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Cybersecurity, IT Support, Managed IT Services

The 10 Disaster Planning Essentials For Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises

04/04/2023 Marketing Department

The 10 Disaster Planning Essentials For Small to Medium-Sized Enterprises

If your data is important to your SME and you can’t afford to have your business halted for days, or even weeks, due to data loss or corruption, then you need to read this report and act on the information shared. A disaster can happen at any time and is likely to occur at the most inconvenient time. If you aren’t already prepared, you run the risk of having the disaster occurring before you have a plan in to handle it. This post outlines 10 things you, as a business owner of, say, 20 to 80 computers, should have in place to make sure your business is up and running again in the event of something going wrong.

Have a written plan

As simple as it may sound, just thinking through in advance about what needs to happen if your server has a meltdown or a natural disaster wipes out your office, will go a long way in getting your business back up and running fast. At a minimum, the plan should contain details on what risks could happen and a step-by-step process of what to do, who should do it and how. Also include contact information for various providers and username and password information for various key websites.

Writing this plan will also allow you to think about what you need to budget for backup, maintenance and disaster recovery. If you can’t afford to have your network down for more than a few hours, then you need a plan that you can follow so that you can get back up and running within that time frame. You may want the ability to virtualise your server, essentially allowing the office to run off of the virtualised server while the real server is repaired. If you can afford to be down for a couple of days, there are cheaper options. Once written, print out some copies to store in a fireproof safe, off-site at your home and with your IT consultant.

Hire a trusted professional to help you

Trying to recover your data after a disaster without professional help is business suicide; one misstep during the recovery process can result in forever losing your data or result in weeks of downtime. Make sure you work with someone who has experience in both setting up business contingency plans (so you have a good framework from which you can restore your network) and experience in data recovery. If you have a Managed Service Provider, an MSP, ensure they have experience in these areas.

Have a communications plan

If something should happen where employees couldn’t access your office, e-mail or use the phones, how should they communicate with you? Make sure your plan includes this information including multiple communications methods.

Automate your backups

If backing up your data depends on a human being doing something, it’s flawed. The #1 cause of data loss is human error, such as people not swapping out tapes properly, someone not setting up the backup to run properly, etc. Always automate your backups so they run like clockwork.

Have an offsite backup of your data

Always, always, always maintain a recent copy of your data off-site, on a different server or on a storage device. Onsite backups are good, but they won’t help you if they get stolen, flooded, burned or hacked along with your server.

Have remote access and management of your network

Not only will this allow you and your staff to keep working if you can’t go into your office, but you’ll love the convenience it offers. Plus, your IT staff or an IT consultant like an MSP should be able to access your network remotely in the event of an emergency or for routine maintenance. Make sure they can.

Image your server

Having a copy of your data off-site is good, but keep in mind that all that information has to be restored someplace to be of any use. If you don’t have all the software disks and licenses, it could take days to reinstate your applications, like Microsoft Office, your database, accounting software, etc., even though your data may be readily available. Imaging your server is similar to making an exact replica; that replica can then be directly copied to another server saving an enormous amount of time and money in getting your network back. Best of all, you don’t have to worry about losing your preferences, configurations or favourites. To find out more about this type of backup, ask your IT professional.

Network documentation

Network documentation is simply a blueprint of the software, data, systems and hardware you have in your company’s network. Your IT manager or IT service provider should put this together for you. This will make the job of restoring your network faster, easier and cheaper. It also speeds up the process of everyday repairs on your network since the technicians don’t have to spend time figuring out where things are located and how they are configured. Finally, should disaster strike, you have documentation for insurance claims of exactly what you lost. Again, have your IT professional document this and keep a printed copy with your disaster recovery plan.

Maintain Your System

One of the most important ways to reduce risk to your business is by maintaining the security of your network. While fires, floods, theft and natural disasters are certainly a threat, you are much more likely to experience downtime and data loss due to a virus, worm or hacker attack. That’s why it’s critical to keep your network patched, secure and up-to-date. Additionally, monitor hardware for deterioration and software for corruption. This is another overlooked threat that can wipe you out. Make sure you replace or repair aging software or hardware to avoid this problem.

Test, test, test!

A study conducted in October 2007 by Forrester Research and the Disaster Recovery Journal found that 50 per cent of companies test their disaster recovery plan just once a year, while 14 per cent never test. If you are going to go through the trouble of setting up a plan, then at least hire an IT pro to run a test once a month to make sure your backups are working and your system is secure. After all, the worst time to test your parachute is after you’ve jumped out of the plane.

Want help in implementing these 10 essentials? Call us on the number above to discuss how we can tailor a plan that suits your individual business needs.

Cybersecurity

How Cyber Culture Can Dramatically Boost Your Business & How to Build One

12/01/2023 Marketing Department

Only 25% of business leaders are confident with their organisation’s cyber security awareness. This is alarming with how large of a risk cyber threats pose in 2023. Business owners like yourself need to understand the importance of Cyber Culture. Not only does generating a healthy Cyber Culture in the workplace strengthen cyber security dramatically. It also can have a positive impact on your profitability, customer retention, and employee productivity. So why wouldn’t you take this advantage of defending your company in one of the best ways possible?

What Even Is “Cyber Culture”

It can seem quite a substantial term, but it only has one simple meaning. Cyber Culture is about making cyber security an important part of an employee’s job. The end goal is to embed the practice into the staff’s day-to-day actions, something that should be considered before each decision. The best kind of Cyber Culture needs to influence employees’ thinking to better develop resilience against cyber threats.

To stay relevant and confront new security challenges, businesses must continually adapt to the changing digital environment. As an owner, fostering a strong cyber culture enables staff to stay vigilant and respond quickly to new threats. We will talk about the benefits for your business and how you can easily begin implementing a strong Cyber Culture today.

Benefits of Developing Cyber Culture

Improved Profitability 💰

Cyber threats are costing Australian businesses millions each year and attacks on SMEs average out at $60,000. More than half of data breaches constitute a significant portion of the costs that companies incur. Your company won’t only suffer direct financial loss, but also indirect losses, such as a damaged reputation and lost customer trust.

