What to do About Microsoft Ending Support for Your Software

 

Microsoft has announced that it will no longer be supporting a long list of its software. On that list could be many programs you might have been depending on for years, which leaves you wondering what you should do about Microsoft ending support for your software. For example, which software will no longer be supported? Why does it matter if the software isn’t supported, so long as it still works? Isn’t this just an attempt by Microsoft to get me to spend more money with them? What happens if I don’t upgrade? And if I do upgrade, how do I do it? Well, let’s get started answering these questions for you.

Which software will no longer be supported?

A link to the complete list of software is below, but among the most commonly used of those programs for which Microsoft is ending support are these:

• Exchange Server 2010
• Windows Server 2008
• Windows 7

Yes, that’s right...Windows 7 is heading to the scrap heap. For a long while, it was “the Best Windows Ever,” bringing reliability, speed and a whole new look to your desktop, especially after Service Pack 1 was released. It may be hard to believe, but Windows 7 has been around since summer 2009 -- 10 years ago. And even though it still works well, it’s time to say goodbye.

Why does it matter if the software isn’t supported, so long as it still works?

Few things change faster than technology. When the hardware evolves, the software needs to evolve with it, as does how humans interact with them both. So in order to take advantage of the new features and uses of your computers, network and other devices, the software needs to change, too.

But old software not only lacks modern features, but it also opens up security holes. That’s because the old software was never tested in the new environment -- working on newer hardware or connecting to other software or operating on certain new kinds of data -- which causes new openings for breaches and hacks.

That is why Cyber Security Insurance Policies generally require that your software be properly licensed and supported by the publisher. They know that old software just can’t be relied upon to remain secure. And they also know that there won’t be anyone able to properly fix such software.

Isn’t this just an attempt by Microsoft to get me to spend more money with them?

Microsoft, like any technology company, is constantly innovating and working hard to stay ahead of its competitors. If they stop innovating, they lose customers...probably even you. Think for a moment what you would do if your technology were stuck in 2009...or 1999.

And it would be unreasonable to expect Microsoft to invest significantly to maintain old technology that they sold 10 years ago as much as they are investing in new technology that they are selling today or will be selling tomorrow. Why is Microsoft ending support for older software? Because it’s expensive for them to continue to maintain it. And it’s expensive for you to maintain it, too.

What happens if I don’t upgrade?

As mentioned before, old software is vulnerable to breaches and hacks. The short answer is that you are more likely to become a victim of breaches and hacks. It’s also very likely that your Cyber Security Insurance Policy will no longer cover you if they learn you are using unsupported software. And even if they don’t know you’re using old software, once you are breached or hacked, they will see what you are using and very likely refuse to cover you.

It’s not a risk you’ll want to take.

And on top of all of that, you’ll likely spend more money supporting your older software than you will on your more reliable, new software.

If I do upgrade, how do I do it?

How you upgrade your software greatly depends on the software itself. Upgrading desktop software is substantially less complex than upgrading server software.

Upgrading Windows 7 To Windows 10

With Windows 7, you will want to make sure your applications are compatible with Windows 10. If the version you are using is not, then a newer version probably is. You then need to find out if your computer is capable of running Windows 10. Certain slower processors, memory, and graphics cards might not be supported. Assuming that they are, you might be able to upgrade to Windows 10 in a day or two.

If you’re going to do this, try one machine as a pilot test. If that goes well, then upgrade the rest.

It should go without saying -- but I’ll say it anyway -- that before you do something as drastic as upgrading your operating system, make sure you have a good and tested backup of the machine first.

And you might recall that Microsoft used to offer a free upgrade to Windows 10. Well, it might still be possible for you to do that. Talk to us, and we’ll explain how.

Upgrading Windows Server 2008

Generally speaking, it’s not wise to upgrade a machine to a drastically newer server operating system. You run the risk of being out of business while the server is upgrading, and there is always a risk of something going wrong, leaving you unable to recover quickly and inexpensively.

We recommend installing new hardware that will last 5 years or more. Combine that with the latest software, and then migrate your resources, your data, your users, and other assets to the new server. A lot of the work can be done while your old server is up and running, making the move very quick with a minimum of downtime.

Upgrading Microsoft Exchange

Exchange Server 2010 has to be upgraded to keep up with modern security standards. There is limited security, no Multi-Factor Authentication, and other limitations that make leaving Exchange 2010 a wise choice. However, upgrading an in-house Exchange server is generally not advisable. Instead, upgrade your Exchange server to the cloud. It’s not economically viable for a small business to host its own email anymore. It takes too much skill and time to keep it running safely and securely.

