Keep your network safe with a risk management policy

Effective management of your IT assets is paramount to your network’s success. Without a clear, cohesive plan for how to keep your ducks in a row, you run the risk of losing track of your data, mismanaging your security policy, and increasing downtime due to inefficient operation strategies If you want to mitigate risk and improve security for your entire network, an updated security policy is critical. So, what steps do you need to take to mitigate future risk for your network? We’ve outlined a plan that can help you achieve optimal performance.

Catalog IT assets

Leave nothing up to chance—without a clear, unambiguous record of all of the equipment you use (whether or not you use it every day), you might lose track of valuable information and fail to comprehensively update all of your hardware. This includes cataloging your computers, routers, software, data, emails, networks, files, and mobile devices (that are used for work purposes)

Identify threats (and where you might be most vulnerable)

Now that you have an accurate representation of all of the assets you operate, it’s time to determine how they might be vulnerable if a cyberattack were to take place. This is the step when you should reach out to an IT provider for A) security risk assessment and penetration tests B) disaster recovery and business continuity plans and C) risk mitigation.

Put together an estimate

Once potential risks have been identified, you need to take the time to determine what mitigating that risk might look like. Part of the of the risk management process is aligning your budget with what areas you need to cover. The risk evaluation (and analysis afterward) should give you a clear indication of what areas require more resources and attention.

Put a plan in place

Now that you know what steps you need to take, it’s time to roll out your new risk management policy. Examples of what a security policy may include are encryption strategies, routine backups, and updated security standards.

Integrate your team

Your security policy is only as strong as the employees who abide by it. If you’re not taking the time to outline how it works (and what they need to do/not do to make sure it stays that way), you run the risk of inviting a whole host of new problems. For example, your employees need to be able to identify a phishing attack to the best of their abilities. Make sure that everyone in your company is on the same page and are taking the proper precautions.

Track your progress

Now that you have a solution in place, it’s time to see how effective it is. Recording data for later analysis is a great tactic for identifying areas of improvement. With a detailed, comprehensive view of your security policy and its effectiveness, you’ll be able to make the necessary changes going forward.

How can a VCIO transform your business?

Larger corporations might be able to afford a Chief Information Officer’s salary, but what choice does a small business owner have? You don’t have the same resources that the big guys have, but your technology still plays an integral role in what you have to do every day. That’s where Hi-Tek comes in—we offer Virtual CIO (VCIO) services designed to alleviate your technology concerns and steer you in the right direction toward success. Every company, big and small, needs to have a clear, cohesive strategy for how they handle their information, and sometimes an on-site IT staff isn’t quite enough to handle what you need. A VCIO is capable of aligning your day-to-day operations with your long-term business objectives; our solutions include a unique technology roadmap that satisfies your budget, personnel, and location. We’ve listed the most helpful benefits a VCIO can offer you to help streamline your business processes.

Cohesive Planning

One of the most frequent problems small businesses run into is not being able to manage their day-to-day operations and plan for the future simultaneously. Sure, you may have an idea of where you want to go—but what if your technology isn’t actively helping you get there? With a VCIO available, they’ll be able to effectively align areas that you hadn’t previously considered, including regulatory compliance standards, data security, and business management.

Disaster Recovery and Business Continuity

What is your plan if your data somehow becomes compromised? If disaster strikes or a hacker tries to break through your network security, you could be in serious trouble if you don’t have a sound, structured plan for recovery. Hi-Tek’s VCIO services include strategic planning for such events. Having a high-quality disaster recovery solution in place means that your information will remain secure, even if the unimaginable takes place. Every day, companies around the world find that they don’t have a solution for when they lose their data and sensitive information. Our VCIO solutions can help you prepare for the worst so that you never miss a beat and avoid costly downtime.

Scalable Solutions

Whether you’re adding staff members or cutting back, you need to be able to accommodate changes in your network. A VCIO can help pinpoint exactly where you need to focus your efforts when you make a personnel change, or how to onboard a staff member efficiently so that they can become a productive employee as soon as possible. VCIO services can help you move data, store information, and make any transitionary period a simpler proposition. In 2018, technology can be fluid—don’t get stuck in the past just because you can’t accommodate change. A VCIO can offer scalable support, custom-tailored to meet your needs.

Modernize your network with VDI or RDS

Migrating to a virtualized network solution is a smart move for any company looking to update the way they operate, but how do you decide which method is right for you? When choosing between a Virtualized Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) or Remote Desktop Service (RDS), you need to gather as much information as possible to determine which service aligns the closest with what you’re trying to accomplish. Desktop virtualization can offer several benefits, including resource optimization, comprehensive mobile device management, and increasing performance standards. We’ve outlined what makes both VDI and RDS unique, and what sets them apart for scalability, user experience, security, and more.

VDI: What You Need to Know

VDI runs user desktops inside virtual machines that are hosted by data center servers as opposed to a localized server. Although the interaction feels the same (it has the same look and feel of a physical server, for the most part), a virtual desktop can seamlessly link several machines without having to rely on a local server. Each user is allotted a dedicated virtual machine that runs a unique operating system, providing an isolated, secure environment for the user. Benefits of VDI include:

• Install or uninstall applications with full or partial administration rights within the virtual machine
• Purposefully manage critical and confidential data
• Adequately support Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) initiatives and improve workforce mobility
• Improve support and troubleshooting for end users
• Centralize management, redundant backups, and improve disaster recovery
• Reduce data security threats by relying on data centers and remote servers
• Optimal virus isolation and detection
• Seamless risk mitigation
• Consolidation and security of valuable assets without limiting access for authorized users

RDS: What You Need to Know

RDS allows users to connect remotely to a network with a user-friendly graphic interface. After an RDS is installed for the user, server software is installed on the server, establishing a remote connection with one or more users. Users access the same OS and applications during their desktop sessions. Advantages of RDS include:

• Effective disaster recovery: documents and files are all backed up and stored in a secure data center
• Optimal remote access
• Cost-effective solutions, with minimal add-ons required for an effective solution
• Can achieve 100%-200% higher user numbers with the same hardware, reducing deployment costs by a significant margin
• Simple, effective multi-user integration options

Which one offers a better user experience for your network?

