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Questions You MUST Ask your Managed IT Services Provider

As a business owner, you know technology is critical to your success and here are questions you must ask your managed IT services provider.

This will ensure you have a clear understanding of your organization’s IT network, computers, and security.

Below are seven questions that are essential to ensure everything is updated and running smoothly.

1: How Are My Network Passwords Stored?

Your managed IT services provider has the keys to your network.  Managed IT providers have become prime targets for hackers and cybercriminals.  What secure systems do they use to secure and control access to your critical passwords and network information?  What safeguards prevent former employee or cybercriminals from stealing your passwords and data?

2: Who Validates Your managed IT services provider security?

Successful managed IT services providers work hard to stay on top of rapidly evolving cybersecurity measures. Your IT provider likely has many suggestions to improve your security but how is their security? Who is validating their cyber security measures?  Is your managed IT services provider externally audited (SOC2), satisfy Canada’s minimum standards (Cybersecure Certification), and whether they employ third-party security services, penetration testing, and vulnerability scanning.

3: Where does your cloud Infrastructure exist?

You should know if your managed IT services provider partner uses their own cloud or where it is located. This is a vital piece of information, so you are aware of their security standards. If they do host on their own cloud, you can ask what control over security they have as well as what standards they follow.

4: What kind of Remote Monitoring and Management do they use?

Not having Remote Monitoring and Management software has pitfalls such as disastrous security threats. Even thou your managed IT services provider has a Remote Monitoring and Management software, you need to ensure it is not freeware or use consumer grade software.  This will give your organization a layer of protection with network proactive monitoring services. These services must be secure and managed also to avoid something like the SolarWinds Monitoring and Management software hack.

5: What is Your Business Disaster Protection Plan?

A managed IT services provider should have confidence that they will have your organization protected from cybersecurity threats.  They will have a policy and procedure.  This well-developed plan should be available and able to break down for you upon request.  It should also be uniquely tailored to your organizations needs and specific industry cyber threats.

6: What type of tech support help desk support do they offer?

When your team has tech support issue, how and who will your team have access to?  Is it a single tech support person or an entire team based on the level of tech support issue?  The managed IT services support team should offer live help desk support for any technical problem.  This would lower downtime or lost productivity since they would handle the situation quickly.  For example, if you have a cyberattack incident, you should not have to wait on hold while your data is stolen, or your network is compromised.

7: What proactive security measures are they providing you?

The only way to increase your odds for safety from cyber criminals is to ensure your network is being proactively managed.  A proactive approach from your managed IT services provider means they will continually be looking for optimized solutions against cyber threats.  They will provide you with the best outcome that saves you money in the long run versus waiting for a disaster to happen.

Have Your Passwords Been Stolen in a Data Breach?

Try our free data breach scan today and start protecting yourself from cybercriminals.

Going to the cloud or worried about security?  We are your leading Cloud Services Providers Toronto and Managed Security Services Toronto.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesManaged Security ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support ServicesCloud ServicesBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), and Cyber Security Training and Dark Web Monitoring.

We Make IT Simple!

 

 

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Managed IT Services vs Internal IT Department

As many organizations adapt the ever-changing world, the internal IT department has been challenged with new technology resulting in organizations asking what is the difference with managed IT services vs internal IT department?

Roll back the clock to years ago, and most organizations had an internal network administrator.  Most of them would hire a junior network administrator to ensure the organization had redundancy in case the network administrator was “hit by a bus.”

As with any other position or department, there is strength in numbers and the majority of these positions are seen as a cost-effective investment to protect the organization.  At this time there really was no managed IT services as it was still a new concept, so it was hard to make a case of managed IT services vs internal IT department.

The internal IT department network administrator perspective.

When organizations lose their network administrator or rely on a junior network administrator, there is a large gap in knowledge and experience.  This when organizations learn of the information they have compared to the information in the head of the former network administrator. This can be a thousand questions about access permissions  and infrastructure configurations. There will be a lot of reverse engineering trying to figure many things.  This can result in lost time, loss productivity, and worse loss of data.

 

Managed IT Services vs Internal IT Department 1

Fast forward to now and how managed IT services covers the gap.

The article title is managed IT services vs internal IT department however this is not about replacing an IT department, this article is about filling the gap and supporting an internal IT department.

