TECHNOLOGY
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Hackers Hate These.... P.1
FREE Cyber Security Audit Will Reveal Where Your Computer Network Is Exposed And How To Protect Your Company Now P.2
Cyberside Chat P. 4
This monthly publication is provided courtesy of John Smith, President of IT Company.
This monthly publication is provided courtesy of Dewayne Chappell, President of IT Company.
This monthly publication is provided courtesy of John Smith, President of IT Company.
OUR MISSION:
OUR MISSION:
“As a business owner, you don’t have time to waste on technical and operational issues. That’s where we shine! Call us and put an end to your IT problems finally and forever!”
TheperceptionthatSMBshavelimited resources,smallerbudgetsandoftena “thatwon’thappentous”mindsetmakes themattractivetohackers.Althoughit’s truethatSMBsdon’thavetheresources ofFortune500companies,youdon’t needthatkindofmoneytoprotect yourbusiness.Herearesixsimple strategieshackershatebecausethey’re affordable,surprisinglyeasytosetup andhighlyeffective.
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Two-Factor Authentication
stealsyourpassword,theystillcan’tget pastthatsecondlayerofprotection.Many platforms,includingGoogleWorkspace andMicrosoft365,alreadyoffer2FAfor free.Still,it’sunderutilizedbySMBs,with anMFAadoptionrateofonly34%orless, comparedto87%amonglarge companies,accordingtoJumpCloud’s 2024ITTrendsReport.2FAisvery simpleandeffective–don’tsitthistipout!
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Updates
To build a community of successminded entrepreneurs that inspires excellence, encourages collaboration and expands the capacity of all members to achieve great things.
To build a community of successminded entrepreneurs that inspires excellence, encourages collaboration and expands the capacity of all members to achieve great things.
-Dewayne Chappell
The#1wayhackersgetaccesstobusiness accountsisthroughstolencredentials. Two-factorauthentication(2FA)and multifactorauthentication(MFA)have existedsincethemid-2000sandremain amongthebestwaystoprotectyour information.2FArequiresthingstologin –yourpasswordsandasecondfactor,like atextmessagecode.Ifahackerguessesor
Cybercriminalsloveoutdatedsoftware becauseit’sfullofunpatched vulnerabilitiestheycancapitalizeon. Ransomwareattacksarenotoriousfor targetingvulnerabilitiesinoperating systemsandapplicationsmonthsafter securitypatchesareavailable.Setup automaticupdatesforyoursystems,apps andsoftwaresoyou’realwaysrunningthe latestversion.Employeeawareness
training,regularremindersandevenrevoking accessuntilpatchesareinstalledcanhelphold employeesaccountable
EmployeeTraining
Over90%ofdatabreachesstartwithphishing e-mails,CISAreportsDesignedtolooklike reale-mailsfrombanks,retailcompaniesor coworkers,theyarestuffedwithharmfullinks designedtostealyourpasswordsanddata Cybercriminalsbankonnaiveemployeeswho can’ttellreale-mailsfromfakeones,andAIis makingthesee-mailsevenhardertodetect. Regularemployeeawarenesstrainingisoneof thetopdefensesagainstphishingattacksand canreducephishingrisksfrom325%to5%in 12months,accordingtoarecentstudyby KnowBe4.Researchshowsthatthemost effectiveemployeeawarenesstrainingincludes real-worldexamples,simulatedattacksand regularreinforcementthroughshort,interactive trainingsessions.
DataEncryption
Themodernworldoperatesondata,and encryptingthisdataisthemosteffective methodtoprotectit.Infact,mostcybersecurity
insurancepoliciesrequireit.Encryptionislike turningyourinformationintocodethatonly authorizedpeoplecanunlock.Evenifhackers interceptyoure-mailsorcustomerdata, encryptionkeepsituselesstothem.SMBsoften hesitateduetocostsorcomplexity,butmodern toolslikeGoogleWorkspaceandMicrosoft365 makeitsimplerandmoreaffordable.
Limit Employee Access
Everyemployeewithopenaccesstoevery folder,fileanddocumentsignificantlyincreases theriskofaccidental(orintentional)changesto yoursystem.Settinguplimitedaccesscanfeel inconvenientinitially,butitdoesn’thaveto disruptemployeeworkflows.Anexperienced ITteamwillensurethatemployeescanrunall theapplicationstheyneedwhilehavingaccess onlytowhat’snecessary.Forexample,a marketinginterndoesn’tneedtheabilityto accesspayrolldataornetworksettings.If employeesneedaccesstocompletespecifictasks orprojects,considerusingasystemthatgrants temporaryadminaccess.Oncetheirprojectis done,theaccessgoesaway.
