As they seek to enable remote work, many organizations are implementing new ways for employees to access and share data. This is all necessary to enable business continuity, but it’s possible (and perhaps even probable) that organizations are unwittingly opening up new security vulnerabilities as they introduce new technologies and workflows. Unless an IT shop employs professionals with deep expertise in cybersecurity, the prospect of hunting around for unknown security gaps can be incredibly daunting. That’s where cybersecurity assessments from a partner like CDW come in.

The election infrastructure in the U.S. depends on the coordinated, secure interaction of thousands of state and local election officials using very different technologies. These range from large cities with fully electronic voting systems to small municipalities that still rely on paper ballots. As I work with officials from these diverse election authorities, I’ve developed a set of best practices that will enhance security in any election environment. Let’s take a look at five key measures that every Board of Elections should put in place.

Endpoints are on the front lines of every cybersecurity program. Laptops, smartphones, tablets and other end-user devices travel around the world, connecting to a variety of networks with varying degrees of security control. These devices require strong protections to ensure that they don’t become compromised and serve as the launching point for a broader attack on an organization. Next-generation endpoint protection platforms provide the 24/7 control required to keep an organization’s diverse set of devices safe and secure.

Vulnerability scanning, penetration testing and red teaming each play a vital role in an organization’s security program. It’s important that technology leaders understand the different roles they play so they may combine them in the manner most effective for their organizations.

Planning plays a crucial role in the world of cybersecurity and IT. We’re the teams that our organizations depend on to react quickly when something goes wrong and to recover operations as rapidly as possible. In my conversations with IT leaders, I encourage them to think about this planning role from two important perspectives: incident response and disaster recovery.

While security might not present itself as an immediate emergency, school leaders should consult regularly with their IT teams about this significant technology risk. One of the major barriers to these conversations is the lack of a common vocabulary. The world of cybersecurity is full of technical terms that may be bewildering to school leaders who find themselves more familiar with the world of education. Let’s take a look at six questions that you can use to start an informed conversation at your school.