Investing in a strong cyber culture can help prevent a wide range of potential threats in the future, including costly financial ones. Such investments should therefore be viewed as worthwhile in protecting a company’s long-term security and success.

Increased Customer Retention 📈

Customer trust is a key factor in whether or not people will conduct business with you. Customers are far more likely to do business with a company that hasn’t previously been exposed to multiple breaches. Data safety is a must, did you know 88% of consumers are only willing to give out their information if they trust the company? Also, an identity survey found that consumers are abandoning brands after they find out about data breaches.

By building customer trust through strong cybersecurity measures, you can easily boost profits through improved customer retention. Additionally, showcasing robust cybersecurity at your business can also help enhance its image and make it more appealing to potential customers.

Increased Retention of Employees and Boost in Productivity 📝

Just like helping organisations retain and attract customers, strong Cyber Culture can also benefit employees by reducing stress and increasing productivity. A well-trained workforce that is equipped to effectively handle cybersecurity threats will be better able to perform their tasks and contribute to the organisation’s overall success.

It’s found that when a data breach occurs, 33% of employees feel highly stressed at work. On top of that, about 24% of leaked data is always personal employee information.

I bet you’d want your employees to feel secure and know their personal information won’t be compromised when working for you. By fostering a strong Cyber Culture and effectively communicating with employees, companies can earn their trust, improve employee loyalty and increase their productivity.

How Can You Start Building A Cyber Culture?

It’s crucial to understand that creating a Cyber Culture is a team effort, in which everyone from executives to employees plays a role. A strong cybersecurity culture must be led by example, starting with leadership and spreading throughout the organisation.

While cybersecurity experts may spearhead the technical strategies and efforts, it’s essential that all leaders, including the board of directors, are aware of the importance of cybersecurity, aligned with its purpose and demonstrate appropriate behaviour.

Focus on the Fundamentals 💡

A secure cyber plan can start with the basics, such as strong passwords. It seems trivial but owners still fail to implement policies that ensure the basics happen.

Companies should implement protocols for creating and maintaining strong passwords using a combination of characters that are difficult to guess. Additional layers of security such as Two-Factor Authentication or Single-Sign-On can further enhance protection against attacks.

Educate Employees 🎓

Cyber attacks are not a matter of “if” but “when” will it happen. It’s impossible to achieve 100% protection, and with human error accounting for over 85% of attacks, a Cyber Culture will go a long way in boosting your defence. Therefore, employee education through formal cybersecurity training would help them respond better to attacks and prevent future errors.

There is an abundance of online resources to help you achieve this, from articles to quizzes, and even entire simulated activities for teams to complete. The choice is yours, but some level of training needs to be completed on regular basis.

Share the Responsibility 👬

We touched on this before, but just to reiterate, creating an effective cybersecurity program requires a shared effort across all levels of the company. Your organisation’s cybersecurity goals and vision must be communicated to all employees. Doing so ensures that everyone understands and contributes to its implementation, benefitting the organisation as a whole.

Keep a Feedback Loop 🔁

To maintain a healthy Cyber Culture, it is important that all employees feel comfortable reporting any issues or concerns related to IT and cybersecurity. Creating an open channel of communication, where employees can easily report their worries or ask questions, can help ensure that any vulnerabilities are identified and addressed quickly.

If staff report something that they unknowingly did wrong, make sure you and your IT people (MSP) don’t blame them. Staff must feel comfortable reporting it, so they can learn for next time. A key component in suppressing further mistakes and healthy Cyber Culture.

Conduct Drills 🚨

What happens if a threat occurs? It’s important employees know what to do if an attack happens, this will greatly reduce further damages and extra costs. Drills on real-life scenarios should be conducted to prepare staff and teach them how to handle cyber threats.

Help Employees to Realise Cybersecurity Impact Them Personally 👷‍♂️

Helping employees understand the personal impact of cybersecurity can be a powerful motivator. It has the ability to increase engagement and participation in a company’s cybersecurity efforts.

Helping employees understand the very real consequences of poor cybersecurity practices, maybe a harsh reality but nonetheless true. Highlighting real-life examples of similar attacks and their effects on other companies and individuals is important.
Here are some examples of real-life effects on employees

If the company is compromised it may incur losses so great, that the only solution is to lay off employees due to restricted funds
Employees will ultimately be the ones dealing with upset customers due to a data breach
If systems are down due to a comprise, it will push employees’ work schedules back and may lead to extra hours in the office
Employees’ details are on the line, if a data breach occurs, it could be their personal information getting leaked

Not That Hard, Right?

Now you know everything you need to start generating a healthy Cyber Culture at your company.

This culture must be embedded into the core values of the organisation and practised by all employees at all levels. This includes regular training and education on cybersecurity best practices, creating open lines of communication for reporting concerns and establishing clear protocols for incident response.

In addition, cybersecurity should be considered in all business decisions, and not as an afterthought. Without a strong cybersecurity culture, organisations risk significant financial, reputational and operational damage if a cyber attack occurs. Therefore, companies must take proactive measures, and create a strong cybersecurity culture to protect against threats.

Cybersecurity, IT Support, Managed IT Services

How to Protect Company Data & Safely Dispose of Old Devices

12/01/2023 Marketing Department

Entering the new year, I bet there are lots of exciting new changes for you and your business. One of them might be the luxury of new devices around the office space. New work mobiles, laptops, computers or even tablets. We can easily get wrapped up in the excitement of using new tech but we mustn’t forget our old devices gathering dust.

Your old devices will most likely contain personal or confidential company data. Before you decide to clear up some office space and chuck out the old work computers, it’s important that you erase the data to prevent it from falling into the hands of criminals.

61% of all data breaches involve stolen credentials, so you need to dispose of your old devices properly to prevent potential attacks on your business down the road. Here is how you can make sure.

The Simple (but not 100%) Method

Factory resetting the device will do the trick for casual smart device users or businesses with no confidential data. This is a procedure that restores the device to its original settings and removes all data at face value. This can be completed on any smart device and computer, with the feature being found in the settings, it can be performed in a matter of minutes. A quick google search should quickly reveal how to factory reset your specific device. This method is the easiest way to guarantee your data has been somewhat erased before parting ways.

