One of our founders, Erward Osckar, expressed his excitement, stating, “We are thrilled to announce the grand opening of our new office in Surabaya, Indonesia! This momentous occasion marks a significant milestone in our journey as we expand our presence and further strengthen our commitment to serving our global clients and partners.” 

He continued, “The new office houses our 24x7x365 Network Operation Center and Security Operation Center (SOC). It also accommodates our Engineering support team, Research and Development team, and the Asia Pacific Sales and Marketing team. With cutting-edge technology and modern amenities, the ISO 27001 audited facility embodies our vision for the future. It has been carefully crafted to optimize productivity, foster creativity, and enhance the overall experience for both our employees and visitors.” 

Our founders, Rudy Setiawan and Erward Osckar, along with Sherly Pandra representing her brother Jimmy Pandra, officially inaugurated our headquarters with a ribbon-cutting ceremony. They expressed their gratitude to our guests and team for their support to Wowrack throughout the years. 

Rudy shared in his speech that he is “thankful for such a long journey, and now we finally have a place that we can call our new home for all of us, including our customers”. He also added that he “hopes Wowrack can continue to support everyone, including its employees, by providing the best IT services”.  

Erward also thanked our staff, clients, and partners. He also said in his speech that he “started Wowrack in the US in 2001, and 22 years have passed and Wowrack has grown into a big team now” and that he is “very happy, and very proud, and very glad with this achievement”. 

During the event, our guests had the opportunity to explore our facility through guided room tours. Also, they could have a chat with our team of engineers in unique ‘speed dating’-like sessions. We were delighted to receive positive feedback from our guests, as these sessions provided them with face-to-face interactions, a refreshing change from their usual online communication with our engineers. 

The grand opening of Wowrack‘s Southeast Asia Headquarters in Surabaya marks a remarkable milestone in our journey. We are hopeful that this new home will enable us to continue providing the best IT solutions to our customers.  

The post Wowrack Indo Celebrates Opening of New Southeast Asia Headquarters appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

IAM Key Components

IAM involves several key components, including authentication, authorization, and user provisioning and de-provisioning. Authentication is the process of verifying the identity of a user or device that is requesting access to a cloud resource. This can be achieved through various methods, such as passwords, security tokens, and biometric factors like fingerprints or facial recognition. By verifying the user’s identity, organizations can ensure that only authorized users have access to their cloud resources.

Authorization is the process of granting or denying access to a specific cloud resource based on the user’s identity and access privileges. Access privileges are typically assigned based on the user’s role or job function within the organization. For example, a user with administrative privileges would have access to more sensitive data and systems than a user with a basic user role.

Added Layer of Security

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is becoming increasingly popular as an added layer of security for the authentication process. MFA requires users to provide more than one form of authentication, such as a password and a security token, to verify their identity. This helps to prevent unauthorized access by ensuring that a potential attacker would need to possess more than just one factor of authentication to gain access to cloud resources.

Role-based access control (RBAC) is a model for managing access to cloud resources based on the user’s role or job function within the organization. RBAC allows organizations to manage access to resources more efficiently and securely by limiting access to only those users who require it to perform their job duties. This reduces the risk of data breaches and other security incidents that may occur due to unauthorized access.

User provisioning and de-provisioning are crucial components of IAM that ensure that users are provided with the necessary access privileges when they join an organization, and those privileges are removed when they leave the organization. This helps to prevent former employees from retaining access to sensitive data and systems after they have left the organization.

Conclusion

Ultimately, IAM is a critical aspect of cloud security that allows organizations to manage the digital identities of their users and control their access to cloud resources. By implementing IAM frameworks, organizations can reduce the risk of data breaches and other security incidents that may occur due to unauthorized access to cloud resources. IAM provides organizations with greater control over their cloud resources, ensuring that only authorized users have access to sensitive data and systems. As more and more organizations move their operations to the cloud, IAM will become increasingly important in ensuring the security of cloud-based data and systems.

Let’s start the conversation today! Click here to discuss how Wowrack can enhance your organizations security.

The post A Brief Overview of Identity & Access Management (IAM) appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Having a secure network is something everyone needs for both personal or professional use. It prevents attackers from accessing important information and acquiring access to your system. 

What is a Secure Network? 

On a surface level, a secure network is any network that puts security measures in place to help protect your system from outside attackers. For this article we will focus on a secure network setup for a flat network. 

Flat Networks 

Flat networks are a type of network architecture notorious for their easy maintenance and simplicity. While simple and effective, they are not secure. When attackers break into a flat network, they can easily reach all of the systems. This level of access will allow an attacker to spread deeper in your environment.  

A way to mitigate and contain attackers is with VLAN segmentation.  

VLAN Segmentation 

A way to set up a secure system is through virtual local area network (VLAN) segmentation. This setup breaks up your server network so only certain systems can communicate with each other. A basic setup of this typically includes the following: 

• Office Network 
• DMZ (Internet facing Systems) 
• Core Server Network 
• Physical Server Network 
• Admin Network 

Those mentioned above are connected to the server network. However, only certain networks can talk to one another; or have one network communicate with another but the receiving network cannot talk back. 

