IT Security Archives

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 Or consider a finance firm drowning in outdated infrastructure.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

Mother of All Breaches: Unprecedented Data Breach Alert

Data breaches are becoming alarmingly common. The recent "Mother of All Breaches" highlights the critical need for robust data breach protection. Over 26 billion records from platforms like X, LinkedIn, and Dropbox were compromised, exposing the vulnerabilities in our digital security frameworks. This breach serves as a wake-up call for both individuals and organizations. Understanding the Breach This massive data leak affected millions worldwide. It underscores the urgent need for effective cybersecurity measures. Personal information, sensitive data, and confidential communications were exposed, putting countless users at risk of identity theft, fraud, and severe privacy violations. As a result, the importance of data breach protection has never been clearer. Immediate Steps to Take If you suspect your data was compromised, take immediate steps to protect yourself: Change your passwords now. Ensure they are strong and unique. Enable two-factor authentication on all accounts. Monitor your accounts closely for any unusual activity. These ...

Kristy Mossoian2024-08-30T14:05:12+00:00

Legacy Authentication is ending soon. Are you prepared?

Microsoft has announced an official end of its Basic Authentication for Exchange Online in all Microsoft Office 365 Tenants beginning October 1st. What does that mean for your company’s security? What’s replacing it? How do I prepare? We’ll answer all of these questions for you and keep it non-techie. How will it affect us if we don’t update? Well, for starters, you won’t be able to log in. At all. That sounds drastic! Why end Basic Authentication? Don’t we need that? Of course, we do. But Basic Authentication is showing its age and is vulnerable to some well-known but effective attacks. Here are two of the attacks you should know about. More than 99% of password spray attacks use legacy authentication. In a spray attack, an attacker will brute-force logins from a list of usernames that still use the default passwords to log into a certain app or website. Most ...

Red Level2023-03-28T14:01:31+00:00

6 Cybersecurity Habits You Need to Break Today

What you do on autopilot can hurt you – especially online. Here are the habits you should track from month to month until cybersecurity becomes automatic. Is your computer locked? Bad Habit 1: Leaving your computer unlocked and unattended. With the slip of a USB stick, bad actors can corrupt files or steal information. This applies at coffee shops and even the office. Anytime you leave it, lock it! Avoid unknown USB charging ports, too. They’re easy for hackers to compromise and can physically damage your device. Are you actually creating strong passwords? Bad Habit 2: Using weak passwords Short, common, old, default, and guessable passwords can have serious consequences. Consider utilizing a password manager to help you create, change out, and remember your unique logins. And don’t forget to turn on multi-factor authentication (MFA) options! Are your systems up-to-date? Bad Habit 3: Letting security updates slide Every device, app, ...

Red Level2023-10-17T14:36:28+00:00

Cyber Security : Be Prepared and Prevent Disaster

The threat landscape is becoming more incessant, dangerous, and high stakes for businesses. The sheer quantity of attacks has been increasing at an alarming rate. The complexity and ingenuity of these attacks are frightening. Almost all these attacks are identity-based; they start as phishing emails or password spray attacks. Once they gain access to a user account in your environment, you have officially been owned. If you are lucky, they will use the compromised account(s) to send out more phishing emails to your global address list and contacts from the owned account. This will result in a lot of embarrassment, organizational risk, potential blacklisting of your domain, and untold negative business impacts. If you are unlucky, they will encrypt your sensitive data with ransomware, exploit you for money with a socially engineered scheme, or exfiltrate sensitive data such as employee tax forms or proprietary intellectual property. This can potentially result in your company or organization ceasing to exist. To mitigate attacks of this nature, there are several critical items you need to address: Globally enforce multi-factor authentication Globally block legacy authentication Leverage device and application trust to limit your attack surface ...

Red Level2023-02-16T16:01:18+00:00

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