Archive for May 13, 2021

HelpSystems Acquires Agari

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 13, 2021 by itnerd

HelpSystems announced today the acquisition of Agari, a recognized leader in enterprise solutions protecting against advanced email threats. Agari has seen notable growth with its Software as a Service (SaaS) offering, which sets the standard for protecting organizations against phishing, business email compromise, and email threats. In light of today’s complex security environment and increased cybercrime, this is a key capability for organizations in all industries, which is why HelpSystems continues to focus on enhancing its data security suite via adjacent acquisitions.

Despite the growth in cyberattacks through other vectors, email remains the most common channel for costly data breaches and cybercrime. Agari solutions detect, defend against, and respond to email attacks by using massive data sets, data science, and the power of cloud computing.

Agari was a founding member of the industry consortium that developed the Domain Message Authentication Reporting & Conformance (DMARC) email authentication standard. This critical initiative enables organizations to authenticate email from their domains to prevent cybercriminals from impersonating their brand, helping them protect their customers and partners from email attacks.

In connection with this transaction, JMP Securities LLC served as financial advisor to Agari, and Cowen served as financial advisor to HelpSystems.

HelpSystems is a software company focused on helping exceptional organizations Build a Better IT™. Our cybersecurityand automation software simplifies critical IT processes to give our customers peace of mind. We know IT transformation is a journey, not a destination. Let’s move forward. Learn more at www.helpsystems.com.

Agari is the Trusted Email Identity Company™, protecting brands and people from devastating phishing and socially-engineered attacks. Using applied data science and a diverse set of signals, Agari protects the workforce from inbound business email compromise, supply chain fraud, spear phishing, and account takeover-based attacks, reducing business risk and restoring trust to the inbox. Agari also prevents spoofing of outbound email from the enterprise to customers, increasing deliverability and preserving brand integrity. Learn more at agari.com.

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Pipeline Company Pays $5 Million To Release Their Systems From A Ransomware Attack

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 13, 2021 by itnerd

Things are starting to return to normal for Colonial Pipeline who got pwned by ransomware by an Eastern European based group of hackers. This in turn caused gas stations to start to run out of gas yesterday. And here’s the reason why things are getting back to normal. They paid the hackers according to Bloomberg:

Colonial Pipeline Co. paid nearly $5 million to Eastern European hackers on Friday, contradicting reports earlier this week that the company had no intention of paying an extortion fee to help restore the country’s largest fuel pipeline, according to two people familiar with the transaction.

The company paid the hefty ransom in untraceable cryptocurrency within hours after the attack, underscoring the immense pressure faced by the Georgia-based operator to get gasoline and jet fuel flowing again to major cities along the Eastern Seaboard, those people said. A third person familar with the situation said U.S. government officials are aware that Colonial made the payment.

Once they received the payment, the hackers provided the operator with a decrypting tool to restore its disabled computer network. The tool was so slow that the company continued using its own backups to help restore the system, one of the people familiar with the company’s efforts said.

A representative from Colonial declined to comment, as did a spokesperson for the National Security Council.

I have always said that you shouldn’t pay scumbags like these as it only encourages them to do more attacks like this. Here’s a few more reasons why you shouldn’t pay up:

The FBI discourages organizations from paying ransom to hackers, saying there is no guarantee they will follow through on promises to unlock files. It also provides incentive to other would-be hackers, the agency says. Such guidance provides a quandary for victims who have to weigh the risks of not paying with the costs of lost or exposed records.

So while this news is disappointing, it isn’t surprising. These sorts of things are a business decision at the end of the day. Which means that companies should focus on defending themselves from these sorts of attacks so that they don’t have to make these sorts of decisions.

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Guest Post: Millennials & Gen Zers Are Most Likely To Fall For Phishing Emails Atlas VPN Study Finds

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 13, 2021 by itnerd

There is a common misconception that older people, who tend to have less experience with new technologies, are easier to scam online. However, recent data findings suggest that just the opposite is true.