Let us use the situation above where an organization lost their senior network administrator and now only have the resources of a junior network administrator missing information.  An organization can hire another senior network administrator that will be expensive, highly skilled, but the organization will still be reliant on one person.

Another option would be to hire a managed IT services provider to support the junior network administrator for less than the cost of one senior network administrator.   Managed IT services providers provide business proactive IT management and support for organizations.  They provide more in-depth IT investments without the burden of managing a large IT department.

Many organizations also use managed IT services providers to leverage advanced new cloud technology solutions since investing in and maintaining their own data centre infrastructure is too costly.  A strong IT strategy is key to the growth of most businesses; ensuring IT supports growth and reduces, rather than adds to, risk.

It is not about managed IT services vs internal IT department, it is how they work together to form a win-win solution for organizations.

Managed IT services has now been around for many years.  Organizations should look beyond just a managed services provider and find a technology partner that aligns business goals with technology and budgets.

Have Your Passwords Been Stolen in a Data Breach? Try our free data breach scan today and start protecting yourself from cybercriminals.

Going to the cloud or worried about security?  We are your leading Cloud Services Providers Toronto and Managed Security Services Toronto.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesManaged Security ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support ServicesCloud ServicesBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), and Cyber Security Training and Dark Web Monitoring.

We Make IT Simple!

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What is CyberSecure Canada

Many organizations are receiving calls about this service so you may be asking what is CyberSecure Canada?

The Canadian government launched CyberSecure Canada.  It is a national cybersecurity certification program for small and medium-sized organizations.

Their mandate is to enhance organizations competitive advantage by letting their partners, client, and supply chain know they are a certified trusted business partner.

What is CyberSecure Canada Certification?

The Cybersecure Canada certification program helps organizations implement certification requirements so they can protect themselves against cyberattacks.  This will ensure they protect their business, their clients, and partners.

This program is a proactive step toward securing Canadian organizations from cyber threats.  The program is designed for organizations with less than 500 employees.

Why get CyberSecure Canada certified?

  • It will improve your competitive edge within your industry.
  • It will reassure your clients, partners, investors, and suppliers.
  • It will show that valuable data is secure to a standard.
  • It will limit impacts to your organization from cyberattacks.
  • It will reduce financial loss, reputation damage and protect critical infrastructure.
  • It will ensure your organization is eligible to compete in opportunities that require cybersecurity certification.
  • It will show that your security is adequate.
  • It will show that you are not risky organization.
  • It will Lower your cyber insurance premiums with certain carriers.

Is it hard to get CyberSecure Canada certified?

It is not an easy fast process however it is not as in-depth as a SOC2 Type II audit.  It will take work from management, human resources, IT department, managed IT services provider, and many more departments or professionals. You will need to pass thirteen controls published by the Canadian Centre for Cyber Security.  You can then apply for certification at www.canada.ca/cybersecure.  You will then work with an accredited certification body that audits your organization.   This must be repeated every two years to maintain certification.

What are the 13 Security Controls for CyberSecure Canada?

  1. What is the plan to recover from a cyber attack (Incident response plan)
  2. How do you handle patch management (Automatic patching)
  3. How do you securely configure your devices (Device configuration)
  4. What do you use to install and monitor systems (Security software)
  5. Do you use multi-factor authentication controls (Authentication)
  6. How do you handle ongoing team education on cybersecurity (Training)
  7. How do you backup and perform data encryption (Data Protection)
  8. What controls do you use to secure mobile devices (Mobility)
  9. Do you use a firewall in your network (Perimeter)
  10. What is the security posture of your IT partners (Outsourced IT services)
  11. What security do you use on your website (Websites)
  12. What limitations do you place on access to data and services (Access controls)
  13. What security, encryption, and disposal do you use for storage media (Portable storage)

How much does CyberSecure Canada certification cost?

The cost to get CyberSecure Canada certified will depend on your unique organization needs.  You will need to pay for registration as well as the audit. There are many certification bodies listed at www.canada.ca/cybersecure so find the one that works best for your organization.

Have Your Passwords Been Stolen in a Data Breach? Try our free data breach scan today and start protecting yourself from cybercriminals.

Going to the cloud or worried about security?  We are your leading Cloud Services Providers Toronto and Managed Security Services Toronto.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesManaged Security ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support ServicesCloud ServicesBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), and Cyber Security Training and Dark Web Monitoring.

We Make IT Simple!

