

Secure home routers

Home Wi-Fi routers are not as thoroughly secured as their business counterparts so take extra precautions to safeguard them. For starters, change the default router password immediately after setting it up because hackers can easily look up the password online once they know your router model. You should also install the latest firmware updates to eliminate any security vulnerabilities.

Finally, check whether your router has Wi-Fi Protected Access 2 (WPA2) encryption settings to secure inbound and outbound traffic. If your router doesn’t have WPA2, you’re overdue for an upgrade.

Back up your data

Important files must be backed up regularly in the cloud and your external hard drive. This way, you’ll always have a copy of your files in case of a major data loss incident like a ransomware attack or a power outage.

Watch out for online scams

The biggest threat remote workers face is online scams. Phishing emails may entice you with free coronavirus test kits in exchange for personal information. Some cybercriminals may even masquerade as legitimate companies, CEOs, or friends to trick you into clicking on dangerous links and attachments.

To avoid these threats, you must be critical of everything you see online. Look for any suspicious links and attachments, grammatical errors in the email body, and misspelled email addresses. Plus, you should never give out sensitive information to an unsolicited email, text message, or phone call.

Working from home poses many cybersecurity challenges for businesses, but you don’t have to address them alone. If you need guidance with enabling MFA, setting up firewalls, and even avoiding scams, we can provide the IT support you need.

Are you interested in learning more about cybersecurity? Call us today and discover how our wide array of tech services can safeguard your business.

If you are looking for an expert to help you find the best solutions for your business talk to GCInfotech about a free technology assessment

Published with consideration from TechAdvisory.org SOURCE

June 7, 2022/by John Murray

Mobile Workforce, Security

Are Password Managers Safe?

If you’re struggling to juggle your passwords, the solution to your woes is a password manager. See our recommendations.

Password managers are a safe, secure way of logging into your various online accounts. In fact, they’re vastly preferable to the alternatives of either trying to remember multiple unique passwords or re-using the same password over and over.

According to Pew Research Centre, half of users have up to 25 password-protected accounts online. That’s far too many for the average person to remember, making it hard to stay secure. A secure password manager will automatically store all your logins, meaning that you’ll never have to remember one ever again, and can even generate passwords for you.

Given that even industry-leader LastPass was once the victim of a hack, concerns remain over using password managers. Besides, you may be questioning the wisdom of storing all your passwords in one place. These are legitimate concerns, but research has shown that using a password manager is far more secure than not using one. The risk of your business getting hacked is high, particularly during the pandemic, so we’d strongly recommend getting one yourself.

As for which password manager you should choose? We’ve tested some of the best password managers around, and while they’re all safe and secure, the best on test was LastPass. This stands out thanks to a simple interface, secure setup, and brilliant family-sharing options. Plus, you can try LastPass for free to see if you like it.

Is it Safe to Use a Password Manager?

Yes – a good quality password manager is a safe, trustworthy and highly recommended security tool. In fact, security experts almost uniformly believe that password managers are infinitely safer than virtually every alternative there is, for businesses and individuals alike.

Top password managers, such as 1Password, Dashlane or LastPass, can be trusted to protect your account logins thanks to secure encryption that keeps your passwords secret.

Here’s how it works in practice. You create an account with a password manager, then create a single “master password” to log into it. To keep your password manager safe to use, it’s essential that your master password isn’t anything obvious. So that’s no to “12345,” “qwerty,” or “passwd.” Instead, pick a longer phrase or mix and match cases and special characters – just ensure it’s unique and memorable.

Then, the password manager can get to work automatically generating complex, unique passwords for every service you log into online – one for your Amazon account, email account, Facebook account and so on. You won’t need to memorize these – whenever you login in, the password manager will automatically apply the password (and you enable the password manager via that single master password).

This entire process is far more secure than re-using the same password over and over on multiple sites – the single biggest risk you can take with you and your business’ online security. It’s also far easier than attempting to remember multiple unique passwords.

So, if it’s all win, why are there any questions around password manager safety? Largely, these come down to an understandable concern over the security of handing over your logins to a third-party service. That’s why we’d recommend only using a trustworthy, well-rated password manager. So which ones would we recommend?

Most Secure Password Manager

If you want a secure password manager, you should opt for a paid one. Free password managers tend to be restricted in some way, and are usually supported with adverts. Additionally, free password managers are simply not set up to handle a full business’ security needs, which means paid for is always the way to go.

In our testing, we found LastPass to be the most secure password manager. For a few dollars a month, it could save you a lot of headaches, as well as time spent waiting for password reminder emails to drop into your inbox.

