Importance Of Network Security Audit To Avoid Business Vulnerabilities
The cyber world is full of opportunities for everyone on the planet, with equal internet access for cybercriminals, so a network security audit is vital for your protection. Cybercriminals are just as sophisticated as most search engines and take only a fraction of a second to search your network defenses to find any weaknesses and exploit them. Large companies with seemingly bottomless budgets, were up until recently cybercriminals main targets, but they are carefully guarded so the cybercriminal market have moved its attention to smaller easily penetrated areas. Because of the ever present threat of security breaches IT specialists are constantly checking monitoring and creating new ways to prevent potential threats. What a network security audit does A network audit checks your whole network security system including its hardware, software, apps, data storage and recovery as well as everyone who has access to your network and their devices looking for areas that could become security issues including: • Checking to ensure all components are configured correctly and properly working • Ensuring all components of your networking systems have the latest updates installed • They examine the data flow in and out of your business to see if your system needs modification or safety improvements • They take a very close look at the types of processes and technologies your using for anti-data theft • The audit will make an in depth and thorough analysis of your IT practices and those of everyone who has access to your network with a view to the improvement of security • They will recommend different options to leverage IT security from your existing assets and the measures you need to take and which are the right tools you need for your particular unique operation • Find any areas that need modification or replacement with new and more appropriate options An advantage of having a regular network security audit is that you have a specialist technician with an entirely fresh outlook checking your IT security system and protective measures. This often helps to locate areas that have been missed or neglected. Part of the network security audit is about testing the effectiveness of your whole system and checking for such things as any unauthorized or forgotten wireless network systems or interference that could pose a future risk. Your network security audit will provide you with a detailed report on the health of your IT security system and any measures and changes you need to implement to provide a more secure networking environment. This may mean you need to change some or all of your security polices and standards. The threat of cyber attacks, data theft and malicious attacks designed to modify your computer programs and coding, often with disastrous and damaging consequences will always be part of life on the internet. Everyone needs to take the appropriate measures to eliminate security weaknesses and possible breaches such as having a regular network audit made on your business systems to minimise the risk of cyber threats with cost effective and reliable technologies by a reliable and competent IT provider.
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What Is The Importance Of Network Security Audit?
A network security audit is designed to find areas in your network that may be venerable to attack by hackers or cybercriminals. It’s usually offered by IT managed service providers to ensure the integrity of your network. A thorough investigation is made of your cybersecurity assets and policies as well as they way you apply them to ensure you’re not at risk of a security breach. The exact method will vary depending on your network operation and they type of website you have, but the basic steps are similar to: • Asset Identification The first thing that must be done is to identify all your network assets including the devices of all people who access to it. The operating systems of all users must be checked and analyzed • Security policy reviews Reviewing who has access to which areas of your network and accessing whether other parties are a security breach. Making sure all the relevant standards are being used and analyses the technologies, controls and uses of the various devices • Updates Ensures that all manufacturers updates of hardware, software and apps are current and working • Risk Assessment Looks at assessing the possible risks and or threats to your business and what impact they could have. Placing of safety nets in case of breaches to minimise any damage and downtimes. Then prioritise all possible threat controls from the largest threat with the simplest fix to the threat that’s the most difficult to remedy • Firewall Configuration review Your network security audit will involve reviewing your fire wall, its configured and ensure it meets the latest protocols and how it deals with remote access • Penetration testing This is a test of all your security measures, where the auditors use the latest techniques to try every possible way to break your security in order to find any weaknesses that may have been missed so they can fix these issues After your network security audit has been completed the auditors will provide you a detailed report that explains any issues they found and the remedies they used to settle these issues. This report is very important because it helps you understand the areas that you need to take particular care in for you future security management and deploy extra measures to keep those areas secure. Network security is a major issue with all businesses from sole traders with none or only one employee to multinational corporations. Cyber criminals are actively searching for website they can corrupt and invade so it’s vital you take every possible precaution to safeguard you network and business. A full network security audit should be done at least once a year for low risk businesses but if you’re dealing with a lot of sensitive information you network is a prime target and should be reviewed and audited on a much more regular basis possibly monthly. A cyberattack or security breach can destroy a business overnight and also leave you open to litigation
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How Does Cyber Security Help With Authentic Transactions?
