Tag: cybersecurity

The Creeper and the Reaper make cybersecurity history
“I’M THE CREEPER. CATCH ME IF YOU CAN.” This eerie message is the equivalent of “hello, world!” in cybersecurity history. In 1971, Bob Thomas, an engineer at BBN Technologies in Cambridge, Massachusetts, developed the first computer worm, dubbed the “Creeper.”

Pioneers in Tech: Becky Bace, the “Den Mother of Computer Security”
Picture a “cybersecurity expert” in your mind, and then catch yourself if you imagine a stereotype. Not every cybersecurity expert is a white male—as proven by the influence and impact of Rebecca “Becky” Bace, an intrusion detection pioneer who passed...

Managing data sprawl
As a managed service provider (MSP), data is one of the many things we are responsible for. However, the shift to remote working, followed by partial staff returns to the office, with the possibility of workforces heading back home again...

Cybersecurity best practices for back-to-school 2020
Hackers have been exploiting weaknesses in school networks as campuses reopen in varying degrees during the pandemic. Schools of all sizes, though, are finding out what a threat hackers can pose to the educational process. The superintendent of the Valparaiso...

Ask an MSP Expert: Should I outsource my cybersecurity?
Q: Our MSP is known for its robust and affordable cybersecurity. I’ve heard, however, that MSPs should outsource their own cybersecurity. What are your thoughts? MSPs have recently suffered a spate of cybersecurity glitches that have cast a spotlight on...

Hackers join the back to school rush
Around the world, workers are dealing with the new reality of having their offices at home. But professionals aren’t the only ones needing to adapt to being at home for the long haul; students are too. And MSPs and IT...

Fake news needs real tools
As a journalist, I’m often at the forefront of covering major news stories, whether it be a court case or a tornado. The proliferation of “fake news” however, has become a significant issue to the reporting profession. Not only has...

Tech Time Warp: Quite the Hotmail hack, eh?
You might not want to admit it, but you may still have a Hotmail account kicking around. Once your premier account—perhaps an upgrade from AOL—it may now be your throwaway address. Once, though, Hotmail was hip—and quite a target for...

Malware targeted Windows users in Q1 2020
A new security report released by AV-Test showed some startling, but not surprising, malware statistics. The key takeaway from the study: Computers that run Windows are most prone to attacks by hackers. The AV-Test report discovered that 114 million new pieces of...

Municipal contracts and the cybersecurity data to land them
A recent note came to me from a Smarter MSP reader about municipal contracts, and what types of cybersecurity data should be used when trying to land municipal contracts. Assuming they are not the only one with questions on this...