It’s that time of year when people in many parts of the world are looking forward to spending time with family and friends and taking a bit of a break.

Unfortunately, this time of year also sees a surge in cyber threats, as bad actors like to exploit the reduction in network monitoring over the holidays. Ransomware attacks, as an example, often spike significantly during this time.

To help you navigate this period safely, here are a few quick and easy best practices to better protect your network while you take some well-deserved time off.

For a full list of best practices to secure your network from ransomware and other attacks be sure to download our white paper on this topic.

1. Update your network infrastructure

Make sure that before you depart for the holidays, all your network infrastructure has been updated with the latest firmware. These updates often contain important security patches for known vulnerabilities or hardening enhancements.

If you’re a Sophos Firewall customer, make sure all your firewalls are updated to v21.

If you’re one of our customers still using soon to be end of life XG Series appliances, get an order in for your new XGS Series before you depart. Upgrading is easy and there are tremendous savings to be had – and if you upgrade early, you can overlap your licenses.

There’s also a new backup/restore assistant that makes upgrading to your new XGS Series appliance easy with full port-mapping options. And we just released a new line of desktop XGS Series models with new levels of performance and efficiency.

If you have other internet facing infrastructure like a VPN concentrator or WAF, make sure it’s also up to date.

2. Shut down any non-essential systems over the holidays

Any system that’s exposed to the internet is an attractive target for attackers looking to get a foothold on your network. If you have systems exposed to the internet, particularly via RDP or VNC, disable these systems over the holidays.

As you plan for the new year, explore implementing Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA) to provide robust, next-generation protection for these systems and fortify your security posture. ZTNA will enable secure access only for specific authenticated users and will otherwise make your networked applications and systems invisible to attack.

If you don’t have ZTNA and you still need to access any systems remotely over the holidays, be sure to only allow access from the LAN and use remote access VPN – disable any port forwarding or NAT rules on your firewall. This also applies to any user portals that you may have provisioned – at least temporarily disable them over the holidays.

3. Ensure authentication is secured with MFA

Attackers often use brute force login attempts to exploit weak credentials, especially during the holidays.  Make sure all systems on your network are properly protected with strong passwords and multi-factor authentication (MFA). These measures significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized access and keep your network secure.

Sophos has products and services that can help

As you would expect, Sophos Firewall and our full line of network security solutions are secure by design as we take your organization’s network security extremely seriously.

Our network security products seamlessly integrate with our full suite of cybersecurity products and services – including our 24/7 Managed Detection and Response service designed to provide you with unmatched protection and peace of mind—especially during the holiday season.

Under attack? Contact us in an emergency

If you experience an emergency incident over the holidays (or any time), you can engage our fixed-fee Sophos Rapid Response service. Our team of expert incident responders will help you triage, contain, and eliminate active threats, and remove all traces of the attackers from your network.

Whether it is an infection, compromise, or unauthorized access attempting to circumvent your security controls, we’ve seen and stopped it all. Sophos Rapid Response is available 24/7/365, including over the holiday period.

Get the full set of network security best practices to secure your network

For a full list of best practices to secure your network from ransomware and other attacks be sure to download our white paper on this topic.

Source: Sophos

When searching for the best password manager for your small business, there are several features you should consider based on your preferences and needs.

Zero-knowledge and end-to-end encryption

Your password manager should use zero-knowledge encryption, meaning all data stored in your vault can only be encrypted and decrypted by you. No one besides you can access your passwords if your password manager uses zero-knowledge encryption. For a password to be encrypted, it must be converted from a readable format into ciphertext, which neither people nor machines can read until it’s decrypted using an encryption key. The combination of a zero-knowledge model and end-to-end encryption is important for a business password manager because it ensures your employees’ passwords will only be known to them and protected from cybercriminals.

Passkey support

The password manager you choose for your small business should support passkeys for added security. A passkey allows you to log in to your accounts and apps without entering a password. Instead, you log in the same way you unlock your device. Keeper Password Manager supports passkeys, simplifying your employees’ login process by enabling them to manage their passkeys within their vault.

Secure sharing capabilities

Sharing login credentials and private files is important for your small business, so your password manager should enable you to share encrypted passwords and files with ease. Everything stored in your digital vault is encrypted, and when all your employees use a business password manager, you can easily give them access to any passwords or files they need. By using vault-to-vault record sharing, Keeper users can share records with team members while keeping information encrypted the entire time. Keeper also offers a feature known as One-Time Share, enabling users to share passwords and files with anyone, including non-Keeper users, for a limited time.

