October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a perfect time to review and strengthen your defense against cyber threats. Cybersecurity is a vital aspect of protecting your sensitive data and ensuring the smooth operation of your business.

You’re also invited to Aqueity’s upcoming webinar How-To Navigate the Cybersecurity Insurance Maze to arm you with additional information.

5 Cybersecurity Tips:

1.Strong Passwords: Passwords are the first line of defense against cyber threats. Develop and enforce policies to ensure your employees use strong, unique passwords for their accounts, and force change on a regular interval. Using Multi or 2 Factor Authentication (2FA) for accessing critical systems adds an extra layer of security.

2.Regular Updates & Patching: Cybercriminals often exploit vulnerabilities in outdated systems. Keep all software, operating systems, and applications up to date with the latest security patches to protect against known vulnerabilities. Enable automatic updates where possible.

3.Data Encryption & Backup: Encrypt sensitive data both in transit and at rest to protect it from potential breaches or unauthorized access. Regularly back up your business data to a secure location both on-site AND in the cloud. In the event of a cyberattack or data breach, you’ll have more options with a reliable copy of your information easily restorable.

4.Educate Your Team: Your employees and users are both the greatest risk AND your best defense. Know your audience and use multiple techniques (training videos, in-person, simulations, etc.) on regular intervals to continue educating on the importance of remaining vigilant.

5. Develop & Implement a Robust Cybersecurity Strategy: Firewalls and antivirus software are no longer sufficient to mitigate the complexities of cyber risk. It’s critical to establish a plan that contains the right mix of people, process, AND technology. Key components to include in a cybersecurity plan are 24x7x365 coverage, subject matter expertise and the capability to respond to threats and incidents.

Unsure about your company’s cybersecurity readiness? Companies like Aqueity have a variety of cybersecurity services and cybersecurity experts constantly monitoring the threat landscape 24/7, and utilizing state of the art tools help keep clients safer. Contact Us!

Aqueity In The News:

Juice Jacking & The Importance of Public Cybersecurity

The FBI just released a warning that juice jacking at public charging stations are a cybersecurity threat to the public. Aqueity’s CTO and Head of Cybersecurity, Max Schroeder, was featured on NewsNation’s story discussing this and the increasing importance of public cybersecurity awareness in our digital era. When we’re out in public, we often connect to public Wi-Fi, use Bluetooth to connect our devices, and even charge our devices using public charging stations. But doing so can put us at risk of cyber threats like hacking, identity theft, and malware infections.

Here are Aqueity’s best practices for cybersecurity in public spaces.

1. Avoid Juice Jacking

As discussed in the NewsNation story, Juice jacking is a cyber threat that involves charging your device using a public charging station that’s been infected with malware. When you plug your device into an infected charging station, the malware can infect your device and steal your personal information. To avoid juice jacking, always use your own charging cable and power adapter, and avoid using public charging stations.

2. Avoid Public Wi-Fi Networks Whenever Possible

We know that this is tempting but public Wi-Fi networks are often unsecured, which means anyone can access the data transmitted over them. Threat actors can easily intercept your personal information, like login credentials, bank account details, and other sensitive information. Therefore, it’s best to avoid using public Wi-Fi networks for anything that requires personal information or sensitive data, such as online banking or shopping. If you must use public Wi-Fi, consider having your IT services company assist you with using a virtual private network (VPN) to encrypt your internet traffic and protect your privacy.

3.  Use Bluetooth with Caution

Bluetooth is a convenient way to connect devices wirelessly, but it’s not always secure. Bluetooth connections can be vulnerable to hacking, so it’s important to turn off Bluetooth when you’re not using it. If you need to use Bluetooth in public, make sure to enable pairing mode only when necessary, use a strong and unique PIN, and avoid using public Bluetooth devices like headsets or speakers.

4.  Use Two-Factor Authentication

Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an additional layer of security that requires you to enter a code or answer a security question in addition to your login credentials. Many online services, such as email, social media, and banking apps, offer 2FA to help protect your accounts from unauthorized access. Enabling 2FA can greatly reduce the risk of identity theft and other cyber threats.  IT services companies like Aqueity can assist your organization with implementing 2FA in your environment  via IT Project Services. 

5.  Keep Your Software Up-to-Date

Software updates often include security patches that fix vulnerabilities and protect against known cyber threats. Therefore, it’s important to keep your devices and software up-to-date. Always install the latest updates for your operating system, web browsers, and apps to ensure you’re protected against the latest cyber threats. If your business isn’t already, it needs to adopt a software update and security patch program to keep your organizations assets secured.  Aqueity and similar IT services companies can assist if not.

