– Cynthia Yang
HR Generalist, JA Watts
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It’s essential that you have a CRM system (Customer Relationship Management) for managing customer data. Deciding which type will best fit the needs of your business will depend on various aspects of your company, including your budget and who’ll be using it.
There are three general types of CRM systems to choose from.
A basic CRM system is your general cloud-based implementation. The configuration would be limited to UI layout, with built-in configuration that would edit necessary fields. This type of CRM typically does not include any type of customized coding or involve any extensive processes.
This is a basic cloud solution that can provide standard functions, yet is still powerful enough to make a difference for your company.
Using this type of CRM system, you would likely focus on one single component of the modules such as sales, which would further limit the scope. Pre-built additions can be added to the basic CRM.
A basic CRM also involves transferring data of your accounts, contacts and leads into a CRM application. It won’t be necessary for the user to have all the data entered manually before using the application. With a basic CRM, a company can implement and use the CRM solution with a minimum amount of costs and in the shortest time. Some of the benefits include saving time in tracking and consolidating customer information.
Standalone CRM is considered the superset of a basic CRM system.
This will involve the implementation of more complex processes including custom reporting, custom views, customized workflows and add-ons. Some of the benefits include the following:
It’s important to note that the data migration sometimes involves multiple sources which can require the need for data cleansing.
For a company that decides to use a standalone CRM, employee training will be required. CRM training for administrators will also be required if the business plans to self-maintain this kind of CRM application. This training will help those using the system gain greater efficiency and enable your company to better understand and meet the needs of your customers.
Integrated CRM includes the range of a standalone solution while integrating the CRM application with an external system. An external system could include an ERP application, different websites or some type of home-grown application.
This enables the systems to share data.
The integration of systems can be accomplished by either using some type of commercial off-the-shelf middleware application or by custom programming. By creating your own website to function seamlessly with the CRM system you’ll find there are several benefits for your business.
Companies using an integrated CRM solution will need to provide training for their employees. And, like a standalone CRM system, administrator training for an integrated CRM will also be needed if the company plans to self-maintain the CRM application.
We recommend finding an experienced technology company to assist with both implementation and maintenance of your CRM system, no matter which type you choose. Many managed IT services providers can help with your CRM, in addition to other critical areas like cloud solutions, enterprise resource planning, security services and basic IT support.
Ever gone fishing? The cybercrime phishing works in a very similar way.
Tech-savvy con artists bait an email hook, send them out into the internet waters, and pull in personal information that can help them gain access to protected systems.
You know what this means, right? That Nigerian prince doesn’t actually need help transferring “much funds” to “American dollars US.” In fact, if you click on that link, you’re the one likely to suffer heavy losses.
It’s better if you don’t respond at all.
Phishing can also include attachments that download malicious code onto your systems. Keylogging software and other information-gathering viruses give malicious coders access to sensitive data like logins and passwords. Just opening the wrong email could put your entire company database at risk.
With phishing, hackers have an easy way to attack that can be highly profitable. Consider the fact that the average cost of a successful phishing attempt on a mid-sized business comes with a $1.6 million price tag.
Enterprise businesses are not exempt, even with massive IT departments and increasingly complex security protocols.
Spear phishing, more targeted phishing attempts that mimic other known users, make up 95 percent of all attacks on enterprise businesses. If you received an email from the CEO, you’d probably open it too—even if it turned out it was from a hacker.
Keeping your company safe from phishing attacks starts with something very basic: education.
Give your employees examples of some of the most sophisticated attack scenarios and strategies to avoid them. For example, if you get an email from “Google” asking you to log in, never use an embedded link. Always load websites using the actual URL, not hyperlinks provided via email. This avoids the risk of spoofed pages designed to capture login credentials.
Ignoring attachments also helps eliminate the risk of ransomware downloads.
In addition to educating your workforce about the most common lines of attack, you can also institute some company-wide defense strategies and tools.
Encouraging your employees to use strong passwords is helpful. But the longer and more complex the password, the more likely users are to write them down, send them to an accessible email box, or otherwise immediately undo their increased security.
Password management software can take care of the problem by automatically filling in software and password information on recognized sites. When the password manager doesn’t recognize the site, it’s a warning sign to employees about a possible spoofed site.
Email phishing is still the most common form of phishing, but social media platforms also offer an avenue of attack.
