Tag Archives: miami it company

04.26.21
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Know the Risks of Not Having Backup & Disaster Recovery for Your Business

Experts estimate that humans produce 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day.1 That is a lot of information. However, having a poor backup strategy can wipe out all or vast portions of your data in a single click. From accidental deletions and malicious attacks to natural disasters, there are multiple ways by which you can lose your business data. Therefore, make sure a robust backup and disaster recovery (BDR) solution is an integral part of your business.

When you lose crucial data permanently, the consequences can be devastating. Some costly aftereffects of data loss are:

  1. Productivity Disruptions: Companies hit by an incident face an average of close to 200 hours per year of downtime.2
  2. Loss of customer trust: One-third of customers end their association with a business following a severe data-loss incident.2
  3. Regulatory penalties: The penalties may vary based on the regulatory bodies governing your industry, and they can cost millions of dollars.

It is your responsibility to equip your business with an effective backup and disaster recovery solution, irrespective of your business’s size, industry or location. Let us take a look at how significant backup and disaster recovery is to the following business industries:

 

Healthcare

There can be severe complications when data loss happens in the healthcare industry:

  1. If a patient’s health records go missing when needed, a life-saving surgery could get delayed or denied.
  2. Without the billing records, a hospital cannot process payments.
  3. Regulatory bodies like HIPAA slap hefty fines on hospitals for carelessly handling data. HIPAA can impose penalties anywhere between $100 to $50,000 for an individual violation, with a maximum fine of $1.5 million per calendar year of neglect.4

Alarmingly, the healthcare industry was the worst-hit industry by cyberattacks in 2020.3 Therefore, backup and disaster recovery are critically important in the healthcare industry.

 

Finance

A robust backup and disaster recovery solution is an important part of any financial institution’s growth and survival.

Financial institutions must comply with requirements put forward by:

  1. Regulations like the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA)
  2. Financial agency regulatory agencies like the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
  3. International regulators such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
  4. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)

An effective BDR solution is a mandatory requirement highlighted by all the concerned authorities mentioned above. Additionally, having one in place helps these institutions protect employee productivity and ensure customers quickly regain access to essential services following a data-loss event.

 

Hospitality

The information generated in the hospitality industry is in a precarious position. This is because the hospitality industry often invests less in backup and disaster recovery than other industries.

That said, survival in the hospitality industry can be tough. We live in an era where people check public ratings of a hotel room, even if they only plan on staying just one night. A minor dent in reputation could be an enormous blow to a hospitality business.

All critical data like credit card information and customers’ Personally Identifiable Information (PII) must be handled with care to avoid satisfaction issues and regulatory fines. Hence, backup and disaster recovery are an essential part of hospitality.

 

Adopt BDR Before It Is Too Late

Avoiding data loss at any cost is vital for your business to survive and thrive. It is, therefore, highly recommended to have the right BDR provider to maintain control of business-critical data. If you are confused about how to take the first step, do not worry. We are here to help. Our BDR expertise can help your business sail smoothly without being caught in the whirlpool of data loss. Contact us now to learn more.

 

Article curated and used by permission.

Sources:

  1. net
  2. IDC Report
  3. IBM Cost of Data Breach Report
  4. National Library of Medicine

The post Know the Risks of Not Having Backup & Disaster Recovery for Your Business appeared first on Third Power IT – Managed IT Services.

Courtesy of Miami IHIPAA Compliance IT Company - ThirdPowerIT.com

04.20.21
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Are Your Employees Your Biggest Cybersecurity Risk? The Top 4 Insider Threats Affecting Your Network

Are Your Employees Your Biggest Cybersecurity Risk? The Top 4 Insider Threats Affecting Your Network

 

Are your employees putting your network security at risk?

 

Even if your employees don’t intend on exposing your business to cybercriminals, they may still pose a threat.

 

With remote work gaining even more traction and decentralized workspaces becoming the new norm, businesses like yours are putting more focus on cybersecurity.

 

As a result, it’s important to have strategies in place to counter human errors and data breaches perpetrated by insiders.

 

Who’s An Insider & What Is An Insider Threat?

 

An insider is anyone who has access to your network. Insiders come in the form of employees, supply chain partners and company stakeholders.

 

When an insider exposes your network to cybercriminals, it’s considered an insider threat.

 

All employees, regardless of their designation or rank, can put your business in a vulnerable cybersecurity position.

 

Why Do Employees Pose a Risk to Businesses?

 

Did you know employees account for nearly a quarter of data breaches within a business?

 

According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2020, 23 percent of data breaches in an organization occurred because of human error.

 

As you can see, an untrained employee can compromise your business’ security in multiple ways. Keep reading to discover the top 4 common errors committed by employees.

 

The Top 4 Employee Threats To Your Network

 

1. Falling for Phishing Scams

 

Cybercriminals are using improved techniques, like spoofed emails and text messages, to succeed in their scams.

 

With the onset of COVID-19, hackers masqueraded as the World Health Organization (WHO) to trick people into clicking on malicious links and sharing sensitive information.

