Two Canadian companies nominated for Procore’s Groundbreaker Awards 2024

Posted in Commentary with tags on October 17, 2024 by itnerd

Yesterday, Procore announced the nominees for its Groundbreaker Awards 24. Two of the nominees are from Canada, including Toronto-based Multiplex Construction for the Excellence in Sustainability Award; and Burnaby, B.C.-based Houle Electric for the Excellence in Culture & Workforce Development Award. 

Procore’s Groundbreaker Awards 24

Procore looked for the companies, projects and people behind the construction industry’s boldest achievements in the following categories: 

  • Excellence in Sustainability
  • Excellence in Innovation
  • Excellence in Health & Safety
  • Excellence in Community
  • Excellence in Culture & Workforce Development
  • Groundbreaker of the Year
  • Excellence in Project Delivery – People’s Choice Award

Two Canadian companies are among this year’s nominees.

Excellence in Sustainability
This award celebrates the company or project that most efficiently uses resources and embraces environmentally responsible processes throughout every stage of construction.

Nominee: 

Multiplex Construction (Toronto, ON)
Multiplex Construction Canada is focused on their path towards sustainability— they intend to reach net zero carbon in their supply chain by 2050 or earlier, plus zero Scope 1 & 2 on-site and office emissions by 2030. Multiplex is the first Canadian construction company to set a Science-Based Target and the first contractor globally to sign the World Green Building Council’s Net Zero Carbon Commitment. As they progress on their Decarbonization Roadmap, they utilize alternative fuels, conduct embodied carbon assessments, embrace low carbon solutions and engage their supply chain to track and collaboratively reduce emissions throughout the construction process.

Other nominees in this category:

REI Distribution Center 4, Al. Neyer (US)
Ceylon E-8 (Responsive Arts & STEAM Academy) for Denver Public Schools, U.S. Engineering (US)

Excellence in Culture & Workforce Development
This award celebrates the company that displays a focus on company culture including, but not limited to diversity, equity and inclusion and best promotes a continued focus on developing the next construction generation.

Nominee: 

Houle Electric Limited (Burnaby, B.C.)
As BC’s leading electrical contractor and systems integrator, Houle is a company that puts people first–empowering communities through local projects that positively impact people’s lives. Houle champions diversity, equity, and inclusion and is committed to fostering a workplace where everyone is valued, supported, and provided the opportunity to grow. In addition to initiatives that focus on employee development, professional advancement, and continuous improvement, Houle supports programs for underrepresented groups, provides training for 300+ apprentices annually, and has higher than industry average participation of women in the electrical trade. By connecting people with purpose, they’re building a safer, more inclusive workplace and industry for everyone. 

Read more about Houle Electric.

Other nominees in this category: 

McCarthy Holdings, Inc. (US)
Hardy Corporation (US)

Winners will be announced and celebrated at Groundbreak 2024 in Denver, Colorado, on November 20-21, 2024. For more information on this year’s award nominees, please visit: https://www.procore.com/groundbreaker-awards. 

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Holiday Gift Ideas & Black Friday Deals from Epson

Posted in Commentary with tags on October 16, 2024 by itnerd

Tis the season for gift giving! As the holidays quickly approach, Epson has curated the perfect gift guide for any shopping list. And with Epson’s exclusive Black Friday deals, Canadians can get top notch printers, projectors and scanners at unbeatable prices.  

Black Friday Deals: 

  • The Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22 projector will be on sale for $999.99 (Regular Price: $1,299.99) during Black Friday online and at participating stores.  
  • The Epson EcoTank ET-2850 Printer  will be on sale for $319.00 (Regular Price: $399.99 CAD) during Black Friday online and at participating stores.  
  • The Epson EcoTank ET-4850 Printer   will be on sale for $399.00 (Regular Price: $599.99 CAD) during Black Friday online and at participating stores.  
  • The Epson EcoTank ET-2800  Printer is on sale now for $229.00 (Regular Price: $329.99 CAD) and through Black Friday online and at participating stores.  
  • The Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 Printer will be on sale for $699.00 (Regular Price: $1,099.99) during Balck Friday online and at participating stores. 
  • The Epson EcoTank ET-15000 Printer will be on sale for $729.00 (Regular Price: $899.99) during Balck Friday online and at participating stores. 
  • The Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5150 Printer will be on sale for $549.00 (Regular Price: $699.99) during Balck Friday online and at participating stores. 
  • The Epson EcoTank Pro ET-5850 Printer will be on sale for $979.00 (Regular Price: $1,099.99) during Balck Friday online and at participating stores. 