ACL Rules 

Along with VLAN segmentation comes access control list (ACL) rules. ACLs are a list of rules that determine what resources each user can access. Additionally, each ACL has one or more access control entities (ACE) that consist of a name of a user or group- think of a security guard that allows people to come in and out of a VIP room. 

Having ACLs provide simplified user identification, performance advantages, and more granular control over traffic. 

Why does building a secure network matter? 

Building a secure network prevents a user from gaining access to information. Utilizing VLAN segmentation helps contain an attacker preventing them from spreading to different networks amongst your sever. 

In a  Q3 2019 report, the average time a ransomware incident lasts is about 12.1 days with the average ransom around $41,198- a 13.1% increase from Q2 of 2019. 

Ultimately, building a secure network is the best line of defense for protecting your company and its virtual assets. Cyber-attacks will continue to grow as time moves forward and technology advances. Having a secure network not only protects, it also ensures that your company’s daily operations run seamlessly saving you both time and money. 

Contact us today if you would like to discuss how Wowrack can enhance your security.

The post Building a Secure Network and Why it Matters appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

The growing number of companies opening opportunities for their employees to work remotely has seen an increase in malicious exploitations of vulnerabilities in their organizations. Access from unsecured networks, usage of personal devices, sharing of passwords, and lack of cybersecurity awareness are seemingly small actions that give opportunities for attackers to target sensitive information and critical systems.

Read More: Impact of Rising Cyber Attack on Businesses Operation

Wowrack

Wowrack has implemented a hybrid working policy, with some of our employees working fully remote until now. We know a thing or two about the difficulties of securing our infrastructures from these digital attacks. We are also developing advanced features and software for end-users to detect these digital attacks.

Here are the top 5 risks and tips on how to help you in the event a possible cybersecurity exploit might target you while working remotely and how you can prevent them from happening.

Cybersecurity risk #1: Passwords

Using the same password for every account

This increases the risk of getting all your accounts stolen once an attacker manages to log in to even one of your accounts. Getting your accounts stolen could also lead to giving the attacker access to sensitive information.

Using overly simple and obvious passwords

Never make easy-to-guess passwords. This includes your name, username, birthday,12345, qwerty, etc.

Password-sharing

Since remote workers often work at cafes, hotels, and public spaces, it is common to want to write down those passwords on post-it notes or loose paper. The problem arises when you happen to forget about it. People who stumble upon your post-it note would have access to your account could take advantage and steal your credentials.

How to tackle it:

• Use a password manager tool

Password manager tools like 1Password and LastPass can help you come up with complex and unique passwords for each of your accounts, and you do not have to write them all down as all you need to do is open their digital vault to view those passwords whenever you need them.

• Never share your password with anyone

This includes your family members, friends, and co-workers, as they might also login using your credentials on their unprotected devices, which as a result increases your account vulnerability to getting attacked by hackers.

• Update your passwords regularly

This reduces your risk of someone else gaining access to your accounts, as someone might find your old passwords when you change or sell your old devices.

• Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Setting up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) means adding a verification step to sign into an account or make transactions. This makes having only your password inadequate for hackers or attackers to access your accounts. This requires you to enter a one-time password (OTP) in addition to your original password. The OTP can be sent to you via text message, or you can retrieve an OTP via MFA apps such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or Authy.

Cybersecurity risk #2: Unsecure Networks

Remote working gives workers the option to work from their homes, cafes, libraries— anywhere there is Wi-Fi. Employees access their company’s sensitive information while connecting to the unsecured network. This could result in their connection being vulnerable to what is referred to as a Man in the Middle attacks (MITM), as a lot of public Wi-Fi networks are poorly encrypted or not encrypted at all. This means a perpetrator is actively routing your data— essentially eavesdropping and interrupting your data when you surf the web.

How to protect yourself:

Connecting to a virtual private network (VPN) can help you prevent being the target of a MITM attack. The VPN encrypts your connection in a way that your data will go through the VPN servers instead of the internet service provider. In this process, your IP address is altered, hiding your true online identity from prying eyes.

Nowadays, companies provide VPNs for their employees to utilize. This can only be accessed by their employees as it requires them to insert their username, password, or OTP to be able to use it.

Want to set up or manage a VPN for your company to utilize? Check out Wowrack’s Managed Solutions

Cybersecurity risk #3: Inadequate Security Reviews

A common mistake that many companies still make is not considering their security posture. A company’s security posture is the overall readiness to tackle challenges related to cybersecurity. This includes loss of data due to cyber-attacks, ransomware, data breaches, and other cyber threats. Inadequate review of their security posturing could lead to unreadiness to face the ever-changing landscape of cybersecurity threats. This impacts not only the IT department but the organization as a whole.

