7 Must-follow Tips for Data Leakage Prevention (DLP) in 2024
Cyber Protect Cloud for Service Providers Try now In today’s modern digital world where technology rules the roost, safeguarding sensitive information has become highly critical. As organisations harness the power of data for innovation and growth, the risk of data leakage looms larger than ever. According to Statista, the United States witnessed 3,205 data compromises in 2023, affecting over 353 million individuals through breaches, leaks, and exposures. Notably, the fourth quarter of 2023 alone exposed more than eight million records globally, making it a cause of concern for company leaders. Operating system vulnerabilities on endpoint devices remained the leading cause of sensitive information loss. In this blog, we will delve into essential tips for robust Data Leakage Prevention strategies, empowering businesses to proactively fortify their data defences and stay resilient against potential threats. What is a data leak? Data leakage refers to the unauthorised transfer of data from an organisation’s internal systems to an external destination or recipient. This can manifest through electronic or physical means, encompassing various mediums. Commonly, data leakage threats materialise through web and email channels, posing risks to the confidentiality of sensitive information. Additionally, mobile data storage devices like optical media, USB keys, and laptops serve as potential avenues for data leakage. Here are two examples to understand the scenario of data leakage. Consider a scenario where an employee unknowingly sends a sensitive company document containing proprietary information to an external email address. In this case, the unauthorised transmission of critical data through email represents a clear case of data leakage. Consider another scenario where employee copies confidential files onto a USB key and accidentally leaves it unattended in a public space, the physical transfer of sensitive data via a mobile storage device becomes another example of data leakage. These situations highlight the diverse and pervasive nature of data leakage threats, emphasising the importance of employing a robust data leak prevention solution across various data transfer channels. Causes of data leakage Several factors contribute to data leakage, each posing distinct challenges to organisational cybersecurity: Accidental Leaks: Accidental data leaks stem from the actions of trusted individuals who inadvertently expose sensitive information. Common instances include sending emails containing confidential data to the wrong recipient, misplacing corporate devices, or neglecting to secure devices with passwords or biometric protection. Malicious Insiders: Malicious insiders, whether employees or trusted third parties, exploit their access to corporate systems for personal gain or collaboration with external attackers. Examples of such activities encompass the intentional transfer of sensitive documents outside the organisation, saving files to unauthorised USB devices, or storing files in unauthorised cloud storage. Software Misconfiguration: Configuration errors, particularly in cloud environments, can lead to severe data leaks. This encompasses issues such as excessive permissions, databases or cloud storage lacking proper authentication, exposed secrets (credentials or encryption keys), and mistakes in integrating with third-party services. Social Engineering: External attackers employ social engineering tactics to infiltrate organisational systems and gain access to sensitive data. Techniques may involve persuading employees to disclose credentials or directly sending sensitive information to the attacker. In some cases, attackers introduce malware into corporate systems, enabling unauthorized access and data exfiltration. Software Vulnerabilities: Outdated software or zero-day exploits pose a significant cybersecurity threat. Criminals can exploit software vulnerabilities, turning them into various security risks that may compromise sensitive information. Old Data: As businesses expand and personnel changes occur, organisations may lose track of data. System updates and infrastructure changes can inadvertently expose outdated data, creating potential vulnerabilities that adversaries could exploit. 7 tips for data leakage prevention Here are seven effective strategies to prevent data leaks: Identify the Location of Sensitive Data: Initiating a robust data leakage prevention strategy starts with identifying the location of sensitive data within the organisation. Determine the information requiring the highest level of protection and categorise data accordingly. Once aware of sensitive data, implement security measures such as access control and encryption, and deploy Data Loss Prevention (DLP) software. Assess the Risk Posed by Third Parties: Recognise the significant threat posed by third-party vendors accessing privileged systems. As external entities may lack the same protection standards, monitoring their security posture is crucial. This involves evaluating vendors for potential data breach vulnerabilities, conducting risk assessments for compliance with regulatory standards, and utilising vendor risk questionnaires or third-party attack surface monitoring solutions. Manage and Safeguard Privileged Credentials: Safeguarding privileged credentials is vital for preventing unauthorised access. Secrets, utilised by both software and human users, should be managed comprehensively to avoid intentional or unintentional exposure. A holistic approach involves secure storage, monitoring for improper usage, and prompt remediation of any identified issues. Enhance Security Across All Endpoints: Recognise that endpoints, including computers, mobile devices, and IoT devices, are potential access points for data leaks. In a landscape where remote working is prevalent, securing geographically dispersed endpoints is challenging. While VPNs and firewalls provide a foundational layer, additional measures are necessary. Implement Data Encryption Protocols: Encryption serves as a formidable defence against data leaks by transforming readable information into an encoded format. Employ both symmetric-key and public-key encryption for enhanced security. Diligent management of decryption keys is crucial to prevent unauthorised access and potential exploitation by sophisticated attackers. Review and Manage Access Permissions: Regularly review and categorise permissions to ensure sensitive data is accessible only to trusted individuals with a genuine need for access. Categorising data based on sensitivity levels allows for controlled access to different pools of information. This process not only enhances overall security but also unveils potential malicious insiders who may have obtained unauthorised access. Train employees on cybersecurity awareness: Recognise employees as an additional line of defence against data breaches. Regular training in cybersecurity awareness is essential. Stanford University researchers and a top cybersecurity organisation found that nearly 88 percent of data breaches occur due to employee mistake. Hence, employees should be educated in identifying malicious emails and promptly reporting them to the security team. This proactive approach empowers employees to contribute actively to the organisation’s overall security posture. Data Leakage Prevention on Cloud with inDefend Advanced from Muttii Here is a six-step guide providing a strategic approach to implementing Endpoint Detection and Response in
What is Endpoint Security? How does it work and what are its use cases?
