Datalyst Blog

Organizational cybersecurity is more important than ever, with an increasing number of threats requiring constant vigilance. To stay ahead of these dangers, cybersecurity experts and network administrators are continuously developing new solutions. This month, we’ll highlight three key innovations that are helping businesses navigate the evolving cybersecurity landscape.

Firewalls are a mainstay of network security. At its core, the firewall acts as a barrier between a trusted internal network and untrusted external networks, such as the Internet. Its primary function is to monitor and control incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules. Think of the firewall as a gatekeeper scrutinizing every packet of data that attempts to pass through. Let’s take a look at the different types of firewalls and some of their key functions.

It’s practically impossible to deny just how big of a concern cybersecurity should be for a business. The threats are worse than ever, the stakes are higher than ever before, and no organization wants to be responsible for the loss of dozens or hundreds of stolen identities. That’s why small and medium-sized businesses, especially those throughout New England, need to take cybersecurity seriously.

The following guide is designed for both business owners and employees, explaining complex concepts and prioritizing several critical cybersecurity habits.

One of the best things about the move towards streaming in media is that since people love watching real-life stories, studios have committed to creating documentary content that provides interesting perspectives. Many people don’t have a comprehensive understanding of technology, especially as it relates to real-world situations, so dramatized documentaries can be a good source of information. Today, we’re going to go through three riveting technology documentaries that are available on streaming services.

Nowadays, it is crucial that you make security a top priority. With the right approach, it not only saves you massive headaches, but also a considerable amount of capital—particularly if you leverage the appropriate solutions for SMBs. As a managed service provider, we can ensure that you implement the appropriate IT solutions to maximize the return on your security investment.

It’s a new year, and while businesses have been seeing a lot of new technologies emerge, cyberthreats have become increasingly dangerous and prevalent. With the increasing reliance on technology and the rise of remote work, it's crucial for decision makers to be aware of the top cyberthreats they may face and take proactive measures to protect their organizations. In this blog post, we'll discuss the top six cyberthreats that businesses need to be prepared for and how to mitigate their risks.

Over the last several years, cybersecurity threats have become increasingly prevalent and sophisticated. With the rise of remote work and the Internet of Things (IoT), companies are facing a growing number of vulnerabilities and attacks. In fact, a recent study found that 81 percent of companies experienced malware, phishing, and password attacks in 2023. Most of these attacks were targeting end users directly.

Chances are your business has a social media presence in at least some capacity, as it’s a good way to drive traffic to your business. However, hackers want to leverage this benefit against you. A new malware specifically targets Facebook business accounts to launch malicious advertisement campaigns using your own money against you.

It’s important to keep the software on your computer updated. If your operating system or web browser or some other important application is out of date, it could lead to things not working properly while also leaving you susceptible to threats. However, hackers are disguising malware to look like important web browser updates.

Cybercriminals fight dirty, whether it’s attacking small businesses, large enterprises, or individuals who just want to watch Netflix. It doesn’t matter who you are or what you do for the community; you’ll always be a target for hacking attacks. To save time and effort, hackers will use low-tech attacks and social engineering attacks to target individuals. Hackers aren’t developing new threats all the time; if anything, they largely use existing exploits, purchasable software, and social engineering to take advantage of people.

As the threat landscape gets more concentrated with serious cyberthreats, new next-generation firewalls (NGFWs) have been developed to help stem the tide of negative outcomes that result from cyberattacks. An NGFW is an advanced network security device or software solution that combines traditional firewall capabilities with additional features and functionalities designed to provide enhanced protection and visibility into network traffic. NGFWs are designed to address the evolving and sophisticated nature of cyberthreats, including malware, intrusion attempts, and other malicious activities.

Any business that depends on its IT—in other words, most businesses—needs to consider the cybersecurity that is in place to protect it. Today, many businesses have started focusing their cybersecurity efforts on protecting their network from the edges, an approach that is fittingly known as edge security. Let’s take a moment to talk about the benefits that edge security can offer you.

There tends to be a few very specific ideas of what a hacker looks like, primarily thanks to popular culture. Whether one pictures a hooded figure furiously typing in a darkened technology haven, or a social outcast that has made camp in his parents’ basement, there is a predisposition (almost a prejudice) that warps our perspective of cyberattacks and those who carry them out. This is perhaps what makes them so dangerous to businesses.

Cybercrime has grown rapidly over the last several years. We’ve seen more and more businesses get hit by crippling ransomware, data breaches, and other types of attacks. End-users are inundated with common, but deadly phishing attacks and other threats that are so easy to fall for, even IT experts could get tricked. Let’s look at these trends for 2023, and how your business can prepare for them.

It’s simple, really: scams are everywhere, so you need to always keep a few important tips in mind to avoid them. Let’s review some of these tips together.

In 2021, FBI Director Christopher Wray spoke out about what he described as “one of the most despicable cyberattacks” he’d seen. It’s little wonder he used such choice words; he was talking about the attack that state-sponsored threat actors had waged against the Boston Children’s Hospital. While the attack was thwarted, it prompted the Cybersecurity Coordination Center of the Department of Homeland Services to release a white paper alert.

As we’ve said time and time again, modern businesses need to be prepared to resist cybercrime and cyberattacks…and as it happens, the Federal Bureau of Investigation agrees with us. How can we be so sure? Simple—the FBI is currently pushing businesses in the northeast to better prepare themselves, including here in Boston.

If you find yourself frustrated with the speed and reliability of your office Wi-Fi, you aren’t alone. Even though the technology has been around for a decade and a half, it hasn’t always been a perfect solution. Modern wireless solutions have evolved a lot over the last few years, so if you are dealing with slow, unreliable connections, it’s likely time for an upgrade.

This is going to start out with a nerdy tangent, but I was watching the classic Star Wars films with the family a few weeks ago. There is a scene in Star Wars: A New Hope where our heroes slip aboard the Death Star, and R2-D2 plunks his little robotic USB cable into a computer and gains seemingly untethered access to the entire battle station.

I was briefly taken out of the fantasy of the moment because my IT brain started firing at full speed, and I thought “Ew. Imagine how insecure the Death Star’s network must be!”

This past year saw a dangerous 86% increase in the most dangerous types of malware out there, so we want to ask you an important question: are you ready to protect your business from the different types of threats you might encounter? We know a technology solution that might help this mission along, and we want to share it with you today: artificial intelligence.