Top Cybersecurity Challenges of Managing a Remote Workforce

The coronavirus has disrupted lives as we know it—and as much as we’d hoped that it would only affect certain aspects of it, we’ve been mistaken. From our social life to our work life, all our interactions have suffered due to the unprecedented onset of this disease; and all we can manage to do is mitigate the effects as best as we can.

Organizations and businesses have resorted to working from home to ensure the safety of their employees. While having a borderless workforce that telecommutes from the comfort of their own homes is a plus for some companies, especially small business, there’s always a threat to the tons of sensitive data that remote employees are working with.

So before you set up your work desk in your house, take a look at a few cybersecurity challenges that you and other remote workers should look out for.

Accessing Sensitive Data through an Unsafe Wi-Fi Network

If your employers are connecting to their home wireless networks or accessing important email accounts through an unsecured public Wi-Fi, the chances are that malicious actors, like cybercriminals, could harvest confidential information.

To prevent this from happening, remote employees must use a safe VPN connection.

Using a Personal Device for Work

Now that employees are instructed to work from home, most of them are using their personal devices to communicate with clients, send emails, manage corporate accounts, and everything else that their job entails.

However, one misstep, like using software that isn’t up to date, can open up holes in your security and make the acquisition of sensitive company information all the more easy.

Insecure Passwords and Phishing Scams

Simple passwords are incredibly easy to hack, especially if a worker uses the same one for various platforms. This can make it easy for people with unauthorized access to hack into the network and acquire sensitive information.

Additionally, phishing attacks are frequent and are recognized as some of the top causes of data breaches—especially for remote workers. A seemingly legitimate link in a depictive email means that you’re just a click away from giving your device’s access to a malicious party.

While these issues may seem like work from home is impossible without risking the loss of sensitive information, that’s not the case at all. With the help of penetration testing services, you can assess the vulnerability of your IT system, identify shortcomings, and set up safety measures to mitigate cybersecurity threats. At Lean Security, we help you do it all!

Sign up for our network vulnerability assessment and benefit from our premier web security assessment technology to make remote working easy for yourself amid the coronavirus crisis.

Find out more about our services here.

Penetration Testing Can Prevent Insider Threats—Here’s Everything You Need to Know

Over the last few years, cybersecurity matters have become a major concern for companies. The number of data breaches has increased exponentially, often leading to long-term financial damage, loss of customers, disciplinary action, and a tarnished reputation. All of this has led to organisations being more alert about security systems than ever.

And while you can do everything in your power to protect the company from external threats, it’s harder when someone’s trying to destroy it from the inside.

What Classifies As An Insider Threat?

Insider threats range from malicious actors stealing information and compromising security systems to accidental data loss due to employee actions. These insider threats, in most cases, can be prevented or mitigated with effective penetration testing.

But many organisations aren’t aware of the benefits of frequent penetration testing, which leaves them vulnerable to insider breaches.

What Is Penetration Testing?

Penetration testing refers to a controlled hacking operation conducted by a professional tester. During this test, the tester uses similar strategies to a criminal hacker to detect any potential vulnerabilities.

The following are some insider threats that penetration testing can detect:

Insider Error

Insider errors happen when an employee compromises the company’s security without being aware of it. These errors can be caused by an employee unknowingly sharing sensitive information with someone who isn’t supposed to have access to it.

Insider Wrongdoing

Insider wrongdoing is harder to mitigate because it is caused by employees who have legitimate and direct access to sensitive information.

It can also be carried out by former employees whose access wasn’t revoked after their tenure, which is an easier problem to solve with the appropriate safeguards.

How Can Penetration Testing Help?

Frequent penetration testing can prevent solve both problems. These tests can check for potential vulnerabilities within the system and eliminate any security threats. They can quickly identify and expose assets that have the potential to be compromised.

After these tests have been performed, the company can mitigate any loopholes using security software.

Here at Lean Security, our experts work toward protecting your company against phishing and malware attacks. We help you build your security system and deploy software that will protect sensitive data.

We provide a range of services, including mobile app security testing, advanced web security testing, and penetration testing. You can visit our website or get in touch with us to learn more!

3 Benefits of Real-Time Asset Tracking in Manufacturing

For manufacturers, the largest share of costs tends to be constituted by operational and capital expenditures. Anyone who has any experience in manufacturing knows that both the equipment required to manufacture and the cost of running it can drive up your expenses.

In order for manufacturers to minimize their costs and optimize their processes, they need to pay special attention to both asset management and their utilization by calculating the return on investment (ROI). However, doing this is easier than done, mostly because many manufacturers don’t have access to a digital, centralized platform to monitor and track proper asset utilization.

Enter: real-time asset tracking software. The market for real-time location systems is growing as more and more manufacturers invest in them, so they are provided with an overview of their operations. By 2024, the market worth is set to reach US $40 billion (AUD $62.05 billion.

Top Benefits of Real-Time Asset Tracking Software in the Manufacturing Sector

Asset tracking is the process of tracking a physical asset (usually an item valuable to the company, such as a piece of equipment or an employee) in a manufacturing facility to track and monitor their exact location and utilization.

Determine Asset Utilization in Processes

Real-time asset tracking software helps you track both moving and stationary assets operating across your facility. Having access to this information helps you define asset ROI. Knowing location data that shows utilization patterns will allow you to be better equipped to answer the following questions:

·         When is the asset in use, and when is it not?

·         How long and how frequently is the asset utilized?

·         How long is it active during a shift or a working day?

·         Are there unnecessary or unauthorized breaks when an asset is being utilized?

Efficient Asset Audit

Attaching location tags to your assets will help you identify misplaced, lost, or poorly performing (as well as best-performing) assets. However, it will also allow you to manage your assets better during routine audits.

