In quieter times the best practice was to let a security patch sit for 30 days for thorough testing. No more. Targeted attacks have skyrocketed in recent years, and it’s not uncommon for a dozen zero-day exploits to turn up in a week. Bad actors have unpatched systems in their sights and the potential for catastrophic breach is high with a window that’s wide open for up to 30 days. The Maynard Group recommends and offers rapid, rigorous patch testing followed by immediate installation. This new paradigm of protection will serve your company well.

Depending on how, when and where your team members might be attempting to access company data and applications, Multi Factor Authentication (MFA)can add a layer of verification to confirm they are who they say they are. A code can be sent to a pre-established trustworthy destination such as an email address, cell phone or USB key, or even a biometric device to vastly reduce the likelihood of cyber breach without breaking the bank or overcomplicating user access.

A firewall is your first line of defense against unwelcome intrusions by unauthorized persons or processes.  Every company network needs a firewall and chances are you already have one, but a firewall by itself is no longer enough and, like most parts of your cybersecurity strategy, it requires management and monitoring lest it become a weak point.  For example, suspicious user behavior is time consuming to scout and steals limited resources to identify threats, and by the time it’s investigated it’s often too late to contain.

The firewall monitors traffic entering and leaving your network and decides, based on predetermined rules, whether it should pass through or be blocked.  We’ll make sure your existing firewall is properly configured and then recommend additional measures that will beef up security in line with your needs and budget. We might suggest secure authorization certificates that allow safe entry by team members working remotely. 

Both hardware and software firewalls might be required in your industry.  Whether required or not, we’ll work with you to determine what works best.

Remote workers can safely navigate to company data and applications through a company-controlled Virtual Private Network. Potential attackers lurking on the public Internet are by definition kept out.

It’s rarely advisable to give everyone on your team access to every application or even to the Virtual Private Network. Zero Trust Network Access provides a high level of control. Not only must all VPN users be authenticated, authorized and continuously validated, but once in they may access only those services, databases and applications that are designated for them. This greatly reduces exposure to outside threats.

Viruses, spyware and malware are relatively simple to prevent with the right security applications. Yet, if your teams fail to support your infrastructure with safe user practices, even a quick breach could freeze your critical data and leave it vulnerable to compromise—even after paying an avoidable ransom. Our comprehensive services put security in place and establish best practices for your team to reduce the chances these threats will ever surface.

Constantly in use, your team’s email inboxes are practically an open door for spam and malware. Without even simple anti-spam protocols blocking unauthorized or dangerous deliveries, the security of your entire system rests in your team’s constant vigilance, which cannot be let down for a moment. Our cybersecurity audit can quickly identify needs and we can add this layer of automated protection.

Cybercriminals are always looking for a way in, and Spear Phishing is among their favorite tools. The attackers know in advance who they’re targeting and it’s invariably a key team member or group with access to critical data, passwords, financial records and security clearances. Our anti-spear phishing software protects your team and data by analyzing email links, attachments, headers and text to detect impersonation attempts, compromised accounts and malicious intent, and keep your key people from clicking on that risky piece of email.

Managed Endpoint Detection & Response (MEDR) is a proactive data-based approach to prevent incursions before they can do any damage. Behavioral analysis and machine learning combine to detect malicious activity on network endpoints and stop threats in real time, before data can be lost or a file can be infected. Data stored in this process can also undergo deep-dive analysis after the immediate threat is over to find root causes for later remedial action.

Secure DNS employs end-to-end encryption to bolster privacy and security.  Unsafe sites are blocked and unwanted content is filtered out.  Malicious website redirects are eliminated.  Your users, networks and data are safe, and we have the tools to confirm it stays that way.

Thousands of data breaches add up:  There are well over 15 billion stolen passwords available on the dark web.  Yes, they know how to hack into critical systems using Mom’s maiden name.  There’s a better way.  Your team can store credentials and access to services, sites and applications in a centralized password vault.  A single, unhackable master password grants access.  Zero-trust protocol requires all users to be authenticated, authorized and continuously validated.  Inefficient or nonsecure practices like multi-vault or unencrypted storage are removed.  Password strength soars and user experience actually improves because they don’t have to remember or look up passwords.

Portable devices increase exponentially the dangers of theft, and prying eyes find more creative ways to access your data every day.   Encryption converts your sensitive data into unreadable code that’s indecipherable by unauthorized users.  Your data is protected and regulatory requirements are satisfied.

Even with a robust security strategy in place, along with high levels of compliance from your team, ever-advancing cyber threats might still gain entry. With your bottom line at stake, commit to the additional protection from data loss, downtime or network damage offered through cybersecurity insurance. As your insurer, The Maynard Group has added incentive to protect your network, data, even your brand reputation. The monthly cost is predictable and your resulting peace of mind is incalculable.

Safeguards, monitoring and hardening abound, but you leave the human element out of your security strategy at your own risk. You need complete buy-in from your entire team, whether they’re working remotely or in your offices. Our training will help them understand their role and give them the tools to use to keep your data and networks safe.

Are your current security safeguards sufficient? A Network Security Assessment will identify any weaknesses. Our findings will include recommendations for what components or practices require immediate attention.

Your business is increasingly reliant on Cloud technology and a failure anywhere—whether it’s at the application provider or any of the myriad links in the service delivery chain between them and you—can bring your business to a full stop. Our SaaS monitoring solutions bring your entire digital environment into focus, give early warning and provide key information that will aid resolution before your end users are impacted.

Personally Identifiable Information (PII) is a gold mine if it falls into the wrong hands. Regardless of whether you’re in an industry where protection of PII is legally required, your customers expect you to do so. We can help through data encryption, cybersecurity measures and other tools.

Without an optimized Local Area Network, you’re not getting the most from your resources and time spent on it. We observe and test the network and everything connected to it, and address small issues before they become big problems.

Despite the best-crafted workplace standards, your staff might be working with unapproved applications, clicking on unsafe links, or simply be using company resources in an unapproved manner.  Remote work can increase the temptation even more.  We can help you track and evaluate usage of company resources with an eye on boosting security and productivity.

A disaster recovery plan is a strategy to minimize the effects of unplanned incidents and details procedures which ensure a speedy return to key operations.