MSP & MSSP & IT Industry Notes for February 12th, 2024

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February 11th, 2024

Arcoa Group

Why partnering with ARCOA makes sense
Electronics Recycling is an important and profitable part of the IT asset lifecycle, but it can be overwhelming with all you already do, varying state regulations, and the limited resources at hand. That’s where ARCOA comes in. When you partner with ARCOA, you get all the benefits of a big company without any of the capital investment. We’ve been doing this since 1989 and have the expertise, certifications, and nationwide resources to get the most for all your clients’ retired IT assets. Plus, positioning your clients as environmental stewards not only elevates their appeal to consumers, it meets government requirements and avoids fines.

What partnering with ARCOA looks like
Our role is to make it easy for you to bring more value to your clients. We work with you to help stretch your clients’ IT budget by reducing the total cost of ownership of their electronics. We’re experts at identifying and implementing the solutions your clients need for the end-of-use re-marketing, recovery, and recycling of their technology assets. The sooner you involve ARCOA, the sooner you and your client.

Founder and CEO at ForwardLane, Nathan Stevenson - AITech Interview

• My journey into fintech came to me when I worked at the multi-asset alternative asset manager, CQS
• Motivated to democratize access to insights by envisioning an AI co-pilot for every financial advisor
• Analyzes extensive data to generate tailored insights for users and clients
• Enterprise-grade standards ensure model explainability, data governance, and security
• Compliance with SOC2, GDPR, Transparency certification, and bank-grade encryption

Untangling the Web: Unveiling Software for Stronger IoT Security

• Introduction to IoT Security:
  • Understand the importance of securing Internet of Things (IoT) devices
  • Recognize the vulnerabilities and risks associated with IoT devices
• Challenges in IoT Security:
  • Highlight the complexity of securing diverse IoT ecosystems
  • Discuss the lack of standardized security measures across IoT devices
• Software Solutions for IoT Security:
  • Introduce various software solutions designed to enhance IoT security
  • Explore encryption techniques and secure communication protocols
  • Discuss the role of firmware updates in patching vulnerabilities.

CrowdStrike Overall Customers' Choice in 2024 Gartner Report

• named the only Customers’ Choice in the 2024 Gartner Peer Insights™ Voice of the Customer for Vulnerability Assessment among eight other providers
• Falcon® XDR platform utilizes AI to prioritize risks in real-time across the entire attack surface, internal and external, eliminating the need for complex scanning infrastructure used by legacy vulnerability management providers
• Falcon® Exposure Management unifies real-time security and IT data sets along with threat intelligence, endpoint, and XDR telemetry to predict attack paths and guide risk mitigation actions to prevent breaches

IGEL Unveils New MSP Partner Program to Simplify the Delivery and Management of ...

• announced a new Managed Services Provider (MSP) partner program and service models for their secure endpoint OS
• program aims to provide easy, flexible, and cost-effective solutions for MSPs looking to deliver secure managed endpoints
• MSP partner program offers both multi-tenant and single-tenant deployment options to cater to varying customer requirements
• releasing MSP-optimized licensing for their platform, including the secure IGEL OS and IGEL Universal Management Suite (UMS)

Pulse Technology’s free eBook a guide to cybersecurity for businesses

• eBook provides valuable insights and guidance on cybersecurity tailored specifically for businesses
• covers essential topics such as best practices for protecting against cyber threats, securing sensitive data, and maintaining compliance with regulations
• eBook likely includes information on the latest cybersecurity trends and emerging threats that businesses should be aware of

Brisbane's Advanced Business Technologies appointed HP Master Dealer

• reported on crn.com.au
• Advanced Business Technologies (ABT) has joined the HP Master Dealer program
• ABT gains sub-distribution rights to HP's managed print portfolio
• allows ABT to establish a network of partners across Australia specializing in contractual HP A3 and A4 multi-function printers

Lock in on Cyber Security with ARCOA

• IT Asset Disposition (ITAD): Manages the secure disposition of end-of-life IT equipment
• Data Destruction: Ensures sensitive data is completely erased from devices before disposal
• Asset Remarketing: Resells refurbished IT assets to maximize value recovery
• Recycling Services: Provides environmentally responsible recycling of electronics
• Compliance & Reporting: Offers documentation and reporting to meet regulatory standards
• Secure Logistics: Handles the safe transport of IT assets throughout the disposal proces

Valley Office Systems of Pocatello honored by sharp as a platinum level service dealer

• recognized as a 2023 Platinum Level Service Dealer by Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America
• awards Platinum Level Service status to dealers that have exceeded performance benchmarks and implemented industry best practices

Microsoft is rolling out Universal Print for macOS users

• Universal Print, a solution for printing documents without local driver installation, now available for macOS users
• Accessible through the Microsoft Azure Portal for Microsoft 365 businesses
• Option for macOS support available in preview
• Introduction of the Universal Print mobile app for Apple devices, offering PIN code or QR code scanning for printer access
• Future plans to incorporate badge-swiping for added security
• Feature called Delegation Administration enables JIT rights management without third-party tools, using specific connectors
• Compatible with a range of printers including Canon, Epson, HP, Xerox, Toshiba, and potentially others