Choosing the right virtualized platform is a critical step for any company. It comes down to one, overarching idea: which one offers the most value for your company and fits the best given what you want to accomplish? An RDS makes sense if you’re catering to a large number of users using the same application; VDI offers better options for companies looking to coordinate different users across several different applications. While they both provide advantages for great user experience, one of them is bound to align more closely with your technology strategy. For more information on how virtualization can help your network, reach out to Hi-Tek today.

How to Design the Right Network For Your Business

When it comes to outlining your technology strategy, network management is right up there as one of the most critical tasks that you need to take care of from the start. With so many factors to account for, ranging from network traffic monitoring to fully optimizing security practices, it’s imperative that you cohesively align each part of your network design with your long-term business goals. We’ve listed some of the most important areas you should be focusing on when setting up a network for your company.

Firewalls and Network Security

This immediately stands out as one of (if not the most) critical areas any company should invest time and resources into. While a firewall actively works to secure the perimeter of your network, there are other measures you should look into implementing, including redundant data backup and comprehensive network monitoring practices. Keep your intellectual property and sensitive information safe with a fully-formed security solution.

Virtual Local Area Network (VLAN)

VLAN is the separation of unique network devices that utilize the same physical infrastructure. When working in tandem with a proper subnetting scheme, a VLAN assignment can reduce network overhead, improve cybersecurity, and make management a more cohesive and effective enterprise. It can also make user access hyper-specific—you’ll enjoy more control over who accesses your network which in turn helps security.

Hierarchy

A tiered design for your network allows you to scale your data, hardware, and cybersecurity more effectively. A three-tiered solution composed of core components, distribution, and access layers is a cohesive, well-layered solution. Make sure that the first layer (the foundation) is strong enough to support the others—embedding more features in the initial layer, before building out to access layers for end users is a safe option for optimal performance.

Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

A DMZ is a segment of the network that users can access from the Internet. It allows users to access their email or a specific website without necessitating access to the internal network. It adds an extra layer of security through the segmentation of your external resources.

Wireless Access

If you’re a company operating with more modern technology (and have a modern approach to a conventional work schedule), ensuring wireless access is critical. Not only does it remove the need for high-cost wiring, but it can also help streamline data sharing. Now, your employees will be able to access the information that they need to perform their role, no matter where they are. Your employees would need access to a certified VPN, but that’s an issue that doesn’t demand a lot of effort.

Optimizing your network might seem like a tall order, and it’s crucial that you get everything right before rolling it out. Hopefully, this blog sheds light on some areas you were previously uninformed about, and now you have more resources to develop a unique solution that delivers what you need.

The Worst Cybersecurity Breaches of 2018

The more quickly cybersecurity standards develop, the more quickly hackers find new ways to outmaneuver them. Even the largest of corporations are finding some serious difficulty keeping external threats at bay, and state-backed hackers are emboldened by the deep pockets and endless resources available to them. So which entities have been hit the hardest so far by a cybersecurity breach? We’ve listed some of the biggest stories to come out of the IT world in 2018, followed by some helpful tips that could keep your company safe moving forward.

Russian Grid Hacking

Last year, cybersecurity researchers made it known that Russian hackers were finding their way into power companies across the United States. Once the United States government publicly acknowledged that their information systems had been breached during the NotPetya ransomware attacks, it became abundantly clear that there was a full-scale issue that needed to be addressed. Breaches of this magnitude are more than a small business compromising the security of their personal information—when the U.S. government acknowledged that hackers had played a role in the 2016 election, it quickly became one of the defining cybercrimes since the inception of the internet.

Under Armour

Once hackers were able to access the information available on Under Armour’s MyFitnessPal app, they were able to compromise usernames, email addresses, and passwords from the app’s 150 million users. After discovering the intrusion, Under Armour disclosed the attack in under a week, indicating a welcome return to transparency for a large company’s incident response. The data breach didn’t get so far where the hackers were able to access location, credit card numbers, birth dates, and other valuable information. All in all, a pretty excellent response from a company of that size and magnitude. However, there was one major issue after the dust settled—only some user’s passwords were protected by a higher-level function, while a weaker scheme protected the rests. It’s a reminder that no matter how functional a company may be, their cybersecurity services still can leave your network exposed to everyday issues like identity theft.

Facebook

This is the one you’ve probably seen the most coverage of, apart from the first one on our list. After a political data firm called Cambridge Analytica collected the personal information of 50 million Facebook users via a data-scraping app, the credibility of the company started to seriously waver. Their position as one of the leading organizations in the internet/technology field is still relatively intact, but trust in the company is at an all-time low.

How can you protect your company?

The easiest way to make sure that you don’t fall victim to a cybersecurity breach is to be proactive in protected your network. Cybersecurity isn’t something you can leave until the last minute—the more quickly you take of your valuable information, the more likely you are to be safe from hackers. Take the time to update your applications, and reach out to an experienced IT provider like Hi-Tek today for a comprehensive overhaul of your network security.