10 Employee Security Tips Every CEO Should Know

CEOs are tasked with doing more to improve their cybersecurity programs in the wake of various technology security breaches. They’re also being asked to secure their employees data, as most security failures at companies occur between the employee’s computer and corporate servers.

According to Verizon, malevolent employees account for 36% of all data breaches experienced by firms with 1,000 or more workers. Employee malice was the cause of 44% of data breaches in companies with less than 1,000 workers.

To stay protected against the latest threats, a company must be proactive. This article is about security tips every CEO should know to ensure their employees’ security.

Why is Employee Security Necessary?

Employee security is a necessity in today’s business world. As a small business owner, you want your employees to be happy and productive at work. However, cyber security tips for employees are also essential to protect your company against potential problems with your employees.

Here are some of the most important reasons why employee security is necessary:

• Allows you to protect your company from fraud or theft
• Helps to protect your company’s sensitive information
• Helps to avoid lawsuits or other legal issues
• Keeps employees safe from harm

Employee Security Tips Every CEO Should Know

As a CEO, your job is to ensure your company protects itself from cyber threats. Here are 10 cybersecurity best practices to protect your team and your business:

Provide Firewall Security for Your Internet Connection

Install an enterprise-grade firewall at all locations where employees are connecting to the internet through company devices or networks. Firewalls protect against unauthorized access by blocking connections from entering or leaving the network through an application gateway.

Teach Employees How to Store Personal Information Online Safely

Cybersecurity tips for small businesses include encouraging employees to use strong passwords and reminding them to never share their passwords with anyone else. Also, ensure they understand that emails may not be secure, even if they are coming from an official company account. Attackers can spoof addresses and send phishing emails designed to look like they’re coming from someone inside your organization. These emails often include links or attachments that contain malware designed to steal personal information from unsuspecting victims.

Show Them How to Use Two-Factor Authentication

If you’re worried about your employees’ safety, implementing Two-Factor Authentication (2FA_ is one of the best ways to protect them against being hacked. Two-factor authentication requires its users to enter their login credentials and a randomly generated password/code will be sent via text message or email. This extra step makes it much more difficult for hackers to access an account because they’ll need both the password and the secondary code before they can log in.

Remind Them Not to Share Confidential Information with Any Unauthorized Individuals

This includes customers and fellow employees, especially if someone has left the company. Make sure everyone understands that it’s never OK to share sensitive information with anyone who isn’t authorized by the company—or even with other employees who aren’t directly involved in a particular company project.

Encourage Them to Use Strong Passwords

Passwords should be changed frequently and must be strong. Limit the number of password attempts an employee can make before a system locks them out. This will prevent brute force attacks from users who have stolen your password hashes.

Teach Them About the Dangers of Social Engineering

Social engineering attacks involve tricking people into giving up sensitive information or performing actions they wouldn’t normally do, such as installing malware or leaking confidential documents. Your employees must be aware of this threat and protect themselves against it by avoiding suspicious emails or refusing to install software unless they’re sure it comes from a legitimate source.

Train Them on How to Handle Phishing Attacks

Phishing attacks are one of the most common ways hackers gain access to sensitive information around the world. Employee training on spot phishing attempts and what they should do if they receive one will help to protect them against this attack.

Encrypt Sensitive Data and Back It Up Regularly

Your employees may need to make copies of sensitive data and send it over email or store it on cloud storage systems like Dropbox or Google Drive. That means they should be encrypting these files and back them up regularly before sending them out.

Don’t Forget About Physical Security

Physical security measures can protect against physical threats such as theft and vandalism. Lock doors when possible and install alarms if necessary. Use cameras with motion detectors to monitor areas such as parking lots and loading docks where thieves might target items left unattended for short periods. If you have sensitive data onsite, consider setting up an electronic surveillance system that automatically sends alerts when unauthorized persons enter the premises or tamper with equipment such as computers or servers.

Make Sure Your Company Has an Emergency Response Plan in Place

It may be impossible to prevent every single cyberattack on your company but having an emergency response plan will help to minimize the damage when a breach inevitably occurs. Cybersecurity awareness month tips include ensuring everyone knows what steps and precautions they should take if something terrible happens, and ensure those steps align with industry best practices. For example: if an employee receives an email asking them to click on a link or download an attachment, they should never do either unless they can verify that the request is legitimate.

Final Words

Unfortunately, we live in a world where the threat of cyber security is genuine for anyone operating a business. None of us are safe from cyber-attacks. The larger your company is and the more connected you are to the world, the more vulnerable you become to these criminals.

Most CEOs recognize the importance of implementing a secure network and using best security practices. Protecting your information is vital to your company and can boost business.

