Public sector organizations sit at the crossroads of mission, service, and trust. From state agencies and county governments to school districts and public safety departments, these institutions hold some of the most sensitive data and deliver services communities depend on every day. And yet, they’re under constant cyber pressure. With attackers growing bolder, budgets stretched thin, and legacy systems humming along like old cars held together with optimism and duct tape, the threat landscape isn’t slowing down, and public sector teams need a defense strategy that’s equal parts resilient, efficient, and downright clever. Enter Managed Detection and Response (MDR): a modern, always-on approach that strengthens cyber resilience without requiring agencies to build their own 24/7 security operations center. Let’s explore how it works, why it matters, and how it keeps services running smoothly even when threats strike. Defending Public Services in a Relentless Threat Landscape Government environments operate under constraints that private-sector organizations might raise an eyebrow at: limited staff, aging infrastructure, strict regulations, and workloads stretched across sprawling environments. Meanwhile, attackers have discovered that public sector agencies are prime targets. Disrupting government systems doesn’t just cause financial damage, it jeopardizes public trust and critical services. Common issues include: Ransomware and phishing attacks targeting endpoints, shared services, and remote workers. Difficulty staffing a 24/7 SOC, especially with competitive cybersecurity hiring markets. Hybrid environments blending legacy on‑prem systems, cloud workloads, and remote access. Compliance pressures including NIST, CJIS, CMMC, and state-level mandates. The need for accountability, auditability, and transparent incident response measures. Modern attackers increasingly use fileless and “living off the land” techniques that mimic legitimate administrative activity. Traditional perimeter defenses simply can’t keep up. Agencies need something better, something proactive, adaptive, and built for mission assurance. MDR That Pairs Machine Speed With Human Judgment ProCern’s AI-Flex MDR gives public sector teams the power of a full-scale, always-on security operation, without the headcount, hardware, or complexity of running one in-house. Think of it as a wise, fast, ever-awake co-pilot for your security stack. Core MDR capabilities designed for government environments: 24/7 Behavioral Monitoring Constant visibility across endpoints, servers, and cloud workloads to detect abnormal activity fast, even the subtle stuff attackers hope you’ll miss. AI-Assisted Threat Intelligence Identifies fileless attacks, credential abuse, and advanced persistent threats that hide in normal system traffic. Human-in-the-Loop Validation Before major actions (like isolating an endpoint), a trained analyst reviews the situation to ensure accuracy and avoid disruption to public services. Rapid Containment & Recovery Isolate threats, roll back malicious changes, and terminate unauthorized sessions, all aligned with your agency’s risk tolerance. Audit-Ready Documentation Detailed, structured reporting that supports compliance, leadership briefings, and regulatory reviews. This hybrid model ensures decisions are fast, accurate, and grounded in real-world mission priorities. When MDR Stops an Attack Mid‑Move Picture this: A state agency notices suspicious behavior coming from a remote employee’s laptop. Unknown to the user, an attacker has stolen credentials and begun poking around internal systems, even attempting to move toward infrastructure holding sensitive citizen data. Here’s how MDR stops the threat in its tracks: Behavioral analytics flag unusual activity from the remote device. The incident escalates to a human analyst for validation and context. MDR isolates the compromised endpoint, without taking down public-facing services. The system blocks lateral movement and terminates unauthorized sessions. Any malicious changes are rolled back, and verification confirms no data was exfiltrated. A full incident report is delivered for audits, briefings, and required disclosures. The threat is neutralized before it becomes a disruption, a headline, or a legislative hearing. Why MDR Delivers Real Value for Public Sector Teams Public sector agencies adopting MDR see benefits that go far beyond improved security. Service Continuity & Public Trust Rapid detection and containment keep essential services running, without unexpected downtime or citizen-facing outages. Regulatory & Audit Readiness Clear, consistent documentation simplifies compliance and ensures traceability across NIST, CJIS, CMMC, and state frameworks. Cost Efficiency Agencies gain enterprise-level protection without hiring a full SOC staff or purchasing specialized tools. IT Team Enablement With continuous monitoring handled by MDR, internal teams can focus on modernization, digital transformation, and mission delivery. Cyber Resilience Is Mission Resilience For public sector organizations, cybersecurity is an essential part of protecting communities and upholding public trust. With the right MDR solution, agencies can outpace modern threats, ensure continuity of critical services, and meet strict compliance demands without stretching teams beyond their limits. By combining AI-powered detection with expert human oversight, MDR delivers a decisive, accountable, and mission-aligned approach to cyber defense. It keeps attackers out, keeps systems resilient, and keeps public services running the way communities expect: reliably, securely, and without drama.
