With cybercrime growing more and more sophisticated, having a robust email security program in place is mandatory.

There are several ways to approach email security, each with different benefits for small-to-medium sized businesses.

If you are looking for an email security program for your DC-area company, take a look at the options below and call Solvere One at (202) 905-2722 to learn more.

Email Encryption for Business

Encryption prevents emails from being accessed by anyone other than the sender and intended recipient.

You can use an encryption program to only encrypt messages that have specific content (attached files, personally identifiable information, etc.). Another option is to encrypt all of your outgoing email.

The challenge for most small-to-medium sized businesses is that encryption software can be complicated to the point of becoming a hindrance to efficient communication. This is why Solvere One encourages clients to apply a user-friendly email security program like Encryptics for Email.

Making Email Encryption Easy

Encryptics for Email can be used with Microsoft Outlook to secure communication with all recipients and senders. A simple software download is all that is needed for outside parties to have their replies encrypted. This program also allows you to subject your sent messages to certain protocols—like disallowing printing, forwarding, copying, and saving.

Companies whose employees work via mobile device or remote office can use Encryptics for Email just as easily, as also protects mobile communication and can function as the data security component of a broader Mobile Device Management (MDM) solution.

Email Security for DC, Maryland, and Virginia Businesses

Solvere One can help you determine what level and style of email security is right for your company or organization. Contact us for effective email security solutions!

More Network Security Solutions from Solvere One

• Virus and firewall protection and monitoring for business
• Secure instant messaging
• Content filtering

Get a free network security review from Solvere One!

Cryptolocker is just as creepy as its name sounds. This phishing scam encrypts data from your system and holds it ransom until you transfer money to the criminals behind it. And even when people do pay, they often don’t get their files back.

An earlier version of Cryptolocker was demolished in 2014 but a new version has recently emerged.

How can you protect your company’s network from Cryptolocker? Establish protocols, update your security system, and make sure you have a strong backup system in place.

First, let’s take a look at how Cryptolocker gets inside your network.

How Does Cryptolocker Work?

The Cryptolocker malware is quick, streamlined, and nefarious.

• The criminals behind Cryptolocker will use recognizable corporate names like Amazon and send phony delivery slips and invoices via email. Opening an attachment from these emails allows the malware to infiltrate local hard drives and mapped network drives.
• The malware then contacts a server run by its senders. The systems exchange information and the encryption begins. Cryptolocker can encrypt every file it finds.
• To inform the user of the virus, the malware presents a screen that tells you how much money it wants (usually anywhere from $300 to $500, accepted in bitcoin or another untraceable currency) to decrypt your files by a specific deadline.

Some companies and individuals that have chosen to pay the ransom never got their decrypted files. The best protection from Cryptolocker is prevention.

How to Protect Your Network from Cryptolocker

Having a solid security system in place is critical. Having staff protocols in place is priceless.

Behind the scenes:

• Make sure your antivirus software is updated. Although some experts say that antivirus is no match for Cryptolocker
• Update your security system on time
• Install intrusion prevention systems
• Implement the 3, 2, 1 backup rule – Keep three copies of every important file: one original, one stored on another type of media and one stored offsite
• Consider blocking attachments

In the office:

• Insist on safe computing practices – make security a priority and get buy-in from your team
• Make sure employees know to never click a link or open an attachment from an unfamiliar or suspicious source—and to notify IT immediately if they encounter anything questionable
• Encourage employees to increase their web browser security settings

Get MSS Support in DC, Maryland, and Virginia

If you are looking for network security solutions custom-designed for your business, contact Solvere One today!

Smartphone Security Risks

Smartphones, with all their convenience and utility, are at high risk for data breach. Common risks include:

• Physical theft – Even Apple employees leave their phones—even prototype iPhones!—unattended long enough to get stolen. When a phone’s data isn’t properly encrypted, a thief, no matter how tech-savvy, can access not only the phone owner’s personal information, but company data including emails, documents, and more.
• Data theft from discarded phones – When someone gets a new phone, it’s typically easy to transfer data from their old phone to the new model. But it’s not as simple to completely erase, or wipe, data from the old phone. When data isn’t properly removed and destroyed, it is up for grabs to anyone who gets access to the device.
• Unintentional or unknowing disclosure – Smartphone apps and location services can gain access to a lot of a phone or phone user’s information. Your employee may not realize how much access they are allowing when they download an app or upload a photo while using location services.
• Phishing – It happens on desktops, laptops, tablets, and smartphones—phishing. If an employee isn’t knowledgeable about phishing scams, an attacker can access and collect a great deal of data.

How to Keep Employee Smartphones Safe

• Require employees to use a password, PIN, or other means to control access to their phones. Encourage them to change the password often and keep it secret.
• Consider requiring employees to install anti-malware and anti-virus on their phones.
• Have your IT support set up SSL VPN access to company systems. When you establish a Secure Socket Layer virtual private network (SSL VPN), it will encrypt smartphone traffic while in transit between the device and the company network.
• Ask your IT support team what the best wireless security measures are and have those measures in place.
• If you issue company smartphones to employees, consider using device identification technology, which assigns a unique number to each phone and allows your IT support team to remotely disable the device if necessary.
• Encourage your employees to only download applications from trusted sources, such as their phone service providers’ app stores.

Your IT Support Can Help Protect Smartphone Data

Stay productive and secure with wireless security from your trusted IT support team. To learn more about employee smartphone security and best practices for your business, call Solvere One at (202) 905-2722.