Cyber-readiness Strategy 11: Reduce Supply Chain Vulnerabilities

Nearly two-thirds of firms (65%) have experienced cyber-related issues in their supply chain in the past year. As a part of your cyber readiness plan, you must deploy protocols to evaluate and monitor the security of your supplier networks and third-party vendors.

The supply chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and with the increasing complexity of global supply chains, that weak link is becoming increasingly difficult to find and fix. Cybersecurity threats can come from anywhere in the world, and they can have a devastating impact on businesses of all sizes. That’s why it’s so important to include reducing supply chain vulnerabilities into your cyber-readiness plan. By taking steps to secure your supply chain, you can help protect your business from the devastating effects of a cyberattack.

Here are 7 ways to reduce your supply chain cybersecurity vulnerabilities:

1.     Understand Your Supply Chain

To reduce supply chain cybersecurity vulnerabilities, it is important to first understand your supply chain fully. By understanding the different components of your supply chain, you can better identify potential cyber risks and take steps to mitigate them. Make sure to conduct a thorough analysis of your supply chain including all your upstream and downstream partners, so that you can identify any potential weak points throughout the chain.

2.     Train Your Employees

This first place to start reducing your supply chain cybersecurity vulnerabilities is to train your employees. Employees should be trained on how to identify potential risks and how to mitigate them. They should also be aware of the different security controls that you have in place. By educating your employees, you can help reduce the risk of supply chain disruptions and keep your business running smoothly. If you are not comfortable doing this in-house, look for a third-party that has expertise in cyber-security training especially with supply chain in mind.

3.     Educate Your Suppliers

Another important step in reducing supply chain cybersecurity vulnerabilities is to educate your suppliers. Suppliers should be made aware of the different security controls that you have in place. They should also be trained on how to identify potential risks and how to mitigate them. You should look at cyber-security standards like NIST 800-161 and ISO 28000:2022, so that you have a common language and set of standards to use in your discussions with your suppliers.

By educating your suppliers, you can help reduce the risk of supply chain disruptions and keep your business running smoothly.

4.     Conduct Risk Assessments

Another important step in reducing supply chain cybersecurity vulnerabilities is to conduct risk assessments. By identifying potential risks, you can take steps to mitigate them. Risk assessments should be conducted on a regular basis – usually annually or semi-annually – so that you can keep up-to-date on the latest threats even as your supply chain changes. Risk assessments can be conducted with in-house personnel, but third-parties are often used to make certain that ‘new eyes’ a looking at the supply chain systems periodically.

5.     Implement Security Controls

Once you have identified potential risks, you can then take steps to mitigate them by implementing security controls. There are a variety of different security controls that you can implement, depending on the specific needs of your organization’s supply chain.

For instance, if you are moving computers or other smart devices through your supply chain, you need to take into consideration the patching and updating of those systems if they have been sitting in inventory for a long time. You should also consider the proper handling of those systems if they are returned for repairs. The systems should be air-locked until it is determined that they are not a risk to your organization.

6.     Have an Incident Response Plan

In the event of a supply chain disruption, it is important to have an incident response plan in place. This plan should include steps that you will take to mitigate the impact of the disruption. It should also include a list of contacts that you will need to contact in the event of a disruption. A complete Incident Response Plan will cover all aspects of your operation, not just your supply chain, but the supply chain has historically been left out of security planning. As modern supply chains become heavily digitized and as the items in the supply chain increasingly have software components to them, the Incident Response Plan needs to take the supply chain into account.

7.     Use a Cyber-aware Third Party Logistics Provider

If you are not sure how to reduce supply chain cybersecurity vulnerabilities, you may want to consider getting help from a third party logistics provider. A third party logistics provider can help you with a variety of different aspects of your supply chain. They can help you conduct risk assessments, implement security controls, and train your employees. By getting help from a third party logistics provider, you can effectively reduce supply chain cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

Now that you know more about how to reduce supply chain cybersecurity vulnerabilities, you can take steps to protect your business. By taking these steps, you can help reduce the impact of a supply chain disruption and keep your business running smoothly. Cybersecurity is an important issue in the supply chain that should be given the attention it needs. By taking a proactive approach, you can help reduce the risk of supply chain disruptions and keep your business running smoothly.

If you are not sure how to start assessing or remediating your supply chain cybersecurity vulnerabilities, you may want to consider getting help from a security-aware third party logistics provider. By working with a third-party logistics provider that has strong cyber-security skills, you can have confidence that you can effectively reduce your supply chain cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

If you have any questions or would like more information about reducing supply chain cybersecurity vulnerabilities, please contact us. We would be happy to help you protect your business from the many threats that exist in today’s digitized supply chain. If you would like more information or have questions about how strong your cyber-readiness is, please contact Montra at sales@montra.io.

