Month: October 2018

cybersecurity myths

Don’t Let These 5 Myths Fool You

Don’t Let These 5 Myths Fool You

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cybersecurity mythsThere are a number of myths out there about cyber attacks, however we have compiled a list of 5 that we believe are most mistaken to be true.

1. Only Certain Industries Are Vulnerable to Cyber Attacks

Any business that has valuable information to a hacker can be exposed to cyber attacks. Typically one thinks of industries such as financial services, healthcare, or government affiliated organizations are the most sought after targets , however our last blog post about how VPLS supplied cyber security to education systems shows that educational systems also experience plenty of cyber attacks, in addition to many other industries. Don’t let this myth prevent you from investing in cyber security.

2. You'll Know Right Away if Your Computer is Infected

In fact, the most dangerous of cyber attacks are not ones that display nasty messages or post a skull on your screen. Modern malware is sneaky and can be difficult to detect. Hackers are now able to take control of your computer and profit from damaging your equipment or stealing your confidential information. VPLS provides 24/7 support services and manages their clients’ anti-virus, network/firewall, server, and desktop. Therefore, your company can trust that its in the best hands when it comes to stealthy cyber attacks.

3. Small- and Medium-Sized Businesses Are Not Seen as Targets by Hackers

cyber security hackerThis is a common belief, however during 2017, large enterprises and small businesses were equally affected by email-borne malware that contained a dangerous link. (Symantec.com). Furthermore, as stated in the 2018 Verizon DBIR, 58% of data breach victims are small businesses. Hackers attack small to medium-sized businesses because often times business owners do not want to invest the money or are unable to afford the additional monitoring and security that large enterprises have. Additionally, small- and mid-sized businesses are more unlikely to be fully equipped for a cyber attack, hence giving criminals an advantage.

4. Cyber Security Only Pertains to the IT Department

This is a myth because all employees, regardless of position and departments, must have the knowledge and training in cyber security since a cyber attack can happen to anyone. If an employee is not adequately informed on cybersecurity, they might unknowingly allow the hacker to access their data and wreak havoc in their organization. VPLS offers cyber security training for their clients’ employees through KnowBe4, a world-renowned Security Awareness integrated platform. Cyber threats can come in all shapes and forms, therefore all employees, not just the IT department, should know how to prevent cyber attacks in the form of clickable links and phishing emails.

5. Effective Response Equates to a Fast Response

Although detection and response should be fast, being quick to act can also lead to rushed decision-making and a false sense of success. Cyber attackers will frequently prepare at least one “decoy” operation to cover the “real” operation. These decoy attacks are designed to desensitize the defense and distract the cyber security team by convincing them that they have defeated the hacker. Once the cyber security team is distracted, the “real” hack occurs and is successfully undetected. Therefore, a good cyber security team, like VPLS’ Managed IT Support Services, can detect deception and provide professional advice so that the success of your business is not a false success.

Don’t forget, VPLS is a Fortinet Gold Managed Security Service Provider, to provide maximum security for all your web and database server needs.

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k-12 education cyber security

How Can Your School Benefit from Cyber Security?

How Can Your School Benefit from Cyber Security?

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k-12 education cyber securityWhen one thinks about data breaches and the importance of cyber security, typically horrific cyber attack stories pertaining to financial services or healthcare organizations come to mind. However, there is another industry where cyber security might be even more important.

Education systems, including K-12 school districts, colleges, and universities, also experience cyberattacks, in fact, during the first half of 2017, the education sector alone made up 13 percent of data breaches (Fortinet.com).

This is because education systems store a large sum of sensitive and personal financial information, research data, and intellectual property that a cyber attacker finds extremely valuable.

Many businesses, including education systems, cannot afford to hire their own highly specialized staff to monitor and protect their data 24/7. Specifically for schools, their top priority should be providing high quality education to their students, however, it is also important that they pay attention to securing their data. Fortunately, VPLS, being an AlienVault Gold Managed Service Provider (MSP), offers AlienVault USM in order to guarantee the best cybersecurity to its clients, putting schools’ undivided attention on education. When schools hire VPLS , they will receive Security Information & Event Management (SIEM), asset discovery, behavioral monitoring, vulnerability assessment, and intrusion detection through AlientVault USM which will enable clients to detect and respond to attacks quicker and with greater intelligence. To learn more about these services, see Managed Security Solutions on our website.

