IT Security

As a set of cybersecurity strategies, IT security works to prevent unauthorized access to an organization’s assets, including its computers, networks and data.  IT security maintains the integrity and confidentiality of any sensitive information an organization holds and blocks cybercriminals’ access to that information.

IT security consulting, often referred to as cybersecurity consulting, is a specialized field within the IT industry. It focuses on evaluating the security risks and vulnerabilities of an organization’s computer systems, networks, and software. Security consultants, who might also be called information security consultants, network security consultants, or database security consultants, design and implement tailored solutions to safeguard against cyberattacks and other digital threats.

IT security aims to prevent the loss of:

• Data availability.
• Data integrity.
• Data confidentiality

In fact, 93% of companies that experience a cyber breach have significant losses, from downtime to loss of critical data. As you research IT security further, you’ll discover that most security practices and controls can be traced back to preventing losses in one or more of these areas.

Cyber security services providers offer cyber security to other businesses as a service. Cyber security Service Provider (CSSP) is also a set of specific certifications issued by the Department of Defense (DoD) to designate certain levels of knowledge and experience.

Working with a cyber security provider allows your company to leverage a more robust set of security protocols. They can run tests to find vulnerabilities, monitor networks for intrusions and even respond to incidents. Be aware though: Not all cyber security service providers offer the same set of services and their methods and costs can vary greatly.

A managed cyber security service provider (MSSP) bundles these security services into your managed service agreement for a flat monthly fee. You’ll get proactive monitoring, infrastructure expertise and response and remediation in addition to the help desk, training and other managed service components. The best MSSPs customize their services to meet the needs of your business, so you never pay for services you don’t need.

Here are a few questions to ask any IT security provider you’re considering:

• What is your experience in our industry?
• What compliance frameworks do you have experience with?
• Can you provide case studies or references that demonstrate your success?
• What security-related certifications have you earned?
• Do you have a team of in-house security experts?
• Can you come onsite if needed?
• How do you balance the need for security with operational efficiencies?
• What cybersecurity tools do you use?
• If a cyber incident takes my business offline, can you assist in getting us back up and running?

For more questions to ask, download our free Choose IT Support Checklist.

IT security consultants specialize in protecting organizations’ digital assets and information from cyber threats. Their responsibilities typically include:

• Risk assessment and vulnerability analysis.
• Security strategy and planning.
• Implementation and management of security solutions.
• Security awareness and training.
• Compliance and governance.
• Incident response and remediation.
• Staying up to date with the threat landscape and IT security trends.

Cyber security managed service provider is another name for a managed cybersecurity provider or MSSP. They differ from a CSSP because the security services are provided as part of end-to-end IT coverage. MSSPs:

• Assess your infrastructure for risks, gaps and vulnerabilities to continually assure your security.
• Close any gaps and provide recommendations to implement specific security and productivity improvements.
• Monitor your system and support your team 24/7/365.
• Proactively respond to attacks, usually blocking them before they breach your system.
• Provide ongoing training for your staff who are the #1 weakest link in any security chain.

With a cyber security managed service provider, these services and more are packaged into your monthly fee, so that you can plan better for meeting your company’s technology needs.

Providers that determine and address your cyber security risks are offering cyber security assessment services. Every business should conduct some level of cyber risk assessment. But the types of assessments you need will vary based on your business, company size, industry and your risk tolerance.

The most common cyber security assessment services include:

• Vulnerability assessment to discover potential weak spots inside and outside your network that could be exploited.
• Penetration testing. A “practice” cyber attack is run by authorized cybersecurity experts (“white hat hackers”).
• Network audit and access review, which can determine what is on your network, finding unauthorized software or hardware as well as performance or licensing issues. An access review looks at who has permissions to access or make changes to your network.
• Compliance audit reveals how well your company is obeying the rules, regulations and laws that relate to your particular industry. A compliance audit will find out, from common PCI compliance (required by any business that accepts credit card payments) to specialized requirements for defense contractors. Compliance audits look both at what is happening inside your business and with any external partners or vendor relationships.

Zero Trust architecture is a cyber security model where no one is trusted by default from inside or outside the network. Verification is required from everyone trying to gain access to resources on the network.

