AGENCY PROFILES | BUSINESS PROFILES | SUBMIT NEWS

Government ContractorsGovernment Contractors

  • No products in cart.
  • GOVCON 101

    Basics of Government Contracting

    • Getting Started in Government Contracting
    • What Is Government Contracting?
    • Basics of Government Contracting
    • Types of Contracts
    • Identifying Your Target Audience
    • How To Win A Government Contract – The Basics

    GovCon Business Resources

    • B2G Business Resources
    • Government Agency Profiles
    • Government Contractor Profiles

    Discussion Forums

    • Discussion Forums (Home)

    Courses and Learning Resources

    • Education (Home)
    • View All Courses
    • Books

    Networking and Events

    • Networking (Home)
    • How To Network Effectively
    • Upcoming GovCon Networking Events
    • All Events (Calendar View)
  • SOLUTIONS FOR GOVERNMENT

    Solutions for Government

    • Solutions (Home)
    • Cybersecurity

    By Industry

    • Industries (Home)
    • Aerospace and Defense
    • Architecture, Engineering, Construction
    • Computers and Communication Services
    • Facilities Management
    • Hardware and Software Providers
    • Professional Services

    Get Involved In Government Contractors

    Join our community by creating a free account and explore the options available for you and your organization to add value to contractors and our partners in federal, state and local government.
    • Create Your Free Account
    • Marketing Services
    • Create A Webinar
    • Create A Podcast or Netcast
    • Create A Course
    • Post An Event
    • Contact Us To Discuss Your Needs
  • CONTRACTS

    Pre-Solicitation

    • Imports And Systems Inspection Regulatory Compliance And Enforcement (SIRCE)

    • Operation of the San Diego Job Corps Center

    • Pre-Solicitation Bids (Home)

    Active

    • Adapting USAID Democracy Rights and Governance Assistance to Better Address Global Trends

    • Active Bids (Home)

    Awarded Contracts

    • Universal Enrollment Services (UES) Bridge Award

    • Awarded Contracts (Home)

    Cancelled

    • SAMHSA Public Engagement Platform (PEP)

    • Large Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system

    • Puerto Rico Army National Guard (PRARNG) State Child and Youth Program Resilience Training for Teens I

    • Special Operations Forces Personal Equipment Advanced Requirements (SPEAR) Soft Armor Ballistic Inserts

    • Cancelled Bids (Home)
  • RESOURCES

    Business Resources

    • Business Resources (Home)
    • Accounting and Taxes
    • Banking, Capital, Loans
    • Business Development / Sales
    • Capture Management
    • Proposal Management
    • Contract Management
    • Human Resources
    • Legal and Compliance
    • Technology and Software
    • Marketing

    Courses and Learning

    • Education (Home)
    • View All Courses
    • Books

    Networking

    • How To Network Effectively
    • How To Create A Successful B2G Event
    • How To Create A B2G Webinar

    Profiles

    • Government Agency and Department Profiles
    • Government Contractor Company Profiles

    Reports and Whitepapers

    • Government Trends
    • eBooks
    • Infographics
    • Industry Whitepapers
  • COURSES & WEBINARS

    Courses

    • VIEW ALL COURSES
    • How To Create Successful B2B and B2G Webinars (Course and One On One Consulting)
    • LinkedIn for B2B and B2G Networking 101
    • Search Engine Optimization for Government Contractors 101
    • Small Business Marketing To The Government 101
    • Social Media 101
    • E-mail Marketing 101

    Videos and Webinars

    • Creative Ways To Get and Create Content (8/18/2021)

    Teach - Share Your Knowledge

    • Create A Course
    • Create A Webinar

    Attend A Bootcamp or Training

    • Bootcamps

    Books for GovCon Professionals

    • Books (Home)
  • NETWORKING & EVENTS

    B2G Networking Resources

    • How To Network Effectively
    • How To Create A Successful B2G Event
    • How To Create A B2G Webinar

    Upcoming Events

    Event Categories

    • GovCon Networking
    • Conferences
    • Webinars
    • Awards
    • All Events (Calendar View)
JOIN

8 Concrete Steps and Resources That Companies Can Use Now to Secure Their Networks

by michaelhackmer / Monday, July 18, 2011 / Published in Business Resources, Cybersecurity
There is no doubt that high-profile security breaches in the public and private sector shine a bright light on the importance of addressing network vulnerabilities. However, online and network security is not something just for government agencies, prime contractors and big, high-profile companies, but for smaller enterprises as well.

