Understanding Financial Data Vulnerabilities

Financial institutions are uniquely exposed to a variety of cyber threats, with the Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report (DBIR) for 2023 shedding light on the specific vulnerabilities within this sector:

• Prevalent Threats: The financial sector is primarily threatened by Basic Web Application Attacks, Miscellaneous Errors, and System Intrusion, together accounting for 77% of breaches.
  • Basic Web Application Attacks indicate that adversaries can gain access with relatively minimal effort, highlighting the need for robust web application security measures.
  • Miscellaneous Errors, including Misdelivery, suggest that human error remains a significant
    vulnerability, underscoring the importance of thorough training and procedural checks.
• Threat Actors: The majority of breaches (66%) are perpetrated by external actors, although a substantial 34% involve internal parties, indicating the need for both perimeter and insider threat defenses.
• Motivations: Financial gain is the primary driver behind 97% of incidents, emphasizing the need for financial institutions to protect against profit-motivated cybercriminals.
• Compromised Data: Personal information is the most frequently compromised type of data (74%), followed by credentials (38%), making identity theft and credential misuse major concerns.

Given these insights, financial institutions should consider a comprehensive cybersecurity solution that addresses these specific vulnerabilities to effectively shield themselves against these threats.

The Role of Cisco Umbrella in Data Protection

Cisco Umbrella acts as the first line of defense against threats on the internet, providing an effective security layer that blocks malicious activity before it reaches your network or endpoints. By leveraging the internet’s infrastructure to block malicious destinations before a connection is established, Cisco Umbrella provides a powerful shield for financial data.

Key Features of Cisco Umbrella for Protecting Financial Data

Cisco Umbrella offers a robust cybersecurity solution. Features are tailored for the financial sector and include: 

• DNS-Layer Security: Filters DNS requests to block access to malicious domains and IPs.
  • Prevents data exfiltration: Blocks attempts to steal data via DNS.
  • Global network: Leverages Cisco’s worldwide data centers for fast and reliable threat enforcement.
• Secure Web Gateway: Provides deep visibility into internet activity and enforces security policies.
  • Advanced threat defense: Integrates with antivirus and sandboxing technologies.
  • SSL decryption: Inspects encrypted traffic for hidden threats.
• Cloud-Delivered Firewall: Manages and blocks traffic using comprehensive rules.
  • Application visibility and control: Identifies and controls application use across the network.
  • Seamless policy enforcement: Applies consistent security policies across all users and locations.
• Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB): Offers insights and control over cloud application use.
  • Shadow IT detection: Identifies and manages unsanctioned cloud app usage.
  • Data loss prevention: Monitors and protects sensitive information in the cloud.
• Threat Intelligence: Powered by Cisco Talos for extensive threat detection.
  • Real-time updates: Continuously updated to respond to emerging threats.
  • Broad visibility: Monitors a vast array of internet infrastructure for comprehensive coverage.

These features collectively safeguard financial institutions against a wide spectrum of cyber threats, ensuring the protection of sensitive data and the continuity of financial services.

Best Practices for Financial Data Security

Implementing Cisco Umbrella involves assessing your current security posture, integrating the solution with existing security systems, and ensuring staff are trained and aware of the new protocols. A phased approach, starting with critical assets, ensures a smooth transition.

To complement Cisco Umbrella, IT leaders should enforce regular updates and patch management, implement strong access controls and authentication measures, and establish continuous monitoring and incident response protocols. These practices form a comprehensive defense strategy.

Fortify Your Cybersecurity with TBL Networks

In the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats, financial institutions require a reliable partner to enhance their defenses. TBL Networks emerges as a leading figure in cybersecurity expertise, offering unparalleled services to protect against digital threats. Their approach is characterized by a deep understanding of the cybersecurity challenges faced by financial institutions and a commitment to providing tailored solutions.

TBL Networks stands as a trusted ally for financial institutions, offering a combination of advanced cybersecurity expertise and a commitment to client education. Their proactive, knowledgeable, and user-centric approach makes them an ideal partner for navigating the complexities of digital security in the financial sector.

Start Your Umbrella Free Trial with TBL Networks

For financial institutions looking to bolster their data security, Cisco Umbrella presents a compelling solution. To explore how TBL Networks can assist in implementing Cisco Umbrella and transforming your security landscape, reach out for a consultation or to start a free trial.

