Tag: Enterprise Security

According to research conducted by Hiscox, 7 out of 10 small businesses have not taken basic steps to safeguard themselves from cybercrime. Taking essential cybersecurity measures, like establishing a network firewall, is incredibly essential for businesses small and large. Firewalls stop malicious actors and hackers from getting access to your company’s sensitive data and protect your organization from cyber threats, like malware and virus.

What is a Network Firewall Security?

A firewall is a software or hardware network security system designed to protect your network from malicious, unwanted approaches made by hackers. A firewall safeguards your network from external threats and provides end-to-end security by carefully analyzing information getting in and out of your network.

Here are 9 reasons why every business should have a network firewall.

1. Safeguards Your Company Against Hackers

A network firewall protects company data by sending timely alerts whenever there is a breach or an attempt to breach made in your network. There is malicious software that is capable of getting attached to the network’s incoming traffic. Firewall networks are capable of blocking them. Nowadays, cybercriminals get access to a business’s network and system through social engineering.

Cyber hackers and criminals use several tactics and tricks to trap employees that can provide hackers with the company’s sensitive information. Employees must be trained about being aware of cyber hacks and the tricks they use. It is important for the company to invest in both – educating employees and a good firewall.

2. Protects Your Company Data In the Cloud

With the increasing quantity of data being created and shared internally in organizations, it is absolutely necessary for businesses to resort to cloud data services. So many businesses are continuously opting to host their data in the cloud instead of their servers.

Though it is a great move financially, it does have a risk and a downside – you are not in control of your data. You have no option but to trust the cloud data service provider you choose for data storage. Having a network firewall and a firewall policy in place minimizes that risk considerably. Firewalls check and re-check every bit of data to make sure no type of malicious code gets into the system.

3. Allows You To Block Access to Certain Websites

While the internet has made the world a global village, it is also home to many unsafe websites. A firewall allows you to block unsafe and suspicious websites that you want to restrict your employees from visiting. This is very useful if you want to restrict your employees from visiting inappropriate sites or those suspicious sites that might consist of malicious downloads while working in your organisation.

For instance, you can choose to block gambling sites, pornographic websites, and social media websites. With a network firewall, you, as an employer, stay in control of what your employees can access when they use the organisation’s computers at work. This is great from the perspective of increasing productivity as well.

4. Helps Secure Network When Being Accessed Remotely

With the novel coronavirus taking over the world and lockdowns being declared in many countries, remote working is now being happily accepted as a part of work culture. So many organizations worldwide had no other option but to rely on remote working. Though it was a partially great thing for both employees and employers, protecting our network when employees are working outside of your internet service provider is much more tricky.

Having a firewall established secures the connection between your remote employees and your company’s server. Moreover, it also blocks unauthorized access and restricts them from accessing the data being shared.

5. Helps In Limiting Bandwidth Usage

Bandwidth usage which is not business-related is another problem businesses have to deal with. When there are fewer people using the internet for lesser things, internet speed is much faster. If fewer people are using it, the data speed that employees can enjoy will be much higher and they will be able to get their work done faster. This proves to be especially true when employees start exploiting the company’s internet for consuming content which is not related to work, like listening to music and watching videos.

A firewall enables you to limit the internet bandwidth amount that is being used for non-work-related things. The firewall does not turn off the internet entirely but lets you limit how much bandwidth can be used for watching videos or looking at pictures, amongst other things. This is how firewalls help in saving bandwidth and reserving faster speeds for only work-related activities solely.

6. It Can Be Used For Providing VPN Services

In the normal internet we use, the data being shared and transmitted across any public network is not secure and may carry malicious software. Network firewalls provide VPN services that don’t just conceal data and information shared between two parties but also act as a point of entry which connects your company’s WAN (Wide Area Network) and LAN (Local Area Network).

VPN (Virtual Private Network) uses coding technology or encryption for the protection of the communication and data shared amongst employees of the organization. A company’s firewall settings can be configured in a way that only specific computers can access the internet. A tunnel can also be used to connect these computers which enables them to communicate over the internet securely.

