by admin | Mar 7, 2022 | Uncategorized
Why does your business need cyber insurance? The WFH model makes businesses much more vulnerable and easy targets for cybercriminals. Some of the reasons include A lot of people accessing their work data from home networks, which lacks high-level security The inability of businesses to monitor the work-related IT activities of their staff and, The use of personal devices by employees for work purposes Businesses can overcome this challenge through a combination of tools and actions such as Installing anti-malware software Putting in firewalls to safeguard their work network Having clear and effective IT policies in place when operations are remote Providing staff with laptops or desktops to use for work purposes during the WFH phase Training employees to identify cyber threats and steer clear of them Educating employees on password hygiene and cybersecurity best practices However, these measures are no guarantee that nothing will ever go wrong! When you lose data accidentally or, when your data is compromised or held ransom, your first thought would be to get access to your data and get your business back on its feet. Yes, you will want to call in for a trusted IT services provider to put your business back on track quickly. But, it is not that simple. If you don’t have a service level agreement with an IT service provider, it may be difficult to find one instantly and also, challenging to find someone who you can trust with your situation. Even if you do find someone, chances are, they will charge you exorbitant rates by the hour. Cyber insurance typically covers direct and indirect costs arising from...
by admin | Feb 28, 2022 | Uncategorized
WFH means more vulnerability to cybercrime. Here are some methods to stay safe WFH opens up whole new horizons in terms of flexibility, productivity, and cost savings. But, it also opens your business up a little more to cybercriminals, as you can’t have a hands-on approach to cybersecurity, especially if your employees are using their own devices for work. This blog discusses some mechanisms that you can use to mitigate the risks of becoming a victim of cybercrime in the WFH setup. Multi-factor authentication Instead of using a single password for data access, multi-factor authentication adds more layers to security. If WFH has your employees accessing their work computers remotely, then you simply cannot skip multifactor authentication. Multi-factor authentication works by confirming the identity of the user across 3 areas What they know: Examples include asking for User IDs, passwords, answers to ‘secret questions’, verification of their date of birth, etc. What they have: This includes physical tokens, access cards, OTPs sent via text or email, etc. Who they are: This authentication mechanism includes biometric authentication such as retina scan, fingerprint, or voice recognition. While the 3rd kind of authentication (who they are) may not be easy to implement in a WFH scenario, you can still use multi-factor authentication to include the first 2 options. The Cloud Using the Cloud to store your files presents a lot of advantages in the WFH environment. It certainly saves time and effort as files don’t have to be mailed back and forth, eliminates version control challenges, and ensures timely access to data. But, did you know that you can also leverage the...
by admin | Feb 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
Data security in a WFH setup Do you have staff working from home? With the pandemic still around, the answer to that question is most likely a “Yes”. And, that makes sense too, why risk the safety of your staff when you can operate equally well or even better with them working from the safety of their homes. But, did you know that the WFH model can put your data at risk? When you have your employees work remotely, inadvertently your data is more vulnerable to cybercrimes. However, there are solutions that help ensure the WFH environment is safe–for both your employees and your data. Let’s take a look at 2 of the most recommended ones. Anti-malware tools Any discussion about data security has to start with anti-malware applications. These applications keep your computers safe from viruses, worms, adware, and other malware. When your employees are working remotely, they are most likely to use their own devices such as their laptops or the desktop computers at their home. Plus, with the working schedules blurring, and the trend to “be there ” 24/7 catching on, personal devices used for work include smartphones and tablets as well. It could so happen that your employee’s devices are not up-to-date on the latest anti-malware software. These software programs do not come cheap and so your employees may not have them at all or maybe using an outdated or free version of the tool, which may not be of much help. So, one of the first things you should do as a company is to provide the latest version of powerful anti-malware software to...
by admin | Feb 14, 2022 | Uncategorized
The challenges in establishing data security best practices in a WFH environment The COVID-19 pandemic changed the landscape of the corporate world drastically by making WFH, mainstream.. What does that mean for your business data? How does it change your business’s cyber risk profile? Download our whitepaper, The WFH environment & associated data risks, a new perspective, to find out. Restrictions on installing firewalls, antivirus, system/software updates, and security patches When your employees are in the office physically and using your computers, you can install firewalls and access control mechanisms. For example, you can block non-work-related sites or sites with 3rd party cookies, or set up password policies for them to follow when using the device, etc. But, if they are working from home, and using their own devices, there’s no way you can install firewalls or have access restrictions like that in place at the system level. Similarly, you can ensure your work computers are up-to-date in terms of security patches, system updates, and software upgrades, but you can’t force an employee to install security patches or antivirus on their PC at home! Keeping your data safe after an employee quits When your employees are working from home using their own devices, how can you be sure you recovered all your data and erased them permanently from your former employee’s devices? How do you ensure they don’t have a copy of the sensitive information stored somewhere that could be misused intentionally or unintentionally cause a data breach. Safeguarding access to your data in case of unexpected events such a device theft or breakdown If your employee is using...
by admin | Feb 7, 2022 | Uncategorized
WFH is here to stay. Are you ready? The COVID-19 pandemic brought about tremendous, unimaginable changes across the world. Lockdown, shelter-in-place orders, ban on gatherings for safety purposes and national and international travel restrictions meant the world, and businesses couldn’t function as they were doing in the pre-pandemic times. Tradeshows went online, meetings happened from the couch in the living room, company parties meant saying cheers and sharing a glass of wine over a Zoom call with your video turned on. The transition to this work-from-home (WFH) culture on such a large scale and at this level was unforeseen, but it has happened nevertheless. While initially there were talks of this transition being short-lived and people resuming ‘normal’ lives in a couple of weeks, now it is clear that this trend is here to stay. Organizations and employees alike are seeing the numerous benefits of working from home. From the company perspective,three big benefits stand out: they include saving significantly on real estate expenses–with staff working from home they don’t have to spend as much on renting office space, an increase in productivity and a drop in absenteeism and employee turnover. From the workforce perspective, a lot of people are happier working from home as it helps cut the travel time to work and also supports better work/life balance. There’s a lot of flexibility, which is appreciated by employees with children or elderly parents who require caregiving. In light of these benefits for both parties, it is highly unlikely that we will ever go back to the traditional office setup. What is more likely to take shape is a...
