What Role Does Firewall Play In Network Security

The installation and setup of firewalls is one of the many different task of a system administrator. A firewall is an important component of the network of a company and takes on a very crucial part in protecting and securing it.

Network security refers to the way of addressing internal and external threats to the network system of a company. Firewalls could help secure a network from both external and internal threats.

You’ve probably heard the term router. It is a device that acts like a bridge or connects at least two networks. If the internal network of an organization is linked to the internet, it is generally assumed that the network is susceptible to threats from the external network, which is the internet.

A firewall Florence SC is installed between the external network and the internal network. The device’s function is to filter all outgoing and incoming data or traffic. This is also referred to as packet filtering, The rules in the firewall will be programmed by the system administrator and they will be used to evaluate outgoing and incoming data.

 

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Two Major Roles Of A Firewall:

1. The firewall acts as a police or security guard that polices or monitors the incoming and outgoing traffic to and from your network. It will analyse the data being received or sent and either blocks or allows it, based on the rules created with the firewall.
2. Firewalls also block malicious programs. Firewalls can block potential viruses, malware, trojan horses from infecting the network system. Trojan horses are considered to be the most dangerous since they link themselves to files and if you transmit these files, they will cause further damage to other computer systems. Additionally, they will reveal your personal information to web servers that could possibly be hosted by hackers.

Goodbye to Keyloggers

A keylogger is one of the most dangerous programs that were created. It tracks your key strokes and send the information back to the hackers or cybercriminals. By doing so, they may get access to your private accounts like your bank account. But if you have a firewall installed and properly configured, keyloggers can’t get into your computer systems because they will be blocked right away.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team of IT experts install and configure your firewalls and set up other cybersecurity measures to protect your business against potential online threats.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Florence, SC 29501
843-396-8762
http://manageditservicesflorence.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

How Does Layered Security Help Defend Your Network

Intelligent Endpoint Detection and Response

Reports about computer security breaches have become quite common these days and the costs of these breaches have skyrocketed. Scams are always evolving and hackers are becoming increasingly savvy in utilizing strategies to extract information and cash from their unsuspecting victims.

A single data breach could cause a lot of damage for SMBs and may force them to stop operations entirely. Reports revealed that about 60% of SMBs that faced cyberattacks were unable to recover and had to shut down within just 6 months after the breach.

It can be a challenge to protect your business from cyberattacks. However, adopting a layered security approach can help you alleviate a lot of risks. Perhaps you have heard IT experts talk about layered security or what they call as multi-layered network security approach. But do you have any idea what they mean? By using a layered security strategy can provide a better protection to your IT resources and boost your security.

Understanding Layered Security

Techopedia defined layered security as a security system that utilizes different components to protect operations on various layers or levels. This term could also related to the phrase defense in depth, where in multiple methods and resources are used to blog, slow, delay, or prevent a threat until it can be neutralized completely.

The primary goal of a layered security is to ensure that each separate defense component has a backup to prevent any gaps or flaws in the different defenses of the security.

In a multi-layered security approach, each layer concentrates on a certain area where malware may attack. These layers will work together to improve the security and have a better chance of preventing intruders from breaching your networks compared to using only one security solution.

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Types of Layered Computer Security For Your Network Defense

1. Firewall or Unified Threat Management – it is a crucial aspect of any network security. The UTM or firewall stands as the primary barrier between your cyberspace and network. There are basic firewalls and there are others that are multifunctional, sophisticated, and highly complicated.

1. End User Protection/End Point – Whether your staff uses tablets, iPads, laptops, or desktops, it is important to mitigate the risk of cyberattacks which could enter into your network through the end user vector/end point.

1. Email Filtering – businesses always use emails as a method of communication and cybercriminals know this, too. In most cases, end user protection or end point is not sufficient in preventing someone from opening attachments or emails that are infected. Filtering your emails at the gateway could lower the risk of data breaches and infections.

1. Email Archiving – duplicate emails or attachments and people saving all the emails they get makes it easier for emails to pile up. This problem can be solved through email archiving.

