When was the last time you conducted a comprehensive technology audit? If it’s been a while or hasn’t happened at all, you’re probably vulnerable to a cyberattack. Cybercrime shows no signs of slowing down and is expected to cost the world $10.5 trillion per year by 2025.* Technology audits have become a necessity.
Are you confident that your organization is secure with the current remote andhybrid work environments? This is where a technology audit can give you peace of mind. An IT audit is a thorough analysis and assessment of an organization’s IT infrastructure, policies and procedures.
Importance of Technology Audits
Here are five reasons why a technology audit is essential to organizational resilience and overall success:
Detects security vulnerabilities
Ensures that the organization is up to date on security measures
Establishes the foundation for the organization’s new security policies
Prepares the organization to respond quickly and effectively in the event of a cyberattack
Helps maintain compliance with various security regulations
Benefits of Technology Audits
Comprehensive technology audits have three key benefits:
1. No Surprises
IT components that we use and trust every day may have hidden threats that we can easily overlook. If not addressed early on, such threats can quickly escalate into a full-fledged data breach. An IT audit is extremely beneficial when it comes to addressing this particular concern.
A properly planned auditing process creates a map of your IT environment that helps you understand how everything connects and which areas expose you to threats. This allows you to focus your remediation efforts where they are needed the most.
Consider this: What if one of your top executives was secretly selling all your intellectual property ideas to your main competitor? That could sink your company or significantly reduce your profit potential. Unmapped and unaccounted-for technology landscapes can lead to similar outcomes.
To avoid this, regularly monitor, update, patch, and clean up the proverbial dust in your infrastructure. You might soon discover that someone intentionally or unintentionally downloaded a piece of malicious code that’s spreading like wildfire across your network, waiting for the perfect moment to demand a ransom or continue spying and stealing your best ideas.
2. Data-Driven Decision Making
A properly conducted audit will provide you with valuable data that you can use to make core business decisions. Its value extends to security budgeting as well. A data-driven approach to developing cybersecurity strategies can assist you in making more informed budget decisions. You’ll have a better idea of where to spend your money.
An audit can also help you prioritize your goals based on what’s most pressing, exposing vulnerabilities or what’s causing productivity loss.
3. A Vision for the Future
An audit can lay the groundwork for a SWOT analysis. A SWOT analysis is a technique for evaluating the Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats of your business. It’s a powerful tool that can assist you in determining what your company excels at right now and formulating an effective strategy for the future. You can read more in our blog; The Latest Technologies in IT Solutions for Businesses on Long Island, NY.
Armed with a thorough understanding of your technology’s strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats, you can begin planning years in advance and share the vision with team members to keep them motivated.
Now that you understand the benefits of conducting a technology audit and may be considering auditing your organization’s technology, contact LI Tech Solutionsfor complete data protection services.
Are you ready to start planning your technology audit? Contact us today for a free assessment.
For the modern enterprise, data protection is of the utmost importance. Keeping your company’s data safe isn’t just important for your operations and the security of your customers. It’s also necessary so you can adhere to new regulations and guidelines like the GDPR.
However, cyber threats are also evolving at a breakneck pace. It can be difficult to know what tools you should prioritize or what services you should employ to maximize enterprise data protection.
Today, let’s break down six important tools you should use for protecting your company’s critical data.
Ransomware Protection
First, ransomware must remain at the top of your cybersecurity team’s awareness. Ransomware threats are constantly evolving and viruses or malware can enter your company’s systems in a variety of ways, such as:
Phishing emails
Viruses from sketchy websites
Bad digital hygiene from employees
And more
Ransomware viruses often take or delete critical data, then hold copies hostage to extract a ransom from your company. Don’t let this happen to you. Instead, your business should invest in quality ransomware protection, such as ongoing digital hygiene seminars, antivirus software, firewalls, and managed security services.
As a bonus, defending yourself against ransomware may prevent you from having to pay excessive fines or fees for losing control of valuable customer data or personal information.
On-Premises and Cloud Backup Architecture
Even the most robust digital systems will sometimes collapse or fail, whether it’s from resource overdrawing or power grid issues. When that happens, your critical data has to be backed up in more ways than one.
By backing up important data, you can bring your website or servers back online almost instantaneously once things are fixed. More importantly, you can restore the most recent version of your site or IT infrastructure using backed-up data.
That backed-up data is also important for your customers. If a customer needs to access important data, you’ll have it ready for them since it will be backed up and restored to its usual location on your company’s servers or IT architecture.
You should invest in both on-premises and cloud backup architecture for the best results. On-premises backup architecture gives you direct control over data backups, but cloud backup architecture:
Often comes with additional security
Is not subject to the same collapse conditions as your on-premises architecture
Can be overseen and controlled by a managed services provider like LI Tech
With both backup systems enabled, your company will rarely if ever, lose any critical data, even in the event of a major crash or system collapse.