Strengthening Cybersecurity Without Slowing Down Patient Care Hospitals and health systems sit at the crossroads of high-stakes operations and high-value data. From electronic health records (EHRs) to connected medical devices, today’s clinical environments hum with sensitive information and mission-critical workflows. It’s a perfect storm for attackers and a persistent headache for IT, security leaders, and compliance officers. As the threat landscape grows more cunning with ransomware, credential theft, and stealthy “living off the land” attacks, healthcare organizations need more than traditional defenses. They need resilience. They need eyes on the network at all times. And they need security that won’t accidentally knock life-critical systems offline. Enter Managed Detection and Response (MDR)—the security model built for the realities of modern healthcare. The Growing Cyber Pressure on Healthcare Healthcare is uniquely exposed. Not simply because of the volume of electronic protected health information (ePHI), but because those systems support actual patient wellbeing. Security teams today face challenges such as: Ransomware and phishing attacks that target clinical systems, EHR platforms, and endpoint devices Limited in-house resources for 24/7 monitoring and incident response Complex environments with legacy medical devices, hybrid networks, and cloud-based applications Strict regulations such as HIPAA, HITECH, and state-level privacy laws A delicate balance between needed security controls and uninterrupted patient care With ransomware recovery costs regularly reaching millions—and attackers hiding inside networks for months—healthcare organizations need security that can think and act faster. Why MDR Makes All the Difference Managed Detection and Response provides continuous, expert-led security operations designed to outsmart attackers before they reach patient‑impacting systems. ProCern’s AI‑Flex MDR combines AI detection with human judgment, reducing attacker dwell time from months to hours—a much more reasonable timeframe when lives are literally on the line. Key MDR benefits for healthcare: 24/7 Threat Monitoring & Detection Constant visibility across endpoints, servers, cloud workloads, and clinical networks—no coffee breaks, no night shifts, no blinking. Behavioral & AI-Powered Analytics Spotting fileless attacks, credential misuse, and lateral movement that slip past traditional antivirus tools. Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) Response Security experts validate potential actions before they happen—ensuring remediation doesn’t accidentally interrupt patient care. Rapid Incident Containment Threats are swiftly isolated, blocked, and neutralized before they spread across clinical systems. Compliance & Audit Readiness MDR centralizes logs, response evidence, and documentation aligned with HIPAA, HITECH, and more—making audits less terrifying. Rather than relying solely on automated reactions, MDR introduces clinically aware workflows designed around one inviolate principle: patient care must continue. A Real-World MDR Scenario Imagine a regional hospital network facing a ransomware attempt. A clinician’s workstation is compromised using stolen credentials and legitimate admin tools—an attacker’s favorite trick to blend in like a wolf in a lab coat. Here’s how MDR stops the attack: Behavioral anomalies are detected—unusual access patterns, privilege escalations, and movement toward the EHR. The incident is escalated to a Human-in-the-Loop analyst to validate clinical impact. The compromised workstation is isolated without disrupting patient care or ongoing clinical workflows. The MDR team blocks command-and-control traffic, terminates malicious processes, and rolls back system changes. Verification ensures no patient data was encrypted or exfiltrated, and compliance-ready documentation is generated. The result? An attack that could have caused catastrophic downtime is quietly neutralized. Security That Honors the Mission of Care Healthcare organizations adopting MDR gain better defenses and operational resilience. Patient Safety & Clinical Continuity Threats are contained before they touch patient-facing systems. Stronger Regulatory Compliance Documented monitoring and response actions streamline HIPAA and HITECH audits. Lower Financial Risk Faster detection and containment significantly reduce recovery costs and downtime. Relief for IT & Security Teams MDR eliminates 24/7 alert fatigue, freeing staff for strategic initiatives (and maybe the occasional weekend). Managed Detection and Response transforms security from reactive firefighting to proactive resilience. By combining AI-powered behavioral analytics with expert human oversight, MDR helps healthcare organizations protect patient data, maintain clinical uptime, and preserve trust in the systems that care for us all. When every moment matters, MDR ensures that cybersecurity decisions are fast, accurate, and always aligned with the mission of care.
