When you recognize the signs that your internal IT team or small IT support company can’t handle everything that needs to be done with security, it’s time to outsource cybersecurity services. These signs could be anything from experiencing a cyber-attack to your inability to qualify for cyber insurance. Even if you don’t know what to look for, a gut feeling that your business isn’t as protected as it should be is something that you shouldn’t ignore. Managed IT and cyber defense companies like Bellwether are here to bring you the security capability that you don’t have in-house. Not only can […]

It used to be that whatever needed to be done to manage cybersecurity could be handled by a small internal team. It’s a lot different now. There’s too much for one person to do or know. Today cybersecurity is a discipline of its own that includes different specialties. To cover all the bases, you really need a whole cybersecurity department and that’s not feasible for most small and medium-sized businesses (SMB). The way that SMB’s are getting the cybersecurity capability they need is to partner with managed IT and cyber defense companies like Bellwether. By outsourcing, companies get access to […]

Can you imagine a cruise ship without a captain? Operations in different areas of the ship might be able to take place on their own. The engines would run. The kitchen would prepare food. The guests would be entertained. But there would be no one who had their finger on the pulse of all of the activity. No one would be responsible for coordinating each of the various departments and most importantly, no one would be making sure the ship was headed in the right direction. That’s what it’s like when your organization doesn’t have a vCISO. What’s a vCISO? […]

If you don’t have a strategy that guides how your organization prevents and responds to cyber-attacks, you probably have gaps that are opening up the door to more risk than you can imagine. On the other hand, when you are strategic, you can be confident that what you’re doing isn’t just managing risk but actually lowering it. Lower Cyber Risk by Being Strategic How do you create a cybersecurity strategy that lowers cyber risk? The details are going to be specific to your company, but we’ll give you some talking points that should be included in your strategy discussions. Here’s […]

“Do we need a cybersecurity assessment?” That’s what business leaders are asking as they wonder if their organization has gaps in their cybersecurity posture. Sometimes there’s a lack of confidence in the abilities of their IT team to stand up an effective cyber defense. More often than not, the decision to conduct a cybersecurity assessment has to do simply with the desire to get an objective view of what’s really going on with security. Whether you have a technical background or not, a cybersecurity assessment can answer a lot of questions, especially those that you didn’t think to ask. These […]

You could have gaps in cybersecurity that make you a bigger target for cyber criminals than you realize. In a world where a cyber attack happens every 39 seconds, it’s only a matter of time before your security blind spots are exploited. When that happens and you find yourself having to deal with the aftermath of a data breach, you’ll wish that you had locked the doors and windows to your network a lot tighter – and sooner. Creating and implementing an effective cybersecurity strategy takes resources of both time and money but a cyber-attack is going to eat up […]

Cybersecurity can no longer be considered something straightforward that a small IT department can handle. In fact, security has become a critical business capability. Add to that the continuous evolution of cyber-criminal tools and tactics, and the security needs of small businesses aren’t that much different from what enterprise organizations have. That’s why more and more business leaders are turning to outsourced cybersecurity services to ensure that they’re managing business risk and building resilience into their organizations. Resilience is the ability to defend against cyber threats and to bounce back if and when a cyber-attack happens. When it comes down […]

If you want to have a shot at qualifying for cyber insurance and get the best possible rates, you have to show that your company is effectively managing cyber risks. Unfortunately, it’s getting harder and harder to get cyber insurance even if you’re trying to renew an existing policy. If you don’t believe it, just have a look at a current application. When they’re considering your risk profile, insurance underwriters want to know what security controls you have in place. The answers to the questions on the application get technical really fast. In fact, most insurance companies are asking you […]

When it comes to creating a cybersecurity process that can consistently translate security expectations into actionable tactics, you need a framework. Frameworks are how regulations for data confidentiality and safety are communicated and enforced in many industries. For example, any company that gathers and stores information about your health or medical care must be compliant with HIPAA. What is a Compliance Framework? A cybersecurity compliance framework is a set of guidelines and best practices that enable consistency and clear communication about security expectations. Compliance frameworks communicate cybersecurity standards, but they don’t provide instructions for exactly how those standards should be […]