blackbottledev, Author at Black Bottle IT

Cybersecurity Meets Work from Home

by blackbottledev | Oct 1, 2020 | Cybersecurity

During the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was much uncertainty. As the country continued to learn and react to the changing landscape, most small/midsize businesses were reading daily news reports to determine if their business sector was deemed essential and how to quickly transition the relevant workforce to work from home.

Pre-COVID-19, most companies had some casual work from the home infrastructure. But as the demand for a more robust solution became a reality, some IT professionals scrambled to meet this new challenge. They quickly developed work from home solutions that enabled large numbers of in-office personnel to transition to work-at-home quickly.

In some cases, these solutions were never meant to be a permanent solution. But, as businesses all over the country continue to adapt to every changing landscape, the need for a robust, and possible hybrid solution, allowing employees to work from home and/or in the office all while having a seamless experience.

Statistics for employees working from have organically risen over the last 15 + years. According to Global Workplace Analytics (GWPA), work from home has grown 173% since 2005. The COVID-19 pandemic will only accelerate this trend. The GWPA estimates that 25%-30% of the entire workforce will be working from home multiple days a week by the end of 2021.

Potential Cybersecurity Weaknesses in the Home Office

Personal computers, smartphones and other devices aren’t secure beyond a simple antivirus program or firewall. Last month, the issue was so worrisome to experts that the International Association of IT Asset Managers (IAITAM) warned government agencies, businesses and other organizations of the risks involved with letting employees work from home without secure devices.

While many precautionary steps can be taken by the individual worker with the help of his/her IT department, companies should enact policies and take measures to further shore up their remote employees’ defenses.

Extraordinary Times

To be sustain or emerge during these extraordinary times, we believe that organizations should prioritize and formalize:

Develop a remote work program with policies and practice under a Risk Management umbrella
Establish a cybersecurity work from home policy that specifies cybersecurity training for every employee

Benefits when one Works from Home

While there are distractions while working from home and pressures to hit deadlines working from home also offers employees benefits beyond the safety from COVID-19 pandemic. It is estimated that employees save between $2,500 and $4,000 per year on things like gas and lunch out, which is the equivalent of 11 work days per year.

The coronavirus pandemic has forced both employers and employees to quickly adjust to remote working. Most of us believe that work from home is here to stay and data trends suggest it will continue to grow in the years to come. Companies must adapt to this new work environment by providing their workforces with solutions that give employees a seamless experience to collaborate with co-workers, access to all systems and allow for the servicing of customers.

Black Bottle IT is a leading cybersecurity team of experts who work with organizations to develop work from home cyber security protocol, tools and architecture, employee cybersecurity training and compliance checks.

We will meet with you to assess your workplace environment and what applications you use — both network and cloud-based. We will look at how your end users are deployed and what type of device support you require. Understanding the architecture, our goal is to keep remote employees protected and educated against malicious cybersecurity risks.

Let us help you make working from home safer.

Cyber Threats and Law Firms

by blackbottledev | Jan 25, 2020 | Cybersecurity

As a law firm, you think a lot about issues of privacy and security. You conduct confidential conversations with clients, ensure paperwork is handled in the most secure way possible, and protect your clients’ information at every turn. But what would you say if we told you your data could be stolen despite the strongest locks or most secure confidentiality measures?

Lawyers tend to be at greater risk of experiencing cyber threats. Read on to learn why and what you can do to protect yourself and your firm from these attacks.

Why Cyber Security Matters

Before we dive into cyber threats for law firms, let’s talk some about why cybersecurity matters. These days, nearly every aspect of our lives is online. This includes banking information, mortgage payments, school information, even health data.

When you’re working with a client, you need them to know they can trust you with their sensitive data. A strong cybersecurity system will assure them that their information is safe with you. This can help you build a stronger attorney-client relationship with them moving forward.

Why Law Firms Are at Greater Risk

Unfortunately, law firms are at a greater risk for cyber-attacks because they handle such sensitive information. A breach would not only compromise your client’s data, but it would also compromise their trust in you.

Some law firms allow their attorneys to work remotely. While convenient, this can represent further vulnerabilities to your system.

Many law firms are also running outdated or unsecured systems. If you’ve been in practice for a long time, you may still be in the process of switching over from paper to digital formats. And if you haven’t consulted with a cybersecurity expert, your firm and its data could be vulnerable to attacks.

