7 urgent security protections every business should have ... · everything you’ve worked ......

7 Urgent Security

Protections Every

Business Should Have

In Place Now

Cybercrime is at an all-time high, and hackers are setting their sights on small and medium businesses who are “low hanging fruit.” Don’t be their next victim! This report will get you started in protecting everything you’ve worked so hard to build.

Provided By: Westcoast IT Services Ltd. Author: Chris Barre #100-38 Fell Avenue, North Vancouver, BC, V7P 3S2 www.westcoastit.ca 604-987-0088

http://www.westcoastit.ca/

www.westcoastit.ca 604 987 0088 100 – 38 Fell Ave, North Vancouver, BC

Are You A Sitting Duck?

You, the CEO of a small business, are under attack. Right now, extremely dangerous and well-funded cybercrime rings in China, Russia and the Ukraine are using sophisticated software systems to hack into thousands of small businesses like yours to steal credit cards, client information, and swindle money directly out of your bank account. Some are even being funded by their own government to attack American businesses. Don’t think you’re in danger because you’re “small” and not a big target like a J.P. Morgan or Home Depot? Think again. 82,000 NEW malware threats are being released every single day and HALF of the cyber-attacks occurring are aimed at small businesses; you just don’t hear about it because it’s kept quiet for fear of attracting bad PR, lawsuits, data-breach fines and out of sheer embarrassment. In fact, the National Cyber Security Alliance reports that one in five small businesses have been victims of cybercrime in the last year – and that number is growing rapidly as more businesses utilize cloud computing, mobile devices and store more information online. You can’t turn on the TV or read a newspaper without learning about the latest online data breach, and government fines and regulatory agencies are growing in number and severity. Because of all of this, it’s critical that you have these 7 security measures in place.

1. Train Employees On Security Best Practices. The #1 vulnerability for business networks are the employees using them. It’s extremely common for an employee to infect an entire network by opening and clicking a phishing e-mail (that’s an e-mail cleverly designed to look like a legitimate e-mail from a web site or vendor you trust). If they don’t know how to spot infected e-mails or online scams, they could compromise your entire network.

2. Create An Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) – And Enforce It! An AUP outlines how employees are permitted to use company-owned PCs, devices, software, Internet access and e-mail. We strongly recommend putting a policy in place that limits the web sites employees can access with work devices and Internet connectivity. Further, you have to enforce your policy with content-filtering software and firewalls. We can easily set up permissions and rules that will regulate what web sites your employees access and what they do online during company hours and with company-owned devices, giving certain users more “freedom” than others. Having this type of policy is particularly important if your employees are using their own personal devices to access company e-mail and data. If that employee is checking unregulated, personal e-mail on their own laptop that infects that laptop, it can be a gateway for a hacker to enter YOUR network. If that employee leaves, are you allowed to erase company data from their phone? If their phone is lost or



stolen, are you permitted to remotely wipe the device – which would delete all of that employee’s photos, videos, texts, etc. – to ensure YOUR clients’ information isn’t compromised? Further, if the data in your organization is highly sensitive, such as patient records, credit card information, financial information and the like, you may not be legally permitted to allow employees to access it on devices that are not secured; but that doesn’t mean an employee might not innocently “take work home.” If it’s a company-owned device, you need to detail what an employee can or cannot do with that device, including “rooting” or “jailbreaking” the device to circumvent security mechanisms you put in place.

3. Require STRONG passwords and passcodes to lock mobile devices. Passwords should be at least 8 characters and contain lowercase and uppercase letters, symbols and at least one number. On a cell phone, requiring a passcode to be entered will go a long way toward preventing a stolen device from being compromised. Again, this can be ENFORCED by your network administrator so employees don’t get lazy and choose easy-to-guess passwords, putting your organization at risk.

4. Keep Your Network Up-To-Date. New vulnerabilities are frequently found in common software programs you are using, such as Microsoft Office; therefore it’s critical you patch and update your systems frequently. If you’re under a managed IT plan, this can all be automated for you so you don’t have to worry about missing an important update.

5. Have An Excellent Backup. This can foil the most aggressive (and new) ransomware attacks, where a hacker locks up your files and holds them ransom until you pay a fee. If your files are backed up, you don’t have to pay a crook to get them back. A good backup will also protect you against an employee accidentally (or intentionally!) deleting or overwriting files, natural disasters, fire, water damage, hardware failures and a host of other data-erasing disasters. Again, your backups should be AUTOMATED and monitored; the worst time to test your backup is when you desperately need it to work!