Top Gift Picks:

Epson EpiqVision Mini EF22 Portable Smart Laser Projector (MSRP: $1,299.99 CAD) 

Get ready for a truly epic viewing experience brought to you by Epson’s newest laser projector with a screen size reaching up to 150”, full HD HDR picture quality and stereo speakers with Dolby audio. The Epson EpiqVision Mini is also portable, so you can easily set it up in any room of your house – or bring it with you on the road! Its new 360-degree swivel-stand with tilt ability maximizes your viewing options so you can always get the best picture. Hosting a holiday movie marathon? Stream all your favourites seamlessly with the projector’s built-in HDMI and Google TV  with access to Netflix . 

Epson EcoTank ET-2850 Wireless Colour All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer (MSRP: $399.99 CAD)  

The EcoTank ET-2850 is the perfect practical holiday gift for any busy parent. It can print just about anything, from financial documents to school projects and more. This printer is cartridge-free and uses high-capacity, easily refillable ink tanks, so, they won’t have to worry about black & white or colour printing, and save a lot on replacement ink . Plus, with its hands-free, voice-activated printing , parents will appreciate having one less thing to juggle.  

Epson EcoTank ET-4850 Wireless Colour All-in-One Cartridge-Free Supertank Printer (MSRP: $599.99 CAD) 

For the parent or business owner who always runs a tight ship. The Epson EcoTank ET-4850’s innovative cartridge-free printing will bring joy to any type-A who works from home, with its premium productivity features like an Auto Document feeder and high-resolution flatbed scanner. You can feel confident that this gift will be used and appreciated over time. With up to 2 years of ink in the box, you’ll be giving a gift that spares loved ones the hassle of constant trips to the store. Each EcoFit bottle set is equivalent to about 80 individual cartridges , so Canadian’s don’t have to worry about buying expensive cartridges refills.  

Epson FastFoto FF-680W Wireless High-speed Photo Scanning System (MSRP: $799.99) 

The Epson FastFoto FF-6680W photo scanner is the perfect gift for the family with lots of old photographs just waiting to be digitized. This scanner is speedy and can scan thousands of photos as fast as 1 photo per second. The FastFoto’s features are so easy to use, you don’t need to be tech savvy to operate it, allowing you to organize, auto enhance and colour restore even the most ancient photos that have been boxed up collecting dust. 

You can also check Epson.ca for weekly specials and even more savings. 

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Ricoh introduces new A4 imaging series

Posted in Commentary with tags on October 16, 2024 by itnerd

Ricoh USA, Inc. today announced a new color A4 multifunction printer (MFP) and printer series specifically designed to meet the demands of today’s hybrid workplaces. Ideal for space-constrained locations, the series provides innovative features and solutions for workplace optimization, information sharing and sustainability that are typically reserved for larger A3 devices, but in a smaller footprint.

The RICOH IM C320F, RICOH M C320FW, and RICOH P C375 ensure that employees can stay productive, securely access information from anywhere, and benefit from innovative digital workflows. Pairing Ricoh’s advanced imaging capabilities with its cutting-edge workflow solutions, including RICOH CloudStream, RICOH Smart Integration, andRICOH Streamline NX, these devices facilitate seamless information sharing and help modernize the print infrastructure for businesses operating in decentralized, hybrid work settings.

Enhanced Features for Efficiency and Productivity

  • Intelligent MFP capabilities: The IM C320F MFP offers a 7″ Smart Operation Panel and leverages RICOH Always Current Technology to maximize hardware value by allowing for periodic updates and ongoing improvements. This model also leverages the latest cybersecurity and compliance standards to support information security in the evolving workplace.
  • Compact, lightweight design: With up to a 40% smaller footprint compared to Ricoh’s current model in the same speed range, the IM C320F and M C320FW MFPs can fit comfortably on a desk or countertop, making them ideal for space-constrained locations, including retail and healthcare environments.
  • Affordable, user-friendly solutions: The M C320FW features a 4.3″ touch panel, enhanced RICOH Web API functionality, and supports the integrated RICOH Support Station app, which streamlines setup and ongoing operation, making it an ideal choice for small offices needing cost-effective and straightforward device management.
  • Versatile print-only model The P C375 delivers exceptional performance in the mid-range segment with a 4-line LCD panel while supporting a print speed of 32 pages-per-minute (ppm) and a maximum input sheet capacity of 1,300 sheets, providing the flexibility needed for growing offices.

