Everywhere you turn these days, you hear about the problems with digital privacy. As fast as legitimate companies work to invent and deploy new methods of protecting privacy, bad actors find ways to circumvent them. This presents a massive concern for employers and individuals; many aren't fully aware of the risks they face when their digital privacy is compromised.

How can a simple identifier like an email address lead to privacy violations and unwanted circulation of your data, and what can you do to minimize the danger?

What An Email Address Discloses

When someone enters their email address into a website, it typically means they're accepting the terms and conditions of the site. Usually, this means the email address and other data that the website captures can be shared with or sold to—and potentially stolen by—third parties.

Email addresses connect everything we do online. Every time we enter our email, it's stored in a database, and each instance of it identifies the products and services we use. These instances can be cross-referenced to create a comprehensive picture of us that includes information such as:

Aside from giving companies the ability to serve us with personalized advertisements, giving out email addresses can enable them to understand everything about us. For example, if you're signed into Google and browsing on Google Chrome, your email address is associated with every website you visit and recorded in various databases. Anyone with access to that data now possesses in-depth knowledge about your life.

They know what type of person you are, what you read, the sports you play and the purchases you make—and there's no privacy associated with the information. While that might not quite result in someone coming to your home and doing something nefarious, do you really want all of that information about you available to unknown parties?

The Digital Privacy Risk For Business Owners

The risk of employees giving out their company email addresses is even greater for business owners. It could jeopardize the acquisition of a large new client account. Tracking employee activities, such as visits to prospective client websites, can provide competitors with intelligence on who a company is talking to.

Downloading content from a supplier website using a business email address can reveal the fact that a company is in the market for a particular product or service, resulting in unwanted solicitation from other providers.

Moreover, employees could be targeted via their email addresses for phishing or spear-phishing attacks to get them to download viruses or malware that can give bad actors access to systems or reveal sensitive corporate information.

The Long-Term Impact

It's impossible to guess what the impact may be of having all of this information about us or our employees available long-term to anyone with access. A few decades ago, a Social Security number wasn't particularly sensitive or private. It was just a number we had as citizens that showed we would receive Social Security at a certain age.

Now, it has evolved to indicate tax return status, credit scores and other aspects of daily life—many of which can be patched together in the back end. The result provides a complete view of us as individuals, making us vulnerable to hacking and theft. The same fate could be in store for email addresses—an identifier that puts us at future risk.

How To Protect Your Employees And Your Company's Digital Privacy

Few companies can enact policies stating that employees can't use their email addresses on specific sites. We need improved education around the issue so that employees and individuals understand the risk of entering email addresses. Once they appreciate how these sites can be linked and the picture they're providing of their activities, they'll be less inclined to provide their emails.

Currently, most companies operate on a reactive basis, but I think we need to shift toward the offensive and educate employees. Some suggestions include the following.

1. Creating several email addresses to use for various aspects of life. While I'm not suggesting having employees create 20 or even 10 email addresses, it could be helpful to encourage them to have two or three. For example, if an employee is a hobbyist, they could have one email address for everything to do with their hobby. They could have another related to personal finance and a third for other specific interests.

2. Using email masking tools offered by some providers. These include Apple's "Hide my Email" option and Mozilla's Firefox Relay. These functionalities can allow employees to create random email addresses to use with apps and websites so that their personal or company address remains private.

3. Opting out of any sites that use the new Unified ID 2.0 technology. UID 2.0 transforms email into a digital character string or token. While it claims to improve digital privacy, it actually doesn't prevent the token from being linked to a person's email address. Let employees know they can opt out of this.

4. Updating cookie settings. Most browsers give users the option to turn off their cookie settings, which prevents a website from being able to connect their online activity with their email address. Let employees know that this could not only help protect them from an invasion of privacy but it could also reduce the number of retargeting ads they receive.

In the digital era, there really is no free lunch. You might think you're getting gratis information by entering your email address, but in fact, you're contributing to the profitability of third-party players who can sell your data to the highest bidder. If that data compromises you, whatever you received in exchange for your email address is almost certainly not worth the cost.

You can read the original article posted in Forbes by Rhymetec CEO, Justin Rende.

Interested in reading more? Check out more of our blogs here.

Measuring the competitive advantage of compliance

Metin Kortak, CISO from Rhymetec, to discuss how to make compliance a competitive advantage. Ben shares news of a Biden Executive Order on commercial spyware after it may have been abused to spy on "autocracies — and some democracies." Dave took a look at export controls and whether they really make a difference when it comes to invasive software.

