MSP & MSSP & IT Industry Notes

March 7th, 2021

MSP. IT & MSSP Industry Notes

Sponsored by

There are two IT FREE leads including in this weeks notes!

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 remarketing, recovery, and recycling of their technology assets. The sooner you involve ARCOA, the sooner you and your clients will see better results.

Computex Named to the 2021 Elite 150 in CRN® MSP 500 List

• The Channel Company, has named Computex, a leading IT solutions and managed service provider, to the Elite 150 category in its 2021 Managed Service Provider (MSP) 500 list

• MSP 500 has three sections: the MSP Pioneer 250, MSP Elite 150, Managed Security 100
• The MSP 500 list will be featured in the February 2021 issue of CRN and online at CRN.com/msp500

Shield ITSM Selects vXchnge To Power Pittsburgh Infrastructure

• Shield ITSM selects vXchnge, a carrier-neutral colocation provider with data centers across the United States, to host its Pittsburgh-based IT infrastructure
• New colocation deployment replaces an existing client's on-premises solution and will allow the managed IT services provider to serve more clients in and around western Pennsylvania
• Shield ITSM sought a non-competitive colocation company to provide a flexible and secure foundation for its client's infrastructure

Call for Exhibitors at Managed IT Services Industry Tradeshow

• The 2021 TeamLogic IT Owner's Summit Vendor Show will be held October 13 and 14 at the Renaissance at SeaWorld in Orlando, Florida
• Companies that serve the needs of managed IT service providers are invited to exhibit at this annual event
• The Vendor Show coincides with the annual TeamLogic IT Owner's Summit, which will take place October 12 through 15

Lead for IT Services in Illinois

• Request for Proposals: Information Technology Services for The Urbana Free Library
• Proposal Submission Date: 03/29/2021          Time: 8:00 A.M Central Time
• Click Lead for IT Services in Illinois for web link

IBM Announces Senior Roles for "NewCo," the Independent Managed Infrastructure Services ...

• Announced key members of the executive team to lead the independent company that will be created following the previously announced separation of IBM’s Managed Infrastructure Services business ("NewCo")
• Elly Keinan was named as Group President of the new company
• Maria Bartolome Winans has been named as NewCo’s Chief Marketing Officer
• Has relationships with more than 4,600 technology-intensive, highly regulated customers and a backlog of more than $60 billion

Replay eMazzanti's Cybersecurity Workshop to Protect Against 2021 Cyber-Threats

• eMazzanti Technologies, replaying on demand the first of two informative cybersecurity workshops
• Addresses the landscape of 2021 cyber-threats featuring experts from WatchGuard and eMazzanti Technologies
• first virtual event entitled, "2021 Cyber Threat Landscape: What is Happening Now and What You Need to Know," is available any time for replay on demand
• second virtual event, "Enable Your Remote Workforce - Secure Your Wi-Fi Resources to Prevent Cyber Risk," may be viewed live, and is scheduled March 19, 2021 at 11:00 am EST

Ostendio Wins Five Top Honors at 2021 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards

• Announced it’s been recognized as a five-category winner in 2021 Cybersecurity Excellence Awards including Best Cybersecurity Company
• Best Cybersecurity Company - Gold award
• Cybersecurity Service Provider of the Year - Gold award
• Most Innovative Cybersecurity Company of the Year - Silver award
• Compliance Solution - Silver award
• Cybersecurity Executive of the Year - Grant Elliott - Silver award

OASIS Group completes acquisition of DataSpace (UK) Limited

• OASIS Group, the largest privately-owned Records and Information Management (RIM) provider in Europe today announced the acquisition of DataSpace (UK) Limited, based in the North West of England
• Transaction marks the 52^nd successful acquisition for OASIS Group
• Established in Dublin, Ireland, OASIS is currently operating across 6 European countries, employing over 1,700 Team Members and servicing over 10,000 clients

KnowledgeLake and ibml collaborate to deliver high volume content processing

• Forming a strategic technology partnership with ibml, a global provider of intelligent information capture solutions
• Will collaborate on product development, marketing, and sales initiatives, with a focus on providing legacy enterprise content management (ECM) customers

Konica Minolta Named a 2021 Channel Partners Excellence in Digital Services Award Winner

• Announced its IT Services Division, All Covered (All Covered) has been named as one of nine partner businesses receiving honors in 11 categories of the Channel Partners Excellence in Digital Services Award
• Excellence in Digital Service Awards recognize partners who deliver stellar business outcomes for their clients
• All Covered’s submission showcased its efforts to help JM Associates Federal Credit Union (JMAFCU) take a big step forward with its cybersecurity position, which included a full security assessment, deployed its security information and event management solution (SIEM), and provided 24/7 monitoring of its network

Component shortage to affect copiers?

Report published in Wirth Consulting magazine

• office printer/MFP industry is currently facing two key challenges: sharply
  reduced office print volumes, as well as potential shortages of computer chips used by office printers and MFPs, as well as other supply constraints.
• chip demand has sharply risen during the COVID-19 pandemic as lockdowns caused a surge in demand for PCs for work and education use at home, and for personal electronics such as game consoles and televisions.
• Last year the United States placed restrictions on Semiconductor Manufacturing International (SMIC), the biggest chip factory in China, preventing it from getting advanced chip manufacturing gear
• • the restrictions also make it harder for SMIC to sell chips to companies with U.S. ties.
• According to International Data Corporation (IDC), the supply of computer chips for printers and MFPs will continue to affect manufacturers until mid-2021.
• production was affected at AKM (Asahi Kasei Microsystems, a Japanese
  semiconductor manufacturer and also a major supplier of printer components, in November 2020 by a fire.

Y Soft announces new option

• Now offering new MFX Mobile Reader for user authentication when using its Y Soft print management (secure print release) solution
• Allows users to be COVID-19 safe by using their mobile devices to authenticate rather than touching the device with a badge or entering password into keypad

IntelliChief wins ECM solution contract

IntelliChief is an enterprise content management solution provider headquartered in Tampa, FL

• Won contract from Great Dane Transportation Corp, headquartered in Chicago, IL
• Used to automate the Accounts Payable department

New video shows massive scope of California box-ship traffic jam

• Reported on Freightways.com
• Newly released U.S. Coast Guard video offers visceral proof of just how extreme the congestion has become at the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach
  • Massive delays for goods from the far east
  • We’ll see Easter goods getting stuck. And we’ll see things that are actually arriving too late to go to market

Novacoast To Open Two New SOCs Amid 'Exploding' Managed Services Demand

• Plans to open two new Security Operations Centers in the coming months
• Cybersecurity-focused solution provider seeks to meet strong growth in demand from customers
• Will have a total of six SOCs with the additional centers opening this year

Konica Minolta Announces Leadership Changes to Support Digital Transformation Initiatives

• Patrick Banno will lead Konica Minolta Business Solutions, U.S.A., Inc. as President and CEO, effective April 1, 2021
• Sam Errigo has been promoted to Chief Operating Officer, Konica Minolta Business Solutions, U.S.A., Inc., effective April 1, 2021
• “These leadership changes will enable us to continue to grow our business and position us to serve our clients more effectively with their digital transformation initiatives.” said Toshimitsu Taiko, Director, Senior Vice President and Executive Officer & Lead Officer responsible for Business Technologies, Konica Minolta, Inc

SolarWinds to spend up to $25M on security following attack

• Reported on CRN.au
• Plans to invest between US$20 million and US$25 million in security-related initiatives this year
• SolarWinds admitted Dec. 13 that nation-state hackers had injected malicious code into its Orion network monitoring product from March 2020 to June 2020

Datto Selects NEXTGEN Asia as First Distributor in Southeast Asia

• Datto announced a distribution agreement with NEXTGEN Asia
• To help accelerate growth of the Managed Service Provider (MSP) channel in Southeast Asia

Lexmark Introduces New Cloud Fax models for the Lexmark GO Line Series of MFPs

• Announced the launch of new cloud fax models for the Lexmark GO Line series of multifunction products (MFPs)
• New models combine optional cloud fax from etherFAX with standard Wi-Fi and Cloud Connectors
• Cloud Connectors offer a cohesive solution that allows small businesses to "cut the cord" to the internet or analog fax lines

Lead for IT Services in Kentucky

• Close Date 3/30/2021 02:00:00 PM (ET)
• Lead Information Technology Consulting and Technical Services
• Click here for web page link
• Lead for IT Services in Kentucky

Cybersecurity Notes

• The federal government, via Department of Health & Human Services’ Office For Civil Rights, is reminding all healthcare facilities that they have until 3/1/2021 to report any breaches that exposed PHI of fewer than 500 patients.
• Crowdstrike published report warning the healthcare industry of increased cyberattacks from state sponsored hacking gangs located in:
  • North Korea
  • Vietnam
  • Iran
  • Russia
  • China
• ZDNet is warning of a sharp rise in hacking attacks aimed at colleges and universities.
  • Up 100% YoY
  • Average ransom paid = $447,000
• Margaret’s Health of Spring Valley, Illinois notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after cyber attack.
• Watermark Retirement Communities, headquartered in Tucson, Arizona, notified patients in 10 states that their PHI may have been exposed after a “cyber intrusion”
• Kroger Corp., which operates grocery stores across the U.S., and in Cincinnati, OH, an unknown number of customers that their info may have been exposed after a cybersecurity incident.
• Automatic Funds Transfer Service, headquartered in Seattle, WA, notified an unknown number of customers that their info may have been exposed after being hit by “Cuba” ransomware gang. Customer impacted include:
  • State of California Department of Motor Vehicles
  • City of Seattle, WA
  • City of Auburn, WA
  • City of Kirkland, WA
  • City of Lynnwood, WA
  • City of Monroe, WA
  • City of Puyallup, WA
  • City of Redmond, WA
  • Lakewood Water District of Seattle
  • Port of Edmonds, WA
• Harvard Eye Associates, headquartered in Laguna Hills, CA notified 29,982 patients that their PHI may have been exposed after being hit by ransomware. Also impacted is Alicia Surgery Center.
• Kaspersky Security published results of research on data security:
• • $6 trillion = estimated annual loss in U.S. in 2021 from cyber crime
  • $12.9 billion = estimated size of threat intelligence market by 2023
  • $5.2 trillion = total value at risk from cybercrime over next 5 years
• Bombardier, a manufacturer of airplanes, with U.S. headquarters located in Dallas, TX, notified an unknown number of customers that their info may have been exposed after attack from the Clop ransomware gang.
• Georgetown County of South Carolina notified an unknown number of citizens that their info may have been exposed after ransomware attack.
• Fisher-Titus Medical Center of Ohio notified an unknown number of patients had their PHI exposed after email phishing attack.
• Family Medical Center of Griffin, Georgia, part of Gore Medical Management, recently began notifying 79,100 patients that their PHI may have been exposed through a hacking incident
• • FBI notified it of the data theft in November 2020 after finding the stolen files on a third-party computer that was not part of Family Medical Center's practice
• Florida Studio Theatre of Sarasota, FL notified an unknown number of employees and customers that their info was exposed after ransomware attack
• Researchers at University of Kentucky and Michigan State University have found that more than 100 American colleges have been hacked by Chinese hackers including:
• • Florida State University Law School
  • Clemson University
  • Penn State
  • MIT
  • Columbia
  • Purdue University
  • UCLA
• Jacobson Memorial Hospital and Care Center of Elgin, North Dakota informed 1,547 patients that their PHI was exposed after email phishing attack
• Cornerstone Care of Pennsylvania notified 11,487 patients that their PHI was exposed after email phishing attack
• TikTok, a video sharing app controlled by the Chinese government, agreed to pay $92 million to settle lawsuit regarding breach of info of 89 million users.
• Morgan County of Missouri notified an unknown number of citizens that their info may have been exposed after DoppelPaymer ransomware attack.
• An unidentified bank in Magnolia, Arkansas is notifying customers that their info was exposed after a former employee illegally accessed and used info to make fraudulent purchases.
• Clubhouse, a popular audio chatroom app, notified an unknown number of users that their info may have been exposed after a recent breach.
• IBM report states that ransomware attacks increased 20% YoY
• • Double extortion tactics used in 59% of case
• Dion Melton and Dominic Smith of Norfolk, VA men pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud and aggravated identity theft as part of a scheme to purchase alcohol for resale from Virginia Alcoholic Beverage Control Authority (ABC) stores with stolen credit, debit, and pre-paid gift card numbers.
• T-Mobile, headquartered in Bellevue, Washington, has disclosed a data breach after an unknown number of customers were apparently affected by SIM swap attacks.
• Universal Health Services, headquartered in King of Prussia, PA, admitted that the company lost $67 million in the second half of 2020 as a result of a September cyberattack.

February 14th, 2021

MSP. IT & MSSP Industry Notes

Sponsored by

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 remarketing, recovery, and recycling of their technology assets. The sooner you involve ARCOA, the sooner you and your clients will see better results.

Frost & Sullivan Recognizes KORE with Industry Award for Recent Growth and Innovation in IoT ...

• KORE announced it was selected as the winner of the 2020 Best Practices Competitive Strategy Leadership Award in the IoT Managed Services industry
• The Frost & Sullivan award marks the 6th recognition for KORE in the past 12 months
• KORE has a presence across 190 countries and more than 6,500 active customers
• • manages more than 12 million devices on behalf of its clients

InfraGuard brings Automated Cloud Managed Services to Singapore in partnership with Cloud ...