I say somewhat because this method doesn’t entirely erase a device’s data. While data seems to have disappeared, it can still be recovered by various software that can retrieve “deleted” files.

The Nail in The Coffin

If your business handles a lot of confidential data, such as payment information, customer details etc. you need to take things a step further. While there is software to restore “deleted” files, there is also software to entirely wipe your device’s hard drive (for good). This specific software rewrites the entirety of the hard drive to ensure no trace is left and the previous data is irretrievable. It’s vital to do this because if not, anyone who performs a google search will learn how to recover your supposedly deleted files. You’ll find plenty of various products online that can do the job and are all reasonably affordable.

Once that has been done the next step is to physically damage the device for 100% certainty. An example is drilling multiple holes through a hard drive. This sounds extreme but must be done to get complete assurance confidential data cannot be retrieved and used against your business.

*If you’re in the government sector your data might need to be sent off to official sites to get verification of its proper destruction*

These extra steps can seem excessive, but lucky for you there’s an easy way. If your business is partnered with an IT Provider, they handle this for you. They will thoroughly perform each step so you can rest easy knowing company data won’t fall into the hands of criminals.

Not Safe Just Yet

In addition, any online accounts created with the device must also be deleted. This is important if you no longer have the device in your possession and want to ensure that no one else can access your data linked to those accounts. Closing online accounts associated with a smart device will help prevent security breaches or unauthorised use of personal data.

Summary

This post provides guidelines for properly disposing of old smart devices to safeguard your data and privacy. These steps include properly wiping the device’s data and closing any associated online accounts. These precautions can help prevent company security breaches and protect your personal information from being accessed without your permission.

Cybersecurity, IT Support, Managed IT Services

Keep Your Business Reputation Intact in Wake of a Security Breach

11/01/2023 Marketing Department

Cyber attacks are outright devastating for Australian businesses. Not only causing extreme financial loss but potentially long-lasting reputation damage. With customers’ lack of trust, this could make it incredibly hard for your business to get back on its two feet.

So how do you protect your reputation in wake of a cyber attack?

The key is to be transparent and open to all stakeholders. No longer can businesses hide behind their office doors and customers kept in the dark until the situation blows over. People will ask questions and it’s your responsibility to answer them as truthfully as possible. When a cyber attack strikes you’ll most likely be hit by a barrage of enquiries and addressing the public may be forgotten about. That’s why your business needs to be prepared and plan ahead.

We have created some guidelines that MUST be followed at minimum to prevent this from happening. We will outline what you need to have in place before, during, and after a data breach, to help prevent lasting reputation damage.

Before an Attack: Not IF but WHEN

Before we begin, let’s establish why it’s best to prepare now, and there are two key reasons. Firstly, cyber attacks are so frequent that it’s no longer a matter of “if” it will happen, but “when” it will happen. The second reason is when systems are compromised, people panic, emotions run high, confusion sets in, and mistakes will get made. If the preparation has been done, when disaster strikes it will greatly reduce the chance of mistakes.

One of the first things to do is assemble a team of in-house incident responders and equip them with the necessary tools for the job. Make sure to provide proper training on evidence collection and storage processes. When disaster strikes, they’ll know what to do and will be the ones to ensure all procedures are being followed.

Establish a communication channel that is available around the clock. Focus on informing internal stakeholders in the event of an attack. It’s important to keep communication open to ensure trust and transparency.

Set up a notification process that involves relevant departments, such as marketing and legal. Decide on a plan for informing customers, regulators, and law enforcement. Having this in place prior helps streamline the process of notifying parties immediately.

Consider offering unique services to affected clients. This depends on the nature of your company and the assets at risk. One example is identity protection for customers whose information has leaked. These are a gesture to show your commitment to continuing the customer relationship.

During The Attack: Be Strategic

Keep internal stakeholders updated on developments. As well as the steps your company has taken to ease the situation. Keep phone lines open, although sending email updates has proven to be more efficient. Be sure to create a timeline of events as you go along.

Identify and document the following information and evidence as much as you can. These are needed when the time comes to notify clients and the public about the breach:

Compromised systems, assets, and networks
Patient zero, or how the breach happened

Information in affected machines that has been disclosed, taken, deleted, or corrupted.

If your company has a blog or a page where you can post company news, draft up an account of the events from start to finish. It’s also good to include what you plan to do in the next few weeks following the breach. Be transparent and effective. This is a good opportunity to show clients the company’s initiative to rectify the problem. The Chief Marketing Officer should take the lead on this.

After an Incident: Keep the Momentum

Notify your clients and anyone else that may have been affected by the breach.

Put out company news or blog posts the company has drafted about the cybersecurity incident.
Send emails linking back to the blog and social media.

You must prepare to receive questions from clients and anyone interested in learning more about what happened. Expect to have uncomfortable conversations and receive criticism, some people will always be less understanding than others.

Offer those extra services to clients, which you have already thought out and prepared for in the first phase. Even if they don’t wish to receive the offer, the gesture will show your commitment to amending customer relationships.

Regain stakeholders’ confidence and trust by focusing on breach preparedness & containment strategies. Based on post-incident discussions, implement new processes. This will help prove the company’s commitment to its clients. This can turn the stigma of data breaches on its head.

Audit the information your company collects from customers to see if any is not a necessity to do business. The logic behind this is the less data you keep on customers, the less data at risk. Make sure that all your stakeholders know which information you will not be collecting and storing anymore.

Last, be sure to recognise the hard work of your employees and reward them for it. Yes, they’re your stakeholders and shouldn’t be forgotten. Especially after the event of a cybersecurity incident.

Conclusion

Knowing how to manage your business’s reputation is seen as a competitive advantage. It’s one thing to know how to recover from a cybersecurity incident. It’s another to know how to keep the brand’s image intact despite the negative attention.

Remember that a breach can happen to any company from any industry. How your company acts before, during, and after the incident is what will be remembered. Use that to your advantage.

We hope you’ve been able to take something away from this. With cyberattacks continuing to wreak havoc for Australian businesses, it’s best to be prepared. These key steps are vital to preventing lasting reputation damage at your organisation.

