News in the Channel – February 2023

NEW PARTNERSHIPS

Redsquid partner with StayPrivate to enhance encryption services

Redsquid has partnered with security partner StayPrivate in a move to bring next generation email encryption into their managed services portfolio. With phishing remaining at the top of security threats, the partnership is designed to help overcome the security challenges that businesses in the UK face and allowing them to finally send secure emails in and out of organisations, as there continue to be a need to exchange personal and sensitive information via email. Adrian Barnard, CRO at StayPrivate, said: “We’re delighted to be working with award winning Redsquid. Helping them serve their clients better is our joy and with Redsquid using StayPrivate themselves it’s a mark of

confidence & surely the best reference a supplier can give its customers.” Sohin Raithatha, CEO of Redsquid, added: “Welcoming StayPrivate into our community as an innovative partner allows us to continue to bring the best cyber security solutions to our customers. We are always looking for the next generation of security tools that can take on the battle against cybercrime and are excited to bring their encryption solution to our customers. “Bringing StayPrivate into Redsquid helps us fulfil our purpose of making a difference to our customers with the use of technology, as we now will be able to provide them with even more cyber security technologies that can enable us to keep thousands of emails secure every day.”

Sohin Raithatha CEO Redqsuid

redsquid.co.uk

MSPs and their SME customers still prime ransomware attack targets

MSPs and their SME customers are being heavily targeted by ransomware and phishing attacks, according to new research. N-able’s analysis of its 2022 Mail Assure data compared to 2021, showed an increase in phishing attacks over the prior year, based on over 28 billion emails blocked by the cloud-based email security solution. Specifically, phishing attempts against businesses increased from 776 million to 913 million, an 18% increase year-on-year. There were also five million more attempts by hackers to install viruses on MSP customer servers. In a survey commissioned by N-able, MSPs reported that 82% of customers have seen an increase in attempted cyberattacks, with phishing revealed as the top attack vector. As email continues to be a primary delivery method for malware, with many ransomware attempts delivered this way, these types of targeted attacks can provide a rapid entry point to deliver the payload cybercriminals are desperately seeking. “Cybercriminals are clever, and phishing is, for them, not only cost effective but an incredibly efficient tool in their arsenal. These criminals will continue to deliver well-timed and well-planned spear- phishing attacks against strategically targeted individuals within an organisation to gain the right permissions to execute their actions and objectives,” said Dave MacKinnon, chief security officer at N-able. “To do this, actors will continue to

leverage highly specific spear-phishing emails with the intent of installing malware on even the most cyber-aware companies’ assets. It’s vital to stop as many attempts as possible at the front door, but this strategy on its own isn’t enough.” Lewis Pope, head nerd at N-able, added: “SMEs continue to be attractive targets for cyberattacks so having the right knowledge and education is vital, it’s imperative that MSPs continue to educate on security best practices. For example, the importance of moving away from legacy solutions to help certain defenses such as moving away from standard antivirus and adopting an endpoint detection and response tool. Not only to help prevent these targeted attacks, but to provide the rapid recovery that AV can’t. “Cyber resilience doesn’t need to be complex—an MSP can provide simple solutions to help reduce vulnerabilities and protect SMEs by implementing security controls aligned to the UK’s Cyber Essentials framework, NIST Cybersecurity Framework, CIS Controls, or the upcoming EU Cybersecurity certification framework. These solutions include the use of data protection, proper patch management, email security, 24x7 security monitoring for endpoints, the use of multi-factor authentication, and other tools along with complementary business processes. Not only can this help improve a SME’s cyber resilience but also improve operational efficiencies at the same time.”

Dave MacKinnon chief security officer

Lewis Pope head nerd

n-able.com