• InfraGuard is global server management software with offices in Singapore, Australia, UK and India
• Cloud Comrade is a Singapore-based cloud computing consultancy company with a presence also in Indonesia and Malaysia
• io instituting Platform-backed Managed Services with in-built automation and self-governance features
• Cloud Comrade is one of the first partners to adopt this new way of working

Intelliteach and Hilltop Consultants Renamed Frontline Managed Services® to Reflect Growth, Service Upgrades and Legal Industry Reach

• Rebranding to Frontline Managed Services
• Supports more than 600 law firms
• Frontline Managed Services became one of the first dedicated legal managed services provider to leverage ServiceNow® as its ticketing platform
• Frontline Managed Services provides outsourcing solutions for legal industry, including IT Service Desk support, Managed IT Services, Managed Financial Services and eBilling
• Has a global footprint with offices in Atlanta, Philadelphia, Washington D.C., St. Louis, Toledo, Toronto, London, and Goa, India

SolarWinds MSP Building New IT Systems Prior To N-able Launch

• Solar Winds MSP to launch this spring as independent, publicly traded called N-able
• Rolling out new IT, accounting and email systems
• “We‘re actually fortunate in that Tim [Brown] and the team have intimate knowledge and views as to what these bad guys did, what these threat actors did,” Pagliuca told CRN. “And as we look to design the new N-able systems, we’re going to have the benefit of all that knowledge and these world class experts to help us design this.”

IDX Announces Cybersecurity Healthcheck for Organizations in Conjunction with No-Cost Data ...

• IDX, a digital privacy platform and data breach services provider, announces its Cybersecurity Healthcheck
• Complimentary service for mid-market organizations to get an "adversaries view" of their security
• IDX will provide this service as part of its no-cost Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Hackers behind the SolarWinds attack infiltrated up to 18,000 private and public sector organizations – including every branch of the U.S. military and most Fortune 500 companies

Vendor for MFP makers is hacked

• Wind River Systems of Alameda, CA provides software that is used by some MFP manufacturers, including its embedded Linux platform
• Has notified an unknown number of its customers that some of its data was downloaded from its network
• In 2019, security researchers announced that devices that use Wind Rivers VxWorks software were vulnerable to hacks using URGENT/11 bugs.

Is the office printer dead?

• Reported on Mail Guardian
• Office printer isn’t going anywhere soon, but adapting to life in the digital age
• Prediction of Gareth Brenchley, Managing Director at managed business services company Itec Cape Town
• Most companies still have print-reliant workplaces, and spend tens of thousands of rands a year on print
• The printer isn’t just a ‘dumb device’ in the corner of the office: it’s become part of a connected, intelligent network, with modern multifunctional printers (MFPs) giving users new abilities to digitize their documents and manage their information,” says Brenchley

Secureworks Unveils Secureworks Taegis™, XDR Advancements, and MSSP Partner Initiative to Strengthen Cybersecurity Community

• Secureworks^® provider for cybersecurity, today unveiled its security analytics platform, Secureworks Taegis™
• Offers extended threat detection and response (XDR) across cloud, endpoint and network on the cloud-native, Secureworks Taegis platform
• Taegis XDR is a cloud-native SaaS solution
• A recent survey from ESG and Secureworks showed that organizations see XDR as a path to increased security efficacy

Lead for BDR Services in California

RFP Available: https://www.publicpurchase.com/

Lingo Uses Its Own Cloud Contact Center Solution to Enhance Customer Care

• Lingo Communications ("Lingo"), a Cloud/UC and managed service provider, announced implantation its own Cloud Contact Center solution to manage its Customer Care call center
• States implementation has improved 190% plus

Simple Helix Acquires Data Center and Internet Connectivity Business Unit from NRTC Managed ...

• Simple Helix LLC announced acquisition of NRTC Managed Services' data center, carrier exchange, and connectivity business
• Acquisition expands the Simple Helix footprint by adding data center operations in Huntsville, Atlanta, and Chicago

LogicalDOC Named Best Document Control Software Company of 2021 by Digital.com

• Digital.com, has recognized LogicalDOC among the best document control software companies of 2021
• Digital.com, a review website for small business online tools, products, and services
• Digital.com conducted a 40-hour assessment of over 80 software solutions across the web
• Complete list of best document control software, please visit https://digital.com/document-control-software/.

Ricoh USA, Inc. Wins 2020-21 Cloud Award

• Winner of the Best Cloud Hosting Provider in the international Cloud Computing Awards program, The Cloud Awards
• Lead judge Richard Geary said: "Cloud technologies make a good platform for turning around urgent applications rapidly and at scale. This was clearly evidenced in the range of innovative technological responses to the pandemic we have seen."
• Cloud Awards will return with a new Cloud Computing program in fall 2021 to continue its recognition of excellence in cloud computing

Cybersecurity

Wall Street Journal published report called “Hospital Suffer New Wave of Hacking Attempts”

• Great Plains Health of Nebraska’s Christopher Stroud admitted that up to 70,000 attempts per day from hackers trying to get into the hospital’s network
• Hackers give interview with Cisco researcher:
  • Identified as “Aleks”, and lives in Siberia, Russia
  • In his early 30's
  • Has university level education
  • Uses Mimikatz and PowerShell as tools
  • Is part of the Lockbit ransomware gang
  • Healthcare is his favorite target as they pay ransom up to 90% of the time
  • Victims are motivated to pay ransom if they believe that their data will be leaked
  • If victim has cybersecurity insurance, payment is “all but guaranteed”

• $350 million was earned by ransomware gangs in 2020, according to research done by Chainanalysis.
• Friendswood Independent School District of Texas notified an unknown number of students that their info was exposed after it was accidentally sent to a school photographer
• Shorewood School District of Wisconsin notified an unknown number of students that their info was exposed after an email mistake.
• Digital Shadows Cybersecurity published report stating that 29% of new ransomware attacks are now aimed at industrial goods and services companies.
• Coveware Cybersecurity published report stating that the average ransom payment to hackers has declined to $154,108.
• • Most common ransomware is Sodinokibi, aka REvil
  • Other strains include; Maze, Ryuk, NetWalker, Egregor, Conti and DopplePaymer
  • Minimum of 60% of companies pay the ransom
  • If companies do not fix the vulnerability that allowed the ransomware attack, they run risk of being attacked again.
  • Most common industries hit by ransomware in last 90 days:
  • • 17.9% = healthcare
    • 16.3% = professional services
    • 11.9% = consumer services
    • 9.5% = public sector
• Beaumont Health of Michigan notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI may have been exposed after a cybersecurity incident with its COVID-19 vaccine appointment system.
• Comcast Corp., headquartered in Philadelphia, PA notified up to 1.5 billion customers that their info may have been exposed after a database was inadvertently exposed on a public website.
• Victor Central School District of New York notified an unknown number of students that their info was exposed after ransomware attack.
• 60 Minutes episode on CBS had Bill Evanina, former director of US Counterintelligence, state that up to 80% of all Americans have had their personal information stolen by Chinese government.
• Nationwide Children’s Research Institute of Columbus, OH notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI as well as trade secrets, were stolen by a former researcher for financial gain.
• Capsule Security published report stating that stolen PHI (protected health information, i.e. patient medical records) are selling for as much as $1000 each on the Dark Web.
• Goodwin Procter Law Firm, headquartered in Boston, Mass, notified an unknown number of clients that their info may have been exposed after breach.
• Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department notified an unknown number of tourists that their info may have been exposed after a breach.
• Accelion Software of Palo Alto notified 1.6 million people who used Employment Security Department (unemployment office) in the state of Washington that their info was exposed after breach.
• DriveSure of Northbrook, IL notified over 3 million people that their info was exposed after breach. DriveSure is a car dealership service provider focused on employee training programs and customer retention.
• Baldwin Wallace University of Berea, OH notified an unknown number of students that their info may have been exposed after a ransomware attack.
• Epsilon Data Management of Irving, TX agreed to pay $150 million to settle lawsuit regarding allegation that company sold confidential information on millions of Americans.
• US Fertility of Baltimore, MD faces a class action lawsuit regarding recent data breach that exposed PHI.

February 7th, 2021

MSP. IT & MSSP Industry Notes

Sponsored by

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 remarketing, recovery, and recycling of their technology assets. The sooner you involve ARCOA, the sooner you and your clients will see better results.

Hyland Software sheds over 100 employees

• Hyland Software, headquartered in Westlake, OH, announced it will lay off around 140 employees
• part of a "multi-year strategic initiative to build a cloud-first platform for the future while supporting our customers’ success today."
• All of the layoffs came from Hyland's product delivery team.
• Employees interview stated that the move "came out of left field" in a recorded Zoom message to those working from home
• Some are claiming that it is outsourcing technologist jobs to countries of India and Poland
• "This has shaken up the culture of Hyland and absolutely compromised our trust in the company," one employee told local magazine.

Buda, TX Managed IT Support Remote Work Consulting Technology Services Launched

• Launches updated work from home IT support services, including remote access, cloud services, VPN, and VoIP solutions
• Stradiant offers Managed IT services and based in Austin, Texas

HashiCorp Expands Managed Services Offerings

• Announced the general availability of its Consul service mesh as a managed service on the HashiCorp Cloud Platform (HCP) along with a beta release of a managed instance of HCP Vault
• HCP Vault, a secrets management platform, on HCP
• HashiCorp plans to make its managed services available on all the major cloud platforms

CyberSheath Launches Managed IT Services for Defense Contractors Leveraging Microsoft ...

• Launched its Managed IT Services for Defense Contractors to ensure compliance with the new cybersecurity standards for commercial contractors of the United States government
• Managed services include a Shared Security Compliance Framework to ensure compliance for both DFARS Clause 252.204-7012 / NIST SP 800-171 and the new DFARS 252.204-7019-7021 CMMC requirements
• "Any defense contractor that fails to comply with the CMMC will not be doing business with the DoD moving forward as the DoD now prevents non-compliant contractors from participating in DoD contract awards," said Andy Shooman, COO at CyberSheath Services Internationa

IBM Gifts $3M to Boost School Cybersecurity

• Reported on SDXcentral.com
• Will award $3 million in grants to help public schools boost their cybersecurity efforts
• Grants, valued at $500,000 each
• Will go to six school districts
• School districts can apply for the grant through March 1 at IBM.org, and IBM will announce the recipients shortly after

Cloud Managed Services market grew at USD 62.4 billion in 2020 and is expected to grow at a ...

• Rising demand for cloud managed services among small and medium scaled businesses for managing their application and storing data is the major driver of the market growth

Focus Technology Completes MSP Verify Certification with SOC 2 Type 2 Audit

• Announced that it has successfully completed the MSPAlliance's MSP Verify Program (MSPCV) certification and SOC 2 Type 2
• The MSPCV is based on the ten control objectives of the Unified Certification Standard for Cloud & MSPs (UCS) and is the oldest certification program for cloud computing and managed services providers
• The UCS consists of ten control objectives and underlying controls that constitute crucial building blocks of a successful managed services (and cloud computing) practice

ShelterZoom's DocuWalk and Humanity 2.0 Sign Strategic Partnership to Power Impact Initiatives ...

• Announced today it has signed a strategic public-private partnership with Humanity 2.0, a Non-Profit (Non-Government Organization)
• Partnership will support and power Humanity 2.0's impact programs by providing a dynamic and secure document management solution that handles, processes and distributes participating entities documents and agreements to all engaged collaborators
• Platform is expected to launch in March 2021
• ShelterZoom, creator of DocuWalk, provides blockchain-based SaaS software that underpins the daily operations of businesses around the world

Printers/MFPs are security threat report

Research published by RiskRecon Cybersecurity

• Exposed IoT (Internet of Things) connected network devices that could be exploited by hackers. The following unprotected devices found:
• Cameras = 54%
• Management interfaces = 29.6%
• Printers/MFPs = 15.9%
• Network devices = 0.4%
• TV tuners = 0.1%

IntelliChief Presents "AP Automation for Oracle EBS: A Proven Methodology for Success" for ...

• Join us on February 23rd at 4 p.m. EST for AP Automation for Oracle EBS: A Proven Methodology for Success, where our automation experts will explore the pain points that you should consider to develop an actionable plan for automating in 2021.

Entrust to Provide High-Assurance Digital Signature Workflow with Sysmosoft Partnership

• Announced that it has partnered with Sysmosoft, a provider of secure solutions for digital processes
• To provide a comprehensive solution for digital signature management
• Agreement, the Sysmosoft document signing workflow is available as an add-on to Entrust digital signing solutions.

FileTrail Expands North America Account Management Team to Support Growth in Law Firm ...

• Announced that the company has hired legal technology industry veteran Bill Belmonte as a senior strategic account manager
• Belmonte is responsible for supporting FileTrail customers in New York City and the Northeastern United States
• “The past year was especially demanding for IT and operations teams who rose to the challenge of maintaining business continuity in the face of a global pandemic.” Stated Belmonte

Claranova: Dropbox Selects Soda PDF in Its New Applications Platform Dropbox App Center

• vanquest, the Claranova group’s (Paris:CLA) Software editing division, partners with cloud storage specialist Dropbox to provide its customers with its document management solution Soda PDF in the new software tools platform, Dropbox App Center

Beachhead Solutions Rebrands Platform to BeachheadSecure™ as its Device and Data Security ...

