by Nouveau | Jan 11, 2021 | Articles
2021 IT trends your business should be thinking about
For a large majority of companies and consumers alike, 2020 hasn’t been the easiest of years. With working from home hitting hard and fast, the security of VPNs and devices became even more important. However, we are now at the end of the year and looking ahead to what 2021 IT trends are fast approaching.
Here are our top IT trends and predictions your business should be thinking about now to prepare for 2021.
Distributed Cloud for remote working
2020 brought with it all sorts of business challenges however, one core technological challenge which became apparent during lockdown is data storage. With a large percentage of the country working from home, the need to access data remotely and by multiple parties became vital.
According to Gartner, the world public cloud services market is forecasted to have grown by 6.3% this year. This is a big trend we are expecting to see continue into 2021 and beyond with more companies becoming more flexible with remote working the demand for data storage is only set to get bigger.
Cyber security – a continuing IT trend
As well as ensuring we have the right technology to enable us to work from home what has become even more important to many companies now is to ensure cyber security and VPNs are as secure as they can be.
This was an issue that became apparent earlier in 2020 when Covid-19 hit meaning most of us were working from home for a significant amount of time. With this brought along more cyber-attacks calling for companies to review their cyber security.
Although we hope to go back to some kind of normality in 2021 and return to the office, the choice of working from home looks like it may now become more of a flexible option for many office placed staff. This will result in cyber security continuing to be a priority for many businesses.
The evolution of AI
Back in the 1950s AI or Artificial Intelligence was just a science fiction concept, we didn’t have the ability or technology to make it a reality. However, through our ever-evolving digital world, AI has become a bigger part of our life, than we could have imagined. It is used in a variety of sectors and products already, from hospitals and schools to household appliances and cars.
We may still be a few years away from building AI smart enough to potentially overthrow us, however, there are other concerns and preparations companies need to think about if they are considering using AI. Fortinet has a great article which discusses these concerns and the reason why this will be a trend in 2021.
Hyper automation – a modern concept for a modern workplace
In these modern, tech lead times we are often quite impatient, we want everything to happen instantly. We have had automation in many of our systems for quite a few years now, but the idea of hyper automation is a reasonably new concept. This is something which is sure to become bigger in 2021 as an IT trend.
The idea of hyper-automation is exactly what you imagine it to be. It is the concept that everything within a company or office could be automated, should it be. In a world where time is precious and often expensive, the ability to automate where and whenever possible not only saves money but it increases speed and efficiency for multiple processes. We look forward to seeing this crop up multiple times in 2021!
So, those are our top 2021 IT trends which businesses need to know about before the new year arrives. Many are continuations from this year but are likely to be more prominent in 2021.
For more information on our 2021 IT trends or advice on how to be prepared for the new year contact us today.
All that is left is to thank all our current and new customers for their custom throughout this year, we appreciate you all. We look forward to continuing to work with you all in 2021 and beyond.
by Nouveau Solutions | Dec 15, 2020 | Articles
Wow what a year!
Firstly, I would like to start this message by thanking the great team we have here at Nouveau who have done an amazing job this year as ever in supporting our clients and delivering a great service in challenging times. Also, to our clients who have entrusted us to support them with their technology ambitions throughout the year and for their continued confidence in us.
Technology has played a pivotal role in 2020 in both our professional and personal lives. In some instances this year has been an accelerator for adopting digital technology which has fuelled the boom in online spending, connected us with friends and family and ensured that businesses continued to communicate and collaborate with each other, customers and suppliers.I am excited to see what 2021 brings.
As the festive season approaches on behalf of the whole team at Nouveau, I would like to wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. Enjoy our festive video message, created virtually with some of the team which also features our *opening hours over the festive period.