1. Email Encryption – anyone can intercept an email once it leaves the server. If it contains sensitive information, a breach of data is possible. Fortunately, you can alter this data into a non-readable format through email encryption.

1. Web Filtering – the internet is useful but it is also filled with cybercriminals who are waiting to prey on unprotected users. Make sure that your staff uses their time efficiently and are not visiting sites that may pose security threats.

1. Data Encryption – it is similar to email encryption wherein data is protect from potential breaches and cyberattack. It renders data unreadable to unauthorized persons who tries to access it.

1. Mobile device management – virtual offices or mobile workplaces have started to become the norm especially during the COVID-19 outbreak. Taking care of the IT needs of your remote workers and managing off-site equipment and devices do not have to be complicated. It can be done through mobile device management. IT support Florence SC can help you with this.

1. Mobile security – mobile gadgets will leave you and your employees at an increased risk for cyberattacks and data breaches. Be sure that your business can secure, encrypt, and remotely erase sensitive information that may fall into the hands of hackers.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let us help you set up an effective layered security to protect your business against cybersecurity threats.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Florence, SC 29501
843-396-8762
http://manageditservicesflorence.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Do You Trust Your Network Security?

Network security is crucial and it is one of the things that companies need to approach on a positive note. But when it comes to cybersecurity, you have to face doubt, uncertainty, and fear before you can safely say that you’re confident about your network security. Obviously, there are many benefits to having a more tech-driven and digital world. Your company can now access millions of possible clients at every keystroke, managing records is easy and simple, quick payments can now be made, and many more. However, there’s no denying that you can lose everything in an instant or compromised by hackers if you forgot or neglect to take precautions to safeguard your data, reputation, and operation.

So are you confident enough to say that your network security can protect all that you’ve worked so hard for?

 

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You need to ask yourself if you really know what you are doing with your network. Many small and medium businesses do not have the internal strength and even big companies require help with some or all of their IT needs. That insufficient skill and knowledge is not their fault. The objective of your business is to succeed in their field and not to concentrate on technical and IT problems. So, it makes a lot of sense that something such as network security would slip through the cracks easily, even when you thought that you have thought about everything. You should also accept that your company can be the next target of cybercriminals.

The more successful your business becomes, the more likely you’ll attract their attention. Hackers are not inclined to target unknown entities because there’s no profit in that. They prefer successful, respected, and profitable businesses that have lots of vulnerabilities. Lastly, technology evolves by the minute. While you focus on improving your business, hackers are also doing all they can to improve the methods they use, the timing as well as the technology to hack different systems and take advantage of companies with weak networks. That means, your network may be getting weaker while you are focused on improving your bottom line. These are only a few of the reasons why you need managed IT services Florence SC.

What is Managed IT Services?

If you want to have a full scale IT team but not have one in-house, then managed IT services is definitely what you need. Computer network security is a hot issue at the moment due to the increasing number of cyberattacks these days. If large companies such as Target could be compromised, then you might be thinking how you can protect your business. Managed IT services are a set of IT support services and solutions that let companies to offload their technology risks by allowing an IT outsourcing company take care of their infrastructure. For a certain fee every month, a managed IT service provider will meet their obligation to deal with all your help desk tickets.

How Can Managed IT Services Provider Help Improve Your Network Security

1. Assessment determines and closes security gaps.
2. Best and effective security software.
3. Timely response to help desk requests.
4. Constant monitoring and reporting.
5. Maintenance

Choosing an IT consulting provider should not be decided by proximity or chance. Pick an MSP that offers you remote, full workstation support as well as access to the finest and best technology in the field for an affordable monthly price.

 

It’s only a matter of time before something bad happens to your network. However, the outlook does not have to be grim. Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let us help improve your network security.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Florence, SC 29501
843-396-8762
http://manageditservicesflorence.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Securing Digital Innovation Demands Zero trust Access

To accelerate business and remain competitive, organizations are rapidly adopting digital innovation (DI) initiatives including zero trust security models. This means business applications and data are now dispersed far and wide, away from the corporate premises, giving workers access to more corporate assets from many locations. For this reason, the traditional perimeter is dissolving, which opens the internal network to a growing attack surface—a top concern for CISOs.