Ongoing, Continuous Critical Data Protection
Your most important data shouldn’t just be backed up once a week or even once per day. It should instead be backed up in near real-time. This enables you to restore any critical data, whether for your company or your customers, at practically any point in time.
Continuous data protectiondoes just this. It always backs up critical files almost instantaneously, so the most recent version of data is always stored somewhere else, typically in the cloud or off-site.
As you employ continuous data protection, you’ll also find that your IT infrastructure is further fortified against other cyber threats, like ransomware attacks. There’s no reason not to use continuous data protection in this day and age if you have any critical files for your business or customers.
Data Encryption
Another aspect of continuous enterprise data protection means employing end-to-end data encryption for all workplace devices, plus any cloud server access points. End-to-end data encryption means securing files or workstations at both ends of access, not just employee terminals, for example.
End-to-end data encryption is also useful if some or all of your workforce does work remotely. Ransomware or other cyber threats are oftentimes picked up at vulnerable public access points, such as coffee shop servers or unsecured work laptops.
End-to-end data encryption ensures that these potential vulnerabilities won’t negatively affect your enterprise or result in data theft.
Self-Directed Healing
It’s also important to lean into self-directed healing or self-healing IT infrastructure. Machine learning and data analytics innovations now allow systems or IT infrastructure to heal themselves by:
Managing their resources more effectively, especially to prevent server or infrastructure crashes
Resolving datacenter limitations
Ensuring operational consistency
Balancing performance levels throughout computer infrastructure
And more
In short, self-directed healing is a novel way for your enterprise’s data to remain secure and safe. Your IT infrastructure will monitor itself for any potential problems and send a warning if there’s a catastrophic issue coming ahead.
Managed service providers often employ self-directed healing protocols to enterprise IT infrastructure. That’s just another benefit of hiring a managed service provider for your organization.
Managed Resource Scaling
Lastly, all enterprises should leverage managed resource scaling like never before. This is especially important for small businesses that hope for rapid growth in the future.
Even with the best planning, spikes in usage can sometimes cause catastrophic and cascading failures in IT infrastructure, leading to server outages, website wipes, and lost data.
Managed services providers can employ resource scaling to ensure your enterprise always has the server resources it needs no matter how much traffic or attention it gets. This can also protect against certain types of cyber threats, like DDoS attacks.
But even beyond protecting your organization’s data, resource scaling is cost-efficient and allows your enterprise to better predict ongoing server resource costs. This, in turn, may help you budget more effectively in the future.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, the most important data protection solutions are all available from managed service providers like LI Tech. As the ideal managed IT services provider for Long Island businesses, LI Tech is well equipped and ready to help your enterprise protect its data in more ways than one.
With our managed services and cloud operations, your data will be secured from attacks, backed up multiple times and insulated against crashes, and more. Contact us today to learn more or to set up a consultation – we’ll find the perfect solution for your company’s unique needs.
Space is at a premium in New York City, and your business may not have the space (or the budget) to run its servers and digital architecture. This is doubly true if your business is relatively new and you want to scale quickly and flexibly with your growing customer base. The solution? IT cloud services are designed specifically for New York City businesses just like yours.
Fortunately, LI TECH Solutions can provide the right cloud services for your organization based on your budget, infrastructure needs, and other factors. Let’s take a look at our IT cloud services for your New York City business now.
Cloud Infrastructure as a Service
Cloud infrastructure as a service or IaaS is one of the most important cloud service models for modern companies. Also called cloud infrastructure services, IaaS offers essentially serverless computing by providing computer infrastructure to end-users or clients across the Internet.
More specifically, IaaS can provide your organization with storage, network, servers, and virtualization services. Because of this, your company doesn’t have to maintain its own on-premises data center, nor do you need to worry about updating or maintaining components.
Cloud IaaS gives you the base computing tools you need to run software platforms or programs, ranging from programming kits to web applications and more.
In many cases, IaaS is used in conjunction with both cloud platforms as a service and cloud software as a service if you need a whole host of managed cloud services for your enterprise.
Like all managed cloud services, IaaS allows your team to focus primarily on what you do best: making your products and services for your target customers.
Scalable Cloud Architecture and Hosting
Many of the best-managed cloud services providers can offer integration and hosting. Full integration of your existing software or data means you don’t have to waste valuable time updating your systems and can instead benefit from cloud resources right off the bat.
Furthermore, organizations like LI TECH Solutions offer scalable and predictable hosting for your organization. This is cost-effective (since you don’t pay for resources you don’t use) and very flexible and convenient for your users.
Imagine that you need additional hosting space on only a few days of the week to handle increased traffic from your customers. With scalable cloud hosting from LI TECH Solutions, you can get just that without having to waste money on additional server space you don’t use throughout the rest of the week.