While this show covers legal topics, and Ben is a lawyer, the views expressed do not constitute legal advice. For official legal advice on any of the topics we cover, please contact your attorney. 

Links:

View more of our Blogs here

[embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTtsVtATFGE[/embed]

A vital component of any risk and compliance program is implementing maintenance strategies. If you’ve already completed your compliance journey, a compliance maintenance program is the next step in ensuring your organization avoids gaps in both your compliance and infosec program.

Regularly reviewing and maintaining policies and procedures enables firms to keep up to date with the latest regulations, changes in technology, and best practices across the industry. addressing these standards empowers your employees to be more diligent about security within daily business operations, and lead with a security-first mindset when it comes to the construction of your cloud software.

 

What does compliance maintenance look like?

According to a recent study about compliance trends (Drata), it was found that IT and security professionals spend an average of 4,300 hours annually achieving or maintaining compliance. The survey of 300 US professionals found that 87% had faced consequences as a result of not having a continuous compliance maintenance program within their organization.

  1. Develop comprehensive security policies: Create security policies that outline the procedures and guidelines required to maintain compliance. These policies should be clear, concise, and accessible to all employees.
  2. Regularly update software and security systems: Regularly update your software and security systems to protect against vulnerabilities. This includes keeping your operating systems, applications, and antivirus software up to date.
  3. Conduct regular risk assessments: Conduct regular risk assessments to identify any potential vulnerabilities or threats to your organization. This will help you stay ahead of potential security issues and mitigate them before they become a problem.
  4. Train employees on security awareness: Educate and train employees on security awareness to ensure they understand their role in maintaining security and compliance. This includes training on how to identify and report security incidents, how to create secure passwords, a phishing test as needed for employees, and guidance on how to avoid phishing attacks.
  5. Monitor and log all activity: Monitor and log all activity on your network to identify potential security threats and incidents. This includes monitoring access to sensitive data, user activity, and network traffic.
  6. Perform regular security audits: Perform regular security audits to ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations. This will help you identify any areas where you may be falling short and address them before they become a problem.
  7. Have an incident response plan in place: Have an incident response policy & plan in place for security incidents, including a clear escalation path. This will help you respond quickly and effectively to any potential security incidents.

By following these tips, you can maintain security compliance and protect your organization from potential security threats and breaches.

What are the benefits of maintaining compliance?

55% of organizations say their compliance strategy is based around a “Can we?” rather than “Should we?” attitude, indicating a focus on building a more proactive and positive compliance strategy. However, stagnant budgets and a shifting workforce have left many compliance teams feeling stretched, with 87% of organizations reporting they have no additional capacity due to being understaffed or only adequately staffed (Deloitte State of Compliance 2020 Report). That being said, compliance offers an abundance of benefits to organizations including:

How can an organization simplify and scale the compliance maintenance process?

Whether you already have a CISO/security expert in your organization or are a young startup with limited resources to achieve compliance. The bottom line is that compliance is critical and there are a number of intricacies to achieving and maintaining these standards. The good news, you have options to fit the needs of your organization! For instance, 34% of organizations outsource some or all of their compliance functionality. (Thomson Reuter's Cost of Compliance Report 2021)

Cutting-edge compliance automation tools can help security teams build a foundation for their information security programs, and have a reliable source of truth with their efforts. These tools not only help you continuously monitor your information security programs, but they provide a resource for evidence collection and reporting when it comes to the stress of working with an auditor to evaluate your policies and procedures to determine whether they are in alignment with framework standards.

For organizations that need additional support in their compliance journey or have little to no experience with the process—you can work with cybersecurity consultants or managed service providers like a vCISO (Virtual CISO). Here at Rhymetec, we pride ourselves on being disruptors in the consulting space by acting on our own advice. Not only will we provide you with direction on how to achieve and maintain your security and compliance goals, but we provide the services to help you get there too.

View more of our blogs here.

 

To Learn More About Rhymetec's Compliance
Readiness or Maintenance Programs:

Contact our Team Today

A vital component of any risk and compliance program is implementing maintenance strategies. If you’ve already completed your compliance journey, a compliance maintenance program is the next step in ensuring your organization avoids gaps in both your compliance and infosec program.

Regularly reviewing and maintaining policies and procedures enables firms to keep up to date with the latest regulations, changes in technology, and best practices across the industry. addressing these standards empowers your employees to be more diligent about security within daily business operations, and lead with a security-first mindset when it comes to the construction of your cloud software.

What does compliance maintenance look like?

