Archive for November 21, 2024

Cyware Again Named to Deloitte Technology Fast 500

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 21, 2024 by itnerd

 Cyware, the leading provider of threat intelligence management, low-code/no-code automation, and cyber fusion solutions, today announced that it has again been named to the Deloitte Technology Fast 500™, a ranking of the 500 fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies in North America. 

About the 2024 Deloitte Technology Fast 500

Now in its 30th year, the Deloitte Technology Fast 500 provides a ranking of the fastest-growing technology, media, telecommunications, life sciences, fintech, and energy tech companies — both public and private — in North America. Technology Fast 500 award winners are selected based on percentage fiscal year revenue growth from 2020 to 2024.

In order to be eligible for Technology Fast 500 recognition, companies must own proprietary intellectual property or technology that is sold to customers in products that contribute to a majority of the company’s operating revenues. Companies must have base-year operating revenues of at least US$50,000, and current-year operating revenues of at least US$5 million. Additionally, companies must be in business for a minimum of four years and be headquartered within North America.

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2025 Predictions by Cassius Rhue, Vice President, Customer Experience, SIOS Technology

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 21, 2024 by itnerd

Here are some 2025 Predictions by Cassius Rhue, Vice President, Customer Experience, SIOS Technology. This is what they see coming down the pipeline for 2025.

Real-Time Failover for AI-Powered Security Analytics – As AI-driven security analytics tools become standard for detecting and responding to threats, organizations will prioritize high availability to ensure these applications operate without downtime. Failover clustering will play a crucial role in maintaining continuous, real-time threat detection and response, preventing gaps in security coverage that could leave the enterprise vulnerable. By leveraging failover clustering, enterprises will mitigate risks and enable uninterrupted operation of their critical security monitoring and analytics tools.

Greater Adoption of Hybrid Cloud Failover Clustering – Enterprises will increasingly implement hybrid cloud architectures, combining on-premises data centers with public cloud platforms for failover clustering. This setup will ensure high availability and disaster recovery while offering flexibility and cost-effectiveness. Organizations will prioritize failover solutions that seamlessly bridge on-prem and cloud environments, allowing IT teams to leverage the cloud’s resilience without abandoning existing infrastructure.

Focus on Simplified, IT Generalist-Friendly Solutions – Many enterprises will invest in failover clustering solutions that are easier to manage, targeting the growing need for solutions that can be operated by IT generalists, not just clustering experts. With automation, simplified interfaces, and streamlined deployment, these clustering solutions will allow organizations to maintain high availability without the complexity typically associated with failover clustering—appealing particularly to small and medium-sized businesses looking to achieve enterprise-grade resilience.

Hyperconverged Infrastructure Takes Center Stage in Enterprise IT – Enterprises will increasingly migrate critical applications to hyperconverged infrastructures (HCI) to simplify management, cut costs, and enable dynamic scaling. HCI consolidates storage, compute, and networking, reducing the complexity of traditional systems. As IT leaders prioritize agility and resilience, HCI’s automation and reliability will present a strong alternative to traditional setups. This trend also aligns with growing demands for hybrid and multi-cloud flexibility, as HCI integrates seamlessly with public cloud providers.

Increased Reliance on Cross-Region, Multi-Cloud Failover Clustering – To achieve stronger resilience against regional outages, enterprises will adopt cross-region and multi-cloud failover clustering strategies. These setups will allow critical applications to failover seamlessly across different cloud regions or cloud providers, ensuring continuity even in cases of large-scale disruptions. This trend will drive demand for clustering solutions capable of handling complex, geographically distributed infrastructures and automating failover processes across subnets and cloud regions with minimal manual intervention.

High Availability for Zero Trust Security Architectures – With enterprises continuing to adopt Zero Trust architectures, there will be a growing emphasis on ensuring that security applications supporting Zero Trust (e.g., identity and access management, endpoint protection, and authentication systems) remain highly available. Failover clustering will become essential for these applications to operate without interruption, allowing enterprises to enforce continuous security measures and authentication processes even during maintenance or unexpected system issues.

Always-On Monitoring: The Future of Automated High Availability Clustering for APM – High availability (HA) clustering with Application Performance Monitoring (APM) tools will become more streamlined and automated, making it easier to maintain continuous monitoring without disruptions. HA clustering solutions will feature improved integration with APM platforms, offering seamless failover, predictive analytics for proactive issue resolution, and reduced setup complexity. Users can expect more self-healing capabilities, where clusters can detect and address performance issues automatically, minimizing manual intervention and ensuring that critical monitoring remains active around the clock.

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Microsoft Defender Defeated by Crypto Malware

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 21, 2024 by itnerd

Recently the Safety Detectives Research Team found weaknesses in Microsoft Defender while investigating a malware-laced NFT game. The application compromised the user’s systems, bypassed their Google two-factor authentication, and stole over $24,000 in cryptocurrency.

