Author: Art Gross

Breach Secure Now & Gradient MSP

Breach Secure Now is a partner-focused business. We work for the MSP community to provide them with the most comprehensive cybersecurity solutions for their clients. Gradient MSP also works with MSPs to provide the tools that integrate their solutions.

The Right Partnership

Because BSN was founded by an MSP for MSPs, we know the importance of building the solutions that you want and need. As a result, our integrations have come from your requests. With each of those, also comes its own potential risks and complexities.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month: See Yourself in Cyber

This month we celebrate National Cybersecurity Awareness Month. The year’s campaign theme of “See Yourself in Cyber” focuses on the individual. This collaborative effort is done to raise awareness between government and industry. It is overseen by the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the National Cybersecurity Alliance (NCA) working together.

The theme this year aligns with that of our own here at Breach Secure Now. Humans are the key element in cybersecurity. CISA simplifies this by saying that ‘while cybersecurity may seem like a complex subject, ultimately, it’s really all about people.’

Cybersecurity Awareness Month

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and Breach Secure Now is here to make sure that we get everyone involved in the cybersecurity ‘celebration’!

Everyone – and we mean every single person needs to be aware of cybersecurity and the best practices that keep their world secure.  The ripple effect of breached information can travel wide and far. And repercussions are sometimes not seen for months, or even years, ahead. 

As an individual, you must protect your own identity and that of your family.

MSP the Expert

Small businesses often make the mistake that they have to be cybersecurity experts to have strong security programs in place. Remind them that as their MSP, you can be their expert. The concern is often that learning how to protect their business will be overwhelming. One more thing to do. Or that they need to hire someone internally. So they put it off until they fill that role, or find the right product to enable their team.

Social Engineering In Action

Is social engineering that effective? Ask an Uber or Rockstar Games employee that question and you’ll likely hear a resounding yes. This effective mode of duping people within a targeted group or business was the method that one hacker used to hit both companies with a breach. Just how effective is it? In 2021, the FBI received 323,972 complaints of social engineering attacks. And there are many more that go unreported.

What Is a Botnet?

You may hear the word ‘bot’ used in conversations, especially around cybersecurity.  But often we use it without really knowing exactly what it means or how it originated.

The Players

The term botnet is short for robot network.  It describes a network of computers that are infected by malware.  This malware is controlled by a single party, known as the bot-herder.  And each computer that is under that control is known as a bot. 

Cyberattack Increase Warning Issued for Schools

Back-to-school time is in full swing and imagine if the only threat that schools faced would be running out of tissues during sniffle season? Unfortunately, that isn’t the case. A cyberattack warning from the FBI, CISA, and MS-ISAC has been issued indicating that cybersecurity “attacks may increase as the 2022/2023 school year begins and criminal ransomware groups perceive opportunities for successful attacks.” A recent attack on the Los Angeles school district deployed malware over Labor Day weekend. The attack was followed up with government-issued announcements that included the warning of an increased threat.

Student Loan Scams

Student Loan Scams

With the launch of the U.S. Student Loan Forgiveness program, there is an opportunity for students and other borrowers to benefit. Any scenario that puts millions of people in a target pool is ideal for hackers. Add to the scenario the list of questions and uncertainties and you have a recipe for risk. The details are not always known at first or readily available and that means that cybercriminals are ready to pounce before you can get your questions together.

Ransomware as a Service

What is ransomware as a service? You’re likely familiar with software as a service (SaaS) but ransomware? What does that mean?

First, let’s do a quick recap of what ransomware is. It is a type of malware that holds the victim’s files and folders for ransom. Through human error, the malware is deployed and encrypts network data, with a safe return being promised once the ransom is paid. And with payments usually made through cryptocurrency, traceability is eliminated.

The ransomware as a service business model was developed for criminal purposes, with the product or service being purchased for illegal activity. Ransomware requires little effort with potentially big payouts.

What Is Zero Trust?

Zero Trust Access

Zero Trust, or Zero Trust Access, is the term applied to the strategy which assumes that you cannot trust the individual or device until verified.  The good guys, the bad guys, and all devices are the same and should not be trusted automatically. Proof of trust is verified with credentials.

The term was first coined in 1994 by Stephan Paul Marsh at the University of Stirling as part of his doctoral thesis that focused on trust. Over the next ten years, it became part of the tech vernacular as it relates to defining the perimeter of security access.