Is your brand truly secured?

5 min read

So you have a big brand name that millions of consumers trust. You have hundreds to thousands of locations across the U.S…. and perhaps even globally.

A big name means big money, so that huge chunk of change dedicated to security is definitely paying off in spades, right?

All too often, the answer is a resounding “WRONG.”

As proven by recent high profile breaches at multiple household-name, big-budget chain restaurants and hotel brands, the more recognizable the name on the door, the more the hackers want in. And they are succeeding at shocking rates, despite strong security measures.

Managing the network security and PCI compliance of a brand comprised of locations across the country and/or globe is a monumental task. A single vulnerable location puts the entire brand at risk of reputation and revenue loss due to a data breach.

In fact, according to a recent FireEye report:

It can be easy for businesses to dismiss or feel overwhelmed by security breaches. But patrons of all establishments should expect, and certainly deserve, the absolute security of their data that is entrusted to any company.

A brand’s security and reputation is only as strong as that weakest link.

What businesses often forget is that data networks are continuously under attack, and as such, it’s not a matter of if but when hackers will be able to penetrate a network. No matter how secure we build our networks, there is always a weak link; and in most cases, that weak link is the humans that interact with the network on a daily basis.

A compromised password, malware on a laptop used at home and at work, a phishing attack that looks too real to pass up—these are all viable ways networks with top quality security are breached every day.

A majority of recent breaches involved malware that exfiltrated sensitive data, usually payment information, once installed. The fact that hackers are using malware to breach POS systems shouldn’t come as a surprise; it’s so common because it costs nothing for data thieves to attempt.

The entire industry, regardless of vertical specialty, needs to wake up and realize that traditional cybersecurity defenses are no longer working.

New defensive approaches, advanced cybersecurity tools and increased cyber intelligence need to be deployed, which usually come from a relationship with an outside vendor due to the specialized knowledge needed to understand what the tools and resulting information being gathered is telling you.

Possible tools include things like File Integrity Monitoring (to tell you when files have changed that weren’t supposed to change), Unified Threat Management appliances (used to integrate security features such as firewall, gateway anti-virus and intrusion detection), Security Information and Event Management (used to centrally collect, store and analyze log data and other data from various systems in order to provide a single point of view from which to be alerted to potential issues), and next-generation endpoint security solutions (used to stop attacks on the endpoint computers and servers before they can wreak havoc on other systems).

Only then, when systems like this are in place and being managed appropriately, will you be able to have the processes within the programs and the computer operating system and memory watched for suspicious activity— and have those tools talk to other tools that have even deeper threat intelligence from a network of other deployed sensors.

It is very difficult to defend against the emerging threats of today’s cybersecurity world on your own.

These advanced toolsets should ideally be outsourced to a managed security firm that specializes in this type of service, which includes having expert threat researchers that are constantly looking for new activity that could point to a hacker trying to steal data from your systems.

We offer these managed security services to our customers through Netsurion's Security Adoption program, which offloads much of the work and reduces much of the cost of comparative in-house solutions/staff.

With our Security Adoption program, you can:

• 1. Onboard your locations rapidly and ensure the strength of each link in your security chain.

  Choosing the best managed security service provider is one thing, but successfully rolling out the program to thousands of locations is a daunting communication and project management challenge of its own.

  We overcome this by guiding our customers through project planning, communication planning, execution, and ongoing reporting.

• 2. Let customers know their transaction and personal data is safe in your locations.

  As more and more people are affected by fraud and data theft, your customers will be comforted to know your brand is taking action to keep their data safe. Franchisees will benefit from having visible proof of their mostly invisible commitment to data security.

• 3. Gain peace of mind.

  As you onboard locations with our leading network security solution and build consumer confidence, our team of highly-trained engineers provide you with the IT support you need at each and every business location, so your network is always expertly managed and maintained.

Any company, regardless of size, is a target if it houses sensitive information—especially payment data. Protect your brand now so you can stop losing sleep over the constant barrage of modern cyberthreats and focus on what’s most important—providing your customers with the best possible service experience.

Ready to make a secure move? Call Netsurion at (866) 559-2170.