Technology Advisor Blog

Maybe you can relate to this: Your local business finally takes the plunge and starts getting serious about cybersecurity and suddenly things feel like they just got a lot harder for you. It’s the end of a long workday, and you go online to search for your favorite whiskey you want to enjoy over the weekend, and a security warning pops up that the site is blocked by your security. The website may be blocked because it falls into the broad category of “drugs and alcohol” but you’re not looking to abuse any substances, you’re just looking forward to enjoying a class of fine whiskey.

You get mad and tell your IT team to get rid of all this new security. You can’t remember any crazy long passwords, and you don’t want to be “told” what you can and cannot access from your work computer.

Working with a lot of local businesses, we’ve seen this happen a lot. Just happened again in the past week. There is a delicate balancing act between security and convenience.

Now imagine a different scenario. You need to log into your bank to do a quick transaction. You’re in a rush and you do a quick web search to find the customer support site for your bank, and thanks to either SEO Poisoning - criminals abuse search engine optimization to get their malicious sites ranked at the top of the list), or a criminal purchasing a malicious ad (illegal, but Google can’t stop everything) - and you think you’re being directed to your bank, but a security warning pops up that the (fake) site is blocked by your security. This just saved you from potentially losing a lot of money. Pretty helpful, right?

Web filtering, or DNS (Domain Name Service) protection is a vital part of any security program.

Understanding Web Filtering and DNS Protection for Small Business Owners

• Web Filtering:
  • What It Is: Web filtering is a tool that blocks access to certain websites based on their content.
  • How It Works: Think of it like a security guard at the door of your business. The guard checks a list of restricted sites, like social media, gambling, or adult content, and stops anyone from entering those sites during work hours.
  • Why It Matters: This helps keep employees focused on work and prevents them from accidentally visiting harmful websites.  
  • In simple terms, web filtering controls what types of websites can be accessed, keeping your team productive and safe from inappropriate content.  
• DNS Protection:
  • What It Is: DNS protection acts as a shield that stops users from reaching dangerous websites.
  • How It Works: Imagine you're typing an address into your GPS. DNS protection is like having a safety feature that warns you if the destination is unsafe or known for scams. If you try to visit a harmful site, it blocks you and redirects you to a safe place.
  • Why It Matters: This prevents cyber attacks by stopping employees from visiting sites that could install malware or steal sensitive information.
  • In simple terms, DNS Protection ensures you don't end up on dangerous websites that could harm your business, like a GPS warning you about unsafe areas.

Benefits of Web Filtering and DNS Protection

• Enhanced Security
  • Protecting against malware, phishing, and other cyber threats.
  • Real-world examples of threats prevented by web filtering and DNS protection.
• Compliance with Policies and Regulations
  • Ensuring adherence to industry-specific regulations and company policies.
  • Protecting sensitive information and maintaining data privacy.
• Productivity Management
  • Reducing access to non-work-related content during business hours.
  • Enhancing overall workplace productivity and focus.

The Inconvenience Factor

• Common User Frustrations
  • Legitimate sites may be blocked.  Even a brand new customer website could get blocked.
  • User frustration with being blocked from sites they need to access.
• Balancing Security and User Experience
  • Importance of user education and awareness.
  • Explaining the rationale behind certain blocks to users.

Here's how we can help reduce user frustrations:  

• Implementing Flexible Policies
  • Allowing temporary access to blocked sites with proper authorization.
  • Regularly updating and refining the filtering criteria to minimize false positives.
• User Feedback and Support - Conversation is Key!
  • Encouraging users to report any issues with blocked sites.
  • Providing timely support and addressing user concerns promptly.
  • We explain how the settings are created, but typically not everyone in the organization is available to learn how things work. Often the business owner says they’re too busy, and delegates the work to someone else.  Help create a culture of Cybersecurity so everyone understands they have a role to play.

Case Studies and Real-World Examples

Within hours of the recent worldwide technology outage caused by bad CrowdStrike update, malicious fake support websites popped up, using the CrowdStrike name in various forms. You could imagine support teams who were working around the clock accidentally stumbling upon one of these sites – that’s the kind of thing we want to help block. In general, a brand new domain will trigger a warning, or collectively (kind of like credit card fraud detection) the site will be designated malicious and blocked.

You've probably also received fake notifications about shipping delays - never click on these!  The fake sites, designed to steal your information and your money actually get almost as much traffic as the real website according to industry researchers.

Have a conversation about security

You don’t need to dive in and love all the technology like we do, but rest assured that we can configure cybersecurity tools with you to maximize security and convenience. With Web Filtering, we can review all the general categories with you. Also note that you can have different policies for leadership and employees. Maybe you don’t want employees to use company resources to update their personal social media accounts, but you want to be free to check your own, or allow the marketing team to update the company pages. All configurable. Have a conversation, and we’ll translate it into the technical settings.

These are the general categories, and within each one there’s granularity, and you can selectively choose how this is applied. As you can imaging, there’s some discretion involved here.

• Adult Content
• Drugs and Alcohol
• Entertainment
• Sensitive Topics
• Weapons
• Web Apps:  For example, is it ok for employees to visit Facebook during working hours?  

Cybersecurity:  It may feel like you can’t live with it, but you can’t live without it!

Balancing security and convenience are such a central part of developing a cybersecurity program. Yes, it would be so easy if everyone used the same password 123456 (that’s the most popular password in the world according to research from Nord Security and others!), and how it would be great to get rid of those annoying two factor authentication codes. NO security would be very convenient, but you, your employees, and your clients wouldn’t last long!

Protect Your Small Business from Cyber Threats – Effortlessly – well almost… we’ll do the hard work!

Did you know? While big companies make headlines for cyber incidents, over half of these attacks target small businesses. These incidents often go unnoticed by the media, but their impact can be devastating.

We’re confident you’ll find our approach valuable, but even if you decide we're not the right fit, you’ll walk away with new insights to better protect your business. Remember, user education is key to a successful cybersecurity program. Keep your team informed and vigilant.

Take the first step today – contact us to book your consultation.  There's no obligation at all.  If it looks like we're a fit for each other, let us handle the complexities of cybersecurity, so you can focus on growing your business.