According to a recent study about compliance trends (Drata), it was found that IT and security professionals spend an average of 4,300 hours annually achieving or maintaining compliance. The survey of 300 US professionals found that 87% had faced consequences as a result of not having a continuous compliance maintenance program within their organization.

  1. Develop comprehensive security policies: Create security policies that outline the procedures and guidelines required to maintain compliance. These policies should be clear, concise, and accessible to all employees.
  2. Regularly update software and security systems: Regularly update your software and security systems to protect against vulnerabilities. This includes keeping your operating systems, applications, and antivirus software up to date.
  3. Conduct regular risk assessments: Conduct regular risk assessments to identify any potential vulnerabilities or threats to your organization. This will help you stay ahead of potential security issues and mitigate them before they become a problem.
  4. Train employees on security awareness: Educate and train employees on security awareness to ensure they understand their role in maintaining security and compliance. This includes training on how to identify and report security incidents, how to create secure passwords, a phishing test as needed for employees, and guidance on how to avoid phishing attacks.
  5. Monitor and log all activity: Monitor and log all activity on your network to identify potential security threats and incidents. This includes monitoring access to sensitive data, user activity, and network traffic.
  6. Perform regular security audits: Perform regular security audits to ensure compliance with industry standards and regulations. This will help you identify any areas where you may be falling short and address them before they become a problem.
  7. Have an incident response plan in place: Have an incident response policy & plan in place for security incidents, including a clear escalation path. This will help you respond quickly and effectively to any potential security incidents.

By following these tips, you can maintain security compliance and protect your organization from potential security threats and breaches.

What are the benefits of maintaining compliance?

55% of organizations say their compliance strategy is based around a “Can we?” rather than “Should we?” attitude, indicating a focus on building a more proactive and positive compliance strategy. However, stagnant budgets and a shifting workforce have left many compliance teams feeling stretched, with 87% of organizations reporting they have no additional capacity due to being understaffed or only adequately staffed (Deloitte State of Compliance 2020 Report). That being said, compliance offers an abundance of benefits to organizations including:

How can an organization simplify and scale the compliance maintenance process?

Whether you already have a CISO/security expert in your organization or are a young startup with limited resources to achieve compliance. The bottom line is that compliance is critical and there are a number of intricacies to achieving and maintaining these standards. The good news, you have options to fit the needs of your organization! For instance, 34% of organizations outsource some or all of their compliance functionality. (Thomson Reuter's Cost of Compliance Report 2021)

Cutting-edge compliance automation tools can help security teams build a foundation for their information security programs, and have a reliable source of truth with their efforts. These tools not only help you continuously monitor your information security programs, but they provide a resource for evidence collection and reporting when it comes to the stress of working with an auditor to evaluate your policies and procedures to determine whether they are in alignment with framework standards.

For organizations that need additional support in their compliance journey or have little to no experience with the process—you can work with cybersecurity consultants or managed service providers like a vCISO (Virtual CISO). Here at Rhymetec, we pride ourselves on being disruptors in the consulting space by acting on our own advice. Not only will we provide you with direction on how to achieve and maintain your security and compliance goals, but we provide the services to help you get there too.

View more of our blogs here.

To Learn More About Rhymetec's Compliance
Readiness or Maintenance Programs:

Contact our Team Today

Woman working in an office

The aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic triggered a chronic labor shortage across most developed countries. This, coupled with the scarcity of talent—particularly in the cloud security space—has greatly impacted cybersecurity circles.

Statistics show that 52 million data breaches occurred globally during the second quarter of the year. The issue is spurring the demand for cybersecurity talent across all industries, but with more than 700,000 unfilled cybersecurity positions across the U.S., businesses could face serious losses unless they can find a satisfactory solution soon.

Quantifying The Cybersecurity Worker Shortage

As of March 2022, more than 60% of corporate data was already stored in the cloud. This percentage constantly increases as organizations move digital operations into cloud computing environments. Cybersecurity is already operating at an all-time high, with approximately 4.7 million professionals in the workforce.

In addition to the shortage of workers in this field, the 2022 Global CISO Survey showed chief information security officers (CISOs) in the United States were working under a cloud of burnout (53%) and job-related stress (60%). These challenges are direct consequences of the labor shortage, the growing trend towards cloud computing and the increasing number of cyber threats facing organizations.

The Impact On Company Operations

As the shortage of skilled cybersecurity workers continues, it has begun impacting companies’ ability to achieve compliance. Businesses need to achieve or maintain compliance, and their consumer data needs to be secure. Companies that don’t have enough resources to achieve compliance and guarantee customer data security could face challenges in marketing their products and services and, in turn, impact aspirations for growth and expansion.

