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How to meet recovery objectives while accelerating compliance

As businesses strive to remain competitive and grow, they are often faced with the challenge of meeting compliance requirements while maintaining their operational objectives. Compliance can be a complex and demanding process, and failing to meet regulatory requirements can result in serious consequences such as fines, penalties, and reputational damage. However, businesses that prioritise compliance over their operational goals can risk falling behind their competitors. Below we look at different steps that can ensure businesses can meet their recovery objectives while accelerating compliance.

Automate Compliance Processes
Automating compliance processes can help businesses streamline their operations and improve efficiency while meeting regulatory requirements. By automating repetitive tasks such as data entry and report generation, compliance teams can save time and focus on more critical tasks. Additionally, automation can reduce the likelihood of human error, which can lead to costly mistakes and non-compliance.

Incorporate Compliance into Operational Objectives
Businesses can accelerate compliance by incorporating it into their operational objectives. This means making compliance a key performance indicator (KPI) and setting goals for compliance-related tasks. By doing so, businesses can ensure that compliance is prioritised alongside other operational goals, rather than being viewed as a separate and time-consuming task.

Utilise Technology Solutions
Technology solutions such as compliance software can help businesses accelerate their compliance efforts. Compliance software can automate compliance processes, track compliance-related data, and provide real-time insights into compliance performance. By utilizing technology solutions, businesses can reduce the time and resources required to meet compliance requirements.

Conduct Regular Compliance Audits
Regular compliance audits can help businesses identify potential compliance risks and areas for improvement. By conducting audits, businesses can identify gaps in their compliance processes and take steps to address them before they become larger issues. Additionally, regular audits can help businesses demonstrate their commitment to compliance to regulators and stakeholders.

Prioritise Communication and Training
Effective communication and training can help businesses accelerate compliance efforts by ensuring that all employees understand the importance of compliance and their role in maintaining it. Regular training can help employees stay up-to-date on regulatory changes and best practices, while effective communication can ensure that compliance-related information is disseminated quickly and effectively.

By making some small changes and adding some steps, businesses can meet regulatory requirements while maintaining their competitive edge and achieving their operational goals.

 

Click here to discuss your compliance requirements in more detail.

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In Blog

Improve your business security with a managed SOC

In today’s fast-paced digital world, security is one of the most critical concerns for businesses of all sizes. Cybersecurity threats are becoming increasingly sophisticated and frequent, and even small businesses are not immune to these attacks. That’s where Managed Security Operations Center (SOC) comes in.

A Managed SOC is a service offered by a third-party provider that monitors a company’s network infrastructure, endpoints, and applications, 24/7, to detect and respond to security incidents. Here are some ways a Managed SOC can improve security for any business.

1. Constant monitoring
Managed SOC services provide continuous monitoring of your IT infrastructure, detecting threats as they emerge. By monitoring your systems 24/7, SOC analysts can identify and respond to threats in real-time. This means that any potential attack or breach can be addressed before it can cause significant damage to your business.

2. Threat intelligence
Managed SOC services provide businesses with up-to-date threat intelligence. The security analysts constantly monitor the latest threats, trends, and techniques used by cybercriminals, keeping your organisation informed of potential threats and their potential impact.

3. Expert analysis
Managed SOC services provide businesses with access to highly trained security analysts. These analysts are experienced in detecting and responding to threats and can quickly analyse security incidents to determine their severity and the appropriate response.

4. Rapid incident response
Managed SOC services can respond to security incidents quickly and efficiently. With real-time monitoring and expert analysis, the SOC can quickly identify and contain the threat before it can spread throughout your network. This can significantly reduce the potential impact of a security incident and minimize downtime.

5. Compliance
Managed SOC services can help your business meet compliance requirements. SOC services can provide the necessary reports and documentation to demonstrate compliance with regulatory requirements.

6. Cost-effective
Managed SOC services can be a cost-effective way to improve your organisation’s security posture. Instead of investing in expensive hardware and software, you can outsource your security operations to a third-party provider. This can save your business time and money while ensuring that your systems are secure.

