How do you create cybersecurity superheroes?
By offering Security Awareness Training!
Databranch offers our client’s a Security Awareness Training Program called the Breach Prevention Platform.
This program helps you empower your human firewall by:
- Providing ongoing training with weekly micro-trainings and monthly newsletters
- Allowing you to set an example by actively participating in the program and setting expectations
- Helping you encourage participation with the dynamic leaderboard and friendly competition
- Showing you how to make cybersecurity a part of your company culture. Celebrate staff wins and review program progress during evaluations
- Most importantly, having fun! You can create a fun screen name and get competitive!
With our Security Awareness Training Program, training is made easy through the use of the Employee Secure Score.
Gain insight into your organization’s human security threats at a glance.
Factoring in metrics such as training performance, program participation, and credential exposure, the Employee Secure Score – or ESS – analyzes your staff’s potential security risk to your organization.
Staff is assigned high, medium, or low-risk scores and given recommendations to reduce your organization’s overall risk level.
Every Thursday of the week: All staff should watch the Micro-Training video and take the accompanying quiz. The more Micro-Training quizzes they take, the higher their ESS!
The last Thursday of the month: All staff will receive an engaging, informative security newsletter. Feel free to share with friends and family!
You may have some questions or concerns about setting expectations for or motivating your employees; we are here to help!
How can you set expectations for you employees? Set compliance standards, and be an example, by going ALL IN!
- Encourage all staff, including management, to participate in all training activities
- Set deadlines for your team to take the training course
- Make the Employee Secure Score a part of their employee evaluations
How do you motivate your employees? Celebrate a culture of cybersecurity!
- Our program makes cybersecurity training FUN with a gamified leaderboard and friendly competition, so create a fun screen name and get started!
- Celebrate low-risk employees and reward those with high Employee Secure Scores (ESS). Some organizations have quarterly competitions and give a gift card to the employee with the highest ESS!
Databranch is here to help prevent attacks from happening and to help keep your organization safe!
Give us a call today at 716-373-4467, email [email protected], or fill out the form below to learn more about Security Awareness Training!
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Have you thought about using an electronic filing system and investing your resources into getting rid of your paper filing system, and taking it online?
There are so many benefits to your organization filing paper-free and they’re not all about the environment.
Getting rid of paper files will mean that your business can be a lot more organized. Your documents will be easier to find, which means less time wasted hunting through filing cabinets and you can access them from wherever you are.
You’ll likely also save money when you think what you spend annually on printers, ink, postage, and physical storage.
We can also increase your data security. When everything is online it can be encrypted, locked behind passwords and protected by security software.
Of course, it does require time and resources to create a paperless file system, but once you’ve done it, you will definitely be glad you did.
Databranch can help you get started with a paperless filing system! Give us a call at 716-373-4467 x 15 or email [email protected] to learn more!
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If you’re only using cell phones for business, you may as well paint a target on your back.
Since 2018, cyber-attacks on employees devices have increased year after year. It makes sense, they’re the perfect target for an attack.
People assume that their phones, and other devices, are untouchable; but the truth is, there’s malware (malicious software) out there waiting to strike because any device can be a goldmine of valuable data.
Most people use their devices all day every day and not just for personal use. They’ll access their work emails, documents and client data and their devices hold their passwords, their location history, and financial information.
Unfortunately, most businesses don’t take security seriously.
Here are three things you should do:
- If you don’t already, create policies for your business to ensure that lost or stolen devices are reported immediately; that updates are installed as soon as they become available; and that two-factor authentication, passcodes, or biometric logins are used.
- Give your entire team formal education in cyber security and the red flags to be aware of. Discourage your team from accessing public Wi-Fi and test them regularly on their security awareness.
- Make sure that data on employee devices is encrypted, and that you have a lockout policy in place if a login is entered incorrectly after a few attempts. This will block brute force attacks, where lots of possible passwords are repeatedly entered until the right one is found.
Mobile devices, like cell phones and laptops, are becoming a real area of data security weakness for businesses, so it’s important that you increase your protection, before it’s too late.
We can help to keep your business devices protected against security threats. Give us a call at 716-373-4467 or email [email protected] to learn how!