Cross compatibility

Your password manager should allow you and your employees to access your passwords and other important information from any device, web browser or operating system. A password manager like Keeper is ideal for small businesses that allow their employees to use different types of devices or web browsers because Keeper can be used on any device, no matter what web browser or operating system your employees use.

2FA code storage

Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) is a form of Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), where you are required to enter another form of verification beyond your username and password to access an account. If you require your employees to enable 2FA, you should make sure whichever password manager you use for your small business can store 2FA codes. Some types of MFA that can be saved in a secure password manager like Keeper include answers to security questions and Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) codes. A password manager that can store these 2FA codes reduces the amount of time your employees spend trying to log in to their accounts and increases their productivity and safety.

Dark web monitoring

An essential feature of your password manager should be its ability to monitor the dark web. Dark web monitoring is a tool that searches for specific information, like your email address or passwords, on the dark web, to ensure they have not been compromised. When you use Keeper Password Manager for your small business, you can use BreachWatch, an add-on feature that constantly scans the dark web and notifies you immediately if your stored login credentials are found. By receiving notifications about your credentials being found on the dark web, you and your small business can stay protected and take action quickly to secure your passwords.

The best password manager for small businesses

If you’re looking for a password manager that covers all your security needs, look no further than Keeper Password Manager. Using Keeper is the best way to protect your employees, customers and small business from potential cyber attacks due to its zero-knowledge encryption, passkey support, secure sharing abilities, cross compatibility, MFA storage and dark web monitoring features.

Start your free 14-day trial of Keeper Business to discover the vast benefits of using a password manager to protect your small business from cyber threats.

Source: Keeper

Your small business should rely on a password manager to ensure your employees use strong passwords, to simplify onboarding and offboarding processes, securely share files, avoid potentially losing money from a cyber attack and improve employee productivity. A business password manager allows you and your employees to store and protect all passwords, with each employee having their own digital vault.

Continue reading to learn the five benefits of using a password manager for your small business and what to look for in an effective password manager.

1. Ensures each employee is using strong passwords

If your small business uses a password manager, you can easily enforce strong password security policies for all your employees. You can set a minimum password length and require that all employees use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) on their accounts related to your business for extra security. A password manager can also identify passwords that are weak or being reused, which can help employees determine which passwords need to be changed. With complete visibility into employee password practices, a password manager makes it easy to enforce the use of strong passwords.

2. Simplifies employee onboarding and offboarding

Your small business deserves a convenient way to onboard and offboard employees, and having a password manager can simplify these tedious tasks. A password manager aids the onboarding and offboarding processes by enabling you to securely share passwords when an employee first arrives and quickly change them if an employee leaves. For onboarding, a password manager conveniently stores and organizes an employee’s login credentials based on their role, taking less time for you to set up the new employee’s accounts. When offboarding, a password manager lets you remove a former employee’s access to all systems and quickly change their passwords so they cannot compromise any business data. Most password managers also support automated provisioning and de-provisioning when integrated with your identity provider.

3. Enables secure password and file sharing

You and your employees need to be able to securely share passwords and files within your small business to reduce the risk of compromised data. Passwords and files shared over email are unencrypted, which means they could be intercepted by a cybercriminal. Worse than sharing important information over email is writing passwords down on a sticky note or piece of paper that could easily be picked up by anyone and used to compromise business data. Using a password manager to share important passwords and files keeps your business’ confidential data secure and ensures it goes to the correct recipient.

4. Saves money in the long run

Password managers can help your small business save money in the long run in the event of a cyber attack. For example, if your small business did not have a password manager in place and used weak passwords, it could suffer a data breach and be forced to shut down completely if its data or finances were compromised, not to mention the tarnished reputation. According to Verizon’s 2024 Data Breach Investigations Report, 68% of data breaches occur due to an employee making an error or falling victim to phishing scams. It would cost much less to invest in a password manager to protect your financial information, customer data and other online accounts than to risk being unable to recover following a cyber attack.

5. Improves employee productivity

With a password manager, your employees can be more productive since they won’t have to remember passwords on their own or spend time resetting them. The only password employees need to remember is their master password, which acts as the key to enter their vault.  Additionally, since password managers also help employees generate strong passwords with its built-in password generator, employees save time by not having to create them on their own.

