It’s 2 AM, and your company’s network is under siege. A sophisticated ransomware attack is spreading like wildfire through your systems, encrypting critical data and grinding operations to a halt. Your outdated security measures are no match for this new strain of malware. As panic sets in, you realize the harsh truth – your business wasn’t prepared for the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats. Well, cybersecurity monitoring can help prevent this nightmare scenario. Let’s go through how to protect your business with cybersecurity monitoring.

Real-Time Threat Detection

Real-time network security monitoring systems work by continuously scanning a business’s network, devices, and applications for abnormal behavior or security vulnerabilities. These systems use advanced algorithms and machine learning to detect patterns that may indicate malicious activity. For example:

• Unusual login attempts
• Large data transfers outside of normal hours
• Unexpected access to sensitive files

can all trigger an immediate security incident response, prompting the security team to investigate and respond.

Key Monitoring Tools and Techniques

The right monitoring tools, when integrated into a company’s cybersecurity strategy, provide the visibility and control necessary to protect valuable data and systems from both internal and external threats. One of the most widely used tools is security information and event management. SIEM platforms aggregate data from across the business’s network, and then analyze this information for signs of potential threats. Network traffic analysis is another critical technique used to monitor network activity and detect anomalies. NTA tools analyze the flow of traffic within a company’s network, identifying unusual spikes in data transfers, unexpected communications between devices, or connections to known malicious IP addresses.

Employee Training and Awareness

Without proper training, employees may unknowingly open the door to cyber threats through actions such as:

• Clicking on malicious links
• Falling for phishing scams
• Mishandling sensitive information
• Not protecting cloud data

Effective employee training programs should focus on teaching staff about the most common types of cyberattacks and how to identify suspicious activity. Regularly scheduled training sessions that include real-world scenarios, such as simulated phishing attacks, can help employees recognize red flags and avoid risky behaviors.

Communication

Making sure everyone is on the same page will make your cybersecurity protection plan a lot easier. That’s where communication technology comes in. Regular updates can keep the workforce informed and prepared, while clearly established protocols for reporting suspicious activity ensure that potential threats are communicated to the appropriate teams quickly.  External communication is critical when dealing with data breaches or other significant security incidents. Companies must be prepared to communicate with regulatory bodies, customers, and partners in a way that is transparent and responsible. Effective external communication can help protect a company’s reputation and comply with legal obligations, particularly if sensitive customer data is compromised.

Cybersecurity Monitoring: Make the Jump ASAP

There are so many reasons you should invest in cybersecurity monitoring ASAP. So, what are you waiting for? Are you ready to choose telecommunication solutions? Check out Voice and Data, Inc. Our company has been helping our clients find best-in-class solutions since 2006. Call us today to learn more.

Are you among the 38% of organizations globally that are prepared for a data attack? If not, it’s time to step up your game plan. With a better approach to data management, you can help stave off security breaches while making data more accessible.

The benefits don’t end there, either. Read on to learn why your organization needs a robust data governance strategy!

Understand Why a Data Governance Plan Is Necessary

First, consider how data governance can improve your organization. When your organization starts amassing data, you don’t want to store it somewhere and forget about it. Instead, you want to secure it and help your team members handle it responsibly.

A good data governance plan will set policies for how data should be used – and by whom. It will make it easier to access data for reports. And it will help keep your organization’s goals aligned when more people can analyze common sets of data.

Make Date More Usable

When employees are accessing data to build reports, is it easy for them to find the right data? And are all teams looking at the same data sets? With a data governance strategy, you’ll be able to streamline internal processes so data is more functional.

With commonly shared data sets, you can align labels and descriptions. And you can assign responsibilities for data management within teams. As a result, you’ll be able to ensure that your organization is complying with regulations related to data management.   

Manage Data Availability

You want the teams within your organization to have access to data they need to collaborate. An enhanced approach to data organization can make sure this happens. You’ll feel confident that teams can access data on the cloud or within other software easily. 

On the other side, with data auditing, you can determine who has access to data at your organization. You might be unknowingly granting access to critical information that some individuals should not see. The more you can grant access to only essential parties, the better. 

Provide Better Data Security

The last thing you want is for your company to experience a data breach that compromises sensitive data. Additionally, you could incur financial losses if the wrong party has access to important security codes. Part of your data governance strategy should include a security audit. 

A reputable data service can help you with this process and identify lapses in security. Once addressed, you’ll have a more secure system, and that will become an asset when you’re working with clients. You’ll be able to point to your data security plan to reassure them. 

Build a Data Governance Strategy

A good data governance strategy ensures that your organization’s most confidential data stays safe. You’ll also improve data availability so your employees are on the same page when they use data for projects and reports. And finally, you’ll build more organizational trust when everyone is involved in using data responsibly. 

At Voice and Data, we have 18 years of experience as a telecommunications broker. We help organizations find the data security plans to keep business data safe. Contact us today to learn more! 

IT integration is necessary for businesses to protect themselves from cyber-attacks. Although these solutions are important, they can become the cause of a significant crash if not handled correctly.

Implementing IT solutions and leaving them to work isn’t enough to protect your business. You need to follow trends and check on your network often.

With this security audit checklist, you can learn what to do to keep your business secure and compliant.

Operating System Updates

The first thing to include in your security audit checklist is automatic updates for your operating system. With upgrade automation, your system will install updates as soon as they become available.

Your business data is at risk if you don’t regularly update your antivirus and antimalware software as well.

System updates ensure smooth corporate processes and operations.

System Accessibility

During a cyber security audit, check who has access to your system. It’s important to limit accessibility to avoid potential threats.

Before granting access to your system, consider running a background check on contractors and employees. It may seem excessive, but it will help keep your network safe.

Train employees on your cyber security policy when they gain system access. Misconfigurations caused by human error are the biggest threats to IT security.

Encrypted Communications

Hackers penetrate networks through non-encrypted communication channels. Part of your data security audit should be to check that your communication is encrypted.

If you haven’t already, implement encryption methods to secure communications, especially when sending and receiving sensitive data.

Train all employees how to use an encrypted email solution and business portals if you have them.

Email Awareness Training

As you implement protective data tools like email encryption, consider making a training program out of it. In addition to encryption communication, employees should be aware of what a questionable email looks like.

Employees with training will exercise caution before clicking on unsafe links. They will learn how to examine an email’s attributes before continuing.

Share how and where employees can report questionable emails.

Backup Data

IT services can help you routinely back up your data. It’s best to back data up to an encrypted, secure, and off-site location to minimize downtime. If your business is disrupted, you can continue working with regular backups.

You can also utilize cloud solutions to back up data without relying on hardware.

A backup strategy ensures smooth recovery after human mistakes, cyber security attacks, and natural disasters. Regular data backups also keep your business data compliant with local regulations and laws.

Security Audit Checklist: The Bottom Line

This security audit checklist can walk you through how to test the security controls and policies your business has in place. It will help record suspicious activities, reduce downtime, and ensure compliance.

Voice and Data, Inc. is a full-service Nationwide Telecommunications Broker. Since 2006, we’ve helped clients create successful work environments with data protection and cloud solutions.

Using our preferred carriers, you will find cost-effective solutions that meet your goals. Ready to make security a priority and audit your current solution? Contact us today to get started.