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365 iT SOLUTIONS Certified as Datto Global Partner

Great companies are developed from great partnerships as 365 iT SOLUTIONS certified Datto Global Partner to offer industry leading disaster recovery services to organizations.

365 iT SOLUTIONS has announced the company has been certified as a Datto Platinum Global Partner program organization.  This industry leading certification recognizes a Datto partner that is actively engaged with the Managed IT  Service Provider (MSP) community by providing expertise, mentoring, and industry advice on a wide range of business-related technology challenges when it comes to the Datto suite of services.

What is Datto?

Datto is an innovative industry leader in offering organizations comprehensive backups, recovery, and business continuity solutions.  It is used by many managed IT services providers (MSP) and managed security services providers (MSSP) worldwide to offer their clients one of the best award-winning services.

Datto was founded on technical innovation and thinking outside the box.  They have created innovative technology that enables organizations to protect against cyber security threats and minimize business downtime in an increasingly complex IT environment.

Dattos ensures managed IT services providers have the ability to offer maximum uptime of organizations critical data and applications no matter where they are located including local servers, end-user computers, or in SaaS applications.

365 iT SOLUTIONS Certified as Datto Global Partner 1

Datto’s full suite includes the following Unified Continuity solution:

  • Proactive Cloud Continuity for PCs that give the ability to protect and restore PCs with a reliable image-based all-in-one cloud backup and disaster recovery using a quick response.
  • Proactive SaaS protection including cloud-to-cloud backups and fast recovery for critical data in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace cloud environments.
  • Proactive file protection that is fast and easy. This includes file and folder backup including restore with technical support for Windows and Mac.
  • Proactive workplace safe file sync that gives the ability to share in a centrally managed secure collaboration platform in the cloud.
  • Proactive disaster recovery appliances including SIRIS devices that are able to protect and quickly restore servers with reliable image-based all-in-one business continuity and disaster recovery services.
  • Proactive industry leading ALTO protect devices that can quickly restore small business servers with reliable image-based all-in-one business continuity and disaster recovery cloud services.

Going to the cloud or worried about security?

We are your leading Cloud Services Providers Toronto and Managed Security Services Toronto.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesManaged Security ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support ServicesCloud ServicesBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), and Cyber Security Training and Dark Web Monitoring.

We Make IT SimpleTM !

 

Great companies are developed from great partnerships as 365 iT SOLUTIONS certified Datto Global Partner to offer industry leading disaster recovery services to organizations. 365 iT SOLUTIONS has announced the company has been certified as a Datto Platinum Global Partner program organization. This industry leading certification recognizes a Datto partner that is actively engaged with the Managed IT Service Provider (MSP) community by providing expertise, mentoring, and industry advice on a wide range of business-related technology challenges when it comes to the Datto suite of services. What is Datto? Datto is an innovative industry leader in offering organizations comprehensive backups, recovery, and business continuity solutions. It is used by many managed IT services providers (MSP) and managed security services providers (MSSP) worldwide to offer their clients one of the best award-winning services. Datto was founded on technical innovation and thinking outside the box. They have created innovative technology that enables organizations to protect against cyber security threats and minimize business downtime in an increasingly complex IT environment. Dattos ensures managed IT services providers have the ability to offer maximum uptime of organizations critical data and applications no matter where they are located including local servers, end-user computers, or in SaaS applications. Datto’s full suite includes the following Unified Continuity solution: • Proactive Cloud Continuity for PCs that give the ability to protect and restore PCs with a reliable image-based all-in-one cloud backup and disaster recovery using a quick response. • Proactive SaaS protection including cloud-to-cloud backups and fast recovery for critical data in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace cloud environments. • Proactive file protection that is fast and easy. This includes file and folder backup including restore with technical support for Windows and Mac. • Proactive workplace safe file sync that gives the ability to share in a centrally managed secure collaboration platform in the cloud. • Proactive disaster recovery appliances including SIRIS devices that are able to protect and quickly restore servers with reliable image-based all-in-one business continuity and disaster recovery services. • Proactive industry leading ALTO protect devices that can quickly restore small business servers with reliable image-based all-in-one business continuity and disaster recovery cloud services. Going to the cloud or worried about security? We are your leading Cloud Services Providers Toronto and Managed Security Services Toronto. 365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT Services, Managed Security Services, IT Support Services, IT Outsourcing Services, Tech Support Services, Cloud Services, Business continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), and Cyber Security Training and Dark Web Monitoring. We Make IT Simple !

