Hybrid working is spreading at an exponential rate within organizations. Teleworking has become more democratic, and third places dedicated to nomadic employees are springing up everywhere. Companies are faced with a double challenge: adapting the information system and its access while preserving the IT infrastructure from ever more virulent threats.

In addition to the preventive actions to be implemented on-site (on which we can also intervene), it is necessary to make remote employees aware of good computer security practices. Remember that the loss of data can have serious financial and legal consequences in addition to being potentially catastrophic in terms of image.

Here we will review the main gestures to adopt when working remotely.

Use a VPN

Start by filtering services that have access to data sources through a firewall and enforce the use of a VPN. The VPN connection makes it possible to secure exchanges between the company’s information system and workstations locally and remotely. Encryption guarantees the confidentiality of data exchanged regardless of the channel (including Wi-Fi).

Improve The Password Management Policy.

Authentication with a password pre-recorded in the device is to be avoided. Passwords must be complex enough to ward off a “brute force” attack that relies on trying thousands of computer-generated combinations. Ideally, a password should contain a dozen characters from a combination of lowercase, uppercase, special characters, and numbers.

As your passwords need to be unique to avoid any reuse in the event of a breach, using a secure password manager is essential! Similarly, double authentication will strengthen access security.

Respect The Updated Policy.

Security updates concern all devices (computers, tablets, smartphones) and software. Their purpose is to lock the vulnerabilities to which they are exposed.

For this, it is necessary to respect some rules after having carried out the inventory of all the equipment:

• Identify official sites from which to download updates. Beware, for example, of false alerts via pop-ups, in particular encouraging the download of an “update” which actually hides a virus.
• Identify equipment that cannot or can no longer be updated by the publisher.
• Schedule updates.

Back-Up Data Regularly

If the advantages are numerous for the activities on the premises, they are all the more so in the context of hybrid work. Your company’s information is protected in the event of theft or loss of one of the remote computers, as well as in the event of hacking, bugs, or mishandling.

Equip Computers With Privacy Filters.

This device consists of a protective film placed on the computer screen. It has the effect of darkening it from a lateral angle of 30° degrees, shielding it from prying eyes. Suffice it to say that privacy filters are essential in coworking spaces or in any public place where nomadic workers have become accustomed.

Finally, separate personal and professional use. It seems obvious, but this is far from being a reality since the democratization of telework. Professional computers have burst into the home, and it is not uncommon for certain equipment to be “made available” to family members.

Visit the Turn-Key Solutions (TKS) website for Managed IT Services. 

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Any business leader seeking to optimize his IT infrastructure (IS), whether he is seeking to develop it or minimize the costs generated by them, must consider security. The IT infrastructure is both the major work tool for your employees and a barrier to reducing security risks when it is correctly configured, particularly in terms of data protection. The role of the infrastructure in the IT security system of companies is, therefore, at the heart of the system. 

The Basics of a Successful Computer Security System

No company can do without IT tools: Internet connection, word processing software, website, and email. The dematerialization of documents is inherent to any activity.

New solutions allowing you to increase your employees’ mobility and share documents have also appeared and induced an appreciable gain in productivity.

As the company’s nerve center, the Information System must be infallible in terms of performance and protection of sensitive information. Security must be thought of both globally, at the level of the infrastructure, and locally, at the level of each workstation – including mobile.

An Information System under Control

Several technical solutions make it possible to secure each component of the infrastructure.

Network monitoring or monitoring tools detect any anomaly in a server or the network in real-time. Their alert system makes it possible to react quickly before the first damage appears.

There are three types of intrusion detection tools:

• NIDS (Network Intrusion Detection System) provides network-level monitoring
• HDIS (Host-Based Intrusion Detection System) monitors host security
• Hybrids act on both levels.

HIDS is particularly effective in determining if a host is contaminated, and NIDS allows monitoring of an entire network, unlike HIDS, which is restricted to one host.

Secure All Endpoints

The increasingly frequent use of mobility and cloud computing requires an adjustment of the IT security system strategy.

The IT infrastructure is no longer unified but more often fragmented and dispatched between different terminals. In this context, firewalls, anti-virus software, and Internet filtering tools are not options. On the contrary, they must be installed on all workstations and personal mobile devices used for professional purposes.

Remember that the involvement and awareness of your staff is essential. Best practices consist of using complex passwords that are regularly updated, thwarting the threats of social engineering (phishing), and not postponing the updates of applications and software dedicated to security.

Visit the Turn-Key Solutions (TKS) website for Firewall Cyber Security. We are an IT Solutions Provider company that provides Data Recovery Services.

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Antiviruses are of great use to prevent virus attacks and for your company’s IT security, but in the face of the constant increase in sophisticated cyberattacks and the difficulty of detecting them, a traditional approach to cybersecurity, such as l antivirus, is no longer sufficient.

