Tag Archives: employee web use

Understanding Employee Internet Monitoring: Insights from Cyfin

In today’s digital workplace, managing how employees use the internet is crucial for several reasons:

Network Security:

  • Why it Matters: Malicious websites can expose your network to cyber threats.
  • What Cyfin Does: Our system identifies and blocks access to high-risk sites, protecting your company’s data.

Productivity Enhancement:

  • Why it Matters: Excessive non-work-related browsing can decrease productivity.
  • What Cyfin Does: We provide insights into time spent on different activities, helping you foster a more focused work environment.

Web Application Usage:

  • Why it Matters: Unauthorized app usage can lead to data leaks or reduced productivity.
  • What Cyfin Does: Monitor and manage which applications are used, ensuring they align with business needs.

Policy Compliance:

  • Why it Matters: Clear internet usage policies protect both the company and employees.
  • What Cyfin Does: We help ensure everyone follows these policies, promoting a fair and secure online work culture.

Training & Optimization:

  • Why it Matters: Educating employees on optimal internet use can significantly boost efficiency.
  • What Cyfin Does: Our analytics tools provide data to tailor training programs that enhance digital literacy and productivity.

Key Takeaways:

  • Monitoring isn’t about mistrust; it’s about creating a safer, more productive digital workspace.
  • Data-driven insights can lead to better policies and practices.
  • Employee education on internet usage can transform how your team interacts with digital tools.

For businesses looking to balance security, productivity, and employee well-being, understanding and implementing effective internet monitoring is essential.

#EmployeeInternetMonitoring #CyberSecurityEducation #WorkplaceProductivity #DigitalWorkplace #Cyfin

Find Out More

Are you leaving your small business Web-use security door open?

There is so much to be concerned with when running a small business. Economic uncertainty, the cost of health insurance benefits, regulatory burdens, keeping mission-critical operations running–all add up to a stressful experience. Now security concerns include more than just locking the doors; it means everything digital too. And the risks? With ransomware, phishing, insider threats, unsanctioned cloud apps, BYOD . . . lets just say, the Internet usage risks are probably even higher than the front door being left open . . . wide open.

Many small and midsized businesses (SMBs) are without full-time IT departments or even full-time IT personnel, making them a prime target for breaches. But SMBs tend to think they don’t have the resources to handle this type of security, whether it be the financial consideration, personnel needed, or when hardware is preferred, limited space constraints. Since hackers know this, SMBs have to be proactive when it comes to Web-use security–nowadays, even more so than corporations.

The connection between the human and the Internet is a weak link, making it one of the leading access points into a system for a hacker. Whether it’s from the employee clicking a Web link in an e-mail, clicking a malicious ad, or sharing company information with a cloud service, make sure to protect the business by managing that employee-Internet connection. Find a solution that allows you to easily and proactively monitor and secure your employees’ Web activity. Your business is unique–finding a way to solve these issues and concerns will take a unique solution.

A few tips for your Web-use security solution search:

  1. Find a vendor who will spend the time with you. The cyber world has its own language. It’s important to have a human being on the other end of the phone during the sales process, in customer service, and when you need technical support . . . yup, they still have human beings in technical support . . . go figure! Get with a company who wants to talk to you!
  2. Of course, it doesn’t help if that vendor doesn’t have what you need so make sure you list the top security priorities for your business. Do you want to filter access to certain Web sites or categories such as social media, or do you want to limit time that an employee may spend on one site? Are you are more concerned with your guest Wi-Fi and BYOD or throttling bandwidth use? Don’t get sold on something that doesn’t meet at least your primary concerns. One solution does not always fit all . . . in today’s cybersecurity world you need to focus on your specific business concerns. Just because an expensive, large scale, all-in-one network security solution or firewall has a Web-use add-on tool does not mean it will give you the pertinent, granular detail and control that you need to protect your mission-critical operations.
  3. Ask questions. The vendor should understand that you excel at what you do, not what they do. Don’t be intimidated by the security subject. Even those of us in this business spend a lot of time keeping up with the fast pace of cybersecurity. No question is unnecessary. If you think about it, then it is important to you and should be to the vendor too. Refer to Tip #1!
  4. Last tip for today . . . solutions come in many shapes and sizes. Don’t settle for something that doesn’t fit your business. Your business is special and unique. Your solution should fit and work in your environment without you constantly having to justify it and make it fit in.