At Protected Harbor, we understand how important it is for CEOs to be able to protect their security infrastructure. Our team of experts has helped many CEOs in this regard over the years, and we are confident that we can do the same for you.

We create customized security strategies tailored to each CEO’s needs, so get in touch with us today to begin the process. Our security solutions are designed to meet the challenges of the modern world, allowing CEOs to feel secure in knowing their data is being kept safe.

A New Type of Cyber Attack Identified by Protected Harbor

While monitoring a large client’s infrastructure last week, our techs became alerted by a series of infection notices. Rapidly taking action, we managed to stop the attacker in their tracks. However, a question remained on the minds of all of us, how did the hacker manage to break into this client’s system in the first place? We sat there wondering, how the attacker was able to break through our firewalls when so many other attackers, who try daily, fail.

At Protected Harbor, our team doesn’t just work to stop cyber security attacks; we go back to the beginning to fill in the blanks of how something like this was able to occur given our defenses. While combing through our systems, we noticed that there were a series of our servers that had been attacked and found that the source was from several IP (Internet Protocol) addresses meaning this attack wasn’t done from just one computer. This was a coordinated attack.     

We then went on to search for any possible patterns that could be linked within the user IDs that were used, and sure enough, there were. In this case, it appears the attackers were using the same user ID to try and break in and that the repeatedly used ID had not been logged into the system for an extended period prior. As it turns out, this user ID that was unsuccessfully trying to log in belonged to an employee that no longer worked for the company.

According to our lead technician Nicholas Solimando, “There was an infected file that was found in the profile of a user who had been terminated. We isolated the file and removed it, and then came to find from the client that that user had been terminated along with around 4500 other names that they hadn’t told us about.”

Though the user IDs were inactive, the profiles were still present within their servers. Our team then went on to create a script that would take their list of 4500 names as an input, repeat through the list, and for each entry, scan each of their servers and remove the corresponding profile.

This helped us to work with the client to enable a notification and communication procedure between us and the HR department, solving the core issue.

Nick Solimando left us with some final solid advice for other companies who may be experiencing a similar issue and different types of cyber attacks, “Keeping up to date with your active user base is critical to reducing threat surface and keeping your systems protected.”

Top Cybersecurity Trends Impacting Businesses in 2023

As technology advances and the digital landscape continues to evolve, businesses must stay ahead of the curve regarding cybersecurity trends. Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important as the risk of data breaches, malicious software, and other cyber-attacks is on the rise. To protect their data and networks, businesses must understand the latest cybersecurity trends and how they will impact their operations in 2023 and beyond.

This article will discuss the top cybersecurity small business trends should be aware of and how they can best prepare themselves for the future.

Overview of Cybersecurity Trends

Cybersecurity trends are constantly changing, and businesses need to stay up-to-date on the latest trends to protect their data and networks. With the emergence of cloud computing, artificial intelligence (AI), automation, mobility, the Internet of Things (IoT), and other technologies, the cybersecurity landscape has become increasingly complex and ever-evolving.

The most important thing businesses can do is to stay informed and educated on the latest cybersecurity trends. This will help them to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities and to be better prepared to respond to them. By staying up-to-date on the latest cybersecurity trends, businesses can also ensure that their systems and data are secure.

The cybersecurity landscape is evolving rapidly, with various trends shaping the industry. One significant trend is the growing focus on cybersecurity for small businesses. Recognizing their vulnerabilities, efforts are being made to provide tailored cybersecurity consulting solutions and educational resources to help small businesses safeguard their digital assets. Another trend is the increased emphasis on network security, driven by the rise of remote work and cloud services.

Organizations invest in robust measures like firewalls, secure VPNs, and intrusion detection systems to protect their networks from cyber threats. Speaking of threats, the evolving nature of cyber threats is a prominent trend. Ransomware attacks, phishing scams, and supply chain vulnerabilities pose significant risks. To mitigate these threats, organizations must stay vigilant and implement comprehensive security measures such as user awareness training and multi-factor authentication.

Additionally, server monitoring plays a crucial role in identifying potential security incidents, and services like server monitoring in Rockland County offer specialized expertise. By staying abreast of cybersecurity trends, organizations can stay one step ahead of cyber threats, protect their systems and data, and ensure a secure digital environment.

Cybersecurity Trends Impacting Businesses in 2023

In 2023, businesses should be aware of the following cybersecurity trends that will have a significant impact on their operations:

Cloud Computing Security Trends

Cloud computing is becoming increasingly popular among businesses, offering many advantages such as cost savings, scalability, and flexibility. However, as with any technology, there are also risks associated with cloud computing. As businesses move to the cloud, they need to understand the security risks and take steps to protect their data and networks.

