Protecting the Information & Systems We Rely on Every Day
We are living large in a digital world. Many of us are not quite sure how to manage safely all of our online interactions from email, online banking and purchasing, social networks and business interactions. Still we trust the daily sites we use, from Facebook and Google to Yahoo, gmail and the frequent websites we view.
In March this year we reported on Bend-based Redhawk’s newest security solution (AlienVault USM) that enhances threat detection and remediation for proven Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP). Redhawk is a provider of managed security services for financial institutions, medical providers and any organization seeking to improve their cyber security methods and infrastructure. That could be all businesses in Central Oregon!
Redhawk now has a complete service package that includes proactive monitoring of security events and the ability to react quickly to mitigate threats to the enterprise. Announcing the AlienVault system Tyler Hardison, director of innovation for Redhawk, reported their clients haVE been asking us for a solution that meets the request of their various regulators and customers.
Another Bend-based company, Hueya Inc., reported in an article in CBN by its CEO Lewis Howell that in cybersecurity, the landscape is always changing and evolving. “Whether realized or not, most of us are engaging in cybersecurity. You may choose to run antivirus/anti-malware software or applications. You may use an external source or program, such as Dropbox, to store data. Perhaps you are cautious or skeptical about random emails or ads. You may advise your children to be wary in online environments just as you would caution them in other physical spaces. These steps indicate our drive toward safety. However, none of us can be too safe in cyberspace: you are the one who holds the keys to the data that cybercriminals want access to.”
In 2015 after reviewing the identity theft market Lewis found an interesting gap. Current service providers focused on reacting to crimes and not preventing them. “Hueya exists to fill this gap,” he explained, “by building tools to help proactively safeguard and secure personal and private information online.”
Early this year Hueya released Hueya Family, personal privacy software built to assist parents in making their families safer online. Hueya’s family platform protects parent’s and kid’s privacy on social media, the open web and the dark web through a three-step process. The software assesses each family member’s risk level, provides tools for increased privacy and alerts both parents and kids to changes in exposure.
Plugging Leaks in Your Business
First, actively monitor networks for suspicious third-party activity. Investigate the best monitoring systems for your type and size of company. Find one that will continually scan and update you as new threats become apparent and a remediation process suggested. The current hacking tool of choice is a Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack, in which hackers overload a business’s network with simultaneous queries from hundreds or thousands of sources. These attacks cannot be prevented but the damage they cause can be limited once they are detected.
Second, prepare a plan or strategy to handle an attack once it is detected. Sony, when it was hacked, realized that its early response did not treat the 2014 cyberattack as anything more than a nuisance. Distribute.IT acknowledged that its response had positive and negative aspects, but that ultimately it wasted a lot of time with a response that was more reactive than proactive.
Third, consider procuring cyber security insurance to cover the costs of financial losses associated with a successful hack. Insurance is the last bastion of protection against cyberattacks. In a worst-case scenario, cyber protection insurance can prevent a business failure by giving the business a financial lifeline to rebuild lost infrastructure and customer goodwill. In this issue Matt McGowan of PayneWest Insurance talks about cyber liability. He says we all hear stories about how a cyber-attack took down a large network or stole information, but what does this mean for small local businesses? Every business large or small that has valuable information can be a target.
Matt reminds us to make sure our IT system is up to date and make sure that your staff knows how to keep information secure. Insurance carriers have developed many different products and policies to protect your organization from the costs involved in a cyber or data breach.
Fourth, check out the article on www.cascadebusnews.com on Credit, Debit Card Security Tips for Consumers, November 2016. You can shop with confidence by following these simple security safety tips offered by Mid Oregon Credit Union.