Cyber Protect Cloud for Service Providers Try now The traditional boundaries that once confined us to a designated office space have blurred, giving rise to the era of hybrid work. As organisations embrace the flexibility of remote collaboration, a new set of challenges emerges, putting a spotlight on the need for robust cybersecurity measures. When hackers plan their attacks, they are in search of a perfect entry point to your business. This point could be a website, software, or a networked device. 68% of organisations have faced one or more successful endpoint attacks resulting in the compromise of data and/or their IT infrastructure, reveals research by the Ponemon Institute. The study also highlighted that 68% of IT professionals observed an increase in the frequency of endpoint attacks compared to the previous year. Endpoint security is the silent guardian of your digital realm, like a skilled locksmith ensuring that the doors to your virtual kingdom are locked tight against online threats. In this blog, we will explore the nuances of endpoint security and how it will protect your business. What are endpoint devices? Endpoint devices encompass any devices capable of connecting to the central business network. These devices, such as desktop computers, laptops, connected devices, mobile phones, and wearables, serve as potential entry points for cybersecurity threats. Ensuring robust protection for these endpoints is crucial, as they often represent the weakest link in network security. Beyond computers and mobile devices, office equipment like printers, faxes, smart devices, and other appliances connecting to the network also pose potential vulnerabilities and demand protection. Servers, storing or processing business data, emails, and documents, are traditional yet critical endpoints that require special emphasis on security measures. How does endpoint protection work? Endpoint security safeguards an organisation’s endpoints by deploying an Endpoint Protection Platform (EPP) on devices to thwart potential infiltrations by malware or other tools. The platform, which can be implemented on-location, in the cloud, or through a hybrid model, enables administrators to monitor, investigate, and respond to cyber threats effectively. Cloud-based solutions are more popular due to their scalability and efficiency. They also free endpoints from the burden of locally stored threat databases. In terms of functionality, endpoint security software typically includes: Machine learning for zero-day threat detection Integrated firewalls Email gateways to combat phishing Insider threat protection Advanced antivirus and anti-malware tools Proactive security for safe web browsing Encryption for endpoint, email, and disk protection The goal is to offer administrators a centralised platform, enhancing visibility and simplifying operations, allowing swift threat isolation. The concept of Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) is often associated with endpoint security. EDR enables the identification of sophisticated threats like polymorphic attacks and zero-day threats through continuous monitoring, providing enhanced visibility and enabling quicker response times for threat containment. Modern endpoint security platforms frequently integrate both EPP and EDR functionalities to provide comprehensive protection against a range of cyber threats. Endpoint protection platforms are much beyond traditional antivirus solutions in several ways. Unlike antivirus programs that focus on a single endpoint, EPPs provide visibility into the entire enterprise network from a centralised location, enhancing comprehensive security. They also streamline administration responsibilities by moving away from user-dependent manual updates by offering automated updates. This ensures continuous and up-to-date protection with the incorporation of advanced threat detection methods like behavioural analysis. Use cases of endpoint security 1. Securing Mobile Devices – With the BYOD policy being adopted at workplaces, there is a surge in mobile devices utilised for work. Unlike traditional endpoints, mobile devices feature less secure digital perimeters and connect to various networks, necessitating EDR to extend consistent security across all connected devices, ensuring comprehensive network visibility and protection. 2. Addressing the Evolving Threat Landscape – The evolving threat landscape requires a shift from traditional antivirus models to endpoint protection systems as cyber threats constantly innovate. Antivirus struggles to keep pace, prompting the need for a detection and response approach. EPP identifies threats that breach the cybersecurity perimeter and focuses on timely detection and response rather than solely preventive measures. 3. Improving Threat Investigation – In the context of modern cybersecurity, investigating threats becomes intricate. EDR solutions with alert capabilities play a pivotal role in directing investigations and enhancing detection and response times. These tools prove essential for efficiently managing IT environments with diverse devices and contribute to effective threat hunting. 4. Enhancing Cloud Security – The adoption of cloud computing has revolutionised software companies by offering cost-effective solutions and eliminating the need for managing local servers or data centers. However, this shift introduces complexities in security, as each access level in the cloud architecture becomes a new endpoint requiring protection. 5. Safeguarding IoT Devices – The Internet of Things (IoT) presents unique challenges to security, with many devices lacking sufficient cybersecurity measures. Endpoint detection and response mitigates this vulnerability by extending security protections to all devices, including IoT devices, closing potential security gaps and protecting against cyber threats. 6. Monitoring Network Performance – Endpoint security plays a crucial role in monitoring network performance and security, with sensors at the edge and nodes continuously generating data logs. These logs assist organisations in identifying anomalous behaviour, and suspicious activities, and optimising capacity and resource allocation, ensuring the availability and performance of business services. 7. Scaling Business Services – Endpoint security solutions enable organisations to add value by reprogramming endpoints to reach a wider user base. This flexibility allows businesses to tailor, update, and improve services based on evolving end-user responses, showcasing the adaptability and scalability that EDR brings to modern business services. Selecting the right endpoint security solution for your business Choosing the most suitable endpoint security solution depends on your specific requirements. It is crucial to evaluate the included protections and choose a suite that aligns with your size and budget. Avast endpoint security solutions from Muttii offer advanced multi-layered security, safeguarding devices with six layers of robust defence against malware, ransomware, and sophisticated cyberattacks in real time. Avast antivirus provides multiple layers of defence against harmful files, emails, and websites. The system ensures prompt communication of signals, offers actionable recommendations, and allows users to
How to define a proactive security approach with Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)?
Cyber Protect Cloud for Service Providers Try now While navigating an evolving digital phase, businesses encounter the mounting challenge of safeguarding their endpoints against increasingly sophisticated cyber threats. Against this backdrop, Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) emerges as a beacon of assurance, providing a comprehensive solution to bolster systems against potential breaches. EDR signifies a revolutionary advancement in endpoint security, leveraging the power of real-time monitoring, continuous analysis of endpoint data, and automated response mechanisms. Through seamless integration of these elements, EDR empowers organisations to swiftly detect, investigate, and mitigate advanced persistent threats with unprecedented efficiency. Do you need Endpoint Detection and Response? As remote working becomes increasingly prevalent across various industries, the need for effective endpoint security solutions like Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) has never been more crucial. EDR plays a vital role in enabling organisations to securely manage and protect devices used by employees working from diverse locations, ensuring that productivity can thrive without compromising on security. The global market for EDR solutions has experienced substantial growth, with its size reaching USD 2.87 billion in 2022 and projected to continue expanding at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 24.9% from 2023 to 2030, as per Grand View Research. This growth is largely attributed to the heightened concern for data security, driven by the surge in remote working arrangements. The remote work trend has intensified the risk of data breaches and malware attacks, as devices are susceptible to theft, loss, or hacking, potentially leading to the compromise of sensitive corporate information. Moreover, the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) trend further fuels the demand for EDR solutions. These solutions empower organizations to establish policies and regulate access to corporate data on employee-owned devices. This includes implementing security measures such as password protocols, encryption standards, and remote wipe capabilities to mitigate the risk of data breaches and other security threats. EDR also equips IT administrators with centralized management capabilities, enabling them to oversee devices, applications, and data while ensuring compliance with regulatory requirements and corporate policies. What does an EDR do? Endpoint Detection and Response security solutions offer a range of essential functionalities to enhance cybersecurity. Here are the key features of EDR solutions: Automated Cyberthreat Detection: EDR solutions deliver comprehensive endpoint visibility to identify various indicators of attack (IOA) and analyze real-time events, automatically pinpointing suspicious activity within the network. By understanding individual events as part of broader attack sequences, EDR can swiftly recognize known IOAs and issue detection alerts. Threat Intelligence: These solutions integrate threat monitoring and intelligence to expedite the detection of malicious behavior. By detecting suspicious tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), EDR provides detailed insights into potential security incidents, mitigating data breaches and offering valuable information about possible attackers and attack methods. Real-Time Continuous Monitoring and Visibility: EDR employs active endpoint data aggregation to detect subtle security incidents, granting users comprehensive visibility into endpoint activities. From process creation to network connections, EDR tracks various security-related events, enabling security teams to collect crucial data and observe attackers’ behavior in real-time. Rapid Threat Investigation: EDR solutions facilitate rapid threat investigation by acting as virtual security analysts. By gathering and storing endpoint event data in a centralized database, EDR offers detailed context for both real-time and historical data, enabling swift investigations and expedited remediation efforts. In short, EDR plays a pivotal role in bolstering endpoint security by automating threat detection, integrating threat intelligence, providing continuous monitoring, and facilitating rapid threat investigation and response. How is EDR different from an antivirus? Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) surpasses traditional antivirus software with its advanced capabilities in cybersecurity. While antivirus tools focus on known threats, EDR employs behavioural analysis to detect unknown threats. It provides dynamic endpoint security, monitoring tools, and whitelisting capabilities, adding multiple layers of defence against malicious actors. EDR’s proactive approach, coupled with real-time threat detection and response, ensures enhanced protection in the evolving cybersecurity landscape, making it indispensable for enterprise security. How to integrate EDR into your security infrastructure? Here is a six-step guide providing a strategic approach to implementing Endpoint Detection and Response in your security infrastructure. Step 1: Evaluate your current endpoint security posture Begin by assessing your existing endpoint security measures to pinpoint any vulnerabilities or shortcomings. Utilise tools like vulnerability scanners, penetration tests, and audits. Additionally, review your endpoint security policies to ensure alignment with regulatory requirements and industry best practices. Step 2: Select an appropriate endpoint security solution Choose an endpoint security solution that fits the needs of your IT infrastructure. Consider factors such as endpoint size, complexity, required level of protection, compatibility with existing security tools, and ease of deployment and management. We will explore this in detail in the next section. Step 3: Deploy the EDR solution Implement the chosen endpoint security solution according to your plan and budget. Follow vendor guidelines for configuration, testing, and updates. Provide training to IT staff and end users on effective utilisation and monitor the solution’s impact on infrastructure and operations. Step 4: Integrate with existing security tools Integrate the EDR solution with other IT security tools to create a cohesive security framework. For instance, integrate with security information and event management (SIEM) systems to enhance incident detection and response capabilities. Step 5: Align with IT security policies Ensure that the endpoint security solution aligns with your organisation’s IT security policies. Review and update policies to incorporate enhancements introduced by the EDR solution. Communicate and enforce policies among IT teams and end users for compliance. Step 6: Evaluate Continuously Regularly evaluate the effectiveness of the endpoint security solution through data analysis, feedback collection, and audits. Address any identified issues and stay updated on emerging trends and technologies to enhance endpoint security continuously. How to select the right EDR solution Selecting an effective Endpoint Detection and Response solution is paramount for strengthening security measures. Here are some key considerations when choosing an EDR solution: Visibility of all Endpoints: Look for a solution that simplifies monitoring across all on-premises and personal devices in hybrid work environments, alleviating the burden on security teams. Threat Detection Database: Prioritize solutions that leverage
Risk-Mitigating Strategies in Muttii Academy’s eLearning Platform: A Comprehensive Guide
Cyber Protect Cloud for Service Providers Try now For years Muttii has brought customers anytime, anywhere access to their data. Now we’ve expanded that anytime, anywhere commitment to Muttii Partners with the launch of the Muttii Academy eLearning Platform, a learning management system (LMS) designed to provide Muttii Partner staff with sales and technical training. The Muttii Academy eLearning Platform is built around you: your schedule, and your pace. Whenever you have a spare 15 minutes, the training is available and flexible to fit your schedule. Our smart system allows training participants to come and go without losing their progress—enabling Muttii Partners to complete the training at their own pace. Think of it like catching up with your favourite show: on-demand when you’re ready, no matter your schedule or time zone. Benefits of eLearning As noted by Josh Bersin, Principal at Bersin by Deloitte, “There is a rapid shift away from LMS as a ‘training administration system’ to the LMS as an ‘learning engagement platform.’” We know you will find the Muttii Academy eLearning Platform engaging and informative. Benefits of the Muttii Academy eLearning Platform: On-Demand: Don’t have two uninterrupted hours to complete the training? No problem. Train between sales calls, while in the air, or on the road. We’ll track your progress throughout and won’t tie you to a recurring schedule. Engaging Lessons: This interactive program is designed to fully equip Muttii Partners with everything you need to know to boost your credentials, implement winning business solutions, and differentiate your business. Global Availability: This training is available to partners all over the world. Currently the training is only offered in English, with more languages coming soon. The Muttii Sales Professional (ASP) is the first course offered in the eLearning format and more are on the way. Covered in the ASP training are Muttii’ patented data protection technologies, value propositions and positioning of the backup, cloud and access product lines, as well as details about licensing models. Log in to the Muttii Academy eLearning Platform using your Muttii Partner Portal credentials to see what else this tool has to offer and look for more training programs, including in-depth dives into specific product offerings and collateral, to appear in the coming months. If you haven’t registered for the Muttii Partner Program yet, do so today and explore a world of benefits! Register here. Share the Post: Related Posts Stay up-to-date Subscribe now for tips, tools and news.
Mitigating Risk: Strategies for Maximizing Safety and Security
Cyber Protect Cloud for Service Providers Try now Your Google Workspace and Microsoft 365 Data is at Risk With the help of Generative AI tools like ChatGPT, cybercriminals are now more effectively targeting Google and Microsoft productivity suites with ransomware and other cyberattacks. Google and Microsoft productivity suites are prime targets for cybercriminals, posing a significant threat to businesses from ransomware and other cyberattacks. Businesses are under attack from ransomware and other attacks that cybercriminals are making more efficient, effective and frequent with the help of generative AI tools like ChatGPT. And you may not realize it, but it is your responsibility to defend the critical data in Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace: Microsoft and Google only protect their application infrastructure. The good news is that it only takes a few simple steps to boost your cyber resilience to defend against these new threats. Join our expert-led webinar for practical advice on closing the gaps in Microsoft’s and Google’s inadequate securing of your business data. Safeguard your Microsoft 365, Exchange Online, OneDrive for Business, SharePoint Online and Teams data Secure your Google Workspace data in Gmail, Google Drive, Contacts and Calendar Defend your data against destructive, AI-enabled cyberattacks like ransomware Catch malicious emails containing ransomware and other destructive payloads before they hit your users’ inboxes Educate your users on security awareness to minimize common attack vectors Register today to learn how to protect your business data in Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace from AI-enabled cyberthreats like ransomware Meet Our Defender for IoT Share the Post: Related Posts Stay up-to-date Subscribe now for tips, tools and news.
Embracing Risk: Exploring the Boundaries of Possibility
Cyber Protect Cloud for Service Providers Try now South African web hoster improves operational efficiencies by migrating to Muttii from R1Soft and Microsoft DPM BACKGROUND 1-grid is a South African web hosting provider that has been in business for 20 years. Supporting more than 35,000 customers, the company offers a wide range of services including domain registration, shared, VPS, and dedicated hosting, email hosting, SSL certificates, South African company registration as well as web design and optimization. 1-grid has a substantial server infrastructure required to deliver these services, comprised of physical and virtual machines, both Windows and Linux, as well as cPanel servers. To protect this infrastructure, 1-grid was backing up its infrastructure using a combination of Microsoft DPM and R1Soft. THE CHALLENGE: SPEEDING UP THE BACKUP PROCESS 1-grid was facing a very specific challenge with its current vendors:the backup processes were taking too much time. According to the company’s Backup Administrator Stewart Chifamba, “because we were using a mixture of both R1soft and Microsoft DPM for Hyper-V, the restore process became complicated and tedious, especially for Linux systems. We couldn’t simply just click to restore the VM, and it did not compress the whitespace resulting in excessive infrastructure requirements. With these limitations, it could take upwards of a week to actually restore a Linux VM.” Microsoft DPM had two other notable limitations. First, it couldn’t support multiple restores on a single host, so 1-Grid had to wait on each individually which took time. Second, DPM couldn’t support file-level restores on Linux machines, which meant restoring the entire server for a single file. Chifamba continues, “We really needed to improve our backup and restore times, and we also wanted file-level recovery when backing up Linux VMs instead of having to restore the entire machine.” As a result, 1-grid began looking for alternative vendors and considered both VEEAM and Muttii. THE SOLUTION: MUTTII CYBER PROTECT CLOUD With support for more than 20 virtual, physical, and cloud platforms, and a hybrid of on-premises and cloud backup capabilities, 1-grid determined that Muttii Cyber Protect Cloud was their ideal solution. Built for service providers from the ground up, Muttii Cyber Protect Cloud is a channel-friendly solution that features strong management, provisioning, and billing functions. Through a single, centralized management console, 1-grid is able to manage all of their backups and can recover individual files, application data, or entire virtual platforms. Furthermore, Muttii Cyber Protect Cloud provides the flexibility for the company to restore data to the original or completely new destinations while managing data from a centralized location. This is in part because Muttii Instant Restore allows 1-grid to run a copy of your backup as a virtual machine directly from the backup storage without any data movement. Additional considerations like the built-in AI-based anti-ransomware and anti-cryptojacking defences of Muttii Active Protection made the decision even easier. THE BENEFITS: OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY Alongside the requisite training, Chifamba notes as a benefit their good partner relationship with local distributor Synapsys. Within four months, 1-grid had completely migrated to Muttii and now protects over 500 TB across more than 2,000 servers. Moreover, the company was able to significantly reduce the infrastructure it needed to manage its backups. Chifamba explains, “with R1Soft and Microsoft DPM, we continuously needed to add additional storage capacity particularly because whitespace was not compressed, but the switch to Muttii enabled us to reduce the amount of data being backed up and reduce the number of servers required by nearly half.” Most importantly, however, were the improvements in operational efficiency. Chifamba notes, “With a backup success rate of over 99%, we have reduced the amount of time it took to do daily backup checks by 90% with Muttii. This has a lot to do with everything being centralized into a single management console instead of having to login to multiple servers.” He adds, “Muttii also helped us with file-level recovery for our Linux VMs.” Looking ahead, 1-grid is planning to expand its use of Muttii Cyber Protect Cloud by offering backup as a service to its customers, which would leverage existing integration between Muttii and cPanel. Share the Post: Related Posts Stay up-to-date Subscribe now for tips, tools and news.
