What would you do if your business suffered a ransomware attack tomorrow? Do you have a contingency plan in case of a tornado, hurricane, or earthquake? The unexpected can happen anytime, and small businesses can get hit particularly hard.
Small businesses are the backbone of many economies. They are critical for job creation, innovation, and community development. But running a small business comes with significant risks. This includes financial uncertainty, market volatility, and natural disasters.
60% of small businesses fail within 6 months of falling victim to a cyber-attack.
Thus, small business owners must prepare for the unexpected. This is to ensure their longevity and success. In this article, we will discuss some tips to help small businesses get ready for anything.
Tip 1: Create a Contingency Plan
One of the most critical steps in preparing for the unexpected is to create a contingency plan. A contingency plan is a set of procedures that help a business respond to unforeseen events. Such as natural disasters, supply chain disruptions, or unexpected financial setbacks.
The plan should outline the steps the business will take in the event of an emergency. Including who will be responsible for what tasks. As well as how to communicate with employees, customers, and suppliers.
Tip 2: Maintain Adequate Insurance Coverage
Small businesses should always maintain adequate insurance coverage. This protects them from unexpected events. Insurance policies should include things like:
Liability coverage
Property damage coverage
Business interruption coverage
Data breach costs
Business interruption coverage is particularly important. It can help cover lost income and expenses during a disruption. Such as a natural disaster or supply chain disruption.
One of the newer types of policies is cybersecurity liability insurance. In today’s threat landscape, it has become an important consideration. Cybersecurity insurance covers things like costs to remediate a breach and legal expenses.
Tip 3: Diversify Your Revenue Streams
Small businesses that rely on a single product or service are at greater risk. Unexpected events can cause them significant harm. Something like a raw material shortage could cripple an organization without alternatives.
Diversifying your revenue streams can help reduce this risk. It ensures that your business has several sources of income. For example, a restaurant can offer catering services. A clothing store can sell merchandise online as well as its physical location.
Tip 4: Build Strong Relationships with Suppliers
Small businesses should build strong relationships with their suppliers. This ensures that they have a reliable supply chain. This is particularly important for businesses relying on one supplier for their products.
In the event of a disruption, having strong relationships matters. It mitigates the risk of a supplier bankruptcy or supply chain issue. Having supplier options can help reduce the impact on your business.
Tip 5: Keep Cash Reserves
Small businesses should keep cash reserves to help them weather unexpected events. Cash reserves can help cover unexpected expenses. Such as repairs, legal fees, or loss of income. As a general rule of thumb, businesses should keep at least six months' worth of expenses in cash reserves.
Tip 6: Build Strong Outsourcing Relationships
If business owners try to do everything in house, they’re at higher risk. For example, if a key IT team member quits. In this case, the company could face major security issues.
Build strong outsourcing relationships with an IT provider and other critical support services. If something happens to a company’s staff or systems, they have a safety net.
Tip 7: Check Your Financials Regularly
Small business owners should check their finances regularly. This is to ensure that they are on track to meet their goals and to identify any potential issues early on.
This includes:
Tracking income and expenses
Creating and reviewing financial statements
Regularly meeting with a financial advisor
Tip 8: Invest in Technology
Investing in technology can help small businesses prepare for unexpected events. For example, cloud-based software can help businesses store their data off-site. This ensures that it is safe in the event of a natural disaster or cyber-attack. Technology can also help businesses automate processes. Automation reduces the risk of errors and improves efficiency.
Tip 9: Train Employees for Emergencies
Small businesses should train their employees for emergencies. This helps ensure that everyone knows what to do in the event of an unexpected event.
This includes training for natural disasters, cyber-attacks, and other emergencies. Businesses should also have a plan for communicating with employees during an emergency. As well as ensure that everyone has access to the plan.
Tip 10: Stay Up to Date on Regulatory Requirements
Small businesses should stay up to date on regulatory requirements. This helps ensure that they are compliant with all laws and regulations. This includes tax laws, labor laws, and industry-specific regulations. Non-compliance can result in fines, legal fees, and damage to your business's reputation.
In conclusion, small businesses face many risks. But by following these tips, they can prepare themselves for the unexpected.
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In today's world, technology is ubiquitous, and connectivity is a must. Securing your home network has become more critical than ever. A secure home network is essential for protecting your personal data from hackers.
From phishing to smishing (SMS phishing), it’s getting harder to avoid a breach. Individuals often have fewer safeguards in place at home than at work. Yet many are working from home, which puts both personal and company data at risk.
About 46% of businesses saw at least one cybersecurity incident within two months of moving to remote work.
The good news is that there’s no lack of materials on home network security. Many of the steps are straightforward and can help you avoid a data breach at home.
The National Security Agency (NSA) has provided some best practices. These are for securing your home network. We’ll highlight some of the most helpful tips below.