Why Compliance Matters For Companies

Compliance is an important factor in any organization, but it’s not always driven by the need for cybersecurity. The main driver for compliance right now, especially with startups, comes from their customers needing them to have certain security frameworks and controls in place to sell their products to consumers. Before customers are likely to upload their data into a system, it needs to have passed certain stringent security standards.

For example, before users were willing to upload their photos to Instagram, the platform had to provide all the necessary controls and policies for people to feel safe. Achieving this type of compliance takes work, and when companies don’t have the resources to fill positions, they’re unable to do the work. The result is many initiatives don’t come to fruition, or even if they do, the market won’t embrace them because they aren’t sufficiently secure.

Facing The Fallout Of The Labor Shortage

Organizations that can’t recruit qualified, skilled workers to fill their cybersecurity positions will likely experience productivity losses that could slow down the overall technology environment. Many companies may find themselves unable to take their products to market. Without SOC 2 or ISO compliance, they won’t have the credibility required to thrive in the competitive marketplace. And as demand increases, the cost of cybersecurity staff will increase well beyond where it is currently.

Even companies with established cybersecurity teams may be at risk if the CISO and their team have more experience with on-premise systems than with cloud computing. These workers may lack an in-depth understanding of cloud architecture and are often more accustomed to securing physical servers than SaaS-driven systems hosted in the cloud.

Developing Potential Solutions

Finding and appointing qualified cybersecurity employees is currently challenging, and many companies can’t afford to wait until the situation changes. With current teams stretched too thin to function effectively, standard solutions such as on-the-job training, recruitment incentives and worker bonuses barely scratch the surface.

While solutions such as outsourcing certain positions are available to address some of these issues without incurring unmanageable costs, there are also steps thatorganizations can focus on to identify in-house solutions and ensure compliance in the interim. Companies seeking potential solutions should start by following the steps below.

1. Determine your current level of compliance.

Determining your organization’s current level of compliance is the best way to measure compliance status is to develop a clear understanding of every asset, resource and system and assess their security posture against a compliance framework.

2. Identify internal security duties.

Appoint high-level executives to carry responsibility for identifying all internal security duties. For example, a CISO understands compliance requirements and would be able to implement the protocols necessary for achieving compliance.

3. Conduct regular gap assessments.

Conducting regular gap assessments and implementing continuous monitoring can also help organizations maintain their compliance. These solutions monitor a cloud-hosted infrastructure’s security controls against various frameworks, such as NIST 800-53, ISO 27001, SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2, PCI and others.

4. Develop adequate security documentation.

This is a crucial aspect of building an information security management system. This documentation outlines the responsibilities of each and every employee, allows organizations to determine whether tasks are assigned to the right people and identifies whether additional staff resources are required. Many compliance frameworks require a detailed and comprehensive “roles and responsibilities” document.

Finding A Route To Compliance

Overcoming the shortage of skilled cybersecurity personnel is critical for any organization operating in the technology environment. Organizations that have moved their operations to the cloud or are planning to do so in the near future must find a way to achieve the compliance required in their industry, or they could face monumental consequences and roadblocks. In the absence of adequate personnel, companies must take steps internally or look to outside solutions to ensure they implement essential compliance practices.

You can read the original article posted in Forbes by Rhymetec CEO, Justin Rende.

About Rhymetec

Rhymetec was founded in 2015 as a Penetration Testing company. Since then, we have served hundreds of SaaS businesses globally in all their cybersecurity, compliance, and data privacy needs. We’re industry leaders in cloud security, and our custom services align with the specific needs of your business. If you want to learn more about how our team can help your business with your security & managed compliance needs, contact our team for more information.

Interested in reading more? Check out our other content:

How hollywood storytelling can humanize your high-tech selling

How Hollywood Storytelling Can Humanize Your Hi-Tech Selling

We all relish what the internet does for our lives. It’s a whole other virtual universe we live in that did not exist a few short decades ago.

But our online world is fraught with bad actors who will go to extremes to hack your accounts, seize your data, introduce worms into your operating system and generally turn your virtual world upside down raising havoc in your real life.

As a digital denizen, having your online presence buttoned down is a necessary evil to protect yourself from the worst of intruders.

But the cybersecurity industry itself is confusing, scary, and not particularly known for its open, human touch.

So how do you grow a cybersecurity firm without defaulting to arcane communications that make your customers shutter?

You use what today’s guest learned by spending five years working with Hollywood A-list celebrities to humanize your hi-tech storytelling.