Risk: The Key to Unlocking New Possibilities
Cyber Protect Cloud for Service Providers Try now National radio broadcasting organization can efficiently manage all its data protection and cybersecurity needs from a single console BACKGROUND Bulgarian National Radio (BNR) is Bulgaria’s national radio broadcasting organization. It operates two national and nine regional channels, as well as an international service – Radio Bulgaria – which broadcasts in 11 languages. The domestic channels are broadcast on FM and AM frequencies. All stations are also available online. Public service broadcasting in Bulgaria, including BNR, is financed mainly through a state subsidy. The subsidy has to be spent on the preparation, creation and the transmission of the national and regional programs. BNR relies on its technology infrastructure to operate, and a critical component of this infrastructure involves cyber protection which is the combination of data protection (backup and recovery) and cybersecurity. THE CHALLENGE According to IT Manager for BRN, Andrey Petrenko, the station was previously using Trend Micro for its cyber protection needs, however there were some troubling limitations. According to Petrenko, “In the case of an emergency, BRN would hardly be able to recover its VMs, workstations, databases or other important files.” BRN needed a more comprehensive cyber protection solution. Specifically, notes Petrenko, “We needed a solution with centralized management for all workloads, both on premise and in the cloud. We needed integrated backup and ransomware protection, and it needed to be easy to use and reliable.” Accordingly, BRN began evaluating vendors. THE SOLUTION — CYBER PROTECT – BACKUP ADVANCED Muttii and Veeam were both evaluated. Veeam was excluded due to its pricing complexity. However, Muttii Cyber Protect – Advanced Edition, was cost-effective and delivered a unique integration of data protection and cybersecurity in a single solution, powered by machine intelligence. It supports backup and recovery for more than 20 virtual, physical, and cloud platforms. Moreover, when Petrenko evaluated the cyber protection features found in Muttii Active Protection, he knew Muttii Cyber Protect – Backup Advanced was an ideal solution. The same agent used to handle backup and recovery uses artificial intelligence to monitor a machine’s hard drive in real time. It is constantly scanning I/O activity to identify activities and patterns that are typically seen in ransomware and malware attacks, such as the encryption of files. If injecting malicious code, Muttii Active Protection immediately stops that process and notifies the admin that suspicious activity was identified. The administrator can choose to block that activity permanently via blacklist or allow it to continue via whitelist. If any files were altered or encrypted before the attack is halted, Muttii Cyber Protect – Backup Advanced will automatically restore those files from the backup cache thereby reversing the effects of the attack. THE BENEFITS — EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS IN THE IT DEPARTMENT BRN migrated from Trend Micro to Muttii Cyber Protect – Backup Advanced and uses the solutionto protect 5 virtual hosts, 10 physical servers, and 20 workstations. The radio station is benefiting from the native user interface found in Muttii Cyber Protect -Backup Advanced that provides unified data protection for all workloads along with Active Protection against ransomware and cryptojacking. According to Petrenko, “We are very satisfied with Muttii. From a single console, we can manage all the data protection needs of the organization.” He continues, “We now spend less hours maintaining, managing and reporting from different solutions. As a result, The IT department is able to be more efficient with its time. With the success of the rollout of Muttii Cyber Protect – Backup Advanced, BNR plans to upgrade its solution to include the advanced security and management functionality available within the product. Share the Post: Related Posts Stay up-to-date Subscribe now for tips, tools and news.
Adopting Risk: A Gateway to New Opportunities
Cyber Protect Cloud for Service Providers Try now This solution from Muttii has helped consolidate the backup system, by offering a standard overview across physical and virtual environments via a single console. COMPANY OVERVIEW Founded in 2006 with the aim of offering a new approach to delivering traditional IT services, today BinHexS is a benchmark technological partner on the market for everything related to optimizing processes and implementing the most innovative IT solutions. Capable of operating across infrastructures of any size, BinHexS has always applied a personalized approach, providing its customers with a technical department and a project management framework that can intervene effectively on any technological stack (hardware, hypervisor, operating systems, network, storage and applications) and during any phase of the project: from architecture design to solution implementation. The extensive partnership network, the strong expertise and the numerous certifications guarantee top-rate results, all thanks to the best digitalization pathways put in place for customers. BUSINESS CHALLENGE As a company that is booming, BinHexS has seen its business grow over the years not only in terms of the services offered, but also in terms of customer numbers and references. This growth has kept pace with the expansion of its technological infrastructure, developed over time both physically and virtually. In the case of its backup business, this twin-track development has led to the gradual implementation of several tools, selected according to the allocation of workloads and the relevant data requiring protection. Over time, this setup turned the management of this environment into an inevitably complex task, tying the company to solutions that not only could not be used on multiple platforms, but that also critically required costly license changes. BinHexS therefore decided to evaluate new technology options that can simplify the various backup and restore processes via a standardized approach to managing the platforms, ensuring maximum protection for workloads by using natively integrated security tools. THE SOLUTION The software selection process immediately highlighted the advanced features offered by Muttii Cyber Protect 15. Using the same agent, the solution is actually able to manage the backup and restore processes of any machine, irrespective of the environment in which it operates. Systems and workloads can therefore be consolidated, while all data can enjoy the same level of protection. Via a single console from the exceptionally intuitive interface, Cyber Protect also allows you to carry out an extremely granular analysis of the configuration type and degree of security of each machine, with problems being reported on the individual devices before they become apparent. The solution is designed to archive data in a standardized format, thus allowing it to be restored to any platform, irrespective of the source system. All of these Cyber Protect advanced backup and restore features then come with important cybersecurity tools, which can utilize AI to detect and nip in the bud those dangerous zero-day attacks. Lastly, the solution is able to filter URLs, assess application vulnerabilities and distribute patches in a fully automated way. THE RESULT Today, BinHexS can rely on a single solution to manage the backup and restore operations of 10 virtual hosts and 10 workstations. From an operational perspective, this consolidation has hugely simplified the management process: you can now use a single dashboard to gain a complete overview of all the environments protected by Muttii Cyber Protect. This has also significantly alleviated the impact on the IT team’s administrative overhead, which has been lightened both in terms of backup operations, literally speaking, and in terms of updates to the different operating systems involved. On the financial side, the benefit from implementing the solution has been calculated by BinHexS as providing an overall saving of 30% compared to the previous products used, which is definitely an important consideration. The migration process was implemented quickly and without a hitch, overall lasting about two months from the initial design to the actual go-live phase, while the training input required at BinHexS has been minimal. In addition, the intuitive nature of the control panel means that no special onboarding approach is required. This is an aspect that has undoubtedly contributed to ensuring the successful implementation of Muttii Cyber Protect. THE FUTURE BinHexS strives for excellence in all the services it provides. It has an ever-changing portfolio, designed so that it can always offer the best solution to meet customers’ needs. With this in mind, BinHexS is evaluating the same technological offering proposed in an as-a-service model. The platform provides consumer services based on a Service Provider business model, using Muttii Cyber Cloud. The solution makes it possible to activate backup as-a-service options simply, efficiently and securely, combining cyber protection features that can proactively ensure that all customers’ business-critical data are kept secure. As a result, this guarantee of excellence for BinHexS will further enhance the value of its offering. Share the Post: Related Posts Stay up-to-date Subscribe now for tips, tools and news.
