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Your Questions, Answered

Welcome to the Simple Plan IT FAQ page, where we aim to provide clear, concise answers to your most pressing questions. From understanding our cybersecurity services to exploring our technology solutions, this section is dedicated to shedding light on all aspects of our offerings. Whether you’re curious about how we operate, what sets us apart, or how we can help your business thrive in a digital landscape, you’ll find the information you need here. Navigate through our FAQs for insights, guidance, and the confidence to make informed decisions about your technology needs.

FAQ

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When it comes to cybersecurity, there's a very simple framework (or core set of principles) that every business leader can follow.

  1. Identify: First, you need to know what digital information you have, where it is, and why it's important. This helps in understanding the risks involved.

  2. Protect: Then, put measures in place to safeguard your information. This includes things like Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDPS), Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR), and User Entity Behavior Analytics (UEBA).
  3. Detect: Be aware of and set up systems to quickly spot any unusual activities or potential threats to your digital assets.
  4. Respond: Have a plan for what to do if a cybersecurity incident occurs. This could involve steps to limit damage and notify affected parties.
  5. Recover: Finally, prepare for how to restore and return to normal business operations after an incident, including learning from the event to improve future resilience.

 

These steps form a comprehensive approach to keeping your business's digital information safe and ensuring you can quickly bounce back from any cyber incidents.

Cybersecurity focuses specifically on protecting digital data and systems from cyber threats like hacking and viruses.

Information security, on the other hand, encompasses the protection of both digital and physical data from unauthorized access, use, or destruction.

Some of the most common cybersecurity threats include:

  1. Phishing Attacks: These are deceptive messages, often emails, that trick people into giving away sensitive information like passwords or credit card numbers.

  2. Malware: This is malicious software, including viruses and ransomware, that can damage systems, steal data, or lock files until a ransom is paid.

  3. Ransomware: A specific type of malware that locks access to a victim's data or threatens to publish it unless a ransom is paid.

  4. DDoS Attacks (Distributed Denial of Service): These attacks flood a website or network with traffic to make it unavailable to its intended users.

  5. Data Breaches: Unauthorized access to or exposure of sensitive information, often through hacking or negligence.

  6. Man-in-the-Middle Attacks: Here, attackers intercept communications between two parties to steal or manipulate the data.

  7. Insider Threats: Risks posed by employees or others within an organization who may misuse access to harm the organization.

  8. Zero-Day Exploits: These are attacks that target vulnerabilities in software that are unknown to the vendor and thus have no existing fix or patch.

 

Understanding and mitigating these threats is essential for protecting both personal and organizational data in the digital world.

Yes, small businesses are definitely at risk from cyberattacks. In fact, they can be more vulnerable for several reasons:

  1. Limited Resources: Small businesses often have fewer resources for cybersecurity, making them easier targets compared to larger organizations with more robust defenses.

  2. Less Awareness: Small business owners and employees might not be as aware of the latest cybersecurity threats and best practices.

  3. Valuable Data: Despite their size, small businesses can hold valuable data, like customer information, which is attractive to cybercriminals.

  4. Supply Chain Targets: Small businesses can be targeted as a way to gain access to larger companies. They might be part of a supply chain or network where breaching their less secure systems provides a pathway to larger, more lucrative targets.

  5. Complacency: There's often a misconception that small businesses are too small to be noticed by hackers, leading to complacency in security measures.

 

Due to these factors, it's crucial for small businesses to take cybersecurity seriously and implement appropriate measures to protect themselves.

It's recommended to change your passwords regularly, ideally every three to six months. However, more important than frequency is changing your passwords immediately if you suspect a breach or if there's a widespread security incident involving a service you use.

A strong password typically includes the following characteristics:

  1. Length: Aim for at least 12 characters. Longer passwords are generally more secure.
  2. Complexity: Use a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols.
  3. Unpredictability: Avoid predictable sequences or easily guessable information, like "12345", "password", or your birthdate.
  4. Uniqueness: Use a different password for each account to prevent a breach on one account from compromising others.

 

Additionally, consider using a password manager. These tools generate strong, unique passwords for each of your accounts and store them securely, so you don't have to memorize them all. They also make it easier to change passwords regularly.

To enhance your team's cybersecurity awareness, we offer a comprehensive training program that's both engaging and effective. Our training focuses on real-world scenarios and practical knowledge:

  1. Microlearning Episodes: Short, 3-4 minute sessions that are easy to digest and based on recent, real-world cyber threats​​.
  2. Behavioral Science Training: This aspect of our program uses short videos and character-based learning to teach what a hack 'feels' like, enhancing intuition against social engineering tactics​​.

