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

When RMHC® of Huntington needed a new computer for their volunteer office, NIS answered the call. As a small business, we understand that financial constraints can dictate and restrict purchases, even of items that are needed. That's why, when we first saw their request for donations to purchase a new computer for their volunteers to use, we knew we needed to help. This was a simple way we could give back to this organization that gives so much to our community. We are grateful for the needs that they meet and the care they provide, and are thankful that we could meet a need of theirs.

*If you're looking for a local 501©(3) to donate your time or resources to, we can't recommend RMHC® of Huntington enough!

For more informaiton on the RMHC® of Huntington, click here.

In honor of Customer Service Week, we recognize and celebrate our Team and their continuous hard work. We hate to brag [we don't], but we have the best Team.

Our Operations Team. They're the backbone of our service operations. Their knowledge and talent is what keeps our clients' businesses working and running. We're proud of and appreciate Charlie, Curtis, Tyrone, Isaiah and Drew.

Our Sales Team is probably the most recognized-they're to whom most are initially introduced. They support our clients and help guide them to what they need. John, Hunter, Tyrone and Jim also cultivate our vendor relationships to ensure the best offerings available for our clients.

Our Marketing Team keeps things interesting. They bring awareness to our business and offerings. Rob, Stacie, Hunter and John develop, design and implement each infographic, campaign and post you see. Their goal is to introduce you to NIS before you know you need them.

NIS is a TEAM. We work together to support our clients, our vendors, our business-and most importly-each other. We succeed as one, and we fail as one. Each step is a step made together. Sometimes we have to carry each other. But most of the time, we encourage each other to keep going. We are honored and value each team member's contributions.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month highlights the growing importance of cybersecurity in our daily lives and encourages individuals and businesses to take important cybersecurity steps everyday to Secure Our World and stay safe online.

Network Innovation Solutions announces its commitment to cybersecurity education by participating in the 21st Annual Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Founded in 2004, Cybersecurity Awareness Month, held each October, is the world’s foremost initiative aimed at promoting cybersecurity awareness and best practices. Cybersecurity Awareness Month is a collaborative effort among businesses, government agencies, colleges and universities, associations, nonprofit organizations, tribal communities, and individuals committed to educating others about online safety.

At this point, it’s simply a matter of time before some company somewhere asks you to change your password because something somewhere down the line got hacked. In fact, in June of 2016, Fortune Magazine said, “It’s almost fashionable to become the victim of a data breach these days, or at least you’d think so, given the who’s-who list of companies announcing them.” In other words, everyone from Fortune 500 companies and hospitals to small businesses and tech giants are experiencing the rippling impact of a data breach. 

Network Innovation Solutions is proud to announce the launch of our new website at www.gonis.us. The goal of the new website is to make it easier for our existing clients to submit and manage support requests, and provide more information about our services for prospective clients.

The password isn’t nearly as secure as it used to be. Hackers have begun to take advantage of extremely powerful solutions designed to brute force their way into accounts by using software to rapidly guessing thousands of passwords per second, making it extraordinarily difficult to prepare yourself for them.

What’s the best way to guarantee that passwords aren’t going to be the downfall of your company? A great start is by taking a close look at password best practices and two-factor authentication.

How much does your business rely on technology to keep your organization running forward? As business technology becomes more complex, it’s becoming increasingly popular for organizations to have their own internal IT departments to manage and maintain it. Yet, small businesses don’t often have the necessary funds for such a feat. How can your company afford quality IT service? You can start by pursuing managed IT solutions from a managed service provider.

Despite what detractors say, regulations are in place for good reason. They typically protect individuals from organizational malfeasance. Many of these regulations are actual laws passed by a governing body and cover the entire spectrum of the issue, not just the data involved. The ones that have data protection regulations written into them mostly deal with the handling and protection of sensitive information. For organizations that work in industries covered by these regulations there are very visible costs that go into compliance. Today, we look at the costs incurred by these organizations as a result of these regulations, and how to ascertain how they affect your business.

Profitability is less the measure of being able to turn a profit, and more the measure of how much profit you can make. For the successful small business, the integration of technology can dictate what kind of annual margins you are looking at. For the new company, however, it can be something even more critical: the difference between setting a course for success, or wallowing in failure. Today we analyze the cost difference between hosting your IT in-house, or choosing to host it in the cloud.

The late American author Kurt Vonnegut once wrote, “New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. The more truth we have to work with, the richer we become.” Written in the 20th century, it has been put in practice by 21st century businesses. As the Internet has grown, the amount of companies expanded, and the amount of data that those companies collect has grown exponentially, especially now that there is a market for such data.

Network Innovation Solutions(NIS), an expert Managed Service Provider serving the Huntington & Surrounding Tri-State area, is proud to announce that we have cleared a big milestone in our organization: this year marks our 10th Anniversary! In honor of our anniversary, we hosted a Ribbon Cutting Ceremony with the Huntington Chamber of Commerce on Thursday, November 16.

Data security isn’t a matter to be taken lightly, as too many businesses have found out the hard way. Unfortunately, there are far too many simple ways to correct common security issues - enough that it’s foolish not to do so. We’ll review a few ways to fix security issues, after discussing one of, if not the, most egregious security failings in modern history.

The cloud has proven to be an extremely useful tool for the modern business. Not only does it provide anywhere-anytime access to applications, processing, storage, et al; it also delivers those products as a service, allowing you to budget for recurring costs rather than major upfront ones. This provides your organization with functional, supported, and secure computing environments that eliminate a lot of the support costs that traditional computing environments require. It sounds like a perfect scenario for small and large businesses alike, but things aren’t always what they seem, as a lot of cloud users have found that they have incurred several hidden costs by using cloud platforms. Today, we take a look at these hidden costs.

There is no question that a small business can benefit from technology, as has been proven time and time again. However, an issue can arise if a business bites off more than it can chew, so to speak, and ultimately creates a spike in costs. A responsible business owner will resist this temptation and prioritize the solutions they need over the ones they want - building profitability and generating capital needed to make other improvements.

In this blog, we’ll examine some of the implementations that can deliver a good return on investment to a small business.

Keeping Sensitive Data Secured is a Responsibility Businesses Can’t Take Lightly

Businesses collect and are asked to protect more data than ever before, and in many cases, they are responsible for maintaining all this data. The more data a business handles, the more risk it takes on, as it also needs to keep that data secure. At Network Innovation Solutions, we can present strategies to improve data security and prioritize organizational and individual data privacy.

When it comes to personal or business data security, you must know how to spot bogus links. Recognizing fake email links that might lead to fraudulent pages is a challenge for many people. The fact that hackers are using more advanced methods makes it worse for all of us. That is why beefing up your communication security is very important for your business data.

When it comes to IT security solutions, there are a large number of threats facing us. Modern-day communication technology has opened up a massive amount of potential for people; however, it also poses a significant threat in terms of security. Threats are increasingly advanced as time passes by, and this is endangering the safety and security of our data and private information. That’s why we have come up with this blog. We want to bring light to the dangers of modern security and how you can get professional support to avoid these risks. 

Take the opportunity to prepare your business and team to prevent cyberattacks.