The IM C320F and M C320FW also support a 32-ppm print speed and include a Single-Pass Document Feeder, which scans both sides of a page in a single pass for fast scanning, simplifying the management of multi-page documents, and increasing overall productivity in busy offices.

Commitment to Sustainability and Security

Embodying Ricoh’s long-standing commitment to environmental sustainability, each model is manufactured with 50% post-consumer recycled plastic and features a significant reduction in single-use plastic packaging – up to 31% compared to other models. Additionally, Ricoh toner cartridges now come in entirely plastic-free packaging. With ENERGY STAR certification and incorporating innovations such as a more thermally efficient transfer unit and low-melting-point toner achieving among the best Typical Energy Consumption values in the industry, Ricoh’s commitment to sustainability helps businesses meet their ESG and net-zero goals while maintaining high performance.

All three models offer robust security features, including:

  • User authentication and data encryption (TLS 1.3) for protecting sensitive information.
  • Enhanced network filter and log functions for comprehensive monitoring and compliance.


As organizations continue to navigate the evolving office landscape and adapt to hybrid workstyles, Ricoh remains committed to providing innovative technologies, such as the IM C320F, M C320FW, and P C375, that increase productivity, streamline operations, and support sustainability for customers in the transformation of their print infrastructures for the future.

For more information about Ricoh’s imaging technology, click here.

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Gryphon Healthcare Pwned…. 400,000 People Affected

Posted in Commentary with tags on October 16, 2024 by itnerd

Houston-based healthcare billing services provider Gryphon Healthcare has disclosed that a cyberattack may have compromised the personal and medical information of up to 393,358 individuals. 

Gryphon detected the incident on August 13, confirmed unauthorized access began on July 6, and began notifying those affected on Friday.

Gryphon provided medical billing services for hospitals, emergency departments and EMS providers, imaging centers, independent labs, healthcare facilities, ambulatory surgery centers, and private practices. Potentially exposed data includes: Names, DOBs, Addresses, SSNs, Medical diagnoses, Treatment details, Insurance information, Prescriptions and Medical record numbers.

Approov CEO Ted Miracco offers this perspective:

  “This Gryphon Healthcare incident highlights the urgent need for faster detection and response to cyberattacks, especially in sectors like healthcare, where sensitive data is involved. In this case, the initial breach occurred in early July, yet those affected were only informed in October. Such delays are unacceptable as they allow attackers months to exploit the stolen data—names, social security numbers, medical histories, and more. During this time, personal and medical identities can be sold or used for malicious purposes, leading to irreparable damage to the victims.

  “Healthcare data is extremely sensitive, making it crucial to have a proactive approach with real-time monitoring, rapid breach detection, and immediate response mechanisms. Relying on post-attack credit monitoring and dark web surveillance, as Gryphon appears to have done, is simply not enough. Companies need to ensure robust protection through enhanced cybersecurity frameworks, as seen in technologies like runtime app attestation​​, to minimize attack windows. Importantly, cyber insurance should not be the default solution for poor response times, as it shifts responsibility from preventative measures to post-incident compensation, leaving patients vulnerable.

Once again, the healthcare sector is the target of threat actors. And that’s due to the fact that healthcare continues to be low hanging fruit for them. This needs to change or stories like these along with the downstream effects of every one of these incidents will continue to be news for all the wrong reasons.

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Wallarm Launches Industry-First SaaS Solution to Deliver Security at the API Edge

Posted in Commentary with tags on October 16, 2024 by itnerd

Wallarm, a leader in API security solutions, announced today Security Edge, a breakthrough SaaS solution that delivers security at the API edge. As the industry’s first offering to modernize API Security deployments, Wallarm is taking on legacy Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) that claim most of the traffic is API traffic but are unable to provide real-time API threat protection.

