06 Dec December Updates: Welcome new SOS Team members Nick and Bryan
December is Here
December is a crazy month! Personally, our family has 2 birthdays in December, add on Christmas, parties, events, new years, etc…. And that’s rough. Add in end-of-year financials, business tax projections (and expenses), 2024 growth plans. the “Holidays” can become nothing but stress. There’s never enough time in the day. The best we can do is take things one day at a time, being intentional in everything, and well planned out.
Welcome Bryan and Nicholas
After a few months of candidate evaluation, we have brought on 2 new engineers to our team.
Bryan comes to us with a lot of MSP I.T. experience (MSP is our industry and it means Managed Service Provider). Bryan is our newest Tier 3/Level 3 Technical Engineer. We are excited to have his expertise. Bryan’s favorite things in the past have been building solutions to scale and making clients’ lives easier! Bryan is excited about SOS|Support’s innovative and proactive approach and feels it will jive well with his desire to build I.T. solutions that will support existing clients and taking that knowledge to other case studies.
Nick comes to us having experience at an IT MSP in south-east Idaho, and then in California working for an MSP that specialized in Government contracts, particularly utilizing the CMMC and ITAR compliance. Nick will be our first in-house CTC (Client Technical Consultant). We anticipate about 25-50% of his time will be meeting with our amazing clients and building updated IT Assessments (what we call Technology Business Reviews). He will also be assisting with day-to-day tickets and projects.
We are excited about what the future has in store for SOS|Support by adding these talented professionals!
Zero-Day Exploits and Breaches
There has been an uptick in zero-day attacks recently. I want to share with you what this means, and what SOS|Support is doing to help support our clients. This is valuable client education.
What is Zero-Day?
A zero-day vulnerability refers to a security flaw or weakness in a software application or system that is not known to the vendor or the public. The term “zero-day” indicates that the developers have had zero days to fix or patch the issue. In other words, it’s a vulnerability that is exploited by attackers before the software developers have had a chance to create and distribute a fix (patch) for the problem.
Zero-day vulnerabilities can be particularly dangerous because, since they are unknown, there are typically no security measures or patches in place to defend against potential exploits. Cybercriminals and other malicious actors can take advantage of these vulnerabilities to launch attacks, such as injecting malware, gaining unauthorized access, or causing other forms of harm.
What are we doing about it?
Protecting against zero-day breaches can be challenging because these vulnerabilities are typically unknown to software vendors and users. However, several general cybersecurity practices can help enhance your overall security and mitigate the risks associated with zero-day vulnerabilities:
Keep Software Updated:
Regularly update your operating system, software applications, and antivirus programs. Software updates often include security patches that address known vulnerabilities.
Enable Automatic Updates:
Enable automatic updates for your operating system and software whenever possible. This ensures that you receive the latest security patches promptly.
Use a Reliable Antivirus and Anti-Malware Solution:
Install a reputable antivirus and anti-malware solution and keep it updated. These programs can help detect and block malicious activities on your device. Ideally, look for an MDR/EDR/XDR solution. We use Huntress Labs. This is the one of (if not the) best Zero-Day Anti-Malware. Huntress Labs was founded by a former cyber-warfare operator for the Air National Guard back in 2015. The whole concept of this platform was to look for anomalies and prevent “zero-day” unknown threats from taking hold. These platforms use A.I. and behavior technology to find rouge software that may be impersonating other software (for example, what if “Zoom” was compromised? The file to run Zoom still “looks” the same, but the code has been altered. An MDR/EDR solution will be able to detect this variation.
Implement Network Security Measures:
Use firewalls and intrusion detection/prevention systems to protect your network from unauthorized access and malicious activities. Back in 2005, I started implementing “Unified Threat Managed Firewalls” at our client locations. These were advanced small business firewalls. The firewalls would block viruses before they entered the network. This was great news because, from 1998 – 2015, a BIG CHUNK of what we did was cleaning out malware! This eliminated 80-95% of this so we could focus on efficiency and productivity.
Practice Safe Browsing:
Be cautious about the websites you visit, and avoid clicking on suspicious links or downloading files from untrusted sources. Use secure and encrypted connections (HTTPS) whenever possible.
Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA):
Enable 2FA for your accounts whenever it’s available. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification in addition to your password.
Educate Yourself and Your Team:
Stay informed about the latest cybersecurity threats and educate yourself and your team about safe online practices. Be wary of phishing attempts and social engineering tactics.
Monitor Account Activity:
Regularly review your account activity on various online platforms. Report any suspicious or unauthorized access immediately.
Back Up Your Data:
Regularly back up your important data and files. In the event of a security incident, having a recent backup can help you recover your information. YES, this one is underlined with Intention! No matter what, NOTHING is 100%. Backups are critical – whether you are using data in your office, in the cloud, or a hybrid of both. Having a well-detailed backup plan that is audited and tested regularly for ALL platforms is essential. In case you didn’t notice, this one is my most critical recommendation.
Collaborate with Security Experts:
Consider working with cybersecurity professionals or organizations like SOS|Support to conduct regular security audits and assessments.
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Mailing Address Change:
Please send all mail correspondence to the following address and no longer to the Draper PO Box.
SOS Support
1098 W South Jordan Pkwy #106
South Jordan, UT 84095
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For the latest cyber-attacks reports, follow these links:
https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ncas/current-activity
https://www.csis.org/programs/strategic-technologies-program/significant-cyber-incidents
Thanks,
Jason
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Jason Kidman
President
SOS|Support
801-563-9700
SOS Support Core Values
Relationships | Responsiveness | Services | Communication | Solution Driven
