Each morning MSSP Alert broadcasts a quick lineup of news, analysis and chatter from across the global managed security services provider, SOC (security operations center) and IT outsourcing ecosystem.
Here’s the lineup for Thursday, April 26, 2018.
12. Federal Software Blockade: Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., introduced a bill Tuesday that would give the federal government authority to ban the use of private companies' software across government without notice, in a measure she said would help shield federal computer systems from foreign attacks, according to Law360. Skeptics worry that the government could block foreign software packages without disclosing or proving specific concerns about the products.
11. Cyber Attacks: Some 43% of UK businesses have experienced a security breach or cyber-attack in the past 12 months, a slight drop from a year previously, according to the latest government research.
10. Equifax Breach Costs: Equifax has spent $242.7 million on its data breach recovery efforts -- so far... Following that breach, multiple Equifax executives "retired" without admitting any wrongdoing.
9. State-Sponsored Hacking: A North Korea-linked hacking group called GhostSecret attempted to steal data worldwide, according to a new McAfee research report. We'll share more details soon.
8. Cyber Insurance: Kroll has launched CyberRiskRankER, a cyber risk assessment platform. It's designed for the insurance industry -- including underwriters, brokers, and applicants.
7. DDoS Attack Trends: Kaspersky Lab's Q1 2018 DDoS Intelligence Report reveals an increase in activity by both old and new botnets, growth in the popularity of amplification DDoS attacks and the return of long-lasting (multi-day) DDoS attacks, the company says.
6. Check Point Warning Signal?: Check Point Software Technologies reported first-quarter adjusted profit that edged views, but its June quarter outlook proved disappointing, sending shares down more than 6 percent, according to Investors Business Daily.
5. Avast IPO: Watch for Avast to potentially launch its IPO on May 10. The security company is seeking a $4.5 billion valuation. Avast also owns Managed Workplace, an MSP-focused RMM (remote monitoring and management) software platform originally built by Level Platforms.
4. SOC as a Service: The Department of Homeland Security is exploring ways to offer Security Operations Center (SOC) as a service to "cabinet-level" agencies, according to a DHS source. Moreover, the DHS itself is striving to consolidate 16 SOCs to a yet-to-be-determined number, according to FedScoop.
3. Student-run SOC: St. Bonaventure University has opened the Western New York Cybersecurity Research Center. The center includes a SOC that will allow students and faculty to both perform research and provide monitoring and defense services to clients, according to Olean Times Herald.
2. Talent Part One: Secure Now has hired Al Lowenstein has CTO. Secure Now provides security and compliance solutions for healthcare professionals as well as SMB customers.
1. Talent Part Two: eSentire, a managed detection and response (MDR) provider, has hired Blackberry veteran James Yersh as chief administrative officer (CAO). He's responsible for the finance functions of the business, as well as human resources, and risk/compliance. eSentire is a Top 100 MSSP, though the company prefers to emphasize its MDR capabilities as a market differentiator. We'll share more thoughts soon.