• Announced its core platform has been renamed BeachheadSecure
• Formerly SimplySecure, the BeachheadSecure branding will offer greater alignment and clarity as the company builds out its product suite to incorporate new risk mitigation and remote access control features

Cybersecurity

• Cybersecurity companies, Mimecast and Qualys both admitted being hit by the SolarWinds attack.
• The FBI announced it has arrested Kirili Victorovich Firsov for allegedly running a Dark Web site for selling stolen info
  • While a resident of Moscow, Russia, was caught while in the John F. Kennedy airport in New York
  • Facing 10 years in prison and $250,000 fine
• The FBI announced it has seized websites on the Dark Web that were associated with the Netwalker ransomware.
• Teespring Inc., headquartered in San Francisco, CA, notified 8.2 million customers that their info was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Tennessee Wesleyan University notified an unknown number of students that their info was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Haywood County School District of North Carolina notified an unknown number of students that their info was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Rady Children’s Hospital of San Diego, CA was sued by 20,000 patients after their PHI was exposed due to ransomware attack.
• Google’s Threat Analysis Group published report warning security researchers that they are being targeted by hackers in North Korea.
• Sophos Security published report warning that hackers are spreading the Nemty ransomware by using deceased staff accounts.
• PhishLabs Cybersecurity is reporting that there is a sharp increase in the amount of attacks using Emotet ransomware.
• Tampa Bay Breast Care Specialists, part of AdventHealth Medical Group of Florida, notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after cybersecurity incident.
• Oregon Heart Center and Salem Clinic of Oregon, both notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after its printing and mailing vendor, Metro PreSort, was hit by ransomware.
• Tenable Cybersecurity published report that stated that almost half of all healthcare data breaches are now caused by ransomware.
• Einstein Healthcare Network of Pennsylvania notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after email phishing incident.
• Roper St. Francis Healthcare of South Carolina notified 189,761 patients that their PHI was exposed after email phishing attack.
• Citrix Systems Inc., headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, FL, agreed to pay $2.275 million to settle lawsuit filed against company by current and former employees after data breach.
• The IRS announced that one of its agents, Bryan Cho, was indicted by a Brooklyn, NY federal court with stealing info from citizens who filed tax returns.
• Secureworks published report on insider-caused breaches:
  • 53% of companies surveyed admitted an insider breach in past 12 months
  • 23% of insider attacks were malicious
• Palfinger Group, with North American headquarters in Tiffin, OH, notified an unknown number of employees and customers that their info may have been exposed after ransomware attack.
• Westrock Company of Atlanta, GA, notified an unknown number of customers that their info was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Bonobos Clothing, headquartered in New York City, NY, notified an unknown number of customers that their info was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Georgetown County government of South Carolina notified an unknown number of citizensthat their info was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Florida Healthy Kids Corp. of Tallahassee, FL notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after a cybersecurity incident.
• Crisp Regional Health Services of Cordele, Georgia has notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.

January 31, 2021

MSP. IT & MSSP Industry Notes

Sponsored by

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 remarketing, recovery, and recycling of their technology assets. The sooner you involve ARCOA, the sooner you and your clients will see better results.

martinwolf M&A Advisors Acquires IT Exchangenet

• martinwolf announces acquisition of IT ExchangeNet
• IT ExchangeNet (ITX) engages with smaller mid-market IT M&A transactions
• Tim Mueller and founder of ITX becomes President of martinwolf
• "We have a long history together, and by officially joining forces, martinwolf and ITX has the opportunity to provide clients an expanded portfolio. I'm excited to leverage our combined network of buyers and sellers to create even more value in the years ahead." Tim Mueller
• Will focus on transactions from 5M to 500M
• martinwolf headquarters in Scottsdale, AZ
• ITX headquarters in Cleveland, Ohio

Lumen Named an Approved Provider for Tech Programs in Georgia and California

• Winn spot as approved technology provider for Georgia Technology Authority & California Network and Telecommunications
• Means state and local government agencies and educational institutions in Georgia and California can now access Lumen's technology services and platform through each state's respective contract vehicle
• Research shows that most IT leaders believe a century's work of technological advancements will take place in the next five years
• As an approved service provider, Lumen can now offer a variety of voice, video, data, network and security services that support agencies in Georgia and California

Thrive Completes Recapitalization with Court Square Capital to Accelerate Growth

• Announced that it has finalized a majority recapitalization with Court Square Capital Partners
• Thrive to accelerate its Next Generation Technology including ServiceNow, Automation and AI
• "We've been actively pursuing an investment in this space for a long time and believe Thrive's NextGen Platform provides a differentiated competitive edge in the marketplace," stated Matt Dennett, Principal at Court Square

Cloud4C collaborates with Google Cloud to build Centre of Excellence

• Cloud4C, collaborating with Google Cloud to build a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for SAP and Anthos by Google Cloud
• Aims to enable enterprises to accelerate their digital transformation journey on the cloud

TeamLogic IT Ranked #19 on the Franchise Times Fast and Serious List

• Provides information technology services on a subscription basis to small and medium-sized businesses
• Ranked #19, up six spots from 2019
• Grew sales and units 76% and 47.8%, respectively, from 2017 to 2019
• Two years ago, the company launched Cybersecurity Essentials
• "Our franchisees are the backbone of our success," said Shapero. "We saw steady demand for the TeamLogic IT brand during 2020, and our franchise network continued to deliver essential IT services to the small- to medium-size businesses making us one of the most resilient businesses in our segment."

Xerox Expands Software Portfolio with Acquisition of CareAR

• Expands growing software portfolio with the acquisition of CareAR
• Career aimed at providing digital transformation tools
• CareAR’s integrates with workflow leader ServiceNow

Fujitsu to embark on restructuring plan

• Reorganization effect April 1, 2021 to promote growth initiatives
• To realize a new structure for R&D, Fujitsu Laboratories, Ltd. will be fully integrated into Fujitsu Limited, and a new organization, Fujitsu Research, will be established directly under the CTO. Fujitsu Research will consist of two units: the "Technology Strategy Unit," which will be responsible for formulating a technological strategy for the entire company by consolidating research and analysis functions located throughout the group, and the "Research Unit," which will conduct leading-edge technology research.
• To accelerate changes to enhance delivery functions (design, develop, deploy, operate, and maintenance of solution services) within the solution services business, 11 major SI group companies in Japan will be integrated into Fujitsu Limited, and 4 will be integrated into Fujitsu Japan Limited (hereinafter, "Fujitsu Japan Ltd.").
• To expand its business in Japan, Fujitsu will integrate its solution services and product-related businesses for local governments, medical and educational institutions, local agriculture, forestry and fishery organizations, and local media, the business producing functions of Fujitsu FSAS Inc. and Fujitsu Network Solutions Ltd., as well as the four SI group companies mentioned above into "Fujitsu Japan Ltd."

Paper shipments continue to decline

Paper shipments continue to decline

• Report from American Forest & Paper Association
• Total printing-writing paper shipments declined 26% in 12/2020

Logically Acquires Nationally Recognized Network Support Company

• Announced acquisition of Network Support Co. (NSC), a provider of managed IT services based in Danbury, Connecticut
• NSC serves local, national, and international businesses across more than 35 industries
• Seventh acquisition since Logically’s inception focusing on becoming one of the top ten managed service providers in the United States

Managed print services to grow - Research published by Technavio

• The managed print services market will grow at 2% CAGR (cumulative annual growth rate)
• Will reach $7.08 billion by 2024
• North America will account for 39% of growth

Kofax offers new integration

• Announced integration of ReadSoft Online, a software-as-a-service solution for invoice data extraction and accounts payable automation, with Microsoft Dynamics 365 platform
• Will allow customers to transform procure-to-pay workflows and automate mission critical processes
• Claim it will reduce invoice processing time by as much as 80%

Quocirca survey of remote workers

• Study of employees who are working from home during 2020
• 52% expect to work flexibly between home and office in 2021
• 18% expect to work completely from home
• 35% expect to return to office full time
• 23% have been provided with home printer
• 86% have printer at home
• 42% have upgraded their home printer
• 38% are covering home printer costs themselves
• 40% are able to expense home printing costs
• 56% believe they are more productive at home
• 37% are concerned about security of their home printer
• 34% are tracking documents
• 57% miss the speed of office printer
• 47% miss having someone else responsible for printer maintenance
• 33% believe they will print more when they return to office

CyberSecurity

• Froedtert Health of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, notified 760 patients that their PHI was exposed after being illegally accessed by a former employee.
• Hendrick Health of Abilene, TX notified 640,436 patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Salem Clinic of Oregon notified 20,000 patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack hit Metro Presort, which processes the clinic’s mail.
• The Center for Alternative Sentencing and Employment Services (CASES) of New York, notified an unknown number of clients that their info was exposed after email phishing attack.
• ADT Inc., headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, notified an unknown number of customers that their video feeds from their ADT security cameras were accessed illegally by a former employee.
• Einstein Healthcare Network of Pennsylvania notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after email phishing attack.
• HIPAA fines are not just from the feds! HIPAA Journal magazine recently reported on all the fines/settlements that were levied by state attorneys general for HIPAA violations.
• Includes:
  • CHS = $5 million
  • Anthem = $48.2 million
  • Premera Blue Cross = $10 million

• Modern Healthcare magazine warns against most common email compromise attacks:
  • Fake vaccine appointments
  • Fake invoices
  • Fake email requests
  • Fake job listings

• Wandera Cloud Security published results of survey:
  • During pandemic, employees are twice as likely to connect to inappropriate sites and infect network with malware
  • Attacks now occurring on weekends, and less on weekdays due to remote workers
  • 76% of executive are worried about security issues caused by remote workers
  • 60% of employees are using personal devices to access company network
  • 52% have experienced a malware incident on remote device

• Intel Corp. is investing claims that an employee illegally accessed to part of its quarterly earnings announcement before it was allowed to be released.
• Proofpoint Security published results of survey:
  • 6% of chief security officers (CSOs) and chief information security officers (CISOs) that ransomware is now the biggest cybersecurity threat they face.
  • Other top security concerns:
  • Insider threats
  • Cloud account compromise
  • Email phishing
  • Business email compromise
• Okanogan County government offices in Washington notified an unknown number of citizens that their info was exposed after ransomware attack.
• The US Department of Health & Human Services reported:
  • In 2020, there was a 25% increase in reported PHI breaches
  • Breaches have more than doubled since 2014
  • At least 29 patients had their PHI exposed in 2020
  • Main causes for PHI breaches include:
    • 66.82% = hacking/IT related
    • 22.27% = insider breaches
    • 12.6% = paper records

• The FBI issued a Private Industry Notification, warning businesses that hackers areattacking enterprises in attempt to obtain employee credentials
  • Using chat rooms and fishing techniques
  • Then uses stolen credentials to access network and steal info and insert ransomware.

• Apple paid $50,000 to two white hat hackers to successfully finding some serious vulnerabilities and accessing Apple’s servers.
• The European Medicines Agency warned that hackers who stole COVID-19 vaccine info, manipulated it before placing it online to undermine trust in the vaccines.
• Malwarebytes Cybersecurity admitted it was hacked by same group that breached SolarWinds IT software.

January 24, 2021

MSP. IT & MSSP Industry Notes

Sponsored by

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 remarketing, recovery, and recycling of their technology assets. The sooner you involve ARCOA, the sooner you and your clients will see better results.

CTS Acquires ClearSky Technologies to Create a Comprehensive Offering of In-building Wireless ...

• Communication Technology Services, a U.S. provider of in-building and campus wireless solutions, has acquired ClearSky Technologies, based out of Orlando, Florida
• The wireless industry is seeing two significant shifts - the need for greater indoor cellular coverage for mission critical applications and the ability for enterprises to deploy their own private LTE and 5G networks
• Acquisition provides Communication Technology Services a foundation of network solutions and expertise that is critical to the successful deployment of private LTE and 5G networks

Lexington IT firm acquires Ohio firm, expands into region

• Reported on Wtvq.com
• NetGain Technologies, a managed IT services provider in the Midwestern and Southeastern U.S., has acquired Arnet Technologies and LK TECH
• Employees of both Arnet Technologies and LK TECH will join the NetGain team

Thrive Acquires Apex IT Group

• Thrive, a provider of NextGen Managed Services, has acquired Apex IT Group, a leader in IT technology managed solutions for companies in the Greater Philadelphia region
• Establishes Thrive's significant presence in the Mid-Atlantic corridor by expanding their Cloud & Cyber Security focused NextGen platform into the Apex IT client base
• Apex IT Group, headquartered in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, delivers IT managed services
• Apex IT Group will be a founding staple of Thrive's Mid-Atlantic region, overseen by Jason Shirdon, EVP & Regional General Manager, and formerly the President of EaseTech, a Columbia, Maryland MSP that Thrive acquired in late 2019

etherFAX offers Direct messaging connector

• etherFAX, headquartered in Holmdel, NJ, announced new DirectFax solution enables healthcare organizations to send and receive PHI directly to applications with end-to-end encryption
• etherFAX is provider of cloud-based fax server solutions
• Announced it won contract for new solution from Starling Physicians, which has 30 offices across Connecticut

Quocirca report on print security

77% of organizations surveyed reported that printing will be a very important or critical aspect of their business in next 12 months

• 64% experienced print related data losses in 2020
• Average cost of data loss of $1.6 million
• 78% will be increasing print security solution spending in 2021
• 45% will go to their managed IT security services vendor for help with print security
• Only 15% trust their MFP/printer vendor for print security solutions

Importance of print security article

• Published by The Imaging Channel magazine
  In past 6 months, 2/3’s of organizations have experienced data losses due to
  insecure printing practices
• 40% of IT decision-makers turn to their managed security service provider for print security advice
• Microsoft stated that 44% of hacking targets were in the information technology sector, including equipment (printer/MFP) providers
• Printers/MFPs are some of the most neglected devices on a customer’s network when it comes to data security
  • Cybercriminals are aware of this and often target printers/MFPs for that reason
• The very remote monitoring and management technology that manage print services providers rely on, can also be source of security risk
• DCA (data collection agent) could be transformed into a silent and effective
  command/control attack vector for cybercriminals

Fujitsu launches ScanSnap iX1600 and iX1400 scanners

• Reported on betanews.com
• New iX1600 and iX1400
• iX 1600 has 4.3” LCD display and Wi-Fi
• USB connect
• Mac and Windows compatible
• Uses ScanSnap software
• iX1600 simplex scan speed of 40 ipm, duplex at 80ipm
• Both will retail for under $500

Expereo certified as Advanced partner of Cisco's Cloud and Managed Services Program

• Expereo, has been certified as an Advanced partner of Cisco’s Cloud and Managed Services Program (CMSP)
• Expereo now a part of Cisco’s world-wide Advanced partners
• Expereo is a provider of managed network solutions, including Global Internet connectivity, SD-WAN, and Cloud Acceleration services