The whole world is now getting into internet marketing and virtual stores, so you can purchase almost anything online from any part of the world. Getting it home is another problem with today’s pandemic restrictions, but even those issues are being addressed online. The biggest issue facing everyone, is cybersecurity. Cyber Security in Northen Rivers are helping businesses, companies and individuals prepare themselves and their online presence to deal with cybersecurity What do we mean by Cybersecurity? Cybersecurity encompasses all aspects of protecting our data and personal information, health information, intellectual properties and personal information. Cybersecurity also extends to protecting anyone who has access to our network or interacts with any of or online entities • Cyber Risk Everyone’s cyber risks are increasing rapidly because they’re being driven by global connectivity and economic necessity. The covid-19 pandemic has forced many people below the poverty line, people who were thriving, but now are desperately looking for ways to make money to survive. With so many millions of people now having access to the internet, many with little internet training or awareness of how to protect themselves from cybercrime, there are many opportunities for fraud and black-market enterprises to take advantage of the unwary or uneducated • Inadequate Precautions The days of having a safe internet presence living behind and protected by firewalls and antivirus software are long gone. Cyber threats can come from anywhere, internally as well as externally from a variety of social scams like phishing to ransomware and malware designed to steal data or extort money from you. If you’re not worried about your cybersecurity then you need to be and take action now, contact cyber security northern rivers to find the best ways to safeguard yourself and property from cyber-criminals • Technology Reliant The world and everyone in it is becoming more reliant on technology and so cybercriminals now have to become more sophisticated and adapt to new strategies. At first they were mainly going after the big fish, multinational companies and corporations who had almost unlimited budgets. But now those companies are heavily protected so cyber crime has turned to small and individuals who are not so well guarded and are easy prey. • Using cyber security to authenticate transactions It’s vital that whenever you’re on the internet you are using cybersecurity measures to protect and authenticate your transactions to ensure that your data and personal information is secure from cyber attack. Cybercriminals can plant spyware into your system without your knowledge that tracks your movements and can affect third and fourth parties you interact with, gaining credit card numbers, bank account numbers and passwords, making your accounts and assets venerable as well as being able to access those you deal with. This makes vendor risk management and cyber security of vital importance Isolate your vital data It is important to ensure all your vital data is protected and not kept openly on your network as in the event of a security a breach, your sensitive data could be exposed and stolen or used without your knowledge. Today it’s important to ensure you are fully protected from cyber threats and that you use cyber security Northern Rivers to authenticate any transaction you have on the internet or using your sensitive information as without adequate protect you are wide open to cyber fraud.
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How To Secure Your Business Data From Hidden Internet Threats
With the huge amount of internet crime, the wide use and the convenience of the internet, there are a lot of things that could threaten your data and website. Many Companies in Gold Coast provides best IT Services which are there to help your business avoid problems of cyber crime. The only way to protect yourself and your business is to increase and harden your network protection protocols and strategies. Most people seem to think that a cyber attack or security threat will not happen to them until it’s too late. Some of the common internet threats that many people experience are: • Malware • Wi-Fi attacks • Trojan Horse • Worms • Phishing • Viruses • Spyware • Adware • DOS or denial of service attacks It’s important to know how to protect your company’s network and data; these are some ways to secure your data from hidden internet threats • Improve your control Make sure you have safeguards in place to make it difficult for others to access your network and limit access to only those who need it. Create a very strong access control policy. Protect your access with strong passwords and implement a two stage verification process. Change passwords frequently and do not forget to reset your default passwords. Keep software updated All software companies are themselves subject to cyber crime so are constantly updating their software to combat this. They send you updates to make sure any software of theirs you are using is updated with the latest regularly anti safety features to prevent cyber crime Standardize your Software When all your software is standardized it makes it much more difficult for users to install unauthorized software into your system without your approval. Insure that all computers on your network are using the same: • Operating systems • Browsers • Type of media player • Plugins • Attachments When everything is standardized it reduces the hassle and lost time of updates Insure your Network protection is always updated and turned on By using these network protection measures keep your business and traffic secured • Install a proper firewall • Ensure you access controls are in place • Use network segmentation policies • Use a VPN or virtual private network • Keep all maintenance issues up to date Employee Training Insider threats can happen by accident or intent, make sure all your employees who have access to your network need to be logged in when using. Often the weakest link in your whole system is your employees so you need to • Ensure all staff and are well versed in detecting threats to the system • Ensure all staff know exactly what to do if they detect or suspect there is a threat • Ensure that all staff are on a need to know basis and only have access to are that are required for their efficient work. If their own security measures are breached, then so is your whole system if they have access. The best way to secure your business data from hidden internet threats is by taking help of IT services on the Gold Coast. They will help you secure your network by installing all the latest safety features and anti-cyber threat software as well as provide a backup in the event your security is breached so your data safe and recoverable.
