security Archives - Glitchbusters

IT Compliance and Why It Is Important for Your Business

glitchbusters on March 24, 2023

In running a business, there are a lot of important matters that need to be taken care of. Even if they are not really in line with the core competencies of the business. One such matter is IT compliance. In the last few weeks, we have been talking about compliance and how it is important to your business.

What Is IT Compliance?

One of our recent blogs gives a brief but enlightening overview of what IT compliance is all about. In a nutshell, it is the process of complying with the rules, regulations and requirements set by a third party, which aim to reduce the risk for your organization and allow you to operate within the location or industry under their jurisdiction.

How Is IT Compliance Different from IT Security?

IT security is another term that we are all familiar with, especially these days when online fraud, data breaches and other kinds of cyberattacks are so prevalent. In another recent blog, we list the differences between IT security and compliance, and also how they are similar in some ways.

The Similarities

IT Compliance and security can be quite confusing to a lot of people, with many mistakenly thinking that they are the same concept. This is understandable as both do have to do with the protection of your organization amidst the threat-filled online environment. That is, both reduce the risk for your business and let you operate more smoothly.

Also, both compliance and security are vital for gaining and maintaining the trust of your clients. By showing that your system is secure and fully compliant with all industry and legal standards, you can attract customers and build a positive reputation much more easily.

The Differences

One of the primary differences between IT compliance and IT security is that the former is only to fulfill the requirements set by a third party, while the latter is done for the actual protection of one’s business or company. As such, IT security usually involves much more stringent safety measures and protocols that aim to keep your system as safe as possible.

Another difference is that IT security is an ongoing process that needs to be maintained 24/7 while compliance is done as soon as the requesting party is satisfied. The requirements for compliance remain more or less the same for a very long time, while security needs can change very often as it needs to address the continually evolving strategies used by hackers day in and day out.

Why Compliance Should Be a Team Effort

Compliance is considered by many as routine work that only requires the minimum requirements set by a third party. With that only one individual is working on compliance for the company. But compliance is actually a much more significant and much larger task than that. In yet another blog, we discuss the reasons why compliance should be a team effort for any organization.

Among these reasons is that there are plenty of discussions that need to take place before full compliance is complete. Some of the most crucial issues to talk about our email encryption, data encryption, firewalls, backups, data availability, and storage. If you don’t work on these matters, it can lead to fines and penalties for your company. Worse, it could leave gaps in your security system that hackers can easily get through.

We have a 10-step guideline that you can follow if you think there is a hacker in this infographic.

But of course, we don’t want things to go that far. To minimize the risk of that happening, you need to put due effort into compliance. It won’t be practical or wise to expect just one person to complete this sensitive work. We highly recommend delegating the work to a team of experts who can guarantee that all requirements are complete. This will let your organization be fully compliant in no time at all.

To find out more about how we can help, just call us today and we will schedule a free consultation!

A Guide to Protecting Your PII

glitchbusters on February 20, 2023

PII is short for Personal Identifiable Information, which refers to any data that can identify a specific person. A hacker can exploit your PII to gain access to restricted areas, make unapproved purchases under your name, or even steal your identity entirely. To keep these incidents from happening, you must know about protecting your personally identifiable information. This is a practice that you must do both online and offline.

Physical Ways of Protecting Your PII

Although we now do most of our business online, there is still a lot of tangible data that hackers can get their hands on if you are not careful. Mail, account statements, and utility bills all have PII like your name, full address, and account numbers on them. Thus, you need to keep these documents safe from data thieves.

Secure Storage

One of the crucial steps in protecting your personal identifiable information is the safe storage of your documents. You can start by having a lock on your mailbox, which is a must. You can also use a secure PO Box where only you can access your mail. It is also advisable to keep your important documents in a fireproof safe at home instead of carrying them around in your purse.

Scrutinize Your Mail

When you get bills or account statements, go through them carefully and check for items you might not recognize. Even better, check your financial statements online regularly instead of waiting for the paper bill. Mail is notorious for including your PII, and is why mail theft is so common.

Use a Shredder

Never throw away bank statements or any financial documents, even if you don’t need them anymore. Hackers are not beneath the practice of dumpster diving, trying to recover any data that can help them do their dirty work. Invest in a personal shredder that you can use to dispose of sensitive documents.

Digital Ways of Protecting Your PII

It is now much easier for hackers to get access to people’s data because almost everything is online. Be very careful when traversing the web to keep your PII safe.

Choose Strong Passwords

Good passwords are hard to figure out because they use a combination of letters, numbers, and other special characters. Change your passwords at least once a month for more security.

Use Only One Credit Card

You are at greater risk of having your credit card information stolen if you frequently shop online. Don’t use more than one credit card when shopping online, this will keep your PII safer and less likely to be stolen.

Be Mindful

Whether you are browsing the web, checking your email, or checking your social media accounts, always keep your guard up. Do not click on suspicious links or attachments, and ignore pop-ups because these are all likely to contain malware.

PII: Steps to Take If You Think You Were Hacked

Despite all your precautions for protecting your personal identifiable information, you may still feel that someone has compromised your data. There are a few critical things that you need to take care of right away. Instead of going into a full-blown panic, we strongly recommend that you follow our FREE 10-step guide on what to do if you think you have been hacked. You might feel helpless at first, but by following this guide, you will get on the road to recovery much faster and have a good chance of recovering your data and regaining control of your network. To learn more about protecting your personally identifiable information and keeping your network safe, you can check out the many useful resources we have or give us a call!