Happy New Year! The Present team would like to take this opportunity to wish you a wonderful 2019, full of health, happiness and prosperity

The start of a new year is always an opportune moment to reflect on what we want to achieve over the next 12 months.

Whether you want to exercise more, cut back on coffee, stop smoking or strengthen your IT security practices, sticking to a New Year’s resolution all comes down to having a game plan. And while we won’t offer any advice on your personal resolutions, we’ve been around the industry long enough to offer up some sound advice when it comes to corporate IT security.

2018 was a tough year for corporate security.

*The Cyber Security Hub™

We saw the Spectre and Meltdown vulnerabilities and huge data breaches, such as Under Armour, Facebook and Fedex. The one certainty is that threats will continue to evolve and that it will get increasingly challenging to protect your corporate data

Here’s our view on what every IT department should resolve to do in 2019 to help protect your data. 

1. Know what it is you need to protect

The first step in any security strategy is knowing what you need to protect.   Asset management is key to a solid security plan. What equipment and software is used and how. Where are they and who has access to them.  This will also enable you to recognize abnormal patterns of behavior as you will have insight into what normal activity looks like.

One of the benefits of IT managed services is optimized IT asset management. Security vulnerabilities can be detected earlier with automated monitoring.

2. Conduct a cyberthreat assessment

This security assessment includes external vulnerabilities, user behavior, permissions, connections, deeper internal vulnerabilities and much more. Present provides a no-cost, no obligation Cyber threat assessment.All the data collected is presented in a clear and accurate audit report with the best recommendations and industry advice.

3. Ensure Your Software, Firmware and Apps are up to date

If you are not regularly updating your software, applications, and firmware, along with regularly updating passwords and patches, then you are at high risk of avoidable attacks. If you are doing them manually, spend the time and money now to automate update functions and schedule reminders. Or consider Present’s IT managed services where all of this is taken care of for you.

4. Change your access codes regularly.

Enterprise password management is a must have software for every organization.

5. Limiting administrative privileges on systems can strengthen an enterprise's security significantly.

It is essential to proceed with a detailed audit and to setup the required controls to manage the identities and the accesses on the different resources and systems.

6. Educate your users.

Users are THE enterprise cybersecurity’s weakest link. They are also the first line of defence if cybersecurity educated. 

7. Have an air gap copy of your data since if data cannot be accessed, then they cannot be infected, encrypted or corrupted.

Conclusion

Make 2019 the year you take charge of your IT security strategy and implement some key initiatives to ensure your data is more secure.