Network Security Risk Assessment

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Is your business at risk for a Cyber Security Attack?

Our questionnaire will assess your Cyber Security risks and help prevent attacks from ever occurring.

Prevention… In the NFL, it’s a defensive scheme designed to guard against the big play. Except, it seems every time I watch a team go into the prevent defense the opponent drives down the field in a matter of seconds and kicks the game-winning field goal.

Maybe I’ve watched too many Browns games over the years, but this conservative approach to winning always seems to end poorly. I like a coach who goes after the quarterback when the game is on the line—a coach who brings the heat and always keeps the offense off-balance.

I feel the same way about defending against hackers. As soon as you relax your cyber security defense, hackers will find a way to attack where you’re most vulnerable.

 

Free Cyber Security Assessment for Small Businesses

Prevention is key to preventing a cyber attack, but it’s not as simple as putting a few security measures in place to guard against the big attack. You must have a proactive prevention plan in place, you must stay up-to-date on the latest cyber security risks, and you must keep the pressure on hackers by constantly updating and monitoring your network to let them know not to mess with your business.

As we’ve written about in our Cyber Crime Files, cyber attacks can happen to any size business. That includes yours.

So what can you do to actively prevent a cyber attack? You can start by taking this cyber security network assessment to see if your business is prepared.

We designed this high-level cyber security assessment exclusively for small businesses owners so that you can assess your cyber security risks and conclude if you have the proper preventative measures in place.

We hope you find value in our cyber security assessment. If you have any questions please feel free to reach out and we’ll be happy to help your business set up the best defense against cyber criminals.

Should you allow employees to check social media at work?

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Here are 4 reasons why we think you should!

Several studies have been conducted on the amount of time employees “waste” on social media at work. One study estimates that over $15 billion in productivity is lost annually due to workers flipping through Instagram photos or browsing Facebook updates while on the job. Additional research concludes that employees between the ages of 18-34 spend 70 minutes EACH DAY on their mobile devices!

These numbers are downright alarming to a small business owner.

But do these studies mean you should rush out and purchase the latest software to monitor and regulate your employees’ social media habits? We say “not so fast.” There are other factors to consider before pulling the plug on social media in the workplace. In fact, we’ve found that you can use the time your employees spend on social platforms to actually promote your company. You just need to offer a little guidance on how it should be done.

Here are 4 reasons why we think it’s wise to allow your employees to check social media at work.

1). They’re Going To Do It Anyway

Let’s be honest, for many of us browsing social media has become a part of our daily lives. We wake up, hop in the shower, have a cup of coffee, and click on our favorite social app to see if we have any important updates.

If we went all day without checking social feeds our heads would likely explode. Employees need their fix so that their minds aren’t distracted thinking about all they’re missing. Give them a few minutes a day of “free time” to log on and see what’s happening in their digital worlds. But encourage them to be brief.  Having an open dialogue with your employees about social media at work can go a long way in boosting employee morale.

2). Create Brand Ambassadors

Most small businesses do not have large marketing budgets. So why not allow your employees to promote your business for you? According to Shannon Gausepohl, “content shared by employees gets eight times more engagement, on average, than content shared by brand channels- and is re-shared 25 times more frequently.”

That’s because posts shared by personal accounts often reach a higher percentage of people than messages shared on your business page. Furthermore, people tend to respond better towards personal endorsements than they do sales pitches from companies.

Just be sure to coach your employees on what they should and should not post to prevent sensitive company data and private information from being shared. (Read more about having the proper social media privacy policy in place).

3). Recruit New Talent

Employee-oriented platforms such as LinkedIn offer valuable personal networking assets not only for people searching for jobs, but also for companies looking to hire the right employees. Social media platforms allow you to reach a large audience through your job postings and can also help you zero in on specific candidates.

Your employees are likely already networking with like-minded professionals in their similar fields. So if you’re looking to hire a new outside salesperson, for example, look no further than your current outside sales team and their social media connections. Your employees already know the right people to recruit through their online social interactions with peers at other businesses.

4). Focus On Your Own Work

Trying to monitor the time your employees spend on social media at work can being expensive and tedious. Your time is much better spent growing your business and building your client base than babysitting your staff’s online behavior.

By putting the proper social media privacy policies in place, coaching your team on what they should and should not post, and giving them a little leniency when it comes to allowing them to spend a few minutes seeing what their friends are up to, you’ll have more time to dedicate to running your business.

For more small business tips please check out the PCR Business Systems blog.

WannaCry’s Long-Lasting Effect On Cybersecurity

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The cycle of news today moves very quickly, and certain stories can be lost in its wake. The massive WannaCry ransomware attack took place more than a year ago, and many people have forgotten about it at this point. The WannaCry attack spread worldwide in a matter of days, affecting more than 230,000 computer systems. The cyber attack bypassed antivirus software and heavily encrypted data on many of those computers. This caused all sorts of issues across many industries. Pieces of sensitive information in critical infrastructure were blocked from access and unretrievable.

It Is Still Out There

The self-propagating nature of WannaCry means that it is still out there and has not stopped trying to infect more systems. The number of WannaCry ransomware attacks has slowed, but it still one of the largest across the globe. This situation clearly dictates how many people and businesses do not take their security seriously enough. It also stresses how we must pay attention to threats even after they have left the news cycle. This far-reaching and long-lasting teaches the valuable lesson that no one can guarantee your complete online safety. However, there are safeguards you can put in place to defend the continuity of your business.

There Are Precautions You Can Take

Many people think a cyber attack will never happen to them. You might think that you will never get in a car accident, but that is not a good enough reason to not have car insurance. There is even a patch that Microsoft put out to protect systems from this piece of ransomware months before the attack ever hit, but many organizations still haven’t applied the update. The WannaCry attack is a perfect demonstration of why companies should be investing in robust and responsive data backup and disaster recovery solutions.

Investing in business continuity and data recovery strategies will protect your systems and the future of your business. A data breach is much less costly when you only have to restore your information systems from scratch. Virus protection like firewalls, intrusion detection, penetration testing, and network security and compliance are crucial defenses to have, but just putting walls up is never enough. You need to know that even when the defenses fail, your operations will be safe.

Let Us Protect Your Critical Business Functions

You can rely on PCR Business Systems for backup solutions that make sense. Our solutions will stay out of your way and let you have the peace of mind to go about your typical work day knowing that your data is safe and protected. Even when the next WannaCry attack happens, you can just restore straight from the backups and get back to work.

We can help you build your business continuity plan with reliable recovery time objectives and targeted risk management to prepare for the most likely threats. Contact PCR Business Systems today to learn more about our services and how we can help you defend your productivity to achieve your goals.