Why Would Anyone Hack MY Network?

The truth of the matter is – every company has customer lists, financial records and other data worth stealing. In addition, government contractors have been specifically targeted, starting with the largest contractors and moving down to smaller ones.

In fact, because you are a small to mid-sized business, you may be a more inviting target for skilled hackers and scam artists, who may see you as less-protected, or because you’re viewed as a stepping-stone to attacking another company or an agency customer.

Being prepared and well-informed is an essential best practice for every company, but especially so for government contractors.

Cybersecurity Tips for Government Contractors

Below is a list of tips (adapted from the FCC’s Ten Tips and other online resources), designed to help you better prepare a cybersecurity strategy to better insulate your business from cyberattack.

    • Train Your Employees and Communicate Often
      Your company needs to outline a set of basic security practices and train employees about those policies and how they can best protect your company’s network. For example, according to a recent study commissioned by the Department of Homeland Security, 60% of contractor and agency staffers plugged unknown USB drives into their computers, potentially exposing them to malicious programs. (A study by a British secure USB stick manufacturer put it at 76%.) So develop a policy, train your workers and keep data management procedures fresh and top of mind throughout the year.
    • Use Strong Passwords and Change Them Regularly
      As much as we want to use easy-to-remember passwords like a birthday, favorite pet or the street where we grew up, those items (as well as any words found in the dictionary) are the easiest passwords to hack. Tips for creating strong passwords include combining upper and lower-case letters, mixing in symbols and numbers, and forming passphrases that you can memorize. Also, make sure you change your passwords at least every three months… and don’t use the same password for everything.
    • Scrutinize The Email You Receive BEFORE Opening
      Be careful before you open any email, especially if it is unsolicited. (And especially if it’s before you’ve had your first cup of coffee.) Unsolicited or impersonated email can often be the way cybercriminals gain access to your networks. Remember not to download any files from unknown people or click on any links. The safest bet is to isolate the email and consult with your network administrator. Do not reply to and forward these kind of email messages.
    • Do Not Open or Share Files Over Instant Messenger
      The rules here are similar for email. Though some companies have internal networks, never accept files unless you are expecting them or know who is sending the files.
    • Install Antivirus, Antispyware and Security Monitoring Programs on Your Computers
      Antivirus and antispyware software are important first steps to protecting your computers. But there are other software tools that provide even higher levels of protection against online data theft. Conduct some online research and speak with vendors to determine how you can monitor your online network. By keeping an eye on your network’s activity, you can react faster to possible breaches in security and close off attacks before sensitive data is lost or stolen.
    • Make Sure Everyone Receives Operating Systems and Application Updates
      All operating systems provide regular security updates and patches for errors. Application providers typically provide these as well, especially browsers. Make sure all the users in your network are receiving these updates. If necessary, set scheduled updates on a monthly basis to ensure everyone is running with the latest versions of key software.
    • Back Up Your Data
      Schedule regular backups of your data. This can mean setting up a separate internal network drive available to employees or outsourcing this through a third-party vendor. Automatic updates are helpful to ensure that your key data across the company is backed-up properly. Some companies back up their data nightly, while others do it weekly. Depending on the sensitivity and/or importance of your data, choose the arrangement that works best for your business.
    • Limit Access to Your Network
      It is important to keep access to your networks at a minimum. Do not allow unauthorized people to have access to your server room or vital systems. If you distribute laptops, make sure employees keep them secure. Unused laptops should be stored in a secure location. Also, make sure your WiFi network (if you have one) is not open for the general public. Lastly, you will want to limit employee access to data and information, and limit authority to install software to system administrators. This will reduce the likelihood of malicious software or illegal software being installed on your company’s property – thereby reducing downtime to a virus and/or legal liability.