For example, businesses should use strong authentication and authorization measures, encrypt data in transit and at rest, and use a multi-layered security approach to protect their data and networks. They should also ensure that their cloud providers have robust security measures, including data privacy and encryption protocols.

Artificial Intelligence Security Trends

Artificial intelligence (AI) can help automate processes, improve customer service, and increase efficiency. However, AI is not without its risks.  According to IBM, the average savings for businesses that utilize AI and automation to detect and mitigate data breaches is $3 million.

Unfortunately, hackers and criminals are also becoming more adept at using AI due to its increased availability. Among the millions of computers and networks connected to the internet, AI algorithms are employed to find systems with weak security or likely to contain important data. Additionally, it can be used to generate a large number of individualized phishing emails that are intended to deceive recipients into disclosing critical information. As a result, these emails are getting better at avoiding automatic email defense systems that block this kind of mail.

Mobility Security Trends

The mobile attack surface has significantly increased as mobile devices have more access to corporate networks and sensitive data.

Last year, 93% of mobile malware attacks against enterprises started in a device network. The following are the most typical forms of malicious network traffic coming from mobile devices:

• Phishing emails intended to steal passwords (52%)
• Malware on a device’s command and control traffic (25%).
• Accessing URLs or webpages that are affected (23%)

Internet of Things (IoT) Security Trends

According to Gartner, there will be three times as many IoT devices as people on the planet by the end of 2023. Every 18 seconds on average, a connected person will engage with an IoT device by 2025, and each of these interactions will need to be securely protected.

The IoT sector has been steadily expanding over the past 10 years, and this trend will continue into the upcoming year, raising the security risk for businesses. New laws, including the EU Cyber Resilience Act, which will impose strict cybersecurity measures for goods traded in the region, will help mitigate some IoT risks. Still, they will only take effect in at least 2025.

Businesses should concentrate on connected device cybersecurity practices by adopting or updating essential information security policies and processes. To further secure those endpoints, manage vulnerabilities, and react to crises, businesses must also update inventories of their IoT-connected devices while monitoring and updating those devices more frequently.

Data Security Trends

Data security is becoming increasingly important as businesses collect and store more data than ever. Global harmonization of information and data privacy rules will be pushed in 2023. Global regulatory synchronization and alignment will enhance security, notably in data protection, innovation, and cost.

Global trade and business will be enabled rather than hampered by the harmonization of security regimes, empowering improved information and data privacy for all organizations and governments. Applying data protection practices consistently lowers risk and fosters confidence between parties in supply chains.

Conclusion

Developing and fostering a culture of awareness around small business cybersecurity risks is the most crucial action that can be taken at any firm. Employers and employees can no longer consider cybersecurity an issue that the IT department should handle. In reality, everyone’s work description in 2023 should include understanding the dangers and taking simple security measures!

The best way to stay informed and educated on the latest cybersecurity trends is to work with a trusted and experienced cybersecurity provider, such as Protected Harbor. It is one of the top-rated Cybersecurity providers in the U.S. Our system integrates with ISO 27001, NIST, and other frameworks to offer a straightforward, secure, and long-lasting approach to information management. To achieve successful cybersecurity and greater adoption of safe behaviors within your organization, it provides supply chain security, risk management, and compliance assurance, which can be readily adopted, modified, and added to over time.

Get a free Cybersecurity Assessment to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities and better prepare yourself for the future.

Securing Your Business: 5 Cybersecurity Tips for CEOs‍

As a CEO, you know that running a business is no small feat. From managing personnel to overseeing operations, there is a lot to consider. One of the most important considerations is ensuring the security of your business. In the digital age, cyber threats are rampant. As a result, CEOs must know how to protect their business from cyber-attacks. This blog post will cover the different types of cyber threats and provide 5 cybersecurity tips for CEOs.

What are the Cyber Risks?

Cyber-attacks come in many forms, from phishing and ransomware to denial of service. Unfortunately, any business connected to the internet is vulnerable to some cyber-attack. As a result, CEOs must be aware of the potential risks and take steps to protect their business.

Another risk is data loss. In the digital age, data is the lifeblood of any business. If data is lost or stolen, it can have a devastating effect on the company. Finally, there is the risk of financial loss. Cyber-attacks can lead to financial losses due to fraud and theft.

The Different Types of Cyber Attacks

Now that we’ve discussed some of the risks businesses face, let’s look at the different types of cyber-attacks. The most common type of cyber-attack is phishing. Phishing is a social engineering attack where an attacker sends an email to a victim to gain access to their credentials or sensitive information.