Cloud Platform as a Service
Platform as a service or PaaS offers cloud-streamed hardware and application software platforms when necessary. As with other cloud services, the hardware or application software platforms are both managed by your third-party service provider, such as LI TECH Solutions.
Meanwhile, your people can handle the full application and any of its data. Cloud PaaS is the choice of particularly good service for developers, programmers, and other tech-heavy companies.
In a nutshell, cloud PaaS gives your people the platform they need to develop, run, and eventually even manage their apps without having to build and maintain any additional infrastructure. This includes all the same benefits and conveniences as other cloud services.
You don’t have to update the platform or its software
You don’t need to worry about any other tech maintenance concerns
Platform security is handled entirely by your third-party cloud provider, which ensures your organization is kept up-to-date about modern cyber threats
Cloud Data Backups
LI TECH Solutions take things one step further with PaaS and other managed cloud services: we provide cloud data backups for your servers, workstations, or even individual devices.
Data backups are more important than ever in this day and age. Cyber threats are constantly evolving and tech and finance organizations have to keep their users’ personal data safe, especially if they do international business.
Legislation such as the GDPR and other laws impose harsh fines and penalties if your data isn’t kept properly secure.
With cloud backup architecture ready to go, you won’t need to worry about valuable data being lost because of a crash or hack. If your site or servers ever go down, you can simply reboot to a recent version of the same information and continue with business as normal.
Additionally, LI TECH Solutions offers end-to-end data encryption for all your devices and cloud services. Since we take care of regular updates and maintenance, we also handle ongoing digital security.
Cloud Software as a Service
Cloud software as a service or SaaS is another important managed cloud service. It delivers web applications or software straight to your team without you needing to download and install the software packages manually.
Instead, your team can access any chosen web apps or software solutions straight through their web browsers. This means we handle:
General software maintenance
Software updates
Bug fixes
And more
In this way, your team just has to worry about using the apps to their best extent. SaaS from LI TECH can completely eliminate the need for each member of your team to have a version of the app installed on their computers, as well.
Because of this, SaaS facilitates remote work more efficiently and conveniently than any other solution. Entire groups of workers in your enterprise can use the same application through a browser without having to go through the hassle of buying and/or downloading the software beforehand.
How LI Tech Serves New York City Organizations
Ultimately, LI TECH Solutions is the go-to choice for managed cloud services for all New York City enterprises. Why?
Because we offer each of the above cloud services and more. We go above and beyond and offer a variety of cloud setups depending on your unique needs and budget, including:
Private clouds
Public clouds
Hybrid clouds
Multi-clouds
Whether you need full-scale cloud infrastructure support, platforms for your web developers to get to work quickly, or specific applications to share between your organization’s members, we can help. LI TECH Solutions offers managed cloud services no matter what you need. Contact us today and let’s get started.
Humans generate 2.5 quintillion bytes of data every day.1 That is a substantial amount of information. However, failing to keep up with the ever-changing threat landscape might wipe your share of this data in the blink of an eye. In fact, ransomware has more than doubled in frequency since last year, accounting for 10% of verified breaches.2
While there is a lot of fear surrounding cybersecurity, you don’t need to panic. There are measures you can put in place to better protect your business. One of our best recommendations is to make data backups a component of your cybersecurity plan. Companies that don’t regularly back up valuable data leave themselves vulnerable to evolving cyberthreats.
Data loss can occur due to multiple reasons that range from hard drive failures and ransomware attacks to natural disasters and human error. Whatever the reason may be, data backup can provide the relief you need by helping restore data on your devices should an incident occur.
Data loss can have a cascading effect, resulting in downtime, productivity loss, revenue disruptions, regulatory fines, and reputational damage. The total cost of these setbacks is typically higher than the cost of a backup solution.
Myth #2: Having One Copy of Your Data Backed Up Is All You Need
The 3-2-1 strategy is a data backup best practice that involves having at least three copies of your data, two on-site but on different mediums/devices, and one off-site.
Three copies of data: Having at least two additional copies of your data, in addition to your original data, is ideal.
Two different mediums: Keep two copies of your data on different types of storage medium such as internal hard drives and removable storage like an external hard drive or a USB drive.
One off-site copy: Keep one copy of your data off-site. This helps safeguard against worst-case scenarios.
Having additional copies of your data by following the 3-2-1 strategy is a smart practice, but this doesn’t guarantee backups will operate as expected.
Organizations following the 3-2-1 strategy generally keep the original data and one of its copies on-site while another copy is transmitted to a safe, off-site destination, typically the cloud.
Beyond creating additional backup copies, regularly check to verify whether your backups are working properly since they may still be vulnerable to user error or data corruption. Routinely test backups or outsource the task to a managed service provider (MSP).
Myth #4: Data Backup and Disaster Recovery Are the Same
This misunderstanding stems from the fact that many people do not understand the difference between data backup and disaster recovery. Even though they are both vital components of business continuity, they are not the same.
