Network Innovation Solutions Blog

Unfortunately, the number of cyberattacks is consistently growing and many of those attacks target business end users. This means that any account that requires a password for access could conceivably be compromised should attackers gain access to its credentials.

What Are the Best MFA Practices?

To protect against these threats, businesses must adopt intuitive security strategies to secure user accounts. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) or two-factor authentication (2FA) is one of the most effective methods to enhance account security. MFA adds an additional layer of security by requiring users to verify their identity in more than one way. This approach addresses the vulnerabilities of the traditional login method, such as phishing attacks, brute force attacks, and other advanced hacking techniques that can compromise credentials. 

However, MFA mitigates these risks by requiring another form of authentication. Best practices for implementing MFA include ensuring it is enabled across all critical accounts, regularly updating the authentication methods, and educating users on safe practices. These are things that Network Innovation Solutions does on behalf of all our Managed Service Customers

Understanding Authentication and How MFA Works

Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or system. It ensures that the person or entity requesting access is who they claim to be. MFA works by combining two or more of the following factors to verify identity:

• Something you know, such as a password or PIN.
• Something you have, like a hardware token, mobile device, or secure 2FA key.
• Something you are, including biometric data like fingerprints or facial recognition.

By distributing the authentication process across multiple factors, MFA significantly reduces the likelihood of unauthorized access.

Hardware Tokens and the Most Secure 2FA Keys

Hardware tokens and secure 2FA keys are essential for organizations looking to implement the most secure form of MFA, or ones that don't want their employees using personal devices for business use. Unlike soft tokens, such as mobile apps, hardware tokens operate independently of personal devices, reducing the risks associated with compromised smartphones or SIM-swapping attacks. 

That is why we recommend Cisco Duo, which offers hardware tokens that can be used across multiple platforms, ensuring seamless authentication for email, remote desktops, and other critical applications. They are also some of the most secure 2FA keys because they are FIDO2-compliant and provide robust encryption, making them resistant to phishing and man-in-the-middle attacks.

MFA for Office 365

Microsoft recently announced significant changes to email security by requiring MFA authentication for Office 365. Beginning in early 2025, MFA will be mandatory for all Office 365 accounts, and we predict that this will soon be something all companies implement in the near future. So, contact us today and learn why NIS recommends Cisco Duo as it is one of the most secure, robust, and easiest-to-use MFA platforms currently on the market.

Let’s Improve Your Business’ Security Together!

Best Practices to Protect Your Business This Season

As the holiday season approacheds, businesses face increased cyber threats. Cybercriminals often take advantage of heightened e-commerce activity, distracted employees, and outdated systems. Amidst all the holiday rush, those in IT work tirelessly to safeguard the systems that keep businesses
running smoothly. This guide will highlight some essential cybersecurity practices to help your IT team protect your business during this season of increased risks.

Implement Regular Patch Management

Cyber attackers constantly exploit known vulnerabilities in outdated software. Ensuring timely patch updates and system maintenance is one of the simplest yet most effective ways to enhance security.
According to Gartner, 70% of breaches exploit known vulnerabilities that could have been patched. By prioritizing patch management, you help your IT team protect critical systems.

Prioritize Data Backups

Data loss can be catastrophic, especially during the busy holiday season when operational downtime impacts both revenue and customer trust. By maintaining consistent data backups, you can ensure that you can recover operations quickly from any potential attacks. IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report indicates that businesses

Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Human error remains one of the top causes of security breaches. Regular security awareness training can reduce the risk of employees falling victim to phishing scams or malware. According to Verizon’s Data Breach Investigations Report, 85% of data breaches involve a human element, including phishing or mistakes. Empower your employees with knowledge, and you empower your business as well. with proper backup and disaster recovery plans save an average of $1.23 million per breach.

Monitor Systems with Proactive Tools

Real-time monitoring tools help identify and neutralize threats before they become critical. Automated monitoring provides insights into suspicious activities and network anomalies. As stated by Forrester Research, businesses that use proactive monitoring tools experience 40% fewer security incidents. Investing in these tools is a way to show gratitude to your IT team, helping them protect your business better.

Prioritizing your business starts with digital security. This holiday season, one of the best ways to enhance your business's security is by partnering with a trusted expert in IT security. By providing the tools and resources they need, you empower your team to protect your business from potential threats. Implementing these best practices and investing in effective security solutions can significantly reduce risks and safeguard your operations during the busy season. To learn more or discuss how our expertise can strengthen your IT support and security, reach out to us today

Building Awareness to Strengthen Your Digital Defenses

Every October, individuals and organizations around the world observe Cybersecurity Awareness Month, a campaign designed to promote the importance of online safety and cybersecurity best practices. Since its inception in 2004 by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and the National Cyber Security Alliance, Cybersecurity Awareness Month has grown into a global movement. The goal is to empower all people to protect their digital platforms through the sharing of knowledge.

Why Cybersecurity Awareness Matters

Nowadays, nearly every aspect of our lives depends on some sort of computing. Whether it be online banking or health care services, social media, or shopping, keeping your digital world secure has to be a priority. This isn’t always easy. The more people use online resources to work, communicate, and play, the more opportunists will look to get between people and steal and corrupt data. Phishing, ransomware, data breaches, and identity theft are just a few examples of the methods cybercriminals use.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month has become an important part of the shared responsibilities we all have to do our best to keep information safe. The fact is cyberthreats can target anyone, anywhere, making it essential for everyone to do their best to learn, and adhere to, solid cybersecurity strategies. This includes building and using strong passwords to implement multi-factor authentication, every small action can collectively add to the overall security of people all around the world.

How to Better “Secure Our World”

This year’s theme is Secure Our World and focuses on these four steps to improve the security of accounts:

• Enable strong authentication - Users will want to deploy multi-factor authentication (MFA) wherever possible. This extra layer of protection ensures that even if a password is compromised, attackers cannot easily access your accounts.
• Recognize and report phishing - Phishing attacks are becoming increasingly sophisticated. It’s important to recognize suspicious correspondence and report them if you are in a position to do so.
• Update software regularly - Outdated software can leave you vulnerable to cyberattacks. Make sure your operating systems, apps, and antivirus programs are up to date.
• Create strong passwords - Probably the most important step is to create and use unique, complex passwords for each account and avoid using easily identifiable information in those passwords.

The Future of Cybersecurity

Unfortunately, even as security technology and strategies evolve, so do the methods used by cybercriminals. This is why ongoing education, training, and testing have become extremely important. Cybersecurity Awareness Month serves as an annual reminder that cyberthreats are real, and staying informed and proactive is the best defense against being a victim of hackers, scammers, and other opportunists.

If your business is at the point where you’re thinking about hiring a fulltime IT tech, congratulations! Having enough consistent needs to fill this role means you’ve worked hard and made good decisions that drove business growth. Our best advice? Don’t stop now!

Moving forward with hiring requires a lot of analysis to avoid major consequences down the line, though. One of the biggest decisions whether you’ll hire someone directly or use a third-party MSP (Managed Service Provider). In this article, we’ll get into the specifics of both scenarios.

Cyber criminals don’t just slip into your network with the help of some serious hacking skills.  In fact, there’s a much simpler way to do that... through your employees. 

Social engineering is a tactic hackers are using more and more frequently to infiltrate systems.  It involves a variety of approaches that focus on manipulating employees to drop standard security protocols.  And if you expect to protect your data these days, then you’ll have to take the necessary steps to educate and train your employees on how to detect and avoid these approaches.