So instead, we advise that you migrate to Exchange Online.

What To Do Next

Of course, now that Microsoft is ending support for your software, you likely have other software that needs to be upgraded as well. No matter what it is, we can help. Upgrading any software that is critical to your business takes care, patience and expertise. We’ve been successfully upgrading our users away from these programs for years, and can do the same for you. And we do it with a minimum of downtime or inconvenience to you and your business. Call us today at 213-398-8771 or contact us online, and let’s talk about keeping your business safe and running well.

Should You Use a Password Manager?

 Password managers are pieces of software that store and recall passwords so you don’t have to remember them yourself. They’ve been around a long time, and are becoming more common and popular than ever. But should you use a password manager?

It used to be that password managers were considered reckless toys for lazy people that made your passwords -- and therefore your company’s cyber security -- more vulnerable. But now, password managers are considered a valuable and important tool for personal and corporate cybersecurity.

How Password Managers Work

Password managers work by allowing you to set and store passwords in a digital version of a locked file cabinet. The “lock” is protected by a key -- what is often referred to as a Master Password. When you boot up or wake your computer from sleep, your password manager will ask you to enter your Master Password to have access to all your other passwords.

Then, logging into a website is as simple as searching for or typing in the name you assigned to the Login info (such as “My Bank” or “Amazon” or “Fantasy Football League”), and clicking “log in”. The password manager will navigate to the website’s login page and enter your username and password. If you are already at the login page, your password manager will usually find it for you, so all you need to do is click a button to log into the site.

Most password managers do even more, by storing common information you often enter into forms, such as your home address, work address, and so on. Some also store credit card information to make paying online easier.

And if you have lots of logins stored, you can usually make folders within the password manager (for specific projects, individual clients, personal v.s. work passwords, etc) and store your logins in the folders.

All good password managers encrypt your login files with strong encryption algorithms. Some password managers only store your collection of logins locally on your computer, while others also store your logins in the cloud so that they can be accessible on a home computer, office computer, cell phone, tablet or via the web. Entering your Master Password on any of these devices will give you access to your logins anywhere you go.

Should You Use A Password Manager?

There are certainly arguments against using a password manager (see below), but say that you should use one for a number of reasons.

• Stronger Passwords -- Without a password manager, you tend to make your passwords too simple and easy to remember and type. Or if you use complex passwords that are too hard to remember, you might be storing them in an Excel or Word document. Worse yet, you might be writing down your complex passwords. But all of those approaches leave your passwords vulnerable to good guessing or discovery. Whether or not you decide to use a password manager, you should use strong passwords (see below) for all your logins. Password managers allow you to store and use strong passwords easily.
• Time Savings -- Among the biggest advantages of password managers is that they save you time, allowing you to log into a site in a couple of seconds. And if you find yourself logging into a couple of dozen sites in a day...or more...then a password manager can save you a LOT of time. Compared to looking up dozens of passwords a day in an Excel sheet, Word doc or a piece of paper, password managers are lightning fast.
• Easily Organize Thousands of Passwords -- A business associate of mine builds websites for clients and has dozens of passwords for each client’s sites and resources. In total, he has over 2000 passwords. If he didn’t use a password manager, all sorted and organized in folders, then managing and using them would be nearly impossible.
• Share Logins Without Sharing Passwords -- Many password managers have the ability to share logins with other users without having to actually reveal the passwords themselves. The passwords get entered but remain invisible to the user. This, combined with “temporary” or “revokable” rights to these logins, means that you can safely share logins to company resources on an as-needed basis. It also means that you don’t need to worry about changing dozens or hundreds of passwords when employees leave the company.
• Business-Level Password Management -- Many password managers have “Business” versions that allow you to share passwords with individuals, among teams, or across an entire organization. Your IT department can control who gets access to what, keeping all your passwords and company resources secure. Plus, since each person has a unique login to the Password Manager, your IT department can actually see who logs into which resources, run reports, and detect illicit activity.

Use Password Managers for Better Cyber Security

The primary reason for using a password manager in your company is better cybersecurity, which is our primary focus here at Digital Uppercut. When you have the ability to give access to company resources only to those who need it, then there is a lower risk of the passwords getting into the hands of people who shouldn’t have them. Should you use a password manager? We say "yes," but we often need to overcome one main fear about them.

The Main Argument Against Using a Password Manager

All of these features sound like great time-savers, but when we talk with some clients about using password managers, there is one argument against using them that we hear most often: “If all of the passwords are protected by a Master Password, then if someone gets this one password, they will have all of my passwords.”

