Cybersecurity Assessment entails scanning all internet-connected systems, such as network, hardware, servers, software including operating systems, any third-party applications, any hybrid systems including virtual environment (VMware, Hyper-V) and cloud (IaaS). Scanned results are run against the known vulnerabilities database to identify any network vulnerabilities. Once the assessment is complete, a remediation strategy is devised. Remediation may be a multipronged attack and may include all or some of the elements of cybersecurity depending on the specific environment:

• Application vulnerability management
• Information or data security vulnerability management
• Network security
• Disaster recovery/business continuity planning
• Operational security
• Cloud security
• Critical infrastructure security
• Physical security
• Cybersecurity awareness and End-user education

In this day and age computer systems, smartphones and tablets have, pretty much, replaced paper and pencil. Moreover, in post COVID world the need to work remotely added the connectivity requirement even for the smallest mom and pop operations. On one hand, this internet connectivity enables small businesses to stay afloat and competitive, while on the other hand, it exposes their computer systems to cyber threats. 
In fact, it is the small businesses that are most vulnerable; because unlike their enterprise counterparts, they don’t have the luxury of having a dedicated team of cybersecurity experts or even an IT department for that matter. Nor can the small business afford to have redundancies built into their network to keep operating in the wake of a Denial of Service (DOS) or ransomware attack. There is ample evidence to suggest that majority of bad actors target small businesses for hacking and ransomware because these are much softer targets.
Some common cybersecurity threats which every business should be on the lookout for, especially small business are: 

• Malware is a form of malicious software in which any file or program can be used to harm a computer user. This includes worms, viruses, Trojans, and spyware.
• Ransomware is another type of malware. It involves an attacker locking the victim's computer system files, and demanding a payment to decrypt and unlock them.
• Social engineering is an attack that relies on human interaction to trick users into breaking security procedures to gain sensitive information that is typically protected.
• Phishing is a form of social engineering where a fraudulent email or text messages that resemble those from reputable or known sources are sent. Often random attacks, these messages intend to steal sensitive data, such as credit card or login information.
• Spear phishing is a type of phishing attack that has an intended target user, organization, or business.
• Insider threats are security breaches or losses caused by humans, for example, employees, contractors, or customers. Insider threats can be malicious or negligent.
• Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are those in which company systems or website is flooded with messages and connection requests by the attacker causing the system to slow down or crash, preventing legitimate users from accessing it.
• Advanced persistent threats (APTs) are prolonged targeted attacks in which an attacker infiltrates a network and remains undetected for long periods to steal sensitive data.
• Man-in-the-middle (MitM) attacks are eavesdropping attacks that involve an attacker intercepting and relaying messages between two parties who believe they are communicating with each other. 
   

There is nothing mysterious about the term, “Vulnerability Management” (VM). It is a sub-process under the umbrella of cybersecurity. 
In a perfect world, we would deploy a network system and it would be bulletproof right out of the box and no bad actor would be able to penetrate its defenses, right?  Well, we all know that we don’t live in a perfect world, and in this world, we see all these security bulletins and security patches released by software vendors soon after the release of their products to remediate the vulnerabilities discovered in the production environment. 
Software and network vulnerabilities are constantly at risk of being exploited by attackers with intentions to insert destructive malware, compromise system infrastructure, and steal sensitive user data. The process of identifying, evaluating, remediating, and reporting these vulnerabilities is known as “Vulnerability Management.” 
 

AQSS specializes in providing custom turn-key-solutions to SMB clients. AQSS is vendor-agnostic and has strategic partnerships with most major hardware and software vendors. This flexibility affords our consultants the ability to design a solution that fits your needs the best. If you already have a prevalent or preferred hardware or software falvor, AQSS consultants will be happy to architect a solution that will homogenously coexist in your current ecosystem. 

AQSS specializes in providing custom turn-key-solutions to SMB clients. AQSS is vendor-agnostic and has strategic partnerships with most major hardware and software vendors. This flexibility affords our consultants the ability to design a solution that fits your needs the best. If you already have a prevalent or preferred hardware or software flavor, AQSS consultants will be happy to architect a solution that will homogenously coexist in your current ecosystem. 

Yes.