Experts estimate that cyberattacks could cost the world $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. Businesses are particularly at risk as they are lucrative targets for hackers looking to make money. A data breach on your company can be catastrophic. About 60 percent of small businesses fold within six months of being breached. Yet, the vast majority of small businesses remain unprepared for cyber attacks. One way to boost IT security in your organization is by creating cybersecurity awareness throughout the company. A staggering 88 percent of all data breach incidents are the result of employee mistakes. In today’s post, we outline eight top reasons enhancing information security awareness is worth the investment. Cybersecurity Awareness Helps Avert Breaches The main reason people invest in cybersecurity for business is to prevent data breaches. The exact number of breaches you prevent through IT security awareness training is hardly possible to quantify. But like we pointed out before, even a single incidence of a data breach can prove catastrophic to a company. You Get to Create a Security Culture Making IT security part of your corporate culture can safeguard against cyber attacks. Unfortunately, such a culture is quite hard to achieve. A well-planned cybersecurity awareness training program can help achieve that culture much faster. But exactly what does an IT security culture entail? You’ll need to build cybersecurity values into the very fabric of your organization. The training must cover situational awareness. Besides, it should reveal the work and home-life benefits of IT security awareness. With time, you’ll need to provide advanced training platforms that help track your cybersecurity culture. The ultimate goal is to make your employees your first line of defense. Security Awareness Boosts the Efficiency of Your Technological Defenses Technological defenses play a vital role in averting breaches. However, these defenses require appropriate input from people to work properly. For a secure server, you have to turn on firewalls. You also need to acknowledge security warnings and update software to keep your network secure. Security awareness training helps make sure that people do their part to keep your technological defenses up and working. Awareness Boosts Customer Confidence Most consumers rely on technology to get stuff done in their daily lives. They’re thus aware of the endless cyber threats in today’s world. Naturally, consumers want to work with a company that guarantees that their sensitive data is safe and secure. By investing in cybersecurity awareness, you send the message that you’re serious about preventing breaches at all costs. This generates consumer trust and loyalty, which ultimately boosts your bottom line. Awareness Training Helps You Comply With the Regulations Failure to comply with HIPAA regulations can lead to serious consequences. Many other regulators also require that certain industries conduct security awareness training. Complying with these regulations is in your best interest.  There are also clients who’ll not entrust you with their business unless they have proof that you’ve done enough to guarantee cybersecurity. Having an ongoing IT security training program is a good sign that you take security seriously.. Cybersecurity Awareness Makes You Socially Responsible Over the years, it has become clear just how rapidly cyber attacks can spread. Once a network is infected, other networks become vulnerable too. In other words, a weakness in one network automatically increases the threat to other networks around it. By not investing in cybersecurity awareness, you’re exposing other organizations to risk. It’s almost the same as leaving your car unlocked, with the keys to the car parked next to yours waiting inside your car. Security awareness thus benefits not only your company but also your clients. Your employers and any other party who is interlinked with your network also benefit. You Get to Reduce Employee Stress The possibility or occurrence of a data breach is a major stress trigger. This is especially for your employees who stand to lose jobs in case you don’t survive the attack. By taking a proactive approach to preventing cybercrime, you help ease this anxiety. Once you equip your employees with the knowledge they need to spot and prevent cyber scams, you’ve boosted their confidence. They’ll be able to implement IT security best practices with ease. That includes using a team password manager to generate and safeguard passwords. Cybersecurity Awareness Saves You Money A well-executed cybersecurity awareness training will help you save money. Specifically, it’ll keep you from losing it as a result of an attack. The damages resulting from cyber-related incidents can have severe financial consequences. Following a data breach, a company’s reputation suffers massively. Employees can also flee. That deals a serious blow to the revenue even after the company resumes normal operations. On many occasions, affected companies face costly lawsuits and hefty fines. A data breach can also result in the loss of intellectual property. The financial implications are hardly quantifiable in such an event. When you invest in cybersecurity awareness, you’re saving the future of your organization. IT Security Awareness Is Your Best Chance Against Cyber Attacks As businesses continue to rely more heavily on technology, cybercrime continues to thrive. No one knows when or where cybercriminals will strike next, so it pays to stay ready. One of the best ways to do so is by investing in cybersecurity awareness. Are you interested in boosting the security of your business accounts and applications? Please contact us today to learn about our solutions.

