BlackCSI Safeguards Customer Networks by Exposing and Eliminating Website Vulnerabilities

Leading MTSP Proactively Conducts Website Audits to Enhance Cybersecurity

HARRISBURG, PA – September 13, 2024 – BlackCSI, a leading Managed Technology Services Provider (MTSP), is taking proactive steps to secure its customers' networks by identifying and addressing vulnerabilities on their websites. As businesses increasingly rely on their online presence, ensuring the security and compliance of their websites has become crucial. BlackCSI's comprehensive website audits provide clients with the peace of mind that their online platforms are secure, compliant, and optimized for performance.

While many MTSPs cover a wide range of IT and tech services, websites often fall outside their purview. However, BlackCSI recognizes that when something goes wrong with a website, it can have significant implications for a business. With their website audits, BlackCSI bridges this gap by offering a service that identifies and mitigates potential risks, ensuring that clients are fully protected. “At a minimum, MTSPs should be educating their clients about website vulnerabilities so they can shore them up quickly, or at least have a clear understanding of the risks they’re taking,” stated Ruthann Black, President of BlackCSI. “Our aim is to educate, clarify and help our clients prioritize website improvements that will protect their profitability.”

BlackCSI's website audits are designed to highlight various vulnerabilities that could expose a business to cyber threats. From identifying outdated versions of content management systems like WordPress, Joomla, Wix, Shopify and Squarespace to uncovering insecure third-party plugins, BlackCSI educates its customers on the specific risks they face. For example, using an old version of WordPress or adding unverified plugins can lead to hacking incidents or data breaches, due to oversights from long-forgotten third parties. Without proactive management, businesses might find themselves asking, "How did my website get hacked if my IT is being taken care of?” Typically, this is due to the fact that most businesses launch their website long before they hire an MTSP to manage their IT and that aspect of the business remains isolated from the regular management and optimization capacities of the MTSP. However, BlackCSI has launched this service to take further responsibility for the well-being of its clients.  

In addition to technical vulnerabilities, BlackCSI also addresses legal compliance issues. For example, websites that lack a clear privacy policy or fail to meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) compliance can open businesses up to lawsuits, particularly in states like California, Florida, and New York. In recent years, regulators have gotten tougher on organizations that lack these compliance requirements which is why it’s imperative for BlackCSI to ensure that customers are aware of these risks and to help them take the necessary steps to mitigate them.

In a recent website audit conducted by BlackCSI for a staffing company, they found several key areas for improvement:

• Security:While the site used HTTPS for secure communication, it was built on WordPress, which, although generally secure when up to date, is the most frequently attacked Content Management System. The site also relied on multiple plugins, increasing its exposure to vulnerabilities.
• Performance and Design:The site also scored poorly on performance. The most common design issue is an unnecessary amount of JavaScript and CSS which leads to a significant slowdown, which can deter visitors who are tired of waiting for the website to load properly. Inefficient site structures cause an increase in loading times because of the requirements to parse, compile, and execute code that does nothing but add bloat.
• Legal Considerations:The audit revealed that the site did not pass ADA compliance checks and lacked a privacy policy in the footer—two critical factors that could lead to legal challenges.

One key note about these website audits is the vulnerabilities are often very simple to fix. While some issues are a bit more complicated to resolve, the majority can be resolved rather quickly with the help of a qualified IT administrator/developer. One telltale sign that a business is working with an IT team who is capable of resolving these sorts of issues, is if they’re proactively educating the business owner with information like this on a regular basis. To request a complimentary website audit, please call (717) 620-3042 x101 or visit https://www.blackcsi.com.

ABOUT BLACKCSI

Since we were first founded in 2002 by Ruthann Black, BlackCSI has provided small and medium-sized businesses with comprehensive IT support and consulting services.

Our mission is to maximize your return on investment by providing the kind of technology management services that are ordinarily reserved for large enterprises. From IT network management, unified communications to physical and logical security integration and much more, BlackCSI is committed to providing quality services to our clients with honest communication that you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere, for prices that are fair and affordable.

We believe that the best way to solve an IT issue is to prevent it from ever happening in the first place. This is why we leverage a proactive service approach to predict and eliminate your technology issues - before they influence your business.

We are dedicated to serving our clients by listening to them, learning about the problems that they face, clarifying our process to maintain transparency, and reiterating how our solutions are of benefit to those we assist.

With Managed Services from BlackCSI, you will be able to enjoy: Proactive Care - The most effective way to avoid downtime and data loss is to be prepared to mitigate and avoid the circumstances that lead to them. 24/7 Maintenance - IT issues don’t stick to a 9 to 5 schedule. Neither do we. For a predictable monthly fee, you can enjoy anytime access to remote and on-site services, keeping you in operation. Live Help Desk Support - Need one-on-one assistance with your IT? Our Help Desk services are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, every day of the year.