Using fake accounts, hackers can approach your employees through less guarded communications like social media. Monitoring what happens on corporate social accounts and teaching your workers about the risks of corporate espionage through social contact can go a long way toward minimizing your risks.
Small businesses rarely have the budget to support an in-house IT department, and even when they do, cybercriminals are relentless. The number of cyberattacks creeps up every year, leaving you with some tough choices.
Thankfully, it is possible to get high-level protection against phishing without investing in more top-level salaries. Talk to your managed services provider to see how they can provide the defenses you need against phishing attacks, without the cost that comes with a whole new department.
By 2019, it’s estimated that cybercrime will cost more than $2 trillion and affect businesses across the world. The numbers indicate how serious this issue is. However, what many business owners don’t realize is what their biggest risk actually is.
Effective cybersecurity employee training is an essential step when it comes to protecting your company. After all, a secure business is a protective one.
Creating, planning and executing cybersecurity training can seem daunting; however, with the tips here, it doesn’t have to be.
While cybersecurity employee training is imperative. And the foundation for network security training is simple. You need to make sure your employees fully understand their role in this.
Some of the things employees should know in include:
You almost certainly have anti-virus software, intrusion prevention systems and a strong firewall to protect your network. And even with all of that, isn’t possible to block every single threat out there.
As a result, you have to be able to rely on your employees to keep the network safe.
After all, these are the individuals who are on the front lines. They’re determining whether or not they should download that mysterious email attachment, or click on that oh-so-tempting pop-up ad. One of the best ways to ensure they make the right decision is with quality, cybersecurity employee training.
Cybercriminals and hackers are always looking for new and innovative ways to “trick” even the most experienced users into downloading malware or responding to a malicious email. If you want to ensure your workers don’t fall for these tricks, it’s essential to let them know these threats exist.
Not only do you need initial training when you first hire a new employee, but also ongoing training to ensure that your network is protected from the latest threats out there.
There are some businesses that even send out daily security tips via email to their workforce. Not only is this beneficial in keeping everyone informed, but it helps to keep cybersecurity top of mind.
When you have employees who aren’t directly involved in your company’s technology efforts, then network security may seem like a foreign concept. However, most of your employees have purchased something from their home computer with a credit card.
You can use this very practical, relatable example to help make your business’s security more personal for your employees. They’re likely careful with their credit card number. They need to be careful with company data, too.
Help them understand that their information is best protected when they follow certain security policies that have been designed to keep the network safe.
Part of cybersecurity training for your employees should include letting them know who to turn to if they experience any type of network security incident, or if there are any questions about cybersecurity. If you don’t have an IT support team on-site, be sure your employees know how to get support and help from your service provider.
If you want to ensure your small business’s network is secure, it starts with proper cybersecurity employee training. Be sure to play your part. Protecting your company’s sensitive information is serious business.
If you need additional help with your cybersecurity employee training, consider reaching out to a security expert. Most managed services providers can help you achieve an optimal level of security and protection.
– Kathryn Rosanova
CFO, Reinke Supply Co.
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Cyberattacks cost businesses around the world about $15.80 million per company, according to estimates. And the number of security breaches has increased. In fact, the World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report 2018 says that cyberattacks are now just as threatening as natural disasters such as extreme weather events and catastrophes.
One of the most commonly used scams that businesses are falling prey to is known as spoofing. Let’s take a closer look at what spoofing is and how you can avoid it.
Spoofing happens when a hacker gains access to your computer systems and is able to steal personal or sensitive information. That information can be as simple as passwords or as complex as business data.
You may have come across an attempt at spoofing before—for example, in the form of a suspicious email that promises cash rewards or an ad with questionable links. However, spoofing is not limited to spam emails. An intruder can use caller IDs or get you to click on a uniform resource locator (more commonly known as a URL).
There are several types of spoof attacks. Probably the most common are phishing emails, where you are sent a link and then given the option to download something. Even if you clicked the bait, usually nothing will happen unless you download the attachment.
To protect yourself and your organization from spoofing, the best course of action is to avoid clicking any shady-looking links. And never download attachments unless you are absolutely sure the sender is legitimate.
If you have been the victim of URL spoofing, spammers may have attempted to infect your computer’s hardware with a virus. This is why it’s essential to install firewalls. Otherwise, you are putting your business—and your clients’ data—at risk.
