Articles

What Is an MSP? 6 Ways to Think About Managed Service Providers

Years ago, when businesses needed tech support beyond what they could manage in-house, they often turned to IT consultants. But as the technology landscape grew more complex and security threats spiked, companies needed more than ad hoc consulting services — they sought to fully outsource their technology function. Enter managed service providers, or MSPs. What is an MSP? In basic…

Navigating the challenges and benefits of a hybrid work model

The COVID-19 pandemic changed the way we work primarily by accelerating the widespread adoption of remote work. As pandemic safety measures eased, many companies had hoped to bring employees back into the office this year. However, the Wall Street Journal noted in May that most efforts pushing for a return to fully on-premise work had stalled. In fact, nearly 60%…

How to Save on IT Support Services Without Sacrificing Security

Performance is top of mind for CFOs and COOs who are trying to do more with fewer resources. They are facing more pressure than ever to justify their spending and prove they’re providing value. Our goal is to help every department, not just IT, get what they want while still delivering results. The following are 9 ways we’ve found to get the best value from your IT investment.…

Drive More Sales and Gain Competitive Advantage with AI in Salesforce

By Chris Valiquet, Senior Salesforce Consultant, StarrData In a recent blog post, we explored how we plan to begin implementing Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies to enhance our business practices at Xantrion and why we feel it’s important for our clients to start thinking about how to leverage AI-based technologies. While many solution providers are beginning to tap into the possibilities of…

Reduce Costs and Beat the IT Security Labor Shortage

To keep your key systems functional, you need two centralized teams to oversee your entire network: a security operations center (SOC) and a network operations center (NOC). Your SOC monitors, responds to, and remediates security threats to protect applications and data against cyberattacks. Your NOC keeps an eye on network status, applies updates and patches, and provides tech support…

5 Ways We Plan to Use AI

It seems like you can’t browse the Internet these days without seeing one of the latest artificial intelligence (AI)-powered chatbot technologies mentioned in the news. Headlines about ChatGPT, Bing AI Chat, and Google Bard abound, and each predicts that their new technologies are poised to disrupt the business world. While these technologies are rapidly evolving, according to Bill Gates, they…

New Enhanced MFA Experience

You have probably heard of some high-profile network breaches in the news in recent months. Threat actors targeting organizations both large and small and have found success breaching secure environments using a technique called MFA spamming. This is a highly effective tactic because it targets the person, not the technology, to work around an organization’s MFA protections. Companies as large…

Even the Best Security Systems will Fail Without the Right Employee Training

When discussing the importance of adopting a strong cybersecurity strategy, too often the focus is on technology solutions designed to prevent and mitigate cyber-attacks. Certainly, the adoption of tools and solutions is integral to a strong security posture. Yet, as noted in Verizon’s 2022 Data Breach Investigations Report, a staggering 82 percent of data breaches involve some sort of human…

Cybersecurity By the Numbers

In recent years, cybersecurity has been a considerable concern for middle market companies. Threats are far more frequent, diverse, and severe than anyone could have anticipated. It’s crucial that all organizations implement cyber defense measures that better safeguard company and customer information to mitigate financial losses and brand damage. From lingering threats related to the COVID-19 pandemic, to geopolitical conflicts…

Seven Reasons to Outsource IT to a Managed Service Provider

Organizations are always looking for ways to effectively manage costs, improve productivity, and scale efficiently. One method proven to help achieve these goals is to outsource IT support to a managed service provider (MSP). Not only is outsourcing typically 30-40% cheaper than hiring in-house1, it can also help you close critical gaps in your IT and cybersecurity infrastructure. Below are…

Should you Trust Password Managers?

A good password is a critical part of protecting your data. So, when LastPass, a popular password manager solution, announced that its third-party cloud-based storage service had been breached, allowing an unknown attacker to gain access to backups containing customer data including password vaults, a lot of people got nervous. The bad news is that those customer password vaults are in…

4 Reasons Xantrion Helps you Sleep Better at Night

According to a recent RSM report, a critical issue midmarket companies face when selecting an IT services company is determining which company they can trust. As your IT partner, we take our responsibility seriously, and the following are 4 reasons you can depend on us. 1. We are SSAE 18 SOC 2 certified each year Service organizations like IT outsourcing…

Top 10 IT Priorities and Challenges for SMBs in 2023

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Why Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) Instead of Anti-Virus Software?