1. Change Default Passwords and Usernames
The first step to secure your home network is to change the default login. This means changing the passwords and usernames of your router and connected devices. Default passwords and usernames are often well-known to hackers. Criminals can easily use them to access your data. Changing these default credentials is an essential step in securing your home network.
2. Enable Encryption
Encryption is a process of encoding information. This is in such a way that only authorized parties can read it. Enabling encryption on your home network is crucial to protect your data. It keeps hackers from intercepting and reading it. Most modern routers support encryption protocols such as WPA2 or WPA3. Ensure that you use the latest encryption standard, which would be WPA3, used in Wi-Fi 6 routers.
3. Update Firmware
The firmware is the software that runs on your router and other connected devices. Manufacturers release firmware updates to fix security vulnerabilities and add new features. Updating the firmware on your router is important to securing your home network. You can usually check for firmware updates from the router's web interface. You can also find updates on the manufacturer's website.
This is critical to remember because a lot of people never do this. They only see the router app during setup and rarely go back unless there is a need. Set a calendar item to check your router app at least once per month for updates.
4. Enable a Firewall
A firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls network traffic. This includes both incoming and outgoing traffic. Enabling a firewall on your router can help protect your network. It defends against malicious traffic and unauthorized access. Most modern routers have a built-in firewall. You can typically enable this through the router's web interface.
5. Disable Unused Services
Most routers come with a range of services that manufacturers enable by default. These services can include file sharing, remote management, and media streaming. Disabling any unused services can reduce the risk of a hacker exploiting them. They often use these services to gain access to home networks. Only enable services that you need and are essential for your network.
6. Secure Wi-Fi Network
Your Wi-Fi network is one of the most critical aspects of your home network. Securing your Wi-Fi network involves several steps. These include:
Changing the default SSID (network name)
Disabling SSID broadcast
Enabling MAC address filtering
Disabling WPS (Wi-Fi Protected Setup)
These steps can help prevent unauthorized access to your Wi-Fi network. If you need help with these steps, just let us know. We can save you some time and frustration and ensure your network is properly secured.
7. Use Strong Passwords
Passwords are a critical component of any security system. Using weak or easily guessable passwords can make your network vulnerable. Ensure that you use strong passwords for your router and other connected devices. A strong password should be at least 12 characters long. It should also include a combination of upper and lowercase letters. As well as at least one number and one symbol.
8. Create a Guest Network
Do you have guests, such as your children’s friends, who need to access your Wi-Fi network? If so, create a separate guest network. A guest network is a separate Wi-Fi network that guests can use. This gives them access the internet without accessing your primary network. This can help protect your primary network from potential security threats.
9. Limit Physical Access
Physical access to your router and other connected devices can be a security risk. Ensure that you place your router in a secure location, such as a locked cabinet or a room with limited access. Also, ensure that you disable physical access to the router's web interface. Especially if you have guests or children who may tamper with the settings.
Schedule a Home Cybersecurity Visit Today
Securing your home network is essential for protecting your personal data from threats. By following the best practices, you can ensure that your network is better protected.
Want to save some time and have us do the heavy lifting? Give us a call today to schedule a home cybersecurity visit.
Cloud account takeover has become a major problem for organizations. Think about how much work your company does that requires a username and password. Employees end up having to log into many different systems or cloud apps.
Hackers use various methods to get those login credentials. The goal is to gain access to business data as a user. As well as launch sophisticated attacks, and send insider phishing emails.
How bad has the problem of account breaches become? Between 2019 and 2021, account takeover (ATO) rose by 307%.
Many organizations and individuals use multi-factor authentication (MFA). It's a way to stop attackers that have gained access to their usernames and passwords. MFA is very effective at protecting cloud accounts and has been for many years.
But it’s that effectiveness that has spurred workarounds by hackers. One of these nefarious ways to get around MFA is push-bombing.
How Does Push-Bombing Work?
When a user enables MFA on an account, they typically receive a code or authorization prompt of some type. The user enters their login credentials. Then the system sends an authorization request to the user to complete their login.
The MFA code or approval request will usually come through some type of “push” message. Users can receive it in a few ways:
SMS/text
A device popup
An app notification
Receiving that notification is a normal part of the multi-factor authentication login. It’s something the user would be familiar with.
With push-bombing, hackers start with the user’s credentials. They may get them through phishing or from a large data breach password dump.
They take advantage of that push notification process. Hackers attempt to log in many times. This sends the legitimate user several push notifications, one after the other.
Many people question the receipt of an unexpected code that they didn’t request. But when someone is bombarded with these, it can be easy to mistakenly click to approve access.
Push-bombing is a form of social engineering attack designed to:
Confuse the user
Wear the user down
Trick the user into approving the MFA request to give the hacker access
Ways to Combat Push-Bombing at Your Organization
Educate Employees
Knowledge is power. When a user experiences a push-bombing attack it can be disruptive and confusing. If employees have education beforehand, they’ll be better prepared to defend themselves.