7. Makes Using New Apps a Safer Experience

One of the main functions of a firewall is to monitor your network tirelessly and block any traffic that has the potential of being a threat to an organization. This function makes integrating new software and applications a much safer experience. Without the presence of a network firewall, new applications downloaded may enter a connection that might compromise your business data and network.

On the other hand, an efficient firewall managed by a network security services provider identifies and flags malicious activity before it happens and causes any harm. When you get a good firewall installed in your organization, you do not have to worry about these things.

8. Helps in Meeting Compliance

Cybersecurity regulations involve complicated legal language. Additionally, compliance regulations also keep updating and upgrading frequently. However, no matter how complicated it is, it is important for every organization to comply with regulations like the PCI security standards and HIPAA Security Rule. A good, updated network firewall doesn’t just protect your network, it also helps your company comply with all the necessary cybersecurity regulations and security standards.

9. Protects Your Company’s Network, Data, & Employees from Malicious Code

Computers run on code, and this code enables people, businesses, and networks around the world to communicate. As fascinating as code is, it also brings some major issues that need to deal with. It brings a lot of unnecessary junk into your computer and networks, uses unnecessary space, and wastes resources.

Additionally, hackers and cybercriminals use code to break into your network and then use more codes to hide spam, viruses, and worms. These malicious codes have the potential of harming your organization by giving hackers access to your valuable data.

With a firewall in place, you rest assured that groundbreaking software is looking after your network 24/7. It also checks each and every single code that comes in and goes out. Moreover, it also reports any attempts that are made to intrude on your server or network incorrectly or illegally.

Firewalls ruthlessly block anything that is out of the ordinary and this protects your network’s systems and the valuable data that resides in it. A firewall is also capable of learning and remembering malicious applications that breached or attempted to breach your network, blocking them, and further protecting your network.

With PruTech by your side, you can rest assured that your business is in safe hands. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you protect your business from cyber threats.

Want to install a network security firewall in your organization? Have a look at our cyber security consulting services here

What are the potential risks of Ransomware to businesses?

Data is a critical asset for any organization, whether it’s a startup or a well-established enterprise. Protecting data is a significant challenge that businesses face in today’s digital age. Unfortunately, with the increasing incidents of Ransomware attacks, many organizations are paying hefty amounts in the form of cryptocurrency to regain their data and resume working.

Despite advanced cybersecurity measures, cyber attackers are continually finding new ways to gain access to crucial organizational data. This trend is alarming, and it is essential for enterprises to closely monitor the root cause of any Ransomware attack that has occurred recently. By doing so, they can implement security measures to avoid critical assets from being attacked.

The potential risks of Ransomware to businesses are significant. Not only can it cause financial losses, but it can also damage a company’s reputation and customer trust. Therefore, it is crucial for businesses to take proactive measures to protect their data and prevent Ransomware attacks from happening in the first place.

One way to do this is by investing in robust cybersecurity solutions that can detect and prevent Ransomware attacks. Additionally, businesses should educate their employees on how to identify and avoid potential Ransomware threats. By doing so, they can create a culture of cybersecurity awareness and reduce the risk of Ransomware attacks.

Ransomware attacks cause major losses to businesses. The most impactful of them include:

  • Monetary Loss: Ransomware attackers often demand hefty amounts from businesses. Apart from this, due to inaccessibility to crucial data and files there is a huge loss of revenue. Due to the unavailability of the business resources service availability also affected leading to customer dissatisfaction.
  • Ransom payment: Businesses have to pay amounts varying anything between hundreds and billions of dollars depending upon the size of the organisation. Sometimes there is no guarantee that the data and files are restored or unlocked. Regulatory authorities often discourage companies from paying the Ransomware.
  • Business reputation: Data being the most valuable asset, the onus lies on the organisation to safeguard it. In the event of a Ransomware attack the business reputation gets impacted when the news comes out. Most of the customers become apprehensive of the safety of their data and start doubting the credibility of the organization. In such situations, it becomes a difficult task for organizations to retain clients and customers. 
  • Regulatory fines: In certain instances where sensitive customer data is compromised due to Ransomware attacks businesses have to face regulatory fines and legal issues slapped by customers and clients. It becomes an added burden for the business apart from paying for the Ransomware.