Another type of cyber-attack is malware. Malware is malicious software that can be used to gain access to a system or steal data. Some types of malware include ransomware, which can encrypt a system and demand payment to unlock it, and spyware, which is used to gain access to a system and steal data.

Finally, there are distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks. These attacks involve sending a large amount of traffic to a website to overwhelm the server and take it down.

5 Essential Cybersecurity Tips for CEOs

Now that we’ve discussed the different types of cyber-attacks, let’s look at five essential cybersecurity tips for CEOs. These tips can help protect your business from cyber-attacks and ensure that your data is secure.

1. Keep Software Up to Date

One essential cybersecurity tip for CEOs is keeping software up to date. Outdated software can be a significant security risk, as attackers can exploit known vulnerabilities. Ensure your software is updated by putting strict policies and steps in place. Avoid delaying, waiting, and hesitating. 

2. Educate Staff about Cybersecurity

Email is still the primary method of attack, followed by ransomware attacks, and Covid-19 has just worsened things. Attacks with spearfishing have risen during the lockdown. Every employee in your company must receive comprehensive training in cybersecurity fundamentals. They must distinguish between a legitimate email and a phishing email.

These fundamentals are crucial, and it’s surprising how many businesses get them incorrectly or ignore them entirely. It’s a never-ending battle that is constantly evolving and progressing.

3. Risk Management

Another essential cybersecurity tip is to implement a risk management strategy. This involves Numerous attempts to steal critical data from technology organizations and expand technological advancement. CEOs must become proficient in risk management approaches to handle any problems that may arise due to cybersecurity. The worst scenario for a CEO is to think that their business is safe from cyber-attacks. There is a 100% possibility that if you have internet access, you are at risk of cyberattack.

4. Data Sharing and Management

Data leaks can occur accidentally as well as on purpose. Sharing a slide with private information not meant for the general public is far too simple.

Recognize the worth of your data. Who shares data? What and with whom do employees want to share? What are sharing tools used? What instruments are secure? In other words, data security governance is necessary.

The traditional IT security perimeter has been compromised by remote work. Your organization’s data and workers’ digital identities are your most valuable digital assets because endpoints are scattered across networks and geographical areas.

Make sure you set up the necessary tools to determine who, when, and what can be done with the data belonging to your organization.

5. Regularly Audit your Security Systems

Make sure your IT team understands the importance of ongoing system effectiveness testing and cybersecurity consulting. Request network reports evaluating the data gathered during routine use and identify and address any irregularities that might be signs of a threat.

As an added benefit, analyzing these reports can aid in better management decisions by understanding how the company operates inside. Find out if the team utilizes outside audits in addition to internal checks to audit systems.

To avoid leaving yourself open to new dangers, check to see if your hardware and software assets are still within the approved lifecycle. Your asset inventory should be reviewed frequently to track what needs to be retired.

Conclusion

Several cybersecurity services and solutions are available for businesses that don’t have the resources or expertise to manage their cybersecurity. These services can help companies implement the essential cybersecurity for small business tips outlined in this blog post and ensure their business is secure.

At Protected Harbor, we offer tailored IT services and cybersecurity strategies to protect your business from cyber-attacks. We can help you implement the essential cybersecurity tips outlined in this blog post and ensure that your business is secure. And with our free cybersecurity assessment, you can review your security systems in-depth and identify potential risks.

Have you created a recovery plan?   As a final question, have you thought about the employee’s security matrix? Train staff on how to use resources effectively to prevent unexpected security breaches.

Get in touch with us today for a free cybersecurity assessment and find out how we can help you protect your business.

The Cybersecurity Minute: How to Prevent a Cyber-attack

As technology becomes increasingly intertwined with our lives, the need for cybersecurity becomes ever more essential. Cyber-attacks are becoming increasingly common, with hackers and other malicious actors looking to exploit any vulnerability. It’s important to take the steps necessary to protect your data and ensure that your business or organization remains safe and secure.

Welcome to another video in The Cybersecurity Minute series. Today in Uptime with Richard Luna, we’ll discuss the various cybersecurity threats and the steps you can take to prevent a cyber-attack.

Cybersecurity Threats

When it comes to cybersecurity, it’s essential to understand the various threats. These threats come in many forms, from malicious software to phishing attacks and unauthorized data access.

Data breaches are also a significant concern. A data breach is when unauthorized actors access sensitive data, such as personal or financial information. These breaches can result in data loss and severe repercussions for an organization or individual.

Steps to Secure Your Data

Now that we’ve discussed the various threats let’s look at some of the steps you can take to protect your data.