Let employees know what push-bombing is and how it works. Provide them with training on what to do if they receive MFA notifications they didn’t request.
You should also give your staff a way to report these attacks. This enables your IT security team to alert other users. They can then also take steps to secure everyone’s login credentials.
Reduce Business App “Sprawl”
On average, employees use 36 different cloud-based services per day. That’s a lot of logins to keep up with. The more logins someone has to use, the greater the risk of a stolen password.
Take a look at how many applications your company uses. Look for ways to reduce app “sprawl” by consolidating. Platforms like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace offer many tools behind one login. Streamlining your cloud environment improves security and productivity.
Adopt Phishing-Resistant MFA Solutions
You can thwart push-bombing attacks altogether by moving to a different form of MFA. Phishing-resistant MFA uses a device passkey or physical security key for authentication.
There is no push notification to approve with this type of authentication. This solution is more complex to set up, but it’s also more secure than text or app-based MFA.
Enforce Strong Password Policies
For hackers to send several push-notifications, they need to have the user’s login. Enforcing strong password policies reduces the chance that a password will get breached.
Standard practices for strong password policies include:
Using at least one upper and one lower-case letter
Using a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols
Not using personal information to create a password
Storing passwords securely
Not reusing passwords across several accounts
Put in Place an Advanced Identity Management Solution
Advanced identity management solutions can also help you prevent push-bombing attacks. They will typically combine all logins through a single sign-on solution. Users, then have just one login and MFA prompt to manage, rather than several.
Additionally, businesses can use identity management solutions to install contextual login policies. These enable a higher level of security by adding access enforcement flexibility. The system could automatically block login attempts outside a desired geographic area. It could also block logins during certain times or when other contextual factors aren’t met.
Do You Need Help Improving Your Identity & Access Security?
Multi-factor authentication alone isn’t enough. Companies need several layers of protection to reduce their risk of a cloud breach.
Are you looking for some help to reinforce your access security? Give us a call today to schedule a chat.
Passwords are the most used method of authentication, but they are also one of the weakest. Passwords are often easy to guess or steal. Also, many people use the same password across several accounts. This makes them vulnerable to cyber-attacks.
The sheer volume of passwords that people need to remember is large. This leads to habits that make it easier for criminals to breach passwords. Such as creating weak passwords and storing passwords in a non-secure way.
61% of all data breaches involve stolen or hacked login credentials.
In recent years a better solution has emerged - passkeys. Passkeys are more secure than passwords. They also provide a more convenient way of logging into your accounts.
What is Passkey Authentication?
Passkeys work by generating a unique code for each login attempt. This code is then validated by the server. This code is created using a combination of information about the user and the device they are using to log in.
You can think of passkeys as a digital credential. A passkey allows someone to authenticate in a web service or a cloud-based account. There is no need to enter a username and password.
This authentication technology leverages Web Authentication (WebAuthn). This is a core component of FIDO2, an authentication protocol. Instead of using a unique password, it uses public-key cryptography for user verification.
The user's device stores the authentication key. This can be a computer, mobile device, or security key device. It is then used by sites that have passkeys enabled to log the user in.
Advantages of Using Passkeys Instead of Passwords
More Secure
One advantage of passkeys is that they are more secure than passwords. Passkeys are more difficult to hack. This is true especially if the key generates from a combination of biometric and device data.
Biometric data can include things like facial recognition or fingerprint scans. Device information can include things like the device's MAC address or location. This makes it much harder for hackers to gain access to your accounts.
More Convenient
Another advantage of passkeys over passwords is that they are more convenient. With password authentication, users often must remember many complex passwords. This can be difficult and time-consuming.
Forgetting passwords is common and doing a reset can slow an employee down. Each time a person has to reset their password, it takes an average of three minutes and 46 seconds.
Passkeys erase this problem by providing a single code. You can use that same code across all your accounts. This makes it much easier to log in to your accounts. It also reduces the likelihood of forgetting or misplacing your password.
Phishing-Resistant
Credential phishing scams are prevalent. Scammers send emails that tell a user something is wrong with their account. They click on a link that takes them to a disguised login page created to steal their username and password.
When a user is authenticating with a passkey instead, this won’t work on them. Even if a hacker had a user’s password, it wouldn’t matter. They would need the device passkey authentication to breach the account.
Are There Any Disadvantages to Using Passkeys?
Passkeys are definitely looking like the future of authentication technology. But there are some issues that you may run into when adopting them right now.
Passkeys Aren’t Yet Widely Adopted
One of the main disadvantages is that passkeys are not yet widely adopted. Many websites and cloud services still rely on passwords. They don’t have passkey capability yet.