In response to these threats, organizations need to take a “trust no one, trust nothing” approach to security. Specifically, CISOs need to protect the network with a zero-trust accecyberss (ZTA) policy, making sure all users, all devices, and all web applications from the cloud are trusted, authenticated, and have the right amount of access. Zero trust is critical to securing digital innovation, no matter what the nature of the individual project.

The Evolution of the Network Edge

For organizations of all sizes, DI initiatives drive business growth. One aspect of this growth is the proliferation of new network edges— private and public cloud infrastructures, Internet-of-Things (IoT) and mobile devices, software-defined (SD) branches—all of which generate an exponentially growing volume of data, applications, and workflows. To manage user access and interconnect an array of devices from different locations, both on and off the network, organizations are increasing the number of devices deployed at the edges of these networks.

For CISOs, this can be a nightmare. In recent years, there’s been an explosion of network edges, so much so that the traditional perimeter is dissolving, creating an open environment that is ripe for attack. Cyber threats are growing more prolific and continuously adapting. In the past, perimeter security was based on a “trust but verify” approach. But with so many users, devices, and applications on the network, it is hard to know which ones to trust. Exploits like credential theft and malware enable bad actors to gain access to legitimate accounts. And once in, those bad actors easily identify ways to maneuver laterally, spreading very quickly to take advantage of the flat and trusted internal network. Once they gain access to an edge device, infiltrators can launch attacks that can cause operational downtime, data theft, financial loss, and reputational damage.

For security leaders, it is impossible to keep up with the growing number of attacks using a traditional approach to network access. That is why there is a shift happening, from trusting everything on the network to not trusting things. With a well-functioning zero-trust access model, CISOs organize their approach using specific vulnerable areas of the network edge that can be considered untrustworthy: users, devices, and assets both on and off the network.

 

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Know Who Is Connected to the Network

Security leaders need to know who is on the network at all times. However, organizations are at an increased risk when it comes to workers who use weak passwords to connect to the network. Because so many accounts now require credentials, many passwords are overly simplistic and easy to compromise through exploits like phishing attacks. It’s critical for organizations to know every user and what role they play in the company. Only with that knowledge can they securely grant access to those resources necessary for each role or job, while providing additional access to others on a case-by-case basis.

While bring your own device (BYOD) may be popular with users and managers alike, some CISOs overlook the dangers. The broad attack surface makes it easier for evolving threats to penetrate traditional perimeter defenses and move laterally inside the internal network, which is one of the ways breaches can remain undetected for so long. Some of the most damaging breaches have occurred through unauthorized users gaining access to the network or through inappropriate levels of access given to trusted users. BYOD is becoming ubiquitous within enterprises, but 83% of security leaders say their organizations are at risk from mobile threats.

Another challenge facing organizations is a geographically distributed workforce, where employees perform their jobs from various locations, from the corporate headquarters, to branch campuses, and increasingly, home offices. With so many users gaining access to the network remotely, there are many more opportunities for the attack surface to grow. For example, workers often connect using hotspots or public Wi-Fi networks in coffee shops, airports, automobiles, or on public transportation. This kind of connectivity poses significant security risks. Third parties can eavesdrop on all information that passes between the user and the corporate network. Attackers can exploit unpatched software vulnerabilities to inject malware into the endpoint device, to not only access local information but also gain access to the corporate network via the endpoint device.

These challenges become especially magnified in a majority-telework environment, which was a lesson learned by all organizations during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. Most organizations that had perhaps planned for fewer than 15 percent of their workforces to be based remotely suddenly had to ensure they had the right infrastructure and security controls for 90 percent or more.