 

Our approach turns each employee into a cyber defender​​, changing behavior in your organization to reduce cyber risk effectively​​. This comprehensive training ensures your team is not just aware but also actively participating in safeguarding your business from digital threats.

Our managed cybersecurity service stands out as a complete, integrated solution, not just a disjointed mix of tools. Utilizing technologies like SASE and UEBA, we efficiently detect and respond to both internal and external threats in real-time. Combined with our $500k Cyber Guarantee and a team of over 130 experts, we offer a future-proof security solution that significantly reduces your digital risk.

We cater to businesses across all industries, as every organization is susceptible to cyber threats. Our expertise particularly shines in assisting small to mid-sized enterprises, especially those with 50 to 5,000 employees, in achieving compliance with security regulations. While we do work with companies below 50 employees, these are typically within regulated industries, where our specialized knowledge becomes crucial.

Absolutely! We specialize in crafting customized cybersecurity plans tailored to each business's unique needs. The security evaluation is a critical first step, allowing us to identify any security gaps. From there, we develop a targeted strategy, which may include writing essential security policies to foster a security-minded culture or deploying advanced security solutions. Our focus is always on what best serves the specific requirements of your business.

Our Managed Security team is dedicated to providing 24/7/365 support, recognizing that cybersecurity threats don't adhere to regular schedules. Our Network Operation Center (NOC) services are generally available during standard business hours, Monday through Friday, but can be extended to 24/7 coverage if required. We tailor our support to meet the unique needs of each client, ensuring that your business has the protection it needs, whenever it needs it.

In the event of a potential security breach, our response is immediate. Our Managed Security service operates in real-time, monitoring user and entity behavior patterns to intercept threats as they emerge. This proactive approach, coupled with our constant vigilance, significantly increases our ability to prevent data breaches outright, which is a core aspect of our Cyber Guarantee.

Absolutely not. We believe in complete transparency, a core value at Simple Plan IT. Developing strong partnerships is fundamental to our service, and that means being upfront about costs. Rest assured, there are no hidden fees in our pricing structure.

The cost of starting with our services is tailored to your unique business needs. We don't offer one-size-fits-all packages because every business is different, with its own set of challenges and requirements. The cost depends on which combination of our six service offerings best suits your situation. We encourage a discovery call to discuss your specific needs and provide you with a customized, transparent quote.

Our focus is on proactive defense to prevent security incidents. If your business is currently experiencing a breach, we recommend engaging one of our specialized partners in post-breach analysis and forensics. Often, your cyber insurance provider will also have resources for this situation. Once the immediate crisis is managed and your network is secured, we can then implement our Managed Security services to fortify your defenses and prevent future incidents.

If you suspect a hack, act swiftly to mitigate potential damage. Immediately disconnect the affected devices from your network to prevent further spread. Change all passwords, especially for critical accounts, and monitor for any unusual activity. It’s also advisable to alert your IT team or cybersecurity partner right away. After addressing the immediate threat, consider reaching out to us. We specialize in proactive cybersecurity measures to prevent such incidents and can help strengthen your defenses against future attacks.

If you're noticing any of the following signs, it might be time for a cybersecurity audit: frequent system crashes or unusually slow network performance, unexpected pop-ups or suspicious software activity, incidents of phishing attempts or breaches in nearby businesses, and outdated or unpatched security software. Additionally, if it's been a while since your last security review, or if you've recently undergone significant changes in your IT infrastructure, an audit is a wise step. Our team can help conduct a thorough cybersecurity audit to identify vulnerabilities and recommend robust security solutions tailored to your business.

A cybersecurity audit with us starts with a preliminary security assessment, featuring 54 questions to identify major security vulnerabilities and gain an overview of your current security posture. This allows us to tailor our service recommendations effectively. For a more detailed audit, we conduct internal and external vulnerability scans, review security policies, interview staff to verify policy adherence, and, if necessary, perform a penetration test. Each step is designed to provide a comprehensive understanding of your cyber defenses and areas for enhancement.

Investing in cybersecurity is a cost-effective strategy in the long run for several reasons:

  1. Prevents Costly Breaches: Cybersecurity measures significantly reduce the risk of expensive data breaches, which can lead to direct financial losses, legal fees, and reputational damage.