Justin Rende, Founder and CEO of Rhymetec Cybersecurity Solutions, has watched the cybersecurity landscape change dramatically over the past 20 years, even as he spent five of those years working for Robert De Niro and Tribeca Films.

In 2015, Justin founded Rhymetec to focus exclusively on developing the most secure, simplified and innovative cybersecurity solutions. He advises his clients to adopt cutting-edge technology before it becomes mainstream, resulting in the most secure and cost-effective technology that scales with a client’s business.

“It’s ok to follow your passion and change your target. I used to work with large Enterprise organizations but realized my passion was with startups. However, I had to use storytelling differently with start-ups then with the buying groups at Enterprise orgs.”

Justin currently resides in Brooklyn, NY. He has traveled to over 30 countries, spent vast amounts of time working internationally. Justin’s progressive beliefs extend beyond technology to his personal life as he is always in pursuit of personal progress and innovation. Some of his interests include science and technology, global sustainability, cycling around NYC, social entrepreneurship, film, and fitness.

And as you’ll hear, storytelling is a major part of his success in this very complex world of cybersecurity.

Discussed in this episode:

  1. How working with A-list celebrities gave Justin the confidence to approach any major CEO about their cybersecurity challenges.
  2. How customer service is job #1 for any tech company.
  3. Even if you work in a complex industry you can make it understandable by using storytelling.

Links:

Click here to view the original article on The Business of Story

View more of our Blogs here

Written by: Justin Rende, Founder & CEO of Rhymetec

In the current high-risk cybersecurity environment, companies are wise to arrange security awareness training for their employees. Verizon’s 2022 Data Breaches Investigations Report shows 82% of data breaches involve a human element. These incidents range from employees exposing information directly such as misconfiguring a database, to indirectly making an error that enables cybercriminals to access the organization’s systems.

Regulatory frameworks such as HIPAA and SOC 2 require companies to provide security awareness training to be compliant. However, even when achieving compliance framework standards is not essential, an organization can improve its security posture by providing the appropriate tools and training to staff.

Types Of Cybersecurity Training

Companies can improve their workers’ cybersecurity knowledge by deploying the basic training offered by security awareness platforms. Ideally, the training takes place annually and delivers general security knowledge and an understanding of cyber best practices. In addition to the standard annual training, organizations can choose to implement several specialized options.

1. Framework-Specific Training

Some platforms deliver security awareness training based on specific cybersecurity and data privacy frameworks. For example, if a company needs to be HIPAA-compliant, a platform can provide HIPAA-specific security training. For an organization aiming to become SOC 2 compliant, many platforms offer security training specifically for that standard.

2. Organization Or Industry-Specific Training

Other platforms require companies to create their own content specific to their organization or industry, with slides and training videos customized for their employees. This method is helpful for players in particular sectors because they create content that is more relevant to their organization and infrastructure.

3. Onboarding Training

Onboarding security awareness training takes place as soon as a new employee joins an organization. The training helps workers understand the organization’s security requirements, risks and protocols before they gain access to sensitive systems.

4. Regular Reminders

Specific frameworks—for instance, HIPAA—require security reminders to be sent out regularly to staff. In such instances, training platforms fulfill the requirement by notifying employees at fixed intervals of the risks associated with lax cybersecurity practices.

5. Tests And Quizzes

Some training platforms conduct quizzes or tests after employees undergo awareness training. This form of testing prevents the employees from skipping through the training and helps employers understand whether their workers acquired any learnings from the process, as well as gauging their overall level of security awareness.

The Importance of Awareness Training

Regular security awareness training is critical for employees at all levels. The purpose is to empower the staff to understand and implement best security practices to minimize risks and prevent long and short-term consequences such as financial repercussions, reputational damage, data loss and more. For example, a company may have requirements on how employees should encrypt their laptops or a policy to avoid clicking on any links received by email.

Most startups have introductory training videos that they send out to employees. Recently, many startups have also begun providing standard security awareness tools. Training can prevent the mistakes employees typically make when utilizing email, the internet or even proper document storage and disposal. It can also educate individuals on the actions they should take if they encounter a potential security threat.

Companies sometimes provide additional training on topics such as secure code deployment and information on how to implement secure infrastructure changes without compromising the organization’s security. For example, engineering teams typically receive secure coding or development training. These trainings address issues such as engineers’ increased access rights to company systems that require extra measures to secure company assets.

How Awareness Training Improves Security Posture

Security training improves an organization’s security posture in several ways. This matters because many people don’t fully understand all the potential cyberattack methods, such as impersonating the CEO and sending phishing emails to staff. Employees who aren’t vigilant enough or respond to the sender’s instructions without verifying their authenticity compromise organizational security.

