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
by Nouveau | May 19, 2020 | Articles
Security Newsletter – June 2020
Proactive Managed Service
Cyber threats continue to rise for organisations across the entire world and it is common to hear of reputable companies being breached. IT departments are expected to run their systems for 24×7 x 365 days a year so that they can support regular business operations securely.
We here at Nouveau believe that firewalls and antivirus are no longer enough to cut it in a world of continuously evolving cyber threats. Our Proactive Managed Services wrap around your traditional security solutions in order to provide you with a complete, transparent and fully managed service that keeps your business secure. Experience less downtime, easier management and better security. Read about how the growing demands for proactive cybersecurity are driving changes in the way business face their security issues here in our article in The Business Magazine.
Working from home in the future? Re-evaluate your current security strategy.
Many of us have been working from home for a few months now, but many organisations continue to have concerns about the effectiveness and security of their home working solutions.
In many cases, people believe home working is less secure than in traditional office-based setups. We are here to tell you that it doesn’t have to be. Whether you have started to implement remote working elements of your business continuity plans or require some support in setting up these components, we remain dedicated to providing you with continued support to ensure that your business stays secure, collaborative and efficient.
To learn more about secure remote working solutions without compromise in security, collaboration and efficiency, click here.
Nouveau become first Expert Integrator, MSSP and Marketplace Partner in the UK
Following Fortinet’s reworking of their partnership programme, Nouveau are now considered the first partners in the UK to achieve Integrator, MSSP and Marketplace status at Expert level. You can read more about our new partnership status under the Engage programme by reading our blog here.
End of Life notification: Fortinet 8×5
Fortinet continues to move forward with adapting their FortiCare services to the changes in our customer’s business needs. As the next step in the 8×5 FortiCare phase-out project that began in 2019 Q1, all 8×5 FortiCare support options have been removed from the pricelist.
Two levels are now available: 24×7 and Advanced Support Engineer (ASE). ASE provides higher ticket servicing for faster starts and ticket resolution
Speak to your account manager to understand the wider value of 24×7 and how you can start benefitting right away.
Rise in Phishing Healthcare Scams
Over the last few months, reports indicate that there has been a significant rise in phishing scams using COVID-19 as a medium to scaremonger and deceive recipients. These attacks have been carried out on a wide variety of targets including, but not limited to, end-users of businesses, government organisations and medical service providers.
Most of these incidents are phishing attacks that infect networks with ransomware. Many have been sent from spoofed World Health Organisation (WHO) and NHS email addresses whereas others have been from fake companies offering equipment in response against the virus.
We would like to take this opportunity to inform our customers about these prevalent scams – the best form of defence against phishing scams is vigilance. To read more about how to spot phishing scams, please visit our top tips page here.
New Products – FortiGate 40F + 200F
Fortinet have announced two new FortiGate Firewall products: the FortiGate 40F, which has been available for a few months now, and the brand new FortiGate 200F.
The F Series FortiGate Firewalls continue to provide end-to-end network security with one platform, one network security operating system and unified policy management, or providing the industry’s best protection against the most advanced security threats and targeted attacks.
It may be worth considering an upgrade to the Fortinet F series if your organisation is currently using a D series Firewall or older. Fortinet F firewalls have large increases in NGFW throughput, Threat Protection Throughput and SSL Inspection Throughput amongst a variety of other benefits.
Fortinet solutions in combination with Nouveau’s Managed Services provide top of the line security for all organisations. For more information on how our managed services can help keep your business secure whilst reducing resource burdens, please click here.
For more information about the FortiGate F series, please contact us by emailing to hello@nouveau.co.uk or calling 0118 9186822.
UTM bundle renamed to UTP bundle
Fortinet’s Unified Threat Management (UTM) bundle has been renamed to the Unified Threat Protection bundle (UTP). This name change reflects Fortinet’s focus on the protection of your infrastructure.
We thought we should notify of these changes to avoid any confusion in the future.
by seoadmin | Apr 8, 2020 | Articles, News
The current coronavirus pandemic has led to organisations having to develop new strategies allowing their employees to continue working but now from home, and as effectively as possible. With the increase of remote workers, we are now starting to see an increase in online security threats as a result.
Remote access can be handled through protocols such as Windows remote desktop (also known as Windows RDP)– allowing users to access a remote desktop within the company’s internal network. The drawback of this platform is that it allows your employees to access your company’s network by opening your network to the entire internet. Thus increasing the risk of security breaches.
