Information security is on every business’s radar these days. Data drives so much of what we do. Looking to contain the risks, many sectors have established IT compliance regulations. Whether meeting a standard or not, don’t overlook these common areas of concern.

Governments and regulatory agencies have established compliance standards for the financial, legal, healthcare, and energy sectors. Other organizations abide by best practices for data protection and improving system security. Whether mandated or not, the goals remain similar:

• Improve security protocols.
• Identify vulnerabilities.
• Prevent breaches.
• Reduce losses.
• Increase access control.
• Educate employees.
• Maintain customer trust.

Shortcomings can mean compliance concerns, industry fines, customer churn, and brand reputation damage. Being proactive about these four common issues can benefit companies in any industry sector.

Common Issues that Thwart Compliance

Companies with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies save $350 annually per employee, according to CISCO, but cost savings aren’t the only reason organizations are embracing BYOD. Letting people use personal mobile devices at work improves productivity and engages employees.

Yet allowing BYOD in the work environment can make the organization more vulnerable. There is greater risk of:

• spread of malicious applications or viruses;
• employees accessing business materials using unsecured Wi-Fi;
• people who have left the company continuing to have access to proprietary systems.
• None of these are good from a compliance point of view.

Personal portable devices may not have the same access controls as business computers, which makes them more vulnerable if lost or stolen.

This brings us to a second common compliance concern: physical security. A business may do a brilliant job of securing its devices on-site. It has firewalls, patches security regularly, and asks employees to update passwords, but what happens if a laptop, mobile phone, or USB drive is stolen or lost?

All devices accessing business systems and networks from off-site should use encryption. With remote monitoring and management, IT staff can control security configurations regardless of the end-user environment. Mobile device management allows your IT team to secure, locate, or erase any mobile device used for business.

Counting on Others for Compliance

Another area of concern is third-party connections. Again, your business may be top of the class as far as the five core functions of cybersecurity – Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover – are concerned, but what if your vendor’s security isn’t up to snuff.

Do you have business partners that are storing your sensitive data? Or does a supplier have access to personally identifying customer or employee information? Third-party risk is a real thing – ask Target. Cybercriminals stole data for 40 million debit and credit cards via the retailer’s HVAC company.

Cybercriminals could use a third party’s lax security to target you. Make sure that your vendors are taking cybersecurity as seriously as you do.

Even in your own business environment, cut the number of people who have access to sensitive data. Obviously, you’ve hired people you think you can trust, but you can still better ward off the insider cybersecurity threat by:

• educating employees about the importance of strong passwords, securing devices, and physical security;
• informing people about social engineering (e.g. phishing emails or fraudulent business communications);
• limiting personnel access to data, network, or systems based on necessity;
• having a policy to revoke access permissions and reclaim devices from any employee leaving the company.

Ensuring compliance takes technological know-how and awareness of the evolving threat landscape. This vigilance, communication, and education require time and effort. Put the right policies and procedures in place with our help. Contact us today at (515)422-1995!

The words “due diligence” may make you think of a courtroom drama on television. Surely, that’s something only lawyers have to worry about? Not so fast. Due diligence is something your business can be doing, too. Are you covering the basics?

Due diligence is about taking care and being cautious in doing business. It extends to how you manage your technology, too. You may think you’re immune to a data breach or cyberattack, but cybercriminals can target you regardless of business size or industry sector.

Depending on your industry, you may even have compliance or regulatory laws to follow. Some insurance providers also expect a certain level of security standards from you. The costs associated with these cyber incidents are increasing, too. Don’t leave your business vulnerable.

What due diligence involves

Technological due diligence requires attention to several areas. Generally, you’ll need to show the following:

1. Each staff member has a unique login. Require complex, distinct passwords. Educated your people to protect these (e.g. not write them on stickie notes that sit on their desktop).
2. You have a process in place for regular data backup. We recommend a 3-2-1 backup strategy. Keep three copies of your business data. One on the cloud with the other two on different devices (e.g. on your local computer and on a backup USB drive).
3. You patch and upgrade security consistently. Ignoring those reminders and waiting for the next release is risky.
4. You’ve installed antivirus software. You won’t know your computers are infected until it’s too late. Be proactive.
5. Email filtering is in place. These filters help protect your business from spam, malware, phishing, and other threats.
6. You have installed firewalls to monitor and control ingoing and outgoing network traffic.
7. You limit user access. Instead of giving everyone full access, set conditions based on role and responsibility. This approach minimizes vulnerabilities.
8. There are physical security procedures to limit access to your environment. You might install security cameras, fence a perimeter, and require RFID scanning in protected areas.
9. If your company lets employees use their own phones, laptops, or tablets, have a Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy in place. Installing mobile device management software is useful, too (and we can help with that!)
10. You test your security, too. You can’t take a set-and-sit approach to securing your network, systems, and hardware. Ongoing testing will help you identify risks, repair vulnerabilities, and protect your business.

It can also help you to prove that you’re being diligent by:

• keeping copies of any training provided and employee handbook messaging;
• updating your organizational chart regularly;
• vetting contractors/vendors before granting them access;
• having a policy in place that quickly denies access to any former employees;
• inventorying all devices on your network.

IT due diligence protects your business. Meeting these security standards can also cut costs and preserve your brand reputation. Demonstrating vigilance helps you avoid hefty compliance or regulatory fines and fight litigation. In the event of legal action, you’ll also want to prove the efforts you made. So, be sure to thoroughly document all IT security efforts.

Due diligence doesn’t have to be difficult. Our experts can help you determine the best preventative measures for your organization. Some business risks will pay off, sure, but when it comes to your IT, caution will have the best results.