Cybersecurity Archives

What Is Pen Testing (and Why SMBs Need It)?

What is Pen Testing (and Why SMBs Need It)? Pen testing isn’t about paranoia; it’s about preparation. By simulating an attack on your business today, you avoid a real one tomorrow. For SMBs, it’s one of the smartest moves you can make to stay secure, compliant, and competitive. What Is Pen Testing? Penetration testing, or “pen testing,” is a controlled way to find out how hackers could break into your business before they actually do. Think of it as a fire drill for your cybersecurity. Instead of waiting for a real attacker, ethical security experts simulate cyberattacks to uncover vulnerabilities. Once those weaknesses are found, you can fix them before criminals exploit them. How Pen Testing Works A penetration test usually follows a simple but powerful process: Reconnaissance – testers gather information about your business (just like hackers do). Exploitation Attempts – they try to break into systems, networks, or ...

Kristy Mossoian2025-08-28T18:45:12+00:00

How Managed Services Saves Time and Money

IT leaders face constant pressure to keep things running smoothly while cutting costs and staying ahead of cybersecurity threats. For industries like manufacturing and finance, where IT resources are often stretched thin, the stakes couldn't be higher. Managed IT services step in as a game-changer, offering expert support to tackle these challenges. while saving both time and money. Freeing Up Your Team for What Matters Let’s face it—internal IT teams are often overwhelmed. Partnering with a managed service provider takes some of that weight off their shoulders. Take, for example, a mid-sized manufacturing company that handed off their network monitoring and maintenance to an MSP. That freed up their in-house IT team to focus on implementing a new ERP system, which streamlined inventory management and improved overall operations. By reallocating their team’s energy, they hit deadlines and improved their production workflow. Or consider a finance firm drowning in outdated infrastructure. ...

Kristy Mossoian2025-01-09T16:20:16+00:00

How to Protect Your Business Without a Dedicated IT Team

Cybersecurity threats are real, the stakes are high, and businesses without a dedicated IT team are often the most vulnerable. Why Cybersecurity Is Essential Cyberattacks are on the rise, targeting businesses of all sizes. From phishing scams to ransomware, the risks are everywhere. The reality is, no business is too small or too niche to be a target. Without robust cybersecurity measures in place, you could face: Data breaches that compromise sensitive customer and employee information. Downtime from attacks that lock your systems, costing you productivity and revenue. Reputation damage that takes years to repair, if ever. The Challenge: No Dedicated IT Team For businesses without a dedicated IT professional, cybersecurity often falls through the cracks. Monitoring threats, updating systems, and ensuring compliance require expertise and time—both of which are scarce for small teams juggling multiple roles. This lack of focus can leave your organization exposed to cyber threats. The ...

Kristy Mossoian2025-01-08T22:06:51+00:00

Why Choose Red Level for Microsoft Licensing?

When it comes to CSP licensing, Red Level offers a different experience than big-name corporations. Here’s how our unique approach brings real value to your business: 1. A Direct Line to Expertise With Red Level, you’re not navigating layers of support just to get answers. Our CSP specialists are easy to reach, familiar with your business, and ready to provide clear, actionable insights tailored to your needs. We simplify licensing questions, guide you through options, and address your needs without delay. 2. Flexible Licensing Options That Fit Red Level offers custom-fit licensing bundles to match your specific requirements. You get the solutions you need without overpaying for features you’ll never use. And when your business scales or shifts, we make adjusting your licensing straightforward and stress-free. 3. Essential Resources at Your Fingertips Managing CSP licensing should be easy. Red Level provides clients with direct access to resources like our customized ...

Kristy Mossoian2024-11-04T13:51:30+00:00

5 Essential IT Moves to Wrap Up the Year and Start 2025 Strong

As we hit the home stretch of the year, it’s a good time to review your IT setup to make sure you’re heading into 2025 prepared for anything. With a few strategic adjustments, you can boost productivity, tighten up security, and set yourself up for a smoother, more profitable year ahead. Here are five essential IT moves to consider before the year wraps up: 1. Tighten Up Security Cyber threats don’t take a holiday. The end of the year is a great time to give your cybersecurity a quick tune-up. Ask yourself: Have there been any close calls or issues this year? Take time now to update passwords, review access controls, and check that everything from firewalls to software patches is current. A little extra security now can save a lot of headaches (and money) later. 2. Streamline Cloud and Data Storage Chances are your team relies heavily on cloud ...