Phishing emails are one of the most common types of cyberattacks that people face on a regular basis. These fraudulent emails are designed to look like they are from a legitimate source to trick people into revealing personal information, such as usernames, passwords, and credit card numbers. In this blog post, we will discuss six ways to identify phishing emails and protect yourself from falling victim to these scams. 6 Ways to Identify Phishing Emails 1. Check the sender’s email address. One of the easiest ways to identify a phishing email is to check the sender’s email address. Phishing emails often use fake email addresses that are like legitimate ones. For example, an email from “[email protected]” (notice the second “L”). By hovering over the sender’s name or email address, you can see if the address matches the legitimate one. 2. Look for spelling and grammar errors. Phishing emails often contain spelling and grammar errors. This is because scammers may not have English as their first language, or they may be using automated tools to create these emails. If you notice any typos or grammatical errors, this should be a red flag that the email is not legitimate. 3. Beware of urgent or threatening language. Phishing emails often use urgent or threatening language to pressure you into taking immediate action. For example, an email may claim that your account has been hacked and that you need to change your password immediately. If you receive an email that uses this type of language, take a step back and assess the situation before taking any action. 4. Don’t click on links or download attachments. Phishing emails often contain links or attachments that lead to malware or fake login pages. If you receive an email that contains a link or attachment, do not click on it. Instead, hover over the link to see where it leads, or download the attachment to a sandbox environment or virus scanner to check for potential threats. 5. Verify requests for personal information. Phishing emails often ask for personal information, such as your username, password, or credit card number. Legitimate companies will never ask you to provide this information via email. If you receive an email asking for personal information, do not provide it. Instead, go directly to the company’s website and log in to your account to see if there are any legitimate requests for information. 6. Check for generic greetings. Phishing emails often use generic greetings, such as “Dear Sir/Madam” or “Dear Customer,” instead of addressing you by name. If you receive an email that uses a generic greeting, this should be a red flag that the email is not legitimate. Legitimate emails will typically address you by name. In conclusion, phishing emails are a common threat to your online security. By following these six tips, you can identify and avoid phishing emails, protecting your personal information and your online security. Remember to always be cautious when opening emails from unfamiliar senders, and to verify any requests for personal information before providing it. Stay safe online! Source: Protect yourself from phishing – Microsoft Support
Defending Against Online Threats in Long-Term Care and Post-Acute Care In today’s digital world, safeguarding your healthcare organization, especially long-term and post-acute care facilities, from cyber threats is crucial. Among the various risks, phishing attacks pose a constant and severe danger. In this blog post, we’ll explore phishing attacks, providing insights to help you recognize, defend against, and minimize their impact on your facility’s operations and patient data. Enhancing Security with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) provides an added layer of protection for your email accounts and systems. MFA requires users to provide two or more forms of identification before granting access. Even if a cybercriminal obtains login credentials, they won’t be able to access accounts without the additional authentication step. Reporting Incidents If a phishing attempt succeeds, having an incident response plan is crucial. Establish clear protocols for reporting security incidents, including phishing attacks. A swift response can help mitigate potential damage and prevent further compromise of sensitive data. In conclusion, phishing attacks pose a significant threat to healthcare facilities. However, with proper education, vigilance, and security measures, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to these scams. By understanding phishing, recognizing phishing emails, providing employee training, implementing MFA, and establishing incident reporting procedures, your long-term care or post-acute care facility can bolster its cybersecurity defenses, protecting patient data and organizational integrity. Stay safe, stay informed, and remain vigilant in the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats. Educating Employees is Crucial Education is vital in defending against phishing attacks. Investing in ongoing training for your team is essential to ensure they are well informed about the risks and prevention measures. Consider the following steps: Conduct Phishing Awareness Workshops: Arrange workshops or training sessions that simulate