While data backup is the act of backing up critical data, disaster recovery is the act of recovering those backups. Another distinction is that while data backup is defined by the recovery point objective (RPO), which is the amount of data that must be restored to keep operations running, disaster recovery is defined by the recovery time objective (RTO), which considers the time it takes to recover.
Partner for Success
Trying to safeguard your organization against data loss on your own can be overwhelming. Fortunately, we’ve got you covered.
We can make it easier for you to implement a long-term security and data backup strategy that also meets IT and endpoint device security and data protection requirements – especially considering new, growing cyberthreats that target vulnerabilities you may have overlooked. Contact us today for a free consultation.
These days, it seems that half of the online business management revolves around cybersecurity, and for good reason. Malware attacks and ransomware threats are expensive, time-consuming, and can even lead to bankruptcy in isolated scenarios.
Indeed, there are several costly ransomware threats to business that enterprise executives may be unaware of. Let’s break down some of these threats in detail so you can grasp the full danger that even a single successful ransomware attack may pose to your company.
The Ransomware Payment Itself
Naturally, any ransomware attack will include a ransom payment by its very nature. Most ransomware attacks are unreported and many enterprises are advised not to accept any demands. But plenty of firms do so regardless. Some estimates indicate that average ransomware payouts are over $300,000.
Some enterprises may have no choice when paying a ransom fee. If sensitive company data is on the line, they might not have enough time to come up with an alternative solution if they want to prevent sensitive information from leaking to the public. This could include customers’ credit card numbers or other identifying information.
In this way, ransomware attacks may cost a business money twice: first when the business pays the ransom fee, and another time when the business repairs any damage done by an attack.
In addition to the cost of the ransom payment, ransomware also typically costs companies thousands of dollars at minimum from disruption and downtime. When a company’s website or database goes down, it impacts its customers, their operations, and more.
In short, it tanks productivity and may have downstream effects for weeks, months, or even years to come. The cost of downtime is sometimes estimated to be much higher than the cost of even the most exorbitant ransom demands.
For example, an international currency exchange named Travelex was attacked by ransomware. The costs of disruption were so great that the company later had to file for bankruptcy.
Downtime to company services or websites costs more than money as well. Many online consumers don’t have any patience for websites that crash. In this way, companies may lose cash that they would otherwise receive as revenue when their customers go to their competitors or stop patronizing their online establishments.
Data Loss (and Fees)
In this day and age, enterprises that do online or international business must be very careful about their data security. Not only is it important for their operations, but it’s also crucial for the safety and security of their customers.
Data loss can take a heavy financial toll on ransomware attack victims. Some estimates indicate that 90% of ransomware attack victims don’t get all their data back, even if they pay the ransom fee.
If customer data is compromised, it can also lead to legal injunctions, particularly in light of legislation like the GDPR and CCPA. These fees can be quite exorbitant, just like ransom demands themselves.
Even after fees are paid, companies may be forced to undertake additional cybersecurity practices, adjust their procedures and policies, and implement other expensive fixes by legal mandate. All of those requirements can add up quite quickly, especially if a company’s security was subpar beforehand.
All told, the complete cost of data loss and security breaches can’t be fully tallied. In some cases, companies may lose the trust of their customers so much that they have no choice but to go out of business.
Forensics and Recovery
Enterprises must also consider the costs for forensic investigations and recovery when tallying the total cost of a ransomware attack. No company wants to be hit by the same attack twice, which means in-depth investigations are always required.
It often means hiring detailed cyber forensics specialists, leveraging certain types of expensive software, or shutting down company operations for some time while the investigation proceeds. Such adjustments may also cost the company in terms of productivity and customer loyalty, leading to further losses down the road.
Furthermore, recovery efforts, even when disaster recovery or business continuity plans are in place, can still cost hundreds of thousands or millions of dollars. Depending on the quality of forensic equipment and processes used, the investigation alone can cost tens of thousands of dollars.
Infrastructure Repair and Recovery
Some ransomware attacks incur additional costs in the form of broken or damaged infrastructure, such as decimated servers, irreparable platforms, and more. On top of that, you’ll have to purchase or rent infrastructure to recover after a ransomware attack, costing you more money in the short term.
Furthermore, in the immediate aftermath of a ransomware attack, many companies find that their cybersecurity insurance premiums have skyrocketed. They may choose to purchase additional infrastructure and security measures to prevent the same attack from happening again.
Reputational Losses
All these factors don’t even touch the potential reputational losses an enterprise may face when they are the victim of a ransomware attack. Even a single attack is enough to shatter the public’s perception of a company being safe and secure, especially if the public stores a lot of sensitive financial or personal information on their servers.