Wavecrest can, and wants to, help you!

Wavecrest provides Filtering and User Behavior Reporting solutions that fit your business! Find out more about our Cyfin and CyBlock deployments today. As a customer-centric company, Wavecrest focuses on the needs of each customer. Let us help secure your business with a solution that fits every business size, type, and configuration.

About Wavecrest

Trusted for over 25 years, Wavecrest Computing, headquartered in historic downtown Melbourne, FL, has provided commercial business and government clients with reliable, accurate Web-use management and User Behavior Analytic products since 1996. Managed Service Providers, IT specialists, HR professionals, and business managers trust Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products to manage employee Internet usage — managing and reporting on cloud services, reducing liability risks, improving productivity, saving bandwidth, and controlling costs. Wavecrest has commercial and government clients worldwide. For more information on the company, products, and partners, visit https://www.wavecrest.net.

Really? Is it really time to think about holiday shopping? Already?!

Manage Holiday Web Usage with CyBlock

Yes–now is the time. The holidays are right around the corner and definitely require attention now so your business can prepare for the increase in Web usage and the associated risks. There are many reasons for your business to pay close attention to Internet activity at this time of year (and all year). But there is one primary focus that could easily help with all the cyber risks to your business–managing the natural human vulnerability that cyber thieves take advantage of.

Did you know that most breaches are initially caused by employee error? “Ninety-two percent of all incidents are, and 84 percent of all data breaches were, unintentional or inadvertent in nature,” states an article from iapp.org. No matter what kind of data loss or breach it is, human error likely played a very important role.

Shopping season can bring out even more human vulnerabilities than usual. Malicious Web sites can look real and carry what looks like legitimate product offerings, advertising can be more enticing with hard-to-resist discounts, and e-mails can come from legitimate e-mail addresses hacked by these talented criminals. Humans’ emotional nature can make it hard to resist when we are all looking for that special or hard-to-get gift. It is important to make sure your business–and your employees–are protected by an easy-to-setup solution that is comprehensive and proactive.

This is easier than you think. Access to a comprehensive Web management solution will allow you to manage usage in a way that suits your unique business philosophy. This includes whether you want to allow or restrict access to certain Web sites at a particular time of day, monitor usage with reporting features by analyzing trends and tracking usage, or just meet compliance and regulation requirements.

This time of year, it is important to spend some extra time paying attention to your organization’s Web use. But Web-use management should be part of your business process and security all year round. Find a solution that is flexible enough to grow or change with you throughout the year, and for this time of year … let them shop … and know you are still being proactive and secure.

Cyfin® provides advanced User Behavior Analytics and Reporting for a wide variety of gateway devices and log file formats. Comprehensive yet easy to use, its customized reporting capabilities supply audience-specific information with reliable metrics, easy-to-read reporting dashboards, manager-ready detailed audit reports, and Smart Engine analytics. Cyfin is available in various deployment options: Cyfin Virtual Appliance and Cyfin Forensic.

CyBlock® Employee Web Filtering and Monitoring Solutions provide advanced Web filtering, threat protection, comprehensive employee reporting, Smart Engine analytics, easy-to-use admin and manager portals, and more. Customers can easily configure CyBlock to monitor and manage compliance with their usage policies. CyBlock is available in various deployment options: CyBlock Virtual Appliance, CyBlock Cloud, and CyBlock Hybrid.