How to solve it:

Start developing a habit of regularly reviewing your company’s cybersecurity posture. This way, you can know in which specific areas your company needs to improve to strengthen your cybersecurity posture. If these are implemented properly, it can reduce your cybersecurity risk.

Security services providers can also help provide you with cybersecurity metrics to help you with measuring your cybersecurity posture. They’ll assist in the reviewing process and can help give you insightful advice on how to improve your cybersecurity posture.

Read More: Security Operations: The Solution for Modern Cybersecurity Needs

Cybersecurity risk #4: Ransomware

According to the 2022 Cyber Threat Report by SonicWall, ransomware attacks worldwide have increased by 105% in 2021. Remote workers need to be aware of this trend to avoid falling trapped into phishing emails, as it is one of the easiest ways for attackers to infiltrate the company’s network. Once a company’s system is attacked by ransomware, the company might have to pay a hefty sum to get its data back or to prevent it from being leaked. There is also no guarantee that the company can ever get its data back post-attack.

How to prevent it:

Aside from providing their employees with proper training about how to avoid phishing scams, businesses need to also invest in backup software that can quickly and reliably backup and restore all their data whenever needed. Veeam is an example of backup software that we utilize and offer at Wowrack. Aside from backup software, we also recommend businesses invest in security software that can prevent their employees from clicking on suspicious links or websites before they reach the company’s network or any endpoints even when the employees are not connected to the company’s network, such as using the Cisco Umbrella.

Read More: 4 Steps to Protect Backup from Ransomware

Cybersecurity risk #5: Lack of Cybersecurity Awareness

According to a survey by Unisys in 2021, 61% of hybrid and remote workers claimed that they are cautious about clicking links in text messages, emails, or social applications. However, only 44% are aware of SMS phishing. This shows that there are a lot of remote workers who still lack awareness about cybersecurity.

Parallel to that, in a 2021 survey held by TalentLMS and Kenna Security, it was reported that 31% of companies do not provide cybersecurity training to their employees. Moreover, among those employees who had joined the training, only 39% passed the basic cybersecurity quiz.

How to stay educated:

Companies should regularly provide insightful cybersecurity training sessions for their employees. Employees should also routinely attend and pay attention to those sessions, as this is beneficial not just for the company but also for general knowledge.

In the session, aside from explaining how to avoid phishing messages or links, companies can also explain further how to access the company’s network securely when the employees are working remotely, as well as the do’s and don’ts while working remote to increase the employee’s awareness of the cybersecurity challenges they might face while working remotely.

How Wowrack Can Help You

Need assistance in making sure that your remote workers are accessing your corporate networks safely? We are here to help you in assessing and increasing your company’s security posture. Contact us now for a free consultation with our team. Our team of experts is ready to help you 24/7.

The post Remote Working: Top 5 Cyber Security Risks and Tips appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Provided by KirkpatrickPrice, this audit is a third-party validation and follows Trust Services Criteria stipulated by AICPA. In order to complete the audit, a company has to pass a series of security, availability, confidentiality, and system privacy tests. Wowrack has been proven to meet these criteria.

However, what does it mean to complete a SOC 2 audit for Wowrack? And, more importantly, why does it matter for the customers in the first place?

Why Wowrack SOC 2 Type II/SSAE 18 Matters for Your Business

Completing SOC 2 audit means a lot to Wowrack as it manifests a serious commitment to uptime, security and customer’s data privacy. Those three aspects are integral to Wowrack as it is part of the company’s mission to continuously improve services to its customers—to you.

Additionally, this attestation does not stop at benefitting Wowrack for it also benefits its customers. There are, at the very least, four benefits that you can get.

Guaranteed Security Practices

In times when digital adaption in business continuity practices accelerates faster than ever, cyberthreats are also becoming a bigger problem. However, one of the newest trends provides an interesting fact about the issue.

A 2021 study by Accenture reports that 35% of security breaches are now dominated by ransomware, targeting weak links in the supply chain or business ecosystem. In other words, even the slightest unsafe security practices potentially result in bigger problems than the cause.

By choosing a certified vendor that does not take security for granted, you are making one huge leap towards safer practices. This also mitigates the risks of receiving indirect as well as indirect cyberattacks.

Improved Trust from Clients

Growing concerns regarding collection, protection, and the use of personal information become a major issue for business. That, accordingly, does not only cover the practices, but also the infrastructure, used vendors, products, and services.

Based on a 2019 survey of 2,200 US adults by Morning Consult, 73% of the respondents agree that protecting personal data is the top deciding factor to trust a business. This scores higher than product usability (71%), product safety (70%), and customer service (68%). Ergo, the more a company conducts safe information practices, the more it likely to get customers’ trust.

One way to let your customers know that you care about trust, security, and privacy is by letting them know that you do the same thing. The easiest way to do so is by choosing a reliable service provider. In so doing, certification provides evidence to the reliability of a service provider.