Due to Coronavirus restrictions, your employees must work remotely. Remote work security is an afterthought. You don’t have the time nor the resources to enhance remote team security. What would you say if the result could be the undoing of your business? According to statistics, 60% of small businesses that undergo data breaches go under in six months. Unsecured remote work systems will leave data vulnerable. If hackers gain access to credit card information, the reputation of your business will suffer immensely. You must devote time and resources to notifying all victims. Further, the government could impose heavy fines on your business. However, you can prevent catastrophe by setting up a secure remote working environment. This article will show you how to create a remote team security regimen. Let’s explore.  Avoid Public Wi-Fi Networks  Public networks are dangerous because anyone using the network can access your data. With no firewall in place, bad actors can access your computer from any location. Additionally, public networks aren’t encrypted. This means outside observers can access your traffic.  If you must work in public, use a hotspot instead of a public network. A hotspot is a private network. Even though your hotspot won’t have encryption, it will be much harder for hackers to probe a private network.  Data Encryption  Data encryption is especially useful during email exchanges. Sending an email to another party is risky because hackers could intercept the email. Many remote workers send sensitive information via email. The sensitive information could be company documents or personal banking information. Encrypt the email attachments to keep prying eyes at bay. Besides email protection, data encryption has the following benefits: Service providers cannot access your data Encryption helps workers adhere to regulations, especially regulations governing credit card data Encryption protects all of your backups Encrypted data remains protected even if someone steals your hardware Physical Security As a remote worker, your equipment is more valuable. If your devices get lost or stolen, your company could be in serious trouble, especially if you’re in vital industries such as healthcare. Lost or stolen hardware constitutes compromised data, which can result in fines and other penalties.  Above all, keep your doors locked at all times. Moreover, keep hardware stored in a safe location, especially if you live with other people. Hardware that’s left in the open could get damaged by mistake. Also, someone could pick up your equipment casually and misplace it.  If you’re on the road, don’t leave your hardware in the car unattended. Someone may be watching from afar and notice your devices.  You may feel tempted to leave your hardware in the trunk of your car, but this is a mistake. Thieves could still access your trunk. Plus, devices left in the trunk could sustain damage as the car moves.  Password Security  Many people don’t change their router passwords when it’s installed. If you don’t have a new password in place, an outside party could access your devices. That said, the new password should be strong. You can create a secure password by: Using a mixture of upper and lower case letters Using numbers and symbols Avoiding personal info (i.e. part of your social security number) Further, don’t use the same password across multiple platforms. With so many passwords to keep track of, many people write their passwords in a notebook or pad. Avoid writing them down at all costs. Someone could find the password and use it to access your devices. Rather, choose an app that allows you to manage multiple passwords.  Password Sharing You may encounter a situation where another remote worker asks you to share a password. This is a fatal mistake that often leads to breached networks. When it comes to team password management, each employee should have a separate password. If you must share the password, change the password immediately when the employee is finished with it.   Be Aware of Your Surroundings  Additional security will mean nothing if you’re not mindful of who may be watching you. If you’re in a coffee shop, for example, pay attention to who may be behind you. Cybercriminals tend to be in coffee shops and can read sensitive information from afar. The best thing you can do is block your line of sight with an object or barrier.  If you must use the restroom or step outside, take your hardware with you. Don’t leave your equipment unattended. Criminals could access your hardware using a thumb drive that processes data quickly.  Penetration Testing Penetration testing will assess the strength of your network. The testers act like hackers and use the latest hacking techniques to breach your network. The tester can test how your system responds to such threats as viruses, phishing scams, or malware. Penetration testing will pinpoint vulnerabilities within your system. From there, the tester can recommend the best tools that will upgrade your system.  Remote Work Security Done the Right Way To enhance remote work security, use a private network, lock your doors at all times, change your router password, and know who may be watching you in public. One of the best tools to use in your security arsenal is data encryption. Data encryption can protect sensitive information even if someone steals your hardware. Individual security measures are important, but companies should have remote working policies in place that all employees must follow.  Want to know how to protect your information using the cloud? Click here to learn more. 