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Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a proud supporter as today is Bell Let’s Talk Day dedicated towards mental health initiatives in Canada.

Bell Canada will donate towards mental health initiatives in Canada.  It will donate 5¢ for every applicable call, text, tweet and TikTok video using the hash tag #BellLetsTalk.

In other social media channels, you can post a video with the use of Facebook frame or Snapchat filter. It will state “Let’s work together to help create positive change!”

Bell Canada has given people many ways to show support and help create positive change towards mental health.

For every view of their official Bell Let’s Talk Day video, Bell Canada will donate 5¢ more towards mental health initiatives and help spread the word!

Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day 1

What else can you do to share the word about Bell Let’s Talk Day?

  • Twitter – Tweet and retweet using #BellLetsTalk or watch their official video.
  • Facebook – Use the Bell Let’s Talk Facebook frame or watch their official video.
  • Instagram – Watch their official video on Instagram.
  • Snapchat – Use the Bell Let’s Talk Snapchat filter or watch their official video.
  • YouTube – Watch their official video on YouTube.
  • TikTok – Upload a video using #BellLetsTalk or watch their official video.
  • Pinterest – Watch their official video on Pinterest.
  • Text messages – Send a text message sent by a Bell wireless customer.
  • Calls – All calls made by a Bell wireless and home phone customers.

Support a mental health in Canada and join the conversation about mental health. #BellLetsTalk

 

Looking for resource and documentation on The Bell Let’s Talk Toolkit?

A lot of people and organizations want to help but they down know how to help create positive change.  Here is a great tool kit to help you spread the word about Bell Let’s Talk Day and mental health in Canada.

Bell Canada created a toolkit that includes a conversation guide and helpful templates for use in schools, communities, and workplaces.

Here is a link to the Bell Let’s Talk toolkit.

 

Is Bell Let’s Talk Day  only for Bell customers?

No, Bell Canada has made sure that everyone has access or can contribute.  Every time someone uses of the hashtag #BellLetsTalk in the methods mentioned above or watch their official video, Bell Canada will donate 5¢ towards mental health initiatives and help spread the word!

 

How does Bell Let’s Talk Day work?

Bell Canada made the program simple, so it is accessible by all Canadians. On Bell Let’s Talk Day, Bell Canada will donate 5¢ towards mental health initiatives and help spread the word.  This will can be a text, call, tweet or TikTok video using #BellLetsTalk.  You can also use social media video views or Facebook frame or Snapchat filter.

 

How much did Bell Let’s Talk Day raise in 2020?

Bell Canada listed in July 2020 that their Bell Let’s Talk Day raised $5 million in a Diversity Fund to support the mental health and well-being of Canadian members of Black, Indigenous and People of Colour communities.

 

How do I donate to Bell Let’s Talk Day?

If you or your organization would like to apply for funds to help with mental health initiatives in Canada, you have to fill out an application for Community Fund grants.  All funds are disbursed before December of the calendar year.  You can apply for funding by clicking on the following link.

 

Why is Bell Let’s Talk Day talk important?

Mental health is major issue in society especially when things like COVID change society.  The Bell Let’s Talk Day campaign has made important contributions to destigmatizing and raising awareness about mental illness in Canada.

This allows society to focus on individual-level interventions and the Bell Let’s Talk Day campaign detracts from systemic and social factors that shape experiences of mental illness and mental health in Canada.

 

What is the purpose of Let’s Talk Day Foundation?

Bell Canada created the foundation with the mandate to create awareness and reduce the stigma associated with mental health in Canada. They go to kids clubs and schools to highlight issues related to mental health and encourage people to openly discuss their concerns with family, friends, and other resources to support mental health in Canada.

 

What is the hashtag #BellLetsTalk?

Bell Canada will donate towards mental health initiatives in Canada by contributing 5¢ for every applicable text, call, tweet.  This will also include TikTok videos using #BellLetsTalk hashtag as well as viewing their official video on social media video or the use of Facebook frame or Snapchat filter.

 

What do you know about mental health in Canada?

Bell Canada is committed to raising awareness towards mental health.  This includes emotional, psychological, and social well-being of all Canadians.  Mental health affects how people think, feel, and act.  It also helps determine how people handle stress and make healthy choices to support their well-being.  Mental health is important at every stage of life, from childhood and adolescence through adulthood.