These needs are part of why zero-trust access is so important. Since devices are constantly going on and off the network, it is critical to ensure that security leaders know which users are on the network, and that they have the right level of access. As employee roles change, such as a move from sales to operations, workers might not need access to the same areas they had in their previous role, and security teams should be able to effect a seamless transition.

Know What Is Connected to the Network

In addition to knowing who is on the network, security leaders need to know what devices are on the network at all times. However, the proliferation of mobile devices and IoT products has dissolved the traditional network perimeter into many microperimeters, which results in a much larger attack surface for the organization. Since each microperimeter is associated with each user device, endpoints become prime targets for malware infections and sophisticated exploits.

As a result of this explosion of endpoints and expanding attack surface, many organizations are fundamentally losing control of the network in the sense that they are no longer sure what devices are connecting to it. In fact, there is virtually no device configuration standardization for BYOD or IoT. In regardsto BYOD, mobile devices can put networks at heavy risk. This could be through data leakage, unsecured Wi-Fi, network spoofing, phishing, spyware, broken cryptography, or improper session handling. However, the greatest area of growth in the endpoint attack surface is from the explosion of IoT devices.

Cyberattacks on IoT devices are booming, as organizations connect more and more “smart” devices. Bad actors are exploiting these devices to conduct distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, as well as many other types of malicious actions.

To fully secure BYOD and IoT endpoints, enterprises must have visibility into where each device is, what it does, and how it connects to other devices across the network topology. Lack of visibility leaves an organization vulnerable to unseen risks. Security leaders must be able to track devices at the edges of the network. However, almost half of cybersecurity professionals say they do not have a plan in place to deal with attacks on IoT devices, even though nine out of 10 express concerns over future threats.4

Traditional network segmentation is used by some organizations, but it is difficult to define secure network-based segments that can be simultaneously accessible to all authorized users and applications and completely inaccessible to all others. Even best-effort segmentation leaves gaps in network defenses—access scenarios that network architects did not envision—which malicious actors can exploit.

In addition, organizations remain under attack if access permissions are based on assumed trust of vetted devices. Numerous organizations have been surprised by attacks from previously trusted employees and contractors. A lost or stolen device can reveal passwords that enable future attacks on the network. This is why a zero-trust approach is so critical. As cyber criminals focus on compromising the broad array of network devices, security leaders need better visibility and detection of every specific device connecting to the network.

Protect Assets Both On and Off the Network

Another significant problem for security leaders is the increasing use of mobile devices offline or on other networks, which presents security threats such as malware or botnets when those devices log back onto the corporate network. For example, many workers use their BYOD devices both for personal and business needs. They browse the internet, interact with others on social media, and even receive personal emails when not logged into the network. But when they rejoin the network after being online, workers can inadvertently expose their devices, and company resources, to a variety of threats such as viruses, malware, and other exploits.

This combination of personal and business usage of devices also comes at a time when most organizations are unable to keep up with the number of endpoints coming on and off the network. In a recent Ponemon Institute report, 63% of companies said they are unable to monitor off-network endpoints, and over half can’t determine the compliance status of endpoint devices.5 The sheer number of devices connected to the network obscures visibility across all endpoints. As a result, CISOs and security teams struggle to manage the significant amount of risk created.

By transitioning to a zero trust security framework that identifies, segments, and continuously monitors all devices, organizations can replace their high-risk, flat networks to ensure that internal resources remain secured, and that data, applications, and intellectual property remain protected. This strategy not only reduces the risks associated with perimeter-centric security strategy but also increases the visibility and control of off-network devices, while simplifying overall network and security management.

Conclusion: A Zero trust Access Approach Is Needed

DI initiatives accelerate business outcomes. They also add strain to CISOs, their teams, and their resources because of how DI initiatives can expand and change the enterprise attack surface, opening up new attack vectors for cyber threats to exploit. Bad actors become more sophisticated and advanced, and the traditional perimeter security approach is no longer sufficient. Depending on the nature and sophistication of the threat, there is no single point in an organization’s security infrastructure that can see all aspects of the threat. With zero-trust access, CISOs can focus on the users and devices that are connecting to the network, confirming their identity and making sure they have just the right amount of access and trust.