In conclusion, a Managed SOC is an essential service that can significantly improve the security of any business. With 24/7 monitoring, expert analysis, rapid incident response, and up-to-date threat intelligence, businesses can be confident that their IT infrastructure is protected from the latest cyber threats. Moreover, SOC services can help your business meet compliance requirements and be a cost-effective solution to improve your overall security posture.

 

Click here to discuss our managed SOC in more detail.

Paradyn
In Blog

What is Software Defined Wide Area Network and the benefits for any company

In today’s digital era, businesses of all sizes rely heavily on network connectivity to support their operations. With the rise of remote work, cloud computing, and the Internet of Things (IoT), companies need reliable and efficient networks that can keep up with their demands. This is where Software Defined Wide Area Network (SD-WAN) comes in.

SD-WAN is a software-based approach to wide area networking that simplifies the management and operation of a company’s network. It separates the network control and management plane from the underlying network hardware, allowing for centralized management, automation, and optimization of network traffic.

One of the primary benefits of SD-WAN is that it enables businesses to reduce their reliance on expensive and inflexible MPLS circuits. SD-WAN uses a combination of public and private connections, such as broadband internet, 4G/5G cellular, and satellite, to route traffic in the most efficient way possible, based on policies set by the IT department. This allows companies to prioritize critical applications, such as VoIP and video conferencing, while reducing costs and improving network performance.

Another advantage of SD-WAN is that it simplifies network management. With traditional WANs, managing and configuring network devices at remote locations can be challenging and time-consuming. SD-WAN allows businesses to manage their entire network from a central location, making it easier to deploy new locations, update configurations, and troubleshoot issues. It also provides greater visibility into network traffic, allowing businesses to identify and address potential issues before they cause downtime.

SD-WAN also provides better security for companies. With the rise of cyber threats and the increasing number of remote workers, businesses need to ensure that their networks are secure. SD-WAN can help by providing end-to-end encryption, secure authentication, and built-in security features such as firewalls and intrusion prevention systems.

Overall, SD-WAN is a powerful tool that can help businesses of all sizes to optimize their networks, reduce costs, and improve security. By simplifying network management and providing greater visibility and control over network traffic, businesses can ensure that their networks are running at peak performance, enabling them to focus on their core operations and drive growth.

Click here to discuss SD-WAN in more detail.

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Why Asset Management is vital to the security of your organisation

Asset management is the practice of organizing, tracking, and maintaining all of the physical and digital assets owned by a business. These assets can include everything from hardware and software to intellectual property and data. Effective asset management is critical to the security of every business, as it helps to prevent theft, loss, and unauthorized access to sensitive information.
There are several reasons why asset management is so important for the security of every business:

1. Protects against theft and loss: By keeping track of all of their assets, businesses can reduce the risk of theft and loss. This is especially important for high-value assets such as computers, servers, and other expensive equipment. By implementing proper asset management procedures, businesses can ensure that these assets are properly secured and accounted for at all times.

2. Ensures compliance with regulations: Many businesses are subject to regulatory requirements related to asset management. For example, financial institutions must comply with regulations related to the protection of customer data. By implementing effective asset management procedures, businesses can ensure that they are in compliance with these regulations and avoid costly penalties.

3. Facilitates disaster recovery: In the event of a disaster such as a fire, flood, or cyberattack, businesses need to be able to quickly and accurately assess their losses. Effective asset management can help with this by providing a comprehensive inventory of all of the assets that were affected by the disaster. This information can then be used to expedite the recovery process and minimize downtime.

4. Improves overall security: Effective asset management is an important component of an overall security strategy. By keeping track of all of their assets, businesses can identify potential vulnerabilities and take steps to address them before they are exploited by attackers. This includes things like updating software and firmware, implementing access controls, and monitoring network traffic for signs of malicious activity.