Cybersecurity, Managed IT Services

5 Crucial Cyber Security New Year’s Resolutions For 2023

21/12/2022 Marketing Department

We’ve all had those new year’s resolutions, we start strong for the first couple of weeks. Then quickly reminded by how busy being in business is and our priorities shift. Our good intentions slowly get forgotten about and never picked back up.

If you’re here, it’s because you want to do the most crucial thing you can for your business. Make sure your cyber security is up to snuff.

Whether you’re starting from scratch or want a fresh perspective, we’ve listed key goals you must work towards so that your cyber security resolutions will not die in spirit. Here is everything you need to get the ball rolling with your cyber security today.

Let’s be clear, this might be daunting, but let me remind you this isn’t a solo effort, cyber security is a collaborative process. Work with your IT provider, HR, and the entire team to discuss, brainstorm, and implement these tactics. Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither will your cyber security. Take your time and get each step right from the start.

Here are 5 cyber security resolutions to prepare your business for online threats in 2023.

Perfect Your Password Policy

I get it, passwords, how boring. Listen though, I’m going to tell you something you probably haven’t heard before.

You’ve always been told for staff to change their passwords frequently, let’s scrap that. It’s obvious to both of us that getting staff to constantly change their passwords is nearly impossible, time-consuming, and annoying. Requiring frequent password changes only leads to users making small adjustments to their already simple, previous password, resulting in weaker security.

Users should have strong and unique passwords for each account. To help achieve this, only enforce password changes when there is suspicion that passwords may be compromised. Now, staff can focus on creating a stronger password, knowing it won’t need to be changed anytime soon.

A simple way to implement this? Promote the use of unique passwords by using a password manager, it will do all the hard work for you. They can create and store an unlimited amount of passwords for all staff, it’s a tool that will save your team loads of time.

If you’re a micro business there are lots of free password managers. If you have 10+ staff, you’ll need to pay for a business-based password manager. Our top business password manager recommendations are Keeper, Password Boss and LastPass. At Pronet we use Keeper for ourselves and all clients. Its extensive sweep of security features makes it one of the best options for cyber security.

Top it off with the security measure in our next resolution.

Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Do you know how you get a text asking to enter a 6-digit code after your login details? Yeah, that’s a form of MFA and it’s extremely important now.

So important that enabling MFA reduces the chance of your account being hacked by 99.9%. Hackers will not be able to access your account unless they are physically able to get your MFA-enabled device. Let’s be honest that won’t happen because I don’t think they’re leaving their bedroom anytime soon.

Making sure all your staff and all their accounts are set up with MFA is a MUST this year. It may not be something you can directly implement yourself, so make sure your IT team put it as a top priority. It’s on you to make it happen!

And a little bonus. Some of the current password manager apps allow you to use MFA within them. The same application can be used to enable strong passwords and implement MFA. Talk about cost-effectiveness.

Remove Old Users from Your Systems

One big cybersecurity resolution for the new year is to clean up all those old user accounts.

If your company has active accounts from old employees, it dramatically increases the potential vulnerabilities in your organisation. An attacker only needs to find one set of login details to gain access to your systems.

Let’s not waste any time with this one, start removing unnecessary accounts to reduce the risk of hackers infiltrating your network. That’s not all. If you want to stop this issue from coming back up there’s one more thing to do.

It’s even more important to change your policies to ensure the principle of least privilege is followed. What this means is that users should only have access to the resources they need to do their job. When that access is no longer needed it should be revoked.

This becomes especially important when employees change roles, leave the company, or are terminated. They may attempt to abuse their access and cause harm to your organisation through actions such as stealing or destroying data, planting malware, or other malicious actions.

Let’s get rid of those old accounts and get new policies in place to prevent the issue going forward.

Conduct A Risk Assessment

I do not doubt your business has experienced some kind of change over the year. Whether that means changes to your systems, structural arrangements, technology or more, your business is in a state of flux.

Due to that, a yearly risk assessment is so important. It gives your company a chance to take note of all of these changes and analyse the threats to your security.

Once your organisation has an updated view of the challenges it faces, it can plan successfully for the future. This may include adjusting security plans and policies to stay safe in the coming year.

Without conducting a risk assessment based on all the changes, it could cause you to focus in the completely wrong areas. Not only wasting time and resources but also leaving your business vulnerable in to threats.

Get that new year risk assessment done ASAP.

Quarterly Employee Training

This might seem daunting, but one, it’s the most important, and two, it’s not as hard as it seems.88% of data breaches are caused by employee mistakes. Human error is still the driving force for cyber security issues, you’re asking for problems by ignoring staff training.

When it comes to training staff, there are already so many resources online where the work is practically done for you! Videos, articles, and interactive quizzes are readily available and can be accessed at staff members’ own pace. All you need to do is point them in the right direction.

Be sure to make it relevant. Relate training materials to your staff’s job responsibilities and the types of threats your organisation is most likely to face. Of course, you’ll know exactly what kind of threats your business will face from that risk assessment. This will help ensure that the training sticks and that staff are more likely to use the skills they learn on the job.

Training provides a good opportunity to remind your staff of policies, but they also allow you to update them on the latest threats. Your employees are often the first line of defence in a cyberattack, so don’t underestimate their role when it comes to protecting your company.

Conclusion:

There you have it, our 5 cyber security New Year’s resolutions. 5 things that we believe are a must to implement to have the best chance of being protected this year. With cyber crimes predicted to soar in 2023, you don’t want to take any chances, especially with your business.

Remember what I said initially: cyber security is a collaborative effort. Work with others in your organisation to ensure this gets done, otherwise I can guarantee you will fall short. Tackle one at a time and get them right from the start. Good luck and I wish you a successful year ahead!

Cybersecurity, Managed IT Services

Christmas Crackdown: Why Business Owners Are Tightening the Rules for Online Shopping at Work

16/12/2022 Marketing Department

It’s alarming to know that nearly half of social media users have fallen victim to shopping scams.

It may seem like a good idea to avoid the shops at this time of year. If your employees are doing some last-minute Christmas shopping at work, it’s important to ensure that your business is protected. Online shopping scams are on the rise, especially this time of year. With the damages for business owners being so high, it’s not a risk you want to be taking.

