Secure IT

Cybercriminals are leveraging online marketing as a way to promote and sell their services on the black market. In 2012, the Blackhole exploit kit broke new ground. But in 2013, Blackhole was replaced by several new exploit kits that grew out of it, borrowing some of its code. The resulting botnets are responsible for a sharp increase in ransomware attacks, with Cryptolocker being the prime example. This is just one example of ONE malware exploit kit that has evolved and continued to run
rampant in different mutations. There are thousands of malware exploit kits that will continue this trend.

Modern malware is all about stealth. Advanced Persistent Threats (APTs), one of the most vicious examples of a stealth threat, precisely target your organization and its data. APTs are sophisticated weapons to carry out targeted missions in cyberspace. Data leaks, including espionage and exposure of corporate data, were a primary theme this past year.

APT attacks in 2013 were well-planned and well-funded; carried out by highly-motivated, technologically advanced, and skilled adversaries. Even after successfully accomplishing the mission, the APT continues to live on to gather additional information. Defending against the stealthy and persistent nature of APTs is a complex undertaking, and requires a coordinated approach to defend your organization’s systems as well as the network.

The growing popularity of the Internet of Things (e.g., mobile devices, applications, social networks, and interconnected gadgets and devices) makes your organization’s systems and network moving targets. New threats arise with emerging technologies like near field communications (NFC) being integrated into mobile platforms. Innovative uses of GPS services to connect our digital and physical lives present new opportunities for cybercriminals to compromise your organization?s
security and privacy.

Spams or unsolicited emails are a matter of concern for all those in your organization who use email. Spamming that is essentially a way of online marketing is carried out by professional email marketing agencies. They collect email addresses from various sources and then send bulk emails that in most cases are advertisements. These emails are hardly of any use for the receivers and they only clog up the resources of your system. Though software spam protection is the most commonly adopted method
to filter spam, at the large enterprises where the volume of data transfer is huge, an anti-spam appliance is the most effective way to protect your system from spam email.

Security threats are always changing and the methods of defending against them must change too. Aperio IT has partnered with security companies that specialize in mitigating malware and spam security threats and adapt to the changing landscape of cyber threats. Solutions will vary from company to company, but most companies rely on endpoint software installed on all of the client devices as the first defense against security threats. We can then bring in edge appliances such as spam appliances, intrusion detection appliances and firewall appliances to further protect your organization?s systems and network.

Organizations enjoy many benefits such as increased employee productivity, satisfaction, and effectiveness as modern technology advances and more and more mobile
devices become available. However, your IT department must tackle significant concerns about the privacy and security of sensitive corporate data stored on these mobile devices. Your organization must adopt security best practices as a reasonable usage policy rather than viewing these concerns as a deterrent to the BYOD program.

In recent times, smartphones and tablets have been conquering the enterprises at breakneck speed. The concept of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) is a growing trend in most organizations. With the consumerization of enterprise mobility, a growing percentage of employees are bringing their personal devices to work. The relative shift
from stable mobile environments to diverse mobile devices poses many challenges to your IT department in different areas such as access control, enforcement of corporate policies and procedures, security of confidential data on your users devices, and a number of mobile security issues. Security in BYOD can be a serious threat to your organization, which you can mitigate by devising and implementing appropriate security best practices through a successful personal BYOD program.

A written policy of what data can reside on these devices or what the devices can access is the first line of defense that any IT department can institute at very minimal cost. However, these devices sometimes need to do more. Aperio IT brings you the best solutions to manage these devices. If you need to lock them down, remotely
wipe them, or simply keep track of them, we can help manage all of your organization’s BYODs

These days, many organizations hold personal or sensitive information about their clients or need to protect confidential data relating to the organization itself. That, coupled with the increasing use of portable devices such as tablets, laptops, and smartphones for easier working makes the scenario of dashing off a busy train
and leaving your laptop behind, full of clients? personal details, all the more of a possibility. Media reporting of high-profile data breaches and losses has led to increased awareness and mistrust amongst the public regarding how safe their personal data may be. For an organization to be able to demonstrate that it employs the highest level of protection to maintain the safety of such information is an integral part of building a trusting and satisfied client relationship.

Endpoint encryption forms part of the concept of endpoint protection where each device on your organization?s network is protected and has to comply with certain standards before access is allowed. Information on any of your endpoint devices (e.g., PC, tablet, smart-phone) is converted into unreadable cipher which is useless to any unauthorized user.

Various software and hardware packages are available for endpoint encryption and all rely on the use of an encryption algorithm to convert information. Differing amounts of a device’s hard-disk can be encrypted and in many cases the entire disk is encrypted. A common algorithm is Rijndael. Others include Serpent, Twofish and
MARS. The choice of algorithm is affected by such factors as speed and security of encryption. Once encrypted, the disk normally has a two-stage authentication process once an authorized user gains access. In the first stage, the endpoint device is booted up. Then a second stage of authentication occurs, with the user logging on with a password. This allows documents to be opened and the operating system to function. During use, requested files are dynamically transferred between the device and an
encrypted drive.

Several organizations could have prevented data lose if they had employed data encryption on their end-user and remote devices. Aperio IT has experience in end point data encryption methods and with the software the supports it. Our partners have created a solution that can be managed from a central location and snaps right into Active Directory.

Weak passwords can cause major problems. With millions of passwords compromised each year, many companies have already experienced data loss, damage to their reputations, and decreased revenue. Cybercriminals don?t just focus on the largest enterprises. Poor passwords and unsecured remote network access make every business a potential target.

Providing two-factor authentication (2FA) will safeguard your organization’s mobile workforce against data breaches due to compromised passwords and will aid in regulatory compliance with HIPAA, PCI DSS, and others. Two-factor authentication (2FA) validates VPN and logins with a unique one-time-password (OTP), adding an important layer of security to your organization’s sensitive data. Simple to manage, two-factor authentication is more flexible, cost effective, and easy to use than hardware OTP tokens or appliances.

Aperio IT can provide cloud and on-premise two-factor authentication solutions. We have partnered with multiple companies to provide the best solution for your organization. Each of these partners are leaders in their respective solutions and continually improve with the industry.

With compliance requirements on the rise in many industry sectors, the demands on in-house compliance teams have intensified. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, U.S. health care reform, the Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act, and the Markets in Financial Instruments Directive II are just a few of the regulatory developments that have resulted in increased compliance responsibilities. Add to this other rules in areas such as product safety, quality, and anti-money laundering, and in-house legal teams are under a lot of pressure.

Data security is a major concern of Legal Process Outsourcing, including risks to intellectual property and sensitive company information. To protect data security when outsourcing compliance tasks, organizations should consider the following:

With careful planning, strong service-level agreements, and supervision, compliance outsourcing can be advantageous to many companies over-burdened with regulatory compliance obligations. Aperio IT continues to monitor the adjustments to the major legislation acts and take the proper actions necessary to keep your organization in regulatory compliance.