Overall, asset management is a critical component of any business’s security strategy. By keeping track of all of their assets, businesses can protect against theft and loss, ensure compliance with regulations, facilitate disaster recovery, and improve overall security. To implement effective asset management procedures, businesses should develop a comprehensive inventory of all of their assets, implement tracking and monitoring tools, and establish policies and procedures for asset management and security.

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In Blog, Info Graphic

Better Protection with Managed Vulnerability as a Service

Managed Vulnerability Assessment is a type of service that helps organisations identify and address security vulnerabilities in their systems and applications. Here are some ways you can increase your protection with a Managed Vulnerability Assessment:

Regular vulnerability assessments: Managed Vulnerability Assessment providers typically offer regular vulnerability assessments to help you identify any security gaps in your systems and applications. By regularly performing these assessments, you can stay on top of any vulnerabilities and take proactive steps to address them before they can be exploited by attackers.

Comprehensive scanning: Managed Vulnerability Assessment providers typically use a range of scanning tools to assess your systems and applications. These tools can scan for a variety of vulnerabilities, including software vulnerabilities, misconfigurations, and weaknesses in network security. By using a comprehensive range of scanning tools, Managed Vulnerability Assessment providers can ensure that all potential vulnerabilities are identified.

Customised remediation recommendations: Once vulnerabilities are identified, Managed Vulnerability Assessment providers typically provide customised remediation recommendations to help you address them. These recommendations can range from simple configuration changes to more complex software updates or patches. By providing customised recommendations, Managed Vulnerability Assessment providers can help you address vulnerabilities in the most effective and efficient way possible.

Ongoing monitoring: Managed Vulnerability Assessment providers can provide ongoing monitoring to ensure that any vulnerabilities that are addressed do not reappear. By continually monitoring your systems and applications, Managed Vulnerability Assessment providers can help you maintain a strong security posture and reduce your risk of a successful attack.

Expert guidance: Managed Vulnerability Assessment providers typically employ security experts who can provide guidance and support as you work to address vulnerabilities. These experts can provide insights into the latest security threats and help you prioritise your efforts to address vulnerabilities in the most effective way possible.

In summary, by using a Managed Vulnerability Assessment Service, you can take a proactive approach to identifying and addressing security vulnerabilities in your systems and applications. By regularly assessing vulnerabilities, using comprehensive scanning tools, providing customised remediation recommendations, offering ongoing monitoring, and providing expert guidance, Managed Vulnerability Assessment providers can help you increase your protection and reduce your risk of a successful attack.

Click here to discuss a Managed Vulnerability Assessment in more detail.

Paradyn
In Blog, Info Graphic

Benefits of moving to an IaaS model?

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is a cloud computing model that offers on-demand access to computing resources such as virtual machines, storage, and networking infrastructure over the internet. IaaS providers offer scalable and flexible computing resources that can be provisioned in minutes and are often priced on a pay-as-you-go basis.

One of the key benefits of IaaS is its ability to reduce capital expenditures on hardware and infrastructure. In traditional on-premises IT infrastructure, businesses need to invest heavily in hardware, software, and maintenance costs. IaaS eliminates the need for businesses to purchase and maintain costly hardware and infrastructure, allowing them to focus on their core business activities.
IaaS also offers businesses the flexibility to scale up or down their computing resources as needed, depending on their current workload. This means that businesses can quickly adjust their resources to meet changing demands, such as seasonal spikes in website traffic, without incurring unnecessary costs.

Another significant advantage of IaaS is its ability to offer disaster recovery and business continuity. IaaS providers have multiple data centres in different locations, which allows for data redundancy and disaster recovery. In the event of a natural disaster, power outage, or other unforeseen event, IaaS providers can quickly transfer data and computing resources to a different data centre, ensuring business continuity.

Security is always a top concern for businesses when it comes to their IT infrastructure. When you move to an IaaS model, you will enhance your security with a range of measures, including data encryption, intrusion detection, and access control. This ensures that businesses’ data and applications are secure from cyber threats and unauthorized access.