The Dangers of Online Shopping at Work

Unfortunately, new research shows that 47% of people click on dangerous links. They think they’re getting a great deal, but instead, give up financial & personal details to cyber criminals. I know it’s the season of giving, but let’s not get too carried away.

Your employees don’t only risk giving up their personal information, but risk your device and potentially exposing your company’s entire network to criminals.

It’s not just shopping scams employees need to look out for. Phishing scams also manage to trick 36% of people into revealing personal data. Phishing scams are where you get an email that seems to be from someone or somewhere you trust, but it’s not.

Remember that account you never made, emailing and asking you to update your payment details? You probably don’t remember it because good chance you never actually made the account. It’s just a scam.

The same 36% have also fallen for gift card scams. Where criminals gain the trust of victims and try to persuade them to buy gift cards or online vouchers. Not in the Christmas spirit at all.

See, with all the benefits online Christmas shopping can bring, there are a lot of nasties you and your staff need to be aware of. Especially this time of year.

The Damage It Can Bring to Your Company

Let’s talk about what kind of damage you can expect, and it’s not pretty. If employees do happen to click on malicious links or download an infected file, the results for your business can be devastating.

Cyber attacks are now so harmful that the risk goes beyond the loss of data and reputation. Once victim to attack, criminals can force you to cease your business operations altogether. The cost of downtime has proven to be enough to put people out of business for good. An astounding 60% of SMEs that fall victim to cyber attacks go out of business after the first 6 months.

Yeah, not the kind of Christmas present you’d want, so let’s talk about how we can avoid this happening at your company.

How You Can Lower the Risk Today

Here are some ways to help you protect your employees, and more importantly your business this holiday season.

While technical protections such as firewalls, antivirus, and strong password management are important, the focus needs to be on training your team. It should be known that the most effective defence is a team that can recognise a threat when they see one. Investing in your team’s training and education will help them stay vigilant and protect your organisation against potential attacks.

Make sure your staff are aware of the latest scams and know what warning signs to look out for. At a minimum make sure all staff are

Check website links are genuine
Making sure websites are the real deal
Being suspicious of offers that look too good to be true

It is also important to have a plan in place that can be implemented as soon as a security breach is detected. All staff should know how to report incidents immediately and who to notify. The faster your team can respond, the more damage you can prevent and the associated costs that follow. In some cases, it may be possible to stop the breach before it negatively impacts your business altogether. By being prepared and having a clear plan of action, you can minimise the risks and protect your organisation.

If you’re after the quickest way to make sure your team is keeping an eye out for scams, send a quick email reminder. Take the points from this article and forward them to your staff. Even better, forward the entire article! The best thing you can do is make them aware.

There you have it, some easy ways to protect your business from online shopping scams. We hope you’ve been able to take something away or give you something to think about.

IT Support, Managed IT Services

Hosted VoIP or Microsoft Teams Calling: Do you Know if you are Using the Right Calling Technology for your Business?

12/08/2022 Marketing Department

Calling is an integral part of every business’s ability to have regular and clear communication within the office and outside. From using landline phones to using VoIP calling and software like Microsoft Teams, this telephony feature in the business world has significantly changed, and for the better, Of Course!

But, now the question is, “Are you using the right calling technology for your business?” The definition of “Right” will be different for different companies and depends on the extent to which they use it to communicate at work. But, what we can all be assured of, irrespective of the industry, business type, and extent of use, is that it needs to cut down the overall cost, improves employee’s efficiency along with providing a reliable, unified and clear channel of communication among all other benefits. According to a study done by Psychology Today, multi-tasking i.e., switching between tabs reduces the productivity by 40%. The percentage is quite shocking, but, to improve on it, we can aim to have a unified channel to conduct most operations.

Now, let us first understand what VoIP and Microsoft Teams calling are, and then, we will explore them further to know their benefits and features.

VoIP Calling

VoIP stands for Voice Over Internet Protocol. As the name suggests, it is the technology that enables computers to use broadband internet connections to make calls and share multimedia content like faxes, files, etc. It is offered and managed by a third-party completely. The employees can make and receive calls using any device like computers, laptops, tablets, or smart phones with an internet connection within the office and even outside the office.

Microsoft Teams Calling

Microsoft Teams comes with the Office 365 suite. It is a collaborative and unified platform that allows all the team members of an organisation to exchange messages, files, make audio & video calls, conduct meetings, and much more. The team can make internal and even external calls to keep communication at its best through its cloud-based phone system.

Difference Between VoIP and Microsoft Teams Calling

Both VoIP and Teams offer almost similar features, but still, there are a few different features in both of them that can significantly impact the decision to choose one over the other. Again, the primary deciding factor remains constant, which is the calling needs of your business. Let’s delve into the features of the both the calling systems:

Ease of Use

VoIP systems and applications to use them have improved significantly over the years to make it easier for users to use. Once learned or given a quick demo, almost everyone can easily use these software and applications to make calls and communicate with the team members. But again, it is an additional learning process for the employees to undertake.

When it comes to giving users the best experience, Microsoft Teams is still the toughest competitor. The user experience offered by it is unparallel. Most of the employees have at one stage used one or all of the Microsoft suite’s features and are familiar with the interface and how it works, which makes it easier for them to use new features or added new tool. As a result, Microsoft remains the first choice for many multinational and small businesses. The employers do not need to give long training sessions to the team for using Microsoft Teams.

Productivity

Hosted VoIP systems enable the users to make calls, whether internal or external, through the software that all the users (employees) have to install on their devices. It allows users to access all its features using the app but, the only problem is that if you are using the Microsoft 365 Office suite, which is used by over one million companies worldwide (Statista, 2022), then it is like juggling between Microsoft apps and VoIP Software to use the telephony system to its best. This multitasking even ends up in reduced productivity for employees.

Microsoft Teams, on the other hand, comes as part of the Microsoft 365 Office Suite (free version!), which unifies everything for employees in one place. There is no integration needed as compared to a third-party hosted VoIP system to have access to the data stored in the system and in the cloud. Having easy access to everything within just one channel definitely keeps everything sorted and easy for the employees to use and benefit from.

