Category Archives: Cybersecurity

Our Founder Bruce Leibstone gives some insight to IA Watch on the importance of swift action when you find yourself under ransomware attack.

Final part of a series: Time matters if your firm finds itself under a ransomware attack

 

Read the full article from IA Watch Weekly Briefing: February 6, 2017*

*With permission from Regulatory Compliance Watch (844)421-6333

 

Some of the solutions presented to advisors to address cybersecurity were, from a budgetary perspective, terrifying.  A sophisticated platform capable of prevention and proper reporting could easily run into six figures – a figure not typically in the cards for an RIA with twenty-five employees.

Warren searched and evaluated many solutions that could be easily implemented and supported, however in this case, one of our most important criteria was that the solution be inexpensive enough that the purchase required little to no thought.

Enter Cisco Umbrella, previously known as OpenDNS.  Umbrella is a cloud-based security solution that detects advanced attacks and blocks malware, botnets, and phishing.  And, it does this for a surprisingly affordable monthly subscription.

Umbrella is not like traditional antivirus software that reacts to known threats, but instead uses predictive intelligence to proactively protect your business.

We encourage you to dig a little deeper and let us know if we can be of assistance in helping you address your cybersecurity needs.

Learn more about Cloud Security from Cisco Umbrella here.

By now we have all been well immersed in the importance of cybersecurity.  The initial emphasis on technology itself was much needed as it introduced many advisors to best practices on topics like perimeter security and mobile device management.  As an IT provider, we welcomed the additional attention on the subject matter as the SEC provided us with a re-focused captive audience.  Okay, “welcomed” may be a bit of an overstatement.

As we reviewed more systems, we were pleased to find that the vast majority of recommended changes came at no cost to the advisor and merely required that policies and procedures be revised to reflect the new world order.

The area often overlooked was in the creation and communication of a corporate culture whereby anyone triggering a malware attack could comfortably come forward and blow the whistle on themselves knowing that they would still be employed and that they did the right thing in immediately bringing the breach to management’s attention.  Embarrassed, but employed.

There’s no use hiding. At the end of the day, your IT people will identify the origin of the attack anyway, so come clean knowing that you’ll still be going to work the next day and that your lack of hesitation will have been the first critical step towards a successful remediation.