A Ransomware Law Has Finally Passed: Help Is on the Way

Oct, 2019

A Ransomware Law Has Finally Passed: Help Is on the Way

In light of a multitude of recent attacks on U.S. businesses, a new law was recently passed that is meant to aid organizations that are affected by ransomware. How will this law affect you and your company? Much of the burden will still fall on you to adhere to important safety guidelines and require you to keep a managed security service provider on deck in order to prevent dire security consequences from happening in the first place.

Still, this is good news overall, as it means the Senate is beginning to take cybersecurity more seriously. And additional help will be available to your business. Read more

cyber security, data protection, Department of Homeland Security, law, managed security services provider, network security, ransomware, V2 Systems

Oct, 2019

By Erik Briceno

Seriously, Please Stop Using Internet Explorer

On our social media feed, we’ve posted about the dangers of using Internet Explorer — the depreciated web browser from Microsoft’s bygone age — more times than an IT service should probably have to. Unfortunately, there are many businesses of all sizes who still utilize it or rely on its architecture, and it’s something we all really need to start moving past. A recent discovery involving the browser is just one of nearly countless examples. Read more

cyber security, data protection, internet explorer, IT, managed security services provider, network security, security, V2 Systems, vulnerability management

Sep, 2019

By Erik Briceno

NIST SP 800-171 Is Now More Important Than Ever: Are You Following the Framework?

The National Institute of Standards and Technology, more commonly referred to as NIST, puts out extremely important guidelines to follow, and we have covered those guidelines at length in past articles. However, there have been quite a few changes since we last wrote about them. Today, we’re putting out a refresher on the subject for readers who are unfamiliar with NIST compliance, as well as sources for some of the more recent, important updates to NIST standards. Read more

cyber security, IT, managed security services provider, network security, NIST, NIST compliance, security, V2 Systems

Sep, 2019

By Erik Briceno

What Happens in Texas … Probably Won’t Stay There

Another massive ransomware attack on local government has taken place in the United States. This time, it was a coordinated effort against 23 towns in the state of Texas. We don’t know much about it right now, and frankly, that should worry us. Here’s what we do know. Read more

cyber attack, cyber security, managed security services provider, network security, ransomware, texas, V2 Systems

Aug, 2019

By Erik Briceno

Yes, Data Breaches Are Still a Thing

Ransomware may have been dominating the news cycle over the last couple of months, but data breaches are also occurring at a similar frequency. To this day, we’re still feeling the fallout from the Equifax breach, even though that was all the way back in May of 2017.

While we’re still dealing with the consequences from that, what’s been happening since then? Glad you asked. Let’s take a look. Read more

cyber attack, cyber security, data breach, managed security services provider, network security, security, V2 Systems

Aug, 2019

By Erik Briceno

Monroe College Is the Latest Ransomware Victim This Year, and Things Are Getting Worse

In one of our previous articles, we talked about three cities in a single week that were held hostage to ransomware — and paid. Another recent, and major, victim is Monroe College in New York City. This time it’s a whopper, as the hackers who attacked the college’s IT system demanded nearly $2 million in Bitcoin. This is a significant increase from previous extortion demands, and experts warn that other institutions are now more vulnerable than ever to similar attacks. Read more

cyber attack, cyber security, data protection, managed security services provider, network security, ransomware, V2 Systems

Jul, 2019

By Erik Briceno

Cities Held Hostage — A Brave New World

In the course of a single week, three cities in Florida were struck with three separate ransomware attacks. At the time of writing this, two of the three gave in to the ransom demands and the third is still considering it. Almost immediately following these incidents in Florida, Georgia’s state court system was also hit. This was the second time this year for Georgia, following an event which completely crippled Atlanta’s IT network. Officials paid off the attackers with a hefty $400,000 ransom payment, and it is currently unknown if Georgia will be paying the ransom again this time.

Each of these attacks and capitulations have occurred within a worrisome and remarkably short period of time. It’s also worth noting that all of these events take place merely weeks after the announcement of a ransomware attack on Baltimore — an attack that cost the city $18.2 million to recover from. Here is a breakdown of each one as they happened. Read more

cyber attack, cyber security, data protection, malware, managed security services provider, network security, ransomware, V2 Systems

Jul, 2019

By Erik Briceno

Data Breaches, Scare Fatigue and the Case for Vigilance

In this year alone, data breaches are occurring at such frequency that it’s now become almost commonplace. When we hear it in the news, we simply shrug our shoulders and say, “Oh great, another one.”

The fact that it happens so often should not soften the severity of it. If anything, it should raise our state of alarm even higher. The problem is, we’ve become so fatigued by alarm. How do you remain vigilant despite this fatigue? Read more

cyber attack, cyber security, data breach, data protection, internet, managed security services provider, network security, V2 Systems

Jun, 2019

By Erik Briceno

When You Need to Update but Can’t Afford Disruption

We talk about the importance of updating your software all the time — whether it’s applying the dreaded Windows Update patches from Microsoft every “Patch Tuesday” or completely removing depreciated applications. It’s no secret that these updates can cause problems for some people, but unfortunately it doesn’t change the fact that these updates are imperative. How do you manage the sometimes difficult task of keeping your company running during and after applying critical updates — updates that are designed precisely for keeping things running in the first place? Read more

cyber security, managed security services provider, network security, software update, V2 Systems, virtual private network, vpn

Jun, 2019

By Erik Briceno

“Please Patch Your Windows. Pretty Please?” – Microsoft

Do you remember WannaCry? Two years ago, it was arguably the most destructive cyberworm in history — shutting down hospitals, banks, transportation and shipping companies. Perhaps one of the most baffling things of all, though, is the fact that WannaCry didn’t exist until two months AFTER Microsoft had already released a patch that would fix the very vulnerability the worm took advantage of.

Now, in 2019, the same thing is happening again with a vulnerability known as BlueKeep. This security risk is so severe that not only did Microsoft update Windows 10, they even went out of their way to patch its depreciated operating systems: Windows 2003, Windows XP and Windows Vista. Read more

BlueKeep, cyber security, malware, managed security services provider, network security, ransomware, security, V2 Systems

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Tag : network security

A Ransomware Law Has Finally Passed: Help Is on the Way

Seriously, Please Stop Using Internet Explorer

NIST SP 800-171 Is Now More Important Than Ever: Are You Following the Framework?

What Happens in Texas … Probably Won’t Stay There

Yes, Data Breaches Are Still a Thing

Monroe College Is the Latest Ransomware Victim This Year, and Things Are Getting Worse

Cities Held Hostage — A Brave New World

Data Breaches, Scare Fatigue and the Case for Vigilance

When You Need to Update but Can’t Afford Disruption

“Please Patch Your Windows. Pretty Please?” – Microsoft

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