Warm Regards,
Andy
*If you receive out of hours support, please refer to your contract for support telephone number and require assistance outside of these times.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with us by emailing to hello@nouveau.co.uk or calling 01189 186822.
by Nouveau | Dec 8, 2020 | Articles
Tackling Today’s Emerging Cyber Challenges
The widespread disruption caused by the global pandemic has left those in higher education reeling and with many challenges. We recognise that educators are working hard to keep students safe by deploying remote and online learning solutions to support what’s fast becoming a ‘new normal’ for higher education. The impact of coronavirus has led to a dramatic shift in remote learning. Not only has this resulted in a steep learning curve for educators to form a new curriculum, but also a challenge in offering continuous remote access to course content, at scale and, most importantly, securely.
HIGHLY PUBLICISED RANSOMWARE ATTACKS INCREASE DATA BREACHES
The increased demand for online solutions has stretched IT departments to the limits to ensure the right infrastructure is in place. As the technical boundaries have shifted, so too have the threats. The increase in remote learning has put more demands on networks and VPNs, and there has been a spike in web-based malware and phishing attacks. More recently, several leading colleges and universities have been hit with highly publicised ransomware attacks that have seen hackers infiltrate computer networks, steal data and then demand payments to unlock systems. Not only have these latest incidents led to massive disruption at a time when universities are dealing with many issues and while enrolling students but have also raised concerns over data breaches.
SHARED RESPONSIBILITY MODEL IS CRITICAL TO MAINTAIN OPTIMUM SECURITY
The rapid adoption of remote and cloud-based learning across the education sector creates many security implications, but also requires a shared responsibility model. Students must be made aware of the latest online threats and trained in cybersecurity basics. It’s also important for them to follow good personal password hygiene and understand what to do if they suspect a threat. Now is the time for those in higher education to review their policies and practices to ensure that they are fit for purpose when it comes to remote and online learning.
INCREASE SECURITY FOR REMOTE WORKING
As more students operate remotely, there is an increase in home-based devices connected to networks. To protect data and security, universities and colleges now need to insist on the use of secured VPN connections to transfer data. As learning continues to shift online, there also needs to be a hardening of web-based security. Students need to be made aware of possible threats and follow the latest guidelines. Web-based applications must also be able to detect and deal with unauthorised connections and activity.
With an expected rise in cyberattacks, universities and colleges need to consider platforms that can monitor infrastructure and network usage, detect security breaches, and carry out a thorough investigation following a security event. The recent growth in remote and distance learning is likely to result in a long-term sea change in the way higher education is delivered. And, although initially challenging to set up, it could produce many benefits – including a rise in those attending higher education in the future.
COMBINING FORCES TO DEFEAT THE THREATS
Fortinet offers intelligent, seamless protection across the expanding attack surface. Nouveau solutions is a trusted IT partner in consulting, designing, and implementing solutions that provide support in cloud, compliance, and cybersecurity. Our experience and expertise in delivering and proactively monitoring security services, combined through Fortinet solutions enables us to detect and respond to both malicious and non-malicious; internal and external threats, keeping your information secure. Together, we can improve your security posture and increase your operational resilience by learning and adapting to the changing threat landscape to identify and address negligence or criminal behaviour.
If you have any questions, please get in touch with us by emailing to hello@nouveau.co.uk or calling 01189 186822.
by seoadmin | Jul 22, 2020 | Articles
Since remote working, have you seen a rise in the amount of suspicious/spam emails? Perhaps some are stating “urgent request” or ‘document shared with you” Maybe a few have even broken through your filters into your inbox? This is only the tip of the iceberg of concerns for companies who are remote working. During COVID-19, threats to our cyber security systems have increased exponentially, so now is the time to really ask yourself, is my cyber security posture the most secure it can be, with all these extra risks and threats we are facing with remote working?
What do we mean by Cyber Security posture?
We all know about how to retain the correct posture at your desk through all the health and safety audits we have sat through (no pun intended) but what do we really mean by posture when it comes to cyber security systems?
