We’re fast approaching the end of 2024, and it’s clear to us all now that remote working is here to stay. However, with the increase in remote working has come an increase in data security issues linked to remote working.

Unsecured connections, unpatched devices and insufficient system updates can all contribute to increased incidents of data security breaches.

According to IBM, the global average cost of a data breach in 2024 is 4.88million – a 10% increase over 2023’s average data breach costs.

1 in 3 of these breaches involved shadow data – unknown or overlooked copies of data kept within an organisation that aren’t afforded the protection that they need. Data that many companies don’t even realise there is a copy of.

Data security company Crowdstrike’s 2023 Cybersecurity report pointed out that Crime is becoming faster too. The fastest recorded data crime being committed in just 2.07 minutes.

And three-quarters of attacks didn’t even use Malware.

So, if this hasn’t flagged the importance of system management in the prevention of data theft, what will?

How ASL can help keep your data safe

ASL isn’t a data protection company. We’re not an antivirus provider or a crime prevention agency so how can we help you keep data safe?

We can help you put the infrastructure in place to work remotely with Windows Virtual Desktop, Remote Desktop Servers, VPNs and Cloud services,

However, we also roll out systems designed to keep your data safe.

Many high-profile cyber-attacks such as the Wannacry attack have occurred because they were able to exploit vulnerabilities in unpatched software. It may have been 2017, but it went down in history as one of the most prolific and devastating cybercrime attacks the world has ever seen, affective Telefonica, the NHS including hospitals and ambulances, FedEx, Honda, Nissan and plenty more, costing billions and wreaking devastation.

By helping you to get systems in place and manage your systems effectively with backups and patches and system updates, you can help keep data on all your networked devices safer.

ASL works with partners in data security such as VMWare to help keep your data safe. Our NOC (Network Operations Centre) is dedicated to keeping your infrastructures running smoothly, implementing policies and procedures and standardising incident resolution, managing alerts and escalations.

We can help you get to grips with multi-factor authentication, next-gen anti-virus, endpoint detection and response, GDPR data profiling, change and permission auditing, device encryption, mobile device management, SSL certifications and email and web security.

We help you plan for disaster…

With disaster recovery and backup. With all our data online, imagine the commercial chaos that would ensue if a hacker accessed your systems and stole your data, encrypting it and refusing to give it back.

Of course, you need to be able to prove that you’d taken all reasonable steps to keep that data safe (GDPR), but there’s also the ongoing impact it has on the business of not being able to access customer records, issue till receipts, files and prices lists, use POS systems or execute your carefully planned marketing strategy. Business as you know it would literally grind to a halt…

Unless of course you had another copy of your data, so your inconvenience was literally cleaning the systems, securing them and migrating the data from the backup into your systems – taking the chaos from potentially months or years to just days.

ASL can help you backup and plan to manage disaster when it strikes.

We’ll work with you to create a business continuity plan to risk assess existing operations and for the impact of events such as losing your trade secrets to competitors, health and safety liabilities, HR issues, supply chain management issues, communication issues, unprotected security, IT data recovery, and more to assess your options and propose ways you can protect your business moving forward.

For more information on how we can help you keep data safe and your business thriving in today’s dangerous online climate, contact us on 0345 207 7000.

We’re looking forward to talking with you.