While true to some degree, the biggest self-inflicted problem most people have with passwords in general is that they try to make them easy to remember. That means they make passwords that are too common and too simple, or simply use the same password over and over again. So if you choose a simple password like sequential numbers or letters, words with common number substitutions (“P@ssw0rd”), or any pattern on your keyboard (like “qwerty123”) as your Master Password, then you’re likely to have your passwords guessed or stolen.

All of your passwords should be strong, which means they should be…

• Long -- More than 8 characters. The longer the better.
• Complex -- Use numbers, lower case letters, upper case letters, and punctuation
• Random -- No repeating characters, no words or sequences or common substitutions.

If you follow those rules with your Master Password, hide your keystrokes from prying eyes, and don’t leave the master password written down or stored in some unsecured place, then all your passwords will be secure.

Which Password Manager Is Best?

After answering the question “Should you use a password manager?”, the next question is, “Which one?” While there are many high-quality password managers, here at Digital Uppercut, we use and recommend LastPass. It has all the features we described above, plus many more, that help us manage our clients' passwords for their resources, and allow our clients to safely store, manage, and control their own passwords.

As with any piece of software, proper implementation and best practices are keys to success. That is why our clients ask us to install LastPass for them. Implementation includes discussions with management and IT about who needs access to which resources, so we can create a strategy that works best for your company.

Improve Your Company’s Cyber Security With A Password Manager

Let us help you get past the question of whether you should use a password manager. In short, if you’re not yet using a password manager for your business, consider doing that now. Contact us online or call us at 213-398-8771 to talk about how we can help you and your company improve your cybersecurity with a password manager and other strategies. Cyber attacks on businesses are increasing every week. Social engineering, brute force attacks, Trojans, ransomware, and malware are all on the rise. If your company isn’t already protecting itself -- and also planning for disaster in case one of these attacks is successful -- then you need to start now. Let’s talk.

Simplify and Separate Your Network

 

These days, more and more businesses are doing more and more things on the internet. Phones, video surveillance cameras, and other devices have become almost as popular as the computers sitting on every employee’s desk. But if you have all of these devices all sharing the same internal network, you might be endangering your ability to conduct business, your online security and the physical security of your entire facility.

Network Monitoring

There are many reasons for this, one of which is related to how we’ll be able to monitor the network effectively. Each of the additional devices on the network creates its own traffic over the network. Security cameras create a particularly large amount of data, given their need to always be on and send data for storage. Similarly, VOIP phone systems create a tremendous amount of traffic because there are often so many devices, each with phone calls starting and stopping continually throughout the day. And the same is true for mobile devices and any other web-enabled devices on your network.

As a result, if there is an issue such as a breach, a virus, Trojans, or other behavior on the network that jeopardizes your business, finding and analyzing that traffic is even more difficult. Think “needles in very large haystacks.” Our tools will still help us to find the offending traffic, but the more traffic over a network, the smaller that needle seems to be.

Insecure Devices

An additional threat of network-enabled devices is that many of them “phone home,” looking for software or firmware updates, and then automatically install them. If that device installs software that is infected with malware, it could infect your whole network. Similarly, if the device was manufactured by a less-than-reputable manufacturer, it could be sharing information about your network or data with people who have no business knowing it.

Insecure Installations

When video cameras, phones, medical equipment and other devices are added to your network, often the vendor will do the installation. Unfortunately, most vendors are more concerned about making their equipment work in the quickest and easiest way possible than they are about your overall business welfare. As a result, they often change firewall and other security settings -- specifically by opening more ports and protocols than are truly necessary -- in order to allow their device’s traffic in and out of the network, without regard for leaving open ports and other opportunities for breaches.

If this new equipment is on the same network as your primary business workstations and servers, they have increased the chance you will be breached.

Wireless Users

The popularity of WiFi causes many companies to provide it as a service to both employees and visitors to their offices. As a result, many IT individuals, departments and outsourced providers will add WiFi access points to office computer networks, increasing traffic and decreasing the security on the network.

Employees ' WiFi devices are often allowed onto these networks without the same level of security that IT providers would install on desktops and laptops. As a result, WiFi users (including guests) may join the network after already having their devices infected by a virus or Trojan, essentially creating an open door for malware to infect your business.