Data Backups
Ransomwareisoneofthebiggestthreatsfacing SMBstoday,with46%havingexperienced
attacks,accordingtoarecentreportby OpenTextCybersecurity.Hackerslockupyour dataanddemandpaymenttogetitback,but evenpaymentisn’taguaranteeyou’llseeyour dataagain.Usethe3-2-1rule–keepthree copiesofyourdataontwodifferenttypesof storagemedia,withonestoredoff-site,suchas inthecloudoronanexternalharddrive disconnectedfromyourmainnetwork.Justas important:testyourbackupsregularly. Nothing’sworsethanrestoringyourdataafter anattack,onlytodiscoverthatyourbackups areincompleteorcorrupted.
These simple, cost-effective strategies are a nightmare for hackers and a boon for SMBs looking for more peace of mind. If any of these strategies are missing from your cybersecurity, now is the time to integrate them into your business.
Atnocostorobligation,ourhighlyskilledteamofIT proswillcometoyourofficeandconducta comprehensivecybersecurityaudittouncover loopholesinyourcompany’sITsecurity.
Aftertheauditisdone,we’llprepareacustomized “ReportOfFindings”thatwillrevealspecific vulnerabilitiesandprovideaPrioritizedActionPlan forgettingthesesecurityproblemsaddressedfastThis reportandactionplanshouldbearealeye-openerfor you,sincealmostallofthebusinesseswe’vedonethis fordiscovertheyarecompletelyexposedtovarious threatsinanumberofareas
CARTOON OF THE MONTH
There’snodenyingGeneSimmonsisaquirky character,evenwithoutthemakeup.Globally renownedasarockstarinthebandKiss,it’s nosurpriseheshoweduptohisinterviewata recentindustryconferencecladinallblack andwearingdarksunglassesthatseemedglued tohisface.Butbehindthemoodypersona, Simmonsisanincrediblysuccessful entrepreneurwithanetworthof$400 millionHowever,itwasn’talwaysthisway
Simmonsopenedupabouthischildhood, revealingadepthoftenmaskedbyhispublic persona“Thefireinyourbelly,itneverburns hotterthanwhenyoucanrememberwhatit feltliketobehungry,”heexplained.Simmons rosefromapoverty-strickenchildhoodin Haifa,Israel,wherehesoldfruitroadsideto surviveThesonofaHolocaustsurvivor, Simmonslearnedearlyonthatperseverance wasnonnegotiable.Infact,he’scriticalof anyonewithapassiveworkethic“There[are] somanyopportunitiesWe’rejustsittingthere going,‘Iwishsomebodywouldgivemea chance,’andthechancesarejustgoingright byyou,”hesaid.Whatdifferentiatesregular peoplefromuber-successfulones,Simmons insisted,istheirwillingnesstofallinlovewith thelaborthatsuccessrequires.“Themost successfulpeopleintheworldarenodifferent thanyouare,excepttheyworklongerand harder,that’sall”
ManyAmericansaren’ttaughtabouttaxesor theworkingsoftheeconomyduringtheir schoolyears,butthat’snoexcusetolet opportunitypassusbyAccordingto Simmons,understandingbusinessisapersonal responsibility–or,asheputit,an“inferred
fiduciarydutytoyourself.”Thismeansalways lookingforknowledgethatpositionsyou strategicallyforsuccess.“Beattherightplace, withtherightthingandtherighttime.That’s onyou,”hesaid.
Foranybusinessleader,stayinginformedand havingacontinuousimprovementmindsetis criticaltonavigatingtheever-shifting landscapesofcapitalismandeconomic turbulence.Thisincludesbeingopento diversification,anotherofSimmons’strategic businesstips.Hisinvestmentsarenotsiloedin themusicindustry.Instead,theyarespread fromrestaurantchainstorealityTV.This approachcushionsfinancialrisksandopensup multiplerevenuestreams.“Itreallyisbecause alltheknowledge…isavailableon[the Internet]forfree.Therestisjusthardwork,” hepointedout.ForSimmons,thesecretis simple:tapintothevastonlinereservoirof information,pairitwithrelentlesseffortand keepinnovating.
Mostpeopleconsiderbusinesssuccessstrategic andtactful,notaparticularlycreativepursuit. ButSimmonsarguedotherwise.“Businessis art.Everystepyoutakeiseithergoingto makeyoumoneyorit’sgoingtocostyou money,”hesaid.It’sadelicatedance,and Simmons’risingjourneyfromsellingfruitin Haifatobuildingavastempireexemplifies howdeterminationandsmartdecisionmakingcanturnadversityintoopportunity. Thisunderlinesavitaltruthforall entrepreneurs:successcomesfromseizing opportunities,continuouslearningand unwaveringcommitmenttoinnovation andexcellence.