Just like sitting the right way, and having your desk set up correctly can help prevent potential injury to your body, a good cyber security posture will help prevent serious injury to your systems especially, security breaches and cyber-attacks. Your posture in this manner of speaking is how secure you and your workers are from these potential threats.
From a recent survey Barracuda carried out, they found that almost half of all respondents from global businesses have encountered at least one cyber security scare since shifting to remote working, during this Covid-19 lockdown. This shows that now more than ever, it should be a priority to make sure your cyber security posture is secure and that you are confident in your systems, tools, as well as your employees.
Things to consider in order to be cyber secure
Equipment and VPNs
There are many different factors to consider, in order to ensure your cyber security systems are the most secure they can be with remote working. One of the most important things to start with is to make sure you have a secure VPN for all your employees to use. This is vital as home broadband does not have the same security protocols and will not be 100% secure and safe. You can read more about the importance of VPNs on one of our previous posts here.
You also need to make sure that all your employees are using authorised, protected work devices at all times. It is all too simple for an employee to decide it is easier to send and receive emails from their personal mobile. But, this should be stopped, to help prevent potential security breaches. You can do this through a simple fix which requires the employee to get admin permission to set up email accounts on different devices. This will also enable your IT team to monitor who tries to use non-authorised devices to access work servers.
Email reminders
When your employees are in the office, it is easier to pop over to their desks to remind them of upcoming IT updates that need to be completed. However, this is something that often falls by the wayside by both employers and employees when remote working. Make a point of sending out reminder emails when updates are due. Those updates are key to continuing to retain a strong cyber security posture, in order to help protect your company from threats.
On the topic of email reminders, when was the last time you emailed your employees reminding them to stay alert to phishing/scam emails? Phishing emails spiked by over 600% since the end of February reported in info security magazine. This is due to cyber criminals have begun to take advantage and capitalize on the fear and uncertainty generated by COVID-19 pandemic. This could cause serious problems for your company and it only takes a single employee to open one resulting in a security breach.
GDPR
GDPR. The new set of guidelines brought in which changed the way we share and store data completely. With remote working, it is just as important if not more so to remember GDPR, and ensure all staff is remaining compliant. This includes ensuring any sensitive data being sent to a 3rd party is encrypted with the relevant security, and that files are shared in the correct manner, and not in a way that could be intercepted by hackers.
There is a multitude of file sharing sites out there which will enable your employers to share documents securely and help keep your cybersecurity posture strong. Make sure your employees are aware of the importance of encryption and sharing data responsibly and securely.
But, what happens if your staff suspects a potential breach to your cybersecurity systems? Do your employees know what to do, should they suspect this? If you can’t instantly and confidently say yes then make sure you remind all staff on the protocols so that if the worst does happen and a breach does occur, you can be alerted straight away and ensure minimal damage and disruption.
So, how do I know my cybersecurity posture is the most secure it can be?
You may be reading through this article saying to yourself “I already make cybersecurity one of my top priorities” but can you put your hand up and say with 100% confidence, that your cybersecurity posture, is as secure as it can be?
Don’t worry if you can’t, you are not alone. According to Barracuda’s survey, over 41% of respondents had doubts over how secure their web applications were, and who can blame them, with so many new cyber threats appearing each day?
There is a simple solution for this, which can help to put your mind at ease and provide a full security report within a matter of days. Security assessment tools such as our CTAP assessment are designed to help identify any areas for concern to help strengthen your cybersecurity posture. This will not only assess all your cybersecurity systems for potential weaknesses, but the analysis results can also lead to an improvement in productivity and utilisation. Assessment tools such as ours are key to ensure your cybersecurity posture is the strongest, and most secure it can be.
It’s clear to see that remote working has put a lot of extra pressure on companies worldwide. With no foreseeable end right now for remote working. Our priority is your security and peace of mind so that you can focus on your company, and not worry about cyber threats.
To find out more about what Nouveau can do for you or about our new CTAP tool call us on 01189 186822 or email us on hello@nouveau.co.uk