Today is Bell Let’s Talk Day 3

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesManaged Security ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support ServicesCloud ServicesBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), and Cyber Security Training and Dark Web Monitoring.

 

We Make IT Simple!

 

 

 

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365 iT SOLUTIONS Achieves Another Microsoft Gold Partner Level

As a leading managed IT services provider in Toronto, 365 iT SOLUTIONS achieves another Microsoft Gold partner level increasing their presence in the market as a leading Microsoft partner.

 

By achieving these Microsoft Gold Partner level certifications, 365 iT SOLUTIONS has demonstrated high levels of delivery and support of Microsoft services.   We have the ability to demonstrate how Microsoft products and services delivery and support can address any business need and business goal.

 

Our Microsoft Gold partner levels allows us to differentiate our organization versus other managed IT services providers including the ability to demonstrate expertise and build stronger long-term partnerships with clients.  By having real world experience and knowledge, we have the ability to align a client’s needs based on theirs needs versus Microsoft’s technical capabilities.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS was able to achieve Microsoft Gold Partner level while servicing multiple industries including healthcare, financial services including fintech, insurance services, construction services, manufacturing, and logistics.

 

Why is Microsoft Gold Partner important?

Microsoft Gold Partner Competency represents the highest certification available for Microsoft Partners.  This demonstrates that the partner has a specialized skill set when it comes to implementing a particular Microsoft product or service. Only the top 1% of Microsoft Partners worldwide carry the Gold Partner certified status.  All Microsoft Partners undergo regular audits to demonstrate their proficiency, skill set, and experience.

Here are 4 reasons why you should choose a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner:

  1. Microsoft Gold Partners are Always Up to Date – Microsoft is constantly evolving and so are the competency requirements associated with them. Microsoft Gold Partners must stay on top of these changes.  As a leading Microsoft Gold Partner, you must be able to leverage the latest Microsoft products, services, and technology to help your business succeed.

 

  1. Microsoft Gold Partners Must Meet High Standards – Microsoft puts high standards on partners that must be met to be a Microsoft Gold partner based on rigorous standards set by Microsoft. These standards are not easy and can be difficult to achieve. There must be a minimum number of employees that have passed various Microsoft core value exams before that organization can receive Gold Certification.  This process is repeated annually.

 

  1. Microsoft Gold Partners Have Direct Access to Microsoft – Microsoft Gold Partners are experienced when it comes to their specific Microsoft skill set. This means they rarely need to consult with Microsoft directly but if they hit a wall on an issue, they can open a technical support case directly with Microsoft.  As a Microsoft Gold Partner, we have direct access to advanced Microsoft technical support engineers.  This results in faster response times and quick turnaround of issues.

 

  1. Microsoft Gold Partners Can Do Proof of Concept – Ever wonder if a technical solution will work for your organization or address a business issue or goal? Microsoft Gold Partners have access to various product licenses therefore they can develop demos that offer clients proof of concept before the commit more time, money, and resources to a technical solution.  This these tools as their disposal, Microsoft Gold Partners have the ability to offer a test environment before a client goes all-in on a technical solution.

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS carries the following Microsoft certifications:

 

  • Gold Datacenter
  • Gold Small and Midmarket Cloud Solutions
  • Gold Cloud Platform
  • Gold Collaboration and Content
  • Gold Windows and Devices
  • Gold Cloud Productivity
  • Silver Application Development

 

Going to the cloud or worried about security?

We are your leading Cloud Services Providers Toronto and Managed Security Services Toronto.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesManaged Security ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support ServicesCloud ServicesBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), and Cyber Security Training and Dark Web Monitoring.

We Make IT Simple!

 

365 iT SOLUTIONS Achieves Another Microsoft Gold Partner Level

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The importance of disaster recovery testing

With all the cyber security threats, the importance of disaster recovery testing has become more critical to businesses that any other time before.

According to Gartner a leading research and advisory company, it is estimated that businesses lose an estimated $336,000 per hour or $5,600 per minute due to cyber security breach or unforeseen downtime.  This includes network downtime, loss of productivity, and much more.   Therefore, organizations need to test their Disaster Recovery (DR) plans regularly.  Due to the large opportunity for lost productivity, operational efficiency, and brand damage, the potential data loss and downtime is likely to keep even the most experienced IT departments or managed IT services providers awake at night. Hence the importance of disaster recovery testing.