Importance of print security article

• Published by The Imaging Channel magazine
  In past 6 months, 2/3’s of organizations have experienced data losses due to
  insecure printing practices
• 40% of IT decision-makers turn to their managed security service provider for print security advice
• Microsoft stated that 44% of hacking targets were in the information technology sector, including equipment (printer/MFP) providers
• Printers/MFPs are some of the most neglected devices on a customer’s network when it comes to data security
  • Cybercriminals are aware of this and often target printers/MFPs for that reason
• The very remote monitoring and management technology that manage print services providers rely on, can also be source of security risk
• DCA (data collection agent) could be transformed into a silent and effective
  command/control attack vector for cybercriminals

Fujitsu launches ScanSnap iX1600 and iX1400 scanners

• Reported on betanews.com
• New iX1600 and iX1400
• iX 1600 has 4.3” LCD display and Wi-Fi
• USB connect
• Mac and Windows compatible
• Uses ScanSnap software
• iX1600 simplex scan speed of 40 ipm, duplex at 80ipm
• Both will retail for under $500

Expereo certified as Advanced partner of Cisco's Cloud and Managed Services Program

• Expereo, has been certified as an Advanced partner of Cisco’s Cloud and Managed Services Program (CMSP)
• Expereo now a part of Cisco’s world-wide Advanced partners
• Expereo is a provider of managed network solutions, including Global Internet connectivity, SD-WAN, and Cloud Acceleration services

The future of print in the digital workplace – Global Market Insight Study

• Reported on itweb.co.za
• Digitization is also set to accelerate
• Print simply is not going to disappear any time soon
• “The ‘less-paper’ office is more likely than the paperless office”
• 78% say printing is important to their daily business
• dropping to 64% that expect it will still be important in 2025

Global PC shipments increase

IDC reports that sales are up 26.1% during last quarter

• Reached a total of 91.6 million units
• Growth fueled by work from home and remote learning during pandemic
• Top manufacturers include:
• Lenovo of China
• HP
• Dell
• Apple
• Acer

Toshiba partners with Barracuda

• Barracuda Networks, headquartered in Campbell, CA, is supporting the development of Toshiba’s global managed IT services blueprint
• “We have seen a lot of print companies that have been acquiring security centric or security capable managed service providers, so that they can go and provide more services to their customers, and they have proven to be extremely successful. I think we will see more and more organizations looking to see how they can change their focus,
  how they can do more for their customers, how they can retain their customers, how they can find new customers, and we are well positioned to help them do that.”, stated Jason Howells, VP of Barracuda
• Has also provided Toshiba’s printer/MFP division with ongoing marketing tools and support, including access to partner portal
• Is now running weekly training sessions for sales force
• Portfolio of security products including email, network, application, cloud, as well as managed services and data protection

Cybersecurity

• ZDNet magazine now reports that 50% of hacking attacks on healthcare industry involve ransomware.
• The federal government announced that the year 2020 set a record for number of breaches in the U.S. healthcare industry.
• Socialarks, a social media management company, exposed 400 gigabytes of personal info from 214 million users due to an unsecure online database.
• President Donald Trump officially signed HR 7898 into law on January 5, 2021The HIPAA
• • Safe Harbor bill amends the HITECH act to require the Department of
    Health and Human Services to incentivize best practice cybersecurity for meeting HIPAA requirements.
  • The legislation directs HHS to take into account a covered entity’s or business associate’s use of industry-standard security practices within the course of 12 months, when investigating and undertaking HIPAA enforcement actions, or other regulatory purposes.
  • requires that HHS take cybersecurity into consideration when calculating fines related to security incidents
  • required to decrease the extent and length of an audit, if it’s determined the impacted entity has indeed met industry-standard best practice security requirements.
  • “this provision serves as a positive incentive for health providers to increase investment in cybersecurity for the benefit of regulatory compliance and, ultimately, patient safety,”
• A global law enforcement operation has taken down DarkMarket, which Europol describes as the world's largest underground marketplace of illegal goods on the dark web.
• DarkMarket has generated $170.2 million in revenue by selling drugs, malware, credit cards and more
• • arrested a 34-year-old Australian alleged to have operated DarkMarket
  • also shuttered 20 servers used to host the illicit market located in Moldova and Ukraine
  • DarkMarket had more than 500,000 users, including 2,400 actively selling content, resulting in more than 320,000 transactions
• Rogue malware that can hack into an Android-based smartphone is up for sale on the Dark Web for as little as $29.99
• Leon Medical Centers of Florida notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack
• Promutuel Insurance company notified 630,000 customers that their info was exposed after being posted online by a ransomware hacker.
• Banner Health, headquartered in Phoenix, AZ, announced it has agreed to pay $200,000 to settle allegations of not providing patients with timely access to their PHI.
• Check Point Cybersecurity announced that its research shows that 43% of all email phishing attempts are attempting to pass themselves off as messages from Microsoft.
• Wall Street Journal reported that the TikTok app is exploiting a loophole to collect unique identifiers from millions of Android-based smartphone users and provide to Chinese government.
• Ring, the video doorbell company, notified an unknown number of customers that their info was exposed after a security flaw was discovered.
• Clearfield County government of Pennsylvania notified an unknown number of citizens that their info may have been exposed after ransomware attack.
• Beebe Medical Foundation of Lewes, Delaware notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after a ransomware attack.
• Stormont Vail Health of Topeka, Kansas notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI may have been exposed after an employee illegally shared website access to outsiders.
• The Puget Sound Educational Service District notified an unknown number of students in King and Pierce counties of Washington, that their info may have been exposed after ransomware attack.
• Clark Hill Law Firm, headquartered in Detroit, MI, notified an unknown number of clients that their info may have been exposed after cyberattack.
• United Nations Environmental Program notified 100,000 people that their info may have been exposed after cybersecurity incident.
• Start Skydiving of Middletown, Ohio notified an unknown number of employees and customers that their info may have been exposed after being illegally accessed by a former employee.
• Galstan & Ward Family and Cosmetic Dentistry of Suwanee, GA notified 10,759 patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Gastroenterology Consultants Ltd. of Nevada notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Golden Gate Regional Center of San Francisco, CA notified 11,315 patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Taylor Made Diagnostics of Virginia notified 3,464 patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Warren-Washington-Albany ARC of New York notified 1,000 patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• New Jersey Dental Hygienists’ Association notified 160,000 patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Reconstructive Orthopedic Center of Houston, TX, notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Paramount Dental Studio of Huntington Beach, CA notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Coldwater Orthodontics of Michigan notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Delta Dental Plans Association of Illinois notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• All About potential Family Chiropractic of South Dakota notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Crozer-Keystone Health System of Pennsylvania notified 6,863 patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Capcom Video Games notified “thousands” of customers that their info was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Pitkin County government in Colorado notified an unknown number of citizens that their info was exposed after cybersecurity incident.
• Ronald McDonald House Charities, headquartered in Chicago, IL, notified 18,000 guests that their info was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Excellus Health Plan, Inc., headquartered in Rochester, NY, has agreed to pay $5.1 million to the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and to implement a corrective action plan to settle potential violations of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy and Security Rules related to a breach affecting over 9.3 million people.
• Gainwell Technologies, headquartered in Conway, Arkansas, announced that someone may have gained unauthorized access to 1,200 participants’ information in Wisconsin’s  Medicaid program.

January 17, 2021

MSP. IT & MSSP Industry Notes

Sponsored by

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 remarketing, recovery, and recycling of their technology assets. The sooner you involve ARCOA, the sooner you and your clients will see better results.

SEEPEX Selects OpenText To Manage Mission-Critical Information

• OpenText^TM , today announced SEEPEX, is leveraging OpenText™ Content Suite and OpenText™ Extended ECM for SAP® Solutions
• SEEPEX offers customized solutions with progressive cavity pumps, pump systems, and digital solutions for a wide range of applications in nearly every industry
• "The decision to extend our use of OpenText was an easy one," said Roland Rottländer, Data Processing Manager, SEEPEX. "OpenText provides exactly what we need; a single, enterprise-wide content management platform for our 800 users

AccountabilIT Acquires Enterprise Technology Services, Bringing Wider Variety Of Services ...

• AccountabilIT has announced it has acquired Enterprise Technology Services
• Enterprise offers managed IT services in Arizona
• AccountabilIT is a managed IT services and cybersecurity firm based out of Scottsdale, Arizona
• Enterprise Technology services has delivered IT solutions to businesses in Arizona since 1998

Atmosera once more recognized as a Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Service Provider

• Atmosera, announced that it has been recognized as a Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Services Provider (MSP)
• Azure Expert MSP status is Microsoft’s highest recognition for partners offering cloud management services on Azure

Konica Minolta Named to ChannelE2E’s Top 250 Public Cloud MSPs List for 2020

• Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta), along with its IT Services Division, All Covered, announces ChannelE2E has named it to the Top 250 Public Cloud MSPs list for 2020.
• ChannelE2E, is published by After Nines Inc
• The list and research identify and honor the top managed IT service providers (MSPs) that support customers on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and more
• Ranking on based on readership survey
• Highlights from ChannelE2E research
• Public Cloud MSP Revenue Growth: MSP honorees, on average, expect to generate $29.2 million in public cloud revenues in 2020, up 38% from 2019.
• Geography: MSP honorees are headquartered in 29 different countries, and 51% of the MSP honorees are headquartered outside of North America.
• Public Cloud Platforms Supported: 82% of the MSP honorees support Microsoft Azure, followed by AWS (65%), Google Cloud Platform (23%) and VMware Cloud on AWS (18%).
• Largest Revenue Share: 44% of MSP honorees said Microsoft Azure generates the bulk of their public cloud revenues, followed by AWS (41%).
• Cybersecurity: Public cloud MSPs are growing their focus on cloud security posture management (CSPM), extended detection and response (XDR) and additional cyber services.
• M&A: Mergers, acquisitions and private equity investments continue to accelerate across the public cloud MSP sector. MSP honorees have made more than two-dozen acquisitions in the past year.

NeoSystems Reaches CMMC-AB Registered Practitioner Organization Status

• NeoSystems, announced today that it has been recognized by the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) Accreditation Body (AB) as a Registered Provider Organization (RPO)
• NeoSystems, based in Tysons Corner, Virginia, is a full service strategic outsourcer, IT systems integrator and managed service provider delivering services and solutions to enable, run and secure government contractors, commercial companies and nonprofits
• The CMMC Model itself is created, managed and mandated by the Department of Defense (DoD). Its purpose is to validate the security of the DoD's 300,000 vendors throughout its supply chain and includes five levels of certifications

Cloud4C collaborates with Citrix for VDI Solutions

• Cloud4C, has partnered with Citrix to offer Citrix Virtual Apps and Desktops service
• Cloud4C provides cloud (public, private, hybrid) and community cloud services (Banking Community Cloud, SAP Community Cloud), cloud migration on public cloud platforms such as AWS, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud, end to end cloud managed services, disaster recovery services, managed security services

Comstar Technologies Announces Brand Transformation

• Comstar stands as a full-service, single-source technology consultant, guiding businesses worldwide toward a full range of technology solutions required in today's digital environment
• Initially founded as a Philadelphia-based supplier for telephony and cabling company

BTA Virtual Managed IT Services Workshop Starts Feb. 2

• Starts 2/2/2021 from 1-3PM and continues through March 2^nd, 2021
• Chris Ryne of Growth Achievement Partners (GAP) will present the BTA Virtual Managed IT Services Workshop
• Topics to Include
  • Session 1 – Market overview, business model & KPIs, pricing & packaging
  • Session 2 – Operations & service deliver
  • Session 3 – Sales process & virtual CIO (vCIO) development
  • Session 4 – Marketing, list development, account rep & manager engagement
  • Session 5 – Third-party partners, trends & strategies of MSP acquisition, blueprint for establishing & executing your strategy

Kofax adds intelligent automation

• Adds AI (artificial intelligence) and machine learning to its document capture solution
• To improve automation with invoice and accounts payable processes
• Reduce manual work
• Boost speed and reduce errors
• Supports integration with:
  • Microsoft Dynamics 365 Finance & Operations
  • Netsuite
  • Oracle Financial Cloud
  • SAP
• “touchless processing to manage complex accounts payable processes
• Automated collection of missing documents
• Resolve inconsistencies between invoices, purchase orders and receiving information
• Automating AP (accounts payable) processes can reduce costs and errors 70%-85%

TPx Introduces Managed Wi-Fi 6 for Higher Speed, Coverage and Reliability

• TPx, a managed services provides managed IT, security, unified communications and connectivity, announced today that its MSx Managed Networks service now leverages Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) technology
• Wi-Fi 6 (802.11ax) technology will help boost business productivity with secure, fast and easily accessible Wi-Fi connectivity
• Wi-Fi 6, also known as High-Efficiency Wireless Local Area Network (WLAN), lays the groundwork for the growing use of internet-connected hardware and devices as well as applications like collaborative high-definition (HD) video streaming, augmented & virtual reality
• TPx, founded in 1998, TPx provides access, communications, collaboration and managed service offerings such as firewalls, Microsoft 365, SD-WAN and endpoint security

Tom D'Agostino, Jr., CEO of Smart Source, Announces Acquisition of Grandflow, Inc.

• Smart Source announces its acquisition of the majority of assets of Grandflow, Inc. ("Grandflow") in Livermore, California
• Grandflow was founded in 1973 as Grand Business Forms by Carl Rusca and offers document management services, along with print and promotional products
• Smart Source is a Brand Management Business Process Outsourcer ("BPO") and Technology provider headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia

Mark Henson, Senior Vice President of Business Development, commented that "Smart Source's expanded platform of services and technology will be a significant benefit to all of Grandflow's customers."