One of the main reasons for the growing attack surface is due to the proliferation of IoT and smart devices that are coming onto the network. Security leaders often lack full visibility into the flood of devices accessing the network—and CISOs have learned hard lessons regarding what they can’t see that will hurt them. To fully secure all of these endpoint devices, enterprises need a zero-trust access policy across the entire network that provides visibility into where each devicTo accelerate business and remain competitive, organizations are rapidly adopting digital innovation (DI) initiatives including zero trust security models.e is, what it does, and how it connects to other devices across the network, as well as continuous monitoring to detect any behavioral anomalies that could indicate a threat.

As security leaders navigate a workforce that is working from a variety of locations and using both personal and business devices to access the network, they need a way to protect all endpoints at the network edge. With a zero trust security model, organizations can improve visibility of all devices on and off the network, enable advanced protection, and implement dynamic access control, all while reducing the attack surface.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you want to learn more about zero trust security and how you can transition to this model from a traditional perimeter based security.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Florence, SC 29501
843-396-8762
http://manageditservicesflorence.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

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Understanding ransomware and the impact of repeated attacks

 

We know ransomware is one of the greatest threats in cybersecurity currently, and we know that once your organization has been hit, you’re likely to be targeted again. But how much do we understand its impact?

To gain greater insight into the risks of repeated ransomware attacks, we took a look at The State of Endpoint Security Today. This report details the findings of a survey polling more than 2,700 IT decision-makers from mid-sized businesses across ten countries.

Despite the splash ransomware made in 2017, the survey found that organizations are still not fully prepared to face today’s rapidly-evolving threats.

What was the impact of ransomware in 2017? For starters, more than half of organizations surveyed were hit with a ransomware attack last year, most more than once. Traditional antivirus alone appears to be insufficient compared to an in-depth IT Services Florence SC, as 75% of the organizations surveyed were running up-to-date endpoint protection when the ransomware attack occurred.

Perhaps unsurprisingly, the survey also found that ransomware attacks are expensive. The median total cost of an attack was $133,000 – not just the cost of the ransom, but lost hours, downtime, device and network costs, and lost opportunities. And when a business was hit hard, it got costly fast: 5% of respondents reported ransomware attacks that cost $1.3 to $6.6 million.

Arguably more telling than the ransomware statistics revealed by this report are the findings uncovered about exploits and anti-exploit technology. Nearly 70% of IT support Florence SC professionals weren’t able to correctly define anti-exploit technology, even while understanding that it is critical to prevent modern, evolving attacks.

DEEP LEARNING FOR DEEPER CYBERSECURITY

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More than half of organizations don’t yet have anti-exploit technology, leaving them open to falling prey to these effective tactics by hackers.

There is a lack of understanding around predictive, next-generation technologies like machine or deep learning, with more than half (56%) admitting they don’t fully understand the differences between machine and deep learning. Though the understanding of the need for predictive, next generation technology is trending in the right direction – 60% of respondents are planning to implement such technology within a year – currently only 25% have such technology in place.

The state of endpoint protection and how current attacks are impacting users and administrators may be worrying, but we’ve got good news…

The latest version of Intercept X stops ransomware in its tracks, employs deep learning to identify malicious or potentially unwanted files without having ever seen them before and uses anti-exploit technology to block the techniques attackers use to control vulnerable software.

Find out more about our unmatched next-gen endpoint protection.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you need to know more about our IT and computer security solutions. 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Florence, SC 29501
843-396-8762
http://manageditservicesflorence.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

The Challenge of Securing IoT

 

By now, everyone has heard the numbers. Internet of Things is part of a networking revolution that is transforming the world. Cybersecurity experts predict that by 2020 there will be over 33 billion IoT devices deployed, or 4.3 Internet-connected devices for every man, woman, and child on the planet.

Of course, IoT is more than just one thing. There are a variety of IoT devices and categories, each with their own implications.