Conclusion

 Ransomware attacks pose a severe threat to businesses, and it is essential for organizations to take proactive measures to protect their data. By investing in robust cybersecurity solutions and educating employees on how to identify and avoid potential threats, businesses can reduce the risk of Ransomware attacks and safeguard their critical assets.

To avoid ransomware attacks, businesses need to be careful and have good security measures in place. They should also back up their data regularly, so they can recover it if something bad happens. If a business does get hit by a ransomware attack, they should have a plan in place to deal with it.

At PruTech, we believe that prevention is the best defense against cyber threats. That’s why we offer a comprehensive range of services that include risk assessments, vulnerability testing, and incident response planning. Our goal is to help businesses identify potential vulnerabilities and develop effective strategies to mitigate them.

With PruTech by your side, you can rest assured that your business is in safe hands. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help you protect your business from cyber threats.

To learn more, contact us Contact 24/7 – PruTech (prutechindia.com).

Cybercrime is a frighteningly serious challenge. Regardless of size and industry, organizations have witnessed the disastrous effects of cyberattacks. As we grow technologically advanced, malicious actors are getting creative, employing unique tactics to breach enterprise security.

Between 2020 and 2021, there was a 31% spike in security attacks, according to Accenture’s “State of Cybersecurity Resilience 2021” report. Also, the per company attacks have increased to 270 from 206. The global cyber community has seen some of the biggest cybersecurity violations in the last two years. Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack reported in 2021 shut down the entire oil supply across the East Coast of the US for several days. A few months before this, attackers gained illegal access to several governments and private systems worldwide in the SolarWind attack.

The increasing number of cyber attacks prompted the US government to release an Executive Order mandating the organizations to follow a set of best practices and voluntary standards to ensure a resilient cybersecurity framework.

Regardless of the government mandates and complex technology, attackers are finding sophisticated ways to maneuver through and breach your system. In addition, the normalization of remote work has led to a broader and more vulnerable surface area. A report on Covid-19’s impact on business security revealed that remote workers accounted for 20% of cyberattacks during the pandemic.

With cybercriminals hiding their tracks smartly, remaining in the shadows of the cloud, and exploiting complex vulnerabilities, organizations must leave no stone unturned to improve their security posture. Below we have summarized the top 11 cybersecurity best practices that businesses should adopt to mitigate cybercrimes and stay compliant with evolving regulatory requirements.

11 Best Cybersecurity Practices

1.  Mitigate human risks

It is commonly said that the weakest link in an organization’s security stance is the human link. Hackers prefer breaching into your systems through people. You can plug this comparatively easy entry point of attacks by educating your employees on cybersecurity best practices. While effectively communicating with all your team members, you must allow them to adopt security measures with complete autonomy. One tried and tested practice is to make them responsible for the data they work with. It will infuse an added sense of accountability and lead them to take cybersecurity seriously.

Creating awareness among your team about social engineering tactics like phishing, pretexting, quid pro quo, and tailgating will enable them to avoid attacker’s baits.  

2.  Reduce employee negligence

Although we talked about giving your employees autonomy in implementing security measures, it is advisable to investigate any potential employee negligence. It is crucial since about 22% of the cyberattacks in 2022 occurred due to employee oversights and mistakes.

Training your employees on security best practices specific to their processes is essential. Running them through real-life security breaches and potential threats that your organization constantly faces can help reduce employee negligence. You can also make your employees a part of your cybersecurity policy-making process by seeking their suggestions. Also, ensure that your employees use proper email and URL screening mechanisms to eliminate spam.

3.  Secure remote devices

Despite its benefits of flexibility and speed, remote working has an unfavorable impact on security. By enabling your team to access confidential data from remote locations and different devices, you open up more doors for hackers to intrude into your system. Inform employees strictly about the disastrous consequences of not keeping their workplaces secure.