How to replace Google Cloud Print for your LAN-based mobile device printing needs

• Reported on Tech Republic
• Options for Chromebook users that don’t have  network ready printer
• PaperCut Mobility Print

Cybersecurity Updates

• Window to the World Communications, owner of WTTW and WFMT stations in Chicago, IL, notified an unknown number of customers that their info may have been exposed after email phishing attack that lasted 2 years.
• HYAS Security published results of study that shows that the Ryuk hacking group has collected over $150 million in ransomware payments since February of 2018.
• Lake Regional Healthcare of Fergus Falls, MN notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Nissan North America notified an unknown number of customers that its source code was leaked after a Bitbucket Git server misconfiguration
• TrustWave Security issued warning about new QRat Trojan malware that can provide hackers with complete control over infected Microsoft Windows machines.
• Usually delivered via email phishing attacks.
• Kela Cybersecurity is warning that cyber criminals are now taking aim at online video gaming users for next big payday.
  • The Dark Web supposedly is now selling up to 1 million compromised end user video game accounts
• Christopher Dobbins, formerly of Stradis Healthcare of Georgia, was sentenced to one year in prison and $221,200 fine for being involved in an insider breach.
• ThreatPost magazine is reporting of a new ransomware family named “Babuk
• Has already claimed at least 4 corporate victims in the U.S.
• Abuses the Windows Restart Manager application in servers
• Ubiquis Group of New York, notified customers, including the New York Department of Education, that teacher info may have been exposed after ransomware attack.
• Malwarebytes is reporting that the Emotet trojan malware attackers are sending more than 100,000 phishing emails per day in attempt to steal info from organizations in the U.S.

^{January 4th, 2021}

MSP, MSSP and IT Industry Notes

Sponsored by

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 remarketing, recovery, and recycling of their technology assets. The sooner you involve ARCOA, the sooner you and your clients will see better results.

Tyler Technologies to Provide Case Management Solution to Akron Municipal Court in Ohio

• Tyler Technologies, Inc., announced it has signed an agreement with the Akron Municipal Court in Ohio for Tyler’s Odyssey® court case management suite
• Agreement includes Odyssey Case Manager™, Odyssey Financial Manager™, and integrated content management
• Akron Municipal Court processes approximately 44,000 cases annually
• Akron Municipal Court marks the fifth Ohio court to choose Odyssey

Stark County commissioners approve new sheriff's record system

• Stark County commissioners voted 3-0 Wednesday to approve the Stark County Sheriff's Office purchasing a cloud-based records system from Tyler Technologies
• The cost is $1.02 million for equipment, software and installation, plus at least $289,735 a year in maintenance but with no maintenance fee the first 18 months
• The estimated cost of having the system for over 10 years is about $3.52 million
• Approved the sheriff's office adding another printer at a cost of $127 a month for the Metro Narcotics Unit as part of a five-year agreement with Graphic Enterprises. The contract already includes the cost of leasing 10 Konica Minolta copiers and 12 Hewlett-Packard desktop color printers

One Equity Partners Acquires VASS Consultoria de Sistemas

• One Equity Partners ("OEP"), a middle market private equity firm, announced that it has completed the acquisition of VASS Consultoría de Sistemas S.L. ("VASS" or "the Company"), a leading European provider of digital transformation, cloud infrastructure and managed IT solutions
• Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed

Novel Approaches are Required to Satisfy Demand for Comprehensive Cybersecurity

• The global cyber security market size overall was valued at USD 156.5 Billion in 2019
• Expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 10.0% from 2020 to 2027, according to data by Grand View Research

Cerberus Sentinel Announces Acquisition of Alpine Security

• Cerberus Cyber Sentinel Corporation, a cybersecurity consulting and managed services firm based in Scottsdale, Ariz., announced that it has acquired Alpine Security, a St. Louis, Missouri-based cybersecurity services provider
• Under the terms of the acquisition, Alpine will become part of Cerberus Sentinel and will continue to focus on providing integrated risk managed services to a diverse set of national customers
• Alpine will continue to be based in St. Louis, and its compliance team will add to the experienced Cerberus Sentinel team led by chief compliance officer Baan Alsinawi

Valeo Networks Acquires Etech Solutions, Further Expanding National MSSP Footprint in the ...

• Valeo Networks, a division of Saalex Corporation a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), today announced the acquisition of Etech Solutions, an Iowa-based Managed Service Provider (MSP)
• The acquisition includes Etech Solutions' affiliate brand EtechASP
• Financial terms are not being released
• Etech Solutions and EtechASP brands will operate as DBA Valeo Networks companies and maintain their Ankeny, IA headquarters

IZEA Managed Services Bookings Swing to Show 12% Annual Growth

• ZEAWorldwide, a provider of influencer marketing technology, data, and services for the world’s leading brands, announced today that it has been awarded a new contract for influencer marketing services from an existing customer who is a Fortune 100 retailer
• The contract, in combination with other recent wins, has now pushed IZEA’s Managed Services bookings growth in Q4 2020 to a 47% increase, as compared to Q4 2019

Code42 Wins Pair of Cybersecurity Awards

• Code42 was named as a Top 25 Cybersecurity Company by The Software Report and a gold winner in the 12th Annual 2020 Golden Bridge Business and Innovation Awards^® for Data Protection Innovation
• Code42 and its Incydr^TM product were honored for the unique way they help customers speed detection and response to insider risks to data
• Incydr is a SaaS data risk detection and response product

Cybersecurity Updates

• Proliance Surgeons of Seattle, WA notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI may have been exposed after a cybersecurity incident.
• Elite Primary Care, aka Dr. Peter Wrobel Clinic, of Waycross, Georgia, was ordered to pay $36,000 to settle HIPAA violation regarding failure to respond to patient’s request for their PHI.
• University of Vermont Medical Center gave more details on October ransomware attack:
• • Did not pay ransom
  • Attack deposited malware on all servers, 5,000 computers and laptops
  • Took entire month to restore PCs and servers
  • So far, 80% of the hospital’s applications have been restored
• Microsoft announced it has discovered a second hacking team dubbed “Supemova” installed a backdoor in the SolarWinds software, which impacted a minimum of 18,000 government and private sector organizations
• • While original malware originated from Russia, second strain’s origin not yet determined
  • SolarWinds of Austin, TX provides network-monitoring software to hundreds of thousands of organizations worldwide
  • Networks running SolarWinds that have been infected should “burn it to the ground and rebuild it” according to Bruce Schneier, a security expert for Security Week magazine
• Facebook paid a bounty of $13,000 to Saugat Pokharel for exposing a flaw that exposes email addresses and birthdates of customers.
• The U.S. Attorney’s office announced it had taken possession of domain names that were being used by hackers to create website that claimed to offer COVID-19 vaccines, and then steal user’s info and launched email phishing and malware attacks.
• EyeMed, headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, notified 485,000 patients that are Aetna and Blue Cross insurance members, that their PHI was exposed after e-mail phishing attack.
• Rangely District Hospital of Colorado announced that after 6 months of work, it has restored all of its computers after ransomware attack in April.
• Jefferson County government of Kentucky notified an unknown number of citizens that their info may have been exposed after ransomware attack.
• City of Ellensburg government of Washington notified an unknown number of citizens that their info may have been exposed after ransomware attack.
• TennCare of Nashville, Tennessee notified 3,300 patients that their PHI may have been exposed after mailing error.
• Forward Air Trucking, headquartered in Greeneville, TN notified an unknown number of customers that their info may have been exposed after ransomware attack.
• Premier Kids Care Inc. of Monroe, Georgia notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI may have been exposed after ransomware attack.
• Uri Shaked, a security researcher, published report detailing on how he hacked into several 3D printers.
• • Showed the method during his “Live Breaking into Encrypted 3D Printer” online workshop.

December 28^th, 2020

MSP, MSSP and IT Industry Notes

Sponsored by

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 remarketing, recovery, and recycling of their technology assets. The sooner you involve ARCOA, the sooner you and your clients will see better results.

IBM Announces Acquisition of Cloud Implementation Application Transformation & Managed ...

• IBM Corp., announced on Tuesday it has acquired Nordcloud, a European cloud implementation, application transformation, and managed services provider
• acquisition comes just days after IBM announced it acquired Expertus Technologies Inc., a Canadian Fintech company that assists clients with processing over $50 billion in transactions per day
• Nordcloud claims to be a European leader in public cloud infrastructure solutions and cloud-native application services

Sirius Captures No. 1 Ranking of Top Diversified Managed Services Providers

• Sirius Computer Solutions, Inc. (Sirius), a leading national IT solutions integrator, ranked first in the inaugural 2020 Channel Futures 2020 NextGen 101
• Champion Solutions Group, Inc., a newly acquired Sirius company, also made the list.
• Florida-based Champion ranked 31^st on the NextGen 101
• The 2020 MSP 501 and NextGen 101 lists are based on data collected by Channel Futures and its sister site, Channel Partners. Data was collected in 2020

Atos confirms expertise in Cloud services with renewed recognition as a Microsoft Azure Expert ...

• Atos announced that it has successfully renewed its status as Microsoft Azure Expert Managed Service Provider (MSP), for the 2^nd consecutive year
• Atos is one of less than 100 Microsoft Azure expert MSP partners worldwide and was amongst those that qualified early in July 2019

Konica Minolta Receives Four BLI Awards from Keypoint Intelligence

• Konica Minolta Business Solutions U.S.A., Inc. (Konica Minolta) announced it has received four prestigious Buyers Lab Awards from Keypoint Intelligence
• BLI PaceSetter Award in Healthcare
• BLI 2021 Pick and Outstanding Achievement Awards
  • Outstanding Cost Accounting & Recovery Solution: Konica Minolta Dispatcher Paragon
  • Outstanding Achievement in Innovation: Return to Work
  • BLI 2021-2022 PaceSetter in Hybrid Workplace

Pharos updates solution

• Now offering version 5.3 of its Blueprint Enterprise solution
  • Provides administrative improvements
  • Touchless printing via Pharos Print mobile app
  • Mobile QR Code print release configuration
  • Sentry Print secure print support for Konica Minolta, Xerox and HP devices

Employees now more likely to expose data - Study conducted by Code42 Security

• 85% of employees are more likely to leak files today than before pandemic
• 76% of IT security leaders say their organizations have experienced one of more data
  breaches since work from home started
• 59% = insider threats will increase in next 2 years
• 54% = do not have formal insider risk response plan
• 40% = do not assess how effectively their technologies mitigate insider threats

Study on government use of paper - Research conducted by Center for Digital Government

• Survey of state and local government leaders
• 52% = paper documents make up 50% or more of initial records
• 68% = indicate eliminating paper is moderate to very urgent
• 70% = need for digital documents have increased due to pandemic
• 70% = accessibility on constituent-facing applications is either important or extremely important

Square 9 launches new services

• Square 9 Software, maker of DM and ECM solutions, and headquartered in New Haven,
  CT, introduced GlobalCapture Cloud Transformation Services
• Provides an end-to-end secure platform for digital transformation in the cloud
• Users have a complete cloud solution to capture, store and automate business processes

Boston Managed IT Outsourcing Cloud And VoIP Security Solutions Updated

• Newly updated IT outsourcing and managed IT services have been launched by the team at IT Management Solutions.
• Work with clients from Boston, New England

Ntiva and Southfield Capital Announce the Strategic Acquisitions of Forget Computers and Netlink ...

• Southfield Capital, announced that Ntiva Inc., has completed the acquisitions of Forget Computers and NetLink Systems
• Transactions represent Ntiva's ninth and tenth acquisition in the United States, reinforcing the company's continued growth in the MSP market
• Forget Computers, based in Chicago IL, is recognized as the top Apple Technology experts in the NidWest and have focused solely on helping organizations support their macOS and iOS users
• MetLink Systems, a provided of Managed IT services in Queens, NY, adds direct access to Manhattan and the surrounding Metro area,

AuthBridge, India's largest Authentication Technology Company unveils electronic signature ...

• AuthBridge Research Services Private Limited, India's largest authentication technology company, announced the launch of its new electronic signature solution, SignDrive, a cloud-based document management solution
• SignDrive is built on AI-driven optical character recognition (OCR) and the image recognition technology, and comes with an in-built signer verification
• SignDrive combines AuthBridge's AI-powered verification technology with MSBDocs' automated document processing capabilities and offers a hybrid signature solution which includes electronically generated signatures

Cybersecurity Updates

The federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reported a large scale hacking incident involving government agencies and organizations that use SolarWinds supply chain software.

• “grave risk” to federal, state and local government networks
• Symantec has identified infections on over 2,000 computers at more than 100 of its customers
• Attackers delivered malware to possibly thousands of organizations in the U.S.

The FBI is reporting that the Wizard Spider hacking group of Russia is using Ryuk ransomware to extort $61 million in ransom from US healthcare firms.

Colbi Trent Defiore was sentenced to 3 years in prison for stealing PHI to resell while working for a Medicare enrollment company in Louisiana.

ThreatPost magazine reports that Microsoft Office 365 credentials are under attack by fax alert emails.

• Email impersonates eFax to coerce users to click on attached document to unleash malware.

Armis Security published report that 97% of devices affected by the Urgent/11 security vulnerabilities have not yet been patched

• 80% of impacted devices are still vulnerable to attack
• Relates to CDPwn flaws in the devices that use Wind River VxWorks code
• (could include printers and MFPs)

Weslaco Independent School District of Weslaco, TX notified an unknown number of students that their info may have been exposed after ransomware attack.

Researchers announced that they have found a way to turn RAM chips into WiFi cards to steal data from computers.

• Malicious code could be planted by attackers to manipulate the electrical current inside the RAM card in order to generate electromagnetic waves with frequency consistent with WiFi signal spectrum

Taylor Made Diagnostics of Newport News, Virginia notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.

Apex Laboratory of Long Island, NY and satellite in Florida notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.

The U.S. Treasury and Commerce Department announced that Russian hackers broke into network and monitored staff email for months.

The Jersey City Municipal Utilities Authority of New Jersey notified an unknown number of customers that their info may have been exposed after ransomware attack.

