Maximizing Your Budget: Cybersecurity Solutions for Under-resourced IT Teams

The shift to a remote-based workforce since the pandemic has significantly impacted cybersecurity risks for organizations. This has been particularly true for small and midsized businesses (SMBs) across the United States, whose IT teams perform multiple roles. Not only are they tasked with ensuring networks and systems perform without problems, but they are also responsible for ensuring these tools are safe from cyber threats, which are increasing yearly.

Case in point: Data from the ConnectWise 2023 MSP Threat Report shows that in 2022, there were over 25,000 vulnerabilities disclosed that were assigned a common vulnerabilities and exposure (CVE) number and included in the National Vulnerability Database (NVD).

Even with the growing threat landscape, the average SMB IT team has yet to grow in size or budget. For minimally staffed and under-resourced SMB IT teams, it’s extremely difficult to ensure their enterprise’s cybersecurity is addressed satisfactorily on a 24/7 basis. Let’s delve into the four most pressing cybersecurity issues an SMB IT team faces.

1. Growth and complexity of tech stacks

The shift to cloud-based storage, virtual teams collaboration, and the number of enterprise apps being used within the company have added complexity to managing cybersecurity in the past few years. Every one of these IT tools requires safe deployment across the enterprise and continual optimization for security updates via a robust patch-management process. It takes more time and adds more risk of alert fatigue.

2. Compliance requirements

Every IT team, whether at an SMB or a larger enterprise, is responsible for ensuring that all devices, applications, and network infrastructure deployed comply with cybersecurity regulatory standards. Maintaining certifications for every piece of the company’s tech stack and keeping up with changes in regulatory standards adds more complexity and stress to an IT team.

3. Outdated IT systems

Budgets are an issue for SMBs across the board. When it comes to the IT department, this usually manifests itself with antiquated IT systems that would already have been replaced at a larger enterprise. The security vulnerabilities of these antiquated systems frequently remain unpatchable because the providers no longer support them.

4. Cybersecurity staffing shortages

According to Cybersecurity Ventures, unfilled cybersecurity jobs grew by 350% to 3.5 million in 2021. They also predict the same number of openings to exist in 2025. This poses a challenge for SMBs vying to attract people from the same small talent pool in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Cybersecurity strategies for SMB IT teams

These are daunting challenges for minimally staffed and under-resourced SMB IT teams, but some strategies are cost-effective with a high return on investment (ROI).

1. Build or enlist a SOC

A security operations center (SOC) is a centralized function incorporating the people, processes, and technology required to monitor and address cybersecurity issues affecting a company’s IT infrastructure. A SOC can provide many benefits for an organization, including:

Improved cybersecurity posture
Early detection and prioritization of threats
Regulatory compliance

A SOC provides expertise to stay compliant with all necessary regulations. Their regulatory teams also remain on the lookout for any regulatory violations and provide appropriate guidance to achieve the required level of compliance.

However, a SOC also comes with its own set of challenges. Installing and refreshing a constantly changing cybersecurity tech stack, analyzing the data for vulnerabilities, and determining the appropriate remediation all require considerable resources.

Additionally, staffing your own SOC can be prohibitively expensive, and an advanced SOC can cost up to $4 million annually. However, SMB IT leaders don’t have to build their own SOC—they can turn to an MSP for a more resource-friendly solution. Using an outside SOC, also known as SOC as a Service, gives you incredibly similar benefits to building your own, including 24/7 monitoring. Still, it doesn’t require the cost of the upkeep of an internal team. It’s a proven, cost-effective option for SMBs.

Learn more about Yeo & Yeo’s SOC services here.

2. Problem-solve and stay informed with a virtual community

Whether you build your own or partner with a SOC, staying informed with sufficient cybersecurity knowledge is still important to get the best result from your SOC relationship. Your IT department can only understand the true cybersecurity risks and their severity if you are armed with this information. Participating in a community of cybersecurity professionals and IT professionals is the most efficient way to access such a pool of knowledge.

Many virtual communities are free to join, and there’s a high probability that members have experienced issues similar to what you are seeing at your company. Considering this, joining a virtual cybersecurity community is a no-brainer.

Conclusion

SMBs must recognize the critical importance of cybersecurity and proactively address their unique challenges. By adopting cost-effective strategies like leveraging SOC services and engaging with virtual communities, SMB IT teams can bolster their cybersecurity defenses and protect their organizations from the ever-evolving threat landscape. Contact Yeo & Yeo Technology to learn more and take the first step toward safeguarding your business.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at ConnectWise.

Cybercriminals know that your people are the weakest link in your security chain. Not because they’d do anything malicious, but because they’re human. Without training, they simply don’t know the risks to look for or what they can do to keep your business safe.

That’s why good cybersecurity awareness training – for everyone in your business – is vital. Here’s where to start.

Find your baseline

There are countless cyberattacks to protect against, so your approach must be systematic. Look at:

Emails, communications, and file sharing
Log-in behavior
Attitudes to policies around data protection and information handling
General awareness of cyber threats
and more

Every business is different, so you should create your priorities according to your needs. Observe your employees’ behavior rather than assuming that policies are being followed. That will give you the best idea of where your vulnerabilities lie, which can shape your training sessions.

Assess the risks and prioritize

Prioritize training on the most immediate weaknesses, dealing with any obvious knowledge gaps first. Assess your current systems, your network, and your digital assets. Look also at who has access to what information and why.

