Collabrance Blog

Most business owners today understand how critical cybersecurity is to their livelihood – and to ensure they’re adequately protected, they may choose to partner with a team of IT specialists. When considering options for outsourced IT, two choices will surface: A managed services provider (MSP) or managed security service provider (MSSP). MSPs and MSSPs both provide security solutions, but there are distinctions to be considered between the two. Let’s examine the similarities and differences between an MSP and MSSP to better understand each offering.

In today's digital world – where nearly every function of business happens online – cybersecurity is a topic that should be at the forefront of every business owner's mind. As a master managed services provider, Collabrance provides the security solutions IT providers need to deliver essential security services to their SMB customers. In this blog, we'll discuss vital cybersecurity best practices you can share with your customers to strengthen their defenses and protect sensitive data.

Did you know compromised user passwords are among the most common causes of security breaches? According to the National Cybersecurity Alliance, 81% of all hacking-related incidents are due to weak and stolen passwords. Cyber criminals know a company’s passwords are the keys to its tools and accounts – and if cyber criminals are able to get those keys, they gain control of a business’s data, workflow, and reputation.

By now, providers of managed IT are well aware of multi-factor authentication (MFA) and its critical role in IT security – but small to medium sized businesses can be slow to embrace a new technical tool. Your customers may see MFA as an unnecessary added step that will only slow down productivity. In this blog, we’ll share ways to demonstrate to your customers that MFA is not only useful, it’s essential to their security strategy.

Business email compromise – abbreviated as BEC – is evolving every day. Yahoo business predicts the cost of BEC exploits to eclipse $3.3 billion by 2028. With attacks becoming progressively more sophisticated and deliberately targeted to specific industries – like financial services companies that manage accounting and online banking, among others – it’s imperative that all levels of a company’s employees be cognizant of what information they are receiving electronically and how to identify potential “spear phishing” attacks.

“The most wonderful time of the year” is wonderful for us AND cyber criminals. During the holidays, our lives are often filled with much more excitement and activity than the rest of the year. Cyber criminals are great observers of human behavior, and they see opportunity in these changes in routine.

We’re nearing the end of October, and the end of another Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Cybersecurity is important year-round, but with a heightened focus the last four weeks, we should maximize the opportunity to shine a light on cybersecurity-related topics. Call it opportunistic, but as security professionals, we need all the leverage we can get.

It’s October, which means pumpkins are being judged for size and shape by clever decorators and children are daydreaming about the candy treats they might receive on Halloween. But for the rest of us, it’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month! Started in 2004 by the Department of Homeland Security, Cybersecurity Awareness Month is an opportunity to educate your customers, coworkers, and friends about how to protect their identities and data.

October may be the official "cybersecurity month", but it appears some have missed the memo. According to Accenture’s State of Cybersecurity Resilience report, security attacks increased 31% from 2020 to 2021, with the number of attacks per company reaching 270 annually. A 2022 UpCity study found that only 50% of U.S. businesses have a formal cybersecurity plan, and of those, 32% haven't updated their plan since the COVID-19 pandemic introduced remote and hybrid operations.