The Solution: Separate Networks For Separate Tasks

Whenever we begin working with a new client, we analyze the network for exactly these issues and many others that can lead to security problems. Our primary goal is to isolate and protect the primary business computing resources -- workstations and servers -- from all of the other traffic that might be present on the network. Here is how we do that:

• Primary Business Network -- We start by creating separate virtual networks on the company’s firewalls, and then connect the primary business resources to this first virtual network. We lock down this network, only opening the necessary ports and protocols for this network.
• WiFi Networks -- We then separate out the WiFi networks -- one for employees and a separate one for guests -- in much the same way. Guests are denied access to the primary business resources, while employees may be granted access, limited to the role of the employee or device.
• Other Devices -- Similarly, we put VOIP phones and IP Cameras, as well as other specialized devices (such as medical equipment), on their own virtual networks as well. And because the needs of these devices are each unique and specific, we can lock down ports and protocols extremely tightly.

Increased Security

These Virtual Network configurations prevent a wide variety of hacks, such as a breach of a company laptop through ports opened up for the security cameras, or hacks of your VOIP phones through a virus brought in through a visiting wireless device.

And these configurations also greatly simplify the detection, analysis and prevention of hacks on any of the virtual networks because there will be far less traffic on any one of the networks. The haystacks become smaller, and the needles become far easier to find and remove.

Worried About Your Own Network Security?

If you do not know for certain that your own network is configured with separate virtual networks for all your devices, there’s a very good chance it wasn’t set up this way. And if that’s the case, your business may be exposed to more threats than you had imagined. It’s better to know than not know, so let’s find out for sure. Digital Uppercut’s team of Cyber Security Experts can visit your office, create a preliminary network security analysis, and give you the easy-to-understand results. Contact us online or call us today at 213-398-8771 to set a time to visit.

Should You Move to the Cloud?

 Is your business growing? That’s great news! But often, business growth comes with its own set of challenges. You might need bigger offices, new desks and…new technology. But if you think back to when you last bought servers for your business (and everything that went with it), you might remember that it was a very expensive investment. Is it possible to delay...or better yet...totally avoid that big investment? In other words, should you move to “The Cloud?

That’s an excellent question to ask, but before we answer it, let’s talk about what “The Cloud” is and how it can help you.

What Is “The Cloud?”

The first thing to know about “The Cloud” is that there isn’t just one cloud. The term “cloud” is just a nickname for decentralized online storage of data and applications. Microsoft has clouds. Google has clouds. Amazon has clouds. These days, it seems everyone has clouds, and they all do different things with different advantages and disadvantages.

So when we talk about “The Cloud,” we’re really talking about the idea of using Internet-connected computers that are owned, serviced and maintained by someone else for your company’s software and data storage, instead of a machine in some air-conditioned back room in your own office.

The Old Days

Back in “The Old Days,” when you needed new servers, you had to decide how much power and storage you would need. You’d be buying CPUs, memory, RAID drives, backup systems, UPSs, monitors, server software, applications software, network monitoring software, security software...and the list goes on.

The tough part is that you aren’t just buying for today. You need to predict what you’ll need over the next 3 to 5 years or longer. And that’s a difficult guessing game to play.

And then you need to write a check to pay for it all...or write a lot of smaller checks on a lease.

Cloud Computing For Your Office

Today, you have the option of satisfying your server needs with a cloud-based solution. When you move to the cloud, you’re buying storage, bandwidth, and applications from your cloud vendor. But because it is all easily expandable, you’re not paying today for something you’ll only use several years from now. You’re just buying what you need today.

And you are also avoiding the up-front cost and lease obligation of on-premises servers (and all that comes with them).

Among the other advantages of cloud computing are:

• Because you aren’t installing hardware, you have no up-front hardware installation costs
• Similarly, you have no hardware-related maintenance fees
• You have no physical security requirements, rack space, wiring expense, or cooling requirements
• You can upgrade or downgrade at any time

But it’s not all good news. There are some disadvantages to cloud computing:

• Eventually, the monthly fees overcome the cost of purchasing the equipment
• The speed and bandwidth of your internet connection can limit your server speed
• A loss of your internet connection separates you from your data
• You don’t have full control over your data

And whether you move to the cloud or not, you still need to think about and install rock-solid security to protect your data, and you still need to back up your data and plan your disaster recovery solutions. And if you store any personal health information, financial information or any kind of personally identifiable information, you also need to plan for regulatory compliance.

So Should You Move To The Cloud?

We have a more detailed article on our website about our cloud computing services here. The problem is that too many people think that “The Cloud” is a cure-all for whatever IT problems a company has, but that’s not the case. For us, each time a client of ours grows, shrinks or just needs to upgrade to newer technology, we talk to them about the cloud. We do a thorough analysis of their situation, their growth, their financial requirements, their computing needs, their use cases, the software they require, and much more. And then we discuss the advantages and the disadvantages, but much more specifically to their situation.

