In an era where digital threats loom large, fostering a cyber-aware company culture has become imperative for organizations of all sizes. With cyber attacks on the rise, it is not just IT departments that need to be vigilant. Every employee plays a crucial role in safeguarding sensitive data and preventing breaches. In this article, we will delve into ten important strategies for developing a cyber aware company culture that empowers employees to recognize, respond to and mitigate cyber threats effectively.Read more
Have you been hearing more about email authentication lately? There is a reason for that. It is the prevalence of phishing as a major security threat. Phishing continues as the main cause of data breaches and security incidents. This has been the case for many years.
A major shift in the email landscape is happening. The reason is to combat phishing scams. Email authentication is becoming a requirement for email service providers. It is crucial to your online presence and communication to pay attention to this shift.
Google and Yahoo are two of the world's largest email providers. They have implemented a new DMARC policy that took effect in February 2024. This policy essentially makes email authentication essential. It is targeted at businesses sending emails through Gmail and Yahoo Mail.
But what is DMARC and why is it suddenly so important? Don't worry. We have got you covered. Let's dive into the world of email authentication. We will help you understand why it is more critical than ever for your business.
The Email Spoofing Problem
Imagine receiving an email seemingly from your bank. It requests urgent action. You click a link, enter your details and all of a sudden your information is compromised.
The common name for this is email spoofing. It is where scammers disguise their email addresses. They try to appear as legitimate individuals or organizations. Scammers spoof a business’ email address. Then they email customers and vendors pretending to be that business.
These deceptive tactics can have devastating consequences on companies. These include:
- Financial losses
- Reputational damage
- Data breaches
- Loss of future business
Unfortunately, email spoofing is a growing problem. It makes email authentication a critical defense measure.
What is Email Authentication?
Email authentication is a way of verifying that your email is legitimate. This includes verifying the server sending the email. It also includes reporting back unauthorized uses of a company domain.
Email authentication uses three key protocols and each has a specific job:
- SPF (Sender Policy Framework): Records the IP addresses authorized to send email for a domain.
- DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail): Allows domain owners to digitally “sign” emails and verify legitimacy.
- DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Reporting and Conformance): Gives instructions to a receiving email server. It includes what to do with the results of an SPF and DKIM check. It also alerts domain owners that their domain is being spoofed.
SPF and DKIM are protective steps. DMARC provides information critical to security enforcement. It helps keep scammers from using your domain name in spoofing attempts.
Here is how it works:
- You set up a DMARC record in your domain server settings. This record informs email receivers (like Google and Yahoo). It tells them the IP addresses authorized to send emails on your behalf.
- What happens next? Your sent email arrives at the receiver’s mail server. It is looking to see if the email is from an authorized sender.
- Based on your DMARC policy, the receiver can take action. This includes delivery, rejection or quarantine.
- You get reporting back from the DMARC authentication. The reports let you know if your business email is being delivered. It also tells you if scammers are spoofing your domain.
Why Google & Yahoo's New DMARC Policy Matters
Both Google and Yahoo have offered some level of spam filtering but didn't strictly enforce DMARC policies. The new DMARC policy raises the bar on email security.
- Starting in February 2024, the new rule took place. Businesses sending over 5,000 emails daily must have DMARC implemented.
- Both companies also have policies for those sending fewer emails. These relate to SPF and DKIM authentication.
Look for email authentication requirements to continue. You need to pay attention to ensure the smooth delivery of your business email.
The Benefits of Implementing DMARC:
Implementing DMARC isn't just about complying with new policies. It offers a range of benefits for your business:
- Protects your brand reputation: DMARC helps prevent email spoofing scams. These scams could damage your brand image and customer trust.
- Improves email deliverability: Proper authentication ensures delivery. Your legitimate emails reach recipients' inboxes instead of spam folders.
- Provides valuable insights: DMARC reports offer detailed information. They give visibility into how different receivers are handling your emails as well as help you identify potential issues. They also improve your email security posture.
Taking Action: How to Put DMARC in Place
Implementing DMARC is crucial now. This is especially true considering the rising email security concerns with email spoofing. Here is how to get started:
- Understand your DMARC options.
- Consult your IT team or IT security provider.
- Track and adjust regularly.
Need Help with Email Authentication & DMARC Monitoring?
DMARC is just one piece of the email security puzzle. It is important to put email authentication in place. This is one of many security measures required in the modern digital environment. Need help putting these protocols in place? Just let us know.
Contact us today to schedule a chat.
In today’s digital age, artificial intelligence (AI) has become an integral part of numerous industries and revolutionized the way we live and work. From personalized recommendations on streaming platforms to advanced medical diagnostics, AI has significantly enhanced efficiency and productivity. Read more
In today’s fast-paced digital world, proficiency in technology is no longer just a desirable skill. It is a necessity. However, many employees lack the fundamental digital literacy skills needed to thrive in the modern workplace. Read more
Cloud computing has revolutionized the way businesses operate. It offers scalability, flexibility and cost-efficiency. However, cloud services also come with a downside: cloud waste.
