System 15

10 steps to prevent a data breach. Data breaches can harm your business. They can cost you money and trust. Let’s look at how to stop them from happening. What is a data breach? A data breach is when someone steals information. This can be names, emails, or credit card numbers. It’s bad for your customers and your business. Why should you care about data breaches? Data breaches are terrible things. They will cost you money. Perhaps your customers will stop trusting you. You may even be fined. It is vital to try to prevent them from occurring in the first place. How do you prevent a data breach? Here are 10 steps to help keep your data safe: 1. Use strong passwords Use long, complex passwords that are hard to guess. Include letters, numbers, and symbols. Do not use the same password for all of your accounts. Use a password manager to securely store passwords. 2. Update your software Always update your computer programs. Updates usually patch security holes. Have your computer set to update automatically. Outsource these tasks to a managed IT service provider so they have oversight of your network and devices. 3. Train your employees Educate your staff on data security. Teach them how to identify fake emails. Inform them to not click on suspicious links. Use phishing simulation testing where possible to further educate employees. 4. Use encryption Encryption scrambles your data. Only people who have a special key can read it. Use encryption on important information. 5. Limit access to data Not everyone needs to know everything. Only give people access to what they need for their work. 6. Create backups of your data Create copies of your important information. Keep these copies in a safe location. Ensure copies of data are also securely stored offsite. This helps in case anyone steals or destroys your data. 7. Use a firewall A firewall acts like a guard for your computer. It blocks the bad things from getting inside. Always ensure the firewall is turned on. 8. Be careful with emails Almost every data breach starts with a trick email. use caution when opening emails from people you don’t know. Never click on links unless you are sure that they are safe. 9. Protect your Wi-Fi Use a strong password on your Wi-Fi. Do not leave the default password on. 10. Have a plan Prepare a plan if, in case of a data breach. Know whom to contact and what you should do. Do a practice drill so you are ready if there is an intrusion. Even with good plans, data breaches can still happen. If one does, take action quickly. Inform your customers about the breach ASAP. Fix the problem that led to the breach. Then, use what you learned from that mistake to make your security better.

Is your school or college meeting DfE digital and technology standards? Schools and colleges have complex IT infrastructures, providing numerous opportunities for cyber attacks and security incidents. To help schools keep up to date, the Department for Education (DfE) have published several standards that schools and colleges must meet for cyber security baselines and protecting user accounts. Much like the Cyber Essentials standard for businesses, the DfE standards are designed for schools to address the risks associated with their hardware, software and data. By reviewing and addressing these risks, schools can understand how to keep students, staff and information safe. Many schools are unaware of their requirements to meet these standards. We frequently have conversations with school leaders, SLT / SMT to raise awareness of their responsibilities and to prepare roadmaps to implement solutions to meet DfE requirements. More information can be seen on our blog https://lnkd.in/eXt35rf3

This year marks the end of support for Windows 10. Released in 2015, Windows 10 is still the most popular desktop operating system in the world, accounting for a market share of around 60% as of November 2024. All good things must come to an end however, and Microsoft will stop supporting Windows 10 on October 14th 2025. 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗺𝗲𝗮𝗻? When manufacturers end support, they will stop providing the following: • Security fixes and updates • Monthly patches • Bug fixes • Technical support • Feature updates • Time zone updates 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗺𝗲? Windows 10 will continue to run on your desktop, laptop or tablet. However, using an operating system that is out of date and no longer supported means it is more vulnerable to security risks, viruses and ransomware. Additionally, your organisation may no longer be compliant with regulatory requirements, may be in breach of company insurance clauses and you will fail any Cyber Essentials assessment. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗲𝗻𝗲𝗳𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗼𝗳 𝘂𝗽𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝗼 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗼𝘄𝘀 𝟭𝟭 Microsoft released Windows 11 back in 2021 as the successor to Windows 10. For the past few years, the majority of Windows laptops and desktops have been supplied with Windows 11 for future-proofing. If your organisation is still running Windows 10 devices, we would recommend moving to Windows 11 before the October 2025 deadline. Windows 11 offers many benefits over Windows 10, including: • Improved performance • Enhanced security features • Simple design and use • Integration with Android apps • Improved multitasking • Redesigned File Explorer • Improved compatibility with new hardware and software • Improved virtual desktops • Latest support and features 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗺𝘆 𝗼𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀? There are 3 options available to transition to Windows 11: 1. Check if your current device can be upgraded to Windows 11 2. Purchase a new Windows 11 device 3. Enrol in the Microsoft Extended Security Updates (ESU) program It may be possible to upgrade your device from Windows 10 to Windows 11. We use automated software tools to provide an overview of client devices which helps in the planning process for upgrading or migrating to Windows 11. The tool saves time and money and produces a summary report showing device upgrade suitability. If your organisation is looking to replace laptops, PCs and tablets, we are able to supply new Windows 11 hardware. We can also pre-configure the devices ready for use within your organisation. For those organisations not able to meet the October 2025 deadline, Microsoft have provided an ESU program. This service allows you to purchase security updates for another 12 months to keep your Windows 10 devices secure, while you transition to Windows 11. Get in touch with our team if you'd like to discuss an IT roadmap for securely migrating to Windows 11.

We are excited to announce that Ben Gardner has been promoted to Service Manager within System 15. As Service Manager, Ben will lead our IT services team to ensure we continue delivering excellent customer service. Additionally, he will be responsible for incident and problem management, with oversight of all support work and IT projects across the company. Join us in celebrating Ben's well-earned promotion - we wish him every success!

We are proud to announce our sponsorship with Old Cryptians RFC. It is truly rewarding to give back to the community and to support the continued growth and development of local clubs.

Does your organisation have a clearly defined technology roadmap, with planned budgetary costs? This is one of many features included within our managed IT service plans.

Continuing our focus on cyber awareness this month, does your company have appropriate cyber liability insurance in place? Everyone relies on IT within their organisation to some degree, and a cyber incident can cause significant losses relating to information, reputation, business downtime and financial damage. Cyber liability insurance covers the losses when you're a victim of a cyber incident such as a ransomware attack, phishing or data breach. Policies can vary greatly in their scope of cover. Liability, electronic data, legal or investigative fees, loss of income, extortion losses and reputational damage are some of the key things you need to be aware of when choosing a cyber liability insurance policy, and not all insurers will cover every item on the list. The majority of organisations have insurance to protect themselves from fire or theft, however only 1 in 5 (17%) of small businesses have a cyber insurance policy.

If you use DrayTek routers within your organisation, please be aware multiple security vulnerabilities have been discovered under CVE-2024-41583 to CVE-2024-41596 https://lnkd.in/eQ67Vq9v. October's cyber security month is a great opportunity to review your existing processes to ensure your organisation is appropriately protected. #cybersecurity

This month is National Cyber Security Awareness Month, which is an international campaign created by the US Department of Homeland Security. The aim of the campaign is to promote cyber security best practices using simple and effective steps. It helps to remind everyone how to remain safe online, how to protect personal data, systems and organisations. At System 15 we take information security seriously. We help our clients improve their understanding of the importance of cyber security through security awareness training courses. The courses are engaging, dynamic, and most importantly short and memorable. They cover items such as how to spot phishing emails, keeping safe online, how to securely share information, creating passwords and securing devices. The video below shows some of the benefits of cyber security awareness training. Please get in touch if you would like more information.

Thanks Alison Bassett and Pure Offices for hosting. Great to meet some of our neighbours and we hope there were some useful takeaways from our cyber security talk