Cybersecurity Articles and Resources

Protecting Your Small Business, Entrereneur Magazine

2011 Awards for best computer security tools, SC Magazine

Free training materials, security configuration guides from Internet Security Alliance

Symantec Security Solutions for Small Business

McAfee Security Solutions for Small Business

Microsoft Small Business Guide

Security Tips from Securing our eCity

Small Business Solutions form StopBadware

Author

  • michaelhackmer

    View all posts

About michaelhackmer

What you can read next

Proposal Managers: Ten Keys to Effective Stand-up Proposal Meetings
Only The Lonely: First-Time Entrepreneurs Need Realistic Goals for Investor Capital
7 Ways To Be More Attractive To Business Lenders

You must be logged in to post a comment.

Join Today! Get Involved In Government Contractors

  • Register To Become An Author or Thought Leader on Government Contractors
  • Create A Course
  • Create A Webinar
  • Contact Us To Discuss Your Interests

Latest Posts

US General Services Administration - HCaTS 8(a) - Human Capital Training Solutions

HCaTS-8(a): What is the Winning Score?

10:00 am 15 Jan 2020
Copies of the US Federal Budget

Federal Government Collects Record Individual Income Taxes in FY 2018; Still Runs $779B Deficit

2:33 pm 22 Oct 2018
FedFem Awards Honoring Women Owned Businesses in Government Contracting - LeadersNest

LeadersNest Announces the 2018 FedFem Awards Winners

1:55 pm 17 Oct 2018
L3 Harris Technologies

Harris Corporation and L3 Technologies To Merge Into L3 Harris Technologies

1:26 pm 15 Oct 2018
Weather Channel Video Footage of Hurricane Michael Disaster

Hurricane Michael Devastates Communities and Leaves +1 Million Without Power

11:20 am 12 Oct 2018
GovCon CRM and Marketing Automation Solution - Click To Learn More

GovCon Courses, Bootcamps, and Books


Government Contractors has created a section of learning opportunities for govcon professionals, including book recommendations and courses. Through our partnership with Catoctin College, you also can create courses for the govcon community.

Click to see courses and learning opportunities.

Discussion Forums

Government Contractor Discussions Forum

Join in the debate in our GovCon Discussion Forums. We seek to include a wide variety of topics important to b2g professionals. Registration is free. Some threads are "invitation only" due to topic sensitivity / privacy.

Click here to view the GovCon Discussion Forums.

SIGN-UP FOR EMAIL UPDATES

GETTING STARTED

  • How To Get Started
  • Basics of Government Contracting
  • Government Agency Profiles
  • Types of Contracts
  • B2G Business Resources
  • Federal Contracts
  • Networking and Events
  • Submit A Company Profile

POPULAR COURSES

  • VIEW ALL COURSES
  • How To Create Successful B2B and B2G Webinars (Course and One On One Consulting)
  • Inbound Marketing 101
  • Content Marketing 101
  • LinkedIn for B2B and B2G Networking 101
  • Search Engine Optimization for Government Contractors 101
  • E-mail Marketing 101
  • Social Media 101
  • Small Business Marketing To The Government 101
  • Introduction To B2B and B2G Advertising
  • How The Military Uses Instagram
  • Register / Become A Thought Leader
  • Submit News or Press Release
  • List An Event
  • Advertise
  • Ask A GovCon Expert
  • Contact Us

Web Hosting

  • Commenting and Discussion Forum Policy
  • Contributor Policy
  • Privacy Policy
  • DMCA: Request Content Removal
  • Terms of Use and GDPR Notice

Copyright © 2021 by Government Contractors LLC. All rights reserved.

TOP