Compromised passwords are responsible for at least 81% of hacking breaches. Managing all of your account information is a frustrating but essential step in ensuring your online security. There are several types of password management systems, but a single sign-on solution is one of the best. It creates a unique password that provides quick, secure access to all of your accounts. Read our guide to learn all you need to know about this effective solution. You’ll find the answers to questions like what is single sign-on and what benefits can it provide? What Is Password Management? 37% of computer users have more than 20 personal passwords, and 19% use more than 10 passwords in their daily lives. This is a lot to remember without an effective solution to help you. Password management is a set of guidelines you use to keep your passwords secure. They apply from the moment you create the password to the day you discontinue it. Examples of basic password management strategies include not sharing your password and using alphanumeric characters. Sticky notes are another example; in fact, 42% of organizations use them as the primary method. A password manager uses software to keep your passwords safe. Different types include browser-based, portable, desktop-based, and cloud-based. Browser-based password managers use internet applications to secure your passwords. They’re easy to use but are the least secure. Portable password managers are used for devices like smartphones. Desktop-based password managers store all your passwords locally on your device. Cloud-based password management systems store your passwords in a cloud database, allowing you to access them from anywhere. The best password management software includes additional features such as: Biometrics Fingerprint usage Photo-login Pin codes Single sign-on access is also a type of feature. Look for it in any password management software you’re considering. What Is Single Sign-On? SSO or single sign-on is a powerful password authentication process. It lets you access multiple applications with one set of login credentials.  SSO applications use what they already know about their users to recognize who’s logging in. They use cookies in your browser to check IP addresses, remember passwords, and utilize authentication domains. SSO solutions deny access to anyone attempting to log in from an unrecognized IP address. This helps keep your accounts secure by preventing unauthorized access. Why Should I Use Single Sign-On? Only 50% of businesses offer a single sign-on solution for their employees. They may not recognize all the features that make SSO systems one of the best forms of password management. These advantages include improved security, customization, easy access, improved efficiency and productivity, and reduced help desk issues. Improved Security At least 50% of computer users have the same password for all of their accounts. This puts them at high risk of a security breach. Hackers use scripts to guess usernames and passwords every 39 seconds. This stolen information is part of 81% of personal hacking incidents, and 81% of company data breaches are the result of poor passwords. It may seem that a single sign-on solution is making the same mistake by using the same password for all of your accounts, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.  What it actually does is create a single complex password instead of several identical or simple ones. This is a major benefit when you consider that a 12-character password takes 62 trillion times longer to crack than a six-character password.  Customization SSO also lets you customize your level of security. You can create whatever password you need and make it as complex as you like. Employees don’t even have to know it because IT team members can handle registrations.  SSO solutions can be used on custom web apps by adding its domain to the program’s API. It’s a customizable solution for any business or account. You can also use multi-factor authentication as part of your single sign-on solution. It uses 3 different security formats to protect your information. Physical security safeguards include physical tokens like employee cards. Logical and knowledge-based security methods include passwords and PINs. Biometric security uses fingerprints, retinal scans, and/or voice recognition. Multi-factor authentication is perfect for locations such as nuclear power plants or government facilities that contain extremely sensitive data. It’s a great way to provide the highest level of protection but is also optional so that you don’t have to spend the extra time and money on it if you don’t need to. Easy Access 75% of Americans are frustrated with passwords, and over 50% want an alternative solution for their online security. Until that day comes, SSO solutions are one of the best ways to reduce this frustration by preventing lockouts and allowing for easy access. Single sign-on for employees gives them quick, secure access to their accounts. SSO for clients provides them with access to multiple resources from a local area network or LAN.  Improved Efficiency and Productivity Single sign-on is the fastest, most efficient way to log onto all of your accounts. Your employees can spend less time trying to remember passwords and more time doing their work. This means a major increase in productivity. Help Desk Savings At least 50% of all help desk calls involve passwords. Fixing the issues they bring up can cost up to $70. They’re a time-consuming and financially draining problem area for most businesses.  A single sign-on solution makes it faster and easier for clients and customers to access their accounts, making them less likely to call your help desk when they’re logged out. It also means fewer password issues within your organization.  Where Can I Find the Best Single Sign-On Solution? Most computer users feed their account information to hackers by using easy-to-guess, repeated passwords. An effective password management system is the best way to fight back. Single sign-on solutions create a single complex password. This allows employees and clients to access all their accounts with fewer headaches and increased efficiency. Understanding what single sign-on is and the benefits it provides is the first step. The next is to find the right provider to purchase