Sometimes the answer to “Should we move to the cloud?” is an emphatic YES. Sometimes it’s an emphatic NO, but usually it’s somewhere in between.

If you find that your company is facing some IT or business challenges and is considering moving some resources to the cloud, or if you have not considered the cloud at all, call us. Our team of cloud computing experts can conduct an analysis of your situation and help you make the right choice. Reach us by phone at 213-398-8771 or contact us online. Let’s talk today about what’s best for your business.

Is IT Maintenance Worth the Cost?

 "Is computer maintenance worth it? Can’t you just run over to Costco or call Dell every couple of years and get the latest/greatest new computer with all the newest bells and whistles?" I get this question now and then when I meet new people and tell them what I do for a living. It’s surprising to hear how many small businesses take this approach to their IT. They buy new computers and then never bother to maintain them properly. But is this a good strategy? Can it actually pay to NOT maintain your computers? Put another way: Is IT Maintenance Worth the Cost?

As you might expect, we’re a bit biased about our answer. But rather than just answering "Yes" and going on with servicing our other clients, we thought a more detailed answer would be helpful to you.

Your company relies on your computers and could not operate without them. If your work actually happens on a computer -- such as for CPAs, Attorneys, and graphic artists -- then that’s obvious. But even if your company digs ditches, you still need to invoice your clients, pay your bills, and file your taxes...and all of that happens on a computer.

Seven Reasons for Properly Maintaining Your IT

So, given that you couldn’t run your company without your computers, let’s answer the question, "Is IT maintenance worth the cost?" Here are the seven great reasons for properly maintaining your IT:

1. Software upgrades: Nothing stands still, least of all technology. Every day, the software that you use to run your business is being upgraded, either to add new features or to plug security holes that were created in prior versions. Microsoft updates Windows every month, and sometimes far more frequently, in response to bug reports and security threats. Apple updates its OS almost as often, and if you don’t keep all your software up to date -- whether it’s accounting, database, statistical, scientific, medical, or otherwise -- your software will become out of date very quickly.
2. Hackers and Viruses: Those security problems in your software are holes that grow larger by the day if they are not plugged. When a vulnerability in software is detected, hackers can roll out dozens, hundreds or thousands of viruses and Trojan programs to exploit the vulnerability. This malicious software travels from computer to computer, network to network, looking for new victims. The more victims there are, the more likely that your out-of-date software will be attacked, too. If you’re not regularly patching security holes, you are leaving your company open to disaster. It’s only a matter of time.
3. Productivity Decreases: Out-of-date software and virus attacks have a tendency to slow down computers and networks. Not only does the technology run slower, but the slowdowns and crashes actually suck the profit out of your company. A small slowdown in your computer network of just 10 percent can cause more than a 10 percent decrease in your employees’ productivity. Studies show that when someone at a computer has to wait for their computer -- especially for an unknown amount of time -- their attention wanders. Once the computer responds again, they need to remember what they were doing and regain their focus. The effects can be huge...potentially as bad as getting 30 minutes of productivity from your staff for every hour they work.
4. Requirements Changes: Your business changes over time, and if your technology doesn’t change with it, you could be needlessly creating workarounds for tasks that could be simpler and faster with new technology or software. For example, you might have installed your computer network when you had 4 people in your office, and it’s grown to 7 and you’re adding an 8th. Someone needs to set this up, but you also need to make sure that your network, routers, firewalls and other infrastructure can handle the increased load. Of course, you need someone to manage those changes when they are needed, and if you don’t have someone doing that for you -- someone whose other tasks don’t need to be set aside to get the IT tasks done -- they won’t get done.
5. Backups & Disaster Recovery: Yes, of course, you have a backup strategy for your network. (You do, don’t you?) But when was the last time you tested your backup strategy? Have you tried to restore data from your backups recently? Have you figured out what you’ll do in the event of a fire in your building, or a natural disaster in your city? What about a regional power outage? If you’re not prepared for disaster, you’ll suffer even more -- potentially with the loss of your entire business. And if your part-time IT Guy/Shipping Clerk doesn’t have time to get all the packages out, he likely won’t have time to properly configure and test your backups, either.
6. Delaying New IT Investments: Good IT maintenance can extend the life of your computers, servers and other network equipment. Where an average desktop PC may last a year at peak performance, 2 years at reduced performance, and 3 years at poor performance, a properly maintained PC may last 3-5 years at peak performance, helping you delay upgrades and new equipment costs.
7. Smart Upgrades: Of course, sometimes upgrades are not only required but extremely helpful. When you need to upgrade, you need to upgrade wisely. We recently had a client with 6 servers, all of which he had under a maintenance contract with his former IT provider. We showed him how he could consolidate and eliminate two of his servers with a strategic new purchase. Not only did the new servers run faster than the old ones, but his IT maintenance costs were reduced substantially, too. Other clients of ours eliminate their servers altogether and instead move their server functions to the cloud.