Reassess as you go

If you’re dealing with sensitive data, take this opportunity to look at your wider policies alongside your training plan. For example, a zero-trust security policy may be appropriate for you. Make sure that only people who need access to sensitive information can access it – everyone else is locked out. These assessments will help you create a training program tailored to the right people according to their roles and responsibilities.

Create your training plan

Lay out your objectives – the skills and knowledge you need to develop – and the attitudes and behaviors you need to see at work. Then break each objective down into topics or modules. For example, there may be a module on phishing emails and one on data classification.

Sessions can be online or in-house; where possible, training should be interactive and hands-on to help people retain information. Reading a guide or completing a workbook alone is unlikely to help someone understand and retain what they’ve learned.

Begin training

Everyone should understand exactly why training is being introduced, the range of threats the business faces, the desired outcomes, and the benefits to employees and the company. Remember that training should be embedded for everyone in the business, so it should become part of your employee onboarding package, as well as part of the transition process when people change roles.

Put it to the test

When you’ve invested time and money into training, you want to ensure it’s doing its job. Periodic written tests and quizzes are good, but an effective way of finding out if your people can put their training to use is with a simulated phishing attack. There are platforms available to help you do this. Think of it like a fire drill. The key is not to warn your team a test is coming. You don’t want them to be on guard. For those who don’t pass the test, further training may be necessary.

Create new policies

If you don’t already have a cybersecurity policy that sets your expectations, it’s time to create one. Your policy should be detailed but easy to understand. Describe the security controls you have in place and the threats they address. Include who is responsible for maintaining them, how incidents should be reported – and who to – and the consequences of not reporting a potential cybersecurity risk or attack.

Highlight your expectation that your people should use your security measures, follow protocols, and always use best practices. Again, include the repercussions if someone knowingly fails to do so. Include a remote access policy, acceptable internet use policy, and information about managing updates. You may also consider a section on personal devices used for work purposes and how they should remain secured to protect company data.

Most people on your team will take protecting the company and its data seriously. But it’s common to have an individual or two that won’t. Enforcing your cybersecurity policy will ensure everyone recognizes its importance and the serious risks you’re protecting the business against.

Stay updated

Cybersecurity training is never a set-and-forget thing. New scams and security issues arise all the time, so keeping your people aware of the things they should look out for is crucial.

Plan for quarterly or semiannual refresher sessions for everyone, from your apprentices to the people at the very top. This will ensure everyone has the most up-to-date cybersecurity knowledge while also reinforcing the ongoing seriousness of the threat.

Between sessions, keep everyone updated on the latest cybersecurity news. Share news stories of big data breaches and even insights on the security measures you use. You can set up news alerts or take a weekly scan through tech news sites – it’s extremely worthwhile.

Consider working with an expert

Creating your cybersecurity training plan takes time and a fair amount of effort. But, done right, it plugs one of the biggest security holes in any business – human error.

A good IT support expert can help make the whole process run smoothly, from first thoughts to routine refresher training. If you’d like to know more about how we can handle cybersecurity training for your people, get in touch.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at MSP Marketing Edge.

Should I use the password manager that comes with my browser?

We recommend investing in a standalone password manager instead. Browser-based password managers are less safe. If someone can access your device, they can instantly access all your accounts. Standalone password managers need a master password and do much more than save your credentials.

How can I make sure remote workers follow our security rules?

As well as setting out the risks of not using your security tools and procedures, create a policy that explains exactly what is expected of your people and the consequences if they’re found to break the rules.

What’s the best productivity tool to start with?

That’s a big question! The answer can be unique to each business, but a well-known solution like Microsoft Teams will give you access to many tools to suit different needs.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at MSP Marketing Edge.

Hybrid work models have a lot to offer – reduced business expenses, the ability to hire talent from anywhere, and a more flexible work environment. But there are employee challenges that come with a virtual work style, which is why having a solid digital employee experience strategy is so important.

Worker surveys show remote employees struggle with everything from managing work-life balance to exhaustion. A digital employee experience strategy can resolve these problems, prevent burnout, and ensure your teams view your digital work culture as supportive and positive rather than draining or toxic.

Let’s look at the digital employee experience, why it matters, and what strategies and software your organization can use to achieve a better experience for your remote and hybrid teams.

What Is Digital Employee Experience?

Digital employee experience – or DEX – is how your employees feel about and perceive the experience of working for your company as part of a work-from-wherever team. As Forrester analysts Andrew Hewitt and Cheryl McKinnon explain, DEX encompasses the interactions employees have with your company’s technologies, processes, and policy choices.

How easy it is to communicate with co-workers. Company rules surrounding time tracking and work hours. The frequency and length of virtual meetings. Digital company culture. All these concepts fall within DEX.

So, as you look at what you can do to create a digital employee experience strategy, explore ways to improve these issues through the types of software and processes you have in place.

Strategies and Software Solutions to Improve the Digital Employee Experience

Mastering DEX takes planning and collaboration across departments, including HR and IT. But there are a few steps your organization can take to improve the employee experience for your remote or hybrid teams.

1. Set Up Clear Communication Channels

Do your employees know who to reach out to when they have an issue? Is there a feedback loop in place through employee surveys, small group meetings, or manager oversight to identify problems with the digital company culture?

To ensure your people are thriving, set up a process for gathering honest feedback and interacting with employees individually so you can identify and resolve issues immediately. Also, set up a channel for suggestions – your employees can provide insightful ideas that help improve digital processes.

