Tag Archive for: common cyber attacks

It’s Time to Have a Talk with your IT Company

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The relationship between a business and IT team or IT person used to be so simple. Do you remember those old Saturday Night Live skits with Jimmy Fallon playing “Nick Burns: Your Company’s Computer Guy?” It was kind of like that, only with less sarcasm.

You would call up your IT Company when you had an issue with your server or a company computer, and someone would come over and fix it.

Today, things are much more complicated. Akron, OH IT Service providers are not only tasked with keeping your networks up and running, but they are also your first line of defense against cyberattacks. If they fail to adequately protect your network, or if their own system gets hacked into, your IT provider could destroy your business and everything you worked so hard for.

We meet with one or two companies every month whose business is on the brink of disaster because their IT company failed to properly secure their network or because they didn’t have a proper backup plan in place. Please, don’t let this happen to your business.

It’s OKAY to ask questions

It’s important to have an open dialogue with your in-house IT team or outsourced IT company to learn everything about what they are doing, and what they plan to do in regards to your company’s Information Technology.

Whether or not you outsource your IT or have an in-house team on staff, your IT provider is an extension of your business. You need to stay on top of what they are up to just as you would one of your employees. Often, business leaders will simply write a check and let the IT provider do “their job.”

10 questions to ask your IT Company

 

Please, have a conversation with your IT Company and ask specific questions about things like cybersecurity, backup plans, and network monitoring.

As we wrote in the article The Wild West of IT Services, there are no regulations governing IT Service Providers. It’s up to you to do your homework before hiring an IT person or team, and to continuing monitoring the work you are doing for you.

What Questions should you ask?

We have created a Cyber Security Risk Assessment that we encourage you to take. This questionnaire takes less than five minutes to complete and will give you an idea of how well your IT Service Provider is managing your network security and protecting your business against cyberattacks.

IN ADDITION, feel free to ask your IT Company any of the questions from this assessment. If there is a question you are unsure of, ASK your IT Provider for the answer. This is a great tool to help you get the conversation started.

 

Feel free to email me directly with any questions.

Pat Carroll

Cyberattack Monitoring: What Is Your Internal IT Team Missing?

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Cybersecurity is a never-ending game of cat and mouse. Cyberattacks evolve and threaten your network; in turn, cybersecurity measures adapt to detect and address those threats. At the rate cyberthreats evolve, it can be hard for your business to keep up. However, while it may be hard, it’s not impossible. The key to keeping your network protected is through 24/7 cyberattack monitoring.  

Why Does Your Business Need 24/7 Monitoring?

Companies like DoorDash and Canva have made headlines in recent cyberattack news. Both organizations suffered data breaches that weren’t detected until it was too late. As a result, millions of users were affected, putting their sensitive data at risk. If the DoorDash and Canva intrusions were detected sooner, there’s a good chance the number of affected users would have been much smaller.

These aren’t the only businesses that have fallen victim to threats like data breaches or ransomware attacks, and they won’t be the last. 24/7 monitoring can help in situations like these by alerting the network administrators of unusual activity. Constant network monitoring is a crucial aspect of a proper cybersecurity strategy. However, to understand its importance, you’ll need to know what the service is and what it can offer.

What Is 24/7 Monitoring?

The terms 24/7 monitoring, network monitoring, and continuous security monitoring all refer to a type of security solution that’s automated and used to monitor your network all day and night. The service works around the clock to preserve your infrastructure by constantly looking out for cyberthreats and vulnerabilities within your network. Businesses have increasingly relied on this solution as dependence on digital processes and operations has increased.

This automated solution can be implemented by your internal IT team or you could partner with an outsourced IT provider. However, many small- to medium-sized businesses may not have the time or manpower to devote to staffing a dedicated IT team that could administer such a system. With a managed services provider, they can become your dedicated IT team and take over this process for you. This convenience is highly beneficial for business owners.

How 24/7 Monitoring Works

Continuous monitoring works by providing real-time data on devices and users who attempt to access or work on the company network. What this means is all devices—whether it’s a computer, phone, or tablet—on the network can be monitored. This gives your organization the ability to know what’s happening inside your network at all times. So if malicious software manages to find its way into your system, the administrator will be alerted and they can take the appropriate approach to address the issue and implement the necessary security protocol.

What Does This Service Offer?

Network monitoring is something that can provide a broad range of services such as network debugging and vulnerability scanning. However, what’s included ultimately depends on the provider you work with. When you partner with PCR Business Systems, you can expect to receive services like these:

  • Software updates and network patch management
  • Backup monitoring and restore verification
  • System asset management
  • Software licensing management
  • Hardware monitoring
  • Bandwidth monitoring
  • Onsite and remote support services
  • Immediate alert system

The Benefits of Monitoring

Having a bird’s-eye view of the activity within your network isn’t the only benefit associated with 24/7 monitoring. It also allows your company to stay ahead of threats and minimize damage if your network does succumb to an attack. In addition, 24/7 monitoring can help keep you in compliance with your industry’s compliance standards.

Choose PCR Business Systems for Your Monitoring 

Cybersecurity is something you can’t take for granted, no matter what the size of your business is. Get the security solution you need with PCR Business Systems. We offer a range of managed IT services you can take advantage of, including 24/7 monitoring and support. Our experts will work with you to discuss your needs so we can tailor our services to fit perfectly with your business. We’ll monitor your network at all times so if anything happens, we’ll know about it. To learn more about how we can help you, contact us today!