You will be able to read the location tags wherever a data hub is presented in your manufacturing facility. You’ll receive continuous location status, and you’ll be able to detect whether an asset has left the monitored area or the facility.

Reduce Labour Costs

Real-time asset tracking software will help you track employee productivity. Here’s how:

·         Analyse employee movement during shifts, entries in specific facility areas, and time spent in assigned areas.

·         Using employee location data to assign new and urgent tasks to them quickly.

·         Providing drivers with portable location tags to track the movement and utilization of moving equipment.

In order to protect your organization’s network security and the proper functioning of all software, it’s crucial that you invest in continuous asset monitoring services.

As one of Australia’s leading cybersecurity services providers, we provide our clients with continuous monitoring services for round-the-clock protection and security. In addition to that, our vast array of services include penetration testing, advanced web security testing, and mobile app security testing to help companies eliminate vulnerabilities that open them up to cyber threats.

Get in touch with us for more information on our services.

Securing Banking Applications 101: Mobile Money Safety

2019 marked a major milestone for the mobile money industry: the global number of registered mobile money accounts surpassed one billion. Mobile money provides a path to financial inclusion, and with 290 live services in 95 countries, it has entered the mainstream.

It’s become standard for major financial and banking institutions to issue mobile banking applications that allow users to check account balances, pay bills, and transfer money. Financial institutions and e-commerce websites and applications have also been using alternative payment options, such as Square’s cash app and PayPal’s Venmo. Mobile money is gaining popularity because it makes transactions quick and informal.

That said, with any digital technology that involves financial transactions, cybercriminals are never too far behind. Attackers and hackers use a variety of methods to compromise the integrity of mobile banking, including snooping, deploying fake applications, malicious network attacks, and abusing stolen account credentials.

Here’s how users can remain secure on mobile banking applications.

Mobile Banking Application Security

·         Always ensure you download applications from trusted and legitimate sources to eliminate the risk of fake and harmful applications.

·         Keep your banking app updated; the latest versions tend to contain fixes for the latest vulnerabilities.

·         Enable the banking app’s built-in security features, such as idle time-outs.

·         Never open attachments from unknown senders.

·         Reduce the chances of clicking on a malicious link be regularly deleting your junk mail.

Establishing Safe Network Connections

·         Never use your banking app when connected to unsecured Wi-Fi networks in public places.

·         When using a mobile browser to access banking or other financial websites, make sure the URL is an https address with a padlock icon, indicating encrypted communications.

·         If you have to use a banking app in a public place, use it over 3G, 4G, or LTE. Turn off Bluetooth and Wi-Fi to prevent attackers from snooping.

Protecting Online Financial Accounts

·         Enable all financial applications’ two-factor authentication feature. Install trusted and legitimate authenticator apps too, if available. Typically, the codes required to log in, are sent via email or SMS.

·         Disable the autocomplete feature in your banking/financial apps or when logging in through a browser.

·         Never store your financial account passwords in your browser.

·         Never respond to emails or text messages requesting your account number, PIN, or debit or credit card number.

·         Make sure to use a strong and unique password for each banking/financial application you use. Use a different password for each. Log out after you’re done with your transactions.

·         Always monitor your account activity for anything unusual or suspicious.

We are a premium cybersecurity services provider based in Gordon NSW, Australia. We provide application protection for financial services, such as helping you avoid malicious code insertion, application modification, and prevent unauthorised access. Our penetration testing services include mobile application penetration testing, advanced web security testing, web application scanning, and more.

Get in touch with us for more information on our services.

Who Is External Network Penetration Testing Test For?

As businesses expand, their virtual assets increase in both quantity and value. Much like physical assets, companies go to great lengths to secure these digital resources and protect them from malicious actors.

Penetration testing is a form of web security auditing that tests your existing system for weaknesses that could be exploited by hackers. It can be carried out on a variety of systems, but in this blog, we’ll be focusing on external network penetration testing, in particular, and who should opt for it.

What is Network Penetration Testing?

Network penetration testing is done to secure your organisation’s network from both internal and external actors. Internal network penetration testing assesses what damage a person could do if they had initial access.

It is conducted using a pen test that mirrors potential internal threats, such as intentional or unintentional malicious actions carried out by an employee.

External network testing checks what damage and external actor could do. The focus is on inspecting and determining what vulnerabilities exist in the system that could be taken advantage of. The focus is on internet-facing assets such as web, mail and FTP servers.

Who Is External Network Penetration Testing for?

External network penetration can secure your operations and keep you safe from cyberattacks. You should opt for external network penetration testing if your business:

1. Wants to minimise the risk of a data breach

The risk of a data breach is quite imminent these days—statistics show that a cyberattack occurs every 39 seconds. As technology improves, hackers develop more sophisticated techniques to carry out malicious actions against businesses.

In this scenario, it’s crucial for companies to find out where their system lacks and fix those issues urgently.

2. Wants to ensure compliance

Compliance with international security principles is necessary if you want your business to grow. The PCI DSS, for example, has certain standards in place to prevent the theft of credit card information. If you want to ensure secure transactions on your network, you’ll have to comply with these standards.

3. Is looking to expand online

Businesses that are looking to launch a website, online store, or application, should get penetration testing done. It ensures that your product is meeting security standards and isn’t a risk to your company or your users.  

Why Choose Lean Security for External Penetration Testing?

Lean Security is the leading penetration testing service provider in Australia. We have worked with clients across the world and in different industries. Our skilled engineers are experienced in testing the security of web applications, mobile applications, IoT, API software, and much more.

To find out more, get in touch online or call +61 (2) 8078 6952.