Cyber Tips & Tricks for SMBs in All Verticals

Brian Berger, President of Cytellix Corporation • Mar 22, 2018
  1. Never open email from unknown senders
  2. Right click on email addresses to verify sender’s domain is legitimate, prior to opening an email message. Take a minute and make sure all the spelling and addressing is correct
  3. When in doubt about an email and its intentions, call the sender to verify
  4. Use two step verification / authentication if possible
  5. If it’s being offered for free, it’s never free
  6. Use a modern anti-malware / anti-virus product
  7. Always update security when requested by legitimate publishers
  8. Back-up your data, use multiple places/locations.
  9. Back up your data offline when possible
  10. Do not download applications from unknown publishers or sites
  11. Never share USB keys/drives
  12. Do not open attachments in email messages from suspicious senders – verify sender and intentions
  13. Using mobile devices for browsing is just as risky as laptops for discovering malware and virus’s
  14. Check what ports are open on your network and their behaviors
  15. Segment your network for guest and internal users. And, segment IoT devices from the data networks where possible
  16. Public Wi-Fi networks are very risky for data protection on your devices – use a VPN
  17. Use a secure password manager for all your unique passwords – some are free
  18. Never use the same password 2x
  19. Physical spying takes place as much as digital spying, watch who is looking over your shoulder.
  20. No one is protected from being hacked, you are, will and have been hacked!
  21. Set strong privacy setting on your devices – you don’t want to overshare
  22. Java script in your browser is insecure, disable it!
  23. Always ask yourself questions about communications sent to you, be suspicious is the best practice
  24. Use the best browser available from a security perspective, stay aware of exploits of browsers
  25. Patch, patch, patch!
  26. Pay attention to mobile app permissions and access, some will access very private, personal and proprietary information you want to remain confidential
  27. Clean up (delete) apps you don’t use
  28. Use device passwords to lock and encrypt the data wherever possible – losing a device is painful enough!
  29. Never leave devices set to default
  30. Change Wi-Fi passwords often and never repeat them
  31. Don’t use family names, birthdates, dogs names, and phone numbers as passwords – be unique and complex
  32. Social media has risks associated with personal information – don’t feed the bad guys information they can use against you
  33. Inventory and manage your devices and their IP addresses on your network
  34. Remove any devices that are end-of-life from their manufacturer from your network – they are attack points
  35. Log-out of services like banking when your done with your business
  36. Don’t store UID/PW in cookies on devices, just don’t do it
  37. IoT is pretty cool, but, make sure you manage these IoT devices with the same care as your computer. Attackers are looking for web cams, thermostats, digital assistants and door locks that are not managed properly


small business cybersecurity

MSP SPOTLIGHT: Go Beyond Baseline Security.

By Walt Czerminski • 30 Aug, 2023
Explore the challenges MSPs face in providing holistic cybersecurity support to their SMB clients and discuss how a programmatic-optimized approach can help bridge the gap, ensuring enterprise-level protection without breaking the bank for SMBs, while adding revenue opportunities for MSPs.

The Clock is Ticking for CMMC 2.0: Here’s Everything You Need to Know – START NOW