Next-generation solutions complementary to antivirus that rely on advanced artificial intelligence algorithms are needed to deal with advanced threats that go beyond malware.

What Is Antivirus Software?

Today and for many years, the use of antivirus is strongly recommended in order to secure your computer system and protect your data.

An antivirus is a solution designed to protect you against malicious programs such as viruses, which can be based on the exploitation of security vulnerabilities.

Antivirus is not a 100% effective protection, but it is, above all, present to provide you with additional security, and its effectiveness is closely linked to frequent updates of the database of new viruses.

Why Is Antivirus Software Not Enough?

The antivirus solution is the last bastion of the system to prevent attacks. If it is still of real use, the limits of antivirus are more and more felt.

Unfortunately, classic antiviruses alone are no longer sufficient in the face of increasingly sophisticated threats, and security software publishers are finding it increasingly difficult to detect all attacks, particularly the most recent ones.

Causes

• Nowadays, hackers are no longer young students; they are organized gangs composed of computer geniuses motivated by the lure of profit.
• Attackers use increasingly sophisticated technologies, and the number of new threats increases every day so that security software vendors cannot keep pace.
• Some advanced threats do everything to remain undetected as long as possible, which allows them to achieve their objective.

Boundaries

• Traditional signature-based antiviruses are unable to detect new viruses that are not registered in their database. Malware must exist before it can be classified as malware.
• An antivirus’s performance depends on its publisher’s ability to update the database so that it contains the latest viruses.
• It is intended for the detection of viruses, trojans, worms, and backdoors. Antiviruses do not detect spyware, adware, or rogues.

EDR Is the Complementary Security Tool of the Antivirus

Hackers are always one step ahead of security solution providers, who must evolve their offerings to deal with these new daily threats.

Moreover, these threats are no longer limited to viruses or malware but to increasingly dangerous ransomware attacks.

In this context, traditional antiviruses need an additional tool to block known and unknown threats (zero-days), namely the EDR solution and preferably in the form of a service managed by security experts.

EDR is an intelligent solution that performs behavioral analysis; it is a tool that relies on Artificial Intelligence algorithms allowing real-time protection and detection of many modern threats that antivirus software ignores.

This solution was invented in 2013 by Anton Chuvakin.

EDR offers many features that enable superior detection of threats that are not available in traditional antivirus solution

The Main Features

• Malware removal based on matching signatures and scans
• In-depth analysis thanks to data storage
• Spyware Protection
• Detection, investigation, and prevention of intrusions

In Conclusion

The antivirus always remains an essential component for the protection of the IS. But it is essential to be aware that the antivirus solution alone cannot ensure the security of workstations and servers and that a new generation complementary solution such as EDR is essential for advanced threat detection.  

Visit the Turn-Key Solutions (TKS) website to get the best IT Services in Alabama. We are an IT Solutions Provider company that provides secure managed services. 

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The applications of cloud computing are almost unlimited and meet the challenges of large companies as well as those of VSEs/SMEs. Here are the ones that will quickly become essential for the management of your information system.

IT Operations #1 – Virtual Machines

The use of virtual machines makes it possible to increase your computing capacities and resources tenfold on an ad hoc or permanent basis. These machines provide computing power to process the most complex operational tasks in just a few hours, which would take you several days with a single server. In this environment, the possibilities are endless: developing applications, configuring software, or extending your storage capacities.

IT Operations #2 – Cloud Backups

In any company, the safeguarding of sensitive data is an issue. Loss of information can harm your business and the productivity of your employees. The cloud environment allows you to benefit from a reliable and cost-effective backup service, automatically adapting to your needs without the need for you to develop a dedicated infrastructure onsite.

IT Operations #3 – Data Recovery

Handling and computer processing errors are more common than you might think. The data restoration system integrated into cloud computing is based on the replication of information on several machines. This process limits the loss of information and allows you to easily restore old file versions, including in the context of collaborative work.

IT Operations #4 – Databases (SQL)

By opting for cloud computing, you benefit from an automatically scalable SQL database, allowing you to reduce latency and achieve much faster processing. All this at a lower cost since invoicing is correlated to your real needs.

IT Operations #5 – Optimized Access Management

Computer security is a crucial issue. Some features accessible in cloud mode help you keep your confidential data secure. You can, for example, easily partition and partition access to certain folders, create dedicated access for certain groups of users, or even set up advanced verification and authentication methods.

IT Operations #6 – Storage

Documents, applications, and software are computing resources used daily by your company, which can require significant storage space. Server rental is one of the flagship services of public cloud or private cloud service providers. It helps to reduce the costs associated with the acquisition and maintenance of equipment.

Turn-Key Solutions (TKS) is the best IT solution provider that provides you with data backup solutions and document management services.

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