The days of working full-time within a four-walled office is a paradigm of the past as remote and hybrid workspaces gain momentum. Understandably, dynamic work models offer staff more flexibility and convenience. But as employees access company data from their personal devices, the chance of threats, risks, and security breaches increases. Businesses now need to ask themselves, is their business’ security solution keeping up with this new perimeter? 

On June 11, 2021, Global News announced that a compilation of 8.4 billion words, phrases, and previous password leaks were shared on a hacker forum. Clearly, having a user id and password is simply not enough. Businesses can try to enhance security measures by changing passwords every day, however, this isn’t a realistic solution. Security processes shouldn’t decrease company productivity. Resilient businesses need simple, secure, and intelligent IT tools that will secure as well as simplify the digital workplace. 

So what can companies do to keep safe while keeping access simple? Several software solutions can safeguard your business, from identifying IT vulnerabilities to assessing device hygiene. Our partner Cisco offers a range of security solutions, some of which we use here at Evron. 

Cisco Duo Security 

Duo Security is Cisco’s user-friendly, scalable access security platform that is designed for the modern workforce. Its zero-trust approach provides secure access for all users connecting to any application from any device. That means that it secures how someone (e.g., an employee, contractor, vendor, or customer) or something (e.g., a phone, laptop, or workstation) accesses work assets, whether that is an application, network, database, or portal.   

But how does Duo Security achieve this? Duo Security covers four aspects of security: 

  1. Verifies the identity of users with MFA. MFA prevents breaches due to stolen or weak passwords and from device vulnerabilities. 
  2. Verifies the health of their devices with Device Checks. The device health is checked at every authentication attempt and checks all devices, whether BYOD or corporate. 
  3. Controls which users and devices gain access with Access Control Policies. This means that management can apply layer policies to everyone, one user or application, or to groups. For example, if the accounting team needs to access a few applications but marketing doesn’t, then management can segment those requirements so that marketing won’t have access. 
  4. Protects all applications they use, all the time with Zero Trust & SSO. Duo Single Sign-On secures access to cloud applications with your users’ existing directory credentials (like Microsoft Active Directory or Google Apps accounts). Duo has many partners and believes in “better together” success. 

There are three editions of Duo Security, each presenting a different level of security: 

  1. Duo MFA 

    • Protects application access with flexible two-factor authentication 
    • Offers a high-level summary of device hygiene
    • Implements single sign-on to provide seamless and secure access across on premise and cloud applications
  2. Duo Access 

    • Provides complete visibility into devices accessing applications 
    • Evaluates both mobile and laptop security hygiene at the point of access 
    • Enforces access policy on who can access which application under what conditions 
    • Encourages users to update their devices by enforcing access based on device hygiene; sends notification of compliance, giving the user a deadline to update 
  3. Duo Beyond 

    • Detects if a device is managed or unmanaged or if it has the proper antivirus/EDR software installed 
    • Evaluates if the endpoint has been compromised before allowing access 
    • Enforces policies to allow only healthy, managed devices to access sensitive applications 
    • Enables secure, granular remote access to on-premise web applications and infrastructure

Cisco Meraki 

Meraki cloud solution is a centralized management service that allows businesses to access and manage their network from one place. 

But what makes Meraki unique? Because Meraki is an evolving cloud-managed solution, it offers: 

  • Enhanced Security 

    • More visibility of your network 
    • Proactive approach rather than reactive 
    • Two-factor authentication
    • Management data sent via encrypted paths and stored effectively and securely in a multi-tank environment 
  • Reliability 

    • Seven globally distributed data centers enable businesses to operate with 99.99% uptime and without disruptions 
    • Configurations are stored in the cloud 
  • Scalability 

    • Easy to copy over templates and settings via the cloud when expanding out your network 
    • No need to be onsite when deploying gear 
    • No additional equipment beyond the device itself 
  • Future Proofing 

    • Firmware and feature updates are pushed out without additional costs 
    • Continuous dashboard improvements  
    • Seamless productivity wherever work happens 
    • Easily adapts to meet changing demands through robust APIs, insights, and apps 

Traditionally complex processes are made simple for radically faster deployment, management troubleshooting, and to keep pace with change. With over eight different network products, Meraki offers SMBs a range of solutions. 

Learn More 

Securing your business’s data and cloud network does not have to be a stressful or time-consuming task. Cisco products continuously work to protect your company, preventing cyberattacks such as password-driven breaches.  

To learn more about IT security and Cisco, you can watch our recent webinar recording which features Cisco security experts. 

We also offer free security assessment quizzes which can help you identify vulnerabilities and security gaps in your company. If interested in a free assessment, please speak to a consultant.

Please contact us to request a free demo or for more information on IT security or Cisco solutions.