Aqueity’s NewsNation story says it all, cybersecurity in public spaces is an essential aspect of online safety. By following these best practices, you can help protect your personal information and devices from cyber threats like hacking, identity theft, and malware infections.

Reach out to Aqueity’s cybersecurity experts at Aqueity today!

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What If The World Lost Power?

I want you to imagine that the entire world lost power. What do you think would happen? Total chaos worldwide would surely ensue. In the short term, things wouldn’t be all that bad, those steaks in your fridge would most likely go bad. Depending on which part of the world you live in, you may need to bundle up with blankets to stay warm due to your heater not working. So, what should you do? You need to start thinking about finding that backup generator you have stored somewhere and begin creating a plan.

We hope the world doesn’t lose power, but your business very much could. Your business should be the center of your world and it would be awful if your business lost its power to operate. No business owner in their right mind would want to be held at an operational standstill. Unfortunately, many organizations do not notice IT failures until something stops working. Within this article, we’ll discuss the various ways IT failures can have a devasting impact on your business. 

Downtime and The Financial Cost

So, what is downtime? Referencing our nightmare scenario above, it is when your ‘world’ or business loses its ability to operate. IT failures can come in many shapes and sizes, such as forgetting to renew certain licenses, hardware failures, or even natural disasters. 

The minute an IT failure occurs, and the second your systems go down, the clock starts ticking. Every hour, minute, and second is a waste of valuable time and productivity. No business is immune to the effects of downtime. Downtime can affect the overall success of your organization and in some cases can make or break a business. Unlike the world losing power, IT failures are bound to happen.

 By preparing for downtime you could potentially save thousands or even millions of dollars as well as other incalculable factors. The financial aspect of IT failures is often the greatest motivating factor for most businesses. If your business cannot operate, it cannot generate revenue. RTO (Recovery Time Objective) is something you should consider if you ever face downtime. RTO is the maximum amount of time your business can tolerate without incurring a significant financial loss. Referencing our nightmare scenario again, think of RTO as the maximum amount of time those steaks can sit in your powerless fridge before they go bad.

Backups and Disaster Recovery Planning

Backups are just as important as backup generators when referencing our nightmare scenario. Backups are physical or virtual copies of data that allow you to access any past data. Having backups is vital to preventing data loss in the case of the following IT failures: Data theft such as a stolen laptop or data breaches, accidental file deletion, hard drive crashes, or natural disasters. Backing up your devices and data is very common and it’s only getting easier through cloud storage. Backups come in handy in case of emergencies but there are some situations that require more than just restoring data. 

Although both backups and disaster recovery can protect your business from the negative effects of IT failures, it’s important to note that backups and disaster recovery are two different practices. Typically, disaster recovery plans help to regain the use of IT systems that have gone down due to natural disasters or human-made disasters. 

Not having a disaster recovery plan in times of disastrous IT failures can lead to interrupted service which could negatively affect your employee/customer satisfaction and reputation. It’s crucial to not wait for disaster to occur as it’s not a matter of ‘If’, it’s a matter of ‘When’. If you do have a disaster recovery plan in place, you are in a better spot than most! You should be testing your disaster recovery plan regularly to prepare for the real deal. 

Cost or Investment?

The majority of business owners often view IT as a cost since it is hard to hold the tangible value that IT can bring. It is no longer a discussion, IT needs to be recognized as a crucial element of every business. With less IT interruption, your team can do what they do best. If you ever wondered how much downtime could cost your company, check out our RTO Calculator or speak with an Aqueity recovery expert here. 

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Technology is advancing at an exponential rate, which makes it quite challenging to gaze into the IT crystal ball and determine what the future holds. However, by studying current trends in technology it starts to become clear what will have the biggest impact on the future, and currently, automation and AI are playing a substantial role in shaping IT’s future. As automation and AI increase their presence in the workplace, employees will be working with machines that are smarter than ever before.

Automation will more than likely handle all mundane tasks such as data input and processing, while complex problem-solving, and entrepreneurial creativity will remain in the hands of humans. To view this in a positive light is to see it as an opportunity to rid ourselves of day-to-day mundane tasks, in order to focus on bigger-picture issues and decisions.

Can AI be Your Boss?