Zero Trust architecture stops and blocks malicious software and other applications that have not been specifically authorized. Zero Trust security services allow you to define what software, scripts, executables and libraries can run on your company’s endpoints and servers. This typically involves a combination of:

• Application whitelisting. This process blocks everything unless it has been explicitly approved. This means no one can download and install any program or perform any function unless it’s on the list. This not only protects you from malware or other ransomware but also from the use of your systems for non-business purposes (e.g., crypto mining).
• Ringfencing. A technology that protects your data from exploited applications and files by creating a fence at the most granular level around the applications that run your system. This essentially eliminates attack vectors from a cybercriminal’s path.
• Storage control. A solution that allows you to stop users from exporting or uploading files to the internet and external storage, like USB drives.

Both multi factor authentication (MFA) and two factor authentication (2FA) validate that you are who you say you are. In fact, all 2FA is MFA. But not all MFA is 2FA.

The difference between multi factor authentication and 2fa is the number of forms of authentication you will require to prove you are a legitimate user to that site. Two is the minimum while more than three tends to get in the way of productivity. As its name suggests, 2FA requires two forms of authentication while MFA covers anything that requires two or more.

Remember your last log in? You were asked to provide a username and password. Together, those are one factor of authentication. Taking this a step further, 2FA asks for one more factor, such as answers to previously asked security questions. These all fall into the “something you know” category.

In addition to “something you know” most MFAs also require “something you have” or “something you are. ” “Something you have” is usually your cell phone. Your login triggers code to be sent to your phone. You enter that code to access the system. There are more robust methods, such as using an authenticator app or token device. Any of these will provide an additional layer of security over simply providing information. “Something you are” is usually a fingerprint or face scan, but any form of biometrics fits in this category.

So don’t get caught up in the terminology multi factor authentication vs 2fa. The important thing is that you implement more robust authentication methods to protect your business.

A zero day attack involves a cybercriminal exploiting an unpatched or unknown vulnerability for the first time (aka a zero day vulnerability).

Some examples of zero day exploits include:

• New or undetected malware.
• A known vulnerability that had never been exploited before.
• A previously unknown vulnerability that is exploited.

In some cases, a system’s vulnerability is known, but it is not known how that vulnerability could possibly be exploited. Vulnerabilities can sometimes be discovered once people figure out how to exploit them. This is why there is often a gap between a zero day vulnerability and a zero day exploit.

Organizations and websites track critical vulnerabilities and exposures to distribute  to others. They maintain updated lists of these and then release patches that will fix the system flaws. Once the patch is released, it is no longer considered a zero day vulnerability.

You might be surprised to learn that an everyday, run-of-the-mill antivirus or anti-malware software can’t protect you against zero day attacks. These software tools can only look for what they know for certain is out there, and because zero day exploits occur from the three examples listed above, IT systems are never fully protected all the time. This is why it’s important to make sure your company is taking cyber security seriously.

A vulnerability can be defined as a weak spot in a system. Cybercriminals gain access to a network through IT vulnerabilities. Not all weak spots are in the source code itself, and it is virtually impossible to have no weak spots.

As it turns out, the biggest vulnerability for the majority of companies are their people.

Some human examples of vulnerabilities include a human response to phishing emails or weak passwords, while technological vulnerability examples include weaknesses in the software code of a program or software that hasn’t been updated or patched.

Exploits require vulnerabilities to exist, which is why preventing vulnerabilities is critical for the health of your organization. A cybercriminal uses a vulnerability to exploit a system.

In today’s world, bad actors don’t need to be sophisticated coders or computer experts to exploit a vulnerability — especially of the human kind. Bad actors can purchase automated tools to take advantage of weaknesses on a grand scale.

There’s plenty of data available on the dark web to trick your team into making a mistake and letting criminals in.

It’s important to remember that cyber threats aren’t just something big corporations and governments need to worry about. In fact, 46% of all cyber attacks are aimed at small businesses. Unfortunately, evidence shows that small businesses are more vulnerable to attacks, oftentimes because they may lack the security resources to protect themselves as well as they should.

We provide both one-time IT security projects (e.g., vulnerability assessments, incident response) as well as ongoing IT security guidance and support by trained cybersecurity experts.