Ferrum Technology Services Blog

One major advantage of the cloud is that it allows users to easily share files. Although, due to just how easy it is to share files, this advantage may also prove to be a disadvantage, especially when inexperienced users are the ones doing the sharing. The next time your business shares a file with a cloud-based file sharing service, be sure to account for these three risks.

Data security is arguably one of the most important parts of running a business, especially when personally identifiable or confidential information is being shared across your network. Yet, some businesses continue to ignore security in favor of a “more convenient” approach which doesn’t hinder operations. When implemented properly, your security not only augments operations, but secures your organization’s data infrastructure.

While online shopping is great for finding exactly what you need, you still need to remember that cybercrime is a major problem and that you need to be careful of where you plug in your financial information. Here are some best practices that can help to keep you safe this holiday season while bargain-hunting.

Doing business on the Internet is a dangerous gambit, and not one which should be taken lightly. Every small business uses some kind of sensitive information that is valuable to hackers. Most think that preventative measures are enough to ensure their security, but the fact remains that only through threat detection and elimination can you guarantee that all issues are promptly handled.

The threats to your organization’s infrastructure are numerous and plentiful, and while some will make themselves known immediately, others will hide in plain sight. These threats are designed to either leak information or provide new outlets for hacking attacks. Regardless, it’s important to identify attacks that have weaseled their way through your defenses before they have been around long enough to cause damage.

Breaches are Inevitable
To truly understand how threat detection is just as important as threat prevention, you need to come to grips with the worst-case scenario. It’s not an uncertainty that you’ll be hacked at some point--in fact, it’s very likely, and as such, you need to make sure that you’re prepared for any and all situations, including a data breach. Even large organizations and enterprises that pride themselves on security can experience data breaches. Consider the high-profile hacks of Sony and the United States Office of Personnel, as well as the health care provider Excellus BlueCross BlueShield. If these organizations had anticipated data breaches, perhaps they may have been able to prevent them--or at least mitigate the damage.

This is why you absolutely need to expect the worst in order to keep it from happening. While preventative solutions can help, it’s also imperative that you implement ways to detect intrusions, as well as ways to eliminate threats. Only then can you be ready to tackle any and all threats that want to hurt your business.

What You Can Do
CIO recommends what they call a preventative “triad” of sorts. This includes protection, detection, and reaction. You’ll need both security solutions like a firewall, and monitoring tools that allow you to check (and eject) threats from your network.

Network security is an important, yet complex practice. For small and medium-sized businesses, it can be challenging to understand and implement solutions that cover such a complex subject. However, it doesn’t have to be. There are many security solutions out there, and they can generally be found in one convenient package.

As though computing systems apparently weren’t under enough threats, security researchers have discovered yet another potential vulnerability from a truly unexpected source. The sounds your hard drive makes can give a properly-equipped hacker everything they need to gather data from your machine, including any encryption keys you may have in place.

Social Media allows businesses to share their brand with the outside world in entirely new ways. While the benefit of social media is that everyone and their mother is on it, the problem with social media is that everyone and their mother is on it. People put all sorts of information on their accounts, which translates into a major security risk in the form of targeted phishing attacks.

Cyber threats are everywhere. If you’re one to travel, then you’ll encounter many of these threats on public Wi-Fi networks. Therefore, remote workers need a secure way to access company files. Here are three tips to protect your digital assets while traveling.

As we hear news about large-scale hacks and data breaches, there’s a temptation to picture attacks like those in television shows and films like Mr. Robot, Live Free or Die Hard and other works of fiction. These attacks are often carried out by criminal geniuses or nefarious nation-states, utilizing of a crippling zero-day vulnerability or superbug to bring society to its knees.

The Internet of Things is well under way, and it’s all around you. Just take a look around your office and take note of any connected gadgetry that you see. All kinds of connected devices are entering the market, many of which you might never consider connecting to the Internet. However, it’s your responsibility to take these devices into consideration, especially if you want to keep your business--and its users--safe.

Your business relies on swift, unfettered access to sensitive documents on many different mobile devices. The only problem with this is that security eventually becomes a problem, especially where multiple devices are concerned. You need to ask yourself if your file-sharing service is secure enough to protect important files.

Botnets are a growing concern for businesses all over the world. Between massive DDoS attacks that can knock out servers, and hordes of remote-controlled zombie computers that are subject to a controllers’ whims, businesses have a lot to worry about. Has your business fallen victim to a botnet in the past, and what can you do to keep it safe in the future?

When it comes to your most-used solution, is the mobile application a more secure choice in terms of user privacy, or does the website offer superior protection against leaked information? Researchers from Northeastern University sought to answer this question in a recent study comparing the app versions of programs against their web-based counterpart on Android and iOS devices.

Believe it or not, there’s more news in Washington D.C. than matters concerning the upcoming election--namely the fact that the Library of Congress was struck by a DoS (Denial of Service) attack in July, supporting the members of government in their calls for an apparently much-needed update to the Library’s systems.

Google has implemented a project to encourage assistance in collecting potential vulnerabilities for its Nexus line of mobile devices, with some considerable prizes associated with it.

For the busy business owner, getting work done while traveling is a way of life. Unfortunately, working on the go can be a disaster if you don’t properly prep your technology. Here are seven guidelines to make sure your technology is ready for your big trip.

Be sure to add these suggestions to your pre-trip checklist.

You might recall getting a notice from your bank that you’ve been issued a new debit and credit card, one with a chip built into it for enhanced security. There are ATMs out there created specifically for use with these chips, but the same technology created to protect user credentials is now being used to steal them for fraudulent withdrawals.

Microsoft’s latest round of security patches includes 27 software vulnerabilities, many of which are critical in nature. Affected are widely-used titles such as Windows, Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, and the new Edge browser. It’s important for users to take action and install the Microsoft-provided patches, and soon.

First hackers created a formidable ransomware. Then, when word got out about how to avoid this ransomware, they began to bundle a second ransomware to create an encryption catch-22. Now, the developers of the Petya and Mischa ransomware have adopted a Ransomware-as-a-Service model and have opened their nefarious malware up to distribution.

The Internet is a great tool to use for business, but it’s also full of threats that could undermine your security if you’re careless. The main issue with cyber security is that it’s extraordinarily difficult to cover all of your bases, especially if you’re not tech-savvy. We’ll go over, in detail, some of the many security best practices that you can implement to keep your sensitive information and account credentials safe from hackers.