Benefits of Microsoft 365 and Azure Active Directory for Identity Management

Identity management is critical for businesses today. In a world where more and more employees are working remotely and accessing corporate data from a variety of devices, it’s important to have a robust system in place to manage and protect employee identities. That’s where Microsoft 365 and Azure Active Directory come in.

When used together, Microsoft 365 and Azure Active Directory provide a complete solution for identity management in organizations. Microsoft 365 provides the productivity and collaboration tools that users need, while Azure Active Directory handles the single sign-on and security features. This offers several benefits, including a consistent experience for users across all applications, enhanced security through centralized control.

Azure Active Directory

Azure Active Directory is a cloud-based identity management service that provides single sign-on (SSO) capabilities and robust security features. It offers several capabilities, including an enterprise identity service that provides single sign-on, multifactor authentication, and conditional access.

Microsoft 365

Microsoft 365 is a cloud-based productivity and collaboration suite that is the most popular SaaS platform in use today. It includes the Microsoft Office applications, Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams. It offers several capabilities, including email, calendaring, contacts, tasks, and document management.

Using Microsoft 365 and Azure Active Directory for identity management provides several benefits:

1. Centralized Management of Workforce Identities

Organizations that use Microsoft 365 and Azure Active Directory can manage their workforce identities in a centralized way. This means that they can provide their employees with a single set of credentials to access all the applications and services that they need, both on-premises and in the cloud. This makes it much easier for administrators to manage user accounts and reduces the chances of users forgetting their passwords or having their accounts hacked.

2. Consistent User Experience across Applications

When users sign into Microsoft 365 with their Azure Active Directory credentials, they will have the same experience across all the applications that they use. This includes the Office applications, Outlook, OneDrive, SharePoint, and Teams. They will also be able to access their files and documents from any device, including their mobile phones.

This makes it easier for users to access the information and resources they need, regardless of which application they are using. Additionally, it reduces the need for training on multiple applications.

3. Enhanced Security through Centralized Access Control

Azure Active Directory provides organizations with the ability to control access to their applications and resources in a centralized way. This includes the ability to set up multifactor authentication and conditional access rules, making it easier to monitor and control access to resources.

This enhanced security helps to protect corporate data and makes it more difficult for hackers to gain access to sensitive information. Additionally, it reduces the chances of users accidentally disclosing corporate data.

4. Reduced IT Costs and Increased Efficiency

M365 and Azure AD offer reduced IT costs and increased efficiency by enabling organizations to manage all identities in one place. This is because administrators can manage users in a centralized way, eliminating the need to maintain multiple user accounts across different applications. This makes it easier to provision and deprovision users, as well as to monitor and control access to resources.

Additionally, Azure Active Directory integrates with the Microsoft 365 suite of products, making it easier to deploy and manage. This integration can help to reduce the amount of time and effort required to manage user accounts.

Microsoft 365 and Azure Active Directory are a valuable combination to give organizations of any size the ability to manage identities. While the capabilities provided are great, the ability to cost-effectively leverage these capabilities can be beyond the scope of even the largest IT organizations.

At Montra, we understand the importance of workforce identity management and security, which is why we have spent time developing our own software that leverages the core capabilities of M365 and Azure AD to ease the use of it for all IT organizations. If you have any questions about our identity management services and software, please contact us at sales@montra.io.

The Top 5 Benefits of Azure Active Directory

Are you looking for a comprehensive identity management solution? If so, Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) may be the perfect option for you. Azure AD is a cloud-based service that provides identity and access management for your business. It offers a variety of features and benefits that can help improve security, simplify management, and reduce costs. Azure AD is the technology that allows organizations to connect their on-premises Active Directory to Azure to provide a single sign-on (SSO) experience for their users. 

There are many benefits of using Azure AD, but in this blog post, we will focus on what we see as the top 5 benefits:

1. Increased security and compliance

With Azure AD, you can implement robust security measures to protect your data and meet compliance requirements. Azure AD provides features such as multi-factor authentication and conditional access that can help you secure your data and comply with industry regulations. 

Azure AD can also help you meet your compliance needs by providing comprehensive reporting and auditing capabilities. You can use Azure AD to: 

  • Enforce strong authentication policies 
  • Restrict access to sensitive data 
  • Monitor user activity 
  • Generate reports on user activity 

Azure AD can be used to secure on-premises applications and resources, as well as cloud-based applications and resources. These features can help you keep your data safe and comply with industry regulations.