With Keeper^®, there is even a feature called KeeperFill, which automatically logs you in on any device, web browser or operating system, as long as you’ve downloaded the app or browser extension. Having this feature for your small business’ password management will help any employee log in to their accounts without needing to adjust to a different device, web browser or operating system for work.

Source: Keeper

For most organizations, the complexity and cost of recruiting, training, and retaining a highly skilled team of security operations analysts is a significant challenge. The reality of deploying and running your own 24/7 threat detection and response function is simply out of reach for many businesses and more IT professionals than ever are outsourcing security operations to a trusted partner like Sophos.

Most-reviewed by customers: A 2024 Gartner Customers’ Choice vendor

Sophos MDR is the most trusted managed detection and response service, and the most highly rated by customers. We are delighted to announce that Sophos has been named a Customers’ Choice vendor in the 2024 Gartner Voice of the Customer report for Managed Detection and Response for the second year running.

Based on verified customer reviews, Sophos is the highest-rated (4.9/5.0) and most-reviewed (344 reviews) vendor in the report. And, with this recognition, Sophos is the only vendor named a 2024 Customers’ Choice vendor across Endpoint Protection Platforms, Network Firewalls, and Managed Detection and Response categories.

Read the 2024 Gartner Voice of the Customer report for MDR

Sophos has also recently been recognized as the top overall MDR service in G2’s Fall 2024 Grid Report, based on customer reviews.

The world’s most trusted MDR service: 25K+ customers protected

Sophos has reached a significant milestone, now with over 25,000 organizations protected by the Sophos Managed Detection and Response (MDR) service – more customers than any other MDR provider.

Our elite teams of security analysts, incident responders, threat researchers, and engineers, deliver unparalleled protection to organizations of all sizes and industries, safeguarding their operations across the globe. This breadth and depth of experience enables Sophos to deliver superior cybersecurity outcomes day in and day out, detecting and neutralizing sophisticated attacks quickly.

Why do more organizations choose Sophos for managed detection and response? Sophos MDR is a service that meets you where you are:

• Customizable: Multiple service tiers and threat response modes to meet your organization’s needs. Authorize the Sophos MDR team to execute full-scale incident response or collaborate with your security operations team to manage cyberthreats.
• Compatible with existing tools: Sophos can provide the technology you need from our award-winning portfolio, or our analysts can leverage your existing cybersecurity technologies thanks to an extensive range of turnkey integrations.
• Full-scale incident response:With the Sophos MDR Complete service tier, we provide unlimited incident response, with no caps or additional fees in the event of a breach. Our elite team goes beyond limited threat containment provided by other MDR services, with the ability to execute extensive response actions to disrupt and fully eliminate adversaries.
• Breach Protection Warranty: Enjoy the peace of mind from having financial coverage if a breach occurs. The Sophos Breach Protection Warranty covers up to $1 million in response expenses for qualifying customers.
• Leading threat intelligence: Sophos X-Ops is a joint task force that combines deep expertise across the attack environment to defend against even the most sophisticated threats.

To see what customers say about our service, check out hundreds of independent, verified reviews on Gartner Peer Insights and G2.

A service designed to scale

Managed Detection and Response (MDR) is one of the hottest, fastest-growing areas in cybersecurity. That’s no surprise to Sophos, which is why we created an MDR service that can provide superior cybersecurity outcomes for hundreds of thousands of customers. With over 25,000 customers already benefiting from Sophos MDR, we’re just getting started.We ensure the scalability of the service by focusing investments in:

• Fully scalable technology platform: Sophos MDR is built on the cloud-native Sophos Central platform with high availability across multiple data centers. Over 600,000 organizations trust the Sophos Central platform to manage and secure their endpoints, firewalls, email gateways, and more.
• Analyst talent acquisition and development: We invest in acquiring strong talent for our elite teams, training, and nurturing the very best cybersecurity practitioners in the industry. We employ hundreds of experts in threat intelligence, analysis, data engineering, data science, threat hunting, adversary tracking, and incident response.
• Efficiency through automation: Early triage and threat investigation steps are automated, and intelligent routing ensures human-led tasks are efficiently delivered to the right person at the right time.
• Partner-first MDR