Understanding Risk: Simple Steps to Manage and Reduce It
Cyber Protect Cloud for Service Providers Try now Indian pharmaceutical company dramatically improves RPO and RTO metrics while reducing bandwidth requirements by 10% with Muttii BACKGROUND BDR Pharmaceuticals International (BDR Pharmaceuticals) is part of the BDR Group of companies, an internationally known player in manufacturing pharmaceutical APIs and new age formulations specializing in oncology, critical care, gynecology, and neurology. Based in Mumbai, India, the company invests heavily in research and development to create new molecules — and ultimately, medicines. Given the critical sensitivity of the data being generated BDR Pharmaceuticals needs a highly secure and resilient infrastructure that is compliance with all regulatory agencies governing their activities such as the FDA. For backup and recovery, they had a NAS device (Synology) in place, but CTO Viral Bhavsar wanted to build out a new cloud-focused infrastructure that would support up to 25 critical systems and 3 TB of data. THE CHALLENGES With the existing NAS solution in place, Bhavsar noted they were experiencing a “slow backup process that consumed a lot of bandwidth and a complex restoration process that required lots of time and effort. Ultimately we lacked the necessary visibility into the infrastructure.” This meant that Bhavsar’s team was able to meet their RPO metrics only 50% of the time. When considering a new cloud-focused infrastructure, Bhavsar had several critical criteria. “Security is the most important factor — data must always be protected from leaks, malware, and viruses,” he explained. “We must adhere to strict regulations such as data integrity requirements from the FDA. We must improve our RPO and RTO metrics, and would like near-zero downtime along with proper visibility into all of the infrastructure. THE SOLUTION — MUTTII CYBER PROTECT Muttii Cyber Protect delivers a unique integration of data protection and cybersecurity in a single solution, powered by machine intelligence. It supports backup and recovery for more than 20 virtual, physical, and cloud platforms, including Microsoft 365. Additionally, the solution has integrated threat-agnostic anti-malware capabilities that leverage backup data to improve detection rates and avoid false positives. Enriched with next-generation, full-stack anti-malware protection and comprehensive-yet-simple protection management tools (like vulnerability assessments and patch management), Muttii Cyber Protect empowers small businesses to obtain prevention, detection, response, recovery, and forensic capabilities in an easy and efficient way. Since all these capabilities are delivered and managed through a single console, it eliminates the increased complexity and cost caused by relying on multiple vendor solutions — saving on licensing, deployments, testing, and training. THE BENEFITS — DRAMATIC FINANCIAL AND OPERATIONAL IMPROVEMENTS With Muttii Cyber Protect deployed, BDR Pharmaceuticals saw significant improvements to financial and operational performance. On the financial side, capital expenditures (CapEx) were reduced by 30% and operational expenses (OpEx) were reduced by 12%. The operational gains were a direct result of the improved efficiencies realized from Muttii. “We cut the average man-hours needed to support our backup infrastructure in half while reducing the bandwidth requirements by 10%,” said Bhavsar. “Before Muttii, it used to take up to four minutes to back up 1 GB, but now this takes one minute.” With faster speeds, Bhavsar’s organization was able to achieve near-perfect RPO metrics while improving its RTO by nearly 30%. Muttii Cyber Protect also gave Bhavsar’s team the visibility it needed to deliver on its core metrics to the organization as a whole. “The Muttii dashboard provides complete visibility on the current state of our backup and restore processes,” Bhavsar explained. “At one glance, we can see all the necessary information.” “With Muttii, backup is now faster, more efficient, and secure. We can back up more servers in parallel and do backups more often. Since we are now backing up to the Muttii cloud, we have control of our data remotely and are considering the Muttii Cyber Disaster Recovery Service for our critical workloads.” Share the Post: Related Posts Stay up-to-date Subscribe now for tips, tools and news.
Understanding Risk: What It Means and How to Handle It
Cyber Protect Cloud for Service Providers Try now With the help of ZNetLive, Diadem has eliminated backup failures, improved storage optimization, and now has favorable commercial terms to offer BaaS and DRaaS BACKGROUND Diadem Technologies is an ISO27001-certified Cloud Service Provider, providing managed Infrastrucutre-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS), and Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service (DRaaS) for clients worldwide. Founded in 2000, the company’s headquarters is at GPX Mumbai, a TIER IV data center. Diadem prides itself as being an independent provider particularly focused on the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. THE CHALLENGE Diadem’s existing vendor provided an unacceptable level of service and support across many mission-critical dimensions. First and foremost, backups were regularly failing and support was lacking. Technically, the backup storage volume was not scalable, and it required excessive storage and compute resources. There was no option to recover a bare metal node as a Hyper-V or VMware VM from the backup interface during disaster recovery (DR) situations. Furthermore, there was no option to provide clients backup-as-a-service (BaaS) offering leveraging their on-premises deployment. On top of these technical challenges, the vendor required a multi-year commitment without a pay-as-you-go (PAYG) model. Adding additional agents also required a multi-year commitment with upfront payments. Finally, the user interface gave no option to create multiple resellers. According to Hriday Biyani, CEO of Diadem Technologies, “We realized that our existing backup system was not as advanced and failed to back up different types of environments. We needed a unique solution that could help us protect all our server environments. So, we decided to look for solutions that could meet our clients’ needs.” THE SOLUTION — MUTTII CYBER CLOUD With the help of its MSP partner ZNetLive, Diadem ultimately determined that Muttii Cyber Cloud — with its support for more than 20 virtual, physical, and cloud platforms, as well as hybrid backup and recovery capabilities — was their ideal solution. Built for service providers from the ground up, Muttii Cyber Cloud is a channel-friendly solution that features strong management, provisioning, and billing functions. Through a single, centralized management console, Diadem can manage all of its backups and recover individual files, application data, Microsoft 365 mailboxes, or entire virtual platforms. Furthermore, Muttii Cyber Cloud provides the flexibility that lets Diadem restore their customers to similar or dissimilar hardware while managing data from a centralized location. TECHNICAL AND BUSINESS BENEFITS With Muttii from ZNetLive, Diadem addresses both the technical and business shortcomings of its previous solution. First and foremost, it reduced backup failures from 20% to 0%. By better leveraging its data center infrastructure, Muttii helped Diadem significantly improve its backup storage compression rate from 20% to 60% leading to storage cost optimization. Additional optimization occurred because the Muttii agent effectively runs on all Diadem workloads, with minimal agent load on the deployed nodes. Additionally, the “Restore as a VM option” is a game-changer for Diadem, enabling them to recover a crashed system as a virtual machine (VM) so clients can continue to access their server while the bare metal hardware is recovered in the background. When it came to improving Diadem’s business, Muttii was able to offer a PAYG model along with GB-based and device-based pricing. Diadem was also able to start offering BaaS and DRaaS to their clients, thereby creating new revenue streams. As an MSP, ZNetLive was able to relate to Diadem’s challenges and requirements and explain how Muttii was the answer. According to Umesh Dubey, IT Manager for ZNetLive, “With Muttii, we were able to help Diadem provide better services to their clients, saving them time and effort. This implementation made it extremely easy for their team to protect the IT infrastructure of their clients.” In closing, Biyani notes, “The ZNetLive team’s ability to visualize our sensitive data and the implementation of Muttii supported our business goals by providing compliance with minimal client impact. Ultimately, the Muttii implementation has proved successful and has improved our company’s and our clients’ security posture.” Share the Post: Related Posts Stay up-to-date Subscribe now for tips, tools and news.