According to data analyzed by the Atlas VPN team, Millennials and Gen Zers in the United States are more likely to fall for phishing emails than their older counterparts. In total, more than one-fifth (23%) of people from Gen Z and the Millennial generation have been tricked by phishing emails in the past.

Gen Zers and Millennials are followed by Generation X. A total of 19% of Gen Xers have been fooled by email phishing scams. Baby Boomers, on the other hand, are the least likely to fall for phishing attacks. Only 9% of them have done so in the past.

In addition to phishing scams, Gen Z and Millennials are also most vulnerable to other types of cybersecurity threats. More than half (52%) of people from these generations have had a password stolen or at least know someone to whom this has happened, while 48% have also had a social media account hacked or hijacked.

“While younger generations are more tech-savvy, they are also very accustomed to doing everything online — from communicating with friends to shopping or conducting financial transactions,” says Ruth Cizynski, cybersecurity researcher and author at Atlas VPN. “This daily use of the Internet from a young age makes them less cautious about engaging online or giving out their personal information.”

Americans feel safer online at work than at home

Having experienced cyberattacks in the past, many Americans now worry about their online privacy and data security. Surprisingly, they feel safer while using the internet at work than at home.

Only 32% of adults in the country fret about their data and security when using the internet at work. Privacy is a concern for 36% of adults. The number of worried Americans nearly doubles when it comes to using the internet at home. 

Overall, 64% of American adults said they are uncomfortable browsing the web at home, while 62% are worried about their data and security.

Of all environments, however, the majority of Americans worry about their data and privacy when using a public WiFi. Privacy on a public WiFi is a concern for 70% of Americans, and data security is a concern for 69% of Americans.

To read the full article, go to: https://atlasvpn.com/blog/millennials-and-gen-zers-are-most-likely-to-fall-for-phishing-emails-study-finds

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NGen Launches Exciting Youth Initiative: Careers Of The Future.ca

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 13, 2021 by itnerd

Canada’s Advanced Manufacturing Supercluster, Next Generation Manufacturing Canada (NGen), has launched an exciting youth initiative – Careers of the Future.ca. The initiative aims to motivate and inspire young minds to explore advanced manufacturing by educating students and adults about where manufacturing is heading and the wide variety of exciting career opportunities that can be pursued within the field. Advanced manufacturing involves the deployment of critical problem solving, teamwork, technical skills, business systems, and cutting-edge digital, materials, and production technologies to enhance how things are made for consumers and other customers in Canada and around the world. 

A recent survey conducted by NGen and Abacus Data showed that perceptions of young people and parents alike are badly outdated when it comes to advanced manufacturing. The findings show that most people believe that jobs in advanced manufacturing are repetitive, unsafe and unfulfilling, whereas young people are attracted to diverse and inclusive workplaces and to work that helps people and solve problems. Views change dramatically when made aware of the innovative technologies, modern workplaces, and fulfilling career opportunities that are the reality of advanced manufacturing. 

Students, parents and teachers can visit careersofthefuture.ca to access more information on the industry, as well as real life examples of young people in the sector whose innovations are changing our country. The website has been developed as a resource to help students identify potential career paths. It will educate kids on the diverse opportunities within Canada’s advanced manufacturing sector and raise awareness about the innovations that are future proofing our country and reshaping the world. All students, from all areas of studies, are encouraged to visit the website to learn more about their role in Canada’s advanced manufacturing revolution.  

 Calling all students to imagine the future!  

To help young Canadians along their quest for knowledge about advanced manufacturing, NGen will be launching a contest, Manufacturing the Future, on May 13th that will award 10 bursaries valued at $10,000 (CAD) each. Canadian residents between the ages of 15-18 are asked to submit a 500-word essay, addressing the questions “What problem do you think advanced manufacturing could solve in the future? And, what role would you like to play in making it happen?” Whether interested in science, engineering, computers, virtual reality, robotics, design and creative arts, business, or administration, there is a role for everyone and all are encouraged to apply. 

