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If you suspect an active attack on your business, call our emergency hotline at: 612-399-9680
If you suspect an active attack on your business, call our emergency hotline at: 612-399-9680

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Safeguarding the Future: Navigating Cybersecurity Challenges in Telehealth

In an era defined by technological innovation, telehealth stands out as a transformative force in healthcare delivery, breaking down the barriers of distance through the seamless integration of telecommunications and information technology. This paradigm shift encompasses a spectrum of services, from health assessments and diagnoses to interventions, consultations, and information exchanges. As challenges in telehealth evolve, its applications extend beyond traditional clinical settings, ushering in a new era where patients can access healthcare services from the comfort of their homes through virtual consultations and remote monitoring. However, with this revolutionary shift comes a new set of challenges, particularly in cybersecurity.

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The difference between cybersecurity and IT

The Difference Between Cybersecurity and IT

I. Introduction In today’s digital world, where data is a precious commodity and cyberthreats lurk around every virtual corner, the importance of robust cybersecurity measures cannot be overstated. Yet, a common source of confusion exists among professionals in the field—the distinction between cybersecurity and IT. While both are integral components of an organization’s digital landscape, they serve distinct purposes, wield different tools, and require unique skill sets. In this blog post, we will explore the nuanced differences between these two vital realms of technology, shedding light on their individual contributions to securing our digital future. II. Defining Cybersecurity and IT

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Unmasking Cyberthreats: CVE-2023-22515 AND CVE-2023-20198

Unmasking Cyberthreats: The Urgent Battle Against Atlassian Confluence and Cisco Vulnerabilities

I. Introduction Cybersecurity has never been more critical in an era where digital infrastructure underpins countless aspects of our daily lives. In this comprehensive blog post, we focus on two pressing cybersecurity vulnerabilities that demand immediate focus and action. These vulnerabilities have caught the attention of experts and authorities, prompting a collaborative response from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Multi-State Information Sharing and Analysis Center (MS-ISAC). First and foremost, we’ll explore the alarming situation surrounding CVE-2023-22515, a vulnerability within Atlassian Confluence. This vulnerability has been discovered and actively exploited by

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vulnerability management icon shield in cyber background

Vulnerability Management in Cybersecurity – A Comprehensive Guide

Part 1: The Invisible Threat: Understanding Vulnerabilities in Cybersecurity Welcome to our comprehensive series on Vulnerability Management in Cybersecurity. In an age where digital threats loom large, protecting your organization’s assets and data is paramount. This series guides you through the intricate landscape of vulnerability management, a vital component of robust cybersecurity strategies. Our journey will be guided by the expertise of our Vice President of Services, Ryan Denniston, and our seasoned Incident Response Commander, Joe Wright. Together, we will explore the definition and significance of vulnerabilities, delve into why vulnerability management matters, dissect the vulnerability management process, uncover best

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cybersecurity and ai image of ai in cybersecurity space

Harnessing the Power of AI in Cybersecurity: A guide for CISOs

Introduction Staying ahead of cyberthreats is crucial in today’s rapidly changing digital world. At the heart of this transformative journey lies artificial intelligence (AI, a groundbreaking technology that has become a linchpin in reinforcing cybersecurity defenses. It’s reshaping cybersecurity and presents both opportunities and challenges for Chief Information Security Officers (CISOs). This blog explores AI’s profound impact on cybersecurity, specifically tailored to the needs and responsibilities of CISOs. Understanding the Current Threat Landscape In our increasingly interconnected world, the threat landscape of cyberattacks is expanding at an alarming pace. The threat landscape is more dynamic and relentless than ever, with

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cybersecurity privacy lock to show why cybersecurity is important

Why Cybersecurity Is Important

Introduction In today’s digital age, the importance of cybersecurity cannot be overstated. Consider this: in 2023, the average data breach cost was $4.45 million, according to a report from IBM. The same report shows that organizations leveraging security AI and automation extensively save $1.76 million compared to organizations that didn’t. These figures underscore the rising costs of data breaches and the critical role that strong cybersecurity practices play in safeguarding our digital world. Understanding Cybersecurity At its core, cybersecurity is the practice of protecting our digital world from a wide array of threats. It extends far beyond the prevention of