IaaS providers also offer high availability and reliability. They have redundant hardware and networks, which means that if a server or network fails, there are backup systems in place to ensure that applications and data are still accessible. This high level of availability and reliability ensures that businesses can operate without interruption, which is critical for their success.

Finally, IaaS offers a low barrier to entry for businesses that are just starting out. In traditional IT infrastructure, businesses need to invest heavily in hardware and infrastructure before they can begin operations. With IaaS, businesses can start small and scale up as their operations grow, without incurring significant upfront costs.

In conclusion, Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) offers many benefits to businesses, including reduced capital expenditures, scalability, disaster recovery, security, high availability, reliability, and a low barrier to entry. By leveraging IaaS, businesses can focus on their core activities while leaving the infrastructure management to their cloud provider.

Click here to discuss your move to IaaS in more detail.

Paradyn
In Blog

Paradyn commits to being carbon-neutral by 2030 as part of Techies Go Green movement

Dublin, 21 September 2022 – – Paradyn, one of Ireland’s leading cybersecurity service providers, is today announcing that it has joined Techies Go Green, a movement of IT and tech-oriented companies who are committed to decarbonising their businesses.
It joins the community of organisations who are aiming to become carbon-neutral by 2030 at the latest.

Techies Go Green enables each member to purposefully improve their energy efficiency by collaborating and sharing practical know-how. Started by IT distributor DataSolutions, more than 200 companies have signed up to the initiative to date.

Cillian McCarthy, CEO of Paradyn said: “We are delighted to join the Techies Go Green movement, underscoring our commitment to a sustainable future. It’s a vital initiative which not only builds climate awareness but points to actionable solutions to the challenges we face. These challenges need to be addressed through collective action and we look forward to working closely with the team at Techies Go Green and our industry peers on our journey to net-zero.”

Michael O’Hara, Techies Go Green co-founder said: “We are delighted that Paradyn has joined Techies Go Green – an important initiative which aims to benefit companies, people and the planet.
“It is vital that every business takes responsibility, sets targets and reduces their environmental impact on the earth. Techies Go Green is designed to support this, share ideas and make a sustainable difference.” To learn more about or become a signatory with Techies Go Green, visit www.techiesgogreen.com.

About Paradyn
At Paradyn, we build strategic partnerships with our clients. Our clients benefit through our security-first approach from best-practice consultancy of their entire IT estate right through to implementation, monitoring and ongoing support. Our team of highly trained network and security consultants deliver best-in-class advice and support so our customers can reduce cyber risk and focus on delivering their core business activities. www.paradyn.ie

About Techies Go Green
Techies Go Green is a movement of IT and tech-oriented companies who are committed to decarbonising their businesses and becoming green and verifiably sustainable. Founded by DataSolutions and with more than 200 businesses signed up to date, its aim is to enable each member to purposefully improve their energy efficiency by collaborating and sharing practical know-how and committing to becoming carbon neutral by 2030 at the latest. https://www.techiesgogreen.com

Paradyn
In Blog

5 Reasons To Switch Backup

Introduction

By now, our worlds have been completely flipped upside down. But one thing remains the same. Most legacy backup solutions in the market today…well… aren’t very good. Spending too much effort on backup, IT admins lack the time, resources and simply the energy to proactively tackle the real business challenges are holding businesses back and slowing them down. The frustration is real, people!

Here’s some data to prove the point. Between September and December 2020, an independent research company asked 3,000 IT pros from 28 countries about their backup and it turned out that only 63% of backups completed on time without errors and 33% of all restore jobs/tasks fail to be successful. Leaves a bad taste in your mouth, doesn’t it?

These days, IT needs to think not one, but several steps ahead. Taking ransomware, vendor lock-in, storage capacity, cloud mobility, as well as unpredictable world economical and health factors into the equation.

To add a cherry on top, the events of 2020 and now 2021 have compounded these pressures like a match to a tinderbox. From the explosion of remote working, to the increasing sophistication of security attacks, data protection needs to be a priority. Don’t settle for “meh”. You can’t afford to put it off any longer.