1. Establish a firewall- A firewall is a security system that prevents unauthorized access to a system. It can filter out malicious traffic and block access to certain websites or services. The firewall should be set up correctly and regularly monitored to ensure it works effectively.
2. Isolated backups- Backups are a great way to protect your data in case of a breach or other disaster. By isolating the backups, you can ensure they are not accessible to unauthorized users. This will help to protect your data in the event of a breach.
3. Enable multi-factor authentication- MFA adds an extra layer of security to a system. It requires users to enter a code sent to their mobile phone or another device in addition to their username and password. This helps to ensure that only authorized users are accessing the system.
4. Monitor user access- It’s important to track who is accessing the system and what they are doing. This can help identify any suspicious activity and alert you to potential security threats.

Conclusion

Securing your data is essential for effective cybersecurity. It’s important to understand the various threats and take the necessary steps to protect your data. Establishing a firewall, creating isolated backups, enabling multi-factor authentication, and monitoring user access are all essential steps for effective cybersecurity.

Protected Harbor offers comprehensive data protection and security solutions to protect your critical data and systems from cyber threats. Partner with us to enjoy round-the-clock security monitoring, advanced threat detection, and automated alerts to resolve any issues quickly. With our help, your organization can focus on its core mission without worrying about data breaches or cyber-attacks.

Keep watching the video and other resources to stay safe. Contact us today for a free cybersecurity assessment.

Uncovering The Most Common Businesses That Cyber Attacks Target

Cyber-attacks are an ongoing challenge for businesses of all sizes. They can come from anywhere and potentially cause severe damage to the affected company. While all businesses are at risk of cyber-attacks, specific industries are more vulnerable than others. Understanding which enterprises are the most common targets of cyber-attacks is essential for companies to prevent and protect their data. This article will uncover the most common businesses that cyber-attacks target so that companies can be better prepared and protected.

Here’s the third installment in the series The Cybersecurity Minute: Uptime with Richard Luna. Today we’ll uncover what businesses cyber-attacks target. We will also discuss what steps companies can take to protect themselves from cyber-attacks and how to respond if they do happen. With this information, companies can take proactive measures to keep their data safe and secure.

Most common businesses targeted by cyber-attacks:

There are various types of businesses that are commonly targeted by cyber-attacks. Some of these are financial institutions; healthcare providers; transportation providers; educational institutions; and government organizations.

1. Financial Institutions

Financial institutions are a common target for cyber-attacks. These types of businesses typically store a large amount of customer data in day-to-day operations, such as loans or mortgages. However, customers may not know that this data is being held, making it easier for cybercriminals to target and steal. Financial institutions also often have a large amount of employee data. This data may include social security numbers, addresses, and more, which can be used for identity theft. Cyber-attackers often target financial institutions because they hold a significant amount of data that can be used for fraudulent activity.

2. Healthcare

Healthcare providers are another common target for cyber-attacks because they typically hold sensitive information, such as health records (EHR) and PHI. Healthcare providers also often use computer systems that are connected to the internet. This increases the risk of infection because a cyber-attack can easily access these systems and infect them with malware. Healthcare providers may also store sensitive data on outdated computers, making it easier for cybercriminals to infiltrate the system.

3. Transportation

These businesses often deal with many people and sensitive data, such as shipment and passenger details. They may also store important information such as addresses and driver’s license details. Transportation providers often have a high data volume, making it harder to manage and protect. This can make the business more susceptible to a cyber-attack, as it is more challenging to keep track of everything.

What to do if a business experiences a cyber-attack

If a company experiences a cyber-attack, there are a few steps it can take to ensure that its data is protected and that it doesn’t get hacked again. Small business cybersecurity plan should use isolated backup and recovery plans to execute. Companies should also take steps to track the infection and understand how it got into the system in the first place.

Businesses should also take steps to secure their data. This is important even if an attack isn’t occurring at the moment. To do this, companies should encrypt their sensitive data and back it up in a secure location. This way, if there is ever a cyber-attack, the data is still safe and can’t be accessed by hackers.

Conclusion

Investing in safe cyber practices is very important, as a small mistake can cause a big disaster. As a business owner, you must equip your team with cybersecurity knowledge. Hiring a cybersecurity for small business partner like Protected Harbor will be a good decision with the growing number of cyber-attacks and data breaches. At Protected Harbor, we take your data security very seriously and have implemented the latest security protocols to keep your data safe. Our team of experts monitors your network 24/7 to prevent data breaches and maintain a secure network.

At Protected Harbor, we make it our mission to keep your business data safe. Contact us today for a free cybersecurity assessment.