The post TBL Networks’ Guide to Protecting Financial Data with Cisco Umbrella appeared first on TBL Networks.

The Imperative for Stronger Cybersecurity

Imagine the financial sector as a vast, interconnected web, pulsing with transactions that drive global economies. Here, data isn’t just currency—it’s the cornerstone of trust and stability. As cyber threats evolve in complexity and cunning, the need for robust cybersecurity measures becomes more urgent. It’s no longer a question of if a financial institution will be targeted, but when.

Why We Continue to Choose Cisco Duo

Enter Cisco Duo, a beacon of modern cybersecurity solutions. At TBL Networks, we integrate Cisco Duo’s multi-factor authentication as a cornerstone of our cybersecurity strategy. Why? Because traditional security measures are akin to a single lock on a fortress gate. Cisco Duo adds multiple layers of verification, turning potential vulnerabilities into fortified barriers.

Cisco’s Real World Impact in Enhanced Security

Many community banks, plagued by fragmented legacy systems, partnered with TBL Networks for a Cisco-powered IT overhaul. Limelight Private Cloud as a Service standardized their infrastructure across all business lines, boosting connectivity and agility. Cisco Duo tackled security concerns, slashing unauthorized access attempts and rebuilding customer trust. By offloading IT management to TBL Networks, community bank staff can now focus on innovation and strategic growth, ensuring their long-term stability and competitiveness.

Anticipating the Future of Cybersecurity

Looking forward, the landscape of cybersecurity in finance is set to evolve rapidly. Innovations in AI and machine learning are not just futuristic concepts but imminent upgrades to our cybersecurity arsenals. These technologies stand ready to not only respond to threats but to predict and neutralize them before they can strike. At TBL Networks, our partnership with Cisco ensures that we remain at the vanguard of these technological advances, prepared to deploy solutions that protect our clients against tomorrow’s threats.

The integration of solutions like Cisco Duo within financial institutions is not merely a trend but a strategic imperative. In this digital age, where cybersecurity threats loom large, the commitment of financial institutions to robust security measures is paramount. At TBL Networks, we are not just providers of technology; we are architects of security, champions of data integrity, and guardians of trust.

Our Promise is Clear

TBL Networks lives by one promise: consistent and predictable outcomes you can depend on. That’s why we offer advanced cybersecurity solutions tailored to your financial institution’s unique needs.

Partner with us and empower your team to:

• Navigate the evolving financial landscape with confidence.
• Protect your customers and rebuild trust with robust security.
• Focus on innovation and strategic growth, knowing your IT infrastructure is secure.

At TBL Networks, your success is our success. Let’s discuss how our custom solutions can ensure any financial stability and competitiveness.

Start Your Umbrella Free Trial with TBL Networks

For financial institutions looking to bolster their data security, Cisco Umbrella presents a compelling solution. To explore how TBL Networks can assist in implementing Cisco Umbrella and transforming your security landscape, reach out for a consultation or to start a free trial.

The post Elevating Financial Cybersecurity: Harnessing the Cisco Duo Edge appeared first on TBL Networks.

The Importance of Multi-Factor Authentication in Finance

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) adds an essential layer of security by requiring two or more verification factors to gain access to a resource, such as a financial account. This method significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access, as compromising multiple authentication factors is considerably more challenging for cybercriminals. With the financial sector being a prime target for cyber-attacks, MFA has become a non-negotiable security measure.

The State of Identity Report (2023) explains that lacking effective oversight, threat identification, and countermeasures, identity systems can become gateways for malicious access. Talos IR findings indicate that in nearly a quarter of cases, attackers exploited stolen credentials to infiltrate legitimate accounts. Furthermore, it’s reported that about 40% of accounts in an average organization are either unprotected by multi-factor authentication (MFA) or rely on less secure MFA options.

GITNUX Market Data Report 2024 provides the following MFA statistics:

• 2FA can block 100% of automated bots, 96% of phishing attacks, and 76% of targeted attacks. 
• 38% of financial institutions do not believe traditional security measures can keep data safe.
• Weak passwords are the culprit in 81% of security threats.
• From 2017 to 2021, MFA usage increased by 51%.

Recent studies underscore MFA’s effectiveness, noting a dramatic decrease in data breaches and unauthorized access incidents among institutions that have implemented it.Organizations are encouraged to consider these insights and adopt MFA to bolster their defenses against cyber threats, ensuring a more secure digital environment.