To many, the thought of being managed by artificial intelligence might seem unappealing. However, this concept is already being utilized by organizations like Uber and Lyft, whose drivers are supplied with ride requests that already include pricing, the pickup/drop-off location, and the best route to take based on several variables. There has already been a change of role for line managers due to the rise of automation within the realm of logistics and supply chain management. The same will likely become true for middle managers in other industries as technology continues to advance.

The Inherent Value of Humans

Despite the inevitable fact that technology will remove the need for workers tasked with data processing/input, middle management, and other areas of low-cognitive work, humans will still have a critical role to play in the workplace.

The emotional pieces of management including motivation, support processes, and the relaying of complex ideas will continue to require human workers. Machines don’t possess the emotional intelligence required to carry out these tasks. Additionally, feedback, critiques, and compliments coming from a human are far more meaningful than those coming from a machine.

For example, OpenAI software has created DALL-E 2, which uses deep learning models and AI to generate digital images and art. You can create any style of art of your choosing and it’s free. We decided to give it a try and had DALL-E 2 generated the images below. 

Use It or Lose It

Q4 is upon us, and we have all been there before. Your boss notifies you that your department has some spending dollars left in the budget and that you either use it or lose it. Now you’re trying to find innovative ways to ensure you get a return on your investment. As you decide how to spend those last remaining dollars, please consider these innovative end-of-year investment strategies to help solve this issue.

Keep Inventory

When it comes to technology, the unpredictable is bound to happen. Keeping a stock of tech inventory for new hires and existing team members should be a consideration for all business owners. Usually, laptops and desktops have a useful life of about 3-5 years. So, what happens when your new hire needs a laptop or desktop? Network hardware, such as switches are examples of vital keep inventory! If a switch goes down, so does your office and its productivity. Many vendors have great ‘End of Year Sales’, so investing in inventory during this time will allow you to cash in on generous volume discounts!

Cybersecurity

Yes, IT spending includes cybersecurity. Investing in your company’s cybersecurity is vital as without Cybersecurity your business can come to a screeching halt. Not investing in cybersecurity can be costly in more ways than one. Poor cybersecurity can result in a loss of your sensitive data, your reputation, and the trust of your clients. Investing in cybersecurity is the safest investment you can make that will ultimately pay dividends and will allow your business to keep running.

IT Projects

IT projects are a great way to accelerate your company forward. Whether big or small, IT projects, when done right can have a meaningful impact on your business. IT projects are PERFECT for end-of-year investments. Whether you want to migrate to the cloud, harden your network, or update outdated hardware, IT projects are short-term projects with long-term benefits. There are various IT projects you can choose from that will show returns long after Q4 is over.

Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery 

Business continuity will ensure your business can continue operating efficiently and effectively during a disaster. While disaster recovery is more geared toward restoring data and critical IT infrastructure after a disaster happens. If your BCDR Plan (Business Continuity & Disaster Recovery) is out of date, it might be worth investing in modern BCDR solutions. 

Managed IT Services

Your IT strategy should try to eliminate as much stress as possible from your internal IT team. This is why turning investment towards a managed IT service provider might be beneficial for you if your internal IT team is overburdened and stressed, experiencing turnover, or lacks expertise. Any managed IT service provider worth its weight in gold will help you do all of the things listed above and then some. In fact, most will help create IT roadmaps that have predictable IT budgets. By investing in managed IT services, you will never have to worry about finding taboo ways to invest your IT budgets last minute again. 

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What I’ve Learned

My love for technology started when I was a kid. I took apart my family’s home computer in hopes to make it faster. While I worried my ambition might leave our family with a broken computer, my parents embraced my curiosity and encouraged me to follow my passion. While in college, I wanted to apply everything I learned about business and embrace my passion for technology to create extraordinary client experiences. This led to the formation of Aqueity. 

In 1996 you would have found me building custom computers for small businesses, with an Aerosmith-heavy soundtrack blaring in the background. 25+ years later, this one-man band is now an established, IT services company trusted by many major organizations across the country.

For the past 25+ years, I have learned so much from both winning and losing. This is why I wanted to share my view of the top 3 traits every successful business has. Now many companies have these traits already but are they implementing them correctly?

Innovation

Innovation and technology go hand in hand but at its core, both should be used to make your life and your client’s life easier. Innovation is essential in today’s ultra-competitive business environment. You cannot solve today’s problems with yesterday’s solutions. From experience, I know that unforeseen business challenges are inevitable. The solution to this is continuous innovation. At Aqueity, we are constantly exploring innovative solutions that allow us to improve efficiency for our business and our client’s businesses.