Wavecrest has over 25 years of proven history of providing reliable, accurate Web-use management and Advanced Log File Analyzer products across various industries. IT specialists, business managers, HR professionals, Managed Service Providers, and Forensics Investigators trust Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products to easily decipher and manage, and report on, real employee Web activity, manage cloud services, reduce liability risks, improve productivity, save bandwidth, and control costs. Trusted by small, medium, and large government and commercial organizations worldwide. For more information on the company, products, and partners, visit Wavecrest.

Employee Internet activity–get the right information to the right people in the right format.

We always think of a business’ audience as outside of the business, as in a sales or technical support relationship with a prospect or customer. But we all have an audience within the business that needs to be serviced, provided assistance, and kept happy. From an IT standpoint, these internal customers can be HR, operations, financial, legal, C-Suite, and more . . . literally everyone within the company. This is why it is important that IT be provided and supported with comprehensive, easy-to-manage tools that proactively help supply internal customers with the relevant, detailed, easy-to-consume information they need. Their focus should be on how to efficiently get the right information to the right people in the right format–especially when it is critical information like Internet usage.

Internet usage is a leading concern for companies due to risks from employee misuse, unsanctioned cloud applications, phishing e-mails, and more. Pepper Hamilton LLP, Attorneys at Law note, “Companies often are surprised to learn that their biggest security threats come from their own employees. These risks range from the use of weak passwords to clicking on corrupt internet links to theft of sensitive data.” IT needs to not only maintain the system to keep the business’ digital environment running and secure but they also need to supply critical employee Web-use information to others within their organization. These internal customers are not prepared to dig through and interpret large amounts of technical data. They require the information be easily supplied to them for when, where, and how they need to use it. So what does “the right information to the right people in the right format” really mean?

What is the right information?

When it comes to Web-use risks, the human factor, that is, the employee, must be the focus. Without knowing the human behavior in the organization it is impossible to define what is normal and flag anomalies that may indicate unintentional mistakes or malicious acts, identify workforce productivity changes, or determine whether an employee is in compliance with corporate policy, and more. If there is reporting on Web traffic in the organization, it may still be inadequate in showing the relevant human behavior in the workplace. It is important to reduce the “noise” that happens in data when supplying information to the internal customers. The right information means clear, pertinent, easy-to-consume information for, more than likely, a nontechnical audience.

Who are the right people?

It would likely be easier to just say everyone. Most employees use some form of the Internet for work functions. If they don’t, they still likely have access to the Internet through company Wi-Fi or during their break. Even then, the business is responsible for the Web use occurring on their network at any time. Knowing this, it is understandable that many people in your organization want easy access to employees’ Web activity information. Managers may want to address productivity issues, HR personnel may want to investigate a Web-use liability issue, and IT staff themselves will want to watch network performance and security. Getting the relevant information to a specific audience in the company is important and increases overall efficiency and productivity. The right people means that the information supplied to that user is specific to their responsibility. Extraneous information not only makes the recipient’s process of deciphering the data more difficult and time-consuming, but it is also a data security issue by sharing unrelated company data with others, even within the company.

Which is the right format?

When you view something and it just has so much information or is just difficult to read, do you actually retain or even understand the information? With mission-critical operations looming, IT no longer has time to spend on walking a recipient through report information. Requested Web-use information should be in an easy-to-read and actionable format. Having reporting dashboards can provide important benefits especially when they can be customized to offer different types of analyses for different users and therefore serve different purposes. Customizable charts and interactive, drill-down reporting features with specifically relevant information increases understanding and ends up supporting clear business decision-making. So, the right format is about allowing for flexibility for each recipient to view information in a number of different formats.

So then . . . what is needed to get the right information to the right people in the right format and how can Wavecrest help?

Smart Engine analytics! Without the Smart Engine and its analytics, the reporting components could not provide the adequate information that your company needs to manage employee Web use. The Smart Engine makes technical data usable and manager-ready. Smart Engine analytics provide pertinent, detailed analysis, permitting the review or investigation of trends, policy violation, Internet misuse, security issues, and ultimately, human behavior occurring in the workplace.

