Do You Have Layered Cybersecurity Protection?

Sometimes it can feel like nobody’s safe from a cyber-attack. With large corporations like Target and Staples succumbing to breaches and ransomware, what can a small business owner do to make sure sensitive data and critical computer networks are protected? According to Symantec, the average cost of a cyber-attack on a small to medium sized business can be $200,000 or more, a sum difficult to cover for most companies lacking the resources available to a large corporate entity. While cyber-attack insurance can provide you with peace of mind, costly premiums may put that type of protection out of reach, making comprehensive network security the most viable option.



At the most basic level, all small business operators should make sure their firewalls and anti-virus software are up-to-date. Equally important, all Wi-Fi access should be password protected and encrypted. Employees must be educated on phishing and ransomware to avoid any user errors that can unleash a crypto virus or DDoS attack. Finally, any mobile device access should be scrutinized so that critical data can’t be accessed by malicious parties, and hackers can’t gain entry into your network through a compromised phone or tablet.

Unified Threat Management

For many small business owners, comprehensive network security can be costly and cumbersome. By working with a Managed Service Provider (MSP), small and medium sized companies can gain access to total security, including the latest in antivirus and firewall protection as well as innovative services reflecting the latest in industry security innovations. Generally speaking, an MSP can provide organizations and extensive set of security tools for data loss prevention, ransomware protection and more.

A Unified Threat Management solution represents the most comprehensive and up-to-date security service for small and medium organizations including healthcare providers, private businesses and educational and government agencies. During the Initial Technical Review, our team of knowledgeable IT security experts assess and survey your system. Afterwards, you will receive a complete and thorough system evaluation with a security score rating the effectiveness of your current setup and identifying potential areas of improvement including an analysis of all the layers of your network, from physical to communications to security and safeguard strategies.

Once onboard, our team will begin implementing a rigorous and comprehensive set of safeguards, starting with a set of broad-ranging security protocols ranging from firewall and antivirus protection to Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) and Advanced Threat Protection. The Makios layered approach provides an overall technology strategy designed to repel intrusions and safeguard sensitive information. Our ten layers of security give you full, real-time protection against cyber-attacks. From IPS and HIPAA compliance to PCI data loss and threat detection response, our team will detect, prevent and manage network vulnerabilities to keep your business out of harm’s way.

Our state-of-the-art security management system includes:

• INTRUSION PREVENTION SERVICE (IPS): Real-time protection against network threats, including spyware, SQL injections, cross-site scripting, and buffer overflows.
• REPUTATION ENABLED DEFENSE SERVICE (RED): Includes protection from malicious sites and botnets, while dramatically improving web processing overhead.
• NETWORK DISCOVERY: Generates a visual map of all nodes on your network to monitor where you may be at risk.
• WEBBLOCKER URL FILTERING: Automatically blocks known malicious sites, with options to also eliminate inappropriate content, conserve network bandwidth, and increase employee productivity.
• APPLICATION CONTROL: Allows selective and customized access to applications based on a user’s department, job function, and time of day along with the ability to monitor all user activity on your network in real time.
• GATEWAY ANTIVIRUS (GAV): Continuously updated signatures identify and block known spyware, viruses, Trojans, worms, rogue ware and blended threats – including new variants of known viruses. At the same time, intelligent self-learning analysis tracks down suspicious data actions to protect and block potential viruses.
• SPAMBLOCKER: Real-time spam detection for protection from outbreaks able to review up to 4 billion messages per day.
• APT BLOCKER – ADVANCED MALWARE PROTECTION: APT Blocker uses an award-winning next-gen sandbox to detect and stop the most sophisticated attacks including ransomware, zero day threats and other advanced malware.
• DATA LOSS PREVENTION (DLP): Prevents accidental or malicious data loss by scanning text and common file types to detect sensitive information attempting to leave the network.
• MONITORING: Translates data collected from all appliances across your network into actionable network and threat intelligence and allows threats to be instantly managed and mitigated from one central console.
• THREAT DETECTION AND RESPONSE: Detects, prioritizes and enables immediate action to stop malware attacks with improved and evolving visibility.

Security Best Practices

A report from the U.S. Congressional Small Business Committee revealed 71% of cyber attacks occur at businesses with less than 100 employees. The State of SMB CyberSecurity Report puts the occurrence of security breaches at small businesses at 50%. As these statistics illustrate, small businesses must maintain constant vigilance when it comes to cyber security.



In order to avoid becoming a victim, small businesses can establish a baseline of network and data security with a few simple best practices, including firewalls, anti-malware software, and anti-virus applications. Best practices for small businesses also involve some offline actions, including regular backups and strong password requirements. All organizations should make sure to educate staff about phishing, ransomware, and other threats. Mobile equipment should be monitored and outfitted with Mobile Device Management software for location tracking and remote wiping of lost or compromised devices. All cyber security policies should be documented and updated on a continual basis. The Small Business Administration’s Cybersecurity portal includes training, checklists, and other information for businesses interested in establishing a security protocol.

A Partner in Protection

When evaluating the physical layer of your network, Makios staff survey your hardware, software, and communications components. Next, we’ll study how your system is configured, including account setup and IP/HCP configuration. Taking account of your email providers and voice network infrastructure, the communications level aims to measure the effectiveness of your internal and external communications. Firewalls, anti-virus setup, and password protocols are all analyzed during the security layer of the ITR. Finally, the strategy layer lays out a plan of action through your own virtual CTO with suggestions on everything from budget to staffing and revenue projections.

With this advanced protection against ransomware, zero-day threats, and evolving malware, MakiosUTM (unified) provides small business owners and operators with the most comprehensive security platform by leveraging the power of multi-core processing for maximum protection and blazing fast throughput.