Thankfully there is a way to allow organisations to provide employees secure access to company network resources without leaving it vulnerable and open to security attacks. This is done through VPN technology (Virtual Private Networks).
More about VPN Systems
A VPN – short for Virtual private network provides a secure link between employees and businesses by encrypting and scanning data. Dependent on the method of termination used and in conjunction with a UTM device there are further security benefits to be made. For e.g. malicious software such as viruses can be detected and mitigated.
To avoid security risks companies should ensure they are set up to capture metrics about the performance and availability of their VPN services. Ask yourself “When was the last time you took the time to look at your VPN logs?” This process will allow you to detect any compromises of VPN connections and accounts. In principle, now is the time where it is easier to spot compromised accounts, with employees working from home you should be able to spot any irregular VPN usage pattern for each user working from home.
Here’s a deeper look at how a VPN (Virtual private network) works. A VPN uses encryption and other security mechanisms to scramble (otherwise known as encrypting) data when it is sent over a public network. The encryption process now makes the data unreadable. A strong VPN will ensure that only authorised users can access the network and that the data cannot be intercepted.
A VPN will stop cyber criminals seeing your company’s remote service on the internet, therefore reducing risk of interception of communications between your employees and your network.
Your devices
Ensure you are protecting your devices whether it is your laptop, tablet or smart phone. Devices can be prime targets for cyber criminals as soon as you access the internet even more so when you are on a public network. A VPN will protect the data you send and receive on your device putting a stop to hackers watching your every move.
With many VPN solutions out there make sure you do your homework to choose the right one for your needs. Regardless of which provider you choose, a VPN, in conjunction with other technology will ensure that you comply with security standards. Contact Nouveau Solutions today where we can offer support for VPN enquiries and challenges.
Call us on 01189 186822 or contact us by email on hello@nouveau.co.uk.
by Nouveau | Mar 26, 2020 | Articles
Microsoft Teams – Working from home made easy
More and more businesses are beginning to deploy working from home (WFH) solutions for their employees as a result of COVID-19. Some of the key requirements for most organisations is a platform that allows their staff to continue communicating and collaborating on projects seamlessly, avoiding downtime and maintaining their high levels of productivity and efficiency.
Many organisations have turned to Microsoft Teams, Microsoft’s collaboration application that helps teams stay organised and have conversations all in one place. Microsoft themselves market Teams as “the hub for teamwork in Office 365” that allows you to “work remotely without feeling remote”. From our personal experience, and as a Microsoft Gold Partner, we can safely say that we agree completely with that sentiment and strongly believe it is a great tool for any organisation that is need of collaboration software.
Microsoft Teams 6 Month Free Trial
It is more important than ever to stay in touch with colleagues and customers when working remotely. As an organisation we use Microsoft Teams to enable us to make calls to clients, engage with colleagues, share files, conduct customer and team virtual meetings. It’s great news that Microsoft have announced a free Teams six-month Office 365 E1 trial for businesses without an existing Teams license (exclusions apply).
This offer is available to any customer who doesn’t already have O365 OR have O365 profiles without Teams (office 365 ProPlus, Office 365 Business, Exchange online plan 1 & 2, Dynamics).
If you are interested in a 6 Month Free Trial of Microsoft Teams, please fill in the form below. By doing so, you are consenting to be contacted by Nouveau as per our privacy policy.
How do I use Microsoft Teams? How can it help me work from home?
Using Microsoft Teams as part of your organisation’s working from home strategy is an intelligent way to be able to collaborate and communicate with your colleagues almost as if you were in the office together – but many people aren’t using Teams to its full capabilities.
There are many tips and tricks that can help you better utilise the functions of Microsoft Teams. To help you make the most of Teams, we have put together some of our favourite features that we believe will ensure an effective and professional home working environment.
More helpful tips for Microsoft Teams
If you are new to Teams, getting your Teams and Channels up and running might be a little bit confusing. More information can be found on Microsoft’s helpful End User Training page, which you can find here.
Here you can find in-depth guides to creating Teams and Channels, help and documentation, YouTube tutorials and live, online training guides.
If you are interested in Microsoft Teams or Office 365 Cloud Solutions, please get in touch by calling 01189 186817 or email hello@nouveau.co.uk