2. Follow Digital Etiquette Best Practices

With a huge rise in remote work over the past couple of years, a few digital etiquette best practices have emerged. Implementing these rules can help to prevent burnout and enable your teams to feel supported at work.

Be mindful of employees’ time. Don’t force people into the office for the sake of it. If a meeting or task can happen virtually, give people the option.

Make mental health a priority. Humans are social creatures, and no amount of technological innovation or workplace change will alter that fact. With digital teams, people experience less human interaction, which can lead to feelings of loneliness. To combat this, business leaders and managers can find ways to prioritize mental health, such as setting up a channel for reaching out about issues and encouraging healthy habits, such as exercise, sleeping well, spending time in nature, and taking time for oneself.

Empower your workers to set healthy boundaries. Use software that has an indicator function so co-workers know when someone is available or not. Technology can also be used to set reminders for your employees to take regular breaks. It’s also important for business owners and managers to set a good example – for instance, if you’re working late at night and answering calls on the weekend, your staff might follow suit.

3. Use a Communications Platform Designed for Hybrid Work

Another key part of the digital employee experience is software. And the most important DEX platform is communications.

For the best experience, your teams need a tool that lets them access all the important communication channels from one place and is easy to use. Ideally, your software helps them save time and simplifies workflows. It should include high-quality video conferencing, chat, file sharing, and more – and it should integrate with other business tools for better data visibility.

Start Improving DEX Today with YeoVoice Powered by Elevate

YeoVoice powered by Elevate offers all the features and functionality you need to boost DEX. It’s a cloud-based solution with industry-leading security, support, and reliability. Learn more today.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at Intermedia.

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IBM’s latest report has revealed a staggering 53% increase in the cost of healthcare data breaches since 2020, marking a concerning trend in the industry. According to the 2023 Cost of a Data Breach Report by IBM Security, the average cost of a healthcare data breach in 2022 reached $11 million, representing a $1 million surge from the previous year. In comparison, the global average cost of data breaches across all sectors in 2023 stood at $4.45 million, showing a 15% increase over the last three years, but still only a fraction of healthcare breach costs.

The study analyzed 553 organizations that fell victim to data breaches between March 2022 and March 2023. The healthcare sector experienced the highest average cost among all industries for the 13th consecutive year. Researchers attribute this surge in expenses to the sector’s extensive regulation, critical infrastructure status, and a notable uptick in breaches since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Phishing and stolen or compromised credentials emerged as the most common initial attack vectors, accounting for 16% and 15% of breaches, respectively. Even more alarming is that breaches originating from compromised credentials took nearly 11 months on average to identify and contain.

The report emphasized the critical role of early detection and containment in reducing the breach lifecycle and associated costs. Factors that helped mitigate costs included:

Robust incident response planning and testing.
Comprehensive employee training.
The widespread adoption of DevSecOps practices.

Conversely, a shortage of security skills, complex security systems, and noncompliance with regulations led to escalated expenses for affected organizations.

Ransomware attacks posed a significant threat, with almost a quarter of all analyzed ransomware attacks costing organizations an average of $5.13 million. Engaging law enforcement proved instrumental in lowering expenses for those hit by ransomware attacks. Additionally, automated response playbooks and workflows tailored to ransomware incidents facilitated swift and efficient responses.

Despite the surge in costs and complexity in 2023, only 51% of organizations reported increasing security investments after a breach. The top areas for increased spending after a breach were incident response plans and employee training.

In light of these findings, the healthcare industry and other sectors must recognize the severity of data breaches and prioritize robust cybersecurity measures. Early detection, efficient incident response, and a proactive security approach are essential in safeguarding sensitive information and minimizing data breaches’ financial and reputational impact on organizations. By adopting proactive measures, businesses can navigate the ever-evolving cybersecurity landscape and shield themselves from the devastating consequences of data breaches.

Source: https://healthitsecurity.com/news/average-cost-of-healthcare-data-breach-reaches-11m

Cybersecurity fatigue is a phenomenon that occurs when people become overwhelmed and desensitized to the constant barrage of cyber threats and security alerts they face on a daily basis.

You may think, “My business is too small to be a target for cybercriminals.”

Unfortunately, that couldn’t be further from the truth. Small and medium businesses (SMBs) are often targeted precisely because they are seen as easier targets. Cybercriminals know that SMBs don’t have the same resources as larger corporations, making them more vulnerable to attacks.

So, how can you tell if your business is suffering from cybersecurity fatigue? Here are a few signs to look out for:

Your employees are ignoring security alerts or taking shortcuts to get around them
You’ve had a data breach or cyberattack in the past but didn’t take significant steps to prevent it from happening again
You’re relying solely on antivirus software to protect your business
You haven’t updated your security protocols in a while

If any of these sound familiar, it’s time to take action. Here are a few ideas to help you combat cybersecurity fatigue and keep your business secure:

Invest in employee training. Your employees are your first line of defense against cyber threats. Make sure they understand the risks and are trained in proper security protocols.
Use multi-factor authentication. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring users to provide additional verification before accessing sensitive information.
Keep your software up to date. Many cyberattacks happen because of outdated software that contains vulnerabilities. Make sure all software is regularly updated to the latest version.
Partner with a trusted IT support partner. They can provide ongoing support and monitoring of your systems, ensuring that your business stays secure and up to date. If you don’t have a partner, we should talk.