6. Don’t allow employees to download unauthorized software or files. One of the fastest ways cybercriminals access networks is by duping unsuspecting users to willfully download malicious software by embedding it within downloadable files, games or other “innocent”-looking apps. This can largely be prevented with a good firewall and employee training and monitoring.

7. Don’t Scrimp On A Good Firewall. A firewall acts as the frontline defense against hackers blocking everything you haven’t specifically allowed to enter (or leave) your computer network. But all firewalls need monitoring and maintenance, just like all devices on your network. This too should be done by your IT person or company as part of their regular, routine maintenance.



Want Help In Implementing These 7 Essentials?

If you are concerned about employees and the dangers of cybercriminals gaining access to your network, then call us about how we can implement a managed security plan for your business. At no cost or obligation, we’ll send one of our security consultants and a senior, certified technician to your office to conduct a free Security And Backup Audit of your company’s overall network health to review and validate as many as ten different data-loss and security loopholes, including small-print weasel clauses used by all 3rd-party cloud vendors, giving them zero responsibility or liability for backing up and securing your data. We’ll also look for common places where security and backup get overlooked, such as mobile devices, laptops, tablets and home PCs. At the end of this free audit, you’ll know:

• Is your network really and truly secured against the most devious cybercriminals? And if not, what do you need to do (at a minimum) to protect yourself now?

• Is your data backup TRULY backing up ALL the important files and data you would never want to lose? We’ll also reveal exactly how long it would take to restore your files (most people are shocked to learn it will take much longer than they anticipated).

• Are your employees freely using the Internet to access gambling sites and porn, to look for other jobs and waste time shopping, or to check personal e-mail and social media sites? You know some of this is going on right now, but do you know to what extent?

• Are you accidentally violating any PIPEDA, BCPIPA or other data-privacy laws? New

laws are being put in place frequently and it’s easy to violate one without even being aware; however, you’d still have to suffer the bad PR and fines.

• Is your firewall and antivirus configured properly and up-to-date?

• Are your employees storing confidential and important information on unprotected cloud apps like Dropbox that are OUTSIDE of your backup?

I know it’s natural to want to think, “We’ve got it covered.” Yet I can practically guarantee my team will find one or more ways your business is at serious risk for hacker attacks, data loss and extended downtime – I just see it all too often in the hundreds of businesses we’ve audited over the years. Even if you have a trusted IT person or company who put your current network in place, it never hurts to get a 3rd party to validate nothing was overlooked. I have no one to protect and no reason to conceal or gloss over anything we find. If you want the straight truth, I’ll report it to you.



You Are Under No Obligation To Do Or Buy Anything

I also want to be very clear that there are no expectations on our part for you to do or buy anything when you take us up on our Free Security And Backup Audit. As a matter of fact, I will give you my personal guarantee that you won’t have to deal with a pushy, arrogant salesperson because I don’t appreciate heavy sales pressure any more than you do. Whether or not we’re a right fit for you remains to be seen. If we are, we’ll welcome the opportunity. But if not, we’re still more than happy to give this free service to you. You’ve spent a lifetime working hard to get where you are. You earned every penny and every client. Why risk losing it all? Get the facts and be certain your business, your reputation and your data are protected. Call us at 604-987-0088 or you can e-mail me personally at [email protected] Dedicated to serving you, Chris Barre Web: www.westcoastit.ca E-mail: [email protected]

Here’s What A Few Of Our Clients Have Said:

“Downtime never an issue.

They will make your life easier.”

“As an extremely busy and growing company, our entire staff must have

reliable access to computers while in the office or in the field. Technology

is not our forte. Having a company take care of it all for us gives us ease

of mind. They are accessible and quick to respond. Downtime has never

been an issue since we started using Westcoast IT.

You get what you pay for with IT companies. I know many fly-by-

nighters who offer IT support and the people who use them always have

issues. If you want to be looked after, and never worry about your IT

issues, call Westcoast IT. They will make your life easier.”

“Call Westcoast IT. They will make your life easier.” -Kevin Hatch, Owner, Twin Lions Construction



mailto:[email protected]


“We have peace of mind knowing that our systems are

updated and running smoothly. You won’t find a more

knowledgeable team in the Lower Mainland.”