Customer Support

Customer Support is a very crucial element of any service that is used professionally or even personally. If the service provider does not offer good customer support, it just is not worth tying up with them. In terms of hosted VoIP and Microsoft Team’s customer service offering, the decision can be a bit tricky to make.

For the hosted VoIP services, there is a need to excel over other competitors, so we can say that they’ll thrive to offer the best customer support and resolution to your problems. But, it can be completely the opposite too, as providers are not always big companies, and that can cause some significant delays in catering to your problem.

While, when it comes to Microsoft Teams customer support, being the world’s most popular company, you are likely to get connected within minutes and a resolution within a set time frame. Your request will never go unacknowledged with them.

Unified Meet, Chat, Call and Collaboration

Microsoft Teams is much more than a simple telecommunication hub. As it comes integrated with Office 365, it enables the users to have easy access to apps like Excel, Word, cloud-storage, SharePoint, PowerBI etc. all at one place.

It is difficult to achieve such an easy access to all the apps at one place with third-party hosted VoIP systems, which as a result affects the productivity of the team.

Integration

All of us are aware of the fact that most of the time, a bit difficult to integrate new technology with the existing processes. In case of using hosted VoIP systems, this can be a bit problematic for the company as integration of new technology is never easy to achieve initially.

Whereas, In the case of Microsoft Teams Calling, most organisations already use Microsoft 365 Office Suite, so no integration is required to use Microsoft Teams for internal and external purposes.

Cost

One of the deciding factors for every organisation is the cost included in any service it purchases. Basically, the cost of either Microsoft Teams or VoIP system depends upon the plan that you purchase, which further depends upon the usability of the system within your organisation.

When it comes to hosted VoIP services, the costs included most of the time are higher because of the variety of features included in a plan, which may or may not be of use to your organisation and come as a package. Whereas, in the case of Microsoft Teams, you get almost all the features in its free plan as offered by a VoIP provider. Microsoft Team’s free plan is used by many small businesses that need to conduct basic communication, sharing of media, and online meetings. You can upgrade the plan depending upon the features needed within the organisation.

What are the Core Benefits of Using the Right Phone System?

Businesses usually end up saving a lot of money by opting for cloud-based calling systems and tools as compared to traditional telecommunication systems. Any service that reduces cost, expenditure and easily connects the team to communicate is always a tremendous plus for a company. Replacing the traditional communication systems with the existing ones also results in favour of the company in many ways. It improves the efficiency of employees by providing access to all the data, files, and calling options in just one unified channel. So, choosing the right service is important to make that difference in reality and experience the improved efficiency of the team.

How MSP can Help You?

To make the right decision to have a unified communication channel, consult a professional service provider who can make the best suggestions and also provide regular support. To take full advantage of the technology, everything needs to be set up by a professional, and an MSP offers all these services under one umbrella. So, consulting an MSP (managed service provider) can be of significant benefit, as they specialise in offering the best IT support solutions to businesses.

Whether you decide to go with a third-party VoIP system or use Microsoft Teams Calling, an MSP would do it for you without you needing to contact various third parties involved. Even if you are unable to decide which service to choose, an MSP usually has an expert team to give you the best and right technology advice.

So, without any further delay, check with your IT partners whether the current system you are using to communicate is the right one for you or not.

You can also contact our team members to get a consultation on this and on all the IT solutions that are right for your company to grow.

Call us today at 03 9069 2188 or just leave your details quickly in the box at your right side & we’ll contact you!

References:

Vailshery, L., 2022. Number of Office 365 company users worldwide 2022, by country. [online] Statista. Available at: <https://www.statista.com/statistics/983321/worldwide-office-365-user-numbers-by-country/> [Accessed 8 August 2022].

Crail, C. and Watts, R., 2022. What Is Hosted VoIP? Everything You Need To Know. [online] Forbes. Available at: <https://www.futurecomputers.com.au/news/why-microsoft-teams-should-be-your-chosen-voip-solution> [Accessed 8 August 2022].

Sevilla, G., 2020. 5 Things You Didn’t Know Your VoIP Softphone Could Do. [online] pcmag. Available at: <https://au.pcmag.com/how-to-work-from-home/66810/5-things-you-didnt-know-your-voip-softphone-could-do> [Accessed 8 August 2022].

Cybersecurity, Managed IT Services

Quick Tips for Employees to be Cyber Safe

26/07/2022 Marketing Department

Among all the components that a business needs to operate successfully, cybersecurity has now become one of those essential components. In the wake of COVID outbreak, businesses have stepped up their digital adoption, and threat actors are ready to grab the moment by going after companies of all sizes and industries. The year 2021 will go down in history as one of the most successful in terms of both security breaches and cyberattacks.

No matter what industry you’re in, attackers have no limits on what they may do. They just care about the data they can get their hands on and the money they can get for it. Even now, the attacks are getting more aggressive and smarter. If you are an employee of the company, then you must understand that you are on the front line of information security. Therefore, it’s important to stay on guard to help assure your company’s data is safe and secure. This article will focus on the best practices that employees should try to follow as human factors remains the primary reason for most of the cyberattacks happening in the world. Silly mistakes can bring devastating results and even complete closure of businesses in many cases. So, it is the duty of the employer and the employee too to be aware of cybersafe practices and follow them to remain safe. Let us start with these quick things:

Never Use the Company Email Outside of Work
For the sake of having all the updates in one single email, it is commonly seen that people use their work email for personal use, like for shopping, dining, etc. While it makes life easier, it’s also one of the riskiest things a person can do. Doing so unintentionally can put a business or corporation at risk. Your email can reveal confidential information about your company, which could cause the business to fail.

For instance, Australia’s one of the big universities, i.e., Deakin University was also a victim of cyberattack recently when an attacker used a staff member’s username and password to access student information via one of Deakin’s third-party providers. So, if you’re going to use your business email for personal purposes, think again about it.

Mind Your Clicks
It is human nature to click on pop-ups, links, and ads if we personally receive them to know what value they offer. And, hackers savagely target this weak point of humans, and just with one click, they get access to your company data in a matter of seconds. These can be delivery emails pretending to be from DHL or Amazon, amazing offers, and so on, all designed to entice the reader to click the link. So, if you ever get an email with a link in it that doesn’t pertain to you, I suggest avoiding forwarding or clicking on it, and only notifying your company’s security staff. This would allow your company to put a halt to the attack and prevent it from spreading further at the time it occurs.