This means that users may have to continue using passwords for some accounts. At least until passkeys become more widely adopted. It could be slightly awkward to use passkeys for some accounts and passwords for others.
Passkeys Need Extra Hardware & Software
One thing about passwords is that they’re free and easy to use. You simply make them up as you sign up for a site.
Passkeys need extra hardware and software to generate and validate the codes. This can be costly for businesses to put in place at first. But there is potential savings from improved security and user experience. These benefits can outweigh the cost of passkeys.
Prepare Now for the Future of Authentication
Passkeys are a more secure and convenient alternative to passwords. They are more difficult to hack, and they provide a more convenient way of logging into your accounts. But passkeys are not yet widely adopted. Additionally, businesses may need to budget for implementation.
Despite these challenges, passkeys represent a promising solution. Specifically, to the problem of weak passwords. They have the potential to improve cybersecurity. As well as boost productivity for businesses and individuals alike.
Need Help Improving Your Identity & Account Security?
Take advantage of the new passkey authentication by exploring it now. It’s the perfect time to ease in and begin putting it in place for your organization.
Data visualization is a powerful tool for communicating complex data. It presents it in a simple, easily understandable format. But it is not enough to simply create a graph or chart and call it a day. To truly make use of information, it is important to create insightful reports. Reports that effectively communicate the story behind the data.
Insightful reports help decision-makers understand key trends and patterns. As well as identify areas of opportunity and make informed decisions. If analytics graphs and bar charts are only telling part of the story, it can lead people to wrong decisions.
Creating holistic and insightful reports requires the use of several data points. One tool that enables this is Microsoft Power BI.
What Is Microsoft Power BI?
Microsoft Power BI is a business intelligence tool. It allows you to connect many data sources to one dashboard. Using Power BI, you can easily model and visualize data holistically.
The platform has over 500 different data connectors. These connectors can tap into sources such as Salesforce, Excel, Azure, and more. Users can leverage pre-built report templates to save time in creating data-rich reporting. Teams can also collaborate and share dashboards virtually.
Tips for Designing Great Data Visualization Reports
Getting started in Microsoft Power BI entails:
Signing up for the software
Connecting your data sources
Using its tools to create report visualizations
But creating great reports goes beyond that. Below, we’ll go through several tips and best practices for getting the most out of your Power BI output.
Consider Your Audience
You should design reporting dashboards with the end user in mind. What is it that this audience wants to see? Are they looking for bottom-line sales numbers? Or do they want to cover insights that can help target productivity gaps?
The use of clear and concise language and effective visualizations are important. These help to highlight the key takeaways from the data. Customize reports to the audience’s level of technical expertise and business goals.
Don’t Overcomplicate Things
Many times, less is more. If you find that your dashboard looks crowded, you may be adding too many reports. The more you add, the more difficult it is to read the takeaways from the data.
Remove all but the most essential reports. Look for ways to include different data sets in a single report, such as using stacked bar charts. Dashboards should show important data at a glance, so do your best to avoid the need to scroll.
Try Out Different Chart Types
Experiment with presenting your data in different ways. Flip between bar, pie, and other types of charts to find the one that tells the story the best. When building a new dashboard for your organization, get some input. Ask those who will review the reports which chart type works best for them.
Get to Know Power Query
Power Query is a data preparation engine. It can save you a lot of time in developing insightful reports. This engine is used in Microsoft tools like Power BI and Excel.
Take time to learn how to leverage this tool for help with:
Connecting a wide range of data sources to the dashboard
Previewing data queries
Building intuitive queries over many data sources
Defining data size, variety, and velocity
Build Maps with Hints to Bing
Bing and Power BI integrate, allowing you to leverage default map coordinates. Use best practices to leverage the mapping power of Bing to improve your geo-coding.
For example, if you want to plot cities on a map, name your columns after the geographic designation. This helps Bing identify exactly what you’re looking for.
Tell People What They Are Looking At
A typical comment heard often when presenting executives with a new report is, “What am I looking at?” Tell your audience what the data means by using features like tooltips and text boxes to add context.
Just one or two sentences can save someone 5-10 minutes of trying to figure out why you gave them this report. That context can get them to a decision faster. It also helps avoid any confusion or misunderstandings about the data.
Use Emphasis Tricks
People usually read left to right and from top to bottom. So put your most important chart at the top, left corner. Follow, with the next most important reports.
If you have specific numbers that need to stand out, increase the font size or bold the text. This ensures that your audience understands the key takeaways.
Use can also use colors to emphasize things like a “High, Mid, Low.” For example, a low level of accidents could be green, a mid-level in yellow, and a high colored red. This provides more visual context to the data.
Need Help with Power Bi or Other Microsoft Products?
We can help you get started or improve your use of Microsoft 365, Power BI, and more. Give us a call today to schedule a chat about leveraging this powerful platform.