If you’re reading this, you can probably attest to some, or maybe even all, of the above. This means you’re likely a victim, I mean customer, of one of those mediocre backup solutions.

It’s OK. Know this: you’re not alone. IT pros around the globe are feeling your pain! This quick read is designed to help you understand the why and when.

Then, the ball is in your court to determine the how.

List Of The 5 Reasons

Here is what 1,500 IT pros from around the globe had to say when asked this simple research question:

Another very interesting data point from this question:

Only 2% of respondents claimed, “nothing would drive my organization to change its primary backup solution to a new solution or service”. If 98% of IT pros having a reason to switch doesn’t scream a lack of trust, loyalty and confidence in their current provider, nothing else could!

Reason #1

My current backup is unreliable.

The most popular reason to switch primary backup solutions is reliability or, a lack thereof. This comes from taking 20-year-old code (or even 30 if you can believe it) and attempting to retrofit it for the IT challenges of today. It’s the equivalent of the Winnebago in Spaceballs. Absolutely ridiculous. (If you’re too you ng to get that joke, Google it, then watch it. That movie is great. And may the Schwartz be with you!)

In addition, dedupe databases often become error prone and can cause complete data loss. Many solutions lack data recovery verification, or only provide this availability for limited platforms (for example, VMware only). Another issue is simply visibility into what is working and what’s not. All too often, IT admins only find out there’s an issue when it’s too late. It’s like discovering a leak in your roof in the middle of a monsoon. Not good.

Many companies chalk this up to lack of training or skills. This is untrue. If a backup solution is stable, reliable and easy to use, then you shouldn’t need a PhD to work it. In addition, many IT pros avoid testing due many reasons, but a modern solution can test your backups on schedule in an isolated virtual network.

What you should expect from your next backup solution is peace of mind, and a “set it and forget it” type of confidence. You deserve a solution that’s got your back. Plus, imagine actually knowing that you can restore when needed.

Reason #2

Once you add everything up, it costs a lot.

When considering the cost of data protection, it’s easy to focus on the traditional costs — hardware, software and storage. Some hardware costs can come at a premium when you’re locked-in, and your software isn’t flexible enough to handle alternatives. Many software solutions include add-ons, secondary components or ongoing services so make sure nothing is excluded from your calculation. For storage costs, we all know someone who has been burned with hidden charges and data reduction promises that never quite come to fruition. The days of simply pointing to a target are over. You need to find the right balance between performance and cost efficiency, and the recovery SLAs you’re comfortable with for the cost. Without any “gotchas”. Those are the worst.

Don’t forget the less tangible, often forgotten costs. The cost of downtime and data loss. In addition, impacts that downtime and data loss can have on your relationship with your customers or damage to brand integrity can be quite impactful. The time, effort and resource costs to not only maintain your backup infrastructure, but also to get ramped up, trained and running at full capacity. Another cost is lost productivity. Few things are more frustrating to an IT pro than when they are wasting time and energy reacting to data protection issues, opposed to proactively working on other important project.

What you should expect from your next backup solution is a simple, yet flexible cost model; where you can use the hardware and storage you want, that can snap in with the software solution you like. You should also be able to make a change in your own environment without setting off a domino-effect nightmare that results in you having to cancel your weekend plans to clean up the mess. This restriction also prohibits your use of modern technologies which perpetuates a long-term effect of reduced efficiency.

Reason #3

That ROI never became a reality.

We’ve all been promised software could do something only to later find out that it couldn’t. Now you’re juggling multiple solutions to cover certain aspects of your environment, or that path to simplicity just became more complex. That ROI calculator you were promised drifted away just like Homer Simpson disappearing into the bushes taking your confidence, budget and reputation with him.

Another ROI consideration for your benefit is data re-use. All data protection solutions encapsulate a great deal of data. In today’s ecosystem, data is power, and the right ROI calculation isn’t simply crunching the numbers of time saved versus money invested, but the value provided by putting your data to work.