Cisco Duo’s Role in Secure Transactions

Cisco Duo enhances the security of financial transactions by leveraging advanced multi-factor authentication (MFA) techniques. It utilizes push notifications, biometrics, and other secure methods to ensure that only authenticated users can access sensitive financial data. By adopting the “zero trust security” model, which treats every user and device as potentially untrustworthy until verified, Cisco Duo significantly improves the security of transactions, providing a robust defense against unauthorized access and cyber threats.

Benefits of Enhanced Security for Financial Institutions

The integration of Cisco Duo into financial institutions’ security frameworks marks a transformative leap in safeguarding sensitive data and transactions. This strategic move not only curtails the risk of data breaches and fraud but also nurtures an environment of trust and reliability that is paramount in the finance sector.

• Strengthened Defense Against Cyber Threats: By introducing an additional layer of authentication, Cisco Duo significantly reduces the likelihood of unauthorized access, ensuring that financial transactions and client data remain secure.
• Enhanced Client Trust and Satisfaction: The visible commitment to security through Cisco Duo reinforces clients’ confidence in their financial institution, fostering a sense of safety and loyalty.
• Increased Client Retention and Acquisition: A secure and trustworthy banking environment, evidenced by fewer incidents of fraud and breaches, naturally attracts and retains more clients, contributing to the institution’s growth.
• Cost-Effectiveness and High ROI: Investing in Cisco Duo is a proactive measure that, over time, proves to be cost-effective by preventing costly data breaches and fraud, thereby offering a significant return on investment.

Through Cisco Duo, financial institutions not only fortify their defenses but also solidify their reputation as secure and client-focused entities, setting a standard for excellence in the digital age of finance.

Challenges and Considerations

While the benefits are clear, financial institutions may encounter challenges when implementing MFA. To effectively implement Duo, a multi-factor authentication solution, amidst resistance within an organization, consider a strategic approach that emphasizes education, communication, phased roll out, and support. 

• Education: Start by educating users about the importance and benefits of Duo in enhancing security against cyber threats through early and transparent communication. Introduce the system via a pilot program to gather feedback and make necessary adjustments, ensuring a user-friendly experience.
• Communication: Demonstrate Duo’s ease of use and value through live demonstrations and by sharing success stories from other organizations. Provide comprehensive support, including training sessions, tutorials, and a well-equipped IT help desk to address user concerns and queries promptly.
• Phased Roll Out: Implement Duo in phases to minimize disruption, starting with critical systems and expanding gradually, while continuously adjusting the strategy based on user feedback. Address privacy and user experience concerns proactively, ensuring Duo integrates seamlessly with existing workflows.
• Support: Garner strong support from leadership to underline the initiative’s importance and encourage adoption across the organization. Maintain an open feedback mechanism to continuously monitor user experiences and improve the implementation process, adapting to evolving security needs and ensuring a smooth transition to a more secure authentication system without relying on incentives.

Successfully integrating Cisco Duo requires addressing potential challenges with a comprehensive strategy. This approach ensures a seamless transition to a more secure authentication system, fostering a safer financial transaction environment.

TBL Networks, Your Trusted Partner

TBL Networks distinguishes itself by combining expert IT leadership with cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions, ensuring not just service but also fostering personal connections and professional growth. Our partnership approach enhances IT performance and security through advanced data solutions and managed services, leveraging strong relationships with industry leaders to optimize your enterprise’s technological capabilities.

As a Cisco Gold Certified Partner,  we leverage Duo as an advanced MFA solution to secure financial transactions. By prioritizing robust security measures, financial institutions can protect their clients’ data, foster trust, and navigate the digital landscape with confidence.

 We stand ready to assist financial institutions in assessing their security needs and exploring the benefits of Cisco Duo, ensuring a safer and more trustworthy financial future.

Start Your Duo Free Trial

Embrace the advanced security solution of Duo for your  financial institution to not only protect against cyber threats but also strengthen the trust that is the foundation of your client relationships. Reach out for a consultation or visit our webpage start your free trial.

The post Enhancing Client Trust in Finance: Cisco Duo’s Role in Secure Transactions appeared first on TBL Networks.

Cybersecurity and Compliance Context

Financial institutions make an attractive target. They store vast amounts of sensitive and valuable data and have complex infrastructure. Along with the financial motivation, a successful attack could provide notoriety or disrupt economic stability. In December 2023, an attack on five servers at the Central Bank of Lesotho disrupted the entire nation’s banking sector for 10 days.

