Starting in July 2024, multi-factor authentication (MFA) will be mandatory for all Azure users.
What is MFA?
MFA requires users to provide two or more pieces of evidence to verify their identity before accessing a service or resource. It adds an extra layer of protection beyond the standard username and password authentication.
Why is MFA important?
Enhanced Security: MFA significantly reduces the risk of unauthorized access and data breaches.
Effective Defense: According to Microsoft, MFA can block over 99.2% of account compromise attacks.
Phishing Prevention: It helps prevent unauthorized access due to phishing, credential stuffing, and other attacks.
What to Expect
The rollout will be gradual and methodical to minimize impact on your use cases.
You’ll receive specific roll-out dates via direct emails and Azure Portal notifications in the coming months.
Take Action Now
If you prefer not to wait, you can set up MFA now using our recommended solution:
Even if they don’t fall under the umbrella of the company’s core capabilities, we must address many critical issues when running a corporation. IT compliance is one such issue. This month we have been discussing compliance and how critical it is to your organization over the past few weeks.
What Is IT Compliance?
A recent blog post of ours provides an informative explanation of IT compliance. Adhering to the rules, regulations, and specifications established by a third party aims to lower the risk for your company and permit you to operate in the area or sector under their authority.
What Distinguishes IT Compliance from IT Security?
Another phrase we are all familiar with is “IT security,” particularly today when online fraud, data breaches, and other assaults are so common. In a recent blog post, we outlined the contrasts between IT security and compliance and some of their shared characteristics.
The Parallels
Many people find compliance and security perplexing, and some believe them to be the same thing. This confusion makes sense because both pertain to protecting your company in a dangerous online environment. Both lower your company’s risks and make it easier for you to operate safely.
To win and keep your client’s trust, compliance and security are essential. You can attract clients and establish a solid reputation much more quickly if you can show that your system is safe and complies with all applicable legal and industry standards.
The Distinctions
One distinction between IT compliance and IT security is that the former is carried out to satisfy the demands set forth by a third party, while the latter is to secure one’s business or enterprise. The goal of IT security is to keep your system as secure as possible, so it typically incorporates far more stringent safety measures and protocols.
Another distinction is that although compliance is completed as soon as the asking party is satisfied, IT security is a continuous process that must be maintained around the clock. While security demands change to keep up with evolving hacker tactics, compliance standards remain consistent.
What Makes Compliance a Team Effort?
Businesses frequently assign compliance to just one person since many think it to be routine labor that only requires the minimal standards imposed by a third party. However, the duty to comply is far more important and complex than that. In yet another blog, we go over the reasons why compliance should be a team effort for every firm.
One of these is that many discussions must occur before complete compliance is good to go. Email encryption, data encryption, firewalls, backups, data availability, and storage are some of the most important topics to discuss. Your business may incur fines and penalties if any of these issues are not correctly handled. Even worse, it might expose security holes in your system that are simple for hackers to exploit.
We have a free Ebook you can use if you believe your business was hacked. Download it Free today!
Naturally, we don’t want things to get to that point. You must attempt to comply to reduce the likelihood of a breach happening. Expecting one person to accomplish this delicate isn’t realistic or wise. We strongly advise you to assign the task to a group of professionals who can ensure that all standards will be met, and that your company will be fully compliant in no time.
Call us right away, and we’ll set up a free session to discuss how we can help you.
There are dozens upon dozens of jobs that need to be finished before your business can fully comply with all the standards established by third parties like regulatory authorities and clients. These tasks span many departments inside the firm and cannot be completed by a single person. We need an efficient and complete team of compliance experts for the procedure to achieve compliance.
Important Topics to Discuss if you want to Achieve Compliance
Most instances of compliance failure are because of poor planning and communication. You must quickly gather your compliance team and discuss all the key concerns to avert these difficulties. This way it can help you to achieve compliance.
Email Security to Achieve Compliance
Your company receives and sends hundreds of emails every day. To secure all these emails and shield their contents from hackers’ prying eyes, you need a trustworthy encryption system.
Encryption of Data
All data collection processes must be foolproof because they prevent the theft or exposure of sensitive information like important information.
Firewalls
Knowledgeable hackers can bypass some firewalls if you cant achieve compliance. You need to update to a multi-level system if you are still using one of these older styles of screens since newer firewalls offer a far greater line of defense against unauthorized intrusions.
In the event of a system breakdown or some form of cyberattack, data backups are your lifeline. It’s crucial to create backups and store them in a secure location that conforms to regulatory requirements.
Data Storage and Accessibility to Achieve Compliance
Authorized employees only in your company should have access to sensitive data to achieve compliance. To reduce data breaches, there must be a reliable method of limiting access to your information.
Physical Entry
We must not ignore physical security precautions in maximizing digital security. Upon their departure, each employee should wipe clean their Laptop. Screen filters may be necessary for some workstations containing sensitive data.
Officer in Charge of Internal Compliance Duties
You need an internal compliance officer and a highly qualified IT compliance team to achieve compliance. Their main responsibility is monitoring the team and making sure everyone follows compliance standards, such as locking their systems when they leave their workstations and exercising caution when using sensitive company information like credit card numbers.
The duties of the internal compliance officer also include routine employee training. The best way to keep employees informed and to achieve compliance about the constant threats online is with quarterly training. New employees should receive full training on compliance procedures when they join the organization.
The internal compliance officer will also be in charge of keeping track of compliance-related material, including backup plans and communication standards.
Compliance Delegation to an MSP
Even businesses that have nothing to do with the IT industry still need to comply with a plethora of IT laws. There’s no need to be concerned if you don’t have an internal IT team or your workforce has the knowledge or experience necessary to complete the task. Managed service providers, or MSPs, can manage these technological issues for you to achieve compliance.
Give us a call, we can have a group of compliance specialists visit your company and make sure you’re doing everything by the book. We will take care of any regulatory authority obligations you have, whether they are for HIPAA, PCI DSS, GDPR, NIST, or another regulatory body. In addition, our team will coordinate with your business directly to cover all bases. You can also check out our free Ebook if you’re looking for great advice to keep your business safe in the meantime.
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