What you should expect from your next backup solution (and those that are selling it) is the principle to “under promise and over deliver”. No Sales Engineer demo magic tricks. A software-defined trial experience with YOU in the driver’s seat, available immediately without waiting on an appliance to be delivered and a Systems Engineer to configure it. Maybe you can even find a solution to help you tap into the power of the data gold mine that you’re sitting on. Like adding marshmallow fluff to your peanut butter and banana
sandwich, that extra layer makes all the difference.

Reason #4

My recovery times are slow, and backup windows are long.

Some backup vendors might try to wow you with an example, but when you dig into product breadth — backup configurations, architectural flexibility, snapshot integrations, replication capabilities — reality sets in. It takes time, years really, to build the required breadth.

Another key factor is recovery speeds and flexibility. Often, it’s not a story of if you can recover, but how easily and quickly can you do it. Count the number of clicks it takes you to recover something simply, they may surprise you. Many solutions either lack the granularity for specific recoveries, or the scalability for bulk restores.

But let’s think bigger — what if you can’t tolerate even a few minutes of data being lost in the shortest of backup windows? You need the big guns — continuous data protection (CDP). Many would agree that it’s the best when it comes built-in with your existing backup solution, operating replicas natively from the same console. However, some vendors still separate CDP as a separately priced product or specialize exclusively on CDP, making you couple it with another product for more regular backup needs.

What you should expect from your next backup solution is a variety of recovery options to satisfy any SLAs, as well as a proven track record of continuous innovation, built on top of a strong foundation of happy customers. Imagine a product release where users are literally giddy to get their hands-on code versus “let someone else QA it”.

Reason #5

This is taking too much of my time and resources.

With backup software, ease-of-use cannot be understated. So much so that “babysitting a backup” is a thing. Far too many products in this industry are hard to use and complicated. Kind of like the latest craze to substitute every meal with some ridiculous 14-ingredient protein shake. Good grief just eat a cheeseburger! But we digress…

Other solutions can do what you want, but only through scripting or the right level of PowerShell expertise. It doesn’t need to be that hard, and you shouldn’t have to build a workaround. You bought software to do that for you!

Another important factor is that your backup software needs to be able to evolve with you — like those adjustable pants we all secretly wish we were wearing for a big holiday meal. If adding a new NAS device or changing cloud storage requires you to change your data protection strategy, spend time re-educating IT staff or losing sleep about whether or not your IT team has the skills do to it successfully, you’re doing it wrong.

What you should expect from your next backup solution is the gift of time. Time back to work on other priorities, cut out of work early or actually use that vacation time that keeps piling up.

Questions to consider.

  • Stability: how often do you encounter stability issues with your current backup solution (bugs, job failures, etc.)?
  • Flexibility: what is your backup storage plan for the next three to five years, and how will data growth, cloud mobility and security risks alter that strategy?
  • Data reuse: you sit on a gold mine of business data within your backups — how are you putting that data to work for you to solve key business problems?
  • Backup/recovery speeds: as business demands for access to data continue to increase, are your RTOs and RPOs getting better, or have they plateaued? Where were they three to five years ago compared to now? Where would you like them to be?
  • Ease of use: how much time do you spend babysitting your backups? If that time was cut in half, what would you do with that extra time?
  • How is your company doing? What growth has your organization seen in the past month, year or quarter?

Conclusion.

By now, hopefully the why should be clear and the when equally so. (Hint: that’s now).

The how is up to you.

At Vault365, we believe our products provide unparalleled backup and recovery and would love for you to take them for a spin.

Our mission is to deliver a modern platform that can cover today’s backup needs, but more importantly can expand and adapt around whatever you’ll need in the future (cloud workloads, cloud mobility, Kubernetes, etc.)

Paradyn is a reseller for Vault365 , who specialize in Microsoft 365 Backup and Backup-as-as-Service. Would you like to discuss how Vault365 can help improve your current backup solution?  Click on the button below, fill out the form, and a Backup Expert will be in touch.

Talk to a Backup Expert
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Proactively Managing Security Risks in an Evolving IT Landscape

The last year has changed the way we see and understand the world. It has proven that technology can be a game changer for economies, governments, enterprises, and people.