 

2. Poor Password Protection

 

If your employees reuse the same password or a set of passwords for multiple accounts (business and personal), this can be a dangerous habit that allows cybercriminals to crack your network security.

 

3. Misdelivery

 

Even slight carelessness can lead to an employee sending sensitive, business-critical information to a hacker. Such an act can cause lasting damage to your business.

 

4. Improper Patch Management

 

Often, employees can delay the deployment of a security patch sent to their device, which can make your IT security vulnerable.

 

The Bottom Line: Cybercriminals Are Getting Smarter, And You Need To Be Prepared

 

With cybercriminals upgrading their arsenal every day, you and your employees need to be ready to combat costly cyber threats.

 

You can transform your business’ biggest cybersecurity risk – your employees – into its prime defense against threats by developing a security culture that emphasizes adequate and regular security awareness training.

 

Making all this happen requires continued effort. With the right partner by your side, you can easily integrate security awareness training into your cybersecurity strategy.

 

Take the first step towards training and empowering your employees: contact the cybersecurity consultants at Third Power IT. Visit www.ThirdPowerIT.com to get started now.

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Article curated and used by permission.

 

Sources:

  1. McAfee Cloud Adoption & Risk Report
  2. Verizon 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report
  3. Security Magazine Verizon Data Breach Digest

The post Are Your Employees Your Biggest Cybersecurity Risk? The Top 4 Insider Threats Affecting Your Network appeared first on Third Power IT – Managed IT Services.

Courtesy of Miami IHIPAA Compliance IT Company - ThirdPowerIT.com

04.13.21
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Why A Complete IT Network Health Check Is Essential For Your Miami Based Business

Most organizations have no ongoing visibility into IT network health. This presents several issues: access control problems, unpatched systems and unchecked vulnerabilities that can be exploited by internal or external threat actors.to name a few.

In short, if your business is only doing”basic assessments” then here lies the problem:

  • Not comprehensive enough to be effective
  • Internal vulnerability scanning is often excluded
  • Cloud infrastructure and Microsoft 365 isn’t factored in
  • No holistic network activity and vulnerability reporting

Break the cycle of chaos and gain clear insights into your complete IT network’s strengths and vulnerabilities.

In less than 1 hour, network analysis can deliver a comprehensive health report that assigns a risk score to every aspect of your organization’s IT network, SQL Servers, Security, Exchange instances, and Microsoft 365 use.

Here at ThirdPowerIT, our expert IT professionals will conduct a thorough network analysis that will:

LEAVE BASIC ASSESSMENTS BEHIND, AND GRADUATE TO NEXT-GENERATION THREAT ASSESSMENT BY SCHEDULING YOUR COMPREHENSIVE IT NETWORK ANALYSIS TODAY.

Schedule A Quote Today

The post Why A Complete IT Network Health Check Is Essential For Your Miami Based Business appeared first on Third Power IT – Managed IT Services.

Courtesy of Miami IHIPAA Compliance IT Company - ThirdPowerIT.com

02.02.21
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Network Security: 4 Quick Tips to Protect Your Network From Hackers

Is your internet network safe from hackers?

The truth is that no network is security all the time, especially in this day and age. A cyber attack can happen any time, and sometimes it remains undetected for days, weeks, or even months.

 

That said, you should always strive for network security so you can minimize your risk of a data breach or full-blown cyber attack.

 

In this guide, you will learn how to safeguard your network so you are protected from cyber threats. Keep reading to discover four quick tips to secure your company’s network now.

 

#1. Choose Strong Passwords

 

Make your passwords long with numbers and upper and lowercase letters. The longer and more complex the password, the more difficult it is to guess. Encourage all of your employees to follow these guidelines.

 

 

#2. Encrypt Your Internet Connection With WPA

 

Enable a Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) encryption on your business network. WPA2 is the best and most trusted option. This protects your data from being shared with outside parties.

 

#3. Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)

 

Add an extra layer of protection with a Virtual Private Network (VPN). This allows you to securely access your data on any network. If employees are traveling or working from home, they will be protected with your VPN.

 

#4. Install a Firewall

 

Protect customer data and keep your business in good standing by installing a Web Application Firewall (WAF). When people purchase your products or services online, their information will be protected from cyber attacks.

 

Protect Your Network Now With Co-Managed IT Services

Connect With Miami’s Best IT Specialists Now. Don’t wait to secure your network.

 

Not only will co-managed IT services provide you with cybersecurity and peace of mind, but it will also help increase your company’s productivity.

 

On average, companies that choose managed network infrastructure with Third Power IT are experiencing 99.99% uptime.

 

The service desk at Third Power IT operates 24 hours a day 7 days a week including holidays, solving an average 90% of all technology requests remotely with an average resolution time of 8 hours.

 

The network support staff is available 24/7 and is dedicated to ensuring the integrity of your network infrastructure.

 

Connect with us now to secure your network and experience the benefits of network management.

 

 

 

 

The post Network Security: 4 Quick Tips to Protect Your Network From Hackers appeared first on Third Power IT – Managed IT Services.

Courtesy of Miami IHIPAA Compliance IT Company - ThirdPowerIT.com