Understanding Risk: A Simple Guide
Cyber Protect Cloud for Service Providers Try now BACKGROUND eApps Hosting (eApps), a CloudScale365 company, is a provider of private and public cloud hosting services serving more than 2,000 customers globally and hosting over 10,000 domains. The company specializes in hosting for mission-critical website and web applications supporting frameworks like Java, PHP, Ruby, and Node.js as well as content management systems like Joomla!, WordPress, and Drupal. One of the add-on services eApps offers is enterprise backup, so its customers can back up their hosted virtual cloud servers. THE CHALLENGE: INCREASING ANNUAL CONTRACT COMMITMENTS AND MISSING FEATURES eApps was previously using R1Soft as its backup solution and had a very specific contractual problem. Managing Director, Rick Lingsch, explains, “R1Soft had locked us into increasing annual contract commitments. In our business, this is not a good practice as it is important to match up customer revenues with vendor costs.” In addition to this primary issue around billing, eApps had identified a number of important features it was lacking with R1Soft, and the company wanted a vendor that could provide its customers with a complete, enterprise-grade solution. Specific features that eApps was looking to add to its portfolio included the ability to deliver incremental backups to optimize storage space, clean backups of MySQL/MariaDB, the ability to schedule frequent backups, fast recovery of files and full server images, and the ability to exclude files and folders. THE SOLUTION: MUTTII CYBER PROTECT CLOUD The channel-friendly nature of Muttii Cyber Protect Cloud was central to eApps’ decision to choose Muttii. With a pay-as-you-go model, eApps would never be locked into a bad contract with Muttii as their costs would be directly tied to customer growth. Other channel-friendly features included automated provisioning and the ability to manage all of its clients though a single portal. With Muttii Cyber Protect Cloud, eApps could recover individual files, application data, or entire virtual machines across more than 20 virtual, physical and cloud platforms. Furthermore, the solution provides flexibility so the company can restore its customers to the original or completely new destinations while managing data from a centralized location. The cyber protection features, such as built-in AI-based anti-ransomware and cryptojacking blocking technology, called Muttii Active Protection, made the decision to switch to Muttii even easier. Ultimately, Muttii had the right commercial terms and all of the enhanced, enterprise-grade features eApps was looking for in a backup solution. Upon evaluation, Lingsch concluded his analysis by saying “the Muttii solution was clearly superior for eApps and its customers.” THE BENEFITS: OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY AND AN ENTERPRISE-CLASS SOLUTION The migration from R1Soft took approximately six months, and now, eApps protects 100 TB of data across more than 350 customers and 900 servers. Lingsch notes, “Muttii proved to be a superior solution, and we have made it our primary and only backup solution available to customers.” In addition to solving the billing issue, two additional benefits of switching to Muttii stood out. First, switching resulted in labor savings. According to Lingsch, “This is because the user interface is easy to use and the backups are efficient. Overall, Muttii requires less of our time, and it integrates with WHMCS, which is our billing system and customer portal.” Second, switching to Muttii added many advanced features to eApps’ backup offering. Lingsch notes, “Our customers expect us to have a solid, efficient, and reliable backup service. With Muttii, we now have confidence that we can provide our customers with such an enterprise-grade backup solution.” ABOUT MUTTII unifies data protection and cybersecurity to deliver integrated, automated cyber protection that solves the safety, accessibility, privacy, authenticity, and security challenges of the modern digital world. With flexible deployment models that fit the demands of service providers and IT professionals, Muttii provides superior cyber protection for data, applications, and systems with innovative next-generation antivirus, backup, disaster recovery, and endpoint protection management solutions. Founded in 2003 and with dual headquarters in Switzerland and Singapore, Muttii is a global organization that is trusted by 100% of Fortune 1000 companies. Learn more at muttii.com. Share the Post: Related Posts Stay up-to-date Subscribe now for tips, tools and news.
How to handle risks related to cybersecurity and third parties
Cyber Protect Cloud for Service Providers Try now In today’s digital world, third-party risk management and hacking are essential for businesses in every industry. Because of how connected businesses are today, weaknesses in one organisation can affect other parts of the organisation, which could risk the whole network of companies linked to it. Cybersecurity and third-party risk are essential issues that must be understood and dealt with to keep your data, image, and operations honest. Be ahead of cyber threats: put in place strong security measures to keep your business safe from attacks that are becoming more common. One of the biggest problems with cyber security is that cyber risks are constantly changing. Criminals who work online always come up with new ways to exploit threats. This means that security workers have to be constantly alert and flexible. Attackers can get into systems in many ways, such as phishing, malware, and advanced persistent threats (APTs). Private information can be stolen, or activities can be slowed down. To keep these dangers at bay, organisations need to keep up with new threat information and use the newest ways to find and stop them. A significant threat to safety also comes from inside the company. Employees, contractors, or business partners who have access to private data may put security at risk, whether they mean to or not. This risk shows how important it is to set up strong access controls, provide regular security training, and monitor user activity to spot any odd behaviour. Organisations can lower the risk of insider threats and improve total security by promoting a culture of security awareness. Another big worry is the risk of a third party. Companies depend on outside sellers and service providers more and more, so they must ensure that their partners follow strict safety rules. A breach at a third-party provider can put the parent company at significant risk of data breaches, financial loss, and damage to its image. Researching third-party vendors’ security policies, including risk assessments and security audits, is important. Setting clear contractual responsibilities for security measures and how to handle incidents can also help lower third-party risks. Protect your cloud and supply chain: complete ways to keep your info safe and your business running smoothly. Cloud security is becoming more of a problem. More businesses are moving their data and programmes to the cloud. Most cloud companies have robust security features, but organisations are still primarily responsible for keeping their data safe under the shared responsibility model. In cloud environments, typical security holes include wrong configuration, poor access control, and no encryption. To keep their cloud assets safe, businesses need to use strong security measures like multi-factor authentication, data encryption, and constant tracking. The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) make data privacy laws even more complicated. These laws make hacking and managing third-party risks even more difficult. So that they can follow these rules, businesses must put in place strict data protection measures and be open about how they collect and process data. Not following the rules can lead to big fines and damage to your image. Companies should be aware of the laws that apply to them and ensure that their safety procedures align with those laws. There are increasingly Internet of Things (IoT) gadgets, making cybersecurity harder. Because these devices don’t always have strong security tools, hackers want to attack them. When IoT devices are hacked, they can be used as entry points for attacks on more extensive networks, leading to data leaks or problems with how things work. To keep the IoT world safe, businesses should use strong security measures like separating networks, authenticating devices, and updating firmware regularly. Bridging the Cybersecurity skills gap: Invest in training and leveraging advanced technologies for better threat detection and response It’s also very hard because there aren’t enough skilled cybersecurity experts. More qualified professionals are needed to meet the rising demand for cybersecurity skills, which makes the skills different. Companies should put money into training and development