In today’s IT landscape, it has never been more important to stay ahead of the curve, and organisations are increasingly looking for support from managed IT service providers (MSP). An MSP can proactively monitor your IT infrastructure for updates or potential threats, seamlessly fill in-house skills gaps, and provide support to remote workers.

As remote and hybrid working is being implemented widely, it is important to understand how these new work practices could dramatically increase organisations’ exposure to cyberthreats. In the wake of numerous high-profile breaches and rapid digital transformation amid the COVID-19 pandemic, organisations across industries are looking to increase investments in security measures. According to a 2020 PwC survey, more than half (55%) of technology and security executives plan to increase security budgets in 2021. Now is the time to create a resilient cyber security programme that can help your business stay safe and protect your confidential data.

Given the rapidly changing technology landscape and increasing number of cyber threats, hiring an MSP can help businesses remain agile, control costs, quickly respond to competitive opportunities, get ahead of potential threats, and align IT with evolving business objectives.

In this blog we highlight the top five benefits of working with a MSP:

1. Increased transparency while working remotely

Due to the reduced accessibility and visibility that comes with remote working, more often than not, internal IT teams do not have the capacity to keep up with the latest cybersecurity concerns, such as firewall management, endpoint protection, malware updates, and advanced threat prevention. This is where an MSP specialising in security comes in. They can proactively monitor advanced threats and offer incident response and event investigation services to easily manage security and IT risks while working from home. This provides more transparency and prevents enterprise-wide intrusions.

They can also enhance endpoint security by enabling server security, patch updates, firewalls, and installing software against viruses. If data is compromised, it can lead to irreparable losses and damage brand reputation. Therefore, it is vital to have a secure connection and end-to-end transparency of all the devices being used for work purposes.

2. Improved cybersecurity

An MSP can take a lot of work off your hands when it comes to detecting and addressing vulnerabilities by using a more proactive approach and anticipating potential threats, especially for targeted cyberattacks.
Another added benefit – they are available (up to 24 hours a day in some cases) to take calls and resolve issues on the go, no matter where you are located.
Some MSPs, including Paradyn, can provide advanced cybersecurity offerings such as CIS Controls, to provide highly integrated approaches to security there. CIS Critical Security Controls are a globally recognised recommended set of actions for cyber defence that provide specific and actionable ways to stop today’s most pervasive and dangerous attacks.

3. Helps with compliance

Most industries are becoming increasingly regulated, particularly in terms of safeguarding customer data. It can be difficult to implement cyber security plans that also ensure compliance. If your cybersecurity infrastructure does not adhere to new and updated compliance terms, you might find yourself in breach of those regulations. Again, your MSP can come to the rescue as they stay on top of such changes in the industry, providing expertise and systems to help your company meet the various regulations, such as GDPR compliance,.

4. Access to the latest developments in the IT industry

MSPs are equipped with the latest knowledge and skills required to solve IT issues. They are highly trained and accredited, are aware of evolving trends and closely monitor the cybersecurity landscape. As a result, they can provide your business with the proactive support and systems your business needs. Additionally, as subject matter experts, they are capable of providing the best advice relating to your IT needs and safeguarding your data.

5. Peace of mind for businesses
Using a managed IT service provider can give businesses the time to focus on what they do best – running their business – and in turn, free up staff to focus on their core roles. Internal IT teams can use their time to extend services and innovate, rather than having to deal with added strain.

Additionally, as more organisations choose to stay remote or adopt hybrid models, business owners have the reassurance that their data and devices are protected by a dedicated team.

While the past year has posed a number of challenges, it also gave rise to new business opportunities and expedited developments in cybersecurity. In 2020, Paradyn launched its TotalView Operations Centre in response to the significant increase in malicious threats being faced by businesses during COVID-19.