Don’t let cybersecurity fatigue put your business at risk. You can protect your business and enjoy peace of mind by taking proactive steps to improve your security. Remember, the best defense is a good offense! If we can help, get in touch.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at MSP Marketing Edge.

Voice over internet protocol and the free market has allowed dozens of players into the communications market. While the wealth of options allows a company to select the ideal service, all the alternatives can quickly become overwhelming.

To simplify it, we’ve broken down what a business should look for and the features you need in an office phone provider.

Key Takeaways:

The best office phone providers do not compromise customer support and reliability.
Compliance and security are key office phone features.
Look for unified communications, software integrations, cloud-based service, and advanced features from an internet phone provider.
A business phone service should provide outstanding call quality at a reasonable price.

1. Excellent Customer Support

All-hours availability and an obsession with satisfaction are necessary in the 21st century. Award-winning support is a particular concern for small and medium-sized businesses that are tight on time and resources. You should have an office phone provider that is a true partner for your success.

2. Impeccable Reliability

What’s better than getting support when a line goes down or you have a problem? Rarely dealing with downtime at all. Find a provider that can guarantee 99.999% uptime. That equates to a little more than five minutes of downtime in a year. Save yourself time and hassle by working with a reliable team as you compare office phone providers.

3. Compliance and Security

With data flowing through the web, you have to be sure that the information is not susceptible to hackers. Data protection guards your customers against headaches and preserves your reputation.

The concern is even more vital if you work in fields with strict regulations, such as legal, healthcare, or financial. Your provider should proactively help you address compliance, security, and privacy requirements so you, your clients, and your partners have peace of mind.

4. Unified Communications

Omnichannel communications are no longer a bonus feature but a modern necessity. Your provider should offer talk, text, video conferencing, online faxing, and screen sharing in one package. Instead of contracting with numerous vendors to handle each aspect of communications, you simplify things by working with one provider.

5. Productivity Integrations

Office phone providers that care about helping their clients succeed provide an integrations platform that lets you connect your company apps to your communications system. As your communications and productivity apps work hand in hand, you’ll drive customer retention and boost revenue.

6. Communications Archiving

Another issue is the ability to access your emails, calls, chats, and communications data later. Whether you need past conversations for employee reviews, training, compliance, or legal cases, archiving should be easy to deploy, integrate, and use.

Your system should capture all conversations on company channels automatically without you having to take additional steps after activation. An administrative dashboard can offer powerful contextual searches of your archives by content and metadata to isolate relevant information.

7. Cloud-Based Flexibility

More companies are operating on a remote or hybrid basis, meaning team members need access to company communications services at home or on the move. You could let your employees use their own cell phones and email addresses. However, you’d lose the compliance, security, and data ownership inside your communications software. With cloud-based service, your team could still use their own devices while connecting safely to your system.

8. Superior Connection Quality

Broadband internet offers high-definition call quality that analog lines can only dream about. That connectivity also means you can rely on superb service for a worldwide team.

9. Reasonable Pricing

Acquiring advanced features, remote connectivity, and productivity integrations used to require a substantial portion of your budget. Now, stellar office phone providers can offer all of the elements you need for less than what most families spend on groceries.

10. Advanced Features

The features that can enhance your business communications are too many to list here. Be sure to check that your phone system offers common services, such as the following:

Automated attendants and custom greetings
Interactive voice response
Virtual voicemail
Call analytics
Vanity and local numbers

With such features, you can craft a business phone system that fits your needs and presents a professional image.

YeoVoice Powered by Elevate: The Top Choice in Office Phone Providers

The optimal balance between cost, reliability, and features from office phone providers is achieved with a reputable cloud-based system. For the best in professional phone systems, contact Yeo & Yeo Technology to discover how YeoVoice can fill your communications needs.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at Intermedia.

As digital transformation continues to shape the healthcare industry, healthcare organizations must prioritize cybersecurity. These organizations are entrusted with sensitive personal information from patients, making them a prime target for cybercriminals to steal, exploit, or sell the data they acquire, as evidenced by a recent breach at MCNA Dental which impacted 8.9 million patients.

The healthcare industry is unique in that exposure, loss, or amending of information can have a long-lasting impact on its victims. Unlike credit card information, healthcare information is not easily changed or canceled, which can cause embarrassment, direct health implications, or even lead to targeted scams.

We have seen many examples of this, such as the ransomware attack on a plastic surgery clinic in Florida, which caused patients to receive ransomware notes with the threat of their data being exposed if they were not paid. Similarly, the breach of a psychology hospital in Germany exposed private details about psychiatric patients.

To avoid these scenarios, healthcare organizations should prioritize cybersecurity by implementing robust security measures such as intrusion detection systems, firewalls, and encryption technologies. In addition, organizations should adopt effective cybersecurity policies and ensure regular employee training to combat social engineering techniques like phishing, the most common way cybercriminals breach organizations.

Attackers take advantage of vulnerable employees by sending convincing but fraudulent emails which appear to be from a known or trusted source. Once clicked, these emails allow access to networks or sensitive data. Employee security awareness training ensures they know how to recognize and thwart such attacks.

Finally, it is important for healthcare organizations to work with reliable and trustworthy vendors that have a good track record of implementing effective cybersecurity solutions. This includes conducting regular cybersecurity audits to assess the competency of their current MSP or IT service provider.