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image of penetration test being performed

The Who, What, Where, When, and Why of Penetration Testing

Penetration testing is a common buzzword in the information security industry, but what does it mean? If you walk into a room of 10 security providers, you will probably hear 11 different answers. There is no standard of penetration testing, some firms conduct vulnerability scans and call it a penetration test, while others put hands on keys and conduct attack emulations. This article will help educate and guide you around the topic of penetration testing. What is Penetration Testing? Penetration testing, or pen testing, is a comprehensive and systematic approach to identifying and exploiting vulnerabilities and weaknesses within your organization’s

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7 Steps to Security Success: Simplify Cyber Assessment Prep

Preparing for a cybersecurity assessment is essential in protecting your organization from potential cyberthreats. In this blog post, we will discuss the steps you can take to prepare for a cybersecurity assessment. Step 1: Identify Your Assets The first step in preparing for a cybersecurity assessment is identifying your assets. This includes all hardware, software, and data that your organization uses. Make a list of all your assets and classify them according to their criticality and sensitivity. This will help you prioritize your efforts and allocate your resources accordingly. Step 2: Determine Your Risks Once you have identified your assets,

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a person using a calculator to create their cybersecurity budget

Planning and Spending a Cybersecurity Budget in 2023

Key factors to consider when planning a cybersecurity budget Every business has a basic group of factors to consider when determining its cybersecurity budget: Critical business functions What are your business’s top priorities? Determining these functions based on the level of risk and potential impact on the organization allows for proper prioritization of security investments. Often, cybersecurity receives fewer funds than other departments, and a reallocation of funds might be prudent. Consider what has a greater impact: being down for a week, unable to generate revenue, or not having a certain amount of money for a specific department? The threat

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The Effect of ChatGPT on the Information Security Community

What makes ChatGPT revolutionary? Our team believes ChatGPT is the most significant step forward in the evolution of technology since Bitcoin. Let us take a look at a few basic questions: Why does computer science exist? Why do we even create technology and computing systems? It is because we are trying to make life better and more efficient. ChatGPT’s technology has been studied and tested for approximately five years. In December 2022, Open AI released ChatGPT for the public to use for free, and it became the fastest-growing app ever with over one million users in a week. ChatGPT uses

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The Zero Trust Model

What is zero trust? Zero trust (ZT) is a security model wherein nothing is trusted; all users must be authenticated at each log-in to ensure their legitimacy. Full zero trust should be employed across every part of the infrastructure, endpoints, and stacks for services that a company runs. Consider a standard website with databases—each individual server or service by default does not trust anyone or anything. To be trusted, you need to be completely verified and identifiable. Another element of zero trust involves least privileged access, which is only giving access on a need-to-know basis to reduce a user’s digital

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SOC 2® Assessment: Type 1 vs. Type 2 and Why a Company Should Have One

SOC 2 Type 1 and Type 2 Commonalities A SOC 2 – Type 1 and SOC 2 – Type 2 Report have many things in common – system description, management’s assertion, and a description of controls as they relate to the Trust Service Criteria. Both reports analyze and report on the design and implementation of the system description and the suitability of control design. The differentiator between the two reports is operating effectiveness. What are Controls in a SOC 2 Assessment? “Controls operating effectively provide reasonable assurance of achieving the service organization’s service commitments and system requirements based on the

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Red Team Vs. Blue Team: Differences and Benefits

Red team vs. blue team exercises are a valuable learning tool for security teams. In these scenarios, the red team simulates an attack that the blue team needs to defend against. By doing this, the blue team has the opportunity to test their skills in an active environment and better prepare for real attacks.  What is the Red Team?  The red team is a group of individuals experienced in penetration testing and vulnerability scanning that are tasked with simulating a cyber attack. By utilizing the same tools, techniques, and tactics that criminals use, these team members can launch a highly

