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Rein in Privileged Users to Reduce Information Security Risks
/in Blog /by lindsay“With great power comes great responsibility.”
That isn’t just a comic book saying; that’s reality. Ensuring that those who have great power use it responsibly can’t be left to chance; that’s also reality. That’s why having a process to monitor and control privileged account usage is a critical piece of ensuring your information security.
Privileged Account Powers
Privileged accounts are the ones with the power of creation and destruction. They’re the administrator accounts that create other accounts and grant powers to other users. They’re the accounts that turn systems on and shut systems down. They’re the accounts that define configurations that control how systems behave. They’re the superuser accounts that can read all data and make any changes. They’re completely necessary, and at the same time, completely dangerous.
Risks of Privileged Accounts
The big risk of privileged accounts is that if they’re compromised—if their credentials are compromised or an employee acts improperly—they can create big damage. Access to all data means all data can be tampered with or stolen. Access to configurations and controls means systems can be altered to behave in unapproved, ineffective, or dangerous ways. Because these accounts are so powerful, they’re tempting targets for hackers. Often, these accounts are ridiculously easy to break, because systems have built-in admin accounts needed to install and configure them for use, and the default settings aren’t changed.
Managing Privileged Account Risk
The first step to managing privileged account risk is to limit privileged account usage. You need to determine where the balance lies between empowering employees and protecting your business. Giving every employee admin access on their PC or to a critical business application may help some tasks get done more quickly, but it also increases risk. Because many companies don’t know where all their privileged accounts are, an audit is often necessary to identify them so they can be managed.
Once you know where the privileged accounts are, you can take steps to control them. This likely means removing privileges from some user accounts. Users should have the minimum set of privileges necessary to perform their job functions. Using role-based access controls can help ensure that only appropriate privileges are granted.
Ultimately, though, some users need privileges. They should each have their own accounts, and passwords should be randomized and changed frequently; passwords that don’t change are vulnerable to attack. Use multifactor authentication to enhance the security of these accounts. Users should access their privileged accounts only when needed to perform a privileged function; actions taken by the privileged accounts should be logged and reviewed.
The reviews don’t need to be manual; there are threat analytics programs that can first identify normal patterns of access and then identify any deviations that may indicate improper use. Should improper use be detected, you need an incident response process that shuts down the account and minimizes damage.
Tools for Managing Privileged Accounts
Tools can help you implement the necessary management and monitoring of privileged accounts. Credentials can be kept in a “vault,” with users required to request access through a workflow. This prevents these accounts from being shared and used without authorization. Delegation allows users to be granted a subset of admin functions. Session monitoring creates a record of user activity within the privileged account.
All user accounts need to be securely managed. CCS Technology Group helps businesses develop and implement comprehensive data security solutions to secure data, networks, applications, systems, and accounts. Contact us to learn more about implementing information security that protects your business.
Additional Information Security Resources
Don’t Overlook These Information Security Basics
Don’t Click That Link! Protect Your Business Against Phishing Emails
7 Common Mistakes That Place Your Data in Danger
Make Sure Your Disaster Recovery Plan Isn’t Just Words on Paper
/in Blog, Business Continuity /by lindsayA written disaster recovery (DR) plan is a good start towards making sure your business can resume operations after an outage, but you won’t know how good those words are until you put them into action. Because you don’t want to find out your plan is incomplete or incorrect during a crisis, it’s important to schedule periodic disaster recovery tests to try out your plan before you need to execute it for real.
Types of Disaster Recovery Tests
There are several different ways you can test your plan:
Learn more in Craft An Effective Disaster Recovery Plan.
Disaster Recovery Test Follow-up
Whichever test strategy you choose, the test process isn’t over when the final system is brought back online. After the test, the DR plan needs to be updated to reflect:
In addition, you should always consider how the plan would have worked if this was an actual, unscheduled outage.
Learn more in Don’t Improvise Your Way Through Disaster Recovery.
Repeat the Test
If there were major failures during the test, take time to revise the plan to reflect those problems and then schedule another test to verify the corrections. If the recovery process mostly worked as planned, you can wait until your next regularly scheduled test—usually annually, though some prefer twice annually or even quarterly—to test the update.
CCS Technology group offers disaster recovery planning services. Disaster recovery testing is an important part of your business continuity strategy. Contact CCS Technology Group to learn more about writing and testing your DR plan.
Digital Transform in the Distribution Industry and How Cloud ERP Can Help
/in Blog, Distribution Industry /by lindsayDiscussions about digital transformation often lead off with the phrase, “Just imagine if…” Just image that you could use Internet of Things (IoT) sensors to build a new kind of relationship with customers. Just imagine that you could track an order from receipt through delivery in real time. For a lot of companies, it’s pie in the sky. In distribution, the pie has already been served. You just have to order a slice. You don’t have to “just imagine” a digital transformation if you have the right tools.
Digital Transformation, the Concept
What is digital transformation? Briefly, digital transformation is a concept that started out in life as marketing hype but is quickly becoming reality. At its core, digital transformation involves using advances in application integration technology, cloud computing, data analytics and “edge computing” IoT devices to transform your relationship with customers, employees and partners. It enables you to venture into new business models and competitive strategies.
Digital Transformation in Distribution
The distribution business was actually an innovator in the practices that now comprise digital transformation. Distributors adopted computer-based order tracking, inventory management and the like years before anyone else. You may not remember, but before about 1990, if you shipped a package, you had a 0% chance of knowing when it was going to be delivered. You could call the carrier and ask, but they didn’t know.
Today, instant online or phone-based order tracking, along with dozens of comparable real-time processes, are simply an expectation of doing business. The problem with this is that once business practices become a given, they are no longer competitive. If every distribution company offers online order tracking, your distribution business is another dime, among dozens. Learn more in Looking at 2020 Distribution Industry Trends with ERP in Mind.
The challenge—and opportunity—for distribution companies is to use technology to take the business to new levels of efficiency and competitiveness. This is not always easy, but the tooling is definitely available to make it happen if you want it. With cloud ERP solutions like Acumatica, distributors can implement a range of digitally transformative processes and practices in their businesses. These include:
Acumatica Distribution Edition delivers, giving your business control over their supply chain and logistics activities, including warehouse management, inventory management, and order management. Built in the cloud and customized for your needs, Acumatica helps companies improve customer satisfaction, reduce order times, and control costs across the entire supply and distribution chain.
CCS Technology has considerable experience in the distribution vertical, equipping clients with industry-specific tools that ensure a smooth process, top-notch security, and consistent reliability. We’ll make sure your clients can count on you. Contact us to learn more.
Additional Distribution Resources
Benefits of ERP Software for Distribution Business Management
Making the Most of KPIs in Distribution
5 Reasons Distributors Need ERP Software