With its precise, industry-leading algorithms, the Wavecrest Smart Engine is used by charts and reports to present accurate and up-to-date Web-use data. It performs functions such as determining visits and time online from Web traffic, and categorizing URLs into logical groups based on content. The Smart Engine is the key to providing understandable, easy-to-consume, manager-ready information–more precisely, the right information for right people in the right format.

Time is precious, especially in business. Getting the right information to the right people in the right format should be easy–especially when it is critical information like Internet usage. Let us help.

About Wavecrest

Wavecrest has over 25 years of proven history of providing reliable, accurate Web-use management, User Behavior Analytics, and Advanced Log File Analyzer products across various industries. Managed Service Providers, IT specialists, HR professionals, Forensics Investigators, and business managers trust Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products to manage the human factor in business Internet usage — comprehensive filtering and Web-use reporting, managing cloud services, reducing liability risks, improving productivity, saving bandwidth, and controlling costs. Trusted by small, medium, and large government and commercial organizations. For more information on the company, products, and partners, visit Wavecrest.

Remote Working & Managing Internet Use

Specifically built to serve remote and roaming users, CyBlock Cloud will follow your users to wherever they are working.
Specifically built to serve remote and roaming users, CyBlock Cloud will follow your users to wherever they are working.

We all hope this coronavirus doesn’t last long. That’s clear. But because of this, companies seem to be realizing that social distancing is a good idea, and they can have people working remotely in a positive way. Amazon, Google, Facebook, Microsoft – the list keeps growing. They are taking this head-on and moving their employees off-site, potentially protecting their entire workforce from an onsite health crisis.

How does remote working fit into work overall? The numbers that come out of all this should be interesting, especially the numbers for the companies that finally realize they can operate this way and not lose any control over Internet security, productivity, liability, and more. Buzzfeed reports in its March 4th article*, “some in the industry are looking at the outbreak as a test case for the long-gestating but never-arriving moment when working remotely will broadly replace working in person.”

Many businesses have traveling workers. Salespeople, Technical Support staff, and others, but now we are looking at the driving force being something out of our control. The businesses that have made this decision are supporting a healthy workforce as a whole. Businesses that do choose to do this also know that they are still responsible for employees’ online activity. So how does a company support its business when its workforce is scattered everywhere?

The answer is a comprehensive Internet use management solution with an easy, flexible cloud deployment that travels with your employees. So, for example, the employee goes home with a company laptop, the company Internet use would be managed by the cloud solution.

What should you look for when looking at Internet-use cloud solutions?

  • Should deploy in minutes with simple, intuitive steps.
  • Follows users with perimeter-less coverage.
  • Is an easily scalable, highly elastic, and adaptable solution.
  • Always-on filtering with User/Group filter policies. 
  • Provides fast, efficient, manager-ready reporting.
  • Has no hardware installation and no maintenance.

CyBlock Cloud can provide all this and more. Specifically built to serve remote and roaming users, CyBlock Cloud will follow your users to wherever they are working.

Now is the best time to be prepared. Our Sales Team and Technical Staff are ready to help you get setup and going. We are all in this together! Contact us today at info@wavecrest.net.

About Us

CyBlock® Employee Web Filtering and Monitoring Solutions provide advanced Web filtering, threat protection, comprehensive employee reporting, Smart Engine with machine-learning analytics, easy-to-use admin and manager portals, and more. Customers can easily configure CyBlock to monitor and manage compliance with their usage policies. CyBlock is available in various deployment options: CyBlock Virtual Appliance, CyBlock Appliance, CyBlock Mini Appliance, CyBlock Cloud, and CyBlock Hybrid.