This new facility has increased Paradyn’s managed service capability and is helping Irish private and public sector organisations to remain secure against an increasing volume of cyber threats. It also enables proactive monitoring of the potential cyber threats associated with remote working. This includes the overview of mobile device management solutions, which ensures that staff working from home can only access company networks through authorised and secure devices.

The TotalView Operations Centre gives organisations a 360-degree view of their network through Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) modules. Simply put, it helps with real-time visibility across the organisations information security systems. It also provides endpoint patching – a process of distributing and applying updates to software. These patches are often necessary to correct vulnerabilities in the software. To add to these features, the TotalView Operations Centre can also provide a broad set of integrated functionalities within a single platform with Security Orchestration, Automation and Response (SOAR). The end goal of using a SOAR platform is to improve the efficiency of physical and digital security operations. Ultimately, this level of integration and always-on monitoring system helps organisations get the most value of their cybersecurity investments.

Paradyn’s managed security services can provide a holistic view of your business environment, no matter how simple or complex it is. Why not contact us today to find out how we can improve your operational security while reducing costs.

Click here to contact us today to to discuss your security from Paradyn

Paradyn
In Blog

Simplify GDPR compliance with CIS Controls

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) was first introduced in Europe on 25th May 2018. Since then, every organisation that handles E.U. citizen data has been responsible for implementing appropriate technical and organisational measures to ensure that data processing is performed in accordance with the regulation.

The nature of the internet is fragile thus making cybersecurity and compliance a very important function of business strategy for any organisation in 2021. GDPR is considered to be the most important change in data privacy regulation in 20 years as it helps protect personal information of all E.U. citizens and notifies them of any data breaches.

In our previous blog we discussed the many ways in which CIS Controls can help with securing the IT infrastructure. In this blog, we highlight the range of resources CIS Controls can offer organisations to comply with GDPR. The controls outline the best practices in cybersecurity solutions that not only make your organisation compliant but can also help in dealing with cyber-threats that could emerge in the future.

BUILDING TRUST

The unprecedented ransomware attack on the HSE demonstrates just how devastating cybercrime can actually be. According to PwC’s 2020 Irish Economic Crime Survey, 51% of more than 70 organisations surveyed in Ireland said they had experienced some type of cyber fraud in the past two years.

Cybercriminals just need one chance to enter IT systems, whereas defenders must be constantly vigilant against any potential intruders. By implementing best practice CIS Controls, organisations can enhance compliance with existing security requirements and build-in a more holistic control framework within the organisation.

With the GDPR governing every piece of data from an E.U. citizen, companies worldwide have the opportunity to approach data with a more ethical, customer-first attitude, and build trust during the process.

HELPS WITH DECISION-MAKING

The 20 CIS critical security controls (CSC) ensure the application of cybersecurity practices to the most vulnerable areas in the organisation. The controls are grouped into three tiers: Basic Controls, Foundational Controls and Organisational Controls. Once the Basic Controls are implemented, you’ve met the minimum standards needed for cyber security. By using a layered approach, IT leaders can be more proactive and future-proof their organisations against increasingly powerful and complex threats.

The same protocols can also guide organisations in building a robust compliance framework that can help with GDPR regulations and data privacy. They also increase visibility across the IT infrastructure of the organisation.

By implementing CIS Controls, organisations can take control of their cybersecurity landscape, while ensuring they meet increasingly stringent compliance regulations.

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So three years in, we can confidently say that GDPR has changed the way organisations look at privacy now. However, as we all know too well, threats keep escalating and it’s increasingly difficult to remain fully secure. Given the scale of remote working since the pandemic and the additional risks this can also bring the need to address cyber threats remains top priority.

That’s why CIS Controls are so effective in adding much needed layers of protection. Cyber criminality is only going to increase as hackers use increasingly sophisticated methods to make their attacks. However, they typically target areas of weakness and that’s why it’s so important to ensure your service provider implements an integrated security approach across your entire infrastructure.
With increasing volumes of online data to be securely managed in a hybrid working world, we highly recommend CIS Controls. They provide a holistic and best-practice framework to securing your business assets and resources, no matter how complex.

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