You may think of cybercriminal activity as something that is unlikely to affect you or your business. But at the rate the threat is growing, it’s something to take seriously.
A 2017 Juniper Research report forecasts that the number of personal data stolen by spoofing attackers could reach 5 billion in 2020. The authors of the report expect businesses around the world to lose a combined amount of $8 trillion over the next few years.
If you take a proactive approach to cybersecurity, you are less likely to become a victim of a cyberattack. The first thing to do is examine where your walls of defense may be weak and get expert help to protect your organization.
A little self-directed proactive education can really help in this department. Take the time to keep up with industry news and pay attention to cybersecurity headlines. You can also follow our blog for everything you need to know about cybersecurity, spoofing and business data analytics.
Also, contact your as can a managed IT services provider. They’re there to help. All those years of experience providing IT support and managed IT services make a huge difference when it comes to protecting your business from cybercrime.
In the simplest terms, social engineering is manipulation. It plays on the frailty of the human psyche.
According to CSO, it doesn’t matter if your company has the best defensive technologies and physical security in place. If a sneaky social engineer can trick your employee into giving out a password, you’re still at risk.
There are several aspects of social engineering in the business world that you need to know about so you can avoid it.
Pretexting involves setting up a false scenario such as pretending to be an official from a bank. The victim thinks they’re talking, emailing or texting someone legitimate who just needs more information about an account. Sometimes the attacker even pretends to be providing an IT service.
The attacker will then insist that certain information is needed in order to fix a problem or to confirm an employee’s identity. This method relies on exploiting a relationship built on trust.
Digital Guardian defines tailgating as a situation in which someone without authorization simply follows someone with authorization into a restricted space. This is a type of physical social engineering.
For example, someone might ask to borrow your access card, claiming they forgot their own. Or someone might ask to use your laptop or phone, using the opportunity to install a virus. The absolute simplest example is when one person asks another to hold a door open for them.
This is probably the most common form of social engineering used. Fraudulent information is passed off as legitimate in an attempt to get you to install malware on your network, computer or mobile device.
Most of these kinds of cyberattacks begin with an email. Unfortunately, many of your employees may assume email is basically safe. All it takes is one employee clicking on the wrong link.
Baiting happens when someone puts a malware-infected CD or flash drive in a place where another person is likely to find it.
The attacker is counting on someone finding the infected device and loading it onto their computer. Once it has been loaded the attacker has access to that person’s system . . . and you have a potential data disaster.
The first step for avoiding social engineering is knowing who and what you can really trust. No matter what industry you’re in, there are several steps your organization should take to prevent social engineers from wreaking havoc.
You should periodically test your employees to discern how easily they succumb to various social engineering threats.
Reduce phishing attacks by refraining from opening any links in emails from unknown senders. When in doubt, it’s always better to delete suspicious emails.
You can eliminate pretexting and tailgating by insisting on identification before letting anyone enter any area of your business.
Social engineers are constantly changing and upgrading their tricks, making it imperative to keep your staff trained and updated on what to look out for and avoid.
An experienced IT company should be reliable, responsive and have years of experience and expertise.
Social engineering can be just as complex as hacking. The only real difference is it adds an especially frustrating psychological twist.
We highly recommend partnering with an IT provider who understands all levels of security your company needs. Complete IT support should include technology as well as thorough employee training.
– Dipesh Shah
Chief Information Officer, Inventrust Properties
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Several high-profile organizations experienced data breaches in 2017. For instance, you probably saw media reports about data breaches involving Equifax or the InterContinental Hotel Group.
It isn’t enough to know that these breaches occurred. Companies and organizations need to pay attention to the mistakes that made the security breaches possible. That way, you can inspect your own company’s policies to make sure you protect yourself and your customers.
A 2017 data breach at Equifax, one of the world’s largest credit reporting companies, exposed the personal information of approximately 143 million Americans. The problem was deemed so important that Congress held several hearings to understand what had happened.
According to Equifax, the breach happened because of a flaw in one of the company’s web applications.
Obviously, Equifax didn’t get the help it needed closing common cybersecurity holes. The worst part, though, was how Equifax chose to handle the situation. Some of the company’s most egregious actions included:
The most important thing to learn from Equifax is how to behave after a breach happens. Basically, do the opposite of what Equifax did. The organization’s tarnished reputation may never recover.