Do Password Managers Get Hacked?

No online system is infallible. Password managers – just like any other online service you use, such as Amazon, Twitter or Facebook – run the risk of being hacked. In fact, some have been.

The best password managers, however, will take your security very seriously – after all, you’re paying for the service. If you lose trust in them, they lose your patronage, and with it, your payment.

When LastPass was hacked in 2015, users were right to be concerned – after all, if a hacker could get into the system, they could, in theory, have access to every password that LastPass users had stored there. However, even though its security was breached, hackers were unable to steal any information – all of the passwords were protected by the users’ Master Password, which is not stored on the LastPass servers. This meant that the encryption on the passwords stored by LastPass was unable to be cracked. And that is why you should pay for a password manager.

Password managers are also a common target for ‘ethical hackers’ — those who like to test the security of online systems to flex their coding muscles. Password managers are their white whale – crack one of these open, and they’ll win the acclaim of the industry.

This isn’t as scary as it sounds though. In fact, ethical hackers are offering a great service, finding exploits in online systems before more nefarious people do. Once they’ve found a vulnerability, these hacklers will make contact with the service and let them know, allowing the provider to then fix the issue.

Verdict – Should You Use a Password Manager?

We can’t state this clearly enough – a password manager is a safe, recommended way to secure your online logins. The alternatives are far, far riskier – in particular, that old habit of re-using the same old password again and again across multiple websites (please, just don’t).

No system is guaranteed bullet-proof, and as the LastPass hack showed, even password managers can be vulnerable. However, as that very incident showed, there are serious protections in place, and these prevented the LastPass hack from being a disaster for any customers.

In the age of hybrid work and vast security breaches, we’d strongly recommend getting up and running with a password manager for proper online peace of mind.

If you are looking for an expert to help you find the best solutions for your business talk to GCInfotech about a free technology assessment

Published with consideration from Tech.co SOURCE

May 23, 2022/by John Murray

Security

The differences and benefits of two-factor and two-step authentication protocols

Both two-factor authentication and two-step authentication are processes that can help keep your business safe from data breaches. But while they serve the same purpose, these two methods are vastly different. In this blog post, we will discuss the differences between two-factor authentication and two-step authentication, as well as the benefits of each process.

According to the Allianz Risk Barometer, businesses are more worried about cybersecurity threats compared to other business disruptions like supply chain issues, natural disasters, or even the COVID-19 pandemic. This is why business owners are ramping up data security measures. One way they do this is by implementing two-factor and two-step authentication. Many businesses use the two terms interchangeably, but these processes are quite different.

Two-factor authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is a security measure used to ensure that people trying to access a system are who they say they are. 2FA requires users to provide two pieces of information before being granted access.

When you try to log in to a system that uses 2FA, you’ll be asked to provide not only your password but also another piece of information or form of identification. This second factor can be something you know, like a PIN or a security question, or something you have, like a physical token or key fob. If you have the correct password and the second piece of information, then you’ll be granted access to the system. Because of the additional authentication information required, hackers would have great difficulty breaking into a network using a 2FA system.

Two-step authentication

Two-step authentication (2SA) is an extra layer of security that can be added to your online accounts. 2SA requires you to enter both your password and a code that is sent to your phone or email before you can log in.

Adding 2SA to your online accounts can help protect your information from being hacked. Even if a hacker knows your username and password, they will still need the code that is sent to your phone or email before they can log in to your account.

There are a few different ways to set up 2SA. Some websites, like Google and Facebook, offer 2SA as an additional security measure that is especially useful when you or someone else is trying to log in using a new or different device. Others, like Dropbox and Twitter, require you to set up your authentication profile in the settings page before you can use their app. A 2SA setup is typically quick and easy, and only requires you to have your phone or email immediately accessible when you log in.

Which one is better?

Relying on a single-factor authentication process is no longer sufficient in ensuring the safety of your network. Securing the authentication process and making it difficult for cybercriminals to access your network should be on top of your priorities. Deciding whether to use two-step or two-factor authentication largely depends on your business’s specific security requirements. To take the stress out of choosing which between the two methods better suits your needs, call us today for expert cybersecurity advice.

Are you interested in learning more about cybersecurity? Call us today and discover how our wide array of tech services can safeguard your business.

If you are looking for an expert to help you find the best solutions for your business talk to GCInfotech about a free technology assessment

Published with consideration from TechAdvisory.org SOURCE

April 25, 2022/by John Murray

Business Operations, Data Protection, Mobile Workforce

Helpful tips for keeping your email safe

People rely on email to do a wide array of tasks. We use it to sign up for websites, apply for jobs, make payments, get in touch with friends and family, and many more. However, email is also commonly exploited by hackers to steal information or launch malware attacks. Here are crucial steps to take to safeguard your email account.

