Blue Ridge Technology

3 essential security tools for every business Cybersecurity never stops moving — because neither do the attackers and digital threats that could hamper or even bring down your business. It’s easy for cybersecurity policies, procedures, and technology to get complicated in a hurry. And it can be enough to cause small business leaders to throw their hands up in frustration. If you need advanced cybersecurity protections, we’re here to help. But sometimes it’s smart to get back to basics, and that’s what we’re doing in this week’s post. Below are three basic security tools that every digitally connected small business must have in place. Do you have all three of these, and are they working the way you’d like? 1. A Firewall (or a Secure Web Gateway, or Both) The first line of defense for most businesses is a firewall. A firewall is a piece of hardware that sits as a gatekeeper of sorts between your network and the broader internet. The name comes from the analog equivalent: a thick, firepr...

Microsoft 365 makes Multi-Factor Authentication easier We wrote just last week about how crucial it is to implement multifactor authentication (MFA) wherever possible in your business. If you missed that post, check it out now (Have You Implemented MFA Yet? ) — we won’t rehash all of that news here. Still, we figure there’s a sizable group of businesses that fall into one of these categories: Still on the fence about MFA Convinced MFA is important but unsure how to get started In the middle of implementing MFA, and it’s not going well Already implemented MFA, but people are complaining or bypassing it If any of those sound familiar, we have great news: if you’re using Microsoft 365, things are about to get a lot easier. Here’s what you need to know. MFA Already Available Throughout Microsoft 365 First, it’s worth mentioning that MFA isn’t brand-new for M365 users. Microsoft already supported a few different kinds of next-gen authentication, including MFA. Maybe you never got around to ...

All businesses should adopt MFA. Now Have you implemented MFA yet on your business’s digital accounts? If not, you can’t afford to wait any longer. Here’s what you need to know about this crucial security tactic. What Is MFA? MFA stands for multifactor authentication. It’s a category of authentication methods that offer far greater security than the internet’s standard “username + password” system. If you’re not sure exactly what authentication means in this context, start with that username + password. At virtually any website you visit, those two elements tell the site that you’re you. (Sort of: technically it just tells the site that someone has credentials that only you should have — and that’s where the problems start.) You’ve probably come across two-factor authentication (2FA) somewhere in your business or personal life. There are lots of ways to do it, but the most consumer-familiar version is when a company asks for your username and password, then texts or emails you a tempor...