Tag Archives: #Compliance

Role of Cybersecurity Training in Compliance and Risk Reduction

Cybersecurity compliance
Cybersecurity, Security, , , ,

The primary reason for training employees on cybersecurity is to protect the organization from online attacks. But there are many other reasons you should embark on security awareness training. It is also important for customer reassurance, employee wellbeing, and, our topic for this post, cybersecurity compliance and risk reduction.

Why is Cybersecurity Training Important in Compliance and Risk Reduction?

There are both direct and indirect correlations between cybersecurity training and regulatory compliance. For example, many regulatory agencies explicitly require businesses to conduct regular security policy training or data protection training for all employees. Failure to comply with this requirement would cause fines and other sanctions.

It saves you from penalties and other sanctions. 

Depending on your industry, and your business location, there are some cybersecurity regulations that you would have to comply with. Some cybersecurity compliance regulations are HIPAA, PCI DSS, SOX, NYDFS, GDPR, NIST, CMMC, and many more. Failure to comply with these requirements would put your system at serious risk. But also, you might have to face steep penalties and hefty sanctions, including legal action.

It helps avoid a range of other errors. 

Inadequately trained employees are more vulnerable to phishing and social engineering attacks. They might even unknowingly violate policies and handle data poorly, which could lead to a range of compliance errors. Proper training can help avoid all this.

It encourages alertness and vigilance. 

Unique cybersecurity training strategies like simulated attacks will boost retention and make employees more alert for looking out for cyber threats. It also ensures compliance with the Cybersecurity Framework developed by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) and, though not a legal requirement, is one of the best risk management practices.

It emphasizes the need for encryption and data security.

Data confidentiality and risk mitigation are crucial aspects of data privacy training for meeting compliance demands, especially with encryption, data sharing, and access controls.

It makes for improved compliance audits.

Cybersecurity training ensures not only that your organization passes compliance audits but also that it does so with flying colors. When all employees receive security regulation training, there is a higher chance of getting an exemplary audit report.

It lets regulators gauge your level of cybersecurity compliance.

A good training program comes with participation monitoring and various metrics for evaluating its effectiveness. All this is useful for regulators to check your organization’s compliance with cybersecurity requirements.

It creates a robust security culture within your organization. 

The existence of a regular training program shows your staff that you are serious about cybersecurity and encourages everyone to take the best individual steps toward maintaining a high level of protection. It minimizes the risk of insider threat.

It keeps everyone updated on the latest security practices and compliance standards.

Online threats continue to evolve every day, so compliance standards need to adjust as well. Regular training ensures that your entire organization is trained on all the latest advances, always keeping you compliant.

It encourages top management to prioritize cybersecurity compliance mandates.

With a solid understanding of the importance of compliance and liability, top executives will be more attentive to enforcing mandates on cybersecurity and data protection.

Final Thoughts on Cybersecurity Compliance

Often, cybersecurity compliance may seem like just another routine requirement in the workplace, but it has a significant impact on many aspects of the business, as you have just seen.

Has your data been hacked? Download our Infographic, “The Top 10 steps to take if you think you have been hacked.” If you’d like, call us and we can talk about how we can customize data security for your unique needs!

If you want to know more, just let us know and we will be happy to give you a free consultation!

IT Compliance and Why It Is Important for Your Business

Compliance
Cybersecurity, Security, , , , , , , ,

In running a business, there are a lot of important matters that need to be taken care of. Even if they are not really in line with the core competencies of the business. One such matter is IT compliance. In the last few weeks, we have been talking about compliance and how it is important to your business.

What Is IT Compliance?

One of our recent blogs gives a brief but enlightening overview of what IT compliance is all about. In a nutshell, it is the process of complying with the rules, regulations and requirements set by a third party, which aim to reduce the risk for your organization and allow you to operate within the location or industry under their jurisdiction.

IT Security

How Is IT Compliance Different from IT Security?

IT security is another term that we are all familiar with, especially these days when online fraud, data breaches and other kinds of cyberattacks are so prevalent. In another recent blog, we list the differences between IT security and compliance, and also how they are similar in some ways.