As an organization, you must gain complete control and visibility into your team’s critical assets and data access. You must regulate data transfer from one location to another by remote workers.

4.  Improve password management

Most employees often use the same password for years and across multiple platforms. This is a major red flag. Passwords must be unique, complex, and unpredictable. Each password must contain a mix of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. You must also mandate that your employees update their passwords regularly.

In addition to protecting access to your assets, you must also protect your passwords. They might get lost or stolen, thereby making your system vulnerable. A password manager can help you handle passwords securely, ensuring your critical data’s safety. Implementing multi-factor authentication is a practice that most organizations prefer. It involves an authorization layer such as OTP and biometrics in addition to passwords.

5.  Implement the least privilege principle

Access to sensitive business assets must be stringent. A good way is to give everyone in your organization the default or fewest privileges. You can set a process for privilege escalation so that you can track who is accessing what. Also, you can revoke access if access to confidential data is no longer needed.

The principle of least privilege (POLP) might seem tedious, but it can be a lifesaver. Multiple access management solutions are available to make privilege management easier.

Zero trust security policy is yet another practice similar to the principle of least privilege (POLP). It rules that only the devices and user accounts that have been thoroughly authenticated and verified must be allowed to access systems. Both least privilege and zero trust policies will significantly reduce the risk of insider threats.

6.  Monitor supply chain risks

The software supply chain risks have grown so severe that the US government had to include them as a special mention in its cybersecurity EO. Including code blocks from open-source or third-party vendors is a common practice among the developer community. Although it speeds up the development process, there are significant threats associated with such an approach.

Hackers notoriously inject corrupted code into open-source code, which can wreak havoc on your system if not eliminated. To avoid adding malicious code to your system, evaluate the code you’re picking up from outside and check it for any known vulnerabilities.

7.  Backup critical data

Irrespective of your security frameworks’ robustness, it is important to have backups of all your confidential data. With increasing ransomware attacks and hackers demanding steep prices in exchange for your data, backups will save the day. Not just with ransomware, saving your data copies as backups can help you during data loss incidents like cloud breaches, equipment breakdowns, and accidental deletions.

8.  Document cybersecurity policy

Ensuring consistency and standardization concerning security measures should be a priority for your organization. It is possible quite easily by documenting your cybersecurity policy. The document can be shared across the organization and used as a primer.

9.  Safeguard your corporate network

A compromised or weak network gives hackers direct access to critical data in your systems. Use a firewall to avoid such incidents. It provides a strong barrier between your data and cyber threats by deflecting access requests that don’t match the predetermined criteria.

In addition to an external firewall, you can also set up an internal network firewall to have an added layer of security. If you allow remote work for your employees, ensure that they use a firewall for their home network through which they access the data.

10. Undertake cybersecurity audits

Frequent evaluation and analysis of your systems and assets will help you detect any vulnerability or security threat that was previously invisible. It will also identify security gaps such as unused accounts, unnecessary privileges, and redundant access permissions. Auditing, however, requires you to have a thorough check analysis of data collected from audit logs, session records, and metadata.

11. Install anti-malware software

No matter how many training sessions you take, even the expert resources will make mistakes, like falling prey to phishing techniques. Phishing scam generally involves attempts to have your employees click on an unharmful-looking link, only to install malware onto their system. The purpose of this tactic is to steal user credentials or sensitive data. The phishing scams run by hackers are so ingenious and thoroughly researched that it is not impossible to be filled by them. Therefore, investing in an effective anti-malware solution or anti-virus is only advisable. Such tools detect malicious links and alert your employees.

Conclusion

Cybersecurity has grown from an issue affecting massive organizations to a plague hurting almost every enterprise, big or small. In the current environment of data-driven innovation, safeguarding sensitive information is of utmost importance. Your only chance to tackle cyber threats is to build a resilient system and enhance your security posture.

PruTech is an industry leader in offering cybersecurity services to help organizations become more secure. With data being the new oil in this information age, our services take care of complete security lifecycle management for on-premises and cloud infrastructure.