Cloud waste is the unnecessary spending of resources and money on cloud services. These services are often not fully utilized or optimized. About 32% of cloud spending is wasted. This can lead to budget concerns as spending skyrockets.
That figure also holds opportunity. It means that you can reduce nearly a third of cloud spending by optimizing how you use cloud tools.
How can you reduce cloud waste at your business and save money? Here are some smart tactics to consider.
Conduct a Comprehensive Cloud Audit
Before implementing any cost-cutting strategies, conduct an audit. It is essential to have a clear understanding of your current cloud usage. Conducting a comprehensive cloud audit allows you to identify:
- Underutilized resources
- Overprovisioned instances
- Unnecessary services
Use cloud management tools to generate reports. Look at usage patterns, costs and performance metrics. This initial assessment forms the foundation for implementing effective waste reduction tactics.
Put in Place Right-Sizing Strategies
Right-sizing involves matching your cloud resources to the actual demands of your workloads. Many businesses fall into the trap of overprovisioning. This means securing more user licenses or features than they need. This leads to increased costs and unnecessary waste.
Analyze your workload requirements and resize instances accordingly. Use tools provided by your cloud service provider. These tools can identify and adjust the capacity of instances. This ensures that you only pay for the resources you truly need.
Use Reserved Instances and Savings Plans
Cloud providers offer cost-saving options like Reserved Instances (RIs) and Savings Plans. These allow businesses to commit to a specific amount of usage. This is in exchange for discounted rates. By leveraging these options, you can significantly reduce your cloud costs over time.
Carefully analyze your workload and usage patterns. Then determine the most cost-effective reserved capacity or savings plan. Find a plan that aligns with your business' long-term goals.
Install Automated Scaling Policies
Dynamic workloads have a need for dynamic resource allocation. Install automated scaling policies. These ensure that your infrastructure scales up or down based on demand. This optimizes performance. It also prevents overprovisioning during periods of low activity.
Cloud services enable you to set predefined policies for scaling. Examples are AWS Auto Scaling and Autoscale in Azure. These features help ensure efficient resource utilization without manual intervention.
Track and Optimize Storage
Storage costs can accumulate quickly. This is especially true when data is not regularly reviewed and archived. Estimate your storage needs. Put in place lifecycle policies to automatically downsize lesser-used data such as transitioning less frequently accessed data to lower-cost storage options.
Regularly review and delete unnecessary data to free up storage space. Adopt a proactive approach to storage management. This can help you significantly reduce costs associated with data storage.
Schedule Your Cloud Resources
Schedule your cloud resources to run only when you need them. For example, turn off development, testing or staging environments during nights and weekends or scale down your production environment during off-peak hours.
Use available tools to automate the scheduling of your cloud resources. Base this on automated rules and policies that you define.
Delete Unused or Orphaned Cloud Resources
Sometimes you may forget or neglect to delete cloud resources that you no longer need or use. This can include:
- Snapshots
- Backups
- Volumes
- Load balancers
- IP addresses
- Unused accounts
These resources can accumulate over time and incur unnecessary costs. To avoid this, you should regularly audit your cloud environment. Delete any unused or orphaned resources that your business is not using. You can often use cloud provider tools to find and remove these.
Weed Out Duplicate Services
Different departments in the same organization may be using duplicate services. Marketing may use one task management app while Sales uses a different one. Centralize cloud resources and remove duplicate tools.
Having everyone use the same cloud tool for the same function can save money as well as enhance collaboration, reporting and data integration.
Embrace Serverless Architecture
Serverless computing allows businesses to run applications without managing the underlying infrastructure. You pay only for the actual compute resources used for your processes. This eliminates the need for provisioning and maintaining servers which reduces both operational complexity and costs. Consider migrating suitable workloads to a serverless model. This can help you optimize resource use and cut cloud waste.
Schedule a Cloud Optimization Assessment Today
By following these smart tactics, you can reduce cloud waste at your business as well as optimize your cloud spending. This helps you save money. You can also improve operational efficiency and environmental sustainability.
Are you struggling with expanding cloud costs? Need help identifying and removing cloud waste? Our team of cloud experts can help you.
Contact us today to schedule your assessment.