Awareness training teaches employees specific examples of how their accounts can get hacked, and they can see how various impersonation attempts appear. This improves their understanding of the possible cyberattacks that can occur and empowers staff to prevent them.

Learning about security in general also improves the company’s security posture. Even if an organization implements all possible security controls and ensures its cybersecurity infrastructure is 100% protected, one employee with privileged access rights can compromise the entire foundation by clicking on a bad link or taking an inappropriate action.

Conducting Anti-Phishing Exercises

Once employees have received security awareness training, many organizations evaluate their workers’ understanding with anti-phishing exercises. These include sending fake emails to employees with an incentive to click a link for a freebie or reward. Employees who click through get a message telling them they are participating in a phishing test. The communication prior to these intentional phishing attempts also warns them not to click on links or attachments unless these come from people they know or accompany messages they were expecting.

The goal is to determine the percentage of employees who fall victim to the phishing attempt. Current statistics show 1 in 5 employees clicked through on the fake links, either because they were not absorbing or internalizing the security training or they ignored the reminders they received.

While companies are expected to undergo security training for compliance purposes, they aren’t necessarily required to take phishing training. Providing both types of training is a proactive approach any organization can take to protect its infrastructure.

Companies That Train Gain The Benefits

Improving your firm’s security posture delivers far-reaching benefits regarding compliance, your competitive edge and the development of your clients’ trust. Gain staff and customer loyalty, protect your infrastructure and provide additional value for your clients with the right cybersecurity awareness tools and training.

You can read the original article posted in Forbes by Rhymetec CEO, Justin Rende.

Interested in Pursuing Security Awareness Training or Other Security Services?

Rhymetec was founded in 2015 as a Penetration Testing company. Since then, we have served hundreds of SaaS businesses globally in all their cybersecurity, compliance, and data privacy needs. We’re industry leaders in cloud security, and our custom services align with the specific needs of your business. If you want to learn more about how our team can help your business with your security needs, contact our team for more information.

Interested in reading more? Check out our blogs:

Securing The Remote Workforce - How Remote Work Impacts Security

As the post-pandemic business recovery continues, executives are trying hard to persuade workers to return to the office. Employees aren't buying it, and research by McKinsey shows that 58% of people prefer to work remotely. In light of this, organizations should focus on implementing robust cybersecurity measures designed with the goal of securing the remote workforce.

The growing trend of remote work impacts companies' network security and can negatively affect their ability to achieve and maintain regulatory compliance.

In this article we will discuss:

Potential Security Risks of a Remote Workforce

Remote-access technologies are exposed to more external threats. According to the National Institute of Standards and Technology, organizations should assume that malicious parties will attempt to gain control of telework devices to steal sensitive data or gain access to the network.

Common considerations and threats faced by companies with remote workforces include:

The #1 Concern in Securing The Remote Workforce - The Human Factor 

Humans are always an organization's primary cybersecurity risk. Human error, employee negligence, social engineering, deliberate or unintentional sabotage, accidental leaking of credentials, and falling victim to phishing or malware are some ways staff can facilitate an attack regardless of where they work.

When workers operate from outside the office, these risks increase for several reasons, including:

An organization can have the tightest cybersecurity available to protect its networks and data from malicious attacks, but that can’t prevent employees from making mistakes that result in security incidents. Implementing proper employee security awareness training (to include phishing training for employees) and remote endpoint security controls can help prevent employees from making these mistakes.

PII Exposure

Unauthorized exposure of Personally identifiable information (PII) is one of the issues that can arise from the human factor.  PII is any material that can directly or indirectly identify a customer or other stakeholder. Most individual PII facts aren’t usable on their own, but combined with one or more additional credentials, they can identify people.

Sensitive PII can include:

Any type of PII should be shielded from unauthorized users and protected during transfers and data analysis. Segmenting such data away from unauthorized users is one of the best ways to help secure the remote workforce.

Inadequate Passwords

It’s hard to believe, but research shows more than 23 million people still use the password “123456” for online logins. Since compromised credentials are the number one cause of breaches and account for 61% of all cyberattacks, it stands to reason that fixing this problem can make a big difference to a company’s information security.

Requiring strong passwords and secure login credentials are critical to protecting an organization’s systems.

Insecure Collaboration 

As the remote working trend continues, companies are increasingly reliant on collaboration, document sharing, and messaging apps such as Microsoft Teams, Slack and WhatsApp. It is true that these apps were used prior to remote work, but the dependency has increased dramatically with the removal of human-to-human interaction you’d experience in a traditional office setting.