The City of Independence, Missouri notified an unknown number of citizens that their info may have been exposed after ransomware attack.

University Hospital of Augusta, Georgia reported that it is turning away 20% of all incoming emails due to security risks

• Averaging 550 cyber attacks per day

The City of Dade City, Florida notified an unknown number of citizens that their info may have been exposed after ransomware attack.

The Great Neck Yeshiva High School of New York notified an unknown number of students that their info may have been exposed after cyber attack.

Moderna Pharmaceuticals reported that hackers were able to access COVID-19 vaccine data.

The Wall Street Journal reported that on December 14th, Google had an outage which impacted Gmail, G Suite apps and other services.

Spotify notified an unknown number of customers that their info may have been exposed during recent data breach.

Twitter was ordered to pay a $544,600 fine to the EU related to recent data breach.

Helena Public Schools of Montana notifies some employees after burglar snatched USB with their time sheets.

Meharry Medical College in Nashville, TN, notified 20,983 patients that their PHI was exposed after an email phishing attack

MEDNAX Services Inc., headquartered in Sunrise, FL, is a provider of revenue cycle management and other administrative services to its affiliated physician practice groups that notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after email phishing attack.

GenRx Pharmacy, headquartered in Scottsdale, AZ, notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI may have been exposed after ransomware attack.

The Pascagoula-Gautier School District in Mississippi notified 7,000 students that their info may have been exposed after ransomware attack.

The Gardiner Public School District in Montana notified 200 students that their info was exposed after ransomware attack.

Avast Security reported that 3 million users are believed to have installed 15 Chrome and 13 Edge browser extensions that contain malicious code.
American Bank Systems, a document management company headquartered in Oklahoma, is being sued by its banking customers when their data was exposed during a breach.

December 13th, 2020

MSP, MSSP and IT Industry Notes

Sponsored by

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 remarketing, recovery, and recycling of their technology assets. The sooner you involve ARCOA, the sooner you and your clients will see better results.

TPx Combines Fortinet's Industry-Leading SD-WAN and Security in a Powerful Single Offering

• TPx, announced today that it now offers MSx Managed Firewall service with Fortinet's integrated SD-WAN
• Secure SD-WAN enables organizations to leverage multiple transport services – including broadband internet, 5G and others – to connect users securely and economically to applications and devices
• Founded in 1998, TPx provides access, communications, collaboration and managed service offerings such as firewalls, Microsoft 365, SD-WAN and endpoint security

Ripcord Acquires Engine ML, Transforms Access to Intelligence in Exiled Data

• Ripcord,today announced the acquisition of deep learning company Engine ML
• Backed by Kleiner Perkins and Catapult, Engine ML builds distributed deep-learning infrastructure designed to scale
• Steve Wozniak commented: “The best acquisitions are the ones that capture your imagination. This acquisition strengthens Ripcord’s ML and AI technology, allowing us to deliver more value for our customers. Our technology is always learning and improving to make better decisions – and with this acquisition, it’s now deep learning on an entirely different level.”
• Revenues for Ripcord up 200% YOY
• In September, Ripcord announced an innovative joint venture with Fuji Xerox, to help organizations in Japan and APAC find the meaningful business insights in all of their data no matter where – or in what form – it resides
• To date, Ripcord has raised $147M in added growth funding led by CDK Global (Nasdaq: CDK) with participation from existing investors Kleiner Perkins, GV, Steve Wozniak, Silicon Valley Bank, Lux Capital, Tyche Partners, Icon Ventures, FujiFilm, Kitty Hawk and Baidu.

'Fax Express' Has Leaked the Credentials of Half a Million of Its Customers

• Reported on Technadu.com. A fax machine vendor from the US was included in last month’s humongous Cit0day leak
• There are 560,000 records in the database containing email addresses and passwords in plain-text form
• The company has not responded to the notifications and has failed to inform its customers of the compromise
• he New Jersey-based fax machine reseller ‘Fax Express’ has leaked the email addresses and passwords of about 560,000 of its customers

Sharp Introduces Sleek, Affordable Large-Format Ultra-HD Collaboration Display

• Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA), a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation (SEC), introduced the new Sharp 4T-B70CT1U AQUOS BOARD^® interactive display
• TAA compliant 70" Class (69.5" diagonal) Sharp 4T-B70CT1U AQUOS BOARD interactive display is manufactured in Mexico
• Plug and play feature provides quick integration with various cloud-based connectivity options, such as a Chromebook to present Google Classroom on a large-scale format inside the classroom
• The Sharp 4T-B70CT1U is available for order immediately and is expected to ship in January 2021

Digitech Systems Recognized as Top Content Services Platform

• Digitech Systems announces that they have been selected by Insights Success as one of the Most Promising Content Services Platform Providers for 2020
• Insights Success is a magazine for entrepreneurs and C-level executives
• The magazine reviewed dozens of content services providers and selected those they felt best helped companies to tackle their information challenges with effective and collaborative solutions
• Digitech Systems, LLC enables businesses tomore effectively and securely manage, retrieve and store corporate information of any kind using either PaperVision Enterprise content management (ECM) software or the world's most trusted cloud-based ECM service, ImageSilo

Supply Chain Sector Recognizes Toshiba's Sustainability Excellence

• Supply & Demand Chain Executive celebrates Toshiba America Business Solutions' firm and continual commitment to a more sustainable planet by presenting the manufacturer its 2020 Green Supply Chain Award
• Green Supply Chain Award recognizes companies that emphasize sustainability as a core element of their supply chain strategy while working to achieve measurable sustainability goals internally and within their customers’ operations and supply chains

Boston Managed IT Outsourcing Cloud And VoIP Security Solutions Updated

• Newly updated IT outsourcing and managed IT services have been launched by the team at IT Management Solutions.
• Work with clients from Boston, New England

Swiss Enterprises Look to Service Providers to Manage Complex Cloud Installations

·         Enterprises in Switzerland are looking for cloud service providers to help them manage their growing use of hybrid and multi-cloud environments, according to a new report published today by Information Services Group (ISG)

• 2020 ISG Provider Lens™ Public Cloud – Solutions and Services Report for Switzerland finds Swiss companies often using multiple public cloud providers
• Current average at 1.5 public cloud providers per enterprise
• Many mid-sized companies see these services as critical to the success of their digital transformations

Syntax Earns Amazon Web Services Managed Service Provider (MSP) Designation Through ...

• Syntax, a provider of cloud-managed ERP services, announced its acceptance into the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Managed Service Provider (MSP) Program
• Designates it as an AWS Advanced Consulting Partner that helps customers solve complex business
• “With our extensive ERP on AWS managed services experience, and our unique, serverless platform built on top of AWS, our customers can feel confident that their ERP cloud migrations are in experienced, knowledgeable hands. Being accepted into the AWS MSP Program confirms and solidifies our standing as a dependable, technical and functional services provider that can support customers through their entire digital transformation.”

Modern Managed IT Closes $1000000 in Venture Funding as It Adds 100th Customer

• Modern Managed IT today announced that it closed a one million dollar investment round led by Geekdom Fund with participation from 186k Ventures
• Will allow the team to scale hiring and expand marketing efforts for small business managed IT services
• Modern Managed IT recently added their 100th customer while operating quietly with pre-seed funding from Porthcawl Holdings

FireEye, a Top Cybersecurity Firm, Says It Was Hacked by a Nation-State

• Reported on NY Times
• The Silicon Valley company said hackers — almost certainly Russian — made off with tools that could be used to mount new attacks around the world
• Hack was conducted "by a nation with top-tier offensive capabilities," FireEye CEO Kevin Mandia said Tuesday in a blog post
• Milpitas, California-based FireEye, which is publicly traded, has more than 9,600 customers globally including more than 1,000 government and law enforcement agencies

ezeep Introduces Mobile Print to Bring Cloud-Based Managed Printing to iPhones and Android ...

• ThinPrint, headquartered in Germany, with office in Colorado, now offering “ezeep”
• Advertised as the industry’s only 100% cloud print solution
• Claims is superior to Microsoft’s Universal Print solution
• “enabling any device to print to any printer – whether with the ezeep printer driver from PC or Mac, via app for smartphones and tablets or even by web-based drag and drop for the occasional user”
• Offers the ezeep Hub, a compact appliance-like solution that combines a Raspberry PC with ezeep Connector software
• Cost is $8.99 per month, plus per user fees which start at $1.00/month

Ricoh reports on future plans

• Ricoh, headquartered Tokyo, Japan, published its Ricoh Group Integrated Report 2020
• President and CEO Jake Yama****a stated: “Slowdowns in office print volumes and falling print volumes are hitting Ricoh hard.”
• “We understand we will not go back, but instead be prepared for a ‘new normal.’”
• “In predicting changes, we started restructuring our business in various ways”
• “Will continue to grow out of being an office equipment manufacturer and transform to a digital services company.”
• Claims to have existing global printer/copier customer base of 1.4 million customers
• “Eliminated most of the balance sheet structure and financial stability issues that beset us in the past few years.”
• “We seek to become a digital services company. This approach will enable us to survive and prosper well into the future by growing out of being an office equipment manufacturer and transforming into an entity that collaborates with customers to create new value and deliver new services”

Lead for IT Services in New Jersey

• https://www.p4photel.com/topic...ices-in-new-jersey-3

Cybersecurity Updates

• The PHI (protected health information) of more than 16 million Brazilian COVID-19 patients was exposed a hospital employee uploaded a spreadsheet on GitHub
• Spamhaus Security reported that more than fifty networks in the North American region suddenly burst to life after being dormant for a long period of time o organization is focused on tracking spam, phishing, malware, and botnets
  • noticed last week that 52 dormant networks in the ARIN (North-America) area were resurrected concurrently
  • each of them has been announced by a different autonomous system number (ASN), also inactive for a significant period of time
  • chances are almost zero for 52 organizations to suddenly come back online, all at once, although (a rare occurrence as well) some organizations might resurface after taking their network offline for a while.
• The New York City Bar Association and the Chicago Bar Association have both reported data breaches this year, according to reports filed with the Maryland attorney general’s office.
• Cadwalader, Wickersham & Taft Law Firm reported a data breach incident to Massachusetts state officials.
• Timothy Dalton Vaughn, 22, whose online aliases included “WantedbyFeds” and “Hacker_R_US,” of Winston-Salem, North Carolina, was sentenced by United States District Judge Otis D. Wright II to 95 months in federal prison
  • The well-known hacker pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to convey threats to injure, convey false information concerning use of explosive device, and intentionally damage a computer; one count of computer hacking; and one count of possession of child pornography.
• HP Inc. released its 2021 predictions on security threats:
  • human-operated ransomware, thread hijacking, unintentional insider threats, business email compromise, and whaling attacks – are set to increase in the next 12 months.
  • “We can expect to see hackers identifying and taking advantage of any holes in processes that were created, and still exist, after everyone left the office.”
  • “if attackers are successful with destructive attacks on home devices, remote workers won’t get the luxury of having someone from IT turning up at their door to help remediate the problem.”
  • “innocent actions – such as reading personal email on a company machine – can have serious consequences.”
  • “What we’ll see is a rise in ransomware-as-service attacks where the threat is no longer the ‘kidnapping’ of data – it’s the public release of the data.”

• “The rise of ‘double extortion’ ransomware, where victim data is exfiltrated before being encrypted, will particularly hurt public sector organizations, who process all manner of personally identifiable information.”
• “Even if a ransom is paid, there is no guarantee that a threat actor won’t later monetize the stolen data.”
• One of the most at-risk verticals in 2021 will be healthcare. “Healthcare has been a perfect target – society depends on it and these organizations are typically under-resourced, change-averse and slow to innovate”
• Ardit Ferizi, a computer hacker serving 20 years for giving ISIS personal data of more than 1,300 U.S. government and military personnel, has been granted compassionate release because of the coronavirus pandemic o will be placed in ICE custody for prompt deportation to Kosovo
• Ryan S. Hernandez, a computer hacker from Palmdale, CA, had pleaded guilty to stealing confidential Nintendo files o stole confidential information about popular video games, gaming consoles and developer tools
• IBM is reporting that unknown hackers are launching malware attacks on the “cold chain” of refrigerated vaccine distribution o urging those who are involved in shipping, storing, refrigerating, and delivering COVID-19 vaccines to beef up their security
  • Many of the attempts involve emails impersonating an executive of a China-based biomedical firm whose contract attachment steals user credentials.
• The Wall Street Journal is warning drugmakers in the U.S., that they are being targeted by North Korean hackers o Hackers are looking to steal info on COVID-19 vaccines, treatments
• Liv-On Family Care Center of St. Paul, Minnesota reported that it was the victim of a robbery that may have exposed the protected health information of 1,580 people.
• Methodist Hospital of Southern California (MHSC) notified patients of a data breach involving third-party technology vendor Blackbaud.
• Chesapeake Regional Healthcare of Virginia notified 23,000 patients that their PHI was exposed after data breach against its fundraising and data hosting vendor, Blackbaud.
• Advantech of Irvine, CA reported that its confidential company info was posted to the Dark Web after a ransomware attack.
• Gardiner Public Schools of Montana notified an unknown number of students that their info was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital of Massachusetts reported that Zaosong Zheng, 30, was detained at Boston Logan Airport after CBP agents discovered 21 vials of cancer cells in his suitcase apparently stolen from hospital
• Huntington City School District of Alabama notified an unknown number of students that their info was exposed after a ransomware attack.
• Stuller Jewelers, headquartered in Lafayette, LA, notified an unknown number of customers that it was hit by a cyberattack.
• NTreatment, headquartered in San Francisco, CA, which manages PHI for doctors and psychiatrists, left 109,000 records exposed to the internet because one of its cloud servers wasn’t protected with a password.
• ZDNet magazine is reporting that a hacker is selling access to the email accounts of hundreds of C-level executives o Access is sold for $100 to $1500 per account, depending on the company size and exec role.
• McLeod Health of South Carolina is notifying an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after email phishing attack
• AspenPointe, a Colorado mental health services provider, notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• Fairchild Medical Center of Yreka, CA notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.