2. Single Sign-On (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Azure AD helps improve security by providing Single Sign-On (SSO) and multi-factor authentication (MFA) – making it easy to manage user identities and access control. SSO allows users to access all their applications with one set of credentials. This can help improve security by reducing the number of passwords that users must remember. MFA provides an additional layer of security by requiring users to confirm their identity with a second factor, such as a phone call or text message. 

Azure AD also enables administrators to manage user identities and roles, as well as configure security settings for their organizations. Azure AD offers a variety of security features, such as password policies and activity monitoring, that can help you keep your users and your data safe.

3. Central Management of Applications and Users

Azure AD can simplify management by providing a central location to manage all your users and applications. You can use Azure AD to create and manage user accounts, assign permissions, and control access to applications. Azure AD also provides a self-service password reset feature that can help reduce IT support costs since password resets are the number one help desk request.

4. Reduced costs

Azure AD is a cost-effective solution that helps organizations save time and money by simplifying your IT infrastructure. Azure AD is its pay-as-you-go pricing model. With this pricing model, you only pay for what you use, which can be a great way to save money on your Azure AD deployment. 

Azure AD also reduces cost by eliminating the need for on-premises infrastructure. This can help save you money on licensing as well as support since cloud-based services are more cost-effective for third parties to support for you.

5. Increased flexibility and scalability

Azure AD is a cloud-based service. This makes Azure AD highly scalable, so it is easy to grow your user base as your business needs change. It also means if your company is moving more toward hybrid work, then Azure AD services will be delivered to your users with great performance no matter where they may be. No need to manage a complex virtual private network (VPN) to get users onto the same network as the on-premises AD instance. 

Azure Active Directory is a comprehensive identity, application, and resource management solution that offers broad features and benefits. If you are looking for an identity management solution that is well-proven and has connectivity to a broad range of applications and services, Azure AD may be the right option for you. 

While powerful, Azure AD is still a bit unapproachable by most users. This is where our team of experts at Montra can help. We offer a variety of software and services, including our own software, Montra VIA, which leverages Azure AD to provide easy to leverage workforce and application management capabilities to companies of any size. Email us at sales@montra.io to learn more about how we can help you with your identity management needs. 

Laptop Security Best Practices

Laptops are a valuable asset for the workforce of companies of any size. They allow employees to stay connected while on the go and can are critical tools to accomplish work quickly and effectively. When work laptops contain important data and client information, it’s essential to take measures to keep them secure. Below are some of the essential steps you can take to protect your laptop from theft and keep your data safe.

Physical Security 

Laptop security begins with physical security. Always keep your laptop in a safe place when you’re not using it. If you’re carrying it with you, make sure it’s in a secure bag that thieves can’t easily access. When traveling, never leave your laptop unattended in a public space, and make sure to always keep it with you. 

System Password

It’s also important to protect your laptop with a strong system password. Use a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols to create a password that would be difficult for someone to guess. Avoid using easily guessed words like “password” or your name. You should also change your password periodically to further reduce the risk of it being guessed with a brute force approach. 

Security Software 

In addition to physical protection and local access protection, it’s essential to take steps to protect yourself when you connect your laptop to the Internet. Be sure to install cybersecurity software on your laptop and keep it up to date. The most sophisticated software is called endpoint detect & respond (EDR). The best EDR software will not only protect you from known viruses and ransomware attacks but will also detect odd behavior and respond to it immediately. 

Personal Awareness

Not all security can be handled purely by software smarts, people need to practice good cyber behaviors online to keep their system and their data safe. Avoid clicking on links or opening attachments from unknown sources, which can surreptitiously load malware or ransomware onto your laptop. When using public WiFi networks, be sure to use Virtual Private Network (VPN) software to encrypt all your activity. This prevents other lurking on the network from seeing your passwords and other private information on the network. 

Laptops are a valuable asset and a potentially weak link in your company’s security chain/ They should be protected with the best security practices. At Montra, we understand the importance of data security and have put measures in place to protect the information of our customers and their users. We offer have software and services to help you secure your laptops and other devices, secure your workforce’s identities, and secure your company’s data. If you have any questions about our security measures or how to protect your company’s laptops, please don’t hesitate to email us at sales@montra.io. 