Employees have now become accustomed to using these communication platforms freely, but they weren’t built to be secure at an enterprise level. For that reason, the apps provide an ideal opportunity for hackers to infiltrate enterprise networks and gain access to sensitive company data.

Best Practices: Supporting Robust Cybersecurity and Securing The Remote Workforce

Just like most company premises have onsite security to prevent physical intruders, organizations can take various steps to ensure their cyber safety regardless of whether employees work on-premises or remotely. Some of the most fundamental measures to put in place are:

1. Utilize Endpoint Management Tools

All remote workers should use computers with basic security controls, such as reliable anti-virus software, enabled encryption, and strong passwords. Organizations often require employees working remotely to use VPNs to help maintain end-to-end data encryption. An endpoint management software is a crucial first step in enforcing these security controls remotely.

2. Use a Password Manager 

Companies should require every employee, remote and on-premise, to use a password manager program such as 1Password or Dashlane. These applications generate unique passwords, store, and manage multiple user login credentials. When workers need to share credentials or keys with other authorized users, password managers can share them safely using encryption protocols.

The programs also prompt individuals to change their passwords regularly and some have tools that monitor and provide alerts when a user’s credentials are involved in a dark web sale or data breach.

3. Provide Employee Cybersecurity Training

Train all workers, remote and otherwise, in basic information security and the nuances of social engineering. Impress on all employees the importance of keeping their devices locked at all times, and not sharing their devices (or passwords) with others.

4. Protect PII with Protocols

Implement security protocols to protect company PII. These could include access control, time-outs, and other user restrictions. Ensure all employees understand the risks and consequences of sharing PII, even unintentionally.

5. Require Multi-Factor Authentication

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is good protection for any company to employ. MFA should be enabled on every device with access to company systems and data. This makes intrusions more challenging, even for the most talented hacker.

6. Pay Attention to Security Alerts

Teach employees to pay attention to security alerts, pop-ups, and password change notifications, and monitor their account activity. They should verify every device that logs into their profile and remove any they don’t recognize. Encourage workers to raise the alarm any time they notice something that appears out of place. Bad actors regularly discover new ways to target unsuspecting users.

7. Keep Devices Up to Date

Develop a system for keeping all employee devices up to date. Many software updates include critical security requirements, and these updates should not be ignored.

8. Last Step To Securing The Remote Workforce: Avoid Opening Spam Emails

Educate workers to avoid opening spam emails, clicking links, opening attachments, or downloading files from unrecognized senders. They should only interact with emails directly related to their work to avoid opening gateways for viruses, malware, and hackers.

What Remote Workers Should Do If They’re Compromised

One of the drawbacks of employing a remote workforce is that they don’t have immediate, in-person access to their IT department or anyone who can help them determine whether they have been compromised. If any worker notices suspicious activity on their devices or account, they should:

A SaaS company aiming to serve customers must ensure they comply with the security requirements of their industry. Whether these include SOC 2, HIPAA, PCI, GDPR, ISO compliance, or any other protocols, implementing these information security standards will help protect them against the risks posed by a remote workforce.

 

About The Author: Metin Kortak, CTO

Metin Kortak is the Chief Technology Officer at Rhymetec. He began his career working in IT security and gained extensive knowledge of compliance and data privacy frameworks such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI, FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, GDPR, CCPA, HITRUST and HIPAA. Metin joined Rhymetec to build data privacy and compliance as a service offering, and under his leadership, these offerings have grown to more than 200 customers, positioning the company as a leading SaaS security service provider in the industry.

 

 

About Rhymetec

Rhymetec was founded in 2015 as a Penetration Testing company. Since then, we have served hundreds of SaaS businesses globally in all their cybersecurity, compliance, and data privacy needs. We’re industry leaders in cloud security, and our custom services align with the specific needs of your business.

If you'd like to chat with our team to discuss your security questions and needs, contact us today.

There are numerous ways cybersecurity is important for business growth nowadays.

With today's evolving threats, heightened expectations from stakeholders, advancing technology and changing regulatory environment—protecting your data and meeting compliance standards feels like a race that's outpacing business' daily operations.

It doesn't have to feel that exhausting.