The number of businesses that do disaster recovery (DR) testing is lower than one would expect.  The recent study surveyed 150 organizations and found that disaster recovery (DR) testing frequency was low.  Over 50 percent of the respondents conducted testing once every two years.  Approximately 44 percent of organizations test less frequently as they believe that their disaster recovery (DR) is inadequate after their initial test.  Another 22 percent ran into issues when testing their disaster recovery (DR) that would have caused sustained downtime for their organization.

The importance of disaster recovery testing 2

When should you test disaster recovery testing?

Some organizations believe that disaster recovery (DR) testing is not happening due to the fear of the results.  Industry reports show that IT departments do not have the time and resources to replace their disaster recovery (DR) system with a reliable one.  Unfortunately, they are taking a timed approach to data risk management.

An organizations confidence in their disaster recovery (DR) plan is determined by how many times and how extensively it is tested. disaster recovery (DR) testing needs to be conducted on a scheduled basis and as frequently as possible due to how complex and dynamic an organizations infrastructure may be.

Based on the consideration of the frequency of outages, respondents to the survey admitted they understand and hear the message based on research from industry cybersecurity professionals. The focus is on finding a proven remedy to cyber security breaches rather than preventing them. In case the only way to undo the damage caused by ransomware attacks is to recover from tested and proven data backups that have not been encrypted. Regular disaster recovery (DR) testing will give all organizations a clear view of the entire process of recovering their data from backups. This is particularly important since many ransomware attacks from cyber security professionals try to target backups as well. There have been many organizations in the news that are great examples of those that failed to recover after a ransomware attack.

When it comes to testing, time and planning is of the essence for any organization. Budget and resources are limited in almost every organization however recovering from a ransomware attack should not be a budget limited option. The lack of technical skills within an organization is an ongoing issue to keep day-to-day operations running. Testing an organizations disaster recovery (DR) gets pushed to the bottom of the never-ending task list for organizations when it should be a priority. Testing an organizations disaster recovery (DR) approach can be quite difficult. The additional cost of shutting down production systems or scheduling this out of hours compounds the issue of low priority to organizations.

The importance of disaster recovery testing 1

Testing should be more than just an afterthought

Given the dynamic and fragile nature of a technical ecosystems, it is concerning that over half of the organizations included in the study only conduct disaster recovery (DR) testing annually at best.

The results of infrequent disaster recovery (DR) testing are predictable. Infrequent testers are concerned about their disaster recovery (DR) almost half the time. An untested disaster recovery (DR) will ultimately fail and nothing can be done about it.

It is often due to the importance of disaster recovery (DR) within the organization that disaster recovery (DR) testing is not done as frequently as it should be. Questions to organizations should include the following:

  1. Is senior management aware of the definition of a disaster recovery (DR) plan?
  2. Has your organization classified what data is mission-critical?
  3. Has your organization classified what data is sensitive?
  4. Did your organization identify any physical facility constraints?
  5. What is acceptable downtime for your organization?
  6. Who will be involved in the disaster recovery (DR) plan and communication?

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is federally certified by the Canadian federal government under the CyberSecure Canada program.

Let our complimentary data breach scan investigate if your credentials have been compromised by hackers.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is a leading IT consulting firm in Toronto that offers Managed IT ServicesTech Support Services, Cloud Services, Managed Security ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), and Cyber Security Training and Dark Web Monitoring.

We Make IT Simple!

 

 

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Work for Home and Remote Working Raise the Risk but Businesses are Slow to Adapt

COVID-19 has brought about a change in cybercriminal activity as work from home and remote working raise the risk but businesses are slow to adapt.

A recent cyber security study went to market to get an understanding of how businesses rate their own cyber security and compliance risks.

Here are some interesting results from the study:

  • 31 percent report their entire business process has changed and is still evolving since COVID-19.
  • 26 percent report that they rushed certain projects that were scheduled for later.
  • 18 percent report security as being a c-level concern.
  • 57 percent report team collaboration platforms such as Microsoft Teams and Slack as the largest risk
  • 41 percent report marketing technologies as the largest risk.
  • 25 percent report management personal social media as the largest risk to phishing attempts.
  • 52 percent report unauthorized apps as a large cyber security concern.
  • 59 percent report budget and purchasing new technology as a concern.

According to a recent Deloitte article, cybercriminals are adapting their cyber tactics and targeting people in their homes and office.  As working from home becomes a gateway to new forms of data theft, companies face increased cyber risk.