Wallarm’s new solution represents a major shift in how organizations secure and gain visibility into their APIs. It eliminates the need for inefficient and cumbersome distributed traffic redirection, giving organizations immediate and local API protection. Unlike traditional methods that route API traffic through distant cloud servers or rely on CDNs, Security Edge enables organizations to secure API traffic at the API’s edge, where it’s most effective and performant.

Security Edge works by distributing Wallarm filtering nodes positioned as close to the customers’ APIs as possible, using existing cloud providers and infrastructure. While a self-managed deployment can be fully integrated into a customer’s API infrastructure, Security Edge removes the management burden while providing low latency.

Security Edge’s key features and benefits include:

  • Hosted, Managed, Simplified: Wallarm handles infrastructure, deployment, and monitoring and ensures that nodes are up-to-date and functional, removing maintenance requirements.
  • Low Latency, Lower Cost: Security Edge nodes can be geographically distributed at the API edge to deliver security capabilities with minimal latency. 
  • Operational Visibility: Customers can access logs, events, and real-time traffic statistics. 

With Security Edge, Wallarm is opening a new market segment for API security, currently occupied by traditional CDN vendors with infrastructure built for caching traditional web content. Security Edge enables customers to achieve greater protection at a fraction of the cost using a purpose-built API edge solution. 

For more information, visit http://www.wallarm.com/resources/security-edge.

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Mission Welcomes Glenn Grant as SVP of Professional Services

Posted in Commentary with tags on October 15, 2024 by itnerd

Mission, a leading US-based Amazon Web Services (AWS) Premier Tier Partner, has announced the return of Glenn Grant as Senior Vice President of Professional Services. Grant’s appointment reinforces Mission’s dedication to enabling customers with cloud and AI solutions on AWS and positioning Mission to further deliver cutting-edge services that drive measurable business outcomes for its customers. 

Glenn Grant, founder of G2 Tech Group—a company acquired by Mission in 2018—brings over 25 years of experience in IT and outsourced services. A pioneer in managed services in the early 2000s, Grant has a proven track record of transforming businesses and driving growth.

Since the acquisition, Grant has served as Mission’s advisor and board member. At the same time, Grant worked as a business coach and entrepreneur advisor, helping tech companies increase their business value and build strong leadership teams. This experience in scaling businesses and working with private equity-backed ventures is invaluable as Mission grows and expands its services.

As SVP of Professional Services, Grant will lead the team in implementing cutting-edge solutions and best practices to support Mission’s growing customer base. He will focus on scaling the professional services organization to meet the increasing demand for AI and cloud services. “We’re taking what we’ve learned over the last few years, especially in AI, machine learning, and data operations, and up leveling our already rock-solid cloud and DevOps offerings,” Grant explained. 

Grant’s role reinforces Mission’s commitment to reinvesting in AWS technologies and growing customer workloads on the AWS platform. This strategic direction aligns with Mission’s goal of continually enhancing its service offerings to meet the evolving needs of its cloud customers.

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Fortra’s Brand Threats And Fraud Report Now Live

Posted in Commentary with tags on October 15, 2024 by itnerd

Fortra’s 2024 Brand Threats and Fraud Report is now live. The report dives into attacks from Q2 2024 across domains, social media platforms, and the dark web, revealing unexpected trends that could reshape how businesses think about digital security.

Some surprising insights:

  • New gTLDs are now the most dangerous domains for phishing: Phishers are shifting from familiar domains like .com to newer ones like .dev and .vip.
  • Impersonation and cyberattacks are down: Contrary to popular belief, executive and brand impersonation attacks declined by 8%, while cyber hacking incidents fell by 5%—suggesting attackers are pivoting to harder-to-detect strategies.
  • Fraud tools on the dark web are exploding: With fraud tools doubling in Q2 2024, they have become the fastest-growing threat on the dark web, surpassing stolen credit card data.
  • Social media attacks increased by 60% in one quarter: In May alone, brands faced 160 attacks per month, making social platforms a growing playground for cybercriminals.

View the full report here: https://www.phishlabs.com/resources/guides/brand-threats-and-fraud.

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Fortra’s Brand Threats and Fraud Report Is Out

Posted in Commentary with tags on October 15, 2024 by itnerd

Fortra has analyzed hundreds of thousands of domains, social media, counterfeit, and dark web attacks targeting enterprises, their employees, and brands. This report uses the data from those attacks to present key trends shaping the threat landscape.