Accountability 

Many organizations struggle with accountability. It is vital that all organizations hold EVERYONE accountable (Including leaders). Accountability is key to building trust throughout an organization. You can achieve this by creating meaningful and realistic goals for your team. Since these goals are meaningful and realistic you are then able to hold your team accountable to complete them. Leadership should help support others in achieving these goals which in turn creates a healthy, productive, and positive work culture. 

Culture

We pride ourselves on the culture that we’ve built at Aqueity. I believe that culture is the glue that holds your business together. It upholds your company’s values, identity, and talent. Positive work culture has the power to help retain and attract those rock stars. When trying to improve your company’s culture try asking yourself “Why would anyone want to work here?” and go from there. At Aqueity, we believe that positive customer experiences begin with positive employee experiences. It is no surprise that we center our core values around being Caring, Accountable, and Results-Driven!

If done right these 3 traits will help build a stronger company. Just know it’s not easy, I have never met a business leader who had a smooth road, and I am no exception. The most important thing you can do is just take that initial step forward.

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So you’ve been wondering – what does a hacker really look like anyway? They can’t all be wearing dark hoodies hunched over a keyboard in the dark, but that’s the image that’s always portrayed.

This should not come as a surprise to you, but hackers look like normal people. They look like the waiter at your local restaurant, they look like the person who just served you your coffee, and they are among us every day. Now there are many different types of hackers, but for the sake of this article, we are going to be talking about malicious hackers or cyber criminals.

If you start to Google some notable hackers (and I suggest you do, their stories are pretty wild!) you will come across names like Hector Monsegur (former Anonymous hacker in Aqueity’s recent webinar), Kevin Mitnick, Kevin Poulsen, and Bryan Seely. You’ll be surprised to see that they all look like ‘the guy next door’.

And where are they located you ask? Hackers can be anyone and they are everywhere, in fact, the U.S. is second to China in terms of attack output. This report from Cloudflare will give you an idea of where these attacks are originating from. According to Cloudflare, the top 10 countries of DDoS attacks are:

No, this is not a political statement, this has very little to do with the actual forgiveness of student loans. Sorry for the clickbait, but it got your attention, right? You had an emotional or visceral reaction to the title. That’s exactly what good phishing and malware-laden emails do, they want you to click, and they want you to read more.

In the next few months, the security industry in the US expects a massive surge of malicious emails related to Student loan forgiveness, some of us are already seeing them. This isn’t new, as the groups that perpetrate many of these campaigns keep them relevant and follow the news cycle. How do you combat them, how do you train against them, and how do you make sure your employees aren’t clicking on them?

The first is through security culture, having users that are skeptical of every email, especially from people they don’t usually communicate with. It’s making sure they confirm the from address matches the sender’s name (see ex 1).

That email is clearly not from Mark Zuckerberg, and not clicking on links or attachments unless they are expecting them. Everyone should always hover over links to make sure the link goes to where its supposed to (see ex 2).

How do we all get our employees to this point? while I have been advised by our legal department that advocating in favor of corporal punishment may be frowned upon…. the truth is that employees want to be helpful and don’t want to click on malware. There are days when it may not seem like it, but most people on the planet cannot identify the difference between a malicious email and spam. I am not in favor of nor an opponent of phishing tests, but the associated training is important. Have your IT/Security team talk to users and explain to them how to identify and report suspicious emails.

The very last step is on security itself, there are tools! Yeah, I know but legal says I can’t throw a wrench at them. No, I mean tools such as human-driven and AI-backed software that can help minimize the amount of phishing that users receive and can analyze an email prior to the user receiving it. Now there are many forms this comes in, and there are many different things these tools can do such as:

• Verify the senders
• Test the links and files in a safe environment to make sure they aren’t malicious
• Use machine learning to see if the language in the email is similar to that of known phishing scams
• Check the signatures/hashes of the files to make sure they aren’t in known databases
• Minimize the amount of time the security team spends analyzing the email itself.

As much as I wish there was one pill to fix it all, the truth of the matter is that a combination of everything above is ideal, and we rely on our co-workers, employees, and employers to have a skeptical attitude about the data and communications we receive. There is a lot of money in the world of email scams, and we have to be cautious about who we are opening emails from. Remember….

Discover how Aqueity Shield can improve your cybersecurity posture.

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