The Manufacturing the Future contest will run from May 13, 2021 until June 2, 2021. For full contest rules and more information on the program, visit careersofthefuture.ca. 

Abacus Data conducted two online qualitative research communities using the Recollective platform from September 4th to 12th, 2020. 30 students aged 13 to 16 and 30 parents of students aged 13 to 16 were recruited from across Canada to take part in the week-long exercise. 

No purchase required. Contest begins on May 13, 2021 at 12:01 a.m. EST and ends on June 2, 2021 at 11:59 p.m. EST. There are a total of ten (10) bursary prizes of $10,000 each available to be won to be used for post-secondary education costs in Canada. Open to legal residents of Canada who are between the ages of 15-18 at the time of entry into this Contest and planning to enter post-secondary education within 24 months of entering this Contest. Odds of winning depend on number of eligible entries received before contest closes and entrants’ skill meeting the entry criteria. Entrants must also answer an essay question on the topic of “what problem do you think advanced manufacturing could solve in the future? And what role would you like to play in making it happen?” For full rules and entry details visit: www.careersofthefuture.ca. 

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BC-based Cloud Consultancy OpsGuru Acquired By Carbon60

Posted in Commentary with tags on May 13, 2021 by itnerd

Carbon60, a leading managed cloud hosting service provider, today announced its acquisition of OpsGuru, Canada’s fastest growing multi-cloud and DevOps consultancy. The acquisition makes the combined company the preeminent Canadian multi-cloud transformation and managed services organization.

Recently recognized as the 2021 Amazon Web Services Consulting Partner of the Year in Canada, OpsGuru helps clients around the world adopt cloud technologies, upgrade workflows to cloud-native designs and secure and optimize systems for greater efficiency. The Company is a leading Canadian partner for AWS, Azure and Google Cloud and is a specialist in Kubernetes, an open-source system for automating deployment, scaling, and management of containerized applications.

The combined company will employ over 160 people, from certified cloud consultants across AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, to software developers with application modernization expertise to system administrators and security professionals who serve as trusted advisors regardless of where clients are on their digital transformation journey. Existing and new Carbon60 clients will benefit from OpsGuru’s cloud consulting experience, including Cloud Launchpad, a proprietary process that expedites cloud transformation using pre-built infrastructure-as-code templates and battle-tested best practices – reducing cloud transformation timelines from months to weeks. 

This marks the third acquisition for Carbon60 since 2019 with the partnership of M/C Partners, a private equity firm.

Carbon60 specializes in delivering secure managed cloud solutions for public and private sector organizations with business-critical workloads. Carbon60 provides secure and compliant 24/7 managed services using its cloud platforms across Canada, including AWS, Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud, to deliver scalable hybrid IT solutions. Carbon60 guides customers on their cloud journey and can engage with clients at any stage of their transition. Carbon60 provides a white-glove customer experience with a deep level of technical support services combined with a nimble approach making them the trusted choice for companies that need a partner to deliver solutions with exceptional reliability, performance and security. For more information, visit www.carbon60.com and LinkedIn.

OpsGuru was founded in 2017 with headquarters in Vancouver, Canada. Accelerating Cloud-native being the driving force of the company, OpsGuru’s key services include cloud adoption, Kubernetes enablement, application modernization, insights from data, and cloud security. Through OpsGuru’s signature product – the OpsGuru Cloud Launchpad – OpsGuru helps clients to achieve rapid cloud deployment with a secure and scalable cloud foundation. For more information, visit www.opsguru.io and LinkedIn.

M/C Partners is a private equity firm focused on small and mid-size businesses in the communications and technology services sectors. For more than three decades M/C Partners has invested $2.2 billion of capital in over 130 companies, leveraging its deep industry expertise to understand long-term secular trends and identify growth opportunities. The firm is currently investing its eighth fund, partnering with promising companies and empowering strong leaders to accelerate growth, optimize operations, and build long-term value. For more information, visit www.mcpartners.com.

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