Listed below are the most common cyber security threats to schools which can be resolved with the help of VPLS:

DDoS

Distributed Denial of Service happens when numerous comprised computer systems attack a service, website, or other network service to deny the users of the targeted resource.

Link Security

Link security usually comes from a direct contact through email, texts, or messages on social media that contain dangerous links that will infiltrate the receiver’s data when clicked.

Out of Date Technology

Schools should always upgrade the software on their devices and block access to certain apps to ensure that the software has the highest security available. Out of date technology makes it easier for cyber criminals to target the devices with the weakest security.

User Error

Staff may be uneducated on cyber security which may cause carelessness when protecting sensitive information.

No Backup

When a cyberattack happens, it is important to have a remote server to receive and store data throughout the day in order to ensure that no information gets lost
With the influx of cyber criminals targeting education systems, our children’s personal information can be easily compromised. But with the help of the VPLS team and their deep knowledge of safeguarding against cyber security, schools can rest assured knowing they are in good hands and can once again focus on their most important priority: educating the future generation.

Don’t forget, VPLS is a Fortinet Gold Managed Security Service Provider, to provide maximum security for all your web and database server needs.

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September 2018 | VPLS Monthly Newsletter

September 2018 | VPLS Monthly Newsletter

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VPLS Highlights for September 2018

September marks the first month of the Fall season, but it was also a month of many firsts for the VPLS team as well! Come see what the official kick-off month of sweater weather had in store for us with our September edition recap blog…

VPLS First Dual Recognition: Two Employees of the Month for August 2018!

employee of month 2018 September

Usually, VPLS selects only one team member to be recognized as Employee of the Month, but for the month of August however, two teammates were equally outstanding, so for the first time in a while, two winners were named: VPLS Solutions’ James Olofson and VPLS’ Jenny Thunyakij. The first of the winning duo is Senior Solutions Engineer James Olofson. James is known as the company’s “FortiStallion” due to his deep knowledge and unmatched expertise in all areas Fortinet. James is also very friendly and professional leaving both colleagues and customers alike with a lasting impression. He is the perfect representation of what VPLS Solutions stands for in and out of the office . The second Employee of the Month winner for August is Executive Assistant Jenny Thunyakij. Jenny carries out the daily verbal and written correspondence on behalf of upper management. She also creates company-related content for social media and website pages while assisting her colleagues on various tasks and projects. She is the voice of VPLS and ensures that the right tone of the company always comes through in all that she does. Congratulations James and Jenny for bringing your best to the team on a regular basis! Keep up the good work!

VPLS First Lunch and Learn Event: Zerto and CollectOne Conference!

vpls team event arcade

VPLS is no stranger when it comes to the cloud hosting or event hosting for that matter, but it was the first time the team hosted a Lunch and Learn featuring partners Zerto! This lead-generating event was held at The Capital Grille in Costa Mesa, California where almost every table reached maximum capacity! Zerto expert Bobby Silva and team did a fantastic job teaching attendees about Zerto solutions as the VPLS staff warmly acquainted themselves with all throughout the luncheon. Also, earlier in September, VPLS hosted a booth at the CDS Sofware CollectOne Conference in Las Vegas equipped with an original Pac-Man arcade game! All who came by were intrigued by the retro machine which gave the sales team an opportunity to enlighten them about VPLS. Events such as these demonstrate that VPLS understands the importance of putting their customer first, thus separating them from other run-of-the-mill technology firms.

zerto vpls event

VPLS First Time Project Embarkments: Alien Vault Managed Services, VDI, and San Jose Project!

alien vault vpls

VPLS is always excited to take on new projects for their customers! This past month, the VPLS team was able to successfully execute their first Alien Vault Professional managed services for their customer. With this service, VPLS provides support for 75 devices, offers 1 TB of log Storage, and provides 4 hours of monthly support. In addition to this, VPLS also triumphantly launched their first ever VDI with Cloud Pool services for 3 users that comes with specialty VPLS Tier 2 Managed Services, and the team was also able to completely disassemble their San Jose data center (due to outgrowth) without a hitch in only one day! It goes without saying that the VPLS team had a phenomenal September filled with countless opportunities for growth in all areas of the company!

We hope that you enjoyed reading our company highlights for the month of September. We will continue to share more of our favorite moments in the months to come, so please stay tuned!

Don’t forget, VPLS is an AlienVault Gold Managed Service Provider and deploys AlienVault Unified Security Management (USM) to protect thousands of endpoints, so contact us today!

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