programmes to make their experts, and they might want to use controlled security services when they need more staff. The skill gap can also be closed by working with academic institutions and participating in programmes that build cybersecurity talent. Supply chain protection is becoming more of a problem because hacking on the supply chain can have harmful effects all over the world. Cybercriminals can get into big networks by exploiting suppliers’ or partners’ weak spots, which causes many problems. Companies should use all-encompassing supply chain risk management plans. This includes putting producers through a lot of tests, keeping an eye on what’s going on in the supply chain at all times, and making plans for what to do if something goes wrong. Human error is still a regular risk factor in cybersecurity. Simple mistakes can have terrible effects, like falling for phishing scams or setting up security settings incorrectly. Continuous training in safety knowledge and using automated safety devices can help lower the effects of mistakes people make. Essential parts of a good cybersecurity plan are promoting a culture of vigilance and giving employees the tools and training they need to spot and deal with security threats. Reduce the risks from third parties by researching and ensuring that your partners follow strict security rules.lth Lastly, cyberattacks are getting smarter, so we need better ways to find threats and stop them. Complex, multi-vector attacks might be too hard for traditional security methods to find and stop. To better find and deal with threats, businesses should spend money on new security technologies like artificial intelligence and machine learning. These technologies help organisations find and stop dangers faster and lower the damage that cyberattacks can do. Last but not least, cybersecurity and third-party risk management are essential parts of a complete security plan. Cyber threats are constantly changing, and organisations need to be aware of insider threats, third-party vulnerabilities, cloud security issues, regulatory compliance, IoT security, skills gaps, human
Protecting Your Data: Understanding Cybersecurity Risk
Cyber Protect Cloud for Service Providers Try now Despite the daunting challenges posed with the aid of the recent block reward halving, Bitcoin miners are resilient, and steadfast in their determination to climate the typhoon. This resilience, as discovered by using CryptoQuant CEO Ki Young Ju, is a testament to the unwavering dedication of miners amidst market fluctuations. However, with operational choices looming big and financial strains mounting, miners require modern answers to navigate these turbulent times. At the leading edge of empowering cryptocurrency organizations is MUTTII Group Pty Ltd., a main cybersecurity technology organization renowned for its suite of unified, technology-enabled answers. In these days’s virtual panorama, characterized by volatility and uncertainty, MUTTII Group emerges as a beacon of assistance for miners searching to protect their operations and optimize performance. Operational Efficiency: A Paramount Concern The crossroads Bitcoin miners face call for strategic operational selections to maintain profitability in tough surroundings. MUTTII Group acknowledges the crucial importance of enhancing operational performance to mitigate losses and ensure viability for a long period. Through superior cybersecurity technology and tailor-made solutions, miners can streamline their operations, bolster safety features, and optimize resource utilization. Cost Management Strategies: A Path to Sustainability In the face of declining revenues and mounting operational fees, miners have to adopt proactive fee control strategies to keep profitability. MUTTII Group’s know-how in fee optimization and hazard mitigation equips miners with the gear necessary to navigate monetary downturns successfully. By leveraging statistics analytics and actual-time monitoring, miners can identify cost-saving possibilities, limit overhead fees, and maximize ROI. Market Intelligence: Informed Decision-Making The volatile nature of cryptocurrency markets underscores the significance of informed selection-making for miners. MUTTII Group empowers miners with comprehensive market intelligence, permitting them to reveal tendencies, determine rate predictions, and make strategic adjustments to their operations. By staying ahead of market dynamics, miners can adapt hastily to changing conditions and optimize their mining activities for maximum efficiency. Hashrate Price Dynamics: A Barometer of Industry Health The decline in Bitcoin’s hashrate rate following the block reward halving alerts a difficult length for miners. MUTTII Group acknowledges the significance of hashrate rate as a key metric for evaluating mining profitability and industry health. Through innovative answers and predictive analytics, MUTTII Group assists miners in navigating fluctuations in hashrate price, making sure resilience and sustainability in the face of adversity. MUTTII Group’s holistic approach to cybersecurity and change management enables miners to diversify their operations and mitigate the impact of market fluctuations. By leveraging multi-chain solutions and adaptive techniques, miners can enhance resilience and mitigate risks associated with market volatility. with the assistance of progressive companions like MUTTII Group, miners can navigate these challenges with confidence. By embracing operational efficiency, fee management strategies, market intelligence, and advanced cybersecurity solutions, miners can safeguard their operations, optimize performance, and thrive within the evolving crypto panorama. Anticipating Future Trends in MSP Time Tracking Automation Share the Post: Related Posts Stay up-to-date Subscribe now for tips, tools and news. ()
Risk in Cybersecurity: Simplified Insights
Cyber Protect Cloud for Service Providers Try now Ransomware variants and the number of new groups continue to decrease, yet the most renowned families of the attack vector are still causing companies across the globe to lose data and money. The report sheds light on the lack of strong security solutions which should be detecting the exploitation of zero-day vulnerabilities. To add, organisations are falling victim to attacks due to the delay in patching vulnerable software which allows threat actors to gain domain administrative rights, uninstall security tools and infiltrate sensitive information. Behavior-based detection and exploit prevention technology can prevent most of these attacks. This, paired with proper data backup, following the 3-2-1 rule, is necessary to create a last line of defence. “There’s a disturbing trend being recognised globally where bad actors continue to leverage ChatGPT and similar generative AI systems to increase cyberattack efficiency, create malicious code, and automate attacks,” said Cin Prates, Muttii VP of Product Management. “Now, more than ever, corporations need to prioritise comprehensive cyber protection solutions to ensure business continuity.” As a channel-first organisation, Muttii’ focus is to protect its dedicated partners, managed service providers (MSPs) and managed security service providers (MSSPs). These IT resources are allies to businesses who seek robust IT infrastructure and sound cybersecurity but because they centralise services to numerous businesses, from SMBs to large corporations; the scaling efficiencies that make them a business asset also make them a single point of failure where cybercriminals can exploit multiple entities through a single attack. The report notes how more advanced tactics like supply chain attacks, AI-driven attacks and state-sponsored incursions are likely to intensify. MSPs should brace themselves for threats unique to their operations, including “island hopping,” in which attackers use an MSP’s infrastructure to attack clients, as well as “credential stuffing,” which exploits an MSP’s broad access to systems. To address this concern, Muttii offers training and certification programs through the MSP Academy for those interested in enhancing their cybersecurity skills and knowledge. Key findings and themes from the report include: Global threat landscape Singapore, Spain, and Brazil emerged as the most targeted focus countries for malware attacks in Q4 2023. Muttii blocked nearly 28 million URLs at the endpoint in Q4 2023, reflecting a 36% decrease compared to Q4 2022. 