Above-standard Service Quality

Standards play a significant role in determining the quality of a service. They work as a basis for mutual understanding and guarantee of how a company will deliver a service.

For instance, take a look at AICPA-standardized SOC 2 audit. This audit sets the bar for how a company must conduct the best information security practices, internally or externally. Consequentially, it is pertaining to how a company delivers and maintains a service quality.

Once a company passes the assessment, this means that it has followed all the criteria of a good service delivery and practice. A result of an audit also works as a warranty of the best version of services that you will get.

Peaceful and Secure Digital Collaboration

A lot of companies—and probably yours as well—relies on digital collaboration to run their business. Especially, during the pandemic, we have seen that digital collaboration has skyrocketed exponentially. The same goes for cyberthreats.

Following PwC’s 2020 Digital Trust Insights Pulse Survey, cybercriminals are expected to be the most dangerous digital threats for business. It is especially true with the current business condition that relies heavily on digitalization. In addition, these threats do not solely target people who are working from home. They, however, also target the very IT infrastructure of a company in many ways possible.

For that reason, by choosing a safe and reliable IT service provider, you are indirectly helping yourself mitigate these cyber risks. A proven-to-be reliable provider conducts every security practice securely to get rid of your pain points worrying of not being able to enjoy your digital collaboration.

In conclusion, security is not something any businesses should wager. Trusting your IT security to a reliable service provider, such as Wowrack, helps you work more securely and painlessly.

To learn more on how Wowrack can help you, you can directly consult with our expert team. Schedule a call now.

The post SOC 2 Type II/SSAE 18 Audit Completion – Our Dedication to Customer’s Data appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

The IT infrastructure space is complex, and new cloud migrations have only added to the problem. The work involved in managing hosting and servers can be a tall order for IT departments or companies that manage their own hosting and can decrease their overall productivity.

According to a survey by INAP, the top IT challenges companies faced in 2020 were cybersecurity, cloud management, and skilled IT talent acquisition. With IT teams overloaded with development tasks, businesses need more help from infrastructure providers to support their hardware management.

Wowrack works as a partner to help ease the burden of infrastructure management. The company prides itself on collaborating with customers to meet their needs and delivering solutions to their complicated IT issues.

“​​With managed services and infrastructure, we can host them in our private cloud services, provide web hosting or public cloud management, like AWS and Google Kubernetes. So we’re more of a hands-on service provider,” said Erward (Ed) Osckar, Founding Partner of Wowrack.

Since launching in 2001, Wowrack has delivered enterprise-grade hosting and infrastructure solutions to mid-market businesses. Its wide range of services allows companies to find all their hosting needs under one roof. Today, Wowrack is once again featured in the most prestigious blog in the web hosting industry, discussing the current and future plans of the company.

Managed Cloud Hosting Solutions with Increased Security

During the COVID-19 pandemic, Wowrack ran into several uncertainties, and so did its client base. But at the start of 2021, the company began to bounce back from the obstacles that COVID had brought. The company returned to a growth pattern, and its customers also found their footing.

“Our customers are getting projects moving, getting things updated and upgraded. Although we’re still in this pandemic, businesswise, we have seen recovery, and it’s speeding to get better,” said Ed.

Wowrack helps customers save time and money by providing a complete package of managed hosting solutions. Its services range from infrastructure installation to system administration and maintenance. Wowrack also offers several hosting and colocation options, including hybrid cloud, dedicated hosting, and full cabinet colocation, among others.

In 2021, Wowrack also set out to enhance its cybersecurity offerings. As threats increase online and on the cloud, companies will need to increase their protection. But most of them don’t know where to begin or overlook the urgency of cybersecurity.

“A lot of organizations don’t understand what the threats are out there, how to mitigate it, and how to deal with it if they aren’t affected by it. So, we not only consult with our customers, but we have helped them get out of ransomware or attacks,” said Ed.

Wowrack not only offers managed cloud hosting services but also managed security. Its expert cybersecurity team monitors and patches threats, keeps up with the latest trends, including DDoS attacks, and is available at all times for an affordable price.

Businesses can also use its reliable backup services to ensure their data is never lost. Wowrack facilitates the entire process from initial installation to scheduling and recovery.

Fostering Customer Relationships Built on Trust

Wowrack hails from humble beginnings. Ed and his Founding Partner Jimmy Pandra started in an apartment studio running only six servers. Wowrack now has 5,000-plus clients globally and sustains more than 10,000 servers and 15 global datacenters around the clock.

The Wowrack team understands what it takes to achieve success, and it also recognizes the role its customers have played in that success. Gaining and maintaining customer trust has been a priority for the company since its inception. Wowrack values its relationships and sets out to solve its customers’ IT problems above all else.

Mid-market businesses are Wowrack’s core customer demographic, but it also works with a few large banks and tech companies.

Wowrack accompanies its clients along the cloud infrastructure adoption process. Ed said the team focuses on helping and advising wherever it can to improve a client’s IT operations.