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The Colonial Pipeline is a the largest pipeline system in the United States, supplying nearly half of the Eastern U.S. with fuel.
On April 29th, a group of hackers known as DarkSide, accessed the Colonial Pipeline network using a single compromised password and downloaded critical business information.
Then on May 7th, employees received a ransom note demanding payment in the form of cryptocurrency and caused the pipeline to be shut down for the first time in 57 years.
Because of this shutdown, and the effects it had on the country, Colonial Pipeline was forced to pay the $4.4 million ransom.
This attack shows us the how important it is to have and follow proper IT security protocols.
There is a growing enemy that plans these attacks and is getting stronger every day; organized cyber criminals.
No one is safe from these hackers, anyone could become a victim.
Ransomware is a growing crime that has become more significant since the start of the pandemic and more teams working from home.
However, there are several ways to prevent ransomware attacks:
- Encrypt your email to prevent unwanted visibility into your sensitive data.
- Back up your data regularly and keep these backups outside of your network.
- Keep your networks up to date.
- Educate your team on which emails to click on and which emails to question.
- Implement an endpoint security platform
By taking these steps, you are going in the right direction to fight against ransomware. Databranch is here to help you prevent ransomware attacks from happening in your environment.
We have the tools to help you and your organization! To learn more about how we can help you, give us a call at 716-373-4467 x 15 or email [email protected]!
*Courtesy of MailProtector*
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Logging in to your different applications, we mean?
Increasingly some apps are offering an alternative to just entering your email and password and we’re seeing more and more people using biometrics to log in. It’s great, because it’s almost impossible for someone to clone your face, your fingerprints or your retinas.
Around 150 million people are already using biometrics and with more and more devices, apps, and software giving you the option of using biometrics rather than traditional passwords, that number is only going to increase.
So how do you get started?
You may already be using biometrics to access your phone with Face ID or fingerprint ID. Newer laptops and tablets are also now giving you this option to access your device, and to manage your passwords across online accounts and apps.
But where it doesn’t come as standard, or biometrics are not available, you can easily add an extra layer of protection when you login.
Two-factor, or multi-factor, authentication, reinforces your password with an additional layer of security to validate your identity and helps to protect against credential theft. You will often see this added through an authenticator app (our favorite at Databranch is DUO!).
As we’re seeing cyber-crime rise every year it makes sense to take any new measures you can to protect your business and its data.
If you would like two-factor authentication set up for your business, our team would love to help. Give us a call at 716-373-4467 x 15 or email [email protected] to learn how!
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Portability and accessibility are two of the most important benefits of Hosted VoIP over traditional telephone networks.
Over the past year, many people began working from home and businesses needed to have flexibility with their phone systems.
In the future, businesses will need even more flexibility with more employees wanting to Work-From-Anywhere moving forward.
With Rock-IT VoIP, you can stay connected from anywhere!
This means you can:
- Always communicate with your clients and colleagues
- Make and receive calls from anywhere using remote call routing and simple call forwarding tools
- Make and receive calls from your desk phone, cell phone, or even your computer
- Take your business with you at the touch of a button and make sure you never miss a call
- Stay in touch with clients through our mobile app while traveling
- Work from home or abroad without your clients knowing the difference
Visit Rock-IT VoIP or give us a call at 716-373-4467 x 15 to learn more about how you can stay connected anywhere!
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I was speaking with some clients a few days ago about their phone systems.
They shared with me the challenges they experienced with their current analog phone service and how inflexible it was for mobile and remote workers.
It was the perfect opportunity to introduce them to Rock-IT VoIP, our new Hosted VoIP Solution, and review the benefits of switching to a Hosted VoIP platform.
Rock-IT VoIP offers a variety of features which are included at no extra cost!
Some of my favorite features include:
- Auto Attendant: Digital receptionist that allows you to direct calls automatically
- Call Reporting: Filter by number, direction of call, and disposition
- Call Parking: Place calls on hold and pick them up from any device
- Web Portal: Manage users and call routing from anywhere (which can be accessed right through Rock-IT VoIP!)
- Call Recording: Set call recording by default or on demand
- Hunt Groups: Set calls to ring any number of people, any way you want
- Attendant Console: Route calls and check user availability from anywhere
- Voicemail to Email: Receive voicemail attachments automatically to your email
Hosted VoIP also offers flexibility and scalability to accommodate for fluctuations and growth in your business, and we can service locations nationwide!