Meanwhile, financial institutions are also subject to stringent regulatory requirements. Violations can result in severe financial penalties, reputation damage, and legal consequences.

Given these risks, financial services and cybersecurity go hand and glove. Fortunately, installing Cisco Umbrella at a financial institution can help enhance cybersecurity and ensure regulatory compliance.

How to Integrate Umbrella into Financial IT

TBL Networks offers a free, two-week trial of Cisco Umbrella. Let’s first discuss what we do, step by step, when fully integrating Umbrella into the IT infrastructure of our financial clients.

1. Assess and Plan: To ensure security, reliability, and compliance, integrating Cisco Umbrella begins with exploration to understand the financial institution’s existing IT infrastructure. After identifying specific requirements, such as network size, security needs, compliance regulations (e.g., PCI DSS), and performance goals, we can design a custom integration.
2. Design the Integration: In addition to DNS-layer security and interactive threat intelligence, Cisco Umbrella includes secure web gateway, firewall, and cloud access security broker (CASB) functionality, plus integration with Cisco SD-WAN, delivered from a single cloud security service. To custom design the most effective network architecture, including routers, switches, firewalls, and security appliances, we consider the firm’s unique needs as well as redundancy, scalability, and disaster recovery options.
3. Installation & Testing: Having identified and procured the necessary hardware and software components, we can install and configure Cisco Umbrella according to best practices and security guidelines. We don’t just trust that we’ve done it correctly. We always thoroughly test the installation to ensure proper functionality and interoperability with existing systems.
4. Integration Optimization: To get the most out of integrating Cisco Umbrella with the existing infrastructure, the next step involves a lot of fine-tuning, including:
   1. Configuring authentication and authorization mechanisms to ensure seamless access control.
   2. Implementing network segmentation to isolate sensitive financial data and minimize the risk of unauthorized access.
   3. Optimizing network settings for performance, security, and reliability.
   4. Implementing Quality of Service (QoS) policies to prioritize critical financial transactions and data.
   5. Enabling intrusion prevention systems (IPS), malware detection, and content filtering to safeguard against cyber threats.
   6. Implementing encryption protocols (e.g., SSL/TLS) to secure data in transit and at rest.
5. Monitoring and Management: Even after the integration is up and running and effectively optimized, monitoring and management is key. This helps ensure ongoing network performance and security. Regular updates of firmware and software patches is also essential to mitigate known vulnerabilities. Plus, this step helps us to be proactive about detecting and responding to potential security incidents. Conducting regular assessments and audits helps us to identify areas for improvement. Meanwhile, TBL stays up to date on new Umbrella features that could further enhance the institution’s IT infrastructure. It’s all part of continuously optimizing and refining the integration to adapt to both the financial institution’s dynamic business requirements and evolving security threats.

Financial Services and Cybersecurity and TBL

With this step-by-step approach to deploying Cisco Umbrella in a financial IT environment, TBL helps mitigate cybersecurity risks, strengthens regulatory compliance efforts, and ensures a secure and productive digital environment for employees and customers alike.

You can try Umbrella for 14 days in just ten minutes with a trial of Umbrella’s offering. Easily enjoy advanced threat protection, cloud and DNS-level security, and more.

The post Financial Services and Cybersecurity, Compliance with Cisco appeared first on TBL Networks.

In late 2018, TBL implemented the Net Promotor System, or NPS, which is a methodology for gauging customer satisfaction through the eyes of customers. TBL is leveraging this system to capture feedback with the goal to improve every aspect of our business. Since its launch, we’ve collected our customer feedback, categorized that feedback and began implementing change. Here is a look at what we’ve done so far.

1. Launched a webinar series

We heard a clear desire for more proactive webinars & training around what TBL is seeing in the marketplace and what changes we see happening on the horizon. We’ve since introduced a series of webinars aimed at educating and updating our clients and prospects.

You can watch some of our recent webinars here:

2. New tiers of service for Limelight Subscribe 

TBL is introducing three tiers of service for our Limelight Subscribe service. We previously offered one subscription model – leaving little room for modifications. We learned that our customers have team members with skill sets allowing them to conduct some aspects of the limelight subscribe service internally. With the new tiers of service, customers can choose what package best suits their organization.