“We would be a natural extension of their teams, such as their sysadmin, their network admin, or their security admin. And we are also their trusted adviser, as to, providing insights on technologies and how they can transform and drive their business,” said Ed.

The Wowrack team caters to client needs by providing a personalized approach to customer service. Wowrack gets to know its clients and figures out what strategy will work best for them. Ed said the goal is to help internal IT teams optimize their productivity and focus on the more critical areas of their jobs while Wowrack manages the operational side.

“We don’t take it lightly. I think how we gain the trust of our customers is we don’t sell. We give them solutions. And that trust factor is important in how we can keep and grow our business,” said Ed.

Extending its Reach into New Markets and Countries

As the hosting space grows increasingly crowded, Wowrack has evolved to meet the market’s demands and remain competitive.

“It’s a tough market and more competition with how people consume hosting and cloud. But we were fortunate in 2020, and we had a record year in revenue and profit. We had a good year in 2021 also. So we’re hoping to use that to grow the company in 2022,” said Ed.

The company also seeks to branch out domestically. Wowrack plans to enter other markets, expand its product features, and deploy in more US cities. Ed said the company will work more with server stadium brands and dedicated servers.

Wowrack will also add more automation to its services to simplify the hosting process. Customers will only need to place an order for a server, and that order builds automatically. And if the customer cancels, the commission will shut down right away as well.

Wowrack’s plans for expansion don’t stop there. Ed said the company has its sights on increasing its operation overseas.

“Going to different markets, especially in Asia, is exciting for us because there’s a lot of exponential growth that’s going on in Asia. So we’re hopeful that we can participate there and maybe partner with some local companies or conglomerates to offer our services,” said Ed.

The post Wowrack Offers Cloud Hosting for Mid-Market Companies appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Computer, or IT in general, is always something unique since its birth. Moore’s law truly describes it perfectly. In layman’s words, it says that computer performance will always double every two years.

It means that every two years the IT industries will always have innovations. Meanwhile, in-house IT infrastructure will always be lagging. This could spell disaster for business, especially in the current digital environment.

One of the ways you can do to keep with the current digital environment is to integrate managed service into your business. Here, you can find what a managed service is and why you should use it.

What is Manage Service

First, let’s answer the question of “what is managed service?”

Manage service is a term that describes the outsourcing use of a third party in maintaining, managing, and administrating anything related to IT. It can be your infrastructure, security, or storage among other things.

In 2025, Statista projected that this type of IT service will reach a market cap of around $356 billion. It shows how businesses shift from in-house IT service to outsourcing others that specialized in it.

Small to medium business is the one that is most profited from this trend. It allows them to keep up and even compete with middle to enterprise-level within the digital market.

Why Use Managed Services?

Now that we have cleared the basics of what managed service is, we can immediately go to a more in-depth explanation of why you should use this service.

Generally, there are 6 benefits that you can receive from outsourcing your IT management.

1. Handled by Expert

Handling by the expert for your IT infrastructure will be the first benefit of using a managed service.

As previously mentioned, development and innovation within the IT world always come at a quick pace. This would result in some businesses being unable to keep up with the pace.

Meanwhile, MSP or Managed Service Provider has the sole focus on keeping up with the current IT development and innovation. Thus, they will have all the experts needed in operating an up-to-date IT infrastructure.

2. Low Cost

Businesses that use managed services can also reduce the spending needed to keep IT running. This could range from the infrastructure and especially the labor cost.

An agreement between business and MSP can also make sure that there will be no unnecessary service costs. This allows business to shift their expense model into that operating expense model.

3. Easy to Scale

There are times when demand in the business is high and there are times when it is low. Meanwhile, most of the in-house IT infrastructure will stay the way they are. It means that businesses risk overloading or even underloading their IT.

One of the benefits of using MSP is it allows businesses to adjust the IT capacity according to real-time needs. As such you can easily scale your service accordingly.

4. 24/7 Support

MSP will often provide 24/7 support for your business depending on the plan you choose. Thus, you can easily contact or request help at the moment’s notice. MSP with around the globe coverage will be much better in this regard.

5. Minimized Downtime

The experience of most in-house IT users is to fix something that has already broken. This could cost precious time and money to be wasted from the resulting downtime.

By using managed service, you can minimize such downtime with the help of an expert within the MSP. They will proactively maintain and secure your IT infrastructure.

6. Focus on Your Business

The biggest reason for using a managed service is so you can focus more on your business. Today, a growing business means growing IT requirements. This often results in a distraction from your core business.

A good MSP can offer you a flexible service model, be it as an addition to your current team or handle all of your IT needs. In this way, you can back to put your focus on developing and growing the business.

How Wowrack can Help You

With over 20 years of experience in the IT world, Wowrack stands ready to provide white-glove treatment for all of your IT needs. Certified experts, flexible service plans, and advanced tools will allow you to focus entirely on your business.