The healthcare industry must prioritize cybersecurity. Patient data is sensitive and personal and must be protected. Organizations that do not take these measures seriously risk severe repercussions as cybercriminals constantly evolve their attack strategies. By embedding good security practices, healthcare organizations can build a security culture and mitigate the risk of losing patient data and damaging their reputation.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at KnowBe4.

Google is most people’s first port of call for help or information online – something cybercriminals use to their advantage. Specifically, they target Google ads, impersonating campaigns for popular software such as Grammarly, Slack, Ring, etc. This is nothing to do with those companies but to the untrained eye. They look like the real deal, which is how they’re tricking people into clicking the ads.

If you’re not using an ad blocker, you’ll see promoted pages at the top of your Google search results. These look almost identical to the non-promoted, down-page organic search results, so you or your people could easily be tempted to click.

Google is working to protect us by blocking campaigns it can identify as malicious. But criminals have tricky ways around that too.

Ads first take you to a benign-looking website – which the crooks have created. This redirects you to a malicious site that convincingly impersonates a genuine page. That’s where the malware lurks, waiting for a click, beyond Google’s reach.

Worse, in many cases, you’ll still get the software you’re trying to download, along with a hidden payload of malware. That makes it harder to tell that your device or network has been infected and may give the malware longer to do its job.

To stay protected, train your team about the dangers and make sure everyone is on the lookout for anything that seems like it should be corrected. Encourage people to scroll down the Google results until they find the official domain of the company they’re looking for, and make it a policy that people seek permission before downloading any software – no matter how innocent it may seem.

You could also consider using an ad blocker in your browser. That will filter out any promoted results from your Google search for extra peace of mind.

For help and advice with training and software policies, contact us.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at MSP Marketing Edge.

My employees use WhatsApp to share work info – should I stop this?

If you already use a communication tool like Teams, your people should keep all work communication there. It’s more secure and can save a lot of time hunting for information.

I’ve heard I can upgrade to Windows 11 without TPM 2.0?

A TPM is a tiny security chip on your machine, which is required by Windows 11. There is a workaround, but our advice is to avoid it. It may mean you miss out on key security updates, which could leave your entire network vulnerable.

I’ve lost my laptop. What do I do?

You should have a response plan in place for this type of incident. Report it to the correct person so data can be wiped remotely to avoid a breach. If you don’t have a plan or remote management in place, Yeo & Yeo Technology can help.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at MSP Marketing Edge.

Machine learning touches nearly every part of our world and is transforming the way we live, work, and interact with each other, and it isn’t slowing down. However, with its unprecedented growth, it isn’t without risk. It’s essential to understand the potential risks associated with using AI, so you can take the necessary steps to set up processes and guardrails to minimize the risk to you and your organization.

Below are five steps to mitigate risks proactively and safely manage using AI. 

Step 1: Appoint a single lead or a committee to manage the use of AI

Form a committee with representatives from different teams, such as operations, security, legal, and marketing. This helps ensure all areas of your business are represented, and policies and procedures are comprehensive and effective. 

Step 2: Define your initial use cases

Define your initial and follow-on use cases. Are you looking to automate routine tasks, generate scripts to address technical issues, provide faster responses to customer queries, or improve customer satisfaction? Most organizations start with a single initial use case and expand from that success. 

Step 3: Where to implement AI

Initially, you may use the browser-based prompt user interface from OpenAI, ChatGPT, or some of the upcoming Bing tools. Depending on the use case, it might be more advisable to use OpenAI or Azure APIs to integrate AI more directly into your workflows. It’s important to note that any AI tool should not entirely replace human customer service representatives. Instead, it should be used to supplement their efforts and provide faster, more efficient customer service. 

Step 4: Set up guardrails

Establish guardrails to manage the use of AI. This includes setting up policies and procedures for access to data, training staff to identify potential security threats, and establishing a clear incident response plan. Most importantly, maintain a human in the middle to review, edit, and test any generated script or customer response before it is used.

Step 5: Monitor and refine your processes

Monitor and refine your AI processes continually, including regularly reviewing policies and procedures, evaluating prompt engineering and the effectiveness of your solution, and ensuring that staff members are trained to use it effectively. It’s important to remain current with industry trends and developments in conversational AI technology to ensure you’re using the most effective solutions available.

By setting up processes and guardrails to take advantage of AI technology, you can improve customer service capabilities and minimize risk. With the right policies and procedures in place, you can use AI to automate routine tasks, provide faster and more personalized responses to customer queries and enhance their overall service offerings. 

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at ConnectWise.

Since the beginning, two types of cyberattacks (known as initial root cause exploits) have composed a majority of successful attacks: social engineering and exploiting unpatched vulnerabilities. These two root causes account for 50% to 90% of all successful attacks. You can be attacked in many other ways (e.g., password guessing, misconfiguration, eavesdropping, physical attacks, etc.). Still, all other types of attacks combined do not equal either of the other two more popular methods.

Social engineering is involved in 50% to 92% of successful attacks, and exploiting unpatched software and firmware accounts for 20% to 40%. There are a lot of crossovers because attackers often use multiple methods to accomplish their malfeasance. For example, a social engineering email will try to convince potential victims to download a trojan-enabled Microsoft Word document that launches an attack against an unpatched vulnerability.

It is the world’s inability to focus on these two top root causes of attacks appropriately that allows hackers and malware to be successful.

You need to do everything you can do to fight social engineering, including implementing good policies, which reduce the risk of social engineering, implementing your best defense-in-depth technical defenses (like content filters, endpoint detection and response software, secure configurations, etc.) to prevent social engineering from getting to end users, and training end users to recognize social engineering that gets past the first two mitigations.

