In 2019, RIS engaged with a publishing company that has been in operation for over 35 years, balancing both digital and print media. The company enlisted RIS to conduct a risk assessment aimed at lowering their operational risks. Like many organizations with decades of history, the company presented multiple areas that were ready for improvement.
Among the risks RIS identified, one particularly urgent issue was a critical shared file server. This server, housed on an outdated 1u machine sitting in a networking closet, was nearing the end of its life. It held essential files pivotal to daily operations and revenue, along with historical archives. To address this, RIS recommended a network-attached storage (NAS) appliance paired with a cloud backup service. The benefits were immediate:
The next two highest-ranking risks were related to key personnel vulnerabilities. To mitigate these risks, the company was directed to document essential processes and establish "break glass" protocols for critical service accounts. RIS deployed a password manager to eradicate the practice of password sharing, minimize reuse, and promote stronger password protocols. This password manager also conveniently served the dual purpose of facilitating "break glass" emergency access. Future disaster recovery exercises are in the pipeline to validate the thoroughness and accuracy of their newly documented processes.