The report with the highlights and a video analysis of this newly discovered vulnerability can be found here: https://www.safetydetectives.com/news/msdefender-malware-vulnerability/

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EnGenius Announces Enterprise-Level Cloud Management and Wi-Fi 7 Products

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 21, 2024 by itnerd

EnGenius Technologies has launched EnGenius ECW Lite Wi-Fi 7 and Wi-Fi 6 indoor access points, ECW516L, ECW212L, and ECW210L to its Cloud product series lineup. The launch of the ECW Lite series offers small businesses simplified, but robust management with affordable, cutting-edge access points. With APs ranging from $99 to $199, any business owner running small offices, retail shops, small hotels, or restaurants can take advantage of essential connectivity features and secure and reliable next-generation Wi-Fi technology.  

Affordable High-Speed Access Points 

The ECW516L, priced at $199 MSRP, is a Wi-Fi 7 AP operating on 6 Ghz, 5Ghz, and 2.4 Ghz offering speeds up to 13.7 Gbps, covering approximately 1,200 sq ft office space, and supports up to 200 wirelessly connected devices. In addition, the Wi-Fi 6 ECW212L and ECW210L are priced at $169 and $99 respectively and will provide business owners with reliable options for varying budgets and business environments.     

Streamlining Management via Intuitive Cloud-based Platform  

The ECW Lite APs can be managed through a cloud-based management platform, eliminating the need for users to set up, monitor, and manage the devices manually. With a single interface, users can quickly create networks and set up Wi-Fi access points, easily monitor the real-time status of connected clients and manage multiple locations anytime and anywhere with just a few clicks. This streamlined approach to network management enhances efficiency and significantly boosts productivity for small businesses.  

 New ECW Lite Cloud Plan, Focused on Small Business Needs  

The new ECW Lite access points, integrated with EnGenius Cloud, offer a simplified version of a cloud plan that includes a user-friendly management dashboard and essential features. These features include basic network monitoring, automatic firmware updates, and centralized device control, all at no cost for small businesses. These ECW Lite access points are compatible with other cloud-managed EnGenius products, such as VPN routers, switches, and PDUs, providing a comprehensive and integrated network solution. Business owners can easily deploy secure Wi-Fi networks, ensuring reliable connectivity for employees and customers without needing extensive IT resources or expensive hardware.

Empowering Small Businesses Across Industries  

This new series of APs provides flexible Wi-Fi solutions for various small businesses. Whether in small offices, retail stores, restaurants, or hospitality venues, these access points deliver dependable connectivity and effortless management, making it the ideal choice for today’s small business. Key features include simple setup, remote monitoring, network segmentation, and secure access controls. ECW Lite is designed to meet the unique needs of each industry, helping to ensure smooth operations, enhance customer experiences, and streamline network management.

 Key Features and Benefits:  

User-Friendly Setup and Management 

  • The APs require no specialized technical resources for deployment, as they offer fast onboarding through the EnGenius Cloud app. Management can monitor the network status and adjust settings remotely, reducing downtime and improving user experience. 

Features adapted for small business applications 

  • The Cloud Lite series feature set is ideal for small-scale business scenarios, such as office environments, retail stores, restaurants, and hospitality venues. The Cloud Lite series enhances operational efficiency with minimal setup time by focusing on fundamental connectivity needs. 

Cost-Effective Solution with No Licensing Fees 

  • The series enables budget-conscious businesses to establish a stable network with essential connectivity features that meet everyday demands by providing core Wi-Fi capabilities without a licensing requirement.  

The ECW212L and ECW210L are scheduled to be available by end of November 2024, and the ECW516L will be available by the end of December 2024 through authorized EnGenius resellers and distributors. For more information about the ECW Lite series and the Cloud Lite plan, visit https://www.engeniustech.com/engenius-cloud-management.html

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Google Is Basically In Deep Trouble As The Justice Department Wants To Break Them Up

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 21, 2024 by itnerd

Big tech has been the target of the Justice Department in the US for a while now, and Google has been on the top of their list to go after. In a 23-page document filed on Wednesday, U.S. regulators asked a federal judge to break up Google after a court found the tech giant of maintaining an abusive monopoly through its dominant search engine. As punishment, the DOJ calls for a sale of Google’s Chrome browser and restrictions to prevent Android from favoring its own search engine. In short, that means that Google would have to:

  • Sell the Chrome browser
  • Sell the Android OS if asked. But the Justice Department will start with restricting what the OS will do in terms of allowing Google to make money by routing consumers to their own services. YouTube for example.
  • Share search results with rivals for free
  • Stop doing exclusive deals to be the preferred search engine on devices. Apple products for example.

