Insights

In our recent posts, we covered Controls One, Two, and Three. Here, we are going to discuss Control Four, the importance of a Secure Configuration of Enterprise Assets and Software to Electric Membership Cooperatives (EMCs). First, the definition of Enterprise Assets under this control are end-user devices (such as laptops, work pads, or mobile phones); network devices; non-computing/IoT devices (such as Wi-Fi access points); and servers. And Enterprise Software is defined as operating systems and application software. So, why is this control so important for EMCs and organizations of all types and sizes? It is quite simple, without following Control Four's policies, procedures, and safeguards, your organization could face the worst day in its history and quite frankly, it brings corporate survival into the equation. For ease of distribution and cost savings, manufacturers and third-party resellers sell equipment in a state that makes installation and deployment easiest. They do this…

In today's digital age, file sharing has become an essential part of our daily lives. Whether it is sharing documents for work, photos with family and friends, or downloading files from the internet, we all rely on file sharing. However, with the convenience of file sharing comes the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information. That's where authenticated file share links come in. Authenticated file share links provide better security compared to anonymous links because they require the user to authenticate their identity before accessing the shared file. This authentication process can be in the form of a login or a password, which ensures that only authorized individuals can access the file. In contrast, anonymous links do not require authentication, and anyone with the link can access the file. The authentication process for file share links provides several security benefits. First, it ensures that only authorized individuals can access the…

IT Change Management is a critical process that helps organizations to manage and control changes to their IT infrastructure, applications, and services. By implementing a structured and controlled approach to managing changes, IT Change Management helps to reduce disruptions and minimize the risk of errors or failures. This, in turn, leads to improved system stability and reliability, which enhances the overall productivity and efficiency of the organization. By reducing disruptions and ensuring that changes are made in a controlled and structured manner, IT Change Management helps organizations to minimize the impact of changes on business operations, reducing downtime and the associated costs. This improves the organization's ability to deliver services to its customers and improves customer satisfaction. In addition to reducing disruptions, IT Change Management also helps organizations to create more alignment with regulatory compliance. Many regulatory compliance frameworks require organizations to have a formal change management process in place…

During an economic downturn, many businesses focus on cutting costs and streamlining operations to stay afloat. This often leads to budget cuts in areas that are not deemed essential for the immediate survival of the business, and unfortunately, cybersecurity is often one of the first areas to be hit. However, this can be a dangerous move for a few reasons. First, cyber threats are not limited to prosperous economic times. In fact, cybercriminals may view economic downturns as an opportunity to target vulnerable businesses. For example, phishing attacks that attempt to steal sensitive information from unsuspecting employees can increase during times of financial stress as people may be more likely to fall for these scams when they are concerned about their job security or financial stability. A key example being the recent uptick in phishing emails with the titles of "Layoff Notification" and "Sorry, you've been let go". Second, the…