Between the Bytes

Microsoft leaks thousands of user credentials, Apple upsets a White-Hat hacker, and Google turns on MFA for thousands without asking. Derik, Gary, and James cover a handful of recent cybersecurity news stories in this episode of Between The Bytes. 

Most all of us have experienced it before; we talk about a particular product and see ads for that product as soon as a few minutes later on Facebook or Instagram. The timing can be very uncanny and maybe even a little creepy. So, Facebook has to be listening to your conversations, right? In this episode, Gary and Derik talk about how platforms like Facebook & Google know so much about you, whether or not it's something to worry about, and other (more significant) cybersecurity threats that can spawn from social media. 

In this episode, we're listening in on a recent webinar Executech did with one of our partners, Arctic Wolf. Join Brad Hanly, Systems Engineer @ Arctic Wolf & James Wright, Technical Director @ Executech, as they dive into the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) to discuss the most common questions we have heard, including: • What is CMMC, and how it applies to your organization?  • How to take action to assess your risk and secure your organization  • What changes may be required to prepare for CMMC?  • What is an actionable plan for an organization to begin this process? The CMMC can be daunting at times and is required for any organization doing business with the federal government (including 3rd parties). If your organization needs help around the certification, Executech is offering an in-depth CMMC Assessment. Register here!

In this special episode of Between The Bytes, we've pulled the audio from our Emergency Preparedness webinar to make it available to everyone! Executech partnered with Acronis and the League of Oregon Cities to talk about different types of disasters, how they can affect your IT, and how to best prepare for these types of situations. Speakers: James Fair - Sr VP of IT Services @ Executech Tyler Rasumsen - VP of Cybersecurity @ Executech James Slabey - Sr. Director @ Acronis Biren Jajal - DR Specialist @ Acronis Executech takes pride in our emergency preparedness and in-depth incident response plans. If your organization wants to learn more and better prepare for emergencies, reach out to us here! 

In this episode, Gary & Derik welcome Lee, Director of Sales at Executech, for the first time on the show. Lee has been with Executech for almost 4 years now, and has been a part of countless IT Assessments with new & potential customers.  We invited Lee to talk about what an IT Assessment is, when it's a good time to get one done, and what to look for in an MSP both before and after they perform one for your organization.  Think your organization is in need of an IT Assessment? We're happy to help with that and any other questions/concerns you may have regarding Managed IT, Cybersecurity, and Cloud services! Just click here.

In this episode, Gary & Derik welcome Jeff Palazzo - VP of Cloud Services at Executech. Jeff joins us to talk about Windows 365, a new and exciting service from Microsoft.  Windows 365 is a new service that will let businesses access Cloud PCs from anywhere, streaming a version of Windows 10 or, soon, Windows 11. Jeff walks us through how it works, who it's made for, and what we can expect! 

Recently, Ben and his team executed a mock phishing attack inside the company to test our employees. Ben sent out a series of emails that mirrored standard phishing emails sent from cybercriminals using Sophos and their plug-and-play phishing test tools. We talk about how the test went, what cybercriminals will use against you to make it more likely to miss any red flags, and the psychology behind what makes phishing attacks so effective. If you'd like to learn more about reading URLs and preventing falling for phishing scams yourself, check out our blog here! If you'd like to run a phishing test and cybersecurity training inside your organization, we're happy to help!

In this episode, Derik welcomes back Tyler Rasmussen, VP of Cybersecurity at Executech. Tyler joins us to talk about Mobile Device Management (MDM).  Many employees use mobile devices (cellphones, tablets, personal laptops, etc.) to access their organization's assets in the office, or on home/public WiFi networks. Tyler gives some best practices to secure devices, applications, and information across the mobile and personal devices of your employees.  The best practices Derik and Tyler discuss range from simple to advanced. As always, if you have any questions about MDM, Managed IT, or Cybersecurity, just let us know here!  

In this episode, Gary, Derik, and James talk about Incident Response. - What is it? - Why is it important? - How do you create one for your organization? With the rapid increase of cyberattacks worldwide, unfortunately, the idea of your organization falling victim is becoming a matter of when, not if it will happen. This growing threat is why layers of cybersecurity are important, but not the final solution. Creating an incident response plan for your organization is a must; and it's the best way to help your organization be prepared for the worst.  If you need help creating an incident response plan for your organization, we're happy to help! Just reach out here --> Free IT Assessment

Ransomware has been on an aggressive rise across the US over the past 18 months. In this episode, Gary, James, and Derik talk about an article published by The Verge.  The article offers up a few different ways to bring a stop to ransomware, but each has its own unique set of issues. We hope you enjoy it!  An excellent incident response plan is a must to ensure your organization is ready for the worst-case scenario. If you need help creating and implementing one for your business, let us know!