Cyfin® provides advanced employee Web-use analysis and reporting for a wide variety of gateway devices and log file formats. Comprehensive yet easy to use, its customizable reporting and machine-learning analytics supply audience-specific Web-use information with reliable metrics, easy-to-read reporting dashboards, manager-ready detailed audit reports, and Smart Engine analytics. Cyfin is available in various deployment options: Cyfin Virtual Appliance and Cyfin Forensic.

Wavecrest® has over 20 years of proven history of providing reliable, accurate Web-use management, filtering, reporting, and analytics products across various industries. IT specialists, business managers, HR professionals, Managed Service Providers, and Forensics Investigators trust Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products to easily decipher and manage real employee Web activity, manage cloud services, reduce liability risks, improve productivity, save bandwidth, and control costs. Trusted by large government and commercial organizations such as US-CERT Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Justice, USPS Office of Inspector General, National Grid, Johns Hopkins, and a growing list of global enterprises and government agencies. We are a proud long-term GSA contract holder. For more information on the company, products, and partners, visit Wavecrest.

*The Coronavirus Is Forcing Techies To Work From Home. Some May Never Go Back The Office, buzzfeed.com, March 2020.

Small can still be powerful!

CyBlock Mini Appliance – Compact yet Robust!

Don’t be fooled by the name–CyBlock Mini Appliance is powerful, comprehensive, and worth every inch of its compactness. Built for managing your business’ employee Internet access in the most convenient, budget-friendly way possible!

Maintaining visibility throughout your workforce is key to running a secure business today. Don’t settle on just any Web-use management solution that really doesn’t meet your needs. If you need coverage for a remote office, have limited space either in your server room or in your office, or are struggling with how to keep your business Internet access secure with a limited IT budget, Wavecrest has more choices than ever. No matter what business size or industry type, CyBlock Mini Appliance is likely to be just what you have been looking for.

The powerful Mini Appliance provides the comprehensive Web-use management capabilities of CyBlock, including URL filtering, comprehensive detailed reporting, secure guest Wi-Fi services with captive portal, advanced threat protection, bandwidth management, cloud services management, as well as coverage for non-HTTP activity, e.g., P2P, torrents, IM, and e-mail. Get all of this in one compact and economical package. The general size of a Wi-Fi hub, the Mini allows you to put it in the corner, on your desk, or in that tiny space you have left in your packed server room!

As a cost-effective choice for any business type or size, the robust, yet compact Mini Appliance provides the leading-edge, comprehensive Web-use filtering, reporting, and security capabilities of CyBlock. Designed to fit every business environment, the Mini Appliance can be paired with CyBlock Appliance or deployed on its own, depending on the required Web-use needs.

For more information on CyBlock Mini Appliance or any of our other products, please contact us today!

About Wavecrest ComputingFor over 20 years Wavecrest Computing, headquartered in historic downtown Melbourne, FL, has been providing commercial business and government clients with reliable, accurate Web-use management, monitoring, and analytics products. Managed Service Providers, IT specialists, HR professionals, and business managers trust Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products to monitor and manage employee Internet usage — managing cloud services, reducing liability risks, improving productivity, saving bandwidth, and controlling costs. Wavecrest has clients worldwide, including General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Florida Department of Health, Siemens, Department of Homeland Security, and a growing list of global enterprises and government agencies. We are a proud long-term GSA contract holder. For more information on the company, products, and partners, visit https://www.wavecrest.net.

No more consolidation confusion . . . just leading employee Web-use management solutions that fit.

Companies change, grow, restructure, merge, acquire, and get acquired. It’s business and we know how that can be. Those of us that have seen this happen from within know that true impacts to the general business structure and overall goals don’t really show up for a year or two. Rarely does an acquired or merged business stay the same. The impact though can be internal, within the employee structure or daily business operations, or there can be  more obvious external impact to the financial status of the business, such as going private, or to the customer base focus. The last being the most likely to cause a domino-style effect of disruption.

