A Cybersecurity Action Plan for Your Virtual Workforce

A Cybersecurity Action Plan for Your Virtual Workforce

According to Global Workplace Analytics, approximately 50% of all organizations have positions where employees can work remotely, all or some of the time. This number has grown 115% in the last thirteen years and is expected to continue to rise in the coming years.

However, with this flexibility, comes potential risk to your data. As virtual workers pick up and go from their home to the local coffee shop to a client meeting, the level of system security diminishes. The risk is especially high in open, and usually free, Wi-Fi areas.

The good news is there are practices you can implement today to make the virtual worker’s environment safer.

7 Cybersecurity Practices for Your Remote Workforce

  1. Make sure every operating system, applications, antivirus and anti-malware software is up to date. This can be a challenging task to complete if your workforce resides all over the country and only comes into the office once or twice a year.

    However, if you hire a cybersecurity company, they can identify your vulnerabilities through an assessment, know where your risks are and help fix them right away.

  2. Make cybersecurity training mandatory. You can help users identify suspicious emails, spear phishing and who they should call if they aren’t sure about a message. Reinforce the training in conference and video calls. Be clear about the repercussions if they violate protocol.
  3. Activate a Virtual Private Network (VPN) service. If your workforce must sign in via a public network, the right VPN will provide a high level of encryption for all transactions going to and coming from your company.
  4. Implement Perfect Forward Secrecy (PFS). These are specific key agreement protocols that gives assurances your session keys will not be compromised, even if the private key of a server is hacked. This is good protection if the remote user’s laptop or tablet is infected with malware. It limits the hacker’s access to one server or a partition of your cloud services.
  5. Be able to disable and wipe clean remote devices. If a worker’s device is stolen or lost, its vital you can disarm it right away.
  6. Establish a different password policy. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) passwords need to be obscure, long and For example, putting together alphanumeric combinations a user can remember, but no one else will, can be almost impossible to crack. An example might be a house address of long ago, the user’s favorite childhood sport and their last movie title.

    In addition, the NIST determined that changing passwords every few months did not enhance security, because most users don’t make significant changes to their existing password when forced to make a change.

  7. Implement proactive practices.
    Rather than being reactive to a situation, put in place the following:

    1. Outsource cybersecurity. The right organization can continuously assess, monitor and protect your network and workforce no matter where they are or what time they access their data.
    2. Obtain cyber liability insurance. In the event of a breach, in which personal information, such as Social Security or credit card numbers, are exposed or stolen, this will garner you the protection you need.
    3. Establish a remote workforce policy. The key is to be fair to everyone and still protect your business. Many individuals enjoy working from home because they have more freedom, don’t have to make a long, stressful commute and can have more balance in their lives. Gain buy-in to the policy and have consequences if individuals violate them.

Axiom Cyber Solutions Can Manage Your Remote Users

Our Managed Cybersecurity Solution which includes next-generation firewall Intrusion Detection and Prevention (IDS), managed anti-virus, network monitoring, and patch management is available for a low monthly subscription fee. Contact us today for more information!

HARDCAR Distribution Partners with Axiom Cyber Solutions to Help Cannabis Businesses Protect Their Customer and Business Data

HARDCAR Distribution Partners with Axiom Cyber Solutions to Help Cannabis Businesses Protect Their Customer and Business Data

As the cannabis industry continues to grow, so does the amount of business intelligence and personal information available to hackers and other entities, making cybersecurity more critical now than ever before.

June 26, 2018 – (Palm Springs, CA) – HARDCAR Distribution is excited to announce a newly minted partnership with Axiom Cyber Solutions to protect businesses in the cannabis industry from cyber attacks and the theft of valuable data. New businesses are coming online every day as the cannabis market explodes throughout the United States and Canada, making them prime targets for hackers.

Although HARDCAR Distribution brings years of security experience to the cannabis industry ensuring the safe and secure transport of cash and product, they understand the importance of protecting their clients on every level. With Axiom’s team of infrastructure specialists, developers, database and business intelligence experts, and project managers, growing cannabis businesses now have a full-service solution with the addition of cutting edge cyber security technology.

“There are few industries bringing the kind of attention like the cannabis industry, so partnering with Axiom was a no-brainer. Not only do they provide an incredible service, but they do it at a relatively inexpensive price that startup businesses can afford. The future for cannabis is massive and we need to make sure everyone is protected!” – Todd Kleperis, HARDCAR Distribution CEO

Axiom Cyber Solutions offers solutions that keep valuable information safe and secure, monitoring 24 hours a day to ensure the highest levels of protection against hackers and other entities. As medical and recreational cannabis become legal across North America, cannabis businesses are at greater risk of having their patient information, intellectual property, distribution and route information, vehicle information, and other valuable data, stolen.

