Kevin Williams

All posts by Kevin Williams

Kevin Williams is a journalist based in Ohio. Williams has written for a variety of publications including the Washington Post, New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, National Geographic and others. He first wrote about the online world in its nascent stages for the now defunct “Online Access” Magazine in the mid-90s.

Cryptojacking is making a comeback

Cryptojacking is making a comeback

Black Squid has washed up on the cyber-shores of the United States, after first being spotted in Thailand. Unlike its oceanic counterparts, this cyber squid is destructive. Beincrypto describes the threat like this: It uses tactics such as anti-virtualization, anti-debugging,...

/ June 12, 2019
Ask an MSP Expert: How can my MSP prepare for an economic recession?

Ask an MSP Expert: How can my MSP prepare for an economic recession?

Q: Right now, we have more business than we can handle, and cash flow is exceeding our projections for the year. Still, I get nervous and worry about the next downturn. Is there something I should be doing now to prepare...

/ June 10, 2019
Steganography makes a comeback

Steganography makes a comeback

Steganography was malware before there was malware. In fact, the term dates back thousands of years and has only recently been used in cyber-circles. The word’s root is derived from the Greek word steganos, which means “covered” or “concealed.” Pre-technological generals used...

/ June 5, 2019
Building a defense from social engineering attacks

Building a defense from social engineering attacks

Last week Smarter MSP examined the security threat that social engineering poses to organizations  of all sizes. Social engineering is a technique that hackers use to gain access to  an organization’s network, without having to break down the metaphorical door....

/ May 29, 2019
Social engineering: a hacker’s most effective weapon

Social engineering: a hacker’s most effective weapon

What is the weakest link in your client’s network? It’s not unpatched software (although you should patch) or the unimaginative passwords (although you should change it). The weakest links are humans themselves. It’s Joan in accounting or Stan in human...

/ May 22, 2019 / 1 Comment
Catch hackers with a honeypot in your security service

Catch hackers with a honeypot in your security service

I once visited an Amish farm where green plastic 2-liter 7-Up bottles dangled from the lower branches of the fruit trees. The bottles were filled about halfway with some sort of liquid. Upon closer inspection, I could see a banana peel...

/ May 15, 2019
Ask an MSP Expert: Should my MSP pursue industrial clients?

Ask an MSP Expert: Should my MSP pursue industrial clients?

Q: We serve primarily healthcare and finance companies, but our region has a robust manufacturing base. Are there many opportunities for MSPs in manufacturing? If so, are there any insights you can provide about taking clients in this vertical? If you...

/ May 13, 2019 / 1 Comment
Bad actors are using AI in their cyber attacks

Bad actors are using AI in their cyber attacks

The alarms have been going off for some time about the growing role of AI in cyber attacks. In 2017, a survey of cybersecurity professionals found that 91 percent are concerned about AI-powered attacks against companies. More recently, an article in Fortune...

/ May 8, 2019
Making sense of sensors

Making sense of sensors

From pacemakers, to industrial thermostats, to traffic regulation devices, sensors are becoming as ubiquitous as the human population itself. Experts predict that 1 trillion networked sensors will be transmitting data around the world by 2022, emitting information from the mundane to the meaningful....

/ May 2, 2019
Four MSP opportunities to keep an eye on in 2019

Four MSP opportunities to keep an eye on in 2019

Four months of 2019 are in the rear-view mirror, and after talking to MSP owners and security experts on a daily basis, there are some trends are emerging that I thought I’d share. AI is one area that seems to...

/ April 24, 2019