Of course, there are far more than just these seven reasons to properly maintain your IT. And once you’ve realized how worthwhile proper IT maintenance is, the next question is who should do the maintenance.

Who Should Maintain Your Business IT?

Some of our clients come to us after having someone in their office do the work for them as an add-on to their current tasks. The problem there is that the IT tasks often get delayed or neglected because of the employees’ primary responsibilities.

Some of our clients have a full-time person or a small staff of people maintaining their equipment. What we find in these cases is that while these individuals are often well-intentioned, they usually do not keep up with the latest information, trends and techniques in our industry. And when you add on the cost of carrying an employee on your payroll -- including salary, benefits, office space, and all of the related costs of having employees -- the costs skyrocket.

Noted business expert, writer and lecturer Peter Drucker used to say, “Do what you do best, and outsource the rest.” This is our perspective as well. If your company’s business is not IT maintenance, you are better off leaving those IT maintenance tasks to an outside company whose primary focus is on IT maintenance.

That is why so many small and medium-sized businesses like yours hire us to make sure that their business IT runs well all the time. Whether it’s standard IT, network security, disaster recovery, regulatory compliance, or anything related to all of this, our clients rely on us to handle the things that they just cannot do as well. They have asked themselves, "Is IT maintenance worth the cost?" and have answered with a loud YES.

We think you will do the same. If you would like to talk with us about outsourcing your IT to a company that is passionate about making sure your company can always do what it does best, call us now at 213-398-8771 or contact us here.

How to Properly Prepare Your Digital Equipment for Disposal

 

Equipment manufacturers are using technology more than ever to add functionality, flexibility, and reliability to their products. Today, nearly every piece of hardware in your offices has some form of non-volatile memory, whether a hard disk drive, solid-state drive, or flash memory. You must properly prepare your digital equipment for disposal to eliminate the chance of sensitive data ending up in the wrong hands.

Hazards of Multi-Function Printers Not Prepared For Disposal

Most organizations have one or more multi-function printers (MFPs) that allow staff to scan, print, copy, and fax documents. Connected to the company network, several workers can use the same machine, lowering equipment costs and improving efficiency and print quality. Some MFPs also act as collaboration tools,  streamlining workflows by digitizing and sharing documents. To provide all this capability, the MFP stores the digitized data.

One way organizations face the danger of an accidental data leak is by not preparing leased digital equipment for disposal. Many MFP manufacturers sell their products as a managed print service or lease the gear to a company. At the end of the contract, it’s common for the manufacturer to replace the MFPs with newer models. The manufacturer can then refurbish the older equipment and resell or re-lease it to another company.

Here’s where the danger comes into play: if the storage of the refurbished equipment isn’t cleared of data, the new user may be able to access it. However inadvertent the access is, your data is exposed to unauthorized people.

How to Properly Prepare Your Digital Equipment for Disposal

The moral of the MFP story is to prepare your digital equipment for disposal, principally by ensuring the memory of each piece of equipment is cleansed of your corporate data before turning it over to the manufacturer or leasing company. The same goes for PCs, servers, phone systems, and more. So, let’s look at ways to securely and permanently remove sensitive information.

Physical Destruction

Using a sledgehammer to destroy a hard drive physically is a pretty reliable way of making it impossible to retrieve data. Drilling holes in the drives or melting them are two more means of destroying the data. However, physical destruction is not viable when you have many devices or equipment to clean.

Full Drive Formatting

Simply deleting files from a drive isn’t very secure. There are many applications designed to recover accidentally deleted data. Full Formatting is better than deleting data, as it electronically erases and rebuilds the drive, providing a clean slate. However, if you lease the equipment, the manufacturer may not allow you to remove their proprietary software. While effective, full formatting is less secure than specialized data erasure tools.

Data Erasure Apps

These applications are the best at wholly and securely erasing data from both HDD and SSD devices. Following different government standards like NIST SP 800-88 Rev 1 or DoD 5220.22-M/ECE, these software tools overwrite your data with random patterns multiple times using either the 3-pass or 7-pass method, thus fully erasing the data on the device.

Let Us Properly Prepare Your Digital Equipment for Disposal

As much fun as it may be to take a sledgehammer to a hard drive, your time is better spent focused on your business. With that in mind, Digital Uppercut can lighten the load and help properly prepare your digital equipment for disposal. Call us at 213-398-8771 or contact us online today.