You must aggressively patch software and firmware vulnerabilities used by malicious hackers and malware. What software and firmware vulnerabilities are used by hackers and malware to exploit devices and networks? The U.S. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security (CISA) agency has a list of those vulnerabilities, branded as the Known Exploited Vulnerability Catalog. Subscribe to this list, and CISA will send you an email any time a vulnerability gets newly exploited by an attacker for the first time (as far as they know). If you have software or firmware on this list, get it patched as soon as possible.

That is it! These two mitigations, fighting social engineering and patching exploited vulnerabilities, are the two best things most organizations can do to fight hackers and malware. If you do these two things better, the risk that you will be compromised goes way down, and if you do not, vice-versa.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at KnowBe4.

A recent cybersecurity report by Deloitte found that just 11% of IT budgets go into incident response, disaster recovery, and infrastructure security. This could be a dangerous underinvestment.

While it’s vital to keep your data and infrastructure protected with a layered, multi-stranded approach, no network can ever be protected from 100% of attacks. Even if it were possible, it would make your systems hard to live with and would certainly destroy productivity.

That means you need a cyber resiliency plan to help you respond to any cyberattack that does get past your defenses. It requires different thinking than your other resilience plans around physical disasters.

In the case of a flood, for example, your incident response might be to get cleaned up, find a temporary work location, and get your systems online again. But in the case of a ransomware attack, you’d need to investigate how the attack occurred, locate and patch the holes in your defenses, and remove all traces of the attack from your systems.

For a cyberattack, you’ll also have a different RTO – a Recovery Time Objective – which defines how quickly you expect to get back up and running. Your resiliency plan should define that RTO, so you understand what downtime costs you’ll be facing.

Where do you start? We recommend:

Improving your security: Hopefully, you’ve already ticked this one off. Make it as hard as possible for crooks to access your systems without creating measures that are so hard to live with they interfere with the smooth running of your business.
Monitoring your systems: The sooner you detect an attack, the faster you can respond, which will minimize any damage. You should always monitor suspicious activity, and staff should be trained to spot warning signs.
Responding swiftly: Your response plan should be available to everyone in the business and should include information on who to report a suspected breach to and all the steps that should be taken.
Making recovery easier: Once an attack is under control, it’s time to recover. That means having a good backup in place and a rehearsed plan for restoring your systems.

If you need help with cyber resiliency or other disaster recovery plans, get in touch today.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at MSP Marketing Edge.

New ways of working have given way to a new normal for employees in all industries. And many are realizing that once-temporary setups (and habits) need to change to revitalize their workdays. Checking emails on the couch, leading a virtual call hunched over a laptop at the kitchen table, or even working back at your corporate office in a shared workspace can leave you uncomfortable, tired, and uninspired.

No matter where you work, your workspace should fuel a productive workday and even a new sense of energy. Our checklist will help you assess your current setup and identify ways to improve the ergonomics to work more vibrantly.

To regain feel-good energy during your workday, ensure you and your workspace—temporary or permanent—follow this checklist:

√ Your screen height is at eye level.

For the most comfortable viewing, keep your monitor at or slightly below eye level and about arm’s length away. Avoid looking down or up at your screen to help protect your neck.

√ Your feet are flat on the floor.

When your feet rest naturally on the floor, you support your body’s neutral posture. Dangling feet can lead to lower back pain, so if needed, invest in a simple footstool for the extra height.

√ Your chair is adjustable.

Ditch the kitchen chair for an ergonomic chair that offers multiple adjustment points. The right chair height is key to many items on this checklist, and other adjustments can provide a personalized fit that bolsters your overall well-being.

√ Your arms are at a 90-degree angle.

This is another important element of neutral posture. Your elbows should stay close to your core, and your arms should be at a 90-degree angle when working at your computer. Wrists should always stay flat as you type.

√ You use a drop-down keyboard.

Your keyboard height should be roughly the same height as your elbows. That means most work surfaces are too high to be considered ergonomic (especially laptops). Purchase an add-on, back-tilt keyboard tray that sits below your work surface.

√ Your main items are in the primary zone.

Take an inventory of all desk items, including your mouse, printer, notebooks, and files. Keep your most used items closest in your primary zone, followed by less commonly used items in your secondary and tertiary zones. That will help prevent unintended tweaks to your neck and back (and help you stay organized).

Design a Vibrant Workspace

Remote work has directly impacted wellness and engagement. Check out our ergonomic solutions and build an ergonomic workspace that inspires your best work and fuels a collaborative team spirit.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at Ergotron.

People are one of the most common factors contributing to successful data breaches. This year’s newly-released Data Breach Investigations Report outlines the three primary ways attackers gain initial access to an organization: credentials, phishing, and exploitation of vulnerabilities.

In the figure below, it’s evident that the first two are the primary problem:

Source: Verizon

According to the report, approximately 90% of initial access involves social engineering and people. Putting this together, it becomes evident that social engineering is used primarily to obtain credentials from a victim that has no idea they are being scammed.

Security Awareness Training is key in helping to reduce the likelihood of users falling for social engineering scams – whether in email, on the web, in a text, etc. – designed to harvest credentials (or any other malicious outcome). Interested in learning more about our security awareness training solutions? Contact Yeo & Yeo Technology.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at KnowBe4.