InterContinental Hotel Group (IHG) revealed in early 2017 that a data breach had affected 12 of its properties. Malware on the company’s servers had stolen credit card information from guests who used their cards at the hotels’ on-site restaurants and bars. Understandably, the announcement concerned thousands of people.
Unfortunately, that wasn’t the end of IHG’s security problems. A couple of months later, the company admitted that the malware hadn’t attacked 12 of its locations. Instead, it had targeted 1,200 locations. The malware also did more than gather credit card information from restaurants and bars. It had stolen personal information from payments processed at hotels, too.
A better cybersecurity process would have likely uncovered the malware before it had a chance to affect so many people. Unfortunately, IHG didn’t have the IT security to identify the threat before it had an opportunity to spread from a handful of locations to thousands.
In 2017, ransomware became such a huge problem that it affected organizations in nearly 100 countries. Hospitals in Great Britain had to turn away patients because they couldn’t access their medical records. The malware also affected hospitals, police stations and businesses in the United States, Russia, Spain and Portugal. Overall, the ransomware affected about 57,000 networks around the world.
Educating employees to recognize phishing attempts is one of the most effective ways to prevent ransomware attacks. Organizations also need to update their systems and applications to patch security vulnerabilities.
Given the excessively wide reach of the 2017 attack, it’s obvious that most people don’t know how to protect themselves from ransomware.
If you’re worried that you don’t have the right technology or policies to protect your company from data breaches, contact your managed services provider to learn more about the most effective defenses. Without the right tools, you could fall victim to attacks just as easily as the organizations mentioned above.
We’ve warned you before that half of all small to midsize businesses have endured at least one cyberattack. But did you know that “the biggest cybersecurity threats are inside your company?”
That’s an eye-opening claim from a 2016 report by the Harvard Business Review. It’s also backed by data from IBM’s 2016 Cyber Security Intelligence Index. According to that report, some “60% of all attacks were carried out by insiders,” with 75 percent of those coming from malicious actors. (The rest were inadvertent—which is better but still bad.)
What’s more, these internal threats can be particularly harmful. A 2017 article from Tripwire stated that “53 percent of companies estimate remediation costs of $100,000 and more, with 12 percent estimating a cost of more than $1 million.”
Ouch.
On top of that, insider threats can go undetected for years on end. And guilt in such cases is really difficult to establish. It’s little wonder why an estimated “74 percent of companies feel that they are vulnerable to insider threats,” and a whopping 7 percent classify their vulnerability as “extreme.”
The conclusion?
While it’s critical to defend against external cybersecurity threats (and they are, generally speaking, more widely sensationalized), internal threats are just as important to catch. Today, we’ll be giving you a leg up by delving into what constitutes an internal threat and how you can mitigate the risks.
For a straightforward definition, we turn to SecureList:
“Internal threats include any harmful actions with data that violate at least one of the fundamental principles of information security (integrity, availability, and confidentiality) and originate from within a company’s information system.”
Easy enough to comprehend, but classifying internal threats goes even deeper. According to CSO, internal vulnerabilities come in three main flavors: accidental, negligent and malicious. Those first two have a degree of overlap, as there’s no ill will on the part of the employees who are responsible.
Accidental threats arise when employees aren’t well-educated on proper protocol (and, by extension, open your company to maladies like ransomware and phishing schemes). Negligent threats occur when employees understand the protocols but willfully ignore them in favor of completing a task the “easy way.”
Malicious threats, on the other hand, are a whole different ballgame.
The offending employee might be holding a grudge. They might have been paid off. Whatever the case, malicious instances are categorized by employees within your company who wish to intentionally cause damage. Those employees use their knowledge of your systems to further their less-than-well-intended goals.
The strategies you employ for mitigating internal threat risk will vary based on the types of danger we listed above.
For accidental and negligent threats, education and enforcement are key. As EY so succinctly put it, “education is prevention.” Getting employees up to speed is a great way to cut down on the mistakes that can put your organization in a cybersecurity predicament.
A solid IT support team can help with educational efforts. Combine that with a no-nonsense policy that reminds employees that cybersecurity rules are not to be taken lightly. That’s how to deal with a sizable portion of the internal risks your company faces.
Malicious threats require a different approach.
Preventing these are where background checks, employee monitoring and restricted access to various systems will benefit your overall preparedness. Again, leveraging IT pros to formulate a strategy will grant you significant benefit.
With the right methodologies in place, your vulnerability will diminish drastically.