How You Can Protect Yourself

One of the first things you should do when you’re stepping up your cybersecurity measures is to use strong passwords and multi-factor authentication in every area of your system. This means that in addition to a strong password, you should require employees to answer a security question. They can also provide a form of biometric identification to access restricted areas.

You may also want to look into putting breach policies in place. Having a pre-and post-breach policy and working with an MSP provider to monitor your network can help secure your system and your clients’ trust.

Black Bottle IT services can help you implement all these security measures and more to keep your clients’ information safe.

Protect Yourself from Cyber Threats

Cyber threats are a very real and dangerous part of our world today, especially for law firms. Keep your password systems up to date and secure and you’ll be much less vulnerable to these attacks. And look into hiring a company like Black Bottle IT to keep your clients’ data safe.

If you’d like to get your cybersecurity measures up to scratch, check out the rest of our site at Black Bottle IT.

We can provide fully managed IT support with both work-from-home and work-from-office solutions.

Cybersecurity and Telecommuting Jobs

by blackbottledev | Oct 1, 2019 | Cybersecurity

The COVID-19 pandemic has ushered in many day-to-day changes in most people’s lives. A Gallup Poll reported on May 22, 2020, that almost 7 in 10 employees were working from home.

This shift has made cybersecurity the #1 concern across the technology industry. Employees working in telecommuting jobs often believe their home is safe. Companies must educate their workers about cybersecurity and provide protection.

Continue reading to learn more about this critical issue.

Increase in Remote Workers with the COVID-19 Pandemic

Safe-at-home and social distancing mandates forced companies to create a virtual work environment. This change is being called a “watershed moment” in the workforce configuration. The June 2020, Conference Board survey of 154 human capital executives showed that they see this as a long-term change.

This anticipated change is the result of both health and economic concerns. Factors include lower real estate costs and decreased access of employees to childcare.

Since the pandemic closed schools and daycares, employees no longer have childcare options. Thus, employers can keep their employees working by moving to remote settings.

Cybersecurity Risks Associated with Telecommuting Jobs

The pandemic not only brought health risks but an increase in cybersecurity attacks . Threats erupted via email and endpoint-security gaps. Much of this resulted from the rapid change to remote work.

In response to these threats, 38 states, including Washington D.C. and Puerto Rico, are taking action. They’ve introduced over 280 new cybersecurity bills.

You may ask why remote settings increase the risk. In the traditional office setting, IT managers control the Wi-Fi networks.

Most home networks have weaker protocols. This means that hackers can more easily access home network traffic.

The greatest cause of data breaches occurs through phishing attacks. These hackers appear legitimate. Their masterfully compelling emails contain dangerous links and attachments. It only takes one employee clicking on the link for the hacker to gain access to the computer.

When the employee connects to the company’s network, the cybercriminal can also gain access. One fatal click can bring the business to a standstill.

Another security risk involves cutting corners. This can occur when systems aren’t encrypted, lack two-factor authentication, or have lax password practices.

In today’s world, it’s not worth the risk. Make sure that all remote workers use encryption and two-factor authentications. This is vital if they access the main network.

Also, establish standards for passwords and enforce password changes on a set schedule. Most experts recommend moving from hardware-based legacy VPNs to cloud-agnostic and scalable solutions. VPNs can leave vulnerabilities in your remote security efforts.

Actions to Mitigate Risks with Remote Workers

Educate employees on cybersecurity and track the user’s compliance with security standards. Part of cybersecurity awareness should teach employees to watch for signs of breaches. This can include:

Unexpected installation of new programs
Noticeable slowing of computer processing
Odd pop-up ads showing on the screen
Losing control of the keyboard or mouse

The best practice is to conduct periodic virtual training updates for all employees. Provide updates on the latest cyber-attack strategies.

Also, reiterate the importance of maintaining vigilance as they work remotely. Remind them that no one else should use the company-provided computer for any reason. This can be tempting when working from home.

Do You Have a Remote Workforce?

Does your company have employees working in telecommuting jobs? Are you meeting the cybersecurity standards described in this article?

Black Bottle IT offers next-generation technology security solutions to ensure cybersecurity compliance. We continuously monitor for vulnerabilities and attacks.

We understand that protecting customer data is the highest priority.

And, click on over to our blog on the Importance of Cybersecurity Training for Your Team.

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