Now is the time to really consider how to handle the consolidation changes that have been announced by Forcepoint. With the Raytheon acquisition of Websense a few years ago, everyone knew changes would come eventually. Unfortunately, the recently announced business consolidation will tend to leave some traditional Web-use management customers out in the cold. Whether you were a Websense customer before Raytheon or have gone to Forcepoint looking for the Websense-style solution in the last few years, you know what you are looking for from a Web-use management solution. Give CyBlock and Cyfin a try. Depending on what you need for your unique business, the first and only decision you need to make is Wavecrest. With deployments to fit every business size, type, and need, Wavecrest will allow you the comfort of moving away from the large corporate hassles to a successful, mature, privately held vendor that proudly focuses on customer needs and technological advancements.

Leave the government contractor-level pricing, contractual terms, and confusion behind. Don’t become another ticket number. Let Wavecrest focus on your business and your specific requirements. Contact us and speak to a U.S.-based customer service or technical support person today. We consider it part of the job to keep our customers happy.

CyBlock® Employee Web Filtering and Monitoring Solutions provide advanced Web filtering, threat protection, comprehensive employee reporting, Smart Engine analytics, easy-to-use admin and manager portals, and more. Customers can easily configure CyBlock to monitor and manage compliance with their usage policies. CyBlock is available in various deployment options: CyBlock Software, CyBlock Appliance, CyBlock Mini Appliance, CyBlock Cloud, and CyBlock Hybrid as well as a Virtual Appliance version.

Cyfin® provides advanced employee Web-use analysis and reporting for a wide variety of gateway devices and log file formats. Comprehensive yet easy to use, its customized reporting capabilities supply audience-specific Web-use information with reliable metrics, easy-to-read reporting dashboards, manager-ready detailed audit reports, and Smart Engine analytics. Cyfin is available in various deployment options: Cyfin Software, Cyfin Forensic, and Cyfin VM.

About Wavecrest
Wavecrest has over 20 years of proven history of providing reliable, accurate Web-use management and Advanced Log File Analyzer products across various industries. Managed Service Providers, IT specialists, HR professionals, Forensics Investigators, and business managers trust Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products to manage the human factor in business Internet usage — managing cloud services, reducing liability risks, improving productivity, saving bandwidth, and controlling costs. Trusted by large government and commercial organizations such as US-CERT Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Justice, USPS Office of Inspector General, National Grid, Johns Hopkins, and a growing list of global enterprises and government agencies. We are a proud long-term GSA contract holder. For more information on the company, products, and partners, visit Wavecrest.

Show cyber threats who is boss in 2018.

Last year went by so fast. In between everyone’s normal busy schedule, most of us had to deal with natural disasters of some kind. For us at Wavecrest, it was Hurricane Irma as well as an above average rainy season. For others, it was Harvey and Maria, as well as fires, flooding,  earthquakes, remnants of storms causing wind damage–the list last year seems to be endless.

2017 also brought on some notable cyber events with the Equifax breach as one of the top incidents. 2017 was definitely a year for the books. You may have also noticed a shift in the business digital threat protection messaging. We at Wavecrest noticed . . . because it shifted to what we have always focused on. People.

People are a big part of the cyber threats that take place in businesses. No matter how automated things are, there is always the aspect of human interaction–human vulnerability. Humans inherently have vulnerabilities. It’s not a fault of one individual over another; it’s not about how good your employees are. There is a point where a business owner, manager, or decision-maker has to come to terms with managing Web use for the sake of the business over “my employees wouldn’t do that” or “I trust everyone working for me.” It may be true that you have the most trustworthy employees, but mistakes happen . . . even to the best of us. Cyber criminals focus on the easiest route first to gain access to your systems. Many times this is the employee, or human, vulnerability.

So . . . the new year is here. What can be done to improve managing employee Web use? The key is to make sure you pay attention to the human endpoint because it is not always about a failure in the actual technology. The firewall is great but if you have a weakness with an authorized user, the hacker will get past the firewall. Defend the human endpoint.

