Audit in Action: Your Blueprint to a Unified Security Approach

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Only Fortune 100s need to worry about cybersecurity, right? Unfortunately, this is a mindset that many individuals, small business owners, and even corporations believed. We now know that it simply isn’t the case. All data is valuable to attackers. As a matter of fact, often, an individual or small businesses’ data can be a gateway to larger organizations and even more sensitive data.The burden of responsibility of data security lands on practitioners and business owners to ensure their costumer's information is kept secure. For IT and cybersecurity professionals in the trenches of data security, you will often find ‘Swiss cheese’ coverage- an infrastructure with some protection, but serious gaps.But how can you begin to assess your security needs? It’s simple: the best place to start is with a security audit.For this blog, we worked with Cisco to give you a blueprint of how you can get started. Their experts said that you should choose a technology partner than help you take the first step. The benefit of an audit is clear: it’ll assess your networks, software, hardware, activity, and accessibility, ensuring all of your systems are in compliance. It can also help you determine which systems need to be replaced or updated. You may even discover unauthorized devices on your network you didn’t know existed.However, keep in mind that security audits can never truly paint the whole picture since networks are dynamic, making it especially important to run audits on a regular basis. It is from these scheduled audits that you will become more attuned to understanding when you need a ‘security tuneup and/or makeover.’Pro tip: With your technology partners, check and see if they offer “health checks,” “tune-ups” or another regular scanning service. This can make sure that as your business grows, your technology keeps up.

An Audit in Action

OK, you’re convinced. Maybe an audit is a good idea. But how do you get started? What technology partner should you pick? Cisco offers audits and has a series of videos chronicling audits at various businesses, from local dentists’ offices to government agencies.Looking to Season 1 of the Cisco IT Security Makeover series, we see that critical holes in Grosse Pointe Orthodontics’ network had left the business vulnerable to 144 ransomware attacks in the span of one week during their security audit.From this security audit, they discovered a disjointed range of coverage from various vendors, rather than the integrated, automated security portfolio it needed to remain secure and compliant.AGS, their managed service provider and TD Tech Solutions, the Cisco Distributor, working together realized in their audit of the network that while there is no silver bullet to security, a unified, full coverage approach is the best approach. This is the type of security solutions Cisco offers.

Why Cisco? Plus, how you can win:

Cisco integrates security across the network, endpoint, cloud, internet, and email for a more effective security posture that sees a threat once and protects against it everywhere. With an architecture of products designed to fit and work together. Cisco keeps organizations of all sizes safer, allowing them to respond faster and deliver automation. What’s more, once implemented you’ll start experiencing some much-needed peace of mind.We know you love a good giveaway. Tell Cisco your story and why you deserve an IT Security Makeover for your chance to be the next Security Star. If you're selected, you'll receive a complete Cisco Security Solution that integrates your security across the network, endpoints, cloud, internet, and email for more effective protection.The winner will get:

• A Cisco NGFW (ASA 5506-X with FirePOWER services including a TAMC license with a one-year subscription*
• Optional 90-day evaluation license for Cisco Umbrella, Cisco Cloud Email Security (up to 100 users), AMP for Endpoints (up to 50 users)
• A chance to meet Mike Storm, Cisco Cybersecurity Principal Engineer, as he visits your office to share your Security Makeover with the world

You can enter HERE.