International customers, B2B clients, and other involved parties may simply stop doing business with an enterprise if they discover that it was the victim of a preventable ransomware attack. Even if the attack wasn’t preventable or was novel, the reputational losses are often impossible to stem.
Where Does That Leave Businesses?
Ultimately, no company wants to be the victim of a ransomware attack. That’s why high-quality IT security and managed IT services are more important than ever before.
When it comes to IT security in Long Island, look no further than LI TECH. As experienced data protection specialists, we offer a number of cloud management services, ranging from data protection cloud services to cloud infrastructure services and more.
We follow all the cybersecurity best practices for securing a cloud environment and put the safety and peace of mind of our clients at the forefront of each operation. Contact us today for more information.
Although ransomware has long been a serious concern for business owners all over the world, the COVID-19 pandemic has created new opportunities for this threat to flourish, and the attack vector is likely to become even more dangerous in the coming years. We discuss the need for additional backup to tackle ransomware.
According to a report, 304 million ransomware attacks occurred globally in 2020, with ransomware affecting over 65% of global businesses. Experts suggest that this is only the tip of the iceberg. Unfortunately, even though SMBs continue to be disproportionately affected by these nefarious attacks, reporting and notifications rarely make the news.
When it comes to cybersecurity and ransomware, the biggest mistake SMBs make is assuming hackers only target large enterprises. This is why many SMBs still rely on simple backups and don’t have a solid ransomware backup strategy in place.
The truth is that hackers are counting on smaller businesses to have fewer security measures in place, making it easier for them to get into your systems. While it’s good to have a data backup, it’s high time you take its security a step further.
This is an industry best practice for reducing the risk of losing data in the event of a breach. The 3-2-1 strategy involves having at least three copies of your data, two on-site but on different mediums/devices, and one off-site. Let’s examine each of the three elements and the issues they address:
Three copies of data
Having at least two additional copies of your data, in addition to your original data, is ideal. This ensures that, in the event of a disaster, you will always have additional copies. The first backup copy of data is usually kept in the same physical location as the original, if not the same physical server.
Two different mediums
Storing additional copies of your valuable data on the same server/location won’t be helpful in the event of a breach. Keep two copies of your data on different types of storage mediums such as internal hard drives, and removable storage like an external hard drive or a USB drive. If this isn’t practical for your business, keep copies on two internal hard disks in separate storage locations.
One off-site copy
Keep one copy of your data off-site, far from the rest. This helps safeguard against worst-case scenarios.
In addition to the 3-2-1 backup strategy, consider applying the concept of layered security to keep your data and backup copies secure.
Importance of Layered Security in Cyber Defense
Most SMBs have an antivirus or firewall installed, but this is usually insufficient to combat today’s sophisticated threat landscape, necessitating the application of a layered security approach.
Because no security technology or measure is flawless or guaranteed, layered security assumes that attackers will infiltrate different layers of an organization’s defenses or have already done so. The goal of this approach is to provide multiple security measures so that if an attack gets past one security tool, there are others in place to help identify and stop the attack before your data is stolen.
The THREE ELEMENTS of layered security are:
Prevention
Security policies, controls, and processes should all be devised and implemented during the PREVENTION phase.
Detection
The goal of DETECTION is to discover and notify a compromise as soon as possible.
Response
A quick RESPONSE is crucial for the detection phase to be meaningful.
Layered security is divided into seven layers by security experts. Hackers seeking to get into a system must break through each layer to gain access. If you want to keep cybercriminals out of your systems, concentrate on improving these seven layers:
1. Information security policies
Implement security policies that restrict unauthorized access because the security and well-being of IT resources are dependent on them. This will help you raise information security awareness inside your organization and demonstrate to your clientele that you’re serious about securing their data.
2. Physical security
Physical security measures, such as fences and cameras, are critical to prevent unwanted intruders from breaking in. It also helps monitor employees with access to sensitive systems.
3. Network security
All it takes is for hackers to exploit a single vulnerability to get access to a company’s network. They can easily break into computers and servers after they’ve gained access to your network. Therefore, establishing effective network security measures is essential.
4. Vulnerability scanning
Vulnerabilities that occur because of factors such as inadequate patch management and misconfigurations open the door for cybercriminals. However, vulnerability scans help detect these missed patches and improper configurations.
5. Strong identity and access management (IAM)
Because of technological advancements, acquiring passwords and hacking into networks is easier than ever. IAM restricts access to critical data and applications to certain workers, making unauthorized access hard.
6. Proactive protection and reactive backup + recovery
Proactive protection detects and fixes security risks before they lead to a full-blown breach. The goal of reactive backup and recovery is to recover quickly after an attack.
7. Continual monitoring and testing
Failure to regularly monitor and test your backup and disaster recovery strategy is a major oversight and can result in a breach.
