What to Know About Written Information Security Plans (WISP)
Every business, regardless of size, should have a written information security plan (WISP). A WISP outlines the policies, procedures, and security controls for your company to ensure confidential information is protected. It also details how that information is protected within your organization and who is responsible for safeguarding all information.
More than 25 states in the United States including Massachusetts, California, Oregon, Texas, and Rhode Island require companies to have a WISP or similar alternative in place.
Why Data Security is a Business Decision, Not Just an IT Task
When you hear "data security," what's the first thing that pops into your head? A room full of blinking servers? A bunch of IT pros staring at code on their screens? For many business leaders, data security feels like something that only the tech team should worry about.
But here’s the reality: data security is just as much a business decision as it is an IT task. Why? Because the way you protect your data directly impacts your reputation, your customers' trust, and your ability to grow.
Let’s break it down.
Data Security 101: A Non-Techie Guide for Business Leaders
Protect Your Business Without the Tech Jargon
Data security is one of those topics that sounds complicated, but it doesn’t have to be. As a business leader, you don’t need to be a tech wizard to understand the basics. What you do need is a clear, simplified understanding of how to keep your business’s data safe so you can focus on what you do best: growing your company.
Let’s break down data security into simple, actionable concepts you can use right away. We’ve boiled it down into 12 quick insights that you can easily share or use as a checklist to boost your business’s security.
Microsoft Outage Impacting Outlook and Teams
It’s a special kind of relentless attack all business owners and managers face: the persistent, crazy, chaotic assault on your time and attention. No one is immune, and every business deals with it.
Some leaders handle the constant pressure on their attention brilliantly, keeping the team organized and highly productive. But most people struggle with this and feel crushed and overwhelmed by all the things they have to keep track of and do. This goes double if your business is in growth mode and not “standing still” or casually strolling through its existence.
A Sobering Reminder to Not Put Off Disaster Recovery
The destruction left in the wake of Hurricane Helene is unfathomable.
We all need to do whatever we can to help the region and its people recover and rebuild. And, we can take valuable lessons from this tragedy: being prepared and knowing where to focus your preparedness is crucial, no matter what part of the world you live in.
Security Alert: Windows Update Causing Severe Issues
Have you seen the “Blue Screen of Death” on your computer today?
The scary reality is that this may be due to a major issue with a recent Windows update that crashed your system, and it could stop it from functioning altogether.
Scam of the Week: Watch Out for Election-Themed Scams
In this week's scam, cybercriminals are taking advantage of the upcoming United States elections to try and steal your personal information and money. The scams vary slightly and involve fake text messages, social media posts, phone calls, and more.
Security Alert – Google Chrome Alert
Have you seen the recent news about how hackers have learned to bypass Google Chrome’s latest security updates?
If you or anyone in your organization uses Google Chrome as a browser, you could be at huge risk.
Scam of the Week: The Fake Funeral Livestream
Unfortunately, cybercriminals will go to great lengths to try to trick you and steal your information. In this week’s scam, cybercriminals are stealing photos and personal details of recently deceased people from social media.
Scam of the Week: Pastejack Attack
In this week’s scam, cybercriminals are trying to trick you into running malicious code using PowerShell, a powerful tool for executing commands on your computer. This technique is known as “pastejacking”, which involves copying and pasting malicious code into your computer and then allowing it to run.
Scam of the Week: CrowdStrike Outage Phishing Scams
Recently, a mass IT outage caused confusion and chaos. A buggy software update deployed by the cybersecurity company CrowdStrike impacted Windows computers worldwide. Systems were affected globally, resulting in delayed flights, business closures, and more.
Scam of the Week: Don’t Medal With Olympic Scams
With the Paris Olympics beginning this week, be on the lookout for phishing emails and text messages pointing you to fake Olympics-branded websites or offering discounted merchandise or tickets. Cybercriminals will take advantage of all the excitement around the Olympics to try to steal your personal information or money.
Scam of the Week: These Prime Deals Are Too Good to Be Real
Amazon Prime Day is this week, and there are plenty of deals for you to take advantage of. However, cybercriminals are also looking to turn these deals to their advantage. In this particular scam, cybercriminals have created fake websites that look very similar to the real Amazon website.
Scam of the Week: Be on Patrol for These Fake Calls
In this week’s scam, cybercriminals are impersonating U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agents. The scammers call you and claim that CBP has intercepted drugs or money shipments that are addressed to you.
Scam of the Week: Malware Office Suite
“You get what you pay for,” and this week’s scam is no exception. Cybercriminals are distributing a “free” pirated version of Microsoft Office across torrenting websites. The catch is that it’s actually malware. If you download and install it, the malware can begin harvesting your personal data.
Scam of the Week: These Banking Emails Are Counterfeit
In this week’s scam, cybercriminals are sending out phishing emails that claim to be from many different banking organizations. By impersonating different banks, the cybercriminals hope to trick even more people into clicking on malicious links.
Scam of the Week: Government Phishing
Cybercriminals like to manipulate people into acting on impulse because anyone can fall for this trick, even government officials. In this week’s scam, a Russian hacking group is targeting members of the Polish government with an enticing phishing email.
Scam of the Week: Cheaters Never Win
Cybercriminals often find creative ways to spread malware, and this recent scam is no exception. They are posting malicious links in the comment sections of video gaming websites and forums. If you click on one of the links, it will download a .zip file for a program called Cheat Lab.
Scam of the Week: Tollway Turmoil
Scams that occur over text messaging are called smishing scams. This week, cybercriminals are using smishing to target motorists. They send a fake text message claiming that you have a toll due for driving on the Pennsylvania Turnpike.