Kristy Mossoian2024-11-04T13:41:27+00:00

Ignoring Cybersecurity? Here’s What It Could Cost You!

Cybersecurity may seem like something only large corporations need to worry about, but the truth is, cyber incidents can wreak financial havoc on small to medium-sized businesses too. In fact, the average cost of a data breach for businesses in this size range can hit anywhere from $120,000 to well over $1 million. That’s no small change! So, how exactly do these costs add up? Let’s break it down: The True Financial Impact of Cyber Incidents When a cyber attack strikes, the damage is not just limited to stolen data—it’s your entire business that pays the price. Here's where the financial bleeding happens: Ransom Payments: Pay Up or Lose Out Imagine the panic when your data is locked up, held hostage by hackers demanding a ransom. It’s a tough spot. You either pay the ransom with fingers crossed or risk losing access forever. And here’s the kicker: even if you ...

Kristy Mossoian2024-10-01T16:09:02+00:00

Why You Need a Proactive Cybersecurity Strategy

Considering the significant financial and reputational risks involved, businesses must adopt a protective approach to safeguard their business. Here are key components to consider: 1. Risk Assessment Start by evaluating your organization's vulnerabilities and the potential impact of a cyber incident. Identify crucial assets, assess your current security measures, and understand the specific threats you face. 2. Employee Training Your employees are often your first line of defense against cyber threats. Regular training can help them recognize phishing attempts, social engineering tactics, and other common attacks. A well-informed team is less likely to fall victim to these threats. 3. Incident Response Plan Develop a comprehensive incident response plan that outlines steps to take during a breach. This should include communication strategies, roles and responsibilities, and recovery processes to minimize damage and restore operations quickly. 4. Invest in Technology Implement robust cybersecurity tools like firewalls, antivirus software, and intrusion detection systems. ...

Kristy Mossoian2024-10-01T13:45:40+00:00

15 ways to protect your company from Ransomware attacks

Recent ransomware attacks and security breaches are detrimental to an organization's business data, and reputation. Ransomware attacks are not new, but the rate at which they are occurring in the United States is radically increasing. Ransomware attacks are up 365% according to TechRepublic. What are ransomware attacks? Ransomware is a type of cyberattack wherein an organization or individual is threatened for money. The attacker threatens to publish the victim's personal or corporate data or permanently block access to it until a ransom is paid—usually via a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin. Other recent variants include cutting off access to utilities, internet access, oil pipelines, and corporate intranets. Can you refuse to pay ransomware? The US government prefers you to refuse to pay cybercriminals. The more we see companies pay these criminals, the more they are encouraged to continue. Ransomware isn't just some guy calling you up and threatening you. The attack happens ...

Red Level2024-06-27T03:37:32+00:00

How to Choose the Right Managed IT Company

When looking for an IT company to manage your firm's technology, reading reviews is an excellent first step. We often choose our lawyers, healthcare providers, and even phone carriers based on word of mouth or reviews. Choosing an IT provider is no different. Start with reviews. Just don't stop with reviews. A company may have dozens of 5-star reviews yet be unable to service your firm. Some IT companies are specialized, while others may lack the necessary experience in your industry. We've compiled a list of IT-specific questions for you. These aren't questions you will get answers to out of a Google review. Some of them may not apply to your situation, but most will. You should be familiar with these before deciding on a provider. Experience in our industry Some newer IT startups will try to use their "new company vibe" to entice clients. However, think about the ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:20+00:00

Azure Active Directory Identity Management

Microsoft Office 365 is widely used in many organizations. If you are an administrator for your Office 365, you are likely to be familiar with the Admin Center to look at user accounts and monitor activities. But do you know all the account activities were pulled in from Azure Active Directory in the cloud and are only displayed in the admin center? If you've got Dynamics, Exchange, SharePoint, or any of the Microsoft software that is in the Cloud, it's going to be using Azure Active Directory as its Identity Manager in the back end. There are a couple different approaches to manage identity in Azure Active Directory. Identity Sharing- As an admin, you may be familiar with creating Active Directory trust to different organizations, so you can authenticate across organizations or different servers across organizations. However, you don't have that ability with Azure Active Directory. In Azure AD, it's called ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:34+00:00