MSP, MSSP & IT Industry Notes

December 6th, 2020

MSP, MSSP and IT Industry Notes

Sponsored by

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 remarketing, recovery, and recycling of their technology assets. The sooner you involve ARCOA, the sooner you and your clients will see better results.

Panasonic to Shutter Document Scanner Business & Unified Communications (Global)

• Another casualty of COVID19.  Panasonic to close their global document scanner business along with Unified Communications
• Will continue to supply hardware through January 2023 and service and parts until 2029
• Closure scheduled for March 31^st, 2021

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ISG Launches Two Studies on Retail Technology Industry

• Information Services Group has launched two research studies examining vendors offering software and services for the retail industry
• The study results will be published in two comprehensive ISG Provider Lens™ reports, called “Retail Software and Services” and “Retail – Digital Innovators” scheduled to be released in March

Smartronix Named #2 on CHANNELe2e's Top 250 Public Cloud Managed Service Providers ...

• Smartronix named to the Top 250 Public Cloud MSPs List for 2020 (http://www.ChannelE2E.com/top250) by After Nines Inc.’s CHANNELe2e
• Smartronix achieved the #2 spot in this year’s publication
• The list and research identify and honor the top IT MSPs that support customers on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and more
• The rankings are based on CHANNELe2e’s 2020 readership survey combined with the digital media site’s global editorial coverage of managed cloud services

Xceptional Introduces a Complete Managed IT Services Bundle on a User-Based Pricing Model

• Xceptional, Southern California-based managed IT and network technology provider, announces XceptionalCare Complete
• Monthly rate of $149 per month per user

Asset Control Rebrands as Alveo following Technology Innovation and Managed Services Growth

• Asset Control announces it has rebranded as Alveo to reflect the significant change that has happened within the business since moving to new ownership over two years ago
• Alveo's integrated managed service solution for data mastering and data analytics has recently been implemented by a range of new customers including asset managers, banks and global clearing and trading platforms

Rackspace Technology Named a Leader in Multicloud Managed Services Providers by ...

• Rackspace Technology™ announced that they were named a leader in the Forrester Research, Inc. December 2020 report, The Forrester Wave™: Multicloud Managed Services Providers, Q4 2020
• Report evaluated 11 vendors based on 24 criteria across three categories: current offering, strategy, and market presence
• The report goes on to note, “[Rackspace Technology is] again setting the pace with its Rackspace Service Blocks™ methodology, promising variability in service delivery and pricing as compared to traditional steady-state service delivery”

Netenrich Intelligent SOC-as-a-Service Right-Sizes Cybersecurity for Enterprises

• Netenrich, a Resolution Intelligence company, today announced the availability of its Intelligent SOC service
• Offers pay-as-you-grow flexibility, easy onboarding and no investment risk
• Includes

WALLIX Announces US Cybersecurity Virtual Event

• WALLIX a cybersecurity software and Identity and Access Security Solutions expert, is hosting its first US-focused edition of the virtual event WALLIX LIVE on Wednesday, December 9, 2020, beginning at 1 p.m. ET
• Live conference will bring together cybersecurity industry experts to discuss the present and future of identity and access security in the face of accelerating digital transformation

perform IT receives BLI 2021 Outstanding Achievement in Innovation Award

• perform IT, a worldwide software company based in Germany and the USA, has proudly received an Outstanding Achievement in Innovation Award for its in-house developed software mySalesDrive.com
• Innovative, web-based tool is used to streamline the sales process in the Managed Print and Managed IT Services area
• Allows the salesperson to make a quick and easy assessment and provide the customer with a tailor-made proposal

Flexential® Enriches Data Protection Portfolio with Highly Flexible DRaaS Solution

• Flexential, a provider of data center colocation, cloud, connectivity and data protection, today announced a new Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) offering, Flexential DRaaS
• Flexential DRaaS is an ultra-flexible offering designed to answer the market need for a tailored solution that can protect complex IT infrastructures
• Solution is powered by Zerto Continuous Data Protection (CDP), which provides journal-based recovery
• Flexential also offers five DR centers in the U.S. strategically located to provide coverage within 600 miles of most metropolitan area

ThinPrint launches new solution

• ThinPrint, headquartered in Germany, with office in Colorado, now offering “ezeep”
• Advertised as the industry’s only 100% cloud print solution
• Claims is superior to Microsoft’s Universal Print solution
• “enabling any device to print to any printer – whether with the ezeep printer driver from PC or Mac, via app for smartphones and tablets or even by web-based drag and drop for the occasional user”
• Offers the ezeep Hub, a compact appliance-like solution that combines a Raspberry PC with ezeep Connector software
• Cost is $8.99 per month, plus per user fees which start at $1.00/month

Carousel Industries Achieves Calling for Microsoft Teams Advanced Specialization and Launches ...

• Carousel Industries, today announced it is among the first IT services providers worldwide to attain the Calling for Microsoft Teams Advanced Specialization
• Specialization enables Microsoft Gold partners to further demonstrate deep knowledge, extensive experience, and proven success in deploying and managing the Microsoft 365 Phone System, Calling Plans and Direct Routing

Gatun Technologies Now Offering Free eBook on Adopting Managed IT Services

• Gatun Technologies today announced that it is now offering a free eBook on adopting managed IT services
• eBook reveals 10 benefits to adopting managed IT services,

Stellar Cyber Launches MSSP Jumpstart Partner Program

• Stellar Cyber, a security operations platform for MSSPs, has introduced its MSSP Jumpstart Partner Program
• Stellar Cyber provides MSSP partners with a comprehensive AI-powered platform to deliver differentiated MDR and SOC services
• Includes
  • Fast time to value with flexible deployment and easy customer onboarding
  • Increased margin through improved capital and operational efficiency
  • Single license for entire, easy-to-use security operations platform
  • Free onboarding and online training
  • Market development funds (MDF) and end user referrals
  • Competitive replacement discount
  • White-label option

Xerox DocuShare Bugs Allows Data Leaks

• CISA warns the leading enterprise document management platform is open to attack and urges companies to apply fixes
• Xerox issued a fix for two vulnerabilities impacting its market-leading DocuShare enterprise document management platform. The bugs, if exploited, could expose DocuShare users to an attack resulting in the loss of sensitive data
• On Wednesday, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a security bulletin urging users and administrators to apply a patch that plugged two security holes in recently released versions (6.6.1, 7.0, and 7.5) of Xerox’s DocuShare. The vulnerability is rated important.

Datto to Host Third MSP Technology Day

• Will host its third virtual MSP Technology Day on December 9, 2020
• will take a deep dive into two main integrated solutions MSPs use every day to run a successful, efficient, and secure business - Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) and Professional Services Automation (PSA)

DAS Health Acquires Randall Technology Services

• DAS Health Ventures, Inc., a health IT and management, announced it completed the acquisition of Randall Technology Services, LLC (RandallTech) a healthcare and managed IT company based in Amarillo, TX
• DAS Health actively serves more than 1,800 clients, and nearly 3,500 clinicians and 20,000 users nationwide, with offices in Florida, Nevada, New Hampshire and Texas

CyberSecurity

• First Impressions Orthodontics/Professional Dental Alliance of Connecticut, notified 23,000 patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• The Connecticut Department of Social Services notified 37,000 patients that their PHI was exposed after an email phishing attack
• The federal government is proposing a new law named “The Internet of Things
  Cybersecurity Improvement Act”, to increase awareness and standards regarding security of these devices (which would include printers and MFPs)
• US Fertility of Rockville, Maryland notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack
• The U.S. Department of Justice announced indictment of Joshua Malwalt, who allegedly stole PHI for personal financial gain while working for a medical billing services firm in Clearwater, Florida
• The FBI sent out an alert warning US firms of increased attacks of the Ragnar Locker ransomware
• Group IB Security reported that botnet operators are ditching banking Trojans for ransomware, as it isss more lucrative
• Belden Corp. of St. Louis, Missouri, notified an unknown number of employees and customers that their info was exposed after ransomware attack
• Harvard Pilgrim Health Care of Wellesley, Massachusetts notified 8,022 patients that their PHI was exposed after due to mailing error.
• Baltimore County Public Schools of Maryland notified an unknown number of students that their info was exposed after ransomware attack.

• Mayo Clinic, headquartered in Rochester, Minnesota, notified 1600 patients that their PHI was exposed after employee illegally accessed the inf
• Cybersecurity Ventures is reporting that a company in the U.S. is hit by ransomware every 11 seconds Cost from attacks will reach $20 billion in 2021
• Four Winds Hospital of Katonah, NY notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack
• Advanced Urgent Care of Florida Keys notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attac
• Galstan & Ward Family and Cosmetic Dentistry of Suwanee, Georiga notified an
  unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack
• Oglethorpe County Public Schools of Georgia notified an unknown number of students that their info was exposed after ransomware attack
• People Incorporated Mental Health Services of Minnesota notified 27,500 patients that their PHI was exposed after an email phishing attack
• The Archdioceses of St. Louis, Missouri notified an unknown number of members that their
  info may have been exposed after ransomware attack
• LSU Health of Louisiana notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after an email phishing attack
• Griffin Hospital of Connecticut notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack
• My Choice HouseCalls of Jacksonville, FL notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after a burglary
• Kaiser Permanente Health, headquartered in Oakland, CA, notified 10,205 patients that their PHI was exposed after mailing error
• ProPublica magazine is reporting that millions of patients’ medical images are accessible online via unsecure websites
• Reuters News Service is reporting that hackers from North Korea are attempting to penetrate the network of AstraZeneca, which is working on a COVID-19 vaccine in England
• Home Depot Corp. agreed to pay $17.5 million to settle lawsuit regarding a 2014 data breach that exposed customer data
• Europol police announced that they have arrested two hackers from Romania that were allegedly selling a service to hackers for encrypting malware and testing it against antivirus software

November 29th, 2020

MSP, MSSP and IT Industry Notes

Sponsored by

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 remarketing, recovery, and recycling of their technology assets. The sooner you involve ARCOA, the sooner you and your clients will see better results.

ADNET Technologies Named to ChannelE2E's Top 250 Public Cloud MSPs List for 2020

• ChannelE2E, published by After Nines Inc., has named ADNET Technologies to the Top 250 Public Cloud MSPs list for 2020
• The list and research identify and honor the top managed IT service providers (MSPs) that support customers on Amazon Web Services (AWS), Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform (GCP) and more
• Rankings are based on ChannelE2E's 2020 readership survey combined with the digital media site's global editorial coverage of managed cloud services

Highlights from the associated ChannelE2E research include:

• Public Cloud MSP Revenue Growth: MSP honorees, on average, expect to generate $29.2 million in public cloud revenues in 2020, up 38% from 2019
• Geography: MSP honorees are headquartered in 29 different countries, and 51% of the MSP honorees are headquartered outside of North America
• Public Cloud Platforms Supported: 82% of the MSP honorees support Microsoft Azure, followed by AWS (65%), Google Cloud Platform (23%) and VMware Cloud on AWS (18%).
• Largest Revenue Share: 44% of MSP honorees said Microsoft Azure generates the bulk of their public cloud revenues, followed by AWS (41%)
• Cybersecurity: Public cloud MSPs are growing their focus on cloud security posture management (CSPM), extended detection and response (XDR), and additional cyber services.
• M&A: Mergers, acquisitions and private equity investments continue to accelerate across the public cloud MSP sector. MSP honorees have made more than two-dozen acquisitions in the past year

MetTel Named a Leader in the Inaugural 2020 Gartner Magic Quadrant for Managed Network ...

• MetTel announced that it’s been named a Leader in the inaugural Gartner 2020 Magic Quadrant for Managed Network Services (MNS)
• MetTel is a leader in communications and digital transformation (DX) solutions for enterprise customers

NetDocuments reports solution growing

• Headquartered in Orem, Utah, is a leading provider of cloud-based content management solutions for legal vertical
• 40% YoY revenue growth during last two quarters for small-medium law segment
• 54% of new customers replacing competing systems

Square 9 GlobalSearch Cloud Receives 2021 BLI Pick Award

• Square 9 Softworks® has been awarded a Buyers Lab (BLI) 2021 Pick Award for Outstanding Cloud Document Management and Workflow Solution from Keypoint Intelligence
• Keypoint Intelligence accredits Square 9’s GlobalSearch Cloud for robust document management and workflow automation features
• Keypoint Intelligence also recognized GlobalSearch Cloud for its SOC 1, SOC 2, and HIPAA certifications

Kraft Kennedy Recognized as NetDocuments Partner of the Year

• Kraft Kennedy has been named NetDocuments' 2020 Corporate Law Worldwide Partner of the Year
• Specializes in solving critical business problems for law firms, legal departments, corporations, financial services firms and nonprofits

D-Link enhances MSP offering

• Reported on CRN,com.au
• D-Link has added new features to it’s managed service provider networking solution Nuclias Cloud, adding new integrations with Purple, Stampede and Fydelia
• Purple integration is for guest login to Wi-Fi networks through social media logins or forms
• allows the collection of customer data through an opt-in system

Lexmark reducing its workforce

• Lexmark is owned by Ninestar of China
• Announced it has begun layoffs across the U.S.
• Has 2,000 employees in U.S, including 1,400 in Lexington, Kentucky
• Has 8,200 employees worldwide
• Layoffs follow a pay freeze and hiring freeze implemented in March, 2020

Kyocera Launches a New Security-Focused eBook to Guide Firms

• Reported on CIO Review
• Kyocera launches new security-focused ebook titles “Major Player in the Modern Age of Document Security”
• Examines current state of security in the printing and document solutions market
• Highlights evolving trends and threats

Acronis acquires key Israeli cybersecurity consultancy

• Acronis, said it has enhanced its cyber protection portfolio in the Middle East region with the acquisition of Israel-based cybersecurity consultancy company CyberLynx
• Acronis will integrate CyberLynx’s services into its suite of Acronis Security Services

FireEye Buys Cybersecurity Automation Firm Respond Software For $186M

• FireEye has purchased cybersecurity investigation automation startup Respond Software
• The $186 million deal closed Wednesday, and is expected to boost FireEye’s billings and revenue while not impacting non-GAAP operating income next year

Sharp Announces Synappx™ WorkSpaces for Smarter Office Analytics and Insights

• Sharp Imaging and Information Company of America (SIICA), a division of Sharp Electronics Corporation (SEC) today launched Synappx™ WorkSpaces, the latest in its line of Synappx smart office solutions
• Synappx WorkSpaces enhances the functionality of the Windows collaboration display (WCD) from Sharp by leveraging the device's data collection modules into an easy to use dashboard
• Provides organizations with the critical data and analytics needed to make informed decisions about their WCD technology and workspace productivity investments
• Security is a provider of intelligent, tailored cybersecurity solutions

CyberSecurity

HIPAA & Cybersecurity Updates - Top three actions over next 2 years for Healthcare CIOs regarding security survey:

• 50% = identify opportunities for performance improvements and cost savings
• 42% = providing training for staff
• 39% = developing and hiring the correct skill sets

The North Dakota Department of Health and Cavalier County Health notified 35,316 patients that their PHI was exposed after email phishing attack

Tri-State Specialists of Iowa, South Dakota and Nebraska notified 17, 500 patients that their PHI was exposed after email phishing attack

All Pro Sports notified 3,429 users of DJO Mobility Products of Lewisville, TX that their PHI was exposed after email phishing attack.