While it’s your responsibility to make sure your business doesn’t get sucked into the quicksand of data loss, it’s easy to become overwhelmed if you’re attempting to figure out everything on your own. Working with data protection backup providers at LI Tech gives you the advantage of having experts on your side. We’ll make sure your backup and security postures are capable of tackling ransomware threats. Li Tech Solutions offers clients in Long Island and Brooklyn the mission-critical services every business needs to succeed. Reach out today to schedule a consultation.
In a nutshell, a proxy server is an “intermediate” server that stands between an original server and a destination server. When one computer sends information to another, that information may need to pass through a third server – the proxy server. This article covers what a proxy server is, how it works, and benefits it provides.
Most Internet traffic is routed through proxy servers (with very few exceptions). Individuals use their terminals to query other computers for information, and their requests and responses are sent through proxy servers.
But why use proxy servers if they’re just in-between two computers exchanging information? The majority of modern proxy servers do a lot more than simply traffic web requests or data, ranging from filtering web traffic to offering shared network connections to storing or caching data to improve network speeds.
In truth, individuals and organizations alike both benefit from proxy servers and they may occasionally decide to use proxy servers for specific purposes.
How a Proxy Server Works
Each terminal connected to the Internet (including computers or mobile devices) has an IP or Internet protocol address. A given terminal’s IP address is essentially the “street address” of that terminal. The IP address allows other computers to find it and helps proxy servers send traffic to that terminal when needed.
For most Internet traffic flow, a proxy server is another computer connected to the Internet with its own unique IP address.
When a user sends a data request, the request goes to the proxy server. The proxy server then makes the data request on behalf of the original requester. When the responding terminal sends data back, the proxy server collects the data and sends it to the first computer.
Of course, proxy servers can make changes to the data they collect or store because they are in-between the beginning and end computers in data exchange. For example, proxy servers can change the IP addresses of originating terminals, encrypt data, and more.
When is a Proxy Server Useful?
Proxy servers are useful in a variety of situations for both individuals and large organizations or enterprises.
When You Need Improved Network Performance
Proxy servers may first and foremost improve loading speeds and bandwidth savings. By caching data for popular websites, such as Wikipedia or a company’s home site, the load time for those websites goes down.
Proxy servers can essentially save copies of frequently visited websites and only need to update the saved data occasionally. This, in turn, reduces network traffic and may lead to network performance improvements as well.
In some cases, this can save organizations time and money.
When You Need to Control Internet Usage
Proxy servers may also be used to monitor and control Internet usage. As the servers between originating terminals and recipient computers, proxy servers may allow:
Administrators to observe Internet traffic and see how employees are using the Internet. For example, most companies don’t want employees to be serving social media while on the clock
Administrators or parents to block certain websites, including websites with inappropriate material for work or a child’s age
Anyone to monitor and log web requests to check web traffic and gather data
And more
This aspect of proxy servers is important for businesses, marketing agencies, parents, schools, and other institutions or individuals.
When You Need Increased Privacy/Security
Proxy servers furthermore provide benefits for privacy and security. For example, individuals can use proxy servers to change their IP addresses so that other individuals or organizations can’t tell where their web requests came from. This is a form of identity protection and is a major part of VPN (virtual private network) security.
A VPN can protect identities by:
Masking IP addresses or countries of origin
For example, a network user sends a request for information from a recipient terminal. The terminal, while sending the data, also sent a tracking cookie after the information request
However, the tracking cookie only encounters the proxy server/VPN IP address. It reports this IP address back to its sender
As a result, the original requester of the data has their identity protected and their IP address remains anonymous
Additionally, companies and individuals alike can configure owned proxy servers to encrypt web requests. This may prevent malware sites from getting access to the proxy server, prevent spying or capturing of user traffic/data, and more.
Companies may also use proxy servers and VPNs for the same privacy benefits as described above. Proxy servers can protect employees from accidentally giving hackers or cyber criminals access to sensitive corporate information or passwords.
When You Need to Access Restricted Data
Lastly, proxy servers may allow users to access restricted or blocked resources. For example, an individual who wants to watch a TV show that is restricted in their country may be able to get around government firewalls by logging into a proxy server from another location.
When they query a recipient website for the TV show’s stream, they receive the data since it flows through the proxy server and never encounters the national firewall.
Thus, proxy servers are an important part of information freedom and allow citizens in restrictive countries access to more information or media than they would have otherwise.
Do You Need a Proxy Server?
In the end, proxy servers are an important part of the Internet overall and play a major role in all the web traffic that flows throughout the World Wide Web each day. In most cases, you never choose to use a proxy server intentionally.
But your organization may intentionally decide to leverage proxy servers for several of the advantages above, including increased security and better monitoring of your employees’ workplace habits.
Proxy servers can help you save money and make better use of company time by giving you more direct control over the traffic that flows to and from your company’s computers.
