Boost Network Security With These Managed Services

When you think of managed services, a few things might come to mind.

• A means to effectively budget for fluctuating IT expenses
• An IT solution that minimizes technical issues through ongoing network management
• A great way to secure your network – wait…what?

For many people, managed services are not synonymous with security, but the truth is, managed services ARE in fact an excellent way to minimize security risks in your business network. Why?  Simply because the very concept of managed services is based on the idea of being proactive.

If you’re proactively monitoring your network, security updates are installed, critical updates are addressed and if a PC is infected with a virus, it’s dealt with in a timely manner – before it infects your entire network.

In other words, managed services = greater network security.

1) Remote Monitoring

The concept of detecting potential problems before they occur falls directly in line with IT security.

With remote monitoring, if problems do arise, they’re dealt with quickly because systems are already in place to resolve the issue immediately.

This ensures small issues don’t become larger problems down the road.

2) Desktop Care

While businesses owners and managers realize critical updates on PC’s are important, many still fail to update in a timely manner. This presents a massive opportunity for hackers…

Case in point: In April of 2017, the NSA’s powerful Windows hacking tools were leaked online.

The ransomware called “WannaCry”, was obtained by an anonymous group of hackers called The Shadow Brokers from a collection of spy tools used by the National Security Agency.

The attack primarily targeted Russia, Ukraine and Taiwan, but U.K. hospitals and Chinese universities reportedly also came under attack.

Kevin Beaumont, a U.K.-based security architect stated, “It is going to spread far and wide within the internal systems of organizations — this is turning into the biggest cyber security incident I’ve ever seen”. Security experts believe the exploit is likely to spread to US companies since this ransomware affects other computers on the same network.

What does this mean?

If your laptop is affected with this type of ransomware and you visited a coffee shop, the ransomware would spread to other PC’s connected to the coffee shop network and from there, any other network the compromised computer is connected to thanks to the ‘hunter’ module contained in this highly aggressive exploit.

This ransomware, aimed at enterprise and business environments, targeted Windows Servers and Windows 7 and 8 operating systems, locking down files on an infected computer and demanding payment to retain access to files.

This recent international cyber security incident would not be possible if the affected organizations had implemented security-driven managed services like Desktop Care. However, this managed service, in and of itself, is not the only answer – a layered security approach provides the best defense against cyber-attacks.

3) Secure File Sync

File sharing is another common vulnerability and cloud-based file sharing is commonplace in a business environment. If employees within your organization are using Dropbox’s consumer-grade file sharing solution or another consumer-grade solution such as Google Drive, your organization IS at risk.

A business-grade file sharing solution offers secure, encrypted file sharing and greater control. You can limit the time period a user has access to files, restrict the synchronizing of devices to company servers and even “unlink” devices from shared files so former employees can’t access files once they are no longer active with the company.

4) Server Care

At the heart of your IT infrastructure is your server. If your server is compromised, your entire network is at risk. For this reason, server monitoring and care is critical to maintaining productivity and keeping your organization secure.

Through this vital managed service, unobtrusive software is set up to track and analyze your server around the clock.

If a problem occurs, our team immediately receives an alert so we can quickly identify the problem and take the necessary steps to fix it.

5) Mobile Device Management (MDM)

The very nature of mobile devices presents a massive security risk for businesses. Did you know by allowing employees to bring their own device and utilize it for work purposes, you’re opening the floodgates for cyber-attacks and throwing caution to the wind?