phishing attacks to help employees recognize and respond to phishing attempts. Teach Safe Email Practices: Train employees to avoid clicking suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. Please encourage them to verify the legitimacy of email requests. Establish Reporting Procedures: Make sure your team knows how to report suspected phishing attempts promptly. Create a clear and user-friendly reporting protocol. Enhancing Security with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) provides an added layer of protection for your email accounts and systems. MFA requires users to provide two or more forms of identification before granting access. Even if a cybercriminal obtains login credentials, they won’t be able to access accounts without the additional authentication step. Reporting Incidents If a phishing attempt succeeds, having an incident response plan is crucial. Establish clear protocols for reporting security incidents, including phishing attacks. A swift response can help mitigate potential damage and prevent further compromise of sensitive data. In conclusion, phishing attacks pose a significant threat to healthcare facilities. However, with proper education, vigilance, and security measures, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to these scams. By understanding phishing, recognizing phishing emails, providing employee training, implementing MFA, and establishing incident reporting procedures, your long-term care or post-acute care facility can bolster its cybersecurity defenses, protecting patient data and organizational integrity. Stay safe, stay informed, and remain vigilant in the ever-evolving landscape of cyber threats. Understanding Phishing Phishing is a cyber-attack method that tricks individuals into sharing sensitive information through deceptive tactics, such as usernames, passwords, or financial details. Attackers often impersonate trusted sources like colleagues, banks, or government agencies, aiming to compromise security by encouraging actions such as clicking on harmful links, downloading infected files, or divulging confidential information. Spotting Phishing Emails Recognizing phishing emails is the first step in defending against this cyber threat. Here are some essential tips to help you and your team identify suspicious emails: 1. Check the Sender’s Address: Scrutinize the sender’s email address carefully, as phishers often use addresses that resemble legitimate ones but contain minor misspellings or alterations. 2. Watch for Generic Greetings: Avoid emails using generic greetings like “Dear User” instead of addressing you by name. Legitimate organizations typically personalize their communications. 3. Verify Links and Hover Over Them: Hover your mouse pointer over any links in the email to see the actual URL. Ensure it matches the official website of the supposed sender. 4. Beware of Urgency and Threats: Phishing emails often create a sense of urgency or threat to pressure recipients into quick actions. Stay wary of messages that demand immediate responses. 5. Check for Spelling and Grammar Mistakes: Phishers might overlook details. Poorly written emails with spelling and grammar mistakes can signal a potential threat. Educating Employees is Crucial Education is vital in defending against phishing attacks. Investing in ongoing training for your team is essential to ensure they are well informed about the risks and prevention measures. Consider the following steps: Conduct Phishing Awareness Workshops: Arrange workshops or training sessions that simulate phishing attacks to help employees recognize and respond to phishing attempts. Teach Safe Email Practices: Train employees to avoid clicking suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. Please encourage them to verify the legitimacy of email requests. Establish Reporting Procedures: Make sure your team knows how to report suspected phishing attempts promptly. Create a clear and user-friendly reporting protocol. Enhancing Security with Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) provides an added layer of protection for your email accounts and systems. MFA requires users to provide two or more forms of identification before granting access. Even if a cybercriminal obtains login credentials, they won’t be able to access accounts without the additional authentication step. Reporting Incidents If a phishing attempt succeeds, having an incident response plan is crucial. Establish clear protocols for reporting security incidents, including phishing attacks. A swift response can help mitigate potential damage and prevent further compromise of sensitive data. In conclusion, phishing attacks pose a significant threat to healthcare facilities. However, with proper education, vigilance, and security measures, you can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to these scams. By understanding phishing, recognizing phishing emails, providing employee training, implementing MFA, and establishing incident reporting procedures, your long-term care or post-acute care facility can bolster its cybersecurity