What is a Security Audit and How Do You Prepare for One?

 

Security audits have become increasingly important for businesses of all sizes. They can help protect your company from cyber threats, protect your data, and ensure compliance with industry regulations. But what is a security audit, and how do you prepare for one?

What is a Security Audit?

A security audit is an assessment of an information system's security posture to identify vulnerabilities and risks in order to make recommendations for remediation. In the case of a security audit, this includes assessing what types of security technologies are in place and what weaknesses or risks exist. It also includes performing tests to identify potential areas of improvement and providing a summary report that outlines recommendations on how to improve security. The goal of a security audit is to ensure that an organization's systems are secure and conform to established security standards.

It typically involves analyzing the system's hardware, software, and networks, as well as its policies and procedures. A security audit is an essential component of any cybersecurity strategy, and its purpose is to identify weaknesses or areas of risk in the system. It is done through a combination of manual examination and the use of automated tools to inspect the system's configurations, code, and data flow. This helps to assess vulnerability levels and detect any malicious activity. By conducting a security audit, organizations can better understand what needs to be done to protect their assets from potential threats.

Security audits are an important part of maintaining a secure environment, as they help organizations remain compliant with regulations and industry standards. Thereafter, what is a marketable security audit risk? It is simply any potential vulnerabilities or threats that could be exploited by malicious actors. Security audits are an important tool to identify, assess, and remediate any risks present in an organization’s system. A successful security audit should include the assessment of policies, procedures and technical controls to ensure compliance with regulations and industry standards. Regular security audits further ensure that organizations can maintain reliable data security, protect their customers’ data, and remain secure against cyber threats.

Benefits of a Security Audit

A security audit helps identify potential vulnerabilities in your system’s security infrastructure before they can be exploited by malicious attackers. What is a security audit? A security audit is an in-depth analysis of the existing security state of an organization's infrastructure. It evaluates the security policies, infrastructure configuration, implementation, documentation, and effectiveness of an organization’s cyber defense. It also checks for compliance with applicable industry standards and regulations. The goal of a security audit is to identify areas where the organization’s security posture needs to be improved and what steps are needed to achieve this improvement.

Conducting regular security audits allows you to stay ahead of the latest threats, mitigating risks for your organization. A security audit log is a record of what has happened in your system and what was attempted to happen. It can help you detect malicious activities on your network, identify what compromises have occurred, and what access levels different users have on the network. By analyzing these audit logs, you can implement appropriate security measures that are tailored to your organization’s needs and address any security issues before they become a problem. Regular security audits are essential for keeping your system secure and protecting sensitive information.

Security audits can provide valuable insights into how your organization can better protect its critical data and systems from external threats. Also, what is a marketable security audit risk? Auditing is the process of assessing an organization's security posture, including what regulatory requirements must be met and what policy requirements should be implemented. It can help identify systemic risks that potentially put the organization's data at risk. A security audit can provide valuable insights into how your organization can better protect its critical data and systems from external threats by identifying what risks must be addressed and what steps must be taken to mitigate them.

Advice to Help You Plan for Your Security Audit

It is essential to have a clear understanding of your IT environment before starting the security audit process. A security audit looks at what is in place to protect your organization's IT systems, such as what protocols and tools are being used, what personnel have access to the system, what data is stored and processed on the system, and what other security measures are in place. By conducting a thorough audit of the environment, you can identify any vulnerabilities that could be targeted by malicious actors. This will help you take the necessary steps to protect your networks and data from future attacks.

You should also create a timeline for the audit and plan ahead for any potential security vulnerabilities. Knowing what cybersecurity measures to take can help protect your business and mitigate the risk of a data breach. Establishing a regular schedule for monitoring, auditing, and updating your system can be essential for a secure infrastructure. It's also important to train all employees on what constitutes safe online behavior and what malicious activity looks like. In addition, you should create an incident response plan that details what actions need to be taken if a security incident does occur. By implementing these cybersecurity measures, businesses can be better prepared for any potential cyber attack.

Lastly, make sure to have robust policies and procedures in place so that your team is prepared to respond quickly and effectively to any security threats. Moreover, what is a security audit log? This is a record of activity on a system or network that allows security administrators and auditors to quickly identify any suspicious activity. Having a robust and up-to-date security audit log is an important part of any cybersecurity strategy, and can help in the event of a security breach. It's important to have reliable policies and procedures in place so that you and your team can respond quickly and effectively to address any security concerns or threats.