The Similarities

IT Compliance and security can be quite confusing to a lot of people, with many mistakenly thinking that they are the same concept. This is understandable as both do have to do with the protection of your organization amidst the threat-filled online environment. That is, both reduce the risk for your business and let you operate more smoothly.

Also, both compliance and security are vital for gaining and maintaining the trust of your clients. By showing that your system is secure and fully compliant with all industry and legal standards, you can attract customers and build a positive reputation much more easily.

The Differences

One of the primary differences between IT compliance and IT security is that the former is only to fulfill the requirements set by a third party, while the latter is done for the actual protection of one’s business or company. As such, IT security usually involves much more stringent safety measures and protocols that aim to keep your system as safe as possible.

Another difference is that IT security is an ongoing process that needs to be maintained 24/7 while compliance is done as soon as the requesting party is satisfied. The requirements for compliance remain more or less the same for a very long time, while security needs can change very often as it needs to address the continually evolving strategies used by hackers day in and day out.

Achieving Compliance

Why Compliance Should Be a Team Effort

Compliance is considered by many as routine work that only requires the minimum requirements set by a third party. With that only one individual is working on compliance for the company. But compliance is actually a much more significant and much larger task than that. In yet another blog, we discuss the reasons why compliance should be a team effort for any organization.

Among these reasons is that there are plenty of discussions that need to take place before full compliance is complete. Some of the most crucial issues to talk about our email encryption, data encryption, firewalls, backups, data availability, and storage. If you don’t work on these matters, it can lead to fines and penalties for your company. Worse, it could leave gaps in your security system that hackers can easily get through.

We have a 10-step guideline that you can follow if you think there is a hacker in this infographic.

But of course, we don’t want things to go that far. To minimize the risk of that happening, you need to put due effort into compliance. It won’t be practical or wise to expect just one person to complete this sensitive work. We highly recommend delegating the work to a team of experts who can guarantee that all requirements are complete. This will let your organization be fully compliant in no time at all.

To find out more about how we can help, just call us today and we will schedule a free consultation!

Achieving Compliance as a Team

Achieving Compliance
Cybersecurity, Data Backup, Security, , , , , , ,

Before your company can fully comply with all the requirements set by third parties like regulatory bodies and clients, there are dozens upon dozens of tasks that need to be completed. These tasks are spread across different areas of the company and are impossible for just one individual to accomplish. The process of achieving compliance would require a fast and thorough team of compliance specialists.

Vital Matters to Discuss when achieving compliance

In most cases achieving compliance failures can be attributed to a lack of planning and communication. To avoid these problems, bring your compliance team together right from the start and discuss all the crucial matters.

Email Encryption

Daily, hundreds of emails can go back and forth in your company. You need a reliable encryption system to protect all emails and keep all data away from these hackers.

Data Encryption

Customer data, credit card information, and other data must all pass through a secure collection system to avoid theft or exposure to unauthorized parties. This method is crucial when achieving compliance.

Firewalls

Skilled hackers can easily override some firewalls. If you are still using an older firewall try upgrading to a multi-level system for a much better defense against unwanted intruders.

Backups

Data backups are your lifeline of a system failure or cyberattack and are crucial when achieving compliance. It is crucial to create backups regularly and store them in a safe location in a system that complies with client and government requirements.

Data Availability and Storage when achieving compliance

Sensitive information within your business must only be accessible to authorized individuals. There should be a surefire method of restricting access to sensitive information to minimize data breaches.

Physical Access

Maximizing digital security is critical, but you must not take physical safety measures for granted. Every employee should shut down their computers properly after use. Screen filters might be necessary when achieving compliance for some workstations with sensitive data.

Responsibilities of the Internal Compliance Officer to achieving compliance

In addition to choosing a highly skilled IT compliance team, you also need an internal compliance officer on your payroll when achieving compliance. Their primary duty would be to monitor the staff and ensure that each one abides by compliance procedures—locking their systems when they leave their workstations, practicing caution when using credit card information and private company data, and so on.

Regular cybersecurity training is also part of the responsibilities of the internal compliance officer. Quarterly training is ideal for keeping employees aware of the pervasive dangers online. When new employees join the team, they should receive training on compliance policies as well.

Finally, it is also the internal compliance officer who maintains compliance-related documentation such as communication standards and backup plans.

