Hi, I'm James Phipps, President and owner of BeCloud. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month, this month presents a great opportunity to talk about protecting your business in an increasingly risky digital world.

I won't bore you with scary cybercrime stats - you've seen some of the headlines listed in this blog post (2023 Data Breach List). But cybercrime is a very real threat, even right here in Mississippi as a recent Hinds County Ransomware attack (September 7, 2023) shows no organization is immune.

The question is, what's the best approach for business leaders? Is it throwing tons of money at the latest whiz-bang security technologies? I argue it's less about fancy tools like expensive brand name firewalls and more about rolling up your sleeves to do the less glamorous work of (Training Users), (Honing Processes) and (Monitoring Networks).

Don't get me wrong, technology matters. Firewalls, endpoint protection, access controls - these form a critical foundation. But buying an expensive piece of equipment won't automatically make you secure.



At BeCloud, our experience securing hundreds of networks has proven that practical, proactive security delivers the most value.

 What does this look like day-to-day?

It's things like keeping firmware on your firewalls and servers up-to-date. New vulnerabilities emerge constantly, so timely patches are critical. But this mundane maintenance is often neglected.

It's training employees to recognize phishing attempts and instilling good habits like strong passwords and two-factor authentication. Humans are the weak link - not antivirus software. 

It's tuning intrusion detection to reduce false alarms so real threats get attention. Fine tuning rules takes time but prevents alert fatigue.

It's reviewing logs and network traffic for anomalies. AI can help automate threat detection, but seasoned eyes identify subtle abnormalities.

And it's having clear escalation and response plans, so when incidents do occur your team can contain damages quickly. Planning for the worst while hoping for the best.

This unglamorous blocking and tackling doesn't generate buzz like AI-driven cybersecurity platforms. But it's what prevents you from becoming the next headline.

At BeCloud, we provide experienced eyes and hands doing this tireless work in the background so you can focus on your business. Our experts handle the constant software updates, monitor networks, train employees, and have an immediate response plan if the worst happens.

We take a hands-on, personalized approach tailored to each company’s unique risks, not a one-size fits all tech bundle. And our pricing models ensure no surprise licenses or maintenance fees.

Of course, we complement the grunt work with assessment of new technologies that can augment security. But we focus on practical solutions that align with operational realities, not buzzword bingo or brand name solution peddeling to improve our sales margins.

 So don't believe vendors and consultants who say flashy new tools are the cyber silver bullet. Get back to security basics - the unglamorous blocking and tackling. Train users, plan responses, monitor networks. And partner with a provider like BeCloud who has real-world experience to guide you.Your business depends on it.

Reach out if you want to discuss where your cybersecurity could improve with practical steps - I'm happy to offer a free consultation. But now,  I must get back to the diligent work that keeps our customer systems secure...