Use separate email accounts

Most people use a single email account for all their online tasks. As a result, all information from websites, newsletters, shopping deals, and messages from work gets sent to one inbox. But what happens when someone breaks into that email account? Hackers could gain access to all the stored information and connected online accounts and use these in fraudulent dealings.

To prevent this from happening, create separate email accounts: a personal account to communicate with your friends and family, and a professional email account solely for work-related tasks.

Set strong passwords

Some email users often overlook the importance of having strong email account passwords. You might be surprised to learn how many people use weak passwords like “123456,” “qwerty,” and “password” and reuse passwords across multiple accounts. To keep all password-protected accounts safe, use strong passphrases that are unique to every account.

You should also consider enabling multifactor authentication. This creates an extra layer of security by requesting another method to verify your identity, like a fingerprint scan or an answer to a security question.

Beware of email attachments and embedded links

When you see a link in an email, don’t click on it unless you’ve verified its authenticity. You never know where those links might lead you. Sometimes they are safe, but other times they can infect your computer with malware or send you to a compromised website.

Be wary of downloading and opening email attachments as well. If the attachment is coming from strange email account names such as “@yahoo6753.com,” then it’s likely unsafe.

Watch out for phishing scams

In phishing scams, cybercriminals pretend to be someone else — commonly high-profile companies like Amazon, Facebook, or Bank of America — to trick you into performing actions that enable them to breach your accounts. They typically write emails intended to elicit panic, such as claiming that there’s an issue with your account and that you should send them information or click on a link to “confirm” your personal details. This link will either install malware on your device or lead you to a fraudulent site.

It’s important to remember that legitimate companies would never ask such requests over email. If you get those types of messages, contact the company directly through a verified website or phone number — not the contact details in the email.

Monitor account activity

Periodically watch over your account activity. Check for any suspicious activities in your logs, such as unusual devices and IP addresses that have accessed your account. These indicate that hackers may have successfully broken into your account. If this is the case, sign out of all web sessions and change your password as soon as possible.

Encrypt emails

Email encryption ensures that any message you send can’t be understood by unauthorized users, even if they manage to intercept it.

Keep all email security software up to date

Install the latest updates for your anti-malware, firewalls, and email security software. This will filter potential email scams and fix any vulnerabilities that hackers could exploit.

Implementing multiple email security measures can be daunting, but with our help, you can rest easy knowing that your email accounts will be protected from various cyberthreats. Talk to us today for all your cybersecurity needs.

To learn more about how to safeguard your business, or if you are looking for an expert to help you find the best solutions for your business talk to GCInfotech about a free technology assessment.

Published with consideration from TechAdvisory.org SOURCE

October 18, 2021/by John Murray

Data Protection, Security

Think your password is secure? Think again

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) created many of the password best practices you probably loathe, including using a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters. The NIST now says those guidelines were ill-advised and has changed its stance. Find out why and what this means for you.

The problem

The issue isn’t that the NIST advised people to create easy-to-crack passwords, but their previous advice inadvertently made people generate weak passwords using predictable capitalization, special characters, and numbers, like “P@ssW0rd1.”

Such a password may seem secure, but the string of characters it’s made up of could easily be compromised by hackers using common algorithms.

Furthermore, while the NIST also recommended that people change their passwords regularly, they did not specify how and when to change them. Without proper guidance, many people assumed that this meant adding or changing one or two characters every year or so.
The NIST essentially forced everyone to use passwords that are hard for humans to remember but easy for a hacker’s algorithm to crack.

Eventually, the institution admitted that their recommendation creates more problems than it solves. The NIST has then reversed its stance on organizational password management requirements, and is recommending banishing forced periodic password changes and getting rid of complexity requirements.

The solution

Security consultant Frank Abagnale and Chief Hacking Officer for KnowBe4 Kevin Mitnick both see a future without passwords. Both security experts advise enterprises to implement multifactor authentication (MFA) in login policies.

MFA requires a user to enter one or more valid credentials aside from a password to gain access to an account. This could be a physical security key, a login prompt on a mobile device, or a facial or a fingerprint scan. Without the additional security requirements, hackers’ attempts to crack passwords would be futile.

Moreover, Mitnick recommended implementing long passphrases of 25 characters or more, such as “recedemarmaladecrockplacate” or “cavalryfigurineunderdoneexalted.” These are much more difficult to guess and less prone to hacking. Simply put, passwords should be longer and include nonsensical phrases and words that make them almost impossible for an automated system to crack.

