
Assess Remote Work IT Security Risks
In the rush to make changes to accommodate remote work, a lot of organizations are now finding they may have weakened their IT security posture. Ask yourself these questions to assess your current IT security.
Black Friday. Small Business Saturday. Cyber Monday. They’re three of the busiest shopping days of the year. With the high levels of online shopping and credit card usage associated with them, they also constitute prime times for DDoS attacks and other types of cyber-crime to occur. But don’t be deceived into thinking all’s clear once they’re past. The entire holiday shopping season is prime time for cyber-crime.
Retailers and ecommerce businesses are the primary targets but companies across just about every industry could be at some level of risk as well. Simply sharing the same third-party vendor as a company targeted for attack can put any organization in danger.
As companies seek ways to reduce capital expenses, add capabilities, and adopt new technologies in short timeframes, they’re increasingly turning to outsourcing. In most cases, they’re partnering with vendors who also provide their services to other organizations.
It’s not unusual for companies across a diverse range of industries to share the same payment system processor, data analytics company or another type of service provider. The problem is that if the service provider is hit by a DDoS attack or some other type of data breach, it can have repercussions for all its customers.
Cybercriminals know that service providers often require access to their customers’ sensitive data in order to deliver the required services. With privileged access to multiple customer environments and trusted to store and protect confidential information, these vendors are prime targets for cybercriminals. Your company can have the Fort Knox of IT infrastructure but still lose valuable data if your vendor’s experiences a breach.
Studies indicate that’s becoming more common. According to the third annual Ponemon Institute “Data Risk in the Third-Party Ecosystem” study, 61 percent of the US companies surveyed reported experiencing the aftermath of a data breach caused by one of their vendors or third parties.
The study also revealed that many breaches go undetected with 22 percent of respondents admitting they didn’t know if they’d had a third-party data breach in the past 12 months. Overall, more than three-quarters of organizations believe that third-party cybersecurity incidents are increasing.
This doesn’t mean outsourcing and using third-party vendors can’t be safe. However, it does require extra vigilance and comprehensive security posture that takes into consideration third-party provider risk. The following are tips that can help your company manage and minimize security risks when working with a third-party service provider.
For more information about keeping your data secure, wherever it is, contact US Signal. Our solution architects and security specialists can assess your current IT security posture and offer recommendations for implementing a more comprehensive security strategy. Call 866.2. SIGNAL or email us at: [email protected].
You can also take advantage of US Signal’s free eBook.
In the rush to make changes to accommodate remote work, a lot of organizations are now finding they may have weakened their IT security posture. Ask yourself these questions to assess your current IT security.
Overcome the combined IT challenges of Black Friday, Cyber Monday and COVID-19 with tips ranging from vulnerability screening to backup plans.
US Signal launches vulnerability scanning and management for proactive detection and remediation of critical IT security threats. Delivers extended, actionable security support to organizations in the face of increased cyberattacks and fear of ransomware attacks.