  2. Enhances Efficiency: Robust security infrastructure prevents disruptions caused by cyberattacks, ensuring smooth and continuous business operations.

  3. Compliance and Trust: By adhering to regulatory standards, you avoid potential fines and build trust with clients, which is crucial for long-term business sustainability and growth.

 

In essence, investing in cybersecurity is about safeguarding your business's future, reputation, and financial stability.

Investing in professional cybersecurity services is vital due to:

  1. Staying Ahead of Threats: Cybersecurity experts continuously update defenses against the latest threats, keeping your business secure in a rapidly evolving digital landscape.
  2. Specialization: Unlike general IT teams, a dedicated cybersecurity company specializes in security. They have the expertise and resources focused solely on protecting against cyber threats.
  3. Advanced Tools and Techniques: Cybersecurity firms use advanced tools and techniques that are often not part of a standard IT setup, providing complete protection.
  4. Proactive Threat Intelligence: Cybersecurity firms are typically more proactive, constantly updating their strategies based on the latest threat intelligence, which might not be a priority for a regular IT team.
  5. Cost-Effectiveness: Preventing costly breaches and downtime, safeguarding your reputation and finances.

 

Professional cybersecurity is not just a service; it’s a crucial shield against the growing complexity and frequency of digital threats.

Our protocol for data breaches is centered on prevention through real-time security incident response. We collaborate with each client to develop a custom incident response plan tailored to their specific needs and resources. This plan dictates our actions in the event of a potential breach, ranging from immediate remediation to informing the client's IT team for further action. The approach depends on the client's in-house capabilities and industry-specific requirements, ensuring a response that is both effective and compliant with regulatory standards.

Our recommendation for data backup frequency aligns with industry best practices and the specific security regulations governing your business. The ideal frequency depends on various factors such as the nature of your data, the level of risk, and regulatory requirements. We advise a tailored approach to ensure your data backup strategy effectively meets your business's unique needs and compliance obligations.

We prioritize your data's confidentiality by focusing on user behavior, not accessing the data itself. Our approach involves monitoring how users interact with your data, such as access patterns, locations, and timings. We establish a baseline for normal behavior and vigilantly watch for deviations. For instance, if there's an unusual download of large data volumes, we take immediate action to halt and verify the activity with you. This method ensures we proactively safeguard your data while maintaining its confidentiality.

Staying up to date on the latest cybersecurity trends is a core part of our service. Our dedicated security team is immersed in this world, actively engaging with cybersecurity groups, FBI and government forums, and threat identification communities. Unlike typical IT teams, who may lack the time and resources, our specialists focus solely on cybersecurity, ensuring they’re always up-to-date with the rapidly evolving threat landscape. This specialization and dedication are what you benefit from when you partner with us.

Emerging cybersecurity threats to keep an eye on include sophisticated phishing attacks, ransomware targeting cloud services, and threats to IoT (Internet of Things) devices. Additionally, AI-driven attacks are becoming more prevalent, where cybercriminals use artificial intelligence to automate and refine their strategies. Deepfakes, which can be used for social engineering, and supply chain attacks, where attackers target less secure elements in the supply network, are also on the rise. It's essential to stay updated and vigilant as these threats evolve rapidly.

The rise of AI and machine learning is significantly transforming the landscape of cybersecurity. AI and machine learning enable more sophisticated and adaptive security measures, such as real-time threat detection, predictive analytics for potential vulnerabilities, and automated responses to incidents. However, these technologies also present new challenges, as cybercriminals may use them to devise more complex attacks. Therefore, the cybersecurity industry is continuously evolving, leveraging AI to stay ahead of threats while also addressing the complexities introduced by these advanced technologies.

Yes, the rapid advancement in technologies and tools, while beneficial, does introduce new vulnerabilities. Innovations like cloud computing, IoT devices, and remote work solutions expand the digital footprint of businesses, creating more entry points for cyber threats. These technologies often require specialized security strategies. It’s crucial for businesses to stay informed and adapt their cybersecurity measures accordingly to protect against these evolving risks.

Should you encounter any difficulties reaching our support team, or if the support provided does not meet your expectations, we encourage you to promptly reach out to your account manager. We are committed to ensuring you receive the quality service you deserve.

While we periodically host workshops, our primary focus is sharing a wealth of educational materials, practical tips, and the latest industry news through our social media channels. To stay informed about the latest in cybersecurity and technology, follow us and subscribe to our AI-driven newsletter. It's your gateway to staying ahead in the digital world.

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