“Chris and his team have always been quick to respond to our IT needs, and

we haven’t run into a problem they can’t fix. We have Peace of Mind

knowing that they are always there for us and their support will keep our

systems updated and running smoothly. Like many businesses, we run

24/7/365 and cannot be “down”.

They always respond the same day, usually within the hour if it’s an

urgent matter. Most fixes are handled via their remote services, but they will always send a

technician out when required. On the rare occasion where we have to wait

for parts, or the issue cannot be fixed the same day, Westcoast IT always creates

a work-around so we can keep our business running. I do not believe that you

will find a more knowledgeable team in the Lower Mainland.”

_________________________________________

“He talks WITH you, not down to you.” “Where did I send that email from? Did I do it from home? Did I send it from

my iphone? Or was it my work PC? I was always losing track of my sent

emails. Then I heard about Chris and Westcoast IT.

Chris came to my business and set me up on a cloud based exchange

server for pennies a day.

Now when I send an email from my iPhone, it automatically goes into the

sent folder of any hardware I have email on. That was just the beginning. All

my staff had the same problem and Chris fixed it all for everyone. I gotta say

also, Chris is the most sociable IT guy I have ever met. He actually TALKS

WITH YOU and not down to you like a lot of arrogant IT guys tend to do.

Highly recommended for personal Mac or PC headaches, and he’s a complete

business pro also!”

“Westcoast IT is always there for us.” - Margot Ware, Owner, Shylo Home Healthcare

“He’s a complete business pro!” - Lorne MacInnes, President, Ferguson Moving



“Depth of knowledge and options offered,

beat the competition”

“Since moving to Westcoast IT’s Managed Service Plan we don’t waste

time trying to solve a problem. WCIT is responsive and friendly. We know

when something will be addressed and urgent matters get attention

right away.

My advice for other business owners who are searching for an IT company

is to meet with Chris and then the competition. Compare the services and

the depth of knowledge in responding to the questions as well as the

options that are offered to meet your needs. Your choice will become clear.”

__________________________________________ “They take the time to learn our business, but more

importantly our goals, aspirations, and culture.”

“Westcoast IT is truly a partner to Glass Doctor. They take the time to learn

our business, but more importantly our goals, aspirations, and culture.

This consultation and collaborative approach to our relationship is exciting and

builds a solid foundation for our future relationship. We are a fast-growing

organization with multiple locations, running a very robust business.

Our goal is to utilize technology to our advantage, making us more productive

and profitable – with a very distinct advantage over our competition. Westcoast

IT helps us achieve this goal.

Another goal of Glass Doctor is to be an employer of choice by enabling our staff

to work on their terms from their chosen location; from one of our shops, the

centralized Hub, or their own home/cabin. Westcoast IT makes this dream a

reality by offering secure remote solutions that work. What sets Westcoast

IT apart from the competition is that they provide solutions, work towards

understanding our needs and make advances in how we conduct our

business.

On the fence about hiring Westcoast IT? Call me.”

“Westcoast IT offers secure remote solutions that work.” John Goldsmith, General Manager Glass Doctor

“Westcoast IT is responsive & friendly.” - Kathleen Cunningham, Executive Director, BC Law Institute



“We did not miss a beat in the smooth transition to your

services and we very quickly started to see the benefits.”

“The biggest benefit of moving to Managed Services with Westcoast IT has been the

freedom I have from caring about IT issues and the time to focus on the things I’m good at.

The biggest company benefit is a more reliable and consistent IT system, with the ability to

scale it up in the future.

A huge, albeit obvious, benefit is we have proper reliable backup system that

requires no attention from us because it is monitored 24/7 by Westcoast IT.

The best thing about working with Westcoast IT is that they explain what they can do

to help you and then they do it! Where it was necessary for us to drill down and

understand what was happening, they explained it to us. The transition to your

services was smooth. We did not miss a beat in changing over to you and we very

quickly started to see the benefits of your services. The team is super responsive to

things that come up. If you are on the fence about choosing Westcoast IT, I would

advise you to spend time with Chris, ask every question that comes to mind, and

based on how responsive and clear he is, make your decision.

Chris sees the value in being a great partner and works hard to keep your business.”

“The transition to Westcoast IT was smooth.” Mike Hillhouse, GM, Living Well Homecare


7 urgent security protections every business should have ... · everything you’ve worked ......

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