Delegating Compliance to an MSP

Even businesses that are not in the IT industry will need to comply with several IT regulations when achieving compliance. If you do not have an in-house tech team and if your staff does not have the expertise or experience to handle the task, there’s no need to worry. MSPs, or managed services providers, can take these technical matters off your hands.

If you partner with us, we will assign your company a team of compliance experts who will ensure that you meet all relevant requirements. Whether you need to fulfill requirements for HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR, NIST, or any other regulatory authority, we will take care of it to completion. Give us a call, our team will also coordinate closely with your organization to ensure we meet all requirements. You can also check out our Free Cybersecurity Infographic if you’re looking for great advice to keep your business safe in the meantime.

What Is EventTracker Security and Why Use It

Security, , , , ,
IT professional working on a computer to access EventTracker for their company's security strategy

Addressing security issues beyond mere technology.

Many businesses are now popular with SIEM, a foundational technology to secure networks from threats and demonstrate regulatory compliance.

According to Gartner, Security information and event management (SIEM) are technologies that support threat detection and robust incident security. They feature real-time collection and historical analysis of your company’s security events from broad events and contextual data sources.

SIEM technology further allows users to support compliance reporting and incident investigation using historical data from reliable sources. The core capabilities of SIEM technology are a broad scope of event collection and the ability to analyze and correlate events across disparate sources.

To enable businesses to enjoy the benefits of SIEM technology for small networks, Netsurion developed EventTracker Essentials to address security issues beyond mere technology.

What Is EventTracker?

Netsurion’s EventTracker is a world-leading security management platform that offers users complete protection through an adaptive security architecture. The platform integrates prevention, prediction, detection, and response to boost effectiveness and reduce costs. Furthermore, users can monitor and analyze alerts and reports produced by SIEM technology.

With EventTracker security, users enjoy support on event log monitoring and management to enable enterprise network work seamlessly and boost day-to-day administration. The platform further unifies security orchestration, machine learning, and behavior analytics to protect your organizations against cybersecurity threats. Here are some of its top advantages.

Benefits and Insights of EventTracker

Key advantages of EventTracker include:

Centralized Management of All Endpoints on the Network

EventTracker enables you to have complete control of all your network endpoints. With this, you can improve threat response without hassle.

You enjoy security orchestration and automated response functionality with a faster threat response. You’ll consolidate data sources, leverage threat intelligence feeds, and automate response, improving efficiency. Also, this reduces your business response times, improves remediation, and increases your SOC productivity.

Enhanced Threat Detection

The EventTracker SIEM platform is integrated with ATT&CK to improve actionable threat intelligence. You will get better data protection and cybersecurity maturity by improving your readiness for future threats and stealthy adversaries. Such a comprehensive co-managed solution will increase visibility and boost detection.

Thorough Vulnerability Assessment

Attacks are always coming from inside and outside the business. It is essential to avoid these issues by identifying vulnerable systems and versions before becoming significant. A managed vulnerability assessment service provider scheduled scans, dashboards, and detailed reports for offering accurate results while prioritizing exploitable data.

Ensure Compliance

With EventTracker, organizations can secure their business environment, track user activity,   form baselines, create-audit ready reports, and send probable violation reports. Its solutions ensure you remain compliant and maintain yourselves by automating the steps required by each standard.

Advanced Analytics

Through machine learning capabilities, businesses require user and entity behavior analytics to trigger actionable and detailed alerts. This is possible with EventTracker. Its security intelligence platform enables users to understand and determine the normal system activities and event occurrences across their organizations.

Industry Leading Solution

EventTracker is a popular managed security device rated highest in value and performance over the past few years. Recently, SC Media announced was the industry-leading in news and product evaluation production. It is used in several industries, including energy and utilities, finance and banking, higher education, legal, healthcare, government, and retail.

Get Reliable Security Solutions for Your Entire Business from SystemsNet

Disasters are not predictable, and that is why you require reliable security solutions like EventTracker. At SystemsNet, we proactively monitor your systems and provide support and repair services along the way based on what you need. Our experts will ensure your network is always up and running to eliminate downtimes. Let us help you prepare your business continuity for your software, hardware, and cybersecurity concerns. Contact us today to get a free assessment.