Businesses operating in the Information Technology (IT) and Information Technology-enabled Services (ITeS) industry face a unique challenge when it comes to data security. They must not only meet the data security and compliance requirements for their clients, but they must do so while operating in a different geography, and possibly with a hybrid workforce.
This is not an easy dilemma to solve. Data security products can cost a lot, and almost seem like an overkill to invest in. Especially so when client engagements come with an expiry date. Moreover, some security solutions may get in the way of your employees’ day-to-day work. Yet, data security and privacy regulations like the GDPR, CCPA, HIPAA, and PCI-DSS hold your clients accountable for any breach in compliance that may occur on the vendor’s (i.e., your) end.
Yet, safeguarding the client’s data comes at the top of any IT/ITeS company’s agenda. Aptly so, because any slip on your end results in loss of reputation, erosion of client’s trust in your organisation, and financial losses to them. So, how can IT and ITeS firms approach this dilemma?
Consider the key security risks affecting your client data in this article, and how you can mitigate these risks in a cost-effective fashion with the right security product.
Client data under attack: Key security risks
For threat actors, IT organisations are lucrative targets because gaining unauthorised access to their client data enables attackers to hold this data for ransom. This year, a third of all attacks involved ransom and other extortion techniques. In such scenarios, a breach enables a threat actor to jeopardise the operations of IT companies by holding them under gunpoint. On average, such incidents cause a loss of $46,000, ranging up to $1.1m.
Moreover, attackers leverage a variety of techniques to extract the greatest financial gains from their efforts. As a result, managed service providers can be affected by DoS attacks, whereas large IT companies may fall prey to social engineering attacks and attempts at system intrusion. Loss of credentials is a key event associated with over 35% attacks in 2024.2
According to the same survey, nearly 15% of all breaches recorded over the year involved a 3rd party. Such findings are also enticing clients to work with vendors that possess a strong track record of securing client data. This makes client data security an important lever for gaining a competitive edge in the IT/ITeS industry.
Challenges of securing client data
So, what makes it difficult to secure client data in IT and ITeS organisations? Here are a few factors:
- Remote users: The demand for remote days or fully remote work is especially high in the IT/ITeS sector. However, remote users connect from public networks, and legacy techniques like SSL tunnels and VPNs are not effective against advanced threats and are sometimes unviable for enabling remote access to client systems.
- BYOD devices: When users connect from their own devices via the internet to private networks at the office, attackers can exploit such opportunities to gain access to client data or systems. The risk amplifies when your security solution doesn’t support the employees’ OS/platform.
- Insider threats: When user devices are left unmonitored, employees may leak or sell client data for financial gain. In such scenarios, it becomes difficult to identify the bad actors, creating an environment of suspicion while causing a loss of client trust.
- Poor endpoint control: In some situations, users may inadvertently commit actions that are not permitted by the client – like sending confidential information via email or copying/screenshotting data from client systems. Monitoring alone isn’t adequate to curtail such risks.
- Not encrypting data: When employees connect to the client networks, it is essential to encrypt data at rest and in transit. Not doing so exposes client data to eavesdropping techniques.
- Persistent threats: Sometimes, threat actors may attempt to infiltrate the client systems via your networks or user devices over an extended period. In such cases, if an antivirus installation expires or becomes outdated, or the device stops complying with the defined policies, the attacker may exploit the chance to gain access to client systems.
Attackers may also exploit poor password policies or password reset requests made by actual users, to infiltrate into client systems. Lastly, IT companies that acquire admin privileges to client systems to provide their services may operate in even riskier situations, making strong endpoint security the top priority.
In general, the more critical the systems or data to which attackers gain access, the greater the risk. Attackers may demand more ransom to release the jeopardised assets/controls, and IT companies are generally left with no choice but to give in to the demands of the threat actors.
Break free from the gunpoint: 3 vital points to check
All of the above factors point to an urgent need for elevating endpoint security in order to safeguard client data. Here are the key requirements for effectively realising this outcome in today’s enterprise:
- The first step is to look for universal solutions that can guarantee secure remote access to any type of client applications from the office, the employees’ homes, or public networks.
- Secondly, endpoint security shouldn’t stop at facilitating secure access. It is equally important to monitor user endpoints, and automatically trigger authentication/device verification when access expires.
- Third, an endpoint security solution should enable network administrators to effectively manage access, retire credentials when not in use, and enforce policies in a uniform fashion.
Why HySecure?
Accops HySecure is the answer to the above requirements for ensuring endpoint security in modern IT and ITeS companies. HySecure leverages Secure Private Application Network (SPAN) technology to facilitate fast, performant, and secure access to users from any network, device, or location. At the same time, HySecure can continuously run checks on user devices to assess device and user compliance with the security policies defined by your administrators, ensuring guaranteed compliance at all times.
HySecure also brings strong endpoint monitoring and control features to help organisations track and restrict user actions. Lastly, HySecure works with nearly every type of client application – be it web-based client-server app, or Windows, port-based, SaaS, VoIP, FTP, or Fileshare apps. HySecure makes universal secure remote access a reality with a resilient feature set and intuitive management controls for IT administrators.
Next steps
In a rapidly evolving risk landscape, IT and ITeS companies are the prime targets for attackers, as they provide services to a vast array of clients across the globe. Lack of sufficient security practices can expose client systems to major threats, leading to irreparable damage to reputation and financial losses for IT and ITeS vendors.
When the demand for remote work is also growing in this sector, organisations will find it strategically advantageous to invest in a cost-effective, yet resilient and near-universal endpoint security solution. With such a solution, IT and ITeS companies can build greater client confidence in the services they offer, and deliver positive outcomes with repeated success. This makes Accops HySecure a top choice for IT and ITeS companies looking to elevate endpoint security at their organisation.
Get in touch with us to see how Accops HySecure can enhance endpoint security at your organisation.