For instance, this is the phishing email we received a few days ago where the hacker portrayed himself as the shipment company DHL, but our employees are well-educated about the cyber safe practices and no one clicked on the link. The catch here was that the email i.d. that was used to send did not belong to the DHL company and all our employees realised the same.

Educate Yourself About Phishing Scams
Phishing scams are the most common scams that result in a security breach. Hackers or phishers lure employees to click on links that ask you to enter personal or company information, and once the information is entered, the whole network of the business is exposed to the hackers. It is very crucial to understand the difference between a genuine link and a corrupted one. If you are unsure of the link or email you have received to fill in the details, I suggest you immediately consult your I.T. department to verify. This will help prevent any cyberattacks.

Use Strong Passwords
So, again, to make our lives easy, we all use the same passwords or common passwords at work and in our personal lives. It simplifies our lives and even the lives of hackers too. Keeping common passwords gives an open invitation for hackers to compromise all the accounts using that password and, through them, give access to your company’s or business data. The last thing anyone would want is to be held responsible for such a devastating setback for a firm. So, just be mindful when creating passwords for the tools and software you use at work.

Never Share Passwords
So, another human trait is to have passwords written somewhere or to share them with someone trustworthy (according to you), which is not at all a good practice. Being humans, you never know when a person’s intention changes and it might be too late before that person misuses the information you have shared. It is a good practice for both personal and professional life not to share passwords with anyone.

Use 2FA While Logging into Devices, Software, etc.
An extremely safe option to use for staying safe in the present unsafe digital environment. You can try using different apps to have the authentication turned on for all of the logins. This will keep everything safe and even alert you instantly when there is an attempt to hack the accounts.

Make Sure all the Updates are Followed
Another thing that most of us ignore is the pop-up messages that come on our screen to update certain software, applications, etc. Usually, we all ignore or delay updating the installed software or applications, and this opens the gate for hackers to compromise the system from your machine, using your identity passwords, and have access to all your company’s sensitive data. If your company sends out instructions for any security updates, it is wise to install them all right away. Cyberthreats often take aim at your data. I am sure no one would want to be the reason for a cyberattack at their workplace, so next time when you see the update message on your screen, take the necessary action immediately.

Talk to Your I.T. Department
It is a good idea to learn more about the best practices to follow to be safe from cyberattacks online without any hesitation. Your I.T. department or I.T. partners will always advise you the best when it comes to cybersecurity. Reaching out to the I.T. department or person to alert them of any possible warnings is also advised to keep away any threats.

Use the Latest & Relevant Technology
Another major thing to keep in mind is to use the latest versions of tools, software, and technology in the workplace. If the licence of the software, applications, etc. you are using has expired or needs an update, do take the necessary action immediately as these outdated versions are most commonly used by hackers to attack. It is usually the duty of the I.T. department or external I.T. partner to suggest the best technology, but the employees should also be aware of putting forward any demand or need they have when it comes to technology they are using.

You Can Avoid a Data Breach

Having the right knowledge about how to identify spoofed content, links, emails, etc. is very crucial for strengthening your company’s defence against cyberattacks. Always remember: one corrupt click by you could let in a hacker and a single delay or failure to fix a flaw in time could become the primary reason for a cyberattack. So, take it as a part of your job to engage in safe online behaviour.

IT should be the backbone of every business and to help businesses leverage the same, Pronet Technology has been offering the best IT solutions along with cybersecurity tailored to your business needs and budget for more than 25 years now.

CALL US today at 03 9069 2188 to get a free consultation for your business IT requirements.

Stay tuned to our blogs to know interesting IT-related tips and facts.

References:

Graham, J. and Carey, A., 2022. Deakin University cyberattack: Hackers get details for 47,000 current and former students. [online] Theage.com.au. Available at: <https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/hackers-get-details-of-47-000-current-former-students-in-deakin-uni-cyberattack-20220713-p5b16v.html?fbclid=IwAR23ya2lPoU0L7_ZxQhFipMEtbQLzlS8hw0sbhU3OuYtiKYriSNnBJps3w4> [Accessed 24 July 2022].

2018. Silver Magic Keyboard. [image] Available at: <https://www.pexels.com/photo/silver-magic-keyboard-1109543/> [Accessed 25 July 2022].

Cybint. 2020. 15 Alarming Cyber Security Facts and Stats. [online] Available at: <https://www.cybintsolutions.com/cyber-security-facts-stats/> [Accessed 24 July 2022].

Managed IT Services

5 Key Signs to Check that Call for Changing Your MSP TODAY

07/07/2022 Marketing Department

With ever-increasing demand for MSP’s in the industry, there are MSP’s of all kinds today; small, big, specialised in an industry and much more, making it hard for businesses to select one. Choosing a managed service provider is a crucial decision for every business. One simply cannot go wrong in selecting an MSP as a business’s growth is majorly dependent on it. A company entrusts its IT infrastructure and management to its external IT partner i.e., MSP; therefore, the MSP must be reliable and capable of handling the duty.

Choosing the best MSP for your business promotes growth, however, choosing the wrong one will squander your time and money along with exposing the businesses to different types of vulnerabilities. To help you make the best decision for your business, we have compiled a list six primary services that your MSP should be providing to successfully help your business grow without any legal or technical issues. Let us take a look here:

Making Technology the business’s backbone
Obtaining assistance with IT and everything associated with technology is the key reason for using an MSP. And, it is expected of the service provider to offer the integration of relevant software, tools, equipment etc. to maximise technology’s effectiveness. Your managed service provider should ensure that technology is the strongest aspect of your business, causing no problems and being rapidly addressed if any do arise. Even small tech problems that make it hard for you and your staff to perform efficiently is not a good indicator, as it indicates that your existing managed service provider is failing to offer the core services.
Regular IT strategic advices and implementation of Latest Technology
Technology evolves and becomes obsolete on a daily basis; as a result, it is the responsibility of every MSP to make recommendations on the best IT solutions or tools to implement for risk-free and uninterrupted business conduct. Also, this does not imply that each new version of the tool, software, or system is more advantageous. It relies entirely on the requirements and kind of business you are doing. Therefore, if you are not receiving regular recommendations regarding new tools, software, etc. for the efficient running of your business, it demonstrates that your existing provider is unsuitable.
Making Cloud Services as your main Strength
Cloud services integration and usage has become one of the top requirements for businesses at present, and this trend is expected to grow in the future. There are definite benefits of using cloud services if relevant to the business. In case you are using cloud services then, having quick access to all the shared apps, software, storage, etc. is a must for all the employees. Providing easy access to these services for employees and leveraging the cloud as a competitive advantage should also be a top priority for your MSP.
Testimonials (video) to prove their successful brand reputation
As confirmation of a company’s selling points, testimonials play an important role in establishing trust between the buyer and seller. Every business has a list of satisfied customers who will provide positive testimonials, but you must be observant to determine the truth. As previously stated, every business has both satisfied and dissatisfied customers, but no one ever speaks out or displays testimonials from the latter. The catch is to ensure that the testimonials you are provided are from a larger organisation and are provided by a senior employee or a specialist. If you happen to receive video testimonials from your MSP, I would say it is the best. It is a big commitment for a client to create and share video testimonials, as it takes a lot of effort and an exceptional service offering for a client to create and share video testimonials.
Multiple ways to contact the Customer Support team in case of critical issues
Managed service provider’s main role is to support a business in every possible way to move and plan ahead. This is directly linked to the support services that it offers. An ideal MSP is constantly proactive in ensuring that the technical support team gives the customer’s issues their undivided attention. Once the problem has been resolved with fast response time and within the required timeframe, it is expected that the provider will do a follow-up to verify that the same problem does not reoccur. If you are not receiving this type of assistance from your MSP, you should reconsider, since it is one of the most significant considerations.

We recognise that selecting a managed service provider requires much planning, discussion, and confidence. It is akin to entrusting someone with the firm and granting them partial management. This is the type of relationship that, once formed, cannot be simply severed; in most circumstances, it lasts quite a while. Consequently, it is of the utmost necessity to examine everything and confirm the MSP’s services.

IT should be the backbone of every business and to help businesses leverage the same, Pronet Technology offers the best IT solutions tailored to your business needs and budget.

CALL US today at 03 9069 2188 to get a free consultation for your business IT requirements.

Stay tuned to our blogs for more information related to IT and Managed Services

Cybersecurity, Managed IT Services, vulnerability scan

The ACSC’s Essential Eight Maturity Model

23/06/2022 Marketing Department

In today’s complex cyber landscape, businesses face a new set of challenges every day to keep up with the competition. Among all sorts of challenges, the primary and most common ones are the ones that occur online because of business reliability on internet. And, one category of these challenges that is putting businesses on edge is Cyberattacks. As the technology advances, these threats to businesses have also advanced. There is an unwanted and sharp rise in the occurrence of cyber-attacks all across the world. And, in terms of its victims, there is no exclusion; it could be an individual, a start-up, a small business, a government institution, a tech-giant, or literally anyone and everyone on the internet.

It is a choice of the individuals and businesses to maintain cybersecurity posture but looking at the grim consequences of cyberattacks, the Federal government is focussing on building Australia’s defences. And, as a precautionary advisory for its people, it has introduced the Essential Eight Maturity Model to have cybersecurity measures implemented within the organisations. This model consists of strategies that assesses potential risks like loopholes within a business framework and offers preventive measures against them to keep the business operations running smoothly.

What is the ACSC’s Essential Eight?

Essential Eight are the strategies developed and maintained by ACSC to mitigate or prevent cybersecurity incidents within Australia. These strategies can be applied across a broad spectrum of systems, networks and applications. These strategies rank three key areas: prevention, limitation and recovery by analysing their maturity levels.

Here are all the eight mitigation strategies:

Application Control: Running of only approved and trusted applications on the business network to prevent any exposure to the attackers.
Patch Applications: Regularly apply updates to all the installed applications to fix all the known vulnerabilities.
Configure Microsoft Office macro settings: The user’s ability to create macros should be limited as per the requirement.
User application hardening: User apps can be used to execute malicious malware on corporate systems, thus keep them to a minimum.
Restrict administrative privileges: Privileges of access should be restricted, managed, and constantly monitored as the more admins you have, the more will be chances for attackers to access business system through these accounts.
Patch operating systems: Implement the latest security updates to operating systems, servers, and all the devices to fix known vulnerabilities.
Multi-factor authentication: Ensuring two-level security for all the activities involving accessing emails, systems and third-party applications is the one of the best ways to stop unauthorised access to the business sensitive data.
Regular backups: Performing daily backups of important data, software and settings for at least a couple of months is important for business to continue to operate in the event of a security incident.

These are the eight strategies that are measured according to the below-mentioned maturity levels of a business:

Maturity Level 0: This maturity level signifies that there are weaknesses in an organisation’s overall cyber security posture.

Maturity Level 1: The focus of this maturity level is all the cyber attackers who are looking to simply leverage commodity tradecraft that is widely available in order to gain access to, and likely control of, systems of a business.

Maturity Level 2: The focus of this maturity level is attackers operating with a modest step-up in capability from the previous maturity level. These attackers are willing to invest more time in targeting a business and, perhaps more importantly, in the effectiveness of their tools.

Maturity Level 3: The focus of this maturity level is attackers who are more adaptive and much less reliant on public tools and techniques. These attackers are able to exploit the opportunities provided by weaknesses in their target’s cyber security posture, such as the existence of older software or inadequate logging and monitoring.

You can have a detailed look at the Essential Eight here: https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/publications/essential-eight-maturity-model

Although, these are some really helpful risk mitigation strategies that should be implemented, but still they are not sufficient to completely keep a business protected from cyberattacks. It needs continuous and consistent efforts to be protected from any kind of cyber threats. Businesses need to regularly identify the exposed areas that can be attacked by hackers, potential vulnerabilities and much more to stay ahead of the attackers.

Stay tuned to our Blogs to know more about how you can make the best of technology for your business.

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