“An important aspect of the cannabis industry is the reputation of your business and there’s no worse way to compromise it than having to tell your customer’s that you’ve lost their data in a breach. Besides your customer data, you have proprietary information on your blends, grow operations, and business practices that competition would love to have. And lastly, the industry is investing heavily in smart, internet-connected technologies to aid and improve grow operations and these systems need to be protected. Could you imagine having an entire crop destroyed because someone hacked in a changed the environmental settings of your internet-connected HVAC systems?” – Troy Wilkinson, CEO of Axiom Cyber Solutions

Although data management and cyber security are often the last item on an organization’s lengthy to-do list, the need for a secure platform is more critical now than ever before. As the cannabis industry continues to grow, small operations are expanding into large scale ones and companies are scrambling to find solutions to their network and IT security. Axiom offers a variety of solutions to keep businesses secure:

  • Managed Enterprise Cybersecurity
  • Continuous Risk and Compliance Monitoring
  • Vulnerability and Penetration Testing
  • Smart Home Cybersecurity

The cannabis industry offers a massive amount of valuable information, including Personal Identifiable Information (e.g. SSNs, Birth Dates, Addresses, etc.), Protected Health Information (e.g. patient name, address, certification/license numbers, medical record numbers, health related information, account numbers, SSNs, etc.), and Business Intelligence (e.g. research and development, inventory, product intelligence, software applications, payouts, manifests, equipment, sales, etc.). Unfortunately most business systems are being monitored by untrained staff, or not being monitored at all, putting companies at a huge risk.

With this risk being so high, HARDCAR and Axiom are dedicated to protecting their clients on every level, including threats against cyber attacks and data theft. For more information, please contact Axiom Cyber Solutions at info@axiomcyber.com or call at (800) 519-5070.

Media Contact
Jon Pierce
jpierce@hardcar.com

About HARDCAR Distribution

HARDCAR is an award-winning and long-time contributor to the cannabis space, with a proven track record of cultivating and solidifying meaningful relationships throughout the industry. From packaging, to distribution, secured storage, and transport, HARDCAR Distribution has all aspects of cannabis retail covered. Through collaboration with our diversified team of highly qualified and talented professionals, we help cannabis businesses stand out in the industry by providing the highest quality industry services that keep our partners’ products safe, while maintaining excellence and compliance throughout our work.

For more information, please visit hardcar.com

About Axiom Cyber Solutions  

Axiom Cyber Solutions strives to be the leading cyber-security technology partner by providing world-class solutions that are intelligent, adaptive, innovative, and automated. Through our technology solutions, we enable our clients to be disruptive in their markets while remaining focused on what they do best. We believe in the saying “if you find a job you love, you never work another day in your life”. We seek to cultivate a culture that attracts energetic, motivated, and creative individuals that share our passion for technology.

7 Cybersecurity Threats Every K-12 School Faces

7 Cybersecurity Threats Every K-12 School Faces

Ransomware. DDoS. Phishing. Identify theft.

Sadly, schools across the United States are becoming very familiar with these terms. In fact, recent research indicates that K-12 institutions will have the highest rate of ransomware attacks of any industry in the coming years.

For example, the release of sensitive student and teacher information can lead to identity theft. A hacker’s encryption of students’ grades and teachers’ lesson plans can lead to loss of productivity (especially if they are not backed up) and thousands of taxpayer dollars being spent to replicate data that is gone.

As you to turn to the 2018-19 school year, this is your opportunity to make cybersecurity a budget priority. Here are seven reasons why it’s important:

  1. Clickbait.
    The email may look legitimate but unfortunately, it is not. Embedded in the text is a hyperlink that sends you to a malicious site. This link has now taken down your school’s system.Solution: Ensure every employee has the highest email filter settings for spam, phishing and executable files. Employees should also be trained on what suspicious emails look like and always report suspected emails to the IT department.
  2. Outdated Technology.
    Your school may feel they need to hold onto computers and tablets until they break. The problem with this plan is they may not support the current operating system, which opens you up to a cybersecurity breach.Solution: Do a complete inventory of all your computer equipment. Make certain it runs iOS 11.3.1 for iPhones/iPads, macOS 10.13.4 for Mac computers and Windows 10 for PCs. For all devices that do not support these versions, disengage them from your network today. Purchase new devices to replace them before or during the next fiscal year.
  3. Not Paying Attention to Patches.
    All operating systems require patches from time to time.Solution: When your computer tells you updates are needed, complete them within a few hours. It will require a restart however, many patches have security updates within them.
  4. User Error.
    When users are allowed access to sensitive and/or confidential data, there is always a risk for exposure.Solution: Partition student, administration and public networks. Practice whitelisting which allows only a handful of individuals into the classified information, blocking nonessential personnel from that data.
  5. Allowing Weak Passwords and not having a Change Policy.
    Passwords less than 14 characters are problematic and/or not enforcing changes of the passwords can lead hackers right to your data’s door.Solution: Make strong passwords a norm, along with two-factor authentication. Provide an automated system that requires password change every 60- to 90-days.
  6. No tools.
    Its time to think of your school network, more like a bank. These financial institutions have a vault, security guards and cameras – different methods to keep your money safe. The same goes for cybersecurity. You need the right tools to keep all the data out of the hands of hackers.Solution: From Mobile Device Management to cybersecurity audit and monitoring, speak to a cybersecurity expert for a full understanding of the best tools for your school system.
  7. Vulnerability testing is nonexistent.
    Without continuous checking, hackers will continue to try and access your data. 

Solution: Initially, you need a cybersecurity organization to analyze the vulnerabilities in your network and recommend fixes. Once those solutions are in place, its vital to have 24/7 monitoring of your network to ensure your data is safe.

Start a Conversation with Axiom Cyber Solutions

We can protect your school from cyberthreats at a very reasonable cost! Give us a call at (800) 519-5070 today to learn more about our offerings!