What are MFA, 2FA, and why do we need them? “Something you know, something you have, something you are.” This is stated by Multi-Factor Authentication enthusiasts all over the web. They are ways of identifying yourself for the purpose of gaining access to a system. Examples of these would be your username/password combination, a OTP (One Time Password) sent be SMS or authenticator app, and biometrics. 2FA is of course a subset of MFA. It uses two factors to authenticate your logon. AND NO, USERNAME + PASSWORD ARE NOT TWO FACTORS. Compared to single factor authentication, MFA ensures that your accounts are much better protected. “99.9% less likely to be compromised” is found on Microsoft based on their records of 99.9% of compromised accounts not using MFA. This was stated by Alex Weinert, Director of Identity Security at Microsoft at a recent cyber security conference. Perhaps even more disturbing is that there is ONLY AN 11% MFA ADOPTION RATE AMONG ENTERPRISE CLOUD USERS. It’s not like we keep important data in our business emails. We also don’t use these same emails as recovery addresses for other business related online accounts. Joking aside, we are almost asking for security breaches. Related: What’s in a Name? Importance of Good Password Habits Why aren’t you using Multi-factor Authentication? We live in times where ransomware, social engineering, and other cyber attacks are on the rise. By not utilizing multi-factor authentication, you are doing the equivalent of using 1-2-3-4-5 as your combination on your luggage. Something almost as bad is re-using the same couple of passwords everywhere. Your password expired? Just update it from SecurePW1! to SecurePW2@ and it will meet complexity requirements and be super secure, right? The practical issue with using very complicated passwords is that they are very difficult to remember by design. This is where a password manager is very helpful. You don’t want to be the person with a bunch of sticky notes on your monitor with login credentials written on them. Combined with a complicated password, using MFA will make it much harder for bad actors to impersonate you. Most online services these days give the option of enabling multi-factor authentication. Examples are business apps like Office 365, Google Apps/Gmail, your work’s VPN application, and even personal apps like your bank, Amazon, or Facebook offer this. Your password manager is also a very good candidate to enable MFA. How can you get started? First, you need another factor for authentication. Hardware devices such as RSA SecureID or Yubico’s YubiKey are good choices if you really want to take things seriously. You can also just use an app. Popular apps such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, Authy, and Lastpass Authenticator are all good examples. Next, head over to your favorite application and log in. Usually in the same place in the settings area where you would change a password, there should be an option to enable 2FA/MFA/2-step verification/etc. While you’re at it, you should probably change your password if it isn’t complex or you haven’t done so in a while. Just follow the instructions to enable MFA. This will vary slightly depending on application. In general, you’ll select your authenticator app or hardware key when prompted. If using an authenticator app, you will need to scan a QR code to add that account. Once you complete the setup, enjoy knowing that your security posture has been greatly improved. Need help enabling MFA on your business applications such as Microsoft 365 or your VPN client? Contact us today. Our friendly ProCern engineers are here to help!
Recovery Question Attacks Is that a thing? Yes, it’s a thing. Recovery question attacks are a terrible extension of the downgrade class of attacks. When signing up for websites, they require you to create multiple “recovery questions” and/or answers. You can’t complete the initial account setup without agreeing to use and populate the answers to those questions. These recovery questions often include questions such as “Mother’s Maiden Name,” “Father’s Middle Name,” “Favorite Teacher,” “First Car,” and so on. You’re probably wondering what the problem is with this method. There are several problems. Some recovery questions can be guessed on the first try 20% of the time 40% of people were unable to recall their own recovery answers successfully 6% of answers could be found in a person’s social media profile It is essential to point out that Google, Microsoft, and other vendors who understand how lousy recovery questions are for authentication no longer use them. If your MFA solution allows less secure alternative authentication methods, your authentication is only as strong as the weakest method. Related: What’s in a Name? Importance of Good Password Habits The solution is never to use them if you can avoid them. If recovery questions are required, never answer them correctly. Instead, makeup something similar to a long password, using combinations of letters, symbols, and numbers. Make it unique for each recovery answer, never repeating an answer or using an existing password (of any account), and store it in a password manager or a “representative” form elsewhere. Sometimes you can’t avoid using the recovery answers method. Still, you can make it difficult for anyone else to figure out, providing an additional layer of protection on your online accounts. Source: (KnowBe4) 12+ Ways to Hack Multi-Factor Authentication by Roger Grimes