By Brian Berger • 23 Aug, 2023
The Department of Defense (DoD) has formally presented the CMMC regulation for official evaluation, marking the start of its journey toward formal announcement. Every regulation proposed by the executive branch, including this one, undergoes scrutiny by OIRA, a division of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). The significance of this step is that the previously mentioned "delays" in the CMMC process were due to the time taken for the DoD to forward the rule to OIRA. With this action now taken, the subsequent stages of the rulemaking procedure are underway. Nevertheless, due to the intricate nature of federal rulemaking, several more stages need to be navigated before the CMMC becomes a part of contracts. The following scenarios should be considered for preparation for compliance and certification for the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). Scenario 1: Proposed Rule Submission to OIRA: The Department of Defense (DoD) has officially submitted the CMMC rule for regulatory review to the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs (OIRA). Review and Publication: After OIRA's review, which takes an average of 66 business days, the CMMC rule is expected to be published in late October 2023. Public Comment Period: A standard 60-day public comment period will follow, ending in December 2023. Finalization: The CMMC rule will be published as a "proposed rule", which means it will only become effective after the agency responds to public comments in a final rule. Based on historical data, the average time for DoD proposed rules to be published as final rules is 333 business days. This means the CMMC final rule is expected between February and April 2025 . Phased Roll-Out: The DoD plans a 3-year phased roll-out for CMMC contract clauses. Assuming the final rule is published in Q1 2025, all relevant DoD contracts will contain CMMC by 2028. Scenario 2: Interim Final Rule Immediate Effectiveness : If the CMMC rule is published as an "interim final rule", it will be effective before the agency responds to public comments . This means the rule would be in effect and appear in contracts in Q1 2024 . Rarity of Interim Final Rules: Such rules are rare and bypass the usual democratic process of "notice and comment" rulemaking. They are typically granted in urgent situations, like the need to enhance national security. So when should you start preparing? Before we start with the background and changes, let’s talk about the "Big Elephant” in the room. Clearly, the updated compliance and certification process developed by the DoD and the non-profit organization liaisons has been long overdue with a lot of anticipated deadlines that never materialized. And with the latest announcements it does seem to be mildly reminiscent of the movie comedy and colloquial meaning of Groundhog Day. Since the Library of Congress selected the film for preservation in the National Film Registry I found humor in relativity, not cynicism. Opinion: This is different and the information we have in the DoD supply chain must be protected from our adversaries. This is a serious issue and needs clear and precise guidelines as the supply chain will not spend money on the protection of the information that protects national security unless they must as it is deemed as a complex undertaking. That’s an unfortunate reality. We have seen the start and restart of the cyber programs for DoD for the past 5-years, what makes this different? The implementation of the CMMC rule in contracts will be phased in over a period of 3 years, with all relevant DoD Defense Industrial Base (DIB) contracts containing CMMC by 2028. For a company with 50-100 employees operating in the DoD supply chain, it takes an average of 12-18 months to prepare for assessment and audit for eventual certification, with certification being the ultimate requirement for compliance. Therefore, the time is now to start the process if you plan to hold government contracts in 2024/2025. There are also varied flow down requirements that need to also be taken into consideration. Understanding Plan of Action and Milestones (POAM) There is now the ability to present interim status vs 100% compliance as we have with the current DFARS and NIST requirements. These interim reports can be handled in the traditional manner by presenting a Plan of Action and Milestones (POAM) that have a less than 180-day completion date for allowed baseline gaps. Unallowed gaps will have a “No POAM” designation and need to be implemented. If you have any doubts, work with a highly skilled 3 rd party who has expertise in these standards and a track record of enabling comprehensive successful standards-based cyber programs. The information presented by the suppliers in POAM’s or claiming 100% compliance will be evaluated and can and will likely trigger audits if certain high-level cyber controls are not met or the 100% compliance score creates suspicion of a false claim. Be careful to present accurate and validated information. So, what does this all mean? You must be compliant with DFARS clause 252.204.7012 and NIST 800-171 today. This is a requirement of your current contracts, and the False Claims Act applies to all cyber compliance representations. If you are not compliant, you could be subject to civil penalties and criminal charges. You need to start preparing for CMMC 2.0 today. The deadline for the final rule is 18 months from now, and it will take an average company in the DoD supply chain 12-18 months to become assessment ready. Waiting is not an option. Waiting is a bad idea. Why you ask? It is very clear that most suppliers and Small and Medium Businesses are not cyber ready and nowhere near compliant with any cyber framework. The timeframe for a typical business to understand, develop and implement full compliance is more than 1-year assuming they have the skills and personnel to complete the objectives. CMMC 2.0 clearly aligns with DFARS and NIST, so it is the best way to protect your organization's sensitive data. Don't delay, start preparing today! *If you have any questions, please reach out to our experts – [email protected]
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