Share Point vs One Drive

SharePoint:

• Collaboration platform designed for teams and organizations.
• Offers centralized document storage, management, and sharing capabilities.
• Provides advanced features for team sites, project management, and intranet portals.
• Enables customization with workflows, lists, libraries, and custom applications.
• Ideal for organizing and managing content across departments or projects.
• Supports version control, permissions management, and advanced search functionality.
• Integration with other Microsoft 365 applications like Teams, Outlook, and Power Automate.

OneDrive:

• Cloud storage service provided by Microsoft for individual users.
• Primarily designed for personal file storage and synchronization across devices.
• Offers seamless integration with Windows, Office apps, and mobile devices.
• Provides automatic backup and version history for files.
• Enables easy sharing of files and folders with specific individuals or groups.
• Supports collaboration features like real-time co-authoring.
• Suitable for personal document management, storing photos, and backup purposes.
• Limited customization options compared to SharePoint.

Konica Minolta Launches Dispatcher Paragon Cloud V2.0

• introduces Dispatcher Paragon Cloud V2.0, expanding its cloud-enabled MFP portfolio
• Paragon Cloud V2.0 is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) secure pull-print offering designed to simplify and modernize print infrastructures through migration to the cloud
• eliminates complexities associated with traditional on-premises print infrastructure and deployment headaches
• platform's single driver works across all models and brands in today’s printer market, streamlining user experiences
• includes a location-aware platform that automatically discovers and shows users the available printers at their location, enhancing direct printing

Cybersecurity Notes

• Blackhat/ALPHV, a Russian hacking group, claims to have stolen 300GB worth of classified documents from several federal agencies, such as the FBI and CIA, and is threatening to post them on the web.
• Matthew Philbert was arrested in Canada for using email phishing to launch ransomware attacks in Canada, and sentenced to 2 years in prison.
• Amur Oblast, a Russian hacker, was arrested when he visited South Korea, and extradited to Ohio to face charges of launching cyber attacks against hospitals in the U.S., facing up to 35 years in prison.
• Lincare Holdings, provider of respiratory equipment, will pay $7.25 million to settle lawsuit alleging negligence regarding cyber attack breach that exposed PHI of 2,918,444 patients in 2021
• Chelan Douglas Health District of Washington is being sued for alleged negligence over a breach that exposed PHI of patients.
• Keenan & Associates of Torrance, CA notified 1.51 people that their info was exposed after a cyber attack.
• Mercedes-Benz confirmed that confidential may have been stolen after recent cyber attack.
• Plaza Radiology, aka Chattanooga Imaging of Tennessee and Georgia, notified 569,000 patients that their PHI was exposed after cyber attack.
• CompleteCare Health Network of New Jersey notified 313,973 patients that their PHI was exposed after cyber attack.
• Schneider Electric notified an unknown number of customers that their info was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Freehold Township School District of New Jersey notified an unknown number of students of a FERPA breach caused by a cyber attack.
• Concentra Health Services of Texas notified 3.9 million patients that their PHI was exposed after cyber attack.
• Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, IL notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI may have been exposed after it was hit by another cyber attack.

Fax solutions market to grow

• Report published by Arizton Research
• Global fax solution market to reach $5.47 billion by 2028
• CAGR (cumulative annual growth rate) of 11.03%

Endpoints still not protected from hackers?

• Results of survey of IT decision makers published by Delinea Security
• 64% say top reason for attacks is to steal data
• 50% say risk of attacks is always on management agenda
• 91% say more money is being allocated for data security
• 35% admit that they do not have adequate endpoint protection
• • Category of “endpoints” includes printers, MFPs, scanners, fax

What is a data steward? Your guide to the secret weapon of digital transformation

• organizations face slow progress in their digital transformation efforts.
• Insufficient data quality is the most common indicator of a struggling digital transformation process.
• Appointing a data steward can significantly improve data quality.
• Managing an organization’s digital assets to provide engineers and other users with high-quality, accessible data.
• Responsibilities of Data Stewards:
• • Monitor data quality through automated checks.
  • Correct data deficiencies or manage those responsible for corrections.
  • Collaborate with data scientists, analysts, and executives to derive actionable insights from data.
  • Advocate for improved data quality among system owners.
  • Identify opportunities to leverage data for business advancement and competitive advantage.
  • Champion efforts to foster a data-driven culture and facilitate digital transformation.
  • Educate end-users about available data, its locations, structures, and relationships.
  • Explain data quality standards to data entry personnel.
  • Enforce data usage regulations.
  • Advocate for information governance.
  • Encourage the use of data standards and structures for custom software development.
  • Propose enhancements to business rules for data validation.