Email scams have been around as long as email has existed. Many use the same techniques that scammers have been using long before the internet was a common tool. In the internet age, email scams have become more deceptive and common, and even seasoned internet users have fallen victim to these scams. Unfortunately, there is no program or anti-virus to protect us from these scams. They are social engineering attacks, or scams that rely on tricking users, rather than infecting machines with malicious code or software. The only way to protect yourself from these types of scam is to be aware of them and recognize the signs that an email is a scam. Email programs have improved immensely over the years by adding spam filters and junk folders, but no anti-spam filter is perfect. Below are a few ways to recognize email scams. How to Recognize Email Scams Fake Links Among the most common email scams are phishing scams. These are emails designed to look like a product or service you use (Office 365, paypal, etc.) and they include a link for you to click on and enter login credentials. These emails can be revealed as fake by checking the email address and the URL of the link. Often, the email address will be close to something that the actual company would use ([email protected] instead of @microsoft.com for example). Check the email closely to see if the address is spelled correctly. Another part of the email address to check is the domain (the part of the email address after the @ symbol). Check to see that it matches the company’s website. For example, Wells Fargo would be sending emails from an @wellsfargo.com email not wellsfargobank.com as their website is wellsfargo.com. Next, check the URL by hovering over the link with your mouse cursor. Again, it should match the company’s website. Do not click on the link if it doesn’t match the company’s website. If an email seems fishy to you, don’t trust it. If you aren’t sure, send an email or make a call to the company’s support line to verify the email is real. Advanced Fee Scams Another common type of scam is the advanced fee scam. Everyone has heard of the Nigerian prince that will pay you millions of dollars. Their money is locked up and can’t be accessed unless you send them a small fee that they will then use to recover their millions. Usually these emails include some sob story, and try to use your emotions against you. The best thing to remember about these types of scams is that if it seems too good to be true, it probably is. This scam has been around a very long time. The best way to deal with it is to just ignore the email, delete it, and move on. Employment Search Scams The employment search scam comes in the form of a job offer, requesting that you fill out a job application. These job applications are designed to get as much personal information as possible in order to steal your identity. Or, they may try to get access to your bank account and steal money that way. If you are being solicited by a company that you didn’t contact first, be very wary of a scam. Do your research on the company. Does the job title match the company’s industry? Do the job postings on their website match the information in the email? If the answers to these questions are no, the chances are good that you’ve discovered a scam. Disaster Relief/Charity Scams In times of disaster, where people have died or lost everything, donations sites will be set up to raise funds for those in need. Unfortunately, many people take advantage of this situation by setting up fake charities or phishing sites to get you to donate to them instead of the legitimate organizations. Donation requests through email are nearly always a scam, so ignore them all. If you want to donate to a charity or relief foundation, contact them directly through their website or via phone. NEVER click on a link in an email asking for donations. The best way to avoid getting scammed is to always be skeptical of anyone asking for your private information. Ask yourself some simple questions like: Do I know these people?Did I request this email? If the answer to these questions is “no”, it is most likely a scam.
Are Windows updates necessary? Applying updates every month is not something system administrators look forward to but they are necessary and extremely important in the times we live in. Most updates each month include security updates. Security issues are the worst possible type as they may be exploited by malware or hackers. These types of situations are regularly identified in various parts of Windows – ActiveX, IIS, Internet Explorer and .Net Framework are just examples. Other updates address other bugs and issues in Windows. Even though they are not responsible for security vulnerabilities, they might impact the stability of your Operating System. Last, but not least, Windows Updates sometimes come with new features, while patching some known issues – and the best example for this is IIS and Internet Explorer. The code that makes up the Windows operating system contains security loop holes, errors, incompatibilities, or outdated software elements. In short, Windows