Blog
10 Questions to Validate Your Security Strategy
By Jeremy Louise | December 3rd, 2018 | Governance & IT Compliance Network Security
There’s so much information out there about hacks, threats and cyber security in general that it can be natural to feel overwhelmed and fatigued. You understand that the consequences of leaving your business exposed are severe – but at the same time, you don’t know where to begin to address them. You may even have … Continued
The Era of the vCIO: What Is It and Does It Really Matter?
By Chris Souza | October 18th, 2018 | Governance & IT Compliance
As someone with several decades of experience as a managed services provider under my belt, I’m often struck by how quickly technology continues to change the world around us. Thanks to IT, entire industries have been disrupted over the last few years to the point where they barely resemble the initial functions from where they … Continued
To Comply, or Not to Comply: The Strategic Approach to IT Compliance
By Chris Souza | September 20th, 2018 | Governance & IT Compliance
I was talking to a prospective client the other day and the subject of DFARS/NIST DoD compliance came up. Obviously, cyber security is one of the most pressing issues of our age and when you’ve got the Department of Defense watching over you, that’s a pretty big deal. I asked him a little bit more … Continued
What You Need to Know About GDPR Compliance
By Roger Murray | April 4th, 2018 | Governance & IT Compliance
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is a regulation requiring businesses to protect the personal data and privacy of European Union (EU) citizens for transactions that occur within EU member states. Every company conducting business within the EU will need to comply to these strict new rules by May 25th which will likely cause concerns and heightened expectations for security teams due to the broad, yet stringent nature of the GDPR requirements.
Hilton Data Breach Results in $700,000 Penalty
By Roger Murray | November 13th, 2017 | Governance & IT Compliance
Hilton Hotels reached a settlement this month with New York Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman and Vermont Attorney General TJ Donovan following two breaches in 2015. The settlement totaled $700,000
Security Awareness Training & Compliance Requirements
By Roger Murray | July 13th, 2017 | Governance & IT Compliance
Did you know there are over 8,500 different Local, State, and Federal standards & requirements your organization may be required to comply with? This staggering number can come as a surprise to many. That’s why we’ve taken the time to compile a list of the most common standards which may require your organization to implement … Continued
How To: Guard Against HIPAA Privacy Breach Fines & Violations
By Roger Murray | January 16th, 2017 | Governance & IT Compliance
In 2016, the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) collected over 23 Million in Civil Money Penalties (CMPs) related to businesses violating patient data privacy provisions. Over half of the cases involved organizations who failed to even have a proper risk assessment conducted. The cost for violating HIPAA privacy protections continue to grow, which … Continued
Why Your Business Needs a WISP
By Roger Murray | December 29th, 2016 | Governance & IT Compliance
Not having a written information security program (WISP) for your business could be putting your data at risk of not only theft, but substantial legal/punitive damages. The laws in Massachusetts enforce strict guidelines to safeguard any personal information of individuals stored on your network. Sadly, many SMBs brush it off as a minimal danger that … Continued
New HIPAA Guidelines on Ransomware Disclosures
By Roger Murray | August 1st, 2016 | Governance & IT Compliance
The Department of Health & Human Services for Civil Rights (OCR) has issued guidance on how to manage the increasing frequency of ransomware attacks toward healthcare providers. Ransomware is a malware which encrypts data until a ransom is paid to the hacker, who in return, will hopefully issue the encryption key to unlock the data … Continued
Top 3 VOIP Security Risks
By Roger Murray | July 6th, 2016 | Governance & IT Compliance
In today’s day and age we have become familiar and hopefully cautious when receiving strange emails with a random file attached. It’s unlikely that we would give it a second thought before deleting. This is because we recognize the need for cyber security to limit the onslaught of digital threats we receive on a seemingly … Continued