Security remains one of the biggest concerns and most challenging responsibilities facing small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) today. In 2021, there was a 300% increase in ransomware attacks with over 50% reaching small businesses. To address this challenge, Microsoft is investing in security solutions purposefully designed to help protect them. Microsoft Defender for Business is a new endpoint security solution…

Ensure your Life Science Company Survives Investor Due Diligence

By Robert Thomas, Audit Senior Manager, WithumSmith+Brown, PC and Christian Kelly, IT Auditor, Xantrion Inc. Congratulations! Your pharmaceutical, biologic, or medical device startup has developed a promising product, and you’re ready to raise a Series B round of funding. Read on to learn what experts Rob Thomas and Christian Kelly recommend to make it easier to pursue and obtain that…

The Do’s and Don’ts of Preventing MFA Spamming Attacks

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a great way to add an extra layer of security to network access. But it’s not foolproof – as Cisco, Microsoft, and Uber all learned recently when cybercriminals breached their network using a technique known as MFA spamming. Also known as MFA bombing and MFA fatigue, this ploy is used by an attacker who has acquired…

Cybercriminals Like to go Phishing, Don’t Fall for the Bait

Phishing is when criminals use fake emails, social media posts or direct messages with the goal of luring you to click on a bad link or download a malicious attachment. If you click on a phishing link or file, you can hand over your personal information to the cybercriminals. A phishing scheme can also install malware onto your device. No need…

Ransomware Protection: Guaranteed

Last year’s headline-grabbing ransomware attacks on the Colonial Pipeline and meatpacking company JBS show how vital it is to remain vigilant in your efforts to protect yourself from ransomware. For several days, the attacks shut down one of the most vital oil pipelines in the US and disrupted the global meat supply chain. They also cost each company millions of…

Is Penetration Testing Worth the Investment?

1. What is penetration testing and why is it important? A penetration test identifies how a cybercriminal might successfully get into your network and systems in order to steal your data and compromise your operations. Many companies are required to provide the results of a penetration test to regulators or insurers every year, but even without an external requirement, a…

Take your Start Up to Grown Up in 3 Steps

By Karl Pontau, Owner, Squash & Stretch Productions, Dave Oates, Founder, PR Security Service, Anne Bisagno, President, Xantrion Inc. Perspectives from leaders in Managed Security, Crisis Management, and Story Coaching & Consulting Well done. You’ve cleared the hurdle of getting your startup funded and you’re now faced with the exciting, yet perhaps overwhelming next steps of scaling and growing your…

Best Places to Work 2022: Flexibility in Everything Helps Xantrion Tame Turnover

By Ari Mahrer, Data Reporter, San Francisco Business Times Xantrion meets its employees where they are. Literally. The Oakland-based provider of cybersecurity and IT services to midsized businesses has always maintained flexible working arrangements for its employees. Its “human-first approach,” according to its co-founder and President Anne Bisagno, has made it a sort of unicorn among the noise generated around…

Secure your Systems with Smart Solutions from Microsoft

Integrated Cyber Threat Protection with Microsoft

Why Xantrion Uses Microsoft

When you hire Xantrion as your managed security service provider (MSSP), you’re trusting our ability to protect your business-critical infrastructure and data – and the technology partners we choose to help us do that. Microsoft is one of our most trusted partners. In fact, we have so much confidence in their approach to zero trust security that we’ve made…

Prepare for New SEC Cybersecurity Requirements

In February, the Securities Exchange Commission (SEC) announced new cybersecurity requirements for registered investment advisors. The proposed changes, which are currently in the comments phase, are likely to be formalized and published before the end of the year. Here’s what you need to know before that happens. What will the new rules do? Essentially, they will put teeth into the…

The Cyber Resilience Framework

By IDC The business impact of cyber incidents like ransomware attacks make it critical for companies to take action to lower their cyber risks and to avoid becoming the next victim. Companies must also be pragmatic and develop a strategy for dealing with the ramifications of a cyber incident should one occur. Reducing cyber risk, while imperative, does not guarantee…

Vulnerability Scanning: What It Is And What It Does

By Rapid Fire Tools Nearly every industry and government IT security standard around the world, including the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, the Center for Internet Security (CIS 20), Australia’s Essential 8, the Department of Defense’s CMMC and PCI requires vulnerability scanning. This almost universal requirement for network vulnerability scanning stems from its core function of identifying weaknesses in computers and networks…

Marrache Law Gains Peace of Mind with LawToolBox and Microsoft Teams

Marrache Law, a boutique law firm based in Southern California, needed a better way to track filing deadlines and manage cases. It brought LawToolBox into its Microsoft Teams environment to automate deadline management, speed communication, and improve workflows. Ruled by deadlines Everything in a law practice is driven by deadlines. Mismanaging dates can not only throw a case into jeopardy,…

Five Best Practices for Cloud Security

The volume of security signals is overwhelming. And the combination of legacy and siloed tools makes it even harder for defenders to protect against today’s sophisticated attacks. Many businesses are not yet protecting their cloud assets to the same extent that their on-premises assets are protected—and hiring security talent is an ongoing challenge. As a result, many organizations have large…

The New Normal: Hybrid Work Means Greater Focus On Endpoint Security

By Daniel Newman, CEO, Broadsuite Media Group With remote work here to stay for many organizations, endpoint security has never been more crucial. Why? Employees are now working from so many locations, on so many different devices, that it would be nearly impossible for any single IT team to verify that employees will use VPNs or other security measures to…