So, are you ready to advance your business? Let’s get started!

The post 6 Reasons for Using Managed Services in Your Business appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

This migration will allow the business to provide broader access for their customer or their own employee to a certain degree. 

Here, we have compiled a discussion on the general look of “what is a cloud”, the planning and strategies that you could use, and the common challenge that you might face when performing cloud migration. 

General Look of “What is Cloud” 

To understand why you might need to perform cloud migration in the current business environment, you first need to know about the cloud. 

Cloud computing – often being shortened into “cloud” – refers to the pool of computer services that you can access through the connection of the internet. 

The advantage of this pool of computers is its ability to be accessed instantly without the need for the user to set it up themselves. Cloud also allows businesses to move away from on-premise storage. 

Instead, the cloud provider will have dedicated massive data centers around the world to fill all of their clients’ needs. These data centers allow the cloud provider to better maintain and secure the infrastructure. 

Why Move to Cloud? 

You then might ask, why should you perform cloud migration or why even use the cloud at all? So, let us make it clear the two biggest advantages of using the cloud today. 

1. No More On-Premise Server – This means no more dedicated IT specialists. You can focus more on what is your business need, rather than performing maintenance of your IT infrastructure. 

2. Virtually Limitless Computer Resources – You can have as many computer resources as you need. High workloads, add more resources. Not much going on, reduce the resources. That simple. 

If you are still unsure about the feasibility of using the cloud for your business, here are some reports and surveys regarding what the future is like. 

According to Flexera, by the end of 2020, 60% of small and medium businesses moved their workload to clouds and will continue to use the cloud for the foreseeable future. 

Another survey conducted by Venture Beat conclude that 50% of the Fortune 500 companies have undergone a digital transformation in the Q3 of 2021. 

These two surveys should have shown that modern business is putting great attention to the use of the cloud and slowly moving away from an on-premise server to cloud setups. 

Planning What You are Moving 

So, let’s say that you are willing to move your business model from on-premise to cloud, what should you do first in this case. The first thing you need to do is to plan what you are moving into the cloud. 

The fundamental planning when you want to perform cloud migration are the following: 

3. Why you are moving it, 

4. What you are moving, and 

5. How you are going to do it. 

First, evaluate “why” you want to move into the cloud. The business environment often became the biggest reason perform the migration. 

Try to set aggressive goals to drive the migration forward. This includes creating a baseline of your IT performance and cloud migration key performance indicators (KPI). 

Second, find out what you want to move into the cloud. Preferably, workloads or applications that can be moved as they are will be the first ones to be migrated. Meanwhile, with the one that needs a lot of reworking as the last one to be migrated. 

Third, choose how you are going to do perform the migration. The use of tools to simplify migrations and choosing the correct cloud deployment model will be your focus on the last step of planning. We will discuss this more in-depth in the strategies section down below. 

Strategies You Can Use to Perform Cloud Migration 

There are three most common strategies that you can use when performing cloud migration from on-premise storage. Below are the strategies in the order of the quickest and easiest set up to the most difficult one. 

1.    Rehosting (Lift and Shift) 

Rehosting is the quickest and easiest choice you can choose when performing a cloud migration. This strategy is recommended to be used for simple and low-impact workloads. 

As the name implies, this strategy is only moving your data to the cloud. Thus, you might not receive the full benefit when compared to fully going cloud-native. 

2.    Replatforming (Move and Improve) 

The replatforming strategy is used if you are looking to have some of the benefits of what a cloud environment can provide to you. Usually, it involves modernization or updates to the workload or application that will be moved to the cloud. 

This strategy is often preferred when compared to rehosting due to the benefit that businesses could receive from the cloud infrastructure. 

3.    Refactoring (Rip and Replace) 

Refactoring or re-architecting strategy is only preferable for those who wish to fully embrace the cloud. This strategy will force businesses to perform total redesign of workloads or applications to receive the full potential of the cloud infrastructure. 

Common Challenges When Performing Cloud Migration 

There is nothing in the world that can work smoothly without a problem and the same can be said with performing cloud migration. 

Here are some common challenges that you might want to know before performing a cloud migration. 

• Complexity – Different types of cloud require different types of maintenance and can fulfill different types of needs. Understanding your need for the cloud will be the utmost important thing. 
• Dependencies – Workload and application dependencies might bring cloud migration to a grinding halt. 
• Legacy Application – There are times when workload or applications are too complicated and costly to be migrated into the cloud. This is why proper planning is necessary. 
• Databases – While not that big of a challenge, a large amount of data requires time to complete the migration into the cloud. 
• Managing Cost – Proper management of cloud resources can deliver cost-saving. Thus, business needs to consider all of the required cost before and after moving to the cloud. 

Wowrack is Here to Help

Moving to a new environment can be a daunting task for business, especially when we are talking about IT needs. This is why proper survey and analysis are better conducted before making any decision. 