The evolution of data management is creating new obstacles for companies. The CyberSpace Administration of China found 33 mobile apps that were breaking Data Privacy laws. Now, more than ever, companies will need to inform themselves of these data privacy challenges. Interested in learning more? Then keep reading, as this guide will show some data privacy tips and the laws surrounding the protection of your data. Data Privacy Law Data Privacy covers the way in which we determine the identities and data of an individual or corporation. Various software and administrative applications collect and store personal information.  The rise in skillful users of the internet requires companies to take more steps in protecting this information. Individuals can sue or break down a corporation failing to protect a user’s personal data. Rules and Regulations are set in place through legislation to manage these actions. It also organizes a system to help hold companies and individuals accountable for failing to enforce the internet safety protocol. The law sees the collection and storing of this data as a fundamental human right. Abusing that personal information can be punishable by law. Employee Data Privacy & Associations One of the premier locations for data legislation is the GDPR or the General Data Protection Regulation. This agency, in affiliation with the European Union, protects the European data protocol. These rules and regulations are set up as a statement of rights. This includes the right to rectify, the right to be forgotten, and the right to civil action. The act of rectifying means an individual requesting to change details of their digital self. In order to do this, they must find their data in its right location. Once you locate this data, the individual can comply with GDPR and correct its data. Another aspect of the rules is understanding the right to be forgotten. In this case, a person or company can purge its digital identity. In terms of law, this means that a person or company has the “right to erasure”. But, as before, the agency needs to locate the individual’s data and information. Once the company has this information they can proceed with the process. Confirming Identity This process requires the affiliations to probe deep into every corner and endpoint to discover this information. Once these locations arise they can remove the information. Among these, the General Data Protection Regulation guarantees the right to sue any proprietor over damages. This can occur through the misuse of data or the mishandling of data that loses protection. There are many important rules regarding these transitions. An important note is demonstrating that safeguards are active. This means these safety nets are active and up-to-date. They must also be actively working in that they can work upon request at all times. This is important because it is the only way that companies can prove their innocence in a court of law. This can also make sure that companies avoid fines when under indication. Making minor mistakes when dealing with a company’s data privacy comes with a big price tag. These fines can be up to 3% to 4% of the total annual revenue of a company.  United States Legislation In the US, we find laws like HIPAA or the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. These laws regulate the transference of health data and information. If there is an exchange between a health management clientele and an individual, HIPAA oversees this process. Health Management applications are growing at a rapid rate. These HIPAA standards are having difficulty catching up to these telecommunication standards. There is a useful symbiotic relationship with patients through their network. Amazon wishes to expand these networks and meet the rising number of patients. Without cybersecurity safety nets, companies can lose these beneficial health care options. The SPID or the Public Digital Identity System identifies these public administrative positions and private organizations. The SPID and S-ID oversee financial records as well. It’s important for these companies to enforce employee data privacy. This agency is required to handle private credentials in order to regulate identities. The SEC or the United States Securities and Exchange Commission enforces these organization’s rules. State & Local Legislation But, with that said, there is no national privacy standard. Aside from that, we require individuals and companies to follow state laws. For instance, CCPA in California or the California Consumer Privacy Act regulates Californian standards. These state organizations follow similar rules to the General Department Protection Regulation. But, this enforcement is strict only for the penalties. Organizations like the CCPA heighten these restrictions, demanding companies to report their data at a faster rate. Their rules and regulations have tighter control over company information than the GDPR. California may be the first of the states to introduce more imposing standards on company regulations. Moreso than the entirety of the European Union. PIPEDA represents the Personal Information Protection and Electronic Documents Act. This is Canada’s main source of organization and enforcing internet safety. These services held a recent update to their systems allowing Canada to introduce new standards. PIPEDA requires companies to report any form of unauthorized access. This is similar to the rules under the GDPR.  Protocol Breach These standards also protect individuals if there is any breach in protocol. This includes failures in encryption, antivirus, and security agents. No matter the circumstance, PIPEDA sees these consequences as actionable under the law. Even if the black-hat hacker was unsuccessful in their attempts. The breach itself is grounds for lawful action. Hackers have many advantages when dealing with a breach in protocol. Many data-lines are not visible on end-points. This can be up to 30% of information, so security is key when dealing with this portion of data. But, these cases must ensure that companies could prevent the incident too. They must show these agencies that their systems were up-to-date and persistent. They must both prove this prevention and the incident’s time/date as well. To prove the innocence of the company, their systems must