Consider these as a starting point and build on each or all!

  • MONITOR YOUR EMPLOYEES’ WEB USE! Sorry. It had to be said. If you do not know what is happening, you will not be able to know why, when, or where it happened. And you will not be able to make an informed decision on how to stop it from happening again. Remember that many times the human error that allowed for a breach may have been habitual or reactive so the employee’s memory of how it happened may not be very clear. Make sure to have visibility into the actual Web activity.
  • Analytics. Really another part of monitoring but noted separately due its importance and the flexibility of what you should be able to view and analyze. Find a Web activity solution that allows you to see relevant, drill-down data when you need it. Trends, customizable charts, by user or group, and real-time information on activity and bandwidth use are all things you should be able to analyze easily. All will allow you to expose abnormalities in user activity, identify potential insider threat behavior, flag possible legal liability issues, assess trends for data breach exposure, and observe patterns for lost productivity.
    • Hits versus Visits. This one deserves a sub-bullet. Make sure the Web-use management solution you choose has clearly defined Hits vs. Visits. Hits consist of unsolicited traffic, such as ads, and are not a reliable tracking metric on its own. Visits give you uncluttered, relevant Web activity detail based on user clicks and are a critical component to understanding human behavior. The last thing you want to do is try and sift through a bunch of data that is not even really relevant to the employee’s actual Web activity.

  • Filter. Yup . . . another suggestion that has the “but my employees are awesome” stigma to it. BUT let me just remind you that this is something that will provide another layer of security from phishing, malicious Web links, and data loss. I got your synapses firing now, don’t I! Filtering allows you to block or restrict URL link clicks that an employee may not be aware are malicious. Hackers have become increasingly precise in how things look. Very convincing e-mails and Web links are not rare anymore; they are commonplace. It is not really all about making sure your employee isn’t streaming YouTube all day. Although that should be managed as well, it should all be under your control. Allow it, don’t allow it, throttle it, or open it all up. The solution you choose should allow you to do it all, in your own customizable way.

The point is that the human endpoint is still a leading way threats get into your network. It may be through phishing, a malicious ad, or use of a unsanctioned cloud application, or it may even be a human error such as the delay of updating software. Whatever the issue, you have to be as proactive as possible to protect your network. Educate your employees continuously, have a comprehensive Web activity solution in place, make sure your Acceptable Use Policy is current, make sure patch management is an active process, and hug your IT people regularly because they are usually some of the busiest and stressed people in your organization.

Here is to showing the cyber criminals who is boss in 2018! Happy New Year!

About Wavecrest

Wavecrest has over 20 years of proven history of providing reliable, accurate Web-use management and Advanced Log File Analyzer products across various industries. Managed Service Providers, IT specialists, HR professionals, Forensics Investigators, and business managers trust Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products to manage the human factor in business Internet usage — managing cloud services, reducing liability risks, improving productivity, saving bandwidth, and controlling costs. Trusted by large government and commercial organizations such as US-CERT Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Justice, USPS Office of Inspector General, National Grid, Johns Hopkins, and a growing list of global enterprises and government agencies. We are a proud long-term GSA contract holder. For more information on the company, products, and partners, visit https://www.wavecrest.net.

Is your business’ human operating system secure?

Everyone is worried about operating systems, whether it is network operations, business operations, or a desktop operating system. The functionality of these intricate parts of your business are critical. But have you thought about your employees and how they operate? Today, your human operating system needs to be more than just making sure your employees are doing their job. Human vulnerabilities are a primary target for cyber criminals. Your human operating system, or the human factor, needs to be manageable and efficient, with tools in place that proactively support an open, yet secure, digital work environment.

Insider threats can be found at the top of headlines almost every day. Listen carefully to what each event tells you. It can happen to you, no matter how big or how small your business is. You don’t have to be a government organization to be susceptible to an insider threat. Insider threats can be a malicious employee who may be upset at the company, a good employee who just makes a mistake, or a targeted employee who unknowingly allows a malicious user into the network or access to proprietary data. Whatever the cause, there has to be tools in place to combat these human factor Web-use risks.