While Google will have the chance to present its own view of the universe shortly, you have to imagine that they must be freaked out by this as this would fundamentally change their business model. On top of that, you know that this will be in court for years before there’s any resolution. Finally, if you’re Apple, this is what’s headed in your direction as the Justice Department is coming after them as well. So you know that they’ll be circling the wagons in preparation for what is surely headed their way.

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Cyber event recovery 25% longer than companies predict: Fastly

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 21, 2024 by itnerd

According to a new report from Fastly, it takes 7.34 months on average to fully recover from an cyber incident, 25% longer than the 5.85 months respondents predicted.

For organizations planning to decrease their cybersecurity investment, recovery times are expected to be 8.14 months with these firms actually taking 10.88 months on average to recover – a 34% gap between perception and reality.

Respondents consider “recovery” to include:

  • 43% – Implementing stronger security measures
  • 41% – Offering additional training to employees
  • 38% – Restoring from backups
  • 34% – Stakeholder communication
  • 25% – Forensic analysis

Also notable, as a result of the CrowdStrike outage:

  • 86% said they’d changed their patch testing or deployment processes
  • 29% claimed they would consider changing security vendors following high-profile incidents or software quality problems
  • 48% said they are rethinking how they use their existing cybersecurity tools

The cloud services provider polled 1800 IT cybersecurity decision makers in organizations across the Americas, Europe, APAC and Japan to compile its Global Security Research Report.

Emily Phelps, Director, Cyware had this to say:

  “The disparity between perceived and actual recovery times after a cyber incident highlights a critical challenge: organizations often underestimate the complexity and duration of the recovery process. True resilience requires more than reactive measures—it demands a comprehensive, integrated approach to cybersecurity that addresses prevention, detection, and response holistically. Recovery isn’t just about restoring operations; it’s about fortifying defenses, enhancing processes, and fostering collaboration across teams and stakeholders.”

Ideally, you should never get pwned. But in the event that you do, you need a plan. You then need to test that plan. Then refine that plan and test it again. Combined with a robust defence, you may be in a much better place.

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HP Wolf Security Offers Unique Business PC Protection Against Physical Cyberattacks

Posted in Commentary with tags on November 21, 2024 by itnerd

HP Inc. has announced the launch of HP Enterprise Security Edition, a unique suite of security capabilities designed to enhance the physical security of HP business class PCs. HP Enterprise Security Edition includes multilayered safeguards to protect PC hardware and firmware from targeted physical attacks, while giving IT admins unparalleled visibility to help detect unauthorized firmware, and component tampering throughout a device’s lifecycle.

The rise of hybrid work and Work from Anywhere (WFA) has increased the risk of PCs being compromised by attackers with brief physical access, underscoring the need for protection and visibility into the integrity of devices throughout their lifetimes. Over half (51%) of ITSDMs are concerned that they cannot verify if PC, laptop or printer hardware and firmware have been tampered with during transit. This visibility helps to mitigate the risk of targeted attacks that gain a persistent foothold within a company. 

HP Enterprise Security Edition help defends against such attacks by preventing harm to hardware and firmware layers in the PC, while also enabling IT teams to check if hardware and firmware have been altered by malicious third parties during a device’s lifetime.

To combat these physical cyber threats, HP Enterprise Security Edition equips PCs with the following multilayered protection capabilities:

  • Firmware Lock: User-controlled lock implemented at the firmware level and used in conjunction with HP Sure Admin. Once Firmware Lock is activated, HP Sure Admin’s cryptographic password-less authentication process is used to unlock the PC. This provides substantially stronger protection than a standard operating system lock when a PC is left unattended, preventing a bad actor from even being able to interact with system boot or attempt to start the operating system.
  • Platform Certificates: These digital certificates enable customers to validate that hardware and firmware components have not been modified since manufacturing, such as disk, memory, processor, BIOS/firmware version, or PCIe devices and the trusted platform module. This offers visibility and detection of unauthorized modification of device hardware and firmware components.
  • Sure Start Virtualization Protection: Pre-boot protection from malicious or compromised third-party hardware being plugged into a ThunderboltTM/USB C or PCIe port. Third-party firmware runs inside a micro-virtual machine, protecting device hardware and firmware, and preventing the device from being infected by malicious third-party firmware.

HP Enterprise Security Edition delivers platform integrity protection capabilities by ensuring the hardware and firmware beneath the operating system are more secure and resilient to physical attacks. This enables organizations to manage risk to their endpoint device supply chain by validating hardware and firmware integrity prior to device onboarding. Importantly, this will help organizations implement strong governance and controls over the security of their PC hardware and firmware across their device lifecycle. Finally, end users can be confident and reassured that their sensitive data is protected however and wherever they work. 

The new HP Enterprise Security Edition is available for select PC platforms.

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