What’s more, the NIST recommends making screening of new passwords against lists of common or compromised passwords mandatory. This is because a complex, 25-character password is already considered weak the moment it has been compromised.

Finally, you should also enforce the following security solutions within your company:

Single sign-on – allows users to securely access multiple accounts with one set of credentials
Account monitoring tools – recognizes suspicious activity and locks out hackers from the network OR keeps hackers from accessing the network.

When it comes to security, ignorance is your business’s kryptonite. If you’d like to learn about what else you can do to remain secure, just give us a call.

To learn more about how to safeguard your business, or if you are looking for an expert to help you find the best solutions for your business talk to GCInfotech about a free technology assessment.

Published with consideration from TechAdvisory.org SOURCE

September 21, 2021/by John Murray

Data Protection, Security

Ways to safeguard your company’s data

Some of the most well-known companies in the world, including Sony Pictures, Home Depot, Adobe, and eBay, have been victims of cyberattacks. While major corporations like these are high-profile targets for hackers, small- and medium-sized businesses are not exempt from data breaches. And because it may be difficult or impossible to undo any damage caused by cybercriminals, it’s imperative for any business — regardless of their size — to take steps to fortify their systems. The following security tips can help guard company data.

Use two-factor authentication

Using a complicated password to secure your system is not an effective way to level up your cybersecurity. That’s because having to memorize a difficult password often pushes users to set that same complex password for multiple accounts. And if a hacker gets a hold of a recycled password, there’s a high probability that they could access all your accounts that use that same password.

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your systems and accounts. 2FA comes in many forms: it can be a biometric verification in the devices that you own or a time-sensitive auto-generated code sent to your mobile phone. This security feature works similarly to how websites would require you to confirm your email address to ensure that you are not a bot.

Encrypt all data

Encryption is an effective obstruction to hackers, since it scrambles and descrambles data every time someone tries to read it. Encryption also causes compatibility issues if the data is not being accessed via a company’s own network systems. While applying encryption can be expensive, it is certainly well worth the money because it protects your data in case it falls into the wrong hands.

Keep systems up to date

Hackers are always upgrading their tools to take advantage of outdated security systems, so companies should keep up to protect their valuable technology resources. Many companies don’t install software updates immediately, and that’s a huge problem. Updates often close existing security loopholes, which is why delayed installation can mean exposing your systems to external attacks. Keep your data safe by installing software updates as soon as they are released.

Back up frequently

Implementing several layers to your security doesn’t ensure that hackers won’t find their way into your systems. This is why you need to back up data frequently, whether it’s on-site, off-site, or by way of cloud backups. In the worst-case scenario where your systems do get infiltrated, you can restore lost data from your backups.

Monitor connectivity

Many businesses have no idea how many of their devices are connected online at a given time, so it’s very hard for them to keep track of which of these should actually be online. Sometimes, a company’s computers and servers are online when they don’t need to be, making these tempting and easy targets for attackers. It’s advisable to configure business servers properly to guarantee that only necessary machines are online and that they’re well-protected at all times.

It’s much more expensive to recover from a data breach than to prevent one. If you’re looking to protect your business IT systems from potential threats, contact us today so we can help.

To learn more about how to safeguard your business, or if you are looking for an expert to help you find the best solutions for your business talk to GCInfotech about a free technology assessment.

Published with consideration from TechAdvisory.org SOURCE

July 19, 2021/by John Murray

Mobile Workforce, Security

Two excellent ways to verify user identity

A secure login process is an excellent way to protect your business from cybercriminals.
When it comes to verifying user identity, you can choose between two-step authentication and two-factor authentication. Learn the difference between the two so you can have a better appreciation of your cybersecurity options.
If you want to improve your business’s cybersecurity, you should take a closer look at your authentication process. Two-step and two-factor authentication are two of the most commonly used authentication methods. Many businesses use the terms two-step and two-factor authentication interchangeably, but there are subtle differences between the two.

Two-step authentication

A two-step authentication process requires a single-factor login (such as a password or biometric reading) as well as another similar type of login credential that a user must provide. This process typically requires entering a password for the first step and entering another security code for the second step, which may be accomplished by providing a one-time code generated by an authenticator app such as Google Authenticator.

Two-step authentication adds an extra step in the verification process, making it more secure than single-step authentication (i.e., providing only a password). However, if a person or business is hacked, it won’t be enough to stop hackers from getting a hold of whatever they are looking for.