Social engineering is the art of manipulating, influencing, or deceiving someone into taking an action that isn’t in their best interest or the best interest of their organization. The goal of social engineers is to obtain your trust, then exploit that relationship to coax you into either divulging sensitive information or giving them access to your network. The best social engineers use your emotions to create a sense of urgency, and their attacks can be very convincing.

Social engineering incidents have almost doubled since last year to account for 17% of all breaches, according to Verizon’s 2023 Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR), which analyzed more than 16,312 security incidents, of which 5,199 were confirmed data breaches.

Among these attacks, BEC, or business email compromise, has become more popular. In this attack, the perpetrator uses existing email communications and information to deceive the recipient into completing a seemingly ordinary task, like changing a vendor’s bank account details. But what makes this attack dangerous is that the new bank account provided belongs to the attacker. As a result, any payments the recipient makes to that account will simply disappear.

It can be difficult to spot these attacks as the attackers do a lot of preparation beforehand. They may create a domain doppelganger that looks almost identical to the real one and modify the signature block to show their own number instead of the vendor’s.

Attackers can make subtle changes to trick their targets, especially if they receive similar legitimate requests. This could be one reason BEC attacks have nearly doubled and now make up over 50% of incidents in this category.

Timely detection and response are crucial when dealing with social engineering attacks, as well as most other attacks. The median cost of BECs now averages around $50,000, emphasizing the significance of quick detection. The cost of ransomware attacks has also doubled since last year, reaching the million-dollar range.

The evidence points to a gaping need for organizations to get in control of the security basics — or else face a spiraling cycle of inflation for data breach costs. Security solutions provide solid coverage for most social engineering attacks. Still, for that small percentage of attacks that make it to the user, it’s only Security Awareness Training that will be the difference between a protected organization and an enabled attack.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at KnowBe4.

As businesses grow and adapt to a more modern and digital world, the use of cloud-based phone systems is becoming increasingly popular. A cloud business phone system provides numerous benefits to a business, such as scalability, cost-effectiveness, and mobility. In addition to traditional phone features like voicemail, call forwarding, and call recording, many cloud business phone systems now offer integrated video conferencing, team chat, and file-sharing capabilities. In this blog, we will explore a day in the life of a cloud business phone system at a typical business that uses these features.

8:00 AM: As employees arrive at the office, they log in to their desk phones or softphones on their computers, which are connected to the cloud business phone system. The phone system greets them with a welcome message and provides access to all the features they need, including video conferencing and team chat. This allows employees to collaborate and communicate with each other in real-time, even if they’re in different locations.

9:00 AM: The receptionist receives the first incoming call of the day. The cloud business phone system’s auto-attendant feature greets the caller and directs them to the appropriate department or extension. If the receptionist is unavailable, the call is automatically forwarded to the next available employee or their voicemail. If the caller needs to share a file with the employee they are speaking with, the cloud business phone system’s file-sharing capabilities allow the employee to access the file quickly and easily.

10:00 AM: The sales team is making outbound calls to potential customers using the cloud business phone system’s softphone feature. This allows them to call from their computer rather than tying up their desk phone. The softphone also allows them to transfer calls and access all the same features as their desk phone. If a potential customer wants a video call, the cloud business phone system’s video conferencing feature allows the sales team to connect with the customer face-to-face, no matter where they are.

12:00 PM: During lunchtime, employees can use the cloud business phone system’s mobile app to make and receive calls on their personal mobile devices. This ensures that they don’t miss any important calls while they’re away from their desk. The mobile app also allows employees to access team chat and file-management features, so they can stay connected with their colleagues even when they’re out of the office.

2:00 PM: A customer calls in with a billing inquiry. The cloud business phone system’s call recording feature allows the customer service representative to review their previous interactions with the customer and quickly resolve their issue. The representative can also share a file with the customer to help explain the billing issue.

4:00 PM: As the workday winds down, employees can access voicemail through the cloud business phone system’s web interface or email notifications. They can listen to their messages, respond, and delete them as necessary. If they need to share a file with a colleague, they can do so easily through the cloud business phone system’s file management capabilities.

5:00 PM: As employees log out for the day, the cloud business phone system’s call-forwarding feature ensures that all calls are forwarded to the appropriate employee or voicemail box. The system also automatically sends voicemails to employees’ email inboxes for easy access.

A cloud business phone system with integrated video conferencing, team chat, and file management capabilities is an essential tool for businesses. It provides employees the flexibility and mobility they need to be productive while allowing them to collaborate and communicate with their colleagues in real-time. Whether employees are in the office, working from home, or on the go, a cloud business phone system ensures they can always stay connected to each other and their customers. Learn more about Yeo & Yeo Technology’s cloud-based business phone systems today!

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at Intermedia.

IT asset discovery is the process of locating, identifying, and indexing all assets within an organization’s IT infrastructure. This includes both hardware and software assets, such as laptops, tablets, PCs, servers, IoT devices, software libraries, third-party software licenses, code repositories, storage buckets, databases-as-a-service (DBaaS), containers, virtualized network devices, and virtual servers.

The benefits of IT asset discovery

Asset discovery is a critical component of any cybersecurity strategy and provides organizations with a new level of transparency in their networks. Asset discovery can help your organization:

Improve cybersecurity: By having an accurate inventory of assets, organizations can ensure that all assets are up-to-date and secure, helping to protect the organization from potential cyber threats.
Remain compliant: Knowing which assets the organization owns can help them determine the best ways to use them and ensure they comply with security and regulatory standards.
Cut costs and budget better: Knowing which devices you have, their usage, and how old they are can help you make more informed decisions regarding IT budgeting and planning. In addition, IT asset discovery can help organize third-party software licenses, so you aren’t paying for additional, unused software instances.

