Comstock's magazine 0419 - April 2019 | Page 69

SMILE BUSINESS PRODUCTS, INC. Smile Managed IT Services and our defensive mindset against network vulnerabilities Y ou can’t help think about the devastating impact the recent fires had on businesses and individuals. Not only can a fire be detrimental to your business so can other disasters like malicious attacks or an unmaintained network. Unfortunately, we had customers lose more than their IT infrastructure: copiers, printers, phone systems and scanners. As a Managed Services Provider of all devices that are IT related, we were able to help with equipment replacement and more. These are all reasons to prepare an IT Disaster Recovery Plan. Be prepared! Today, business owners face increasing threats by criminals who can reach out from around the world to wreak havoc on your network. Virus es, malware and ransomware are no longer just nuisances but are now an established robust international infrastruc- ture to steal money, personal information and data. How can you protect yourself and your business from such attacks? The answer lies in multiple layers of security which Smile Managed IT Services can implement to help you avoid an attack. TECHNOLOGY • Business Class Firewall - Invest in a business class firewall configured with access rules to allow in only the types of network traffic that are required for your business. • Back-up and Recovery - Implement a full back up and disaster recovery process allowing us to recover a file that was inadvertently deleted or restore a full server of information after a catastrophic hardware failure or natural disaster. • Spam Filter – Spam filtering will effectively counter attack and block easy access to those business emails offering fake links to fraudulent invoices, malicious code disguised as a document or even a newsworthy event. PROCESSES • Security Patches and Updates - Security patches and updates are critical to ensure your business continuity. Viruses like the recent WannaCry ransomware take advantage of the vulnerabilities in unpatched systems. Ongoing monitoring of your network is a necessity. PRACTICES • Protection - Implement a set of passwords, practices and procedures to ensure that employees only access data that they are authorized to access. Unrestricted access to documents cre- ates an opportunity for loss whether it be from a hardware failure, ransom- ware, or a simple employee mistake. • Education - Update employees fre- quently about the types of electronic threats. Educate them on why it’s important to follow processes. Employees are the greatest strength to any business, but they are often the weakest link when it comes to data breaches. At Smile we update our employees frequently about the types of electronic threats that we face and train them to act cautiously when faced with a potential problem. Cybersecurity is more than just buying a new piece of hardware or software. It re- quires a defensive mindset and a proper as- sessment of your network environment and vulnerabilities. Together with technology, processes and practices Smile IT Managed Services can improve cybersecurity and avoid future attacks. According to Forbes, worldwide spending on information security will reach $170 billion by 2020. Simplify your Life. Simplify your Business. Contact Smile today to start the conversation on how Smile Managed IT Services can protect your data and overall network. April 2019 | comstocksmag.com 69 916.481.7695 | www.SmileBPI.com