isn’t perfect, we all know that. The latest Windows security patches fix the vulnerabilities and errors in Windows and associated software, and they occasionally add new features. This essentially summarizes why you should regularly run a Windows Update. Security issues are regularly identified in various parts of the Windows operating system, including the main platform. Even if you do not run the respective software, it is a risk not to patch it, simply because it is installed on your system. Note that these updates are required, even if you are running anti-malware or anti-virus software, as that software may not sufficiently protect you from Windows security issues. Consequences to Not Installing Updates Potential consequences of not installing security updates are damaged software, loss of data, or identity theft. Every year, malware causes damage of millions of dollars worldwide. The main reason is that users don’t install critical software or operating system updates, allowing malware to exploit loopholes that exist in every software ever developed. Vulnerabilities can potentially be exploited within hours of them becoming publicly known. So once a security update is available, you should plan to install the fix to protect your system from malware attacks. Some ways to control and monitor the deployment of Microsoft updates in a corporate environment is with products like WSUS or System Center Configuration Manager(SCCM). Here is a list taken from Microsoft of some common types of updates available each month. Critical Updates Critical Updates are a widely released fix for a specific problem that addresses a critical non-security-related bug. Security Updates Security updates are a widely released fix for a product-specific, security-related vulnerability. Security vulnerabilities are rated by their severity. The severity rating is indicated in the Microsoft security bulletin as critical, important, moderate, or low. Monthly Rollups Monthly Rollups are relatively new. They are a tested, cumulative set of updates. They include both security and reliability updates that are packaged together and distributed over Windows Update, WSUS, System Center Configuration Manager and Microsoft Update Catalog for easy deployment. The Monthly Rollup is product specific, addresses both new security issues and non-security issues in a single update and will proactively include updates that were released in the past. Security vulnerabilities are rated by their severity. The severity rating is indicated in the Microsoft security bulletin as critical, important, moderate, or low. This Monthly Rollup would be displayed under the title Security Monthly Quality Rollup when you download or install. This Monthly Rollup will be classified as an “Important” update on Windows Update and will automatically download and install if your Windows Update settings are configured to automatically download and install Important updates. Service Packs A service pack is a tested, cumulative set of all hotfixes, security updates, critical updates, and other updates. Additionally, service packs may contain additional fixes for problems that are found internally since the release of the product. Service packs may also contain a limited number of customer-requested design changes or features. Non Critical Updates While non critical updates are not responsible for security-relevant vulnerabilities, they may still be very annoying as they potentially impact the performance and stability of Windows. So the main reason for installing general updates is to avoid or resolve Windows issues and hopefully have a smooth running System. Testing Microsoft will test the latest updates prior to release on the second Tuesday of each month. Unfortunately, there are an infinite number of hardware and software configurations that could exist on a Windows computer. Testing all possible computers systems would be almost impossible.When a Windows update causes a problem it’s likely due to a software or driver that has issues with the update, not the update itself. It is very important to create a group of desktops and servers for testing the latest updates. Once the updates are applied to the test, computers monitor and document any irregularities in behavior of the test systems. Although Microsoft updates rarely cause a problem it has been known to happen thus the reason for a test group of computers. If all is well after at least a week with the test group, it is relatively safe to deploy the tested updates to production. Even after testing, there is no guarantee a problem won’t arise but it’s not worth the risk you may be taking of not applying these security patches. Conclusion It is critical to install security updates to protect your systems from malicious attacks. In the long run, it is also important to install software updates, not only to access new features, but also to be on the safe side in terms of security loop holes being discovered in outdated programs. And it is in your own best interest to install all other updates, which may potentially cause your system to become vulnerable to attack. Questions about your unique environment? End your IT frustration today. Discuss your situation with ProCern IT Engineers today.