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U.S. Passes Two New Cybersecurity Bills Into Law

On Tuesday June 21, 2022, President Biden signed two cybersecurity bills into law. This was a bipartisan effort, with approval from both Democratic and Republican senators and representatives, which shows the importance of improving the United States’ cybersecurity strategies.   These new laws are the Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act of 2021 and the State and Local Government Cyber Security Act of 2021, per a White House press release.  Federal Rotational Cyber Workforce Program Act of 2021 The Federal Rotation Cyber Workforce Program (bill S. 1097) establishes a rotational cyber workforce program within the Federal Cyber Workforce Strategy, under which

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What Motivates a Hacker?

Cyber attacks happen every day, and it’s no secret that they are increasing in frequency and sophistication. While threat actors generally don’t discriminate based on company size or type of organization, the criminal’s motivation for attack generally points to the victim. Understanding the why behind a cyber attack is critical in developing effective cybersecurity strategies to protect your organization.   4 Common Motivations Monetary Motivations  Monetary gain is perhaps the most common reason for hackers to attack an organization or an individual. In these cases, threat actors (often affiliated with cybercrime gangs) target companies they believe will pay a ransom to

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How Do IT Directors Communicate to CFO’s the Value of Cybersecurity?

IT Directors, CIOs, CISOs and Other Non-technical Decision Makers As with any corporate relationship, the one between CIOs and CFOs depends on the organization. When it comes to making cybersecurity decisions, some companies are more IT driven with CIOs and CISOs taking the lead; other companies have CFOS and other leadership making the decisions. Budgeting also has an impact on these decisions. IT teams often have a budget for cybersecurity needs; however, CFOs will usually have the final say. For example, if a CIO needs a vulnerability management provider, they first choose the best-in-class option and then check in with

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Cultivating a Cybersecurity Culture

The Importance of Making Cybersecurity a Part of Your Company Culture Most organizations are fully aware of the importance of effective cybersecurity strategies and the risks of what can happen without them. Companies have devoted both time and resources to training and educating their staff accordingly, but that isn’t enough. Without a valued culture of cyber awareness in an organization, the higher the risk of an attack.   Often in cybersecurity incidents, the weak link into the network is a person within that organization. That could be someone who clicked the link in a phishing email, used a compromised flash drive,

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Hardening Cyber Defenses

Ways to Harden Your Cyber Defenses Today

If someone called you right now from an unknown number, what would you do? Most people would ignore the call if they were not expecting it. This was not always the case. There was a time before caller ID in which people had to answer to find out who was calling. Now, thanks to innovations in phone technology, we can see who is calling without answering and simply ignore suspicious phone calls. If the same approach was taken towards email, a huge portion of cyber attacks could be eliminated. According to the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) Internet Crime

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Job Phishing Scams and How to Avoid Them

Job Phishing Scams and How to Avoid Them

Searching for a new job is hard enough without also worrying about employment scams. Unfortunately, fraudulent job postings have always been around, and thanks to the advent of technology, are only becoming more convincing. The practice of job scamming itself has become more accessible and lucrative. In an employment scam, cyber criminals leverage their position as a potential employer to persuade victims to pass along their personal identifiable information (PII). With this information in hand, the scammers are then able to execute a variety of illegal activities like identity theft, setting up fake financial accounts, taking over existing financial accounts,

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MSP vs MSSP—What’s the Difference?

MSP vs MSSP—What’s the Difference?

Managed service providers (MSP) and managed security service providers (MSSP) are both incredibly useful tools for businesses, but there is one major difference that sets an MSSP apart from an MSP: security. Unlike an MSP, which focuses more on IT support, an MSSP provides 24/7 cybersecurity support. It’s important to understand the differences between these two types of third-party services when evaluating your business needs. MSP As the internet world developed in the early ‘00s, so did internet speeds and the ability to provide IT services remotely. This allowed businesses who did not have the bandwidth or expertise to internally

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