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Why Cyber Security Is Important
The modern internet is a vital part of every successful business with billions of dollars being transacted every minute by millions of users. Because of this, it has attracted the attention of society’s criminal element at cyber security, Northern Rivers we can help protect your website and your whole IT network whether you’re an individual or company with many users, Cyber criminals know that cyber crime is extremely profitable and has the advantage that they do not have to expose themselves to commit their crimes as they would in say robbing a bank or committing a home or shop burglary. Cybercrime is a very high profit, low risk industry for anyone with a low sense of right and wrong who wish to steal from others. Everyone who uses the internet is at risk of becoming a victim of the cyber criminal because: Vulnerability The internet is an extremely complicated set of computer codes that allows a multitude of computers to be joined together all across the world. Data and queries can be sent almost instantly anywhere with an instant answer. Unfortunately, the criminal element is also technically advanced and for every advance in cyber crime prevention, they soon come up with a way to get around so we all need to be constantly on guard and implement the new updates for all apps were using as they arrive Cybercriminals are after Cybercriminals are interested in all details such as personally identifiable information, health information, intellectual property, bank account information and credit card information. Some data obtained by cyber criminals may be used by them, but the majority is sold on the black market Simple firewalls and antivirus software are no longer adequate cyber security measures as cybercriminals are very sophisticated and very resourceful and no one can afford to ignore the dangers involved from scams like phishing, ransomware and other forms of malware designed to steal your data or extort money from you in a number of ways. • What is cyber security? Cybersecurity is the process used to protect computer systems, devices, networks and programs from a cyber attack or the process of recovery after a cyber attack. The internet is becoming more popular by the hour with many businesses and individuals no almost totally reliant on it for their livelihood, communication and social needs. Cyrber attacks are increasing rapidly with attackers now using social engineering and artificial intelligence much the same as Google search engines to crawl websites looking for weaknesses and ways to exploit what they find where ever they find it. • Third party danger Many websites with their own elaborate defence systems in place are often let down by third parties they deal with who have not been so vigilant in employing protective protocols, so have unbeknown to themselves, been hacked and pass this on to sites they join or link to • Why is cyber crime increasing? Because of the huge amount of information on the internet and cloud services it is very hard for authorities to detect and stop cybercrime or find the perpetrators as they can easily hide their identities making cyber crime very lucrative and relatively risk free Cyber security, Northern Rivers can help you protect your data and your whole network from the ever present threat of cyber attack which can come from many external sources or even from within your own network, you need to remain forever vigilant and have all systems independently backed up.
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Top Things To Consider While Making A Business Continuity Plan
When making a business continuity plan, there are many aspects that you need to consider apart from just your solution for emergency situations, such as your customers, clients, employees, suppliers, creditors and the debts you owe. Disasters can strike at any time; natural calamities such as storms, typhoons, bushfires, floods, earthquakes and crises such as blackouts, IT failures and infiltrations, cybercrime and robberies can all be devastating, so a proper business continuity plan is essential. These are some things to consider when making your business continuity plan: • Critical Business Functions Identify all of the business processes and functions critical to your business operations on a day to day basis and try and determine in which order they come into importance of maintaining your business functionality as well as how they can mitigate the impact of a crisis Try and identify the result of the disruption or loss of each critical business function so you can priorities the order in which these need to be reinstalled • Essential Systems and Equipment Safeguarding on site computer systems, data storage and critical information is vital as the loss of these can impact business and client relations as well as affect productivity and pose cybersecurity risks. Identify all the other equipment that is crucial to your business such as irreplaceable software and special equipment • Different Potential Threats and Risks Forming your business continuity plan strategy involves looking at all the different possible risks or threats to your business, the area around your business and making different action plans for different scenarios and the effects they may have. • Is your business predisposed to robbery or security attacks? • Are you located in an area that could flood? • Are you in an Earthquake zone? • Are you exposed to typhoons or storms? • What would happen with a terrorist attack or bombing in your area? Emergency Contact Information During an emergency, it’s often too late to search for emergency numbers and directions so have all these details on hand in case of emergencies. • Disaster Recovery Teams Make sure you have an effective disaster recovery team that includes personal from all levels of your business and they are well trained for different emergency situations with clearly assigned roles and responsibilities that relate to their expertise and abilities • Emergency Drills When you have identified all potential threats all personal need to practice and be informed about what to do during a different disaster situation, from evacuation plans to turning off equipment • Data Back Up Planning All critical data should be backed up in a safe location, such as cloud storage where it can be accessed in the event of a system failure or emergency to ensure business continuity • Alternative Facilities In the event, you need to evacuate your premises have an alternative venue you can work from and arrangements for employees to work from home and the devices they can use. You need to assign an area as a safe rally point for everyone in your company and any guests so you can take account of everyone and take any appropriate action before, during and after a crisis or disaster. Having a well planned business continuity plan can not only make it easier for your business to recover after a disaster, but can help minimise any loss or danger to human life or property.