Simply investing in cybersecurity, and taking the steps over time to improve your information security programs, can help you propel your business forward. Here's how our 250+ (and growing) clients are framing their cybersecurity investments with Rhymetec as an asset to their overall growth and strategy:

 

1. The #1 Reason Why Cybersecurity Is Important For Business: Increase Trust and Referrals

Compliance frameworks such as SOC 2 and ISO 27001 require organizations to conduct comprehensive security assessments on other vendors prior to purchasing them or using their services. Many of these security assessments require other vendors to also have ISO 27001 certificates, SOC 2 Type 2 reports to be fully SOC 2 compliant, and other security documents. If you want to sell to mid-size and enterprise organizations, it is particularly important to be able to show you have a complete SOC 2 report.

Having even just one of these certifications or reports can help you work with more customers. For customers and business partners, knowing you are serious about providing high-quality products and services will increase their level of trust and willingness to work with you. This will also organically lead to greater opportunities for referrals.

 

2. Use Cybersecurity As A Competitive Differentiator

A strong cybersecurity program helps attract and win more customers over competitors who are not prioritizing cybersecurity, compliance, and data privacy. Being able to show that you already have a solid security posture helps you stand out from other companies.

Not only does this impact your relationship with customers, but it can attract high-quality candidates and partners. When people see you are going the extra mile to protect their information, they will be more likely to work with you. Most customers will select vendors that have more security and compliance reports.

 

3. Improve Company Image

Data loss and breaches can damage your business’ reputation and destroy trust.

Show stakeholders—customers, business partners, employees, investors and more—you are committed to implementing proper security measures by utilizing security services. Working with a Managed Security Services Provider like Rhymetec shows you have your security policies and plans in place. In the event of a data breach or security incident, Rhymetec offers companies a dedicated CISO team that responds quickly and efficiently.

 

4. Minimize Financial Risks

Your company's financial risk includes your cybersecurity risk profile. Cyberattacks such as phishing and malware are commonly used by threat actors with financial motives. The first step to mitigating this risk is to understand your risk profile.

A big part of improving your cybersecurity posture is conducting a risk assessment and a plan in alignment with it. In the event of a cyberattack such as a ransomware attack, you will already have a plan of action in place. Instead of scrambling to figure out what to do and who to contact, you will save money and time by already knowing exactly what to do.

 

5. Gain Increased Visibility

If you want to break into new marketplaces or sell internationally, having a strong cybersecurity program is a requirement in many cases.

For example, if you want to sell to government agencies, you likely need to be FedRAMP compliant. Obtaining FedRAMP compliance puts your company in the online marketplace that government agencies use to find businesses to work with.

If you want to sell to enterprise, many larger organizations will only consider working with you if you can prove the strength of your security program. The most widely accepted form of proof for this is a SOC 2 report.

 

6. The Last Reason Why Cybersecurity Is Important For Business: Save Time and Resources

As previously discussed, having an incident response plan in place saves time and resources in the event you were to experience a cyberattack. If you already know what to do in the event of a data breach, you will spend less time and fewer resources figuring out how to respond to the incident while also mitigating potential reputational damage to your organization.

Furthermore, a sharp focus on security can also save time in your sales and customer acquisition process.

If you already have your SOC Report, for example, you will not have to spend time filling out a long custom security questionnaire for every new prospect. You can simply show them your SOC 2 Report as evidence that you have a strong cybersecurity program.

 

Why Cybersecurity Is Important For Business For Rhymetec's Customers

Our experts have been disrupting the cybersecurity, compliance and data privacy space since 2015. We make security simple and accessible so you can put more time and energy into other critical areas of your business—Some of our customers have gone on to be acquired by Meta and Zoom. Our customers recognize why cybersecurity is important for business growth, and trust Rhymetec to help them reap the benefits of having a stronger security program.

What makes us unique is that we act as an extension to your team. We consult on developing stronger information security programs within your environment, and provide the services to meet these standards. Most organizations offer one or the other. From compliance readiness (SOC 2, ISO/IEC 27001, HIPAA, GDPR and more) to Penetration Testing Services (Web Application Pentest, API Pentest, External Network Pentest and Mobile Application Pentest) and ISO Internal Audits, we offer a wide range of consulting and security services that can be tailored to your business environment.

If you’re ready to learn about how Rhymetec can help you, contact us today to meet with our team.

 

About The Author: Metin Kortak, CTO

Metin Kortak is the Chief Technology Officer at Rhymetec. He began his career working in IT security and gained extensive knowledge of compliance and data privacy frameworks such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI, FedRAMP, NIST 800-53, GDPR, CCPA, HITRUST and HIPAA. Metin joined Rhymetec to build data privacy and compliance as a service offering, and under his leadership, these offerings have grown to more than 200 customers, positioning the company as a leading SaaS security service provider in the industry.