If you are not sure what is the best compute environment for your application, you can always consult us by clicking the link down bellow. We will help you find the best-fit solutions for your needs.

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As academic institutions adopt new technologies to sustain hybrid and remote learning they are constantly targeted by threat actor, leaders in education must stay one step ahead by taking proactive approaches to managing the risks to their k-12 cybersecurity networks and data. 

While online learning provides so many positive opportunities for learners and teachers alike, it is more important than ever to strengthen cybersecurity defenses to deal with new and emerging attacks. This article is designed to help provide teachers, parents, and students with the information they need to identify common cyber threats, as well as tips on cybersecurity best practices to help you safely ease into the new school year.

Cybersecurity is a critical and rapidly growing field in which the demand for jobs is increasingly outpacing the supply of qualified employees. 

K-12 education has a key role in addressing this shortage, both by raising awareness and interest in cybersecurity and by providing students with the fundamental knowledge they need in this field.

The EdWeek Research Center examines the prevalence, forms, and perceptions of cybersecurity education, according to more than 900 K-12 teachers, principals, and district leaders. The results suggest that students and educators alike have limited knowledge of cybersecurity. Less than half of respondents report that their districts or schools offer cybersecurity education. Access is uneven, with cybersecurity education less likely to be provided in small and high-poverty districts or in cybersecurity deserts that lack cybersecurity companies or universities that study or offer coursework on the subject. When cybersecurity education is offered in K-12, it is typically infused into the existing, broader curriculum rather than taught as a standalone course.

In addition, providing cybersecurity education through extracurriculars such as clubs, competitions, or camps may also spark a deeper interest in pursuing cybersecurity as a career. Many key topics, including cryptography, systems engineering, artificial intelligence, and electricity, are rarely taught in schools. Likely as a result of this infrequent and uneven access, educators say most students are not well-informed about the educational and career requirements associated with cybersecurity jobs.

The Biggest Cybersecurity Threats to Education Cybersecurity

As 2021 sees a continuation of remote and hybrid learning environments, as well as transitions between these learning modes, security is paramount. Bad actors continue to search for exploits, and cybersecurity professionals in the educational sector must act swiftly to stay ahead.

According to K12 Six, the most frequently experienced cybersecurity threats K-12 schools face and should particularly be aware of in the coming year are:

IoT and CMS threats

With nine of the top 10 exploits targeting Internet of Things (IoT) devices and content management systems (CMS), institutions should look out for vulnerabilities in these categories. Vulnerable learning content management systems can make soft targets for easy access into enterprise environments. Attackers are also seeking to subvert the less-than-enterprise-grade security inherent to many IoT devices used on home networks. 

Phishing attacks

Malware-laden phishing attacks that inject code or redirect users to malicious sites have become particularly prevalent due to the remote learning and working from home trend.

Ransomware: 

The continued evolution of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) means academic institutions must guard against demands made by cyber criminals who threaten to disclose sensitive student data. Ransomware activity jumped 7x in the last half of 2020 alone.

Malware: 

One vector that bad actors targeted was Microsoft systems and applications used by students and educators. These include 32-bit Windows executables, MS Office products, Visual Basic, and the Microsoft Intermediate Language. Common document formats such as PDF and RTF are also prime targets, as are web browsers.

Edge environments that have grown considerably due to the transition to remote and hybrid learning are targets that remain ripe for exploitation. That said, this trend has also encouraged a move to in-depth security monitoring and enforcement of every edge device, perhaps spelling the end of inherent trust-based security as we know it.

Education Cybersecurity Challenges

It’s worth noting that the education sector faces more challenges than other sectors due to budget and resource limitations. Such resources may be even tighter in 2021, meaning these institutions must do more with less. Approaches to reducing attack surface and complexity, therefore, should be made from an efficiency standpoint. 

As educational organizations shore up weaknesses in their remote access solutions and work toward protecting endpoints, they should look to leverage cloud and SaaS solutions. Attempts to consolidate visibility and administration tasks across both cloud and on-premise environments can help create a security infrastructure better equipped for efficient management.

Fortification and Expansion of Current Cybersecurity Solutions 

Because the move to online and hybrid educational environments was rolled out so quickly, many initial security solutions put in place by academic institutions may be incomplete or contain holes resulting from cobbled-together strategies. At the same time, this new environment is prime for cyberattack, more so than previous on-premise environments that were better planned for and contained inherently fewer vulnerabilities.