Leverage the power of Hosted VoIP to increase productivity, improve business continuity, and always stay connected! Check out Rock-IT VoIP to learn more about our Hosted VoIP Solution Features or give me a call at 716-373-4467 to review the the right-fit VoIP Solution for your organization.
-David Prince, President
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By the end of this year, 3 billion users are expected to be using a VoIP system.
You may be asking why would Hosted VoIP be better for my business?
Hosted VoIP can provide your business with cost-effective communication solutions, simplified management for better calling experiences, and both mobility and portability for better business continuity.
Hosted VoIP offers many
features, including:
- User Friendliness
- Cost Effectiveness
- Voicemail Transcription
- Customizable Auto Attendants
- Web Portal
- Access from Anywhere
- Mobile Device Compatibility
- Call Recording
And with Rock-IT VoIP, we also port your numbers so they stay the same and handle any upgrades, maintenance, and programming!
Visit Rock-IT VoIP or give us a call at 716-373-4467 x 15 to learn more about our Hosted VoIP Solution!
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The Department of Defense has been working to improve cybersecurity over the last several years.
News of nation-state sponsored theft of defense secrets makes the news on a regular basis.
The biggest source of leaks of leaks of sensitive intellectual property: the hundreds of thousands of contractors that have access to sensitive but unclassified information called Controlled Unclassified Information or CUI.
In 2013, the DoD created a security requirement in the Federal Acquisition Regulations called DFARS 252.204-7012. A few years later, NIST released a security requirement named SP 800-171.
While both of these began to improve security for the defense industrial base, they did not solve the problem. Compliance with the DFARS is mandatory, as is compliance with NIST, but in most cases compliance with these regulations is based on the honor system – this has not worked.
The solution: Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC).
The release of the CMMC in 2019 is the first time the DoD has required contractors, sub contractors, and suppliers to be certified to participate in the DoD supply chain.
So what do you need to know?
- The DoD is now requiring that all contractors and subcontractors “self-certify” they are compliant with NIST SP 800-171 by November 30, 2020. This self-certification will include posting audit scores and expected date of compliance to the SPRS portal.
- The government is now requesting that all DoD contractors and sub-contractors be in compliance with CMMC by 2025.
- Companies need to look at their existing maturity with DFARS 800-171 and understand what CMMC Level (1, 2, 3, 4, or 5) they need to be in compliance with moving forward.
- The DoD entity will dictate what Level of Compliance the contractor or sub-contractor must be at.
Databranch and Cyberstone are here to help! Cyberstone received Registered Provider Organization status from the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Accreditation Body (CMMC-AB) and are well positioned to provide advice and consulting services to organizations seeking CMMC certification.
The steps are easy: Contract with Databranch and Cyberstone Security and complete a maturity assessment engagement.
Understand the gaps in your maturity level and develop a roadmap for compliance: technology changes may require budget cycles to resolve.
Don’t wait! The DoD wants to see policy and practice within your organization for an 8-12 month period BEFORE they audit and issue a certificate of compliance.
Once deemed compliant, the compliancy level is good for a 3-year period.
To learn more about how Databranch and Cyberstone can help your organization prepare for the CMMC, give us a call at 716-373-4467 x 15!
*Courtesy of Cyberstone*
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Voice over Internet Protocol, in basic terms, is having your phone service over the internet.
VoIP is the next generation of phone systems and Databranch is excited to announce that we have launched a new website for our own Hosted VoIP Platform, Rock-IT VoIP!
Rock-IT VoIP offers a variety of plans, downloadable datasheets, and answers to many VoIP questions!
VoIP has been steadily replacing traditional communications since 2004.
Landlines have higher setup and maintenance fees; VoIP systems average 60% savings over landline.
Because making calls over the internet is often less expensive and users can enjoy many enterprise level features through VoIP, analog lines are being replaced by hosted solutions across many business settings.
By the end of 2021, it is predicted that there will be 3 billion VoIP Users!
Check out Rock-IT VoIP today or give us a call today to discuss our new Hosted VoIP Solution!
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