Consumer IoT includes the connected devices we are most familiar with, such as smart cars, phones, watches, laptops, connected appliances, and entertainment systems.

Commercial IoT includes things like inventory controls, device trackers, and connected medical devices.

Industrial IoT covers such things as connected electric meters, waste water systems, flow gauges, pipeline monitors, manufacturing robots, and other types of connected industrial devices and systems.

The implications for networks, and especially cybersecurity Florence SC, are huge.

Increasingly, IoT devices are being woven into local, national, and global networks, including critical infrastructures, creating hyperconnected environments of transportation, water, energy, communications, and emergency systems. Healthcare agencies, refineries, agriculture, manufacturing, government agencies, and even smart buildings and cities all use IoT devices to automatically track, monitor, coordinate, and respond to events.

While automating decisions and processes at machine speeds can generate revenue, improve our quality of life, make us more productive, and even save lives, it also introduces new risks and widens the threat landscape.

1. Some of the data passing from, to, or between connected devices contains personal information that can be exploited, including locations, names and addresses, ordering and billing information, credit card and bank information, medical records, government-issued ID numbers, etc.

2. When compromised IoT devices are connected to ITnetworks, they can become a conduit for breaches or the injection of malware.

3. Compromised Industrial and Commercial IoT devices can be used to make changes on the manufacturing floor. Operations technology, SCADA, and industrial control systems actually control physical systems, not just the bits and bytes of traditional IT networks, and even the slightest tampering can sometimes have far-reaching - and potentially devastating - effects.

4. Increasingly, IoT is also being integrated into our critical infrastructure. Transportation systems, chemical refineries, wastewater systems, energy grids, culinary water, and communications systems all use IoT devices. The cascading effect of a serious compromise can be potentially catastrophic.

The challenge is that many IoT devices were never designed with security in mind. IoT security challenges include weak authentication and authorization protocols, insecure software, firmware with hard-coded back doors, poorly designed connectivity and communications, and little to no configurability. And most IoT devices are “headless,” with limited power and processing capabilities. This not only means they can’t have security clients installed on them, but most can’t even be patched or updated.

The risk is real. Just last fall, compromised IoT devices were gathered into a massive botnet, causing the largest denial of service outage in history. Unfortunately, the general response by the security industry has been woefully inadequate. Sure, the expo floor at this year’s RSA conference is filled with vendors promoting devices and tools to sooth the IoT worries of organizations.

The problem is that the network teams that need to test, deploy, manage, and monitor these devices are already overwhelmed. Dozens of isolated devices with separate management interfaces have placed a strain on limited IT resources. Large enterprises already need to manage an average of 30 security consoles, connected to hundreds of security devices that usually operate in isolation. This makes gathering threat intelligence a cumbersome and time-consuming task, often requiring the hand correlation of telemetry data in order to identify malware or compromised systems.

And now, specialized security tools being created and promoted for IoT are going to expand the number of deployed hardware-based and virtual security devices even further.

The reality is, IoT cannot be treated and secured as an isolated, independent network. It interacts across your existing extended network, including endpoint devices, cloud, traditional and virtual IT, and OT. Isolated IoT security strategies simply increase overhead and reduce broad visibility. Instead, security teams need to be able to tie together and cross-correlate what is happening across their IT, OT, IoT, and cloud networks. Such an approach enables visibility across this entire ecosystem of networks, allowing the network to automatically collect and correlate threat intelligence and orchestrate real-time responses to detected threats.

This requires a rethinking your security strategy. A distributed and integrated security architecture needs to cover your entire networked ecosystem, expand and ensure resilience, secure compute resources and workloads, and provide routing and WAN optimization.

The Fortinet Security Fabric solves the challenge of security sprawl by integrating your security infrastructure together into a single, holistic framework. This allows you to effectively monitor legitimate traffic, including IoT devices, check authentication and credentialing, and impose access management across your distributed environment through an integrated, synchronized, and automated security architecture managed through a single pane of glass.