Cyber-readiness Strategies 9 and 10: Passwords and Insurance

It’s becoming increasingly difficult to keep up with the cyber security threats out there. From ransomware and phishing to malicious insiders and business email compromises, there are many dangers lurking in the digital world that can affect your organization. To stay safe, it’s important to have a robust cyber readiness strategy in place. This starts with making sure your employees are aware of the threats and know how to protect themselves, but it also includes implementing technology solutions and procedures that can help you mitigate or prevent attacks. In our prior installment of this series, we touched on Continuous Network Intelligence and Security Awareness Training. Keep reading for strategies #9 and #10; Combating the Password Crisis and Don’t Skip Insurance.

Combat the Password Crisis 

In today’s fully connected world, passwords are the first line of defense against cyber-attacks. However, they are also often the softest target for attacks. This is because many people use weak or easily guessed passwords, and they often reuse them across multiple accounts. This makes it easy for hackers to gain access to your systems if they can just crack one password. To combat this, it’s important to have strong password policies in place. This includes using a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters, as well as changing passwords regularly. This can be managed by policy on many systems so that users are forced to use strong passwords and unique passwords across systems. For some systems, these controls cannot be set, but alerts can be triggered so that IT staff will get notified when users set their passwords poorly. 

When users are forced to use difficult and unique passwords, it’s also critical to use a password manager to help users keep track of all their different login credentials. This will make it easier for your users to comply with the password policies. Some desktop browsers have a basic password manager built-in and third-party software can also be used that provides additional features like secure password sharing within groups. 

Don’t Skip the Insurance 

No matter how well you prepare, there’s always a chance that your organization could be the victim of a cyber-attack. This is why it’s so important to have insurance in place. Cyber insurance can help cover the costs of an attack, including business interruption, data recovery, and legal fees. It can also help with reputational damage control if your organization’s name is dragged through the mud. 

Cyber-insurance is a relatively new area of business insurance, so there are a wide variety of cyber insurance carriers with different underwriting policies. It is important to do your research and find one that fits your organization’s needs and that is cost-effective. It is also helpful to work with cyber experts, who can help you make some small changes to your IT operation that can have a big impact on your cyber insurance costs. Implementing multi-factor authentication across all your applications and using DNS Security can have a positive impact on your risk scoring with an insurance carrier. 

These are just two more of the many things you can do to improve your cyber readiness strategy. Stay tuned for our next, and final installment, where we’ll be covering strategies #11 and #12; Reduce Supply Chain Vulnerabilities and Deploying a Multi-Layer Security Strategy. If you would like more information or have questions about how strong your cyber-readiness is, please contact Montra at sales@montra.io.

Three Tips to Improve HR and IT Process Integration

When it comes to discussing employee onboarding and offboarding there are two main players who are involved in the process, HR and IT. Often HR and IT professionals find themselves at odds with each other because their daily workflows are so different and there is often little understanding of that between the departments. However, technology has come a long way and there are now systems in place that can assist with the integration of employee onboarding, offboarding and other workforce processes. Here are Montra’s top tips to ensure a successfully integrated HR and IT onboarding/offboarding process: 

1.  Set Regular Communication Schedules 

Schedule regular check-ins between the two department heads to ensure both teams are on the same page. A commonly heard complaint from IT professionals is that they are not included in the on/offboarding process until the very end and that teams are not working together to create a seamless transition for employees. As with any relationship, communication is key to success. When it comes to HR and IT integration, clear and concise communication will go a long way. Making sure both teams are aware of deadlines and expectations will help to avoid any stressful surprises down the road. 

2. Automate Reminders 

Automating tasks and reminders in the onboarding/offboarding processes is a great way to improve efficiency and accuracy across the board. Whether it is with email or more sophisticated systems, automated reminder notifications can minimize communication delay and ensure that longer lead time processes like background checks and laptop procurement are able to get started as quickly as possible in the process. 

3. Use Technology to Integrate 

There are several HR and IT software integration solutions on the market. They are often too complex to implement for most companies – requiring external consultants to implement. Montra’s VIA EX software is designed with the mid-market in mind. EX is workforce management software that helps businesses manage the IT aspects of onboarding and offboarding. Implementation is straightforward in most modern HRIS. VIA EX does everything from user account creation across multiple applications to managing the laptop and phone ordering processes and even enables employee mass notifications. 

By using these tips, your HR and IT departments can work together seamlessly to ensure a smooth onboarding and offboarding experience for your employees. By integrating the software into your company’s current HR and IT systems, you can improve communication between these two vital groups and make your business run smoother. 

If you are interested in learning more about the VIA EX software or would like to try it for yourself, please email us at sales@montra.io. We would be happy to answer any of your questions and discuss how the software could benefit your business.