Northwest Eye Surgeons/Sight Partners of Seattle, WA notified 20,838 patients that their PHI was exposed after cybersecurity breach

University of California-San Francisco (UCSF) School of Medicine notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after cyberattack.

HackerOne, headquartered in San Francisco, CA, who organizes bug bounty events to have hackers get paid for finding vulnerabilities, reported:

• 9 hackers have earned more than $1 million each for their work
• 13 hackers have earned at least $500,000
• 146 hackers have earned at least $100,000
• $40 million has been paid out in 2019
• $3,650 = average bounty paid for critical vulnerability found
• $979 = average amount paid per vulnerability
• Google has paid out $21 million since 2010

Dr. Spyros Panos, previously convicted of stealing PHI, plead guilty to committing fraud a second time:

• Agreed to forfeit $876,389.97 and pay restitution
• Will be sentenced on 3/16/2020 in New York

Northampton Public Library of Pennsylvania notified an unknown number of patrons that their info may have been exposed after ransomware attack

Mercy Iowa City Hospital of Iowa notified 60,473 patients that their PHI was exposed after email phishing attack

Morphisec Security is warning customers in higher education vertical in the U.S. of the Jupyter malware from Russia, that attempts to open a backdoor into network, and steal valuable information and passwords to sell on the Dark Web

Schneider Electric is warning customers of its Trio Data Radio wireless communication mdevices that they are vulnerable to be hacked by the Drovorub malware from Russia

Area 1 Security is warning businesses in the U.S. of new TrickBot botnet email phishing campaign. If successful, the hackers deploy the following malware to take over networks and/or steal valuable info:

• Bazar backdoor
• Buer loader
• Ryuk ransomware
• CobaltStrike

The University of Cincinnati Medical Center in Ohio has agreed to a $65,000 settlement and a corrective action penalty with the Office for Civil Rights to resolve a potential violation of the HIPAA Privacy Rule’s right of access standard

Akropolis has offered the hacker who stole $2 million in Dai cryptocurrency a “bug bounty” reward in return for the missing funds

University of Maryland researchers discovered that it is possible to install malware to convert a smart vacuum cleaner, like the Roborock, into a remotely controlled microphone to record nearby conversations

The Delaware Division of Public Health notified an unknown number of patients that their COVID-19 test results and PHI may have been exposed after an email security event.

DataBreaches.net reported that operators of the Egregor ransomware sometimes use a feature that forces attacked networks to print out ransom notes to printers and MFPs that are attached to the affected network.

Consumer Watchdog reported that it has developed a method in which it can hack into a Tesla car, and take over its operation

The Wash Tub Company, with car wash locations in San Antonio, TX area, notified an unknown number of customers that their info was exposed after payment card breach

Pluto TV, headquartered in Los Angeles, CA, notified 3.2 million subscribers that their info was exposed after ransomware attack

Timberline Billing Services of Des Moines, Iowa, notified 116,000 patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack

November 15th, 2020

MSP, MSSP and IT Industry Notes

Sponsored by

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 remarketing, recovery, and recycling of their technology assets. The sooner you involve ARCOA, the sooner you and your clients will see better results.

Executech Announces Acquisition of USPCNET, Phoenix-Based MSP

• Executech, announced the acquisition of USPCNET, a full-service IT support provider serving the larger Phoenix, Arizona
• USPCNET employees will join the Executech team to expand the company’s footprint into the Phoenix area
• This acquisition is the fourth acquisition by Executech in the past 12 months
• Executech ( executech.com ) is an IT services provider. Founded in 1999

CyberMaxx™ Named to MSSP Alert's Top 250 MSSPs List for 2020

• MSSP Alert, published by After Nines Inc., has named CyberMaxx to the Top 250 MSSPs list for 2020
• The list and research identify and honor the top MSSPs, managed detection and response (MDR) and Security Operations Center as a Service (SOCaaS) providers worldwide
• Rankings are based on MSSP Alert’s 2020 readership survey combined with the digital media site’s global editorial coverage of managed security services providers
• Highlights from the associated MSSP Alert research include:
• MSSP Revenue Growth: MSSP honorees, on average, expect to generate $19.15 million in revenue for 2020, up 16% from $16.47 million in 2019.
• Geography: Honorees are headquartered in 25 different countries -- up from 19 countries in the 2019 report.
• Profits: 84% of MSSPs surveyed expect to be profitable for fiscal year 2020.
• Security Operations Centers: 67% have in-house SOCs, 24% are hybrid, 6% completely outsource their SOCs, and 3% are reevaluating their SOC strategies.
• Cyberattack Trends: The most frequent attacks targeting MSSP customers in 2020 include phishing (95%), vulnerability (76%) and ransomware (69%) attacks.
• Cybersecurity Solutions: In a continued sign of market fragmentation, MSSP survey participants mentioned 129 different hardware, software, cloud, and services vendors that assist their cybersecurity efforts -- up from 95 in 2019.
  • M&A: Mergers, acquisitions and private equity investments continue to accelerate across the MSSP landscape. Twenty high-profile deals

CyberSheath Recognized Among CIO Review's "Most Promising" and "Most Outstanding"

• CyberSheath Services International has been awarded two CIO Review recognitions
• "Most Promising CyberSecurity Consulting & Service for 2020" and "Most Outstanding CMMC MSSP for 2020”
• CIO Review produces an annual list of providers that are at the forefront of providing consulting, services, compliance, and risk solutions to enterprises worldwide
• CyberSheath, a third-party managed service provider, simplifies compliance for its clients in three stages: assess, implement, manage -- AIM™

Palo Alto Networks Acquires Expanse for Attack Surface Management

• Reported on ZDnet.com
• Announced on Wednesday, Palo Alto said the purchase will be used to bolster the Cortex portfolio with Expanse's attack surface management solutions
• The deal was secured for $670 million in cash and stock, as well as roughly $130 million in replacement equity awards

ConnectWise Acquires Perch Security and StratoZen, Two Cybersecurity Firms Focused on MSP ...

• ConnectWise, today announced it has acquired Perch Security and StratoZen
• As part of the ConnectWise Fortify^™ security management solution, these technologies will provide revolutionary data management capabilities both as a service and as core technology in the ConnectWise Fortify SOC
• Perch provides the only MSP-designed SIEM in the industry
• StratoZen’s advanced automation and data analysis capabilities will take the data gathered from the Perch SIEM and turn it into actionable insights

FluidOne acquires IT managed services provider PSU

• Reported on telecompaper.com
• UK network aggregator FluidOne has announced the acquisition of PSU Business Technology
• PSU Business Technology, providers IT managed services, connectivity, mobile, telecoms and Mitel UC services to business customers
• PSU has revenue of GBP 6 million and more than 450 customers

GCOM Announces Acquisition of 20/20 Teknology

• GCOM, a provider of technology solutions focused on state and local governments, today announced the acquisition of 20/20 Teknology
• cquisition combines 20/20 Teknology’s expertise in unified and virtual communications, IT infrastructure, and managed services with GCOM’s government IT offerings
• 20/20 Teknology team will continue to work out of their Ashburn, Virginia office
• GCOM delivers solutions to state and local governments nationwide, with a focus on systems in health and human services, justice and public safety, licensing and regulatory markets
• 20/20 Teknology is a solutions engineering company dedicated to helping organizations secure and optimize their IT infrastructure

Sharp ships new large LCD display

• Sharp, a division of Hon Hai Precision of Taiwan (aka Foxconn) launched its new 120′′ class (diagonal) 8M-B120C 8K Ultra-HD Professional LCD display
• “unparalleled lifelike image detail and quality, for brighter, livelier big-screen images.”
• 33 million pixels, four times more than a 4K panel
• optimized LED back-light phosphors
• provides continuous operation for up to 16 hours a day
• embedded with 70-watt, multi-speaker audio system
• connection via a single HDMI cable
• LAN port that allows customers to connect the monitor to a PC
• can also connect to four PCs via video cables to show content on one large screen
• comes bundled with a floor stand and wall-mounting brackets
• pricing not announced

AEP Names Three New Leaders To Information Technology Organization

• American Electric Power (Nasdaq: AEP) has added three new leaders to its information technology group
• Joe Brenner vice president of Application Development & Business Solutions, effective Nov. 2. Sanjay Terakanambi has been named vice president of Technology Infrastructure, Operations & Support and Christopher D. Johnson has been named managing director of Enterprise Innovation & Technology, effective Nov. 9
• All three positions report to Therace Risch, senior vice president and chief information & technology officer

Hub Security partners with leading Swiss cybersecurity firm to provide Cryptographic Hardware

• Hub Security, the Tel Aviv based cybersecurity firm announced today its partnership with Kudelski Security
• Hub Security will be able to extend Kudelski Security's highly specialized combination of cybersecurity products and industry-leading security solutions to the market
• Hub Security utilizes military-grade cybersecurity principles for its Vault HSM (Hardware Security Module), and handheld miniHSM device with FIPS approved cryptographic algorithm validation as well as an architecture that is designed for FIPS140-2 Level 4 (pending)
• Kudelski Security is a provider of intelligent, tailored cybersecurity solutions

CyberSecurity

• WeWork revealed that an employee discovered that if users entered “9999” on the network, they could print out other people’s jobs, whilethinkarcoa.com using free office WiFi account. This has since been corrected.
• The FBI is reporting that a Eastern European hacking group named “UNC1878” aks Wizard Spider, is using Ryuk ransomware to target hospitals in the U.S.NBC *News is reporting that 20 hospitals have been struck so far.
• Wakefern Food Corp., headquartered in Keasbey, NJ, owner of ShopRite supermarkets, agreed to pay $235,000 to the State of New Jersey, to settle HIPAA and NJ Consumer Fraud violations as a result of a breach that exposed PHI of pharmacy department customers.
• Abbott Laboratories Corp., headquartered in Chicago, IL, filed a lawsuit against former employee, Jerome Cavel, accusing him of stealing confidential info and trade secrets.
• Mary Rutan Hospital of Bellefontaine, Ohio, notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after it was inadvertently posted in Excel spreadsheet in publicly accessible website.
• Sisters of Charity Health System, headquartered in Cleveland, OH, hotified 118,874 patients that their PHI was exposed after cyber attack.
• Presbyterian Health, headquartered in Albuquerque, NM, notified 193,223 patients that their PHI was exposed after cyber incident.
• Microsoft is reporting that over 100,000 computers remain affected by the Windows vulnerability known as SMBGhost, even though a patch is available.
• The Maze ransomware gang sent out announcement that it is shutting down its operations. (group started in 2019, so has it collected enough ransom from customers that perpetrators can now retire?)
• Coveware Security reports that in most cases, even if customer pays the hacker the ransom, the hacker still publishes the data on Dark Web to monetize. Other reports:
  o Average ransom paid up 31% to $233,817
  o 70% of ransomware victims have less than 1,000 employees
  o Average days of downtime up 19% to 19 days
• River Hospital of Alexandria, New York notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• The Alamance Skin Center of Burlington, North Carolina, part of the Cone Health system, notified an unknown number of patients that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.
• The Geo Group, headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, which operates private prisons and detention centers around the U.S., notified an unknown number of prisoners that their PHI was exposed after ransomware attack.

• Club Fitness, headquartered in St. Louis, Missouri, notified an unknown number of members that their info was exposed after ransomware attack.
  - Riverside Psychiatric Medical Group of California agreed to pay HIPAA fine of $25,000 after withholding a woman’s PHI for 20 months
• HP reports a 1200% increase during Q3 of Emotet malware attacks in the U.S.
  o Can convince users to run a malicious Microsoft Word document emailed to them
• The University of Vermont Health Network called on the National Guard to assist their IT team recover from a ransomware attack.
• Check Point Security is reporting that one hacking group has compromised the VoIP networks of almost 1, 200 organizations.
• California voters approved the California Privacy Right Act (CPRA)
  o Increased rights of citizens to know what kind of data bsuinesses have on them
  o Restricts sale of data
  o Forces businesses to correct inaccurate info
  o Prohibits businesses’ retention of personal info for longer then reasonably necessary
  o Triples the maximum penalties for violations involving people under 16