Some key summary points include the following:

  • Cybercriminals are creating new cyber tactics and exploiting COVID-19 fears.
  • Work-from-Home (WFH) is becoming the best gateway to data theft.
  • Old technology and inadequate cyber security are slowing down productivity.
  • 25 percent report an increase in fraudulent emails, spam, and phishing attempts
  • 50 percent of them use the COVID-19 crisis as the mechanism.
  • 26 percent report they want copies of valuable company data in case of ransomware.
  • 80 percent feel their organization needs to prioritize preventive cyber security measures.

Work from home and remote working raise the risk but businesses are slow to adapt.  Organizations need to take proactive measures in order to be able to ensure that the exchange of data between their offices and those employees working from home is protected.  This will avoid home offices becoming a gateway to cybercrime.

Have Your Passwords Been Stolen in a Data Breach? Try our free data breach scan today and start protecting yourself from cybercriminals.

Going to the cloud or worried about security?  We are your leading Cloud Services Providers Toronto and Managed Security Services Toronto.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesManaged Security ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support ServicesCloud ServicesBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), and Cyber Security Training and Dark Web Monitoring.

We Make IT Simple!

 

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Malware Cyberattacks Are Down but There Is a Catch

In an interesting turn of events, malware cyberattacks are down but there is a catch which involves cyber security criminals shifting focus.

Malware cyber attacks are down but there is a catch, they have become more focused.

According to recent release from SonicWall, here are some interesting statistics to consider:

  • Decrease of 39 percent over the last quarter as cyber attackers have move to targeted approach.
  • Increase of 40 percent in global ransomware
  • Increase of 19 percent increase in intrusion attempts
  • Increase of 30 percent rise in internet of things (IoT) malware.
  • India showed a decrease of 68 percent in malware attacks.
  • Germany showed a decrease of 64 percent in malware attacks.
  • UK showed a decrease of 44 percent in malware attacks.
  • US experienced 145.2 million ransomware hits from hackers in one quarter
  • US is experiencing an increase of 139 percent year-on-year increase.

A third (33.7 percent) of all ransomware attacks this year were accounted for by the Ryuk malware. Through Q3 2019, SonicWall detected just 5,123 Ryuk attacks, but Q3 2020 saw detection of 67.3 million Ryuk attacks.

Ryuk ransomware is the new kids on the block as it was discovered August 2018 however it made significant gains in popularity in 2020.  With work-from-home (WFH) including the increase of remote and mobile workforces, there appears to a large security gap resulting not only in financial losses but also impacting healthcare services with attacks on hospitals and other healthcare facilities.

Ryuk ransomware is especially dangerous because it is targeted and a multistage cyberattack.  The general rule from cyber security professionals is if an organization has Ryuk, they most likely have several other types of malware.

The study also finds a 30 percent increase in IoT malware attacks, a total of 32.4 million world-wide. This is put down to attackers trying to use the devices as entry points to attack networks being used by the flood of home workers.

You can see updates on the Ryuk ransomware for The Canadian Centre for Cyber Security (Cyber Centre).  Cyber Centre is Canada’s national authority on cyber security and response to cyber security events.  Their Canadian national computer security incident response team works with government departments, critical infrastructure, Canadian businesses, and international partners.  Their mandate is to prepare for, respond to, mitigate, and recover from cyber events using industry authoritative advice and support in cyber security incident response.

Malware cyberattacks are down but there is a catch so how can I protect myself against Ryuk?

The first step in protecting against any ransomware attack is to ensure you are using a managed next-generation anti-virus with built-in Artificial Intelligence (AI).  This will offer your organization real-time protection designed to stop advanced malware attacks such as ransomware.

The second step is to ensure you have secure backups of your data on a regular basis with high-level encryption and multi-factor authentication.

The third step is to ensure your IT department or managed IT Services provider ensures your systems and software are updated regularly.

Have Your Passwords Been Stolen in a Data Breach? Try our free data breach scan today and start protecting yourself from cybercriminals.

Going to the cloud or worried about security?  We are your leading Cloud Services Providers Toronto and Managed Security Services Toronto.

365 iT SOLUTIONS  is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesManaged Security ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support ServicesCloud ServicesBusiness continuity and disaster recovery (BCDR), and Cyber Security Training and Dark Web Monitoring.

 

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