Implementing the Security Audit Results

Auditing the security systems and processes in place is important to ensure that any potential risks are identified and addressed. Cybersecurity is an ever-evolving field, so regularly assessing what is in place can help protect individuals and businesses from the risk of large-scale data breaches or cyberattacks. By understanding what systems and processes are being used, what threats they are facing and what gaps might exist, organizations can work to ensure that their cybersecurity is properly managed. Additionally, having a strategy in place to detect any suspicious activity can also be beneficial, as it allows organizations to take appropriate action quickly should any issues arise.

Once the security audit is complete, it is essential to implement the recommendations made in order to strengthen the organization’s cybersecurity posture. A marketable security audit risk is a risk or vulnerability that could potentially be exploited by a malicious entity once they gain access to the organization's systems, networks, and data. It is crucial to identify what these security audit risks are and be able to accurately assess the organization’s current cybersecurity status in order to protect against cyber threats. The audit will help identify what cybersecurity measures should be implemented in order to mitigate and manage any potential risks.

This will involve implementing new technologies, training staff on security protocols, and regularly monitoring for any changes in the digital landscape. Also, a cybersecurity audit is essential for any organization that wants to ensure it has the most effective defenses against cyber threats. This will include evaluating what technologies are in place, training staff on best practices, and monitoring the system for any changes in the digital landscape. By carrying out such an audit, businesses can ensure they have a secure foundation in place to protect their confidential data.

Following Up on Results and Updates

It is important to regularly check the results of security audit tests in order to identify any potential vulnerabilities. A cybersecurity audit is a comprehensive review of the technologies, processes, and operations that an organization utilizes to protect its sensitive information from cyberattacks. This type of audit helps organizations identify any weak points in their security infrastructure and proactively address them before attackers can take advantage of them. By conducting regular cybersecurity audits, organizations can ensure that their systems are secure and up-to-date with the latest measures.

While it may seem tedious, updating systems and applications with the latest security patches is essential for keeping data safe. Security audits serve as a way of testing what is currently in place and what could be improved. In order to have an effective security audit, it is important to have the right measures, such as an assessment of the latest technology, applications, and system security. What is the purpose of a security audit? It helps detect any weaknesses that may exist within the system or applications and advises what can be done to fix them. It also helps identify existing threats that could pose risks to the system and provides solutions to prevent these potential attacks. By carrying out regular security audits, organizations can be sure their systems are kept safe from potential intrusions.

Additionally, following up with customers on any new safety protocols should be a priority in order to ensure maximum protection. Next, it is important for companies to conduct what is known as a security audit, which is a thorough examination of the security measures in place. This audit should be conducted regularly to make sure all customers are secure. Additionally, following up with customers on any new safety protocols should be a priority in order to ensure maximum protection.

Benefits of Ongoing Security Auditing

Regular security auditing helps organizations identify any potential weaknesses or vulnerabilities in their systems. A security audit is a thorough examination of an organization's network to identify any potential vulnerabilities or risks that could be exploited. It is important for organizations to regularly conduct security audits to ensure their networks are secure, reliable and compliant with industry standards. The audit assesses what technologies and tools are in place, what processes are currently in use and what access controls are being implemented. It is a necessary step in maintaining the security of an organization's cyber infrastructure and can help prevent cyber threats from becoming larger problems down the line.

It also allows organizations to stay ahead of the latest cyber threats and make sure their systems are up to date with the latest security measures. Cybersecurity is an important consideration in today's world, as more and more of our business and personal lives are becoming digitized. By investing in cybersecurity, companies can ensure their data is secure from malicious actors, including hackers, viruses, and other forms of attack. Furthermore, cybersecurity provides the necessary protection for organizations to remain compliant with laws and regulations concerning online data. With comprehensive cybersecurity measures in place, organizations can rest assured that their digital assets remain safe.

Ongoing auditing can also help organizations ensure their data is protected and that they are compliant with all applicable laws and regulations. In conclusion, organizations should develop and implement a comprehensive cybersecurity plan that includes frequent auditing. This ongoing auditing helps ensure that their data is secure and fully compliant with legal requirements. Regular auditing is the best way to stay informed of the latest cybersecurity threats and techniques to protect data from being compromised.

So, What is a Security Audit, and How Do You Prepare for One?

In conclusion, it is important to remember that security audits are key components to keeping your business safe from cyber threats and ensuring compliance with industry regulations. It is essential to have an understanding of what a security audit entails before undergoing one so that you know what to expect and can adequately prepare. Knowing the right questions to ask, having an understanding of the key components of a successful assessment, and working with a qualified auditor are all important steps in the auditing process. Call us at 213-398-8771, or use our online contact form to learn more.