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 […]

What do cyber-criminals do when they need more computing power? They steal it, of course, and something connected to your network could be captured and enslaved in a global botnet army if you haven’t hardened your systems. This is what occurred in 2016 when a huge Denial of Service attack targeted high profile websites and hosting providers.* Here’s how it happens. A cyber-criminal searches the internet for devices that have weak, default or no passwords or other holes that can be exploited. When they find an open door, they confiscate the computing power and turn it in the direction they […]

When you want to know if what you’re doing to protect your organization from cyber-attack is effective, you should check your security controls with a penetration test (or pen test). A pen test simulates what a real attacker might do to get into your network and capture the credentials and privileges that would give them ultimate power to do anything they want in your IT systems. Discovering if your systems can be compromised is a good thing for you to do if you’re a business leader managing risk. However, the need for a pen test may be dictated by someone […]

Web apps have made it easy for just about anyone to start a service business. All you have to do is buy a subscription to the software and off you go. Along with the latest software, you’ll get access to tutorials and tech support, and you can even join an online forum where you can interact and learn from others in the same business. Sounds great, doesn’t it?  Yes, it’s great except this is not what it seems. This is the cyber-criminal ecosystem and the improvements that have allowed business technology to evolve so quickly are the same kind of […]