We live in a data-driven world, which means leveraging data to make strategic business decisions is more critical than ever. But how do you keep loads of data easily accessible, pared-down, and up to date? The key is to develop your own data architecture. What Is Data Architecture? Data architecture is the blueprint for how data moves through your organization, including how it’s captured, used, transformed, stored, and distributed. With a strong focus on data accessibility and security, your architecture acts as a system for keeping an organization's data strategy aligned with its larger business goals. Developing Your Framework: Getting Started There’s no universal system for developing a modern data architecture framework, but these steps will help you get started [...]

From meeting compliance requirements to protecting your business’s bottom line, safeguarding sensitive data is essential to the success of your business, but do you have a solid management model in place to ensure you can do so effectively? Often used to secure personally identifiable information (PII), data protection management is a strategic combination of human and automated data backup and protection processes, and we break down the best practices you should follow to make sure your management is always up to speed with the latest regulations and security threats. Data Protection Principles to Guide Your Approach The United States doesn’t currently have a central federal data protection law. However, different industries across the country often work toward the same [...]

This article will explore the most commonly asked questions about the dark web and offer insights on how to prevent your organization’s data from ending up there. What is the dark web? The dark web and the deep web are terms that are often used interchangeably. The deep web is everything on the internet that is not indexed in search engines. This can include data like health records, confidential web pages, fee-based content, membership-based websites,  et cetera. Basically, anything that is not findable via Google or other search engines. If you have ever logged into Netflix to watch a movie or signed into Amazon to place an order, then you have been exposed to the deep web. The deep web [...]

Cybercriminals are always evolving their methods of getting unauthorized access to your private information and with the rapid, on-a-dime increase of the remote workforce, 2020 has been an exceptional year for cybercrime. According to phishing.org, phishing is a type of cybercrime in which a hacker contacts the target by email, phone, or SMS message (text message) and they pose as a recognized institution, business, or other organization. The purpose of phishing is to persuade people to provide private or sensitive data, like personal information, credit card and banking information, and login information (usernames, passwords, passphrases, etc.).  In this article, we will go over some of the most common phishing phenomena reported in 2020. Security awareness is the most effective way [...]

Phishing is a type of social engineering used to steal and collect data like login credentials, credit card, and bank account numbers, and other private information, or to get access to your company’s network. When they have that information, they can use it (or sell it) for identity theft, to access your accounts, or pose as you to people you know to get their information. Attackers pose as trusted entities, fooling victims into opening and clicking on the email, instant messages, and text messages.  Awareness is the best defense against phishing and other types of cybercrime. According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), phishing messages often look like they’re from a company you know or trust. These messages often tell [...]

Unfortunately, email phishing and other types of cybercrime have gone up significantly during the Coronavirus pandemic. The surge in working from home has left many organizations vulnerable to hackers. Suddenly, millions of people now access their company networks over their home WiFi connections. Hackers capitalize on the new opportunities that the pandemic has presented.   Has your organization been phished? We hope not. Just in case, here are some things to watch out for if you want to stay protected.    Heads up, we are indulging in some phishing puns on this post, so you've been warned.    Social Media as “Bait”   Fake social media emails, especially from LinkedIn (or supposedly from LinkedIn), are especially enticing as phishing schemes. [...]

Holding a person's or business's data for profit has been wildly successful in the most recent years. The cybersecurity world may seem complicated for many non-IT experts to understand; however, the act is pure and shares a common goal. Ransomware is a form of malware that locks a person or business's out of their hard drive, preventing the owner from accessing the files, and demanding payment for the release of the data.  No business is immune to a malware attack, and an attack can be costly. Did you know that the average cost of a ransomware attack can cost well over $133,000 per attack? When your digital systems come under attack, it can be extremely stressful can put your business [...]

February 5, 2018 – Think you’ve received an email from a company you know?  Maybe not. Cyber attackers often use a fake email that appears to be legit to trick you into sending them money.  Maybe you received an email from a familiar company, stating that there has been a last-minute change.  They say their bank has a provided them with a new wire transfer number and they're asking you to wire the money to this new number. Unfortunately, if you wire money to a scammer, there’s a good chance you will never see that money again. Sometimes cyber criminals will send an email trying to trick you into providing login credentials to popular websites like Amazon and banking sites [...]

January 29, 2018 – As an IT support company, we spend a lot of time obsessing about the technology we use to keep our customers’ data safe and secure from cyber criminals.  But if you’re not into all that tech detail, what steps can you take on your own to protect your data? Are there non-technical security measures you can take? Absolutely.  When we implement a data security solution we think about a multi-layered approach that goes beyond the technology. In fact, one of the most critical elements is the people factor.  Careless behavior by employees is a leading cause of data breaches.  And while not malicious or intentional, the security breach is still a very painful reality for small [...]