Fortunately, LI TechSolutions can help you both set up and maintain proxy servers for the health of your organization and any other data or traffic-related goals you may have. As experts in data protection, server management, and more, we are well-equipped to help you benefit from proxy servers linked to your organization.
Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) applications are more in use than ever before. Almost every company uses either one or the other SaaS application on a daily basis. The global SaaS market size is expected to reach $185.8 billionby 2024 as businesses move online and adapt to cloud for an agile and lean growth model.
However, most companies operate under the misconception that SaaS providers are responsible for the protection of their data. In the 2020 IT Operations Survey Report, about 60% of the participants — IT leaders, IT managers and technicians from small and midsize businesses (SMBs) — believed that their data remains private and secure in the cloud, which is true but only to a certain extent. And only one-third of the SMBs backed up their SaaS application data.
There are significant limitations to SaaS data protection provided by cloud vendors. While cloud service providers do manage the network, OS and application side of things, the companies themselves are responsible for the data housed in the cloud and on cloud applications.
Let’s take a look at the top factors that lead to SaaS data loss for businesses:
Human Error – Many users find themselves in a situation where they have unintentionally deleted emails or tons of data permanently. This data often cannot be restored—not even by the SaaS providers.
Malicious Intent – Disgruntled employees that want to harm their employers can delete important information, which is often difficult to recover.
Cyberattacks – Social engineering attacks, such as phishing emails, trick employees into clicking on a link or opening an attachment that allows hackers to gain access to the company network and data. This can prove disastrous since it not only leads to a data breach but also damages the reputation of the company.
SaaS Data Backup Is the Ultimate Protection
Many SaaS providers cannot protect your SaaS data against the threat actors mentioned above. In fact, cloud providers like Salesforce and Microsoft 365® recommend third-party backup services and many compliance regulations, such as the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), Sarbanes-Oxley Act (SOX), General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and more, direct companies to adopt the “shared responsibility” model for data protection in the cloud.
According to the “shared responsibility” approach, the cloud provider bears the responsibility of the infrastructure while the customer is responsible for the control and access of the data in the cloud.
To protect your SaaS data, you need a backup solution that allows you to:
Automate your backup – Automating your backup procedure ensures that your technicians do not miss backups. Also, data can be backed up daily in the background without disrupting other applications.
Scale as required – Your backup solution must be able to scale immediately so you do not have to worry about running out of space.
Restore immediately – You must be able to restore data quickly in case of an incident, with 100% accuracy and without any data loss.
What’s Your SaaS Backup Strategy?
Every business must have its own backup and recovery strategy in place that can help them prepare for the unexpected. Using the right SaaS data backup and recovery solution can make the process easier for you. Can your backup solution fully recover your business-critical SaaS data?
Schedule a consultation with us today to learn how effective your backup solution can be in case of a disaster.
If you have been around computers, the word ransomware is a persistent part of your vocabulary. Ransomware is an extortion-based security threat against network infrastructure.
Ransomware is malware code that has been embedded into business and government network infrastructure; controlled remotely by the attacker. The assailant then threatens the victim with either publication or encryption of their data unless they pay a ransom.
Ransomware is part of the protection agenda for every company in the world. From simple code to sophisticated and vicious outcomes, ransomware has become a highly lucrative endeavor for criminal organizations around the world.
DarkSide
Ransomware and Its Cost to Business
Post Breach Mindset
What’s The Answer
Recommendations
Call Li Tech Solutions (516) 210-6400 for Answers
DarkSide
Thursday, May 6, 2021, a ransomware attack began on the most extensive pipeline infrastructure in the United States. A cybercriminal group called DarkSide roiled the energy markets and upended the supply of oil and gas to the eastern seaboard of the US. The DarkSide ransomware assault became the most significant cyber-attack on a physical operation in the history of the United States.
Ransomware code was implanted using a focused attack approach. Attacks such as the Colonial Pipeline begin with phishing or spear-phishing designed to steal or activate malware on an undefended machine.
How Does Ransomware Work?
Malware or other trojan code is inserted in an email or inadvertently downloaded by an unsuspecting employee. The implanted malware is called a RAT-remote access trojan. Once the RAT has been firmly implanted into the network, attackers control the RAT by remote control. The command center can be located anywhere in the world.
The RAT moves through the user’s network, plundering and encrypting whatever files the attacker sees as valuable. A decade ago, these techniques were used exclusively by raiders from rogue states and nations. Criminal organizations have become incredibly efficient and profitable with ransomware code. These groups see the assaults on business network infrastructures such as the Colonial Pipeline as highly lucrative.
Attackers behind the DarkSide Ransomware use a power shell to download the binary as an update.exe file. The binary is downloaded into the C:\\Windows directory and creates a shared folder on an undefended machine. The ransomware’s primary target is the domain controller for the network.
Once the domain controller has been conquered, attackers move laterally across the network, securing intelligence and files.