In today’s digital age, data is king. Companies of all sizes are generating vast amounts of data on a daily basis and effectively managing this data has become crucial for business success. From customer information to financial records, data management plays a significant role in streamlining operations, improving decision-making and ensuring compliance with regulations. Read more
Microsoft Planner, the collaborative task management tool, is set to undergo a significant update that promises enhanced features and functionalities for users. As organizations increasingly rely on digital tools to streamline workflows and improve productivity, the evolution of Microsoft Planner holds significant implications for teams worldwide. Read more
In today’s interconnected digital world, cybersecurity has become a paramount concern for individuals, businesses and governments alike. With the constant threat of cyber attacks looming, organizations must stay vigilant in identifying and mitigating potential vulnerabilities in their systems and networks. Read more
Microsoft Edge continues to redefine user experiences. This is due to Microsoft’s commitment to innovation. The latest updates bring a host of features. These are designed to enhance productivity, security and browsing satisfaction.
Chrome may have been number one for years but Edge has been steadily gaining popularity. It is now the third most popular browser worldwide. Overtaking Firefox a while back, it is now just behind Chrome (1) and Safari (2).
From personalized workspaces to a built-in VPN, Microsoft Edge is not just a browser. It is a comprehensive toolkit for users navigating the digital landscape. Let's delve into the newest Microsoft Edge features. They promise to elevate your online journey.
A New Era of Productivity: Microsoft Edge Workspaces
Introduction to Workspaces
Workspaces in Microsoft Edge represent a paradigm shift. It is a shift in how users organize and manage their online tasks. Imagine having a dedicated space for each project that seamlessly integrates relevant tabs, documents and websites.
Microsoft Edge Workspaces makes this a reality. It allows users to create custom workspaces. Each workspace represents different aspects of their digital lives. Whether you are working on a project, planning a trip or pursuing a hobby, Workspaces offer a tailored and organized browsing environment.
Key Features of Microsoft Edge Workspaces
- Personalization: Users can customize Workspaces with a unique name and color. This makes it easier to distinguish between different projects or activities.
- Easy Access: With a single click, users can switch between Workspaces. This instantly transitions them between different sets of tabs and online resources. Users associate each Workspace with specific projects or interests.
- Persistence: Workspaces keep their configurations. This is the case even when users close and reopen the browser. This ensures that users can seamlessly resume their work. There is no need to reconstruct their customized environments each time.
- Efficient Task Management: Workspaces make task-focused browsing easier and minimize distractions. This helps users maintain focus on the specific project or activity at hand.
Enhanced Security with Edge Secure Network VPN
Built-in VPN
Microsoft Edge takes a giant leap in prioritizing user privacy and security. The Edge Secure Network uses a new built-in VPN. VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) encrypt internet connections. This helps ensure a secure and private browsing experience. Microsoft Edge now provides users with 5GB of free VPN data per month. This further protects their online presence.
Key Benefits of the VPN in Microsoft Edge
- Enhanced Privacy: VPNs mask users' IP addresses. This makes it challenging for malicious actors to track their online activities. This is particularly crucial when accessing public Wi-Fi networks as well as sensitive information.
- Secure Browsing: The VPN has an encrypted connection. This ensures that data transmitted between the user's device and internet is secure. It reduces the risk of interception by hackers.
- Geographic Consistency: Edge’s VPN will mask your specific location. Websites will see a location similar to yours. When you look up movie times or nearby services, you see what you expect. You cannot choose a specific region to route traffic from.
- Complimentary 5GB Data: Microsoft Edge users receive 5GB of free VPN data each month. To conserve the data limit, content streaming sites aren’t routed through the VPN. These are sites like Netflix, Hulu, Disney+, etc.
Other New Features Added to Microsoft Edge Browser
Microsoft is continuously updating Edge. Here are a few more new features you can enjoy.
- Autofill for Forms: Edge makes filling out forms online easier. It will suggest completions when you start typing into fields. This includes name, email, address, etc.
- Web Capture: Using Web Capture in Edge makes it easy to take a screenshot. You can select an area or a full page. Then paste it into any of your files.
- Copilot: Use the Copilot icon at the top of Edge to access AI features. This includes creating AI-generated images as well as creating quick email drafts and more.
- Read Aloud: Need to step away from the screen for a moment? Let Edge read content for you out loud and enable you to multi-task like there is no tomorrow!
Get Help Exploring Your Microsoft Services
Microsoft Edge establishes itself as a comprehensive solution. It is great for those seeking a more productivity-focused browser as well as a secure and private online environment. Microsoft Edge's latest features enhance the way we work, explore and connect.
Is your company in need of help exploring what Microsoft has to offer? From Edge enhancements to Microsoft 365 tools, we have experts to guide you.
Don’t miss out on all that these solutions have to offer. Our Microsoft experts can help set up, manage and secure your digital workflows.
Give us a call today to schedule a chat.
In today’s rapidly evolving cybersecurity landscape, the Zero Trust model has gained immense popularity as a robust security framework. The concept revolves around the principle of “never trust, always verify” and challenges the traditional perimeter-based security approach. Read more