The human factor in business Web use is complicated in many ways. Hackers target natural human vulnerabilities and mistakes happen, employees can be sensitive to being singled out or afraid to admit the mistake, and fully blocking all access in today’s digital work world will likely just limit productivity and upset employees. The key? Visibility into the human factor. See how and when your employees use their Internet access. With that visibility into Web-use detail, you can then manage the usage to fit your unique business needs and gain a comprehensive, proactive way to secure and protect your business.

Securing and managing your enterprise’s human operating system in a proactive and efficient manner will help reduce cyber risks, such as phishing, malware intrusions, ransomware, data loss, employee misuse, legal liabilities, bandwidth hogs, shadow IT, and more. Find a solution that fits your business and your budget. Make sure it is flexible, easy to use, and easy to manage, allowing you to secure and shape employee Web-use–on your terms.

About Wavecrest

Wavecrest has over 20 years of proven history of providing reliable, accurate Web-use management and Advanced Log File Analyzer products across various industries. Managed Service Providers, IT specialists, HR professionals, Forensics Investigators, and business managers trust Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products to manage the human factor in business Internet usage — managing cloud services, reducing liability risks, improving productivity, saving bandwidth, and controlling costs. Trusted by large government and commercial organizations such as US-CERT Homeland Security, U.S. Department of Justice, USPS Office of Inspector General, National Grid, Johns Hopkins, and a growing list of global enterprises and government agencies. We are a proud long-term GSA contract holder. For more information on the company, products, and partners, visit https://www.wavecrest.net.

Employees are like Hacker Candy

Employees are still the central part of all our businesses. Even with all the technology, we still have people to run the operations. The human component of our business is the goal for most hackers. It is easier to find the human weakness than it is to find a network flaw. This human point of infiltration still needs attention, even when you feel your business is secure.

Hackers are smart and agile. It’s a full-time job for them. They don’t get called into meetings, get distracted by co-workers, or have to worry about receiving their W-2 in time for their tax advisors. Their focus is to get into your network using those distractions against your employees. Your employees are busy and focused on what they have to get done, many juggling multiple responsibilities. Hackers like these employees; it’s like candy to them.

Is there any one solution that will remove all risks? No. But there are ways you can help your employees protect themselves and your network. Ransomware, insider threats, phishing–there are so many threats that can halt operations that are critical to your business success. Be aware, prepare.

A combination of defenses helps you reduce the risks we all face in business today. Don’t assume one will solve everything. Develop multiple layers of proactive security. This can include anything from making sure your Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) is current or having consistent employee training, to firewall and virus protection, to Web-use comprehensive monitoring and filtering solutions.

It is also important to have a recorded and tested recovery plan in place. Make the assumption that a breach will happen. This way you are prepared. Most importantly, maintain current backups. Make sure that the backups are not accessible through your network!

The “one” solution to protect your business just doesn’t exist. Maintain a combination of defenses and solutions to cover as many risks as possible. Being proactive will pay off in the long run.

Trusted for over 20 years, Wavecrest Computing, headquartered in historic downtown Melbourne, FL, has provided commercial business and government clients with reliable, accurate Web-use management and Cloud Access Security Broker products since 1996. Managed Service Providers, IT specialists, HR professionals, and business managers trust Wavecrest’s Cyfin and CyBlock products to manage employee Internet usage — managing cloud services, reducing liability risks, improving productivity, saving bandwidth, and controlling costs. Wavecrest has clients worldwide, including General Electric, Lockheed Martin, Florida Department of Health, Siemens, Department of Homeland Security, and a growing list of global enterprises and government agencies. We are a proud long-term GSA contract holder. For more information on the company, products, and partners, visit https://www.wavecrest.net.