The FBI has revealed that in 2020 alone, business losses attributed to ransomware increased an astounding 225%. Organizations that fell victim to attack have a substantial loss of revenue, workforce reduction, and in extreme cases, a complete shutdown of operations.
Even if the organization chooses to pay the ransom, there is no guarantee their data will be returned, and the company is not immune to subsequent assaults.
Li Tech Solutions deploys an expansive array of services to its clients that will answer any perceived or imminent threats. We deal with each challenge head-on, whether the attacker is local or worlds away. Call and speak with one of our security experts. (516) 210-6400
Ransomware Attacks on Business Infrastructure Has Been Significant:
2017, FedEx reported losses of roughly $300 million from theNotPetya attack
The City of Atlanta spent $2.6 million recovering from theSamSam ransomware attack
Baltimore spent close to $18 million to reconstruct its entire network from anotherSamSam attack
Cognizant saw a substantial loss of revenue in 2020 earnings because of the Maze ransomware attack
Every industry vertical is vulnerable to a ransomware attack. The damage to brands and stature is a long-lasting problem for victim companies. Most brands feel they can come back in short order if they have adequate cyber-attack insurance and have complete data backups.
Unfortunately, even if companies purchase cyber-attack insurance, the losses are more catastrophic than what is covered. Ransomware is a pervasive threat and one in which companies of all sizes need to address with urgency.
Post Breach Mindset
Many cyber-security experts feel there is no way for businesses to ward off a ransomware attack. It is safer to assume you will be attacked, than wonder if you will.
The fact is, if you wait, you are too late.
In the past several years, there has been a lot of talk about ransomware with little action to back up the talk. Again, experts believe there needs to be an emphasis on new security methods; companies have not developed yet. Unless there is clear direction from government and tech leaders, critical infrastructures remain at risk.
Li Tech Solutions (516) 210-6400
A post-breach mindset means companies need to reset themselves and be prepared for the worst. Companies and governments need an exhaustive research and evaluation process that provides them security foresight before it is too late. A Post Breach Mindset is a lot like paying insurance. No one likes to pay until something disastrous happens.
What’s the Answer?
Once attackers have your data, they not only can demand a ransom but sell the data to your competitors. In 2019, the FBI found the average ransom payout was over $80,000 per attack.
Attackers have malware that dwells on a network for extended periods, infiltrating data they see as valuable and then deploying the ransomware with the aid of a control center. Attackers have learned to obfuscate their behaviors so thoroughly that any business can be ambushed at any time, without warning.
In the past, ransomware was all about a big splash, creating havoc, and demanding money. The sooner malware could encrypt and steal files, the better for the attackers. Ransomware has evolved into a sophisticated multifactor approach.
For Answers Contact Li Tech Solutions (516) 210-6400
Protect Your Company From Ransomware
Talk with any cyber-security expert and the prevailing method to circumvent a ransomware attack, backup, and encrypt your data on a schedule. Keeping your data safe and up to date is excellent advice but should be part of an overall layered strategy, not the only line of defense.
Ryuk Ransomware is a multi-stage attack platform that uses a TrickBot trojan with its information stealing capabilities and lateral movement across the network. With Ryuk, an attacker could encrypt the entire machine and ransom data back to the victim.
GandCrab, out of Japan now retired, controlled nearly 40% of all ransomware infections. Attackers could use stealth to update the code with new delivery mechanisms. GandCrab has now turned itself into a ransomware-as-a-service platform. Cyber-criminals log in and pay a fee to get the ransomware code.
Sodinokibi exploits the vulnerabilities in servers and other digital assets. This ransomware is considered some of the most deadly code on record.
Recommendations
Use the 3-2-1 Rule with all data backups. Keep 3 complete copies of all company data, store 2 copies on different media. Keep 1 copy off-site in a location known only to upper management.
Train your organization to recognize the methods practiced by attackers. Make certain each employee can identify and knows how to remove phishing emails. Set up a chain of responsibility, so employees know who to turn to for guidance.
Implement endpoint security protocol protection for your network. The endpoint security space has matured from a simple antivirus program into a comprehensive defense strategy. Endpoint security identifies and manages data access over corporate networks.
Endpoint security platforms protect against fileless, file-based, and alternative types of malware.
Endpoints on the network such as laptops, mobile phones, and internet of things devices are encrypted against data leaks. A device that is not compliant with overall network protocols is provisioned with restricted access.
Li Tech Solutions is a premier solution provider against ransomware and other vicious malware code. Call immediately to speak with a skilled security professional (516) 210-6400
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:
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:
Importance of BDR in Healthcare Industry
There can be severe complications when data loss happens in the healthcare industry:
If a patient’s health records go missing when needed, a life-saving surgery could get delayed or denied.
Without the billing records, a hospital cannot process payments.
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:
Financial agency regulatory agencies like the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA)
International regulators such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA)
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 for Your Business 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.