In short, asset discovery helps organizations better understand their environment and take steps to protect and improve it.

Tips on choosing the right asset discovery tool

Choose a tool that tells the full story and allows you to easily identify, scan, and monitor all devices.
Ensure your chosen platform handles automated patching.
Check that your chosen platform supports the hardware you’re currently using.

Ready to get started with IT asset discovery?

With the right tools and processes in place, you can quickly identify and address any potential risks, reduce costs, and improve the efficiency of your IT operations. As you continue to learn more about asset discovery, remember that it is an ongoing process that requires regular maintenance and updates to remain effective. Yeo & Yeo Technology can help.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at ConnectWise.

In a recent report, data security service Cyberhaven detected and blocked requests to input data into ChatGPT from 4.2% of the 1.6 million workers at its client companies because of the risk of leaking confidential information, client data, source code, or regulated information.

“Employees are submitting sensitive business data and privacy-protected information to large language models (LLMs) such as ChatGPT, raising concerns that artificial intelligence (AI) services could be incorporating the data into their models and that information could be retrieved at a later date if proper data security isn’t in place for the service,” said Robert Lemos at DARKReading.

“In one case, an executive cut and pasted the firm’s 2023 strategy document into ChatGPT and asked it to create a PowerPoint deck. In another case, a doctor input his patient’s name and medical condition and asked ChatGPT to craft a letter to the patient’s insurance company. And as more employees use ChatGPT and other AI-based services as productivity tools, the risk will grow.”

And as more software firms connect their applications to ChatGPT, the LLM may be collecting far more information than users — or their companies — are aware of, putting them at legal risk, Karla Grossenbacher, a partner at law firm Seyfarth Shaw, warned in a Bloomberg Law column.

“Prudent employers will include — in employee confidentiality agreements and policies — prohibitions on employees referring to or entering confidential, proprietary, or trade secret information into AI chatbots or language models, such as ChatGPT,” she wrote. “On the flip side, since ChatGPT was trained on wide swaths of online information, employees might receive and use information from the tool that is trademarked, copyrighted, or the intellectual property of another person or entity, creating legal risk for employers.”

Some companies are taking action to protect themselves and their employees. JPMorgan restricted workers’ use of ChatGPT. In addition, Amazon, Microsoft, and Walmart have all issued warnings to employees to take care when using generative AI services.

To maintain the security of sensitive information in the face of advancing technology, organizations must review existing policies and procedures and equip employees with the necessary knowledge and training. Security awareness training can be a valuable starting point to ensure employees know the risks of sharing information with AI software. With the right measures in place, organizations can make the most of their new technologies while keeping their data safe and secure.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at KnowBe4.

A major change to your IT infrastructure shouldn’t be planned in a hurry. If you’re starting to think about ending it with your current systems and bringing your business into the future, there’s plenty to consider. You need to define everything you’d like the upgrade to achieve. And think beyond solving the immediate problem to what your ideal solution could deliver. But where do you start?

Here are some tips we have for those planning an IT overhaul.

Keep it simple and document everything

It’s quite common for businesses to want to over-customize their infrastructure. Many businesses really do need something fully bespoke. Others end up with a setup that’s far too complex because they want to shoe-horn a new system into a familiar way of doing things. Often, the latest solutions offer surprising productivity benefits – but you may need to be prepared to flex how you work to get the best out of them.

Use this opportunity to embed logical process improvements. And document everything. This will help save time and resources as you work through any teething issues, and it can form the basis of staff training.

Research, research, research

Finding the right solution can be overwhelming. This is where expert advice and contacts in your network come in. Listen to recommendations and speak to an IT professional with broad expertise.

How well is the software supported and routinely updated?
How easily does it integrate with other solutions?
Is there an alternative option that you haven’t even considered?

Many software solutions offer a free trial period. This allows you to see how it works in practice but will also give you a good idea of the support and communication you’ll receive before making a long-term commitment. Because if you do find that a solution doesn’t do everything you’d hoped, you’ll start to introduce those clunky workarounds again and eventually end up back at square one.

Plan your data migration

If you’re switching from an old system to a new one, plan how to transfer your existing data – it’s usually not a simple export/import. Make sure your backups are intact and have an emergency rollback plan to quickly get back to where you were and keep working if an implementation doesn’t go smoothly.

Have an implementation and training plan

Have training sessions with your new applications, and make sure everyone understands why the change is happening. It’s common for people to be resistant to new ways of working. You could have a trainer come to your premises or use online sessions via video call or interactive training courses.

Choose the right professionals from the get-go

Whether you know exactly what you need or you don’t know where to start, the right professionals will support you all the way. A professional who does this daily won’t see this as the daunting prospect it might feel like to you. They’ll foresee issues before they arise and take the weight of responsibility off your shoulders.

Look for a provider who’s done this before with similar-sized businesses. Someone who’ll take the time to understand the level of customization and personalization required and will think about your overall needs. And find somebody you like.

Get in touch

If you’re considering any IT project and want to speak to a professional, talk to us first. We specialize in many areas and work across a range of different solutions. Get in touch today.

Information used in this article was provided by our partners at MSP Marketing Edge.