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The Importance Of Getting Best IT Services On The Gold Coast
The Gold Coast is no longer the sleepy low keyed place it once was, yes, it’s still laid back and relatively easy going, a great place to live, bring up a family and enjoy life. But for businesses to survive and prosper, it’s vital that you’re on the cutting edge of all developments in sales, marketing and design. This means you need to have the very best IT services on the Gold Coast in your team and watching your back. Doing it yourself and relying on the old methods of, “she’ll be right mate” no longer work on the farm and just don’t cut it when your competition is super efficient and aggressive in their approach to being on top and getting the major share of the market. You need to sharpen your game and use every available means to place your company squarely on the map. Just what do the top of the line IT services on the Gold Coast do for you? • Keeping you productive Today’s business communications and data storage systems are complicated and unfortunately expensive to purchase and maintain, many apps are already redundant by the time you master them but the monthly bills keep. It’s essential to give all your customers the best possible experience in all their dealings with your company; otherwise, they are likely to find an alternative that suits them better. Any problems you experience within your networks or telecommunications system can set you back and cause delays; business time lost, really is money lost. Having an expert IT team monitoring and keeping your networks up and running properly and efficiently means you your productivity is always covered even if thing go wrong • Professional Consultation When you choose to invest in professional IT services on the Gold Coast you are more likely to thrive regardless of what size your business is. All your IT requirements such as computer hardware, software, printing and copying as well as the latest innovations like smartphones, VolP phone systems and cloud based data storage, are all covered by professionals who not only understand their installation but their practical application as well • Security Security is now a huge issue for all businesses, especially small businesses with limited budgets, but these are the ones hackers and cyber-criminals are now targeting. This is largely because they don’t have the budgets for highend security systems. IT services on the Gold Coast keep up to date with the latest advances in cyber protection to ensure they are fully protected from all threats. When you invest in their services and your network is hooked into their system, you gain their overall protective covers as well as individually designed protection that is unique to your business. This means you’re not so vulnerable and your business is secure at fraction of the cost of going it alone. Competition is now very sharp with new business starting up and vying for your business and taking your customers. The only way to keep your marketplace or build a new one is by using the latest technological advances. Teaming up with It services on the Gold Coast means your company has the advantage of the latest advances and innovations at a fraction of the cost of purchasing them to prove the best possible customer services.
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Why It Is Required To Have A Backup Of Your Server
It’s surprising how many people do not bother to backup their server on a regular basis. Although servers are reliable most of the time they are not fail proof. When you consider that all your data could be compromised of destroyed if you don’t have a backup of your server, it’s much better to be prepared for this type of problem as no one knows when disaster may strike. If you have a system failure, computer theft or a natural disaster such as fire or flooding your business could be crippled and once lost data is very hard to get back. These are the main reasons why it’s required that you backup your server • To prevent data loss If your server id damaged or lost for whatever reason the data may never be recovered. You will have lost vital information about your finances, your clients, your customers and suppliers • Data Migration You can save money and time as well as lowering the risk of data loss when transferring files from one computer system to another by using a backup server • Website protection Your website is your public online face, although your web provider will backup your server, you need to backup your whole website and web presence as if you have to restore your site and contents you may have to be off line for several days or more which risks losing customers and sales • Protect your Clients Data If you host a social media website or websites for clients you must backup your server daily, this not only protects your data, but your clients as well. It would be very bad for instilling trust and confidence in customers if you needed to ask for their data again because you failed to backup your server and plan for unforeseen accidents How to backup your server The two main types of server backup are having it done automatically using backup software and the other is manual. Both can be done onsite and or offsite. There are a range of backup software solution available online, some are free while others are a paid for service. The one you choose depends on the volume of data you need to backup and the frequency. Manual backups are more often used as a one off operation done at selected times an automatic server backup can be done on a specific schedule Data Storage When you make a backup for your server, you need to store the data. There are several options from using the cloud to a CD or memory stick. These have different costs, some are easier to use and some are more robust, so some thought is required on which is best for your needs. Most businesses will opt for onsite as well as offsite backup storage so all bases are covered in the event of disasters In most cases, a backup of your server should be made daily, once work is finished. If you have a small business and a low data input, then it could be weekly or monthly, but considering your data is the lifeblood of your business and making a backup could save it and it’s very inexpensive, unless you have a huge amount of data, it should be done as often as is practical.