3. Retrained Sales & Engineers on SLA Standards.

The conversations around SLA’s generally were around providing clear and documented expectations for our clients to set for the business. Since these conversations arose, we took this as an opportunity to retrain our engineering & sales teams on standards; making certain SLA’s are understood, documented and measurable for our clients.

More Updates to Come

The NPS process is most effective when people take about 3 minutes to fill out the survey and provide honest feedback- both positive and constructive. We want to know what people love about TBL just as much as we need to learn what we can improve. The next time you see our survey in your inbox, please let us know how we’re doing so we can continue to improve!

The post Changes Implemented with NPS Feedback appeared first on TBL Networks.

Every antivirus and endpoint protection tool fails at some point in time- malicious files inevitably enter into networks. This is why continual detection and continual monitoring is crucial. AMP for endpoints analyzes file and process activity to rapidly detect, contain, and remediate threats that can evade front-line defenses. Learn about AMP in our recorded webinar.

Request a free 2 week trial of AMP for Endpoints here. 

The post Video: AMP for Endpoints Presentation and Demo appeared first on TBL Networks.

One of TBL’s three original founders, Patrick Tredway, recently transitioned to the role of CEO. Chief Financial Officer and collaboration and data center practice lead were Tredway’s previous titles. Since TBL’s beginning in 2007, Tredway has been integral in decision making, product offering development and deliverability. This new role as CEO is a natural transition for him.

“The pace of change for TBL and our customers is accelerating and we’ve recognized the need to quicken our decision making and investments. As such, we’ve streamlined our decision-making process so that we can deliver new service features and improvements at a quicker pace to meet demands,” Tredway explains. This streamlining is already allowing TBL to bring new service engagement models to market that will better align with our customers’ journeys.

Tredway’s vision focuses on two key areas:

Customer Experience

We want to grow by way of our customers’ delight with the level of service they receive from TBL. “The change in our focus to customer experience above all else will not just come about because we say so. This will be a metamorphosis spurred on by investment, training, and an unyielding focus on nothing but the best,” Tredway explains. This change will also be brought about by the recognition that the customer experience we deliver is intrinsically capped by our employee experience. As these investments, training activities, and new processes are implemented, they will target the experience of both our customers and our employees.

Customer Alignment

The second key tenant of this plan is more closely aligning with our customers and the paths they’re on. We will foster better dialogue and chart out where each of our customer types is right now and where they’re going. The output of this will provide the backdrop for what products, services, and engagement models we need to have ready for each customer type and when. Tredway adds, “Essentially, as our customers are running their race, we’re going to position ourselves at each milepost and be ready to offer the cup of water from the side of the road.”

Even with as much overuse as the word gets, our ability to be innovative on behalf of our customers is what will set us apart. Whether it’s new consumption models added to our Limelight Subscribe portfolio, the continued development of our clearIQ analytics platform, or our entry into true technology service automation, we’re positioning ourselves to be where our customers need us to be when they need us to be there.

“I and the rest of TBL are invested in customer success and we’re incredibly excited about the things to come,” Patrick concludes.

Get to know our new CEO in this video interview:

The post TBL Co-Founder, Patrick Tredway, Transitions to CEO Role appeared first on TBL Networks.

The post Employee Spotlight: Patrick Tredway appeared first on TBL Networks.

AMP also continuously analyzes file activity across your extended network, so you can quickly detect, contain, and remove advanced malware

Every antivirus and endpoint protection tool fails at some point in time- malicious files inevitably enter into networks. This is why continual detection and continual monitoring is crucial. AMP for endpoints analyzes file and process activity to rapidly detect, contain, and remediate threats that can evade front-line defenses. 

The post Past Event: June 6th: Advanced Malware Protection for Endpoints (AMP) Webinar appeared first on TBL Networks.

• Patch your networks, regularly and rapidly
• Use dual or multi-authentication authentication for passwords.
• Secure your backups offline.
• Set Up internal firewalls so that actors that already have access cannot move laterally through the network
• Understand that allowing remote access for your employees creates an additional set of vulnerabilities

Watch the full story here. 

The report also highlights recent ransomware attacks on Cleveland Airport, The Hancock Regional Hospital, who began diverting emergency patients to another hospital 20 miles away during the attack, and Leeds Alabama, who was left to conduct governing with pen and paper.

The post Great Cyber Hygiene: Preventing a Ransomware Attack According to the FBI appeared first on TBL Networks.