Some of the key findings include:

  • A 60% surge in social media attacks on brands in Q2 alone.
  • A 55% increase in counterfeit websites mimicking well-known brands.
  • The rise of New Generic Top-Level Domains (gTLDs) like .dev and .vip being used in phishing attacks, outpacing legacy domains such as .com.
  • Fraud tools targeting enterprises more than doubled on the dark web, now representing one of the highest-growing threats.

You can read the report here.

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Cerby Teams with Okta to Elevate Security Posture with Universal Logout 

Posted in Commentary with tags on October 15, 2024 by itnerd

Cerby, the comprehensive identity platform for disconnected applications, today announced it’s collaborating with  Okta, the leading independent Identity partner,  to improve threat detection and response when user accounts are compromised.

Cerby is introducing a new integration that enhances coverage of Universal Logout, part of Identity Threat Protection with Okta AI, to any application by leveraging Cerby’s capability to support application logout without requiring public APIs. This capability is particularly useful when security threats are detected, and immediate response is critical. Cerby’s technology enables Okta to build reliable and scalable integrations without requiring application changes. It also allows Okta customers to protect a broader set of applications, including those out of scope for traditional identity providers. 

Universal Logout enables organizations to terminate user sessions and their tokens for supported applications when Identity Threat Protection detects a change in risk, enabling faster threat response and significantly reducing the attack window.

Universal Logout key features include:

Comprehensive Access Revocation

  • One-click revocation across all devices and supported applications
  • Support for top applications, including those from Microsoft, Google, Salesforce, Slack, and more
  • Continuous expansion of supported applications

Intelligent, Context-Aware Action

  • Responds to changes in device context without user interaction
  • Triggers logout even for out-of-band signals, a unique capability in the industry
  • Adapts logout actions based on risk level and affected applications

Deep Access Revocation

  • Eliminates all active tokens and session data
  • Dismantles the entire chain of authorization inheritance
  • Works to eliminate  lingering access points 

Seamless Integration

  • Works with Okta’s Post-Auth Actions and Entity Risk Policy
  • Complements Identity Threat Protection’s precision risk response capabilities  

As a result of the integration, organizations can bolster their security posture by significantly reducing the window of vulnerability during security events and enabling an immediate response mechanism when user accounts are compromised. In addition, they can improve operational efficiencies through streamlined security operations, incident processes, and simplified user offboarding procedures.

The new integration will become generally available later in 2024.

For more information, visit their solution web page.

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One Year From Today Marks The End Of Support For Windows 10…. Take Action ASAP

Posted in Commentary with tags on October 14, 2024 by itnerd

If you’re someone who’s still running Windows 10, it’s time to start planning to move to Windows 11. Because one year from today, Windows 10 will become an operating system that Microsoft no longer supports. So what does that mean? This will answer this question:

As of October 14, 2025, PCs running Windows 10 will still function, but Microsoft will no longer provide the following:

  • Technical support
  • Feature updates
  • Security updates or fixes

While your Windows 10 PC will continue to function, it will be at greater risk for viruses and malware when Windows 10 reaches end of support. We recommend you transition to a version of Windows that is still supported. If your existing device cannot run Windows 11, a new PC that can run Windows 11 makes for an easy transition and great experience.

The lack of security updates is a big deal as not getting security updates means that you’re more at risk to get pwned. Thus if you have a computer that is capable of running Windows 11, now would be a good time to upgrade.

That brings me to computers that are not capable of running Windows 11. And there are a huge number of those. As a rough guideline, if your PC was made on or before 2018, it is entirely likely that it isn’t capable of running Windows 11. Now there are ways to make what Microsoft calls “unsupported” hardware run Windows 11, but I personally wouldn’t count on that over the long term. More likely you’ll need to buy a new PC. Which of course sucks. But this is Microsoft’s rationale for this hard stance on Windows 11 support. In short, it’s for security reasons. Or so they say.

In any case, regardless of which camp you’re in, you need to take action before October 14th of next year. Because it’s always better to make a calm, logical decision when it comes to something like this rather than be under the gun so to speak when we’re at this date next year.

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