In addition to our innovative Security Fabric solution, Fortinet is actively driving the development of IoT-specific security solutions. We already hold dozens of issued and pending IoT security patents that complement our industry-leading patent portfolio and have been woven seamlessly into out Security Fabric framework. Our commitment to innovation helps ensure that Fortinet continually delivers the most advanced security solutions designed to help organizations defend against the continually evolving threat landscape that threatens the success of their digital business and the emerging digital economy.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now for more information about our security solutions and managed IT services. 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Florence, SC 29501
843-396-8762
http://manageditservicesflorence.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Your #1 MUST-DO Resolution For 2021

 Bingo Madness Happy Hour

Join Unitrends and SpartanTec for a little fun and learn a little about backup and disaster recovery - and maybe even about March Madness and St Patrick's Day too!

WED, MAR 10 AT 4 PM EST

Register: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_avks5CACR7e0adU8kbapoQ

With every New Year comes the chance to reset priorities. Unfortunately, when the topic of implementing a data recovery plan comes up, the comment we most often hear is “I know I should, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet…”

So…what if the pilot on the next flight you’re on announces right after takeoff, “I know we should have run through our preflight checklist, but we haven’t gotten around to it yet…”???

Without a solid backup and recovery plan in place, just one mission-critical file that gets lost or stolen could put your company in a world of serious hurt. When you compare the high cost of replacement, repair and recovery to the relatively trivial price of keeping good backups, the choice is an absolute no-brainer.

 

Why disaster recovery planning matters more than you think

Let’s face it, data is the nucleus of your business. That means that a single ransomware attack could wipe you out in a matter of minutes. Today’s cybercriminals are raking in literally billions of dollars (yes, billions) preying on the unwary, the poorly protected and those who “haven’t gotten around to it yet.” Let’s consider the facts…

Ninety-seven percent of IT service Florence SC providers surveyed by Datto, a data protection company, report that ransomware attacks on businesses are becoming more frequent, and they expect that trend to continue. These attacks are taking place despite anti-virus and anti-malware measures in effect at the time of the attack.

Windows operating systems are most often infected, followed by OS X. Cloud-based applications, particularly Dropbox, Office 365 and Google Apps, are also being targeted.

Ransom demands typically run between $500 and $2,000. About 10%, however, exceed $5,000. And even at that, paying a ransom demand is no guarantee that encrypted files will be released.

For a typical SMB, downtime from ransomware can cost around $8,500 per hour, and will take an average of 18.5 hours of the company’s time. That’s a hit to your bottom line somewhere in the neighborhood of $157,250. Yet in many cases the ultimate cost has reached into multiple hundreds of thousands.

In a recent survey of 6,000 IT professionals by the Ponemon Institute, 86% of companies had one or more incidents causing downtime in the past 12 months. Typical downtime was 2.2 days, with an average cost of $366,363. And that’s just the average. 

Could your company survive that kind of hit? It’s no wonder that 81% of smaller businesses suffering such an attack close their doors within three years.

It’s tragic. And yet the solution is so simple…

 The #1 antidote for a data disaster

What’s behind these costly incidents? Here’s the breakdown of contributing factors:

• Human error: 60%
• Unexpected updates and patches: 56%
• Server room environment issues: 44%
• Power outages: 29%
• Fire or explosion: 26%
• Natural disasters: 10%

Note that human error accounts for 60% of the breaches. It’s no wonder then that ransomware attacks are on the rise, since they can be triggered by just one employee inadvertently clicking a bad link in an e-mail or social media site. Human behavior is hard to control. However, the #1 antidote for a ransomware attack is having a secure backup ready and waiting to replace encrypted files.

And when you scan through the rest of the list above, it becomes clear that, while you need to implement a comprehensive set of data security measures, having a solid and reliable data recovery plan in place and ready to go the moment disaster strikes is still your best defense.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and know more about our backup and data recovery services. 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Florence, SC 29501
843-396-8762
http://manageditservicesflorence.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence