What Should a CIO Strategy Look Like in 2019?

With the current technological revolution sweeping through all aspects of conducting business, the role of the CIO has never been greater. Increasing customer value and improving the IT delivery at scale, velocity, and affordability should be at the top of their priorities in 2019.

Some areas of the business that need to be given special attention by CIOs need to include customer and employee experience, digital business services, and ecosystem microservices. Besides, many IT leaders should spend some time finding ways to reduce interdepartmental friction as well as wasted resources. It is crucial for them to identify the company's barriers to improvement and tackle them as fast as possible.

One common issue presents itself in the form of budgets. While the IT department's costs and expenditures are growing exponentially with every passing year, the allocated budgets remain steady and linear. It's for this reason why CIOs need to teach other department heads and those in key leadership positions about the present digital transformation as well as the investments needed to achieve it.

Sean Ferrel, Managed Solution Founder states,“Technology has moved from the core to the floor. CIO’s should worry less about tools at the core of their environments and focus more on users, apps, productivity and overall process that happens in the floor of their business. Most business owners are getting more involved in technology decisions and many of those focus around gathering valuable data and figuring out what insights that data gives us to get an upper hand on the business. While some might use the terms IoT, Machine Learning, BI or even AI as the new norm, we see a world of data that’s disconnected and in many ways “gold” to the business. That being said, getting out of the day to day world of building the ship and finding the treasure is what we as IT leaders should be focused on.”

So, what should a CIO strategy look like in 2019?

What Needs to Change

Before going into what investments are needed, we must first analyze the things that need to change within the organization for those investments to take hold. These changes can classify into two main categories.

On the one hand, there are personnel changes. These will include changing the perspective within the company about the importance of future IT investments. Some examples include things such as getting managers on board with the idea by making use of data. Similarly, increasing customer focus both internally and externally. They can enable the digital inclusion, equity, and accessibility of all relevant parties. And also, driving innovation to increase the relevance of IT and allowing strategy alignment.

From an organizational change perspective, CIOs need to tackle tech debt and increase their digital footprint. Making way for automation, supply chain digitization, and DevSecOps should also have priority. Phasing out the data center, modernizing governance, and improving data analytics and quality need to be on this list as well. Last but not least, CIOs need to focus their attention on cybersecurity, GDPR compliance, data protection compliance, and other such security solutions.

Some of these changes can be tackled more at a time. Reducing the tech debt, for instance, is about replacing old, monolithic systems with more secure and customizable counterparts.

What Are the Investment Priorities?

Like we said in the beginning, customer-centricity is the key to success. The digital environment offers both a way to engage with the audience and deliver a superior experience across the entire customer journey. Be it financial institutions, healthcare providers, nonprofits, or governmental agencies; all stand to gain from better customer engagement.

To achieve it, however, flexibility is critical. By moving away from project-based episodic deliveries and towards continuous integration, companies can also begin to build trust across the organization and between IT and other departments. By focusing on the customer, everyone will be working toward a common goal and results are sure to follow.

Regarding investments, CIOs should focus on improving security and digital transformation, as a whole. Transitioning to the cloud and focusing on IT continuity are also aspects that should be invested in. Considering the right kind of talent, be it through leading, training, or better hires, is always a plus. Companies can also benefit here by accessing managed services from remote partners. Application upgrades and getting more value from past investments will also prove worthwhile.

Conclusion

All of these issues presented here can differ and should take precedence based on every company's unique needs. Nevertheless, CIOs should prioritize their resources on people, security, and digital transformation to align themselves better with the customer's expectations. Together with Managed Solution, you will be well on your way there. Contact us today for a free consultation!

Why End User Security Training Is Important in Today's Digital Environment

Over the past several years, cybercrime has hit record highs. And as businesses become ever more technological and interconnected, digital crime is only set to rise. The cybersecurity of every organization relies heavily on its digital infrastructure as well as a good IT team ready and able to support it.

Nevertheless, cybercrime isn't only about complicated pieces of software that hackers use to infiltrate organizations. The bulk of what's considered digital crime doesn't exploit technical vulnerabilities within a system, but rather the end users that utilize these systems daily.

So, when we talk about end-user security training, we are referring to raising awareness among your staff members who can become easy targets for hackers. Anyone who is using the internet daily can inadvertently provide access to your company's sensitive data. They need to receive the proper training to spot and avoid these threats, in the first place.

Phishing Attacks

There are many security threats that end users are exposed to. One of the most common, the most devastating, and ironically enough, one of the easiest to defend against are phishing attacks. Phishing attacks are nothing more than ploys designed to solicit sensitive information from end-users (passwords, user names, social security numbers, etc.), by pretending to be an authority figure, colleague, or a familiar person.

Once someone provides their password, for instance, the cybercriminal will have access to that user's information and email list. Accessing a low-level employee's inbox may not seem like such a big deal, but they can use it to phish their way up the corporate ladder and gain access to the entire company's database. Hackers will, for a time, be able to impersonate their victim without anyone knowing it. And the frustrating part about all of this is that, with the proper knowledge, phishing attacks are easy to defend against.

The Importance of End User Security Training

Providing the training and raising awareness among staff members about the types of security threats that target them directly, should be at the top of every security investment. Unfortunately, however, this is rarely the case, with personal training seldom finding its way into the budget.

A company's IT security is more dependent on its end-users that most realize. With healthcare, finance, biotech, and other industries becoming more dependent on IT solutions, security training needs to be a priority for both managers and employees alike. Without them, internal threats are only set to increase over time. Many employees use unmonitored systems or have access to the systems they do not need.

The reality of the matter is that end-user security training will increase your employees' ability to keep your organization secure, keep up with the changes in system updates, company policies, and new threats. By helping your staff members recognize these dangers and handle various security incidents, many cyber-attacks will be circumvented.

The security and future success of any digital-dependent organization may depend on their employees being able to know what a security threat looks like and report it to the IT team. It can be that simple. And with the right training, this process can be a lot simpler and more cost-effective for your entire workforce.

Together with Managed Solution, you will be able to keep your data and systems secure from any internal or external threats. Contact us today to figure out a personalized solution for your organization.

5 Cyber Security Training Tools and Resources

When it comes to data breaches, in particular, cybercrime is at an all-time high. According to the statistics, over 21% of all files are not protected in any way. Also, 41% of organizations have over 1,000 unprotected and sensitive files such as credit card numbers, health records, SSNs, etc. What's more, 7 out of 10 organizations have said that their security risk has increased significantly since 2017, with ransomware growing by as much as 350% annually, and IoT-oriented attacks by 600%.

The healthcare industry has seen the most significant number of ransomware attacks, which are believed to quadruple by 2020. The financial service industry, on the other hand, suffers the highest costs related to cybercrime, with an average of $18.3 million in losses per company.

Based on all of these figures presented here, plus many others like them that exist, it would only stand to reason that businesses should invest as much as they can in their security. Training staff members to recognize and avoid security threats is one of the most effective ways of achieving a desired level of protection. It is for this reason why we've compiled a list of five tools and resources to help you prepare for the road ahead.

Udemy

Udemy is a training portal designed to help organizations and individuals learn about cybersecurity. It provides classes on several other fields such as development, design, marketing, etc., but also in terms of IT security. Many courses are free, while others cost somewhere around $15.

Cybrary

Another resource in terms of cybersecurity training is Cybrary. As a freemium service, Cybrary provides numerous classes for employees and job seekers, particularly CISSP, CCNA, CompTIA A+, and CompTIA Security+, among other such entry-level security certifications. There are also paid courses to be had on the platform, providing further knowledge in the field of cybersecurity. Also, Cybrary offers per-seat basis enterprise subscriptions, making it more cost-effective for organizations with hundreds of employees to learn junior-level cybersecurity roles.

BrightTALK Webinar Stream

With BrightTALK’s comprehensive stream of cybersecurity webinars, you will have access to thousands of IT security related videos. These are continually updated and are particularly useful for professionals looking to further their cybersecurity careers. BrightTALK also provides options for non-English speakers.

Information Assurance Support Environment (IASE)

IASE is a web portal, part of the US Department of Defense. It offers over 30 free online cyber security courses, mostly in the form of web-based training. And even though the portal focuses on the Department of Defense users, the topics can still be used as generalized cybersecurity training for both beginners and professionals.

Security Now Podcast

Security Now is a weekly podcast available in both video and audio formats. The podcast is hosted by Steve Gibson and Leo Laporte, the TWiT Netcast Network founder and who also invented the first anti-spyware program. The show runs for about two hours and focuses on helping the audience increase their personal security with topics such as firewalls, password security, and VPNs.

Takeaway

These resources will hopefully help you increase your organizational security and help your staff members become more knowledgeable about the issue. For more information, contact us directly.

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How to Tell If Your Network Is Secure

As the internet is becoming a dominating force around the world and computer networks are growing in size and complexity, data integrity is also an ever-growing concern that organizations need to consider. Network security is a critical aspect for businesses, no matter the size.

And while no network is entirely immune to cyber-attacks, a stable and efficient security system is critical in protecting client data. It is especially true for organizations operating in the healthcare and financial sectors but also applies to other industries as well. Good network security will help protect businesses from data theft, sabotage, ransomware, spyware, malware, etc.

So, how can you tell if your network is secure and what can you do to improve the situation?

Cybersecurity Training

Arguably, one of the most vulnerable parts of any network is the users that operate on it - namely you and your employees. The overwhelming number of cyber-attacks that manage to pass through the nets do not involve any fancy coding but are the result of successful phishing.

Phishing is nothing more than the fraudulent attempt by hackers to obtain sensitive information (passwords, usernames, financial or medical information, etc.) by posing as credible and trustworthy entities via electronic forms of communication. These can take the form of official-looking emails, pop-ups, text messages, lookalike websites, etc.

The best way to counteract this problem is via a comprehensive training program that educates staff members on how to recognize and avoid these phishing tactics, in the first place. Also keep in mind that a whopping 41% of such attacks originate from third-parties such as contractors, vendors, suppliers, etc.

Passwords

The importance of passwords in network security cannot be overstated. Nevertheless, many users see them as a nuisance and regularly use the same password across different systems. Not only that, but the same password is sometimes used for personal use. It further increases the risk of it being discovered, rendering your security protocols useless.

It means that, if hackers manage to get their hands on one password, your whole network may be compromised. Always keep different usernames and passwords for laptops and servers, as well.

The Updates Arms Race 

An antivirus will help protect your data from being infected once a virus or malicious software has made it into your network. Firewalls, on the other hand, will keep these from entering, in the first place. Always keep these systems and your servers updated as hackers will always upgrade their malware to bypass protective software.

Scripting Your Login Process

One measure of detecting the onset of a network infection is by keeping track of when users log in or off their work accounts. Unfortunately, this is only a somewhat reliable procedure. A better one is to script in your login process. The idea behind this procedure is the same, but it's much more efficient.

The Default Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) Port

If you are using Windows, the chances are that you're also using the default Remote Desktop Protocol port. Cybercriminals will take advantage of this and will employ a multitude of tools to hack their way and scan for exposed endpoints. The easiest solution here is to change that RDP port to something unused.

Conclusion

Having a secure network may seem like a daunting challenge, but it is necessary to keep your business and your data safe from cybercriminals. These steps presented here will help you minimize that risk. If you need any help, however, Managed Solution is at your service. Contact us to find out how we can assist you.

What Is a Comprehensive Disaster Recovery Plan Checklist?

With more unpredictable and extreme weather events as a direct result of climate change; the need for a comprehensive disaster recovery plan (DRP) cannot be overstated. Be it earthquakes, flash floods, tornado outbreaks, hurricanes, arctic blasts, severe droughts, or widespread wildfires; they can all lead to days-long power blackouts, blocks in the supply chain, significant infrastructure repairs, and months-long insurance battles.

Specially created to minimize damages in case of such unpredictable scenarios, disaster recovery plans will help ensure the long-term operability of a business. Such disasters are not a common occurrence, but when they do happen, corporations, big and small, can and will fall by the wayside. One in four companies struck by a natural disaster will never reopen its doors - and the main reason being that they don't have a comprehensive DRP put in place.

And like a seasoned wilderness trekker who's always prepared for things to turn south at a moment's notice, so should you have a contingency plan put in place for the unexpected. Below is a comprehensive checklist of a disaster recovery plan.

Risk Assessment

The first step is to assess and identify and assess all possible threats as well as their likelihood of impacting your business. You can do this by using a risk matrix. It allows you to classify your risk factors and establish priorities. Once you've analyzed the potential risks, it's time to create a business impact analysis (BIA). It helps you predict the consequences of disruption and gathers data needed to develop various recovery strategies.

Inventory

Your DRP should include a complete list of all hardware, software, IT infrastructure, and all other assets. Your disaster recovery plan needs to identify how you will reproduce your inventory after a disaster, as well as ensure a smaller list of mission-critical equipment. Every piece of hardware and software needs to have the vendor's technical support contact information so that you can get back up running quickly.

Assign Responsibilities

In case of emergencies, decisions need to be made on the spot, so your DRP needs to spell out who is in charge of what as well as how they should approach the issues. So, you will need to know who will manage the relocation, who will monitor sales and cash flow, who is in charge of secure systems and grants authorization to others, etc. You need to identify all the tasks in every department that will restore your operations as soon as possible and assign someone to them.

Data Recovery

Data is generally a company's most valuable asset. That said, it's also the most vulnerable to disasters and is a major component that will affect an organization's downtime. It's for this reason why you need to have a reliable data backup solution that will safeguard that information in the event of a disaster.

The Backup Office

Having a backup brick and mortar office available on-hand is not always an option and, in some cases, it's unnecessary. Nevertheless, you need to analyze what options are available to you if your office will not be usable. In some cases, employees could work remotely, or you could make use of a virtual office. But if these are not viable options for you, like for instance, if you have a medical practice, you need to have an up-to-date checklist of available real estate that you can relocate to immediately.

Communications

In the event of a natural disaster, common communication methods such as phones, emails, etc., may be unavailable. You need to figure out how your staff members can communicate with each other in this scenario, as well as to know who is in charge of what responsibilities.

Testing and Improving 

Having a disaster recovery plan is one thing, but making sure that it works as it should, is another. It is why you should regularly test it out and improve on the parts that don't work as they should.

If you are unsure where to begin with your DPR, Managed Solution is here to help. You can call us today 800-208-3617 to talk through your current plan, or you can fill out our FREE, no-obligation assessment of your current backup solution.

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Why is the Business Continuity Plan So Important?

No company owner is looking forward to a business disaster, but these do happen now and again. What's more, they come in various shapes and sizes, and it's not always easy to anticipate them. For this reason alone is why company owners need to be prepared and take the necessary steps so they can give themselves the chance to rebound as fast as possible.

However, companies need to have a business continuity plan. Statistics indicate that over 25% of businesses that are forced to close down because of a disaster, never reopen. Given this number, one would be forgiven for thinking that most companies would have a plan B put in place.

But the sad reality of the matter is that the majority don't.

The most common excuse given is that people don't think that a big enough disaster would ever happen to them so that they'll be forced to close down, in the first place.

Other excuses and misconceptions owners have about business continuity plans include things like the idea that such plans waste too much time and money to formulate. Others believe that their business has no inherent risks, their company is too small to need a plan, or that they can deal with the problem when it happens. There are also some that think a data backup is the same as a business continuity plan, or that their Internet technology could withstand anything that can be thrown at it.

What Is the Purpose of a Business Continuity Plan?

Such a plan will outline all the necessary steps a company needs to take to operate in the event of a disaster, security breach, an abrupt change in the market, or any other such scenarios that will disrupt the day-to-day processes.

When a comprehensive plan is in place, business leaders will have the opportunity to review any weaknesses or potential threats that their organization is facing. As a consequence, even the process of creating such a plan has its benefits as it can highlight any current risks which you can fix before they turn into a crisis.

Putting together a business continuity plan often involves the assessment of staff and leadership members, available resources, as well as the strategies that the company employs. These, in turn, will help you in dealing with issues such as employee development, labor disputes, patent lawsuits, real estate selection, distribution bottlenecks, or intellectual property security, among others.

What Most Successful Business Continuity Plans Contain?

The more comprehensive plans go beyond disaster recovery and also focus on any risks that may emerge from within the organization, itself. So, for instance, if a company decides to use cloud computing as a means of safeguarding their data from natural disasters, they should also consider what to do if someone from the inside, say, a disgruntled employee, would leak sensitive information. It is a particularly important aspect, especially for those in healthcare or financial industries where data privacy is of the utmost importance.

Successful continuity plans regularly make use of outsourced services regarding technology, space, and workforce in the event of a natural disaster or internal process failure. Outside experts can be a great and cost-effective resource in a crisis by ensuring continuity based on sound strategy.

To that end, Managed Solution is at your service by helping you assess your current situation and help safeguard your business in the future.

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Why Should You Conduct a Security Risk Assessment?

When it comes to their security, organizations do not always give it the full necessary consideration. And when they do, it’s usually after their security system has already been breached leading to more problems, lost business, and numerous other issues down the line. Security breaches can sometimes happen because an employee forgot to adhere to the company's policies or even because the company forgot to set the right policies, in the first place.

It's details like these and many others that can put an organization at risk. It is for this reason why a security risk assessment is necessary. Many are under the impression that such a procedure is overkill. But with today's many technological advancements, there is no such thing as being too safe, particularly when it comes to the digital environment.

All experts agree that with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) cyber security solutions, also come advanced cyber criminals. It is an arms race that makes it all that much more difficult to detect, track, or mitigate breaches and hacks whenever they happen. While these technologies can help streamline processes and increase security, they can also raise the threat of cybercrime.

Some industries, like those in healthcare, have a legal obligation to perform such assessments Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA). Besides, there are also other PCI-DSS requirements and federal requirements that certain businesses need to endure.

How Does a Security Risk Assessment Work?

Such an evaluation should be a central component of every company's security plan. A security risk assessment could identify potential threats and vulnerabilities in your system, predict the impact of these threats, as well as provide you with threat recovery options if they were to happen.

Financial and healthcare organizations need to take extra precautions, as they are generally in charge of safeguarding their customers' sensitive information. But besides helping keep this data safe, security risk assessments also have some added benefits.

 

Improves Communications - A security risk assessment will help improve the way an organization communicates internally. The main reason for this is that numerous stakeholders, departments, and employees will need to come together and provide their input to improve the effectiveness of the overall evaluation. By extension, this will increase organizational visibility and improve communication.

Better Awareness - A significant benefit of a security risk assessment is that it can help educate your employees about the threats they can encounter and which can impact their role. It will help teach them about the importance of cybersecurity as well as how to incorporate some best practices in their day-to-day operations. It's important to remember that among the most prominent security vulnerabilities of any system is the end-users that utilize it daily.

Reduce Long-Term Costs and Mitigate Future Risks - Identifying future threats and risks will not only spare your company from the hassle of having to deal with them in the future but they will also save money and resources. By mitigating these threats, your company will be better prepared for the worst or even prevent them from happening in the first place.

The IT department is the one responsible for undertaking this task since they are the one with the knowledge and know-how on how to deliver it. Organizations that do not have an in-house IT team should consider outsourcing it to someone who can provide the service.

Do, however, keep in mind that a security risk assessment shouldn't be a one-time thing. As cybercrime is continually evolving, organizations need to make sure that their risk assessment is up-to-date on all developments and that it maintains compliance with all regulations. If you need any help with your security risk assessment, Managed Solution is at your service. Contact us today for more information!

Cybersecurity Trends for 2019

When it comes to all things cyber, this past year was an interesting one for cybersecurity trends. From a security perspective, there were many security breaches, with the most recent one being the data breach of the Marriott Hotel group. Some of the major themes were also the blurring of lines between cyber and physical security, industry consolidation, and new AI cybersecurity tools. Public and regulatory awareness of data privacy as a critical concern and issue was raised due to seemingly unceasing scandals related to consumer privacy.

Cybersecurity experts will continue to address these topics, and some trends will dominate the cybersecurity sector in 2019.

Cybersecurity and Physical Security Will Continue to Merge

In the world of IoT (Internet of Things), everything is connected. With so many connected devices, the division between cyber and physical security is getting more and more blurred, as well as between the CEOs, CIOs, and CTOs. Concerning sophistication, physical security is a lot behind cybersecurity. However, organizations are working to unite the two together. The range of threats across both areas is becoming more extensive, so we should expect more crossover to happen during 2019.

Increased Implementation of AI

The human element can detect and react to a cyber breach, but not as fast as a machine could. With the growing range and number of threats, it’s clear that leveraging the power of AI is necessary. Some major companies have announced their AI-based security solutions in 2018, such as Alphabet’s Chronicle and Palo Alto Networks’ Magnifier. The AI-based security analytics that enterprises have deployed since 2017 aren’t pure-play solutions. What AI adds to these existing technologies is analytical strength. All in all, AI will continue to grow in the cybersecurity segment as it will in general (at the corporate level).

More Challenging Breaches

When the defense gets better and stronger, cybercriminals keep finding new and more devious ways to use malicious code. For example, experts discovered another variant of ransomware that turns victims into attackers. By offering a pyramid scheme-style discount, the victim passes on the malware link to two or more people. When they install it and pay, the first victim has their files decrypted for free.

Increase in Regionalization

There will be more cybersecurity regionalization, and Brexit prompts that increase. Today, foreign governments are suspicious of each other’s cybersecurity solutions, especially after recent scandals of China’s HTC and Huawei, and Russia’s Kaspersky Lab. That’s why we might expect more regional cybersecurity solutions and companies appear around the globe. In the U.S., there are clusters of security firm activity that focus on building robust cybersecurity innovation centers.

Biometric Identification

Passwords are a vulnerability, which is an issue that cybersecurity innovators are aiming to replace with biometrics. The iPhone X has Face ID for facial recognition, while MasterCard announced that all their users would be able to identify themselves with biometrics by April 2019.

More Consolidation

There has been a lot of consolidation within the cybersecurity industry. Splunk acquired Phantom Cyber, AT&T bought AlienVault, and BlackBerry bought Cylance. According to ESG research, about 53% of companies with more than 1,000 employees “currently have three or more different endpoint security products deployed across its network.” As this leaves a lot of waste, the number of solution providers will decrease in the following year as large companies will continue to add startup tech to their portfolios to create a broader product family offering.

Digital transformation and innovative solutions in the cybersecurity industry is helping organizations in keeping their networks safe. However, cybercriminals are getting smarter and more dangerous. That’s why every enterprise needs to stay on top of the current trends and know the future predictions regarding cybersecurity. They should understand how digital transformation remakes their business, as well as what threats are introduced by new platforms, technologies, and partners to gain more control and be able to detect and respond to threats fasters.

Reach out to Managed Solution to find out how we can help you improve your IT security and prevent a data breach.