Stranger Danger I’m sure all of us when were younger were taught Stranger Danger. We needed to be cautious of any strangers we met while walking to and from school or in any new places. Today, the strangers that some of us fear the most are of the cyber kind. They can steal our livelihood, identity and more with a few clicks. Businesses are becoming victims of this Stranger Danger every day. Cyber crime rose by over 600% during the pandemic. It is estimated by 2025, the cost of cybercrime worldwide for companies will be $10.5 trillion. Unfortunately the pandemic amplified cybercrime due to the uncertainty around remote working and how to protect your business. Many businesses are not prepared for cyber attacks and do not educate their employees on best practices to help prevent these attacks from happening. The month of October celebrates cybersecurity awareness. Education is the one of the biggest tools going forward to fight the Cyber Stranger. Current State of CyberSecurity There are some staggering stats surrounding businesses today and the safety of their data. The numbers are only increasing as new threats appear and businesses do not offer the appropriate resources to combat this problem. A study by Accenture reports that 43% of cyber attacks target small businesses, and under a sixth are equipped to prevent those attacks. On average, it takes a company 197 days to discover a cybersecurity breach. Needless to say, the longer it takes to discover a security breach, the more a company’s reputation and assets suffer. A few more stats: Globally, 30,000 websites are hacked daily. 64% of companies worldwide have experienced at least one form of a cyber attack. There were 20M breached records in March 2021. In 2020, ransomware cases grew by 150%. Email is responsible for around 94% of all malware. Every 39 seconds, there is a new attack somewhere on the web. An average of around 24,000 malicious mobile apps are blocked daily on the internet. Common Types of Cyber Attacks 64% of companies worldwide have experienced at least one form of cyber attack in the past year. What are the most common ones that businesses and their employees see? Phishing: A type of online scam that involves sending an email or other virtual communication impersonating a source that would usually be seen as reputable, such as a bank or an internet service provider. 91% of all cyber attacks start with a phishing email. Malware: Malicious software that gets downloaded onto devices without one’s consent. It causes devices to crash or can allow hackers to view computer activity, access files, and steal information. 27% of malware infections originate from infected USBs. Man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack: This occurs when a user intercepts communication between two people, or between one person and a machine. For example, a hacker might guide a user into a fraudulent site that appears to be the user’s bank’s website to collect their data. According to Netcraft, 95% of HTTPS servers are vulnerable to these attacks. CyberSecurity Best Practices A recent survey found that 61 percent of employees failed a basic quiz on cybersecurity fundamentals. With the average company spending only 5 percent of its IT budget on employee training, it’s clear that education is an opportunity for many organizations in the future. Here are just a few best practices to follow: Avoid Pop-ups, unknown emails and links: Malware infections are among the most common cybersecurity threats organizations face. Having up-to-date virus scan and spam detection software is a great safety net, but it’s also critical that all users are trained to understand the dangers of clicking on unusual links, pop-ups or emails. Use strong password protection and authentication: It’s important to require all users to create strong, difficult-to-guess passwords and credentials for their accounts and change them often. Consider multifactor authentication (MFA), which requires an additional token of identifying code to access systems. 63% of data breaches result from week or stolen passwords. Enable firewall protection at work and at home: Firewalls are important gatekeepers, restricting traffic in, out or within a private home or business network. Back up data: Regularly backing up critical data is key to defeating ransomware and to business continuity in general. Control physical access: Preventing access or use of desktops, laptops and mobile devices should be a high priority as these can be easily stolen or lost. Make sure such devices are set to lock when unattended and grant only limited administrative privileges for such hardware. Minimize data transfers: Be mindful of how many devices contain important data and try to make transfers as minimally as possible. Verify download sources: Before making any downloads, scan the website you’re downloading from to ensure that it’s verified, and only click on legitimate download links. Keep software updated: Update software whenever updates are available is a great way to protect against cyber attacks. Encrypt where possible: Encryption tools can be used to protect data from unwanted individuals. When encryption isn’t possible, password protection is a great alternative. Be sure to choose passwords with a mix of letters, numbers, and characters, and to update your passwords regularly. User activity monitoring and behavior analytics: This can give insights on when there is suspicious activity around your data. These tools can help you prevent data theft in real-time. Practice robust and continuous employee awareness programs: Even with the best technology in place, human error is often the weakest link. Constant education programs is the most important best practice when it comes to cyber resilience. Human error is responsible for 90% of all security breaches. What Will You Do Next? Cyber threats are not going away and will continue to be a major concern for all businesses no matter the size. Contact ProCern to find out how our solutions can provide extra protection. Reach out to find out about our assessments which may discover holes in your current IT environment. Want to find out how knowledgeable your employees are on the topic of cyber security? Take this quiz from the Cyber Readiness Institute to find out how cyber ready they are.
For years, data breaches were treated as costly but manageable events—nuisances that prompted press releases, customer apologies, and perhaps a fine or two. But that era is over. Today, a single breach can destroy a business entirely.
Big changes are on the horizon for the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) as a major overhaul of its Security Rule is set to take effect in 2025. These updates are expected to present significant challenges for healthcare organizations and their business associates, marking the most transformative change to HIPAA since the HITECH Act of 2008.
The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has revolutionized industries, and cybersecurity is no exception. With the ever-growing complexity of cyber threats, organizations are turning to AI as a critical line of defense.
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