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Where You Can Get Best PC Repair Services In Gold Coast
Most businesses are now relying on internet marketing to bring in new customers as well as provide the best service possible to their existing customers. This means they are totally dependent on having a fully operational IT service both for their internal and external activities. It’s imperative businesses now have access to a high quality and reliable full backup IT service when things go wrong or if you need a PC repair service on the Gold Coast you can get these solved by Netlogyx IT. Netlogyx IT Services has been looking after business and home IT systems for more than a decade with a friendly, personalized cost effective and reliable service. We offer a full 24/7 IT repair service for all your internet marketing and IT needs from networking to purchasing computers and any related equipment. At Netlogyxit we understand that when your IT systems are down or not working properly, you can’t work properly and are potentially losing customers and money, so need to be back and running at full capacity ASAP. To make sure you have the very best IT networking and PC repair system available on the Gold Coast we have developed a remote repair and monitoring system called Remote Desk. What this means for you is we can fix most IT repairs remotely and: • We will always have someone available to talk with you by phone about any PC related problems whenever you need one 24/7 • Our clients receive immediate technical support 24/7 • We can remotely access our client’s computer system to quickly fix issues at any time • Having our prearranged network monitoring system means we are constantly remotely checking your system and can locate and remedy problems often before our clients know they have them. (Then notify them what the problem was and what we did to fix it) • We offer data protection and recovery service We can solve all your IT networking and PC issues including • Slow networking and computer uploading or downloading problems • Virus protection and elimination • App problems and appropriate solutions • Smart phone problems and repairs • Lost files and hard-drive problems • Data backup and storage problems • Hardware problems, including copiers, printers, laptops and tablets • Predictive failure where we closely monitor the individual components of your whole It system so we can predict when things are likely to break down and take preventative measures • Configuring apps and programs appropriately for your business and individual needs If it’s a computer or networking problem and we can’t fix it, then it means it can’t be fixed. We also supply the latest and most innovative computer and hardware systems and equipment now available at realistic prices. The internet is an organic structure that’s always growing and changing, at Netlogyxit services we actively review reports and issues so are able to make positive and helpful suggestions on improving and streamlining your IT system to help make your business more efficient and cost effective. Proper and effective communication is vital for all businesses today. The backbone of your business is your IT system, having Netlogyxit services looking after all your IT networking and PC repairs on the Gold Coast means you are totally protected 24/7. We offer the very best service for all your IT networking needs.
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What Is The Importance Of A Business Continuity Plan?
All businesses today, regardless of their size or location need to have a viable business continuity plan so they are able to face and deal with any challenge that comes along. There are many potential risk factors involved in business from natural disasters and accidents to human error and dishonesty, theft and vandalism as well as internet malfunctions and cyber crime. Many of these may cause a major setback or total ruination if a business doesn’t have a well thought and actionable business continuity plan. The difference between being down for a few hours, a couple of days, weeks or months can often come down to how well you have planned and your business continuity strategy. The following are some reasons for the importance of a business continuity plan: A Complete Inventory One of the first thing you need to do when developing your business continuity plan is to make a map of all your assets and resources so you can understand the ways they may be compromised or disrupted. • You need a comprehensive plan of your whole operation, including all the people who work for you, contractors and employees. All the equipment you use and properties you own or utilize. • Your computer network and contacts • A full list of all your stock on hand and any out on jobs or ordered and not yet received, etcetera. This is essential so you have a realistic idea of where you are right now and your strengths as well as weaknesses allowing you to plan an effective continuity plan. Analyze any threats Now you have a list of all your assets and essential elements that make up your operation. You need to find all the risk factors you could face, from half you key workforce being sick with the flu or being poached by your competitors’. Consider natural disasters such as fire, flooding earthquakes, political anarchy, cyber attacks or malware effectively compromising your IT. What would do if a major contract you were working on went broke and could not pay you? You have a major data breach or are facing legal action, a major change in the law affecting your working conditions. There is a whole range of people who are qualified and equipped to help you calculate, plan for risks and develop a continuity plan. These include accountants, insurers, business coaches, and technical support providers/ Some risks are very unlikely, while others are almost guaranteed to happen at some stage, but having a workable business, you are likely to be one of the few survivors in the event that the unthinkable happens. Plan for the worst and be ready, but hoping for the best is a policy that will ensure if things go wrong, you will have a contingency plan to make sure that you are able to cope with and eventually recover from setbacks and things beyond your control, even in the worst scenario. At the very least, making a business continuity plan will help you see areas of your business operation where you can make improvements to reduce the likely hood of unforeseen circumstances that could compromise or harm your business. It’s a chance to streamline existing business operations and place any necessary safeguards to protect your future business interests.
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