Cyber criminals will only continue to attempt to exploit existing weaknesses. Therefore, educational institutions must take the time to better fortify and expand their current cybersecurity solutions now that the initial chaos caused by the transition has subsided. Best practices for securing expanded edge networks in the education sector include the following:

• Network Segmentation: All internet-facing applications should be segmented away from the rest of the network to minimize the impact of potential breaches.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): This strategy helps protect users from the misuse of stolen credentials by requiring additional authentication during an attempted login. 
• Web Application Security: Implementation of web application firewalls (WAFs) protects against phishing attacks and DDoS attacks that can cause your site to become unavailable.
• Browser Security: A cloud-based web security gateway protects against web-based malware.
• Zero Trust Access (ZTA): Protection of networks and applications is best achieved through a zero-trust approach, providing only the necessary level of access privileges. 
• User Education: Often, the weakest link in network security is the human element. Advise students, faculty, and staff alike to utilize strong passwords, exercise caution when using public Wi-Fi, and teach them how to spot social engineering attacks.
• By expanding on the solutions put in place early in the pandemic, these institutions can ensure a robust digital infrastructure able to withstand new and evolving cyberthreats.

Prevention and Attack Mitigation in Education Cybersecurity

It’s common knowledge that the cost and effort associated with attack prevention tend to be significantly less than the cost associated with the fallout of a successful attack. Therefore, in education cybersecurity and beyond, investing in comprehensive cybersecurity strategies not only protects sensitive data and infrastructure, but can also help reduce costs down the line. 

Contact us today and discover how Wowrack enables secure remote access at scale to support students with a wide array of access requirements.

The post K-12 Cybersecurity in Education. Here’s What to Know? appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Wowrack has recently completed SOC 2 Type II/SSAE 18 audit. Accordingly, this attests that Wowrack has followed and demonstrated a strong commitment to information security, specifically in internal controls and processes as well as service delivery.

Provided by KirkpatrickPrice, this audit is a third-party validation and follows Trust Services Criteria stipulated by AICPA. In order to complete the audit, a company has to pass a series of security, availability, confidentiality, and system privacy tests. Wowrack has been proven to meet these criteria.

However, what does it mean to complete a SOC 2 audit for Wowrack? And, more importantly, why does it matter for the customers in the first place?

Why Wowrack SOC 2 Type II/SSAE 18 Matters for Your Business

Completing SOC 2 audit means a lot to Wowrack as it manifests a serious commitment to uptime, security and customer’s data privacy. Those three aspects are integral to Wowrack as it is part of the company’s mission to continuously improve services to its customers—to you.

Additionally, this attestation does not stop at benefitting Wowrack for it also benefits its customers. There are, at the very least, four benefits that you can get.

Guaranteed Security Practices

In times when digital adaption in business continuity practices accelerates faster than ever, cyberthreats are also becoming a bigger problem. However, one of the newest trends provides an interesting fact about the issue.

A 2020 study by Accenture reports that 40% of security breaches are now indirect, targeting weak links in the supply chain or business ecosystem. This can apply to internal practices or practices between companies and vendors. In other words, even the slightest unsafe security practices potentially result in bigger problems than the cause.

By choosing a certified vendor that does not take security for granted, you are making one huge leap towards safer practices. This also mitigates the risks of receiving indirect as well as indirect cyberattacks.

Improved Trust from Clients

Growing concerns regarding collection, protection, and the use of personal information become a major issue for business. That, accordingly, does not only cover the practices, but also the infrastructure, used vendors, products, and services.

Based on a 2019 survey of 2,200 US adults by Morning Consult, 73% of the respondents agree that protecting personal data is the top deciding factor to trust a business. This scores higher than product usability (71%), product safety (70%), and customer service (68%). Ergo, the more a company conducts safe information practices, the more it likely to get customers’ trust.

One way to let your customers know that you care about trust, security, and privacy is by letting them know that you do the same thing. The easiest way to do so is by choosing a reliable service provider. In so doing, certification provides evidence to the reliability of a service provider.

Above-standard Service Quality

Standards play a significant role in determining the quality of a service. They work as a basis for mutual understanding and guarantee of how a company will deliver a service.

For instance, take a look at AICPA-standardized SOC 2 audit. This audit sets the bar for how a company must conduct the best information security practices, internally or externally. Consequentially, it is pertaining to how a company delivers and maintains a service quality.

Once a company passes the assessment, this means that it has followed all the criteria of a good service delivery and practice. A result of an audit also works as a warranty of the best version of services that you will get.

Peaceful and Secure Digital Collaboration

A lot of companies—and probably yours as well—relies on digital collaboration to run their business. Especially, during the pandemic, we have seen that digital collaboration has skyrocketed exponentially. The same goes for cyberthreats.

PwC’s 2020 Digital Trust Insights Pulse Survey reported that cybercriminals are expected to be the most dangerous digital threats for business in 2020 and onwards. In addition, these threats do not solely target people who are working from home. They, however, also target the very IT infrastructure of a company in many ways possible.

For that reason, by choosing a safe and reliable IT service provider, you are indirectly helping yourself mitigate these cyber risks. A proven-to-be reliable provider conducts every security practice securely to get rid of your pain points worrying of not being able to enjoy your digital collaboration.

In conclusion, security is not something any businesses should wager. Trusting your IT security to a reliable service provider, such as Wowrack, helps you work more securely and painlessly.

To learn more on how Wowrack can help you, you can directly consult with our expert team. Schedule a call now.

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