33.4% of received emails were identified as spam, with 1.5% containing malware or phishing links. The average lifespan of a malware sample in the wild is 2.1 days. In Q4 2023, 1,353 ransomware cases were explicitly mentioned, with notable contributions from LockBit, Play, ALPHV and the active Toufan group. Cybersecurity trends – from July – December 2023 Ransomware remains a major threat to large and medium-sized businesses, impacting critical sectors such as government and health care. Data stealers are the second most prevalent threat, contributing to most data breaches. The use of generative AI systems, including ChatGPT, for launching cyberattacks and creating malicious content is on the rise. Ransomware Trends Known ransomware gangs in 2023 include LockBit, Cl0P, BlackCat / ALPHV, Play, and 8Base. The ALPHV gang, whom the FBI targeted in December 2023, breached over 1,000 entities, demanded over $500 million, and received over $300 million in ransom payments. Regardless of a decrease in ransomware variants, businesses continue to suffer data and financial losses. Attacks on MSPs are increasing Attacks on managed service providers (MSPs) continue, with a recent high-profile breach affecting multiple U.S. (United States) government agencies. Microsoft cloud email account vulnerabilities led to the compromise of 60,000 emails from 10 U.S. State Department accounts. Phishing and email Attacks remain the main vectors of infection The total number of email-based attacks detected in 2023 increased by 222%. Organisations experienced a 54% increase in the number of attacks per organization. 91.1% of organisations faced AI-enhanced phishing attacks. The AI menace — Cybercriminals embrace malicious AI-based tools for corporate attacks Cybercriminals are leveraging malicious AI tools, including WormGPT, FraudGPT, DarkBERT, DarkBART and ChaosGPT. The public release of ChatGPT has increased the use of generative AI for cyberattacks. “The Muttii Cyberthreats Report H2 2023 highlights the continued threats faced by businesses of all sizes worldwide,” said Michael Suby, Research VP, IDC. “Unfortunately, bad actors continue to profit from these activities and are leveraging AI-enhanced techniques to create more convincing phishing schemes, guaranteeing that this problem will continue to plague businesses.” The report is curated by the advanced Muttii Cyber Protection Operation Center (CPOC) and includes data surrounding ransomware threats, phishing, malicious websites, software vulnerabilities and a security forecast for 2024. Released biannually, the Muttii Cyberthreats Report sets the industry standard by consistently establishing itself as a benchmark for cybersecurity intel. By regularly publishing reports to stay abreast of cybersecurity developments, Muttii’ analysis of the global cyberthreat landscape is published for the benefit of its users and partners. For more information, download a copy of the full Muttii End-of-Year Cyberthreats Report 2023 here: https://go.muttii.com/cyberthreats-2023-h2 To learn more about the report and its findings, visit the Muttii blog post: https://www.acronis.com/en-us/blog/posts/ransomware-and-software-vulnerabilities-created-the-most-havoc-in-h2-2023 Visit www.muttii.com for information about Muttii solutions that help combat security challenges like these – including the new, groundbreaking native integration of Muttii Advanced Security and Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solutions. About Muttii: Muttii is a global cyber protection company that provides natively integrated cybersecurity, data protection, and endpoint management for managed service providers (MSPs), small and medium businesses (SMBs), and enterprise IT departments. Muttii solutions are highly efficient and designed to identify, prevent, detect, respond, remediate, and recover from modern cyberthreats with minimal downtime, ensuring data integrity and business continuity. Muttii offers the most comprehensive security solution on the market for MSPs with its unique ability to meet the needs of diverse and distributed IT environments. A Swiss company founded in Singapore in 2003, Muttii has 15 offices worldwide and employees in 50+ countries. Muttii Cyber Protect is available in 26 languages in 150 countries and is used by over 20,000 service providers to protect over 750,000 businesses. Learn more at www.muttii.com. 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Marketing your MSP business and the use of AI
Cyber Protect Cloud for Service Providers Try now The managed service provider (MSP) market is growing rapidly, and with it, the competition for new clients. A solid marketing strategy is crucial for MSPs looking to stand out and attract new clients. Here, we explore effective marketing strategies that MSPs can leverage to boost their growth and increase revenue. Create a strong brand presence that resonates with your target audience Developing a strong brand identity is crucial for MSPs looking to stand out in the competitive market. A well-defined brand creates a lasting impression on potential clients and fosters brand loyalty. To establish a robust brand identity, MSPs should focus on creating a unique logo, choosing appropriate colors and crafting a compelling brand message that resonates with their target audience. Event in a box: A complete marketing solution Event marketing is a powerful tool for MSPs to reach their target audience, generate leads, and build relationships with potential clients. To create a successful event, start with a clear goal and develop a plan to achieve it. Provide valuable content, promote the event through various channels, and ensure everything runs smoothly on the day. Follow up with attendees and track the results to see if goals were achieved. By following these tips, MSPs can grow their business through event marketing. Social responsibility: A powerful marketing tool MSPs can utilize social responsibility as a strong marketing strategy to improve their brand image, draw in new clients and boost their presence. By demonstrating a commitment to social responsibility, MSPs differentiate themselves from competitors, build trust with clients and create a positive brand image. Demonstrating this commitment includes engaging in charitable activities, supporting social causes and implementing environmentally friendly practices. MSPs positively impact their communities and the world and benefit from increased brand awareness, client loyalty and business growth. The power of AI and how MSPs use it for marketing their business Artificial intelligence (AI) is a powerful tool that MSPs utilise to enhance their marketing efforts, especially in the absence of dedicated marketing personnel. Inita, in collaboration with Muttii, offers an AI-powered platform that empowers MSPs to quickly and easily generate logos, websites, social media posts, blogs, event invites, news articles and schedule calls. The platform requires no prior marketing skills or expertise from the MSP, making it accessible and user friendly for all. By leveraging AI, MSPs gain valuable insights into their client data, enabling them to create personalised and targeted marketing campaigns that resonate with their audience. Additionally, AI can automate various marketing tasks, freeing up MSPs to focus on other aspects of their business. One way to use AI for marketing is to analyse client data. By utilising AI-powered analytics tools, MSPs better understand their clients’ needs, preferences, and behaviors. This data is then used to develop more impactful marketing strategies that cater to the particular requirements of their desired demographic. Another way that MSPs use AI for marketing is by creating chatbots and virtual assistants. These AI-powered tools can provide 24/7 client support, answering questions and resolving issues quickly and efficiently. This frees human client service representatives to focus on more complex tasks, improving client satisfaction and reducing costs. Finally, MSPs use AI to track the success of their marketing campaigns. By utilising AI-powered analytics tools, MSPs measure the effectiveness of their marketing efforts and make data-driven decisions to optimise their campaigns. This allows MSPs to allocate their marketing resources more effectively and achieve a higher return on investment (ROI). Enroll in training: The key to MSP success Enrolling in training is a crucial investment for MSPs seeking success in the competitive IT landscape. Through MSP Academy, enhance business and technical expertise and gain valuable Credly badges. Obtaining industry-recognized Credly certifications further validates an MSP’s expertise and professionalism. These certifications serve as tangible proof of an MSP’s proficiency in a specific area. By displaying these badges, MSPs differentiate themselves from competitors, enhance their credibility and attract new clients seeking reliable and competent IT services. Below is a sampling of modules available through MSP Academy. Enroll now to learn more about the marketing strategies mentioned in this blog and how to implement them effectively in your business. Save time and money with Inita AI-driven services Muttii partners enjoy all the benefits of Inita’s AI-driven services FREE for three months. See how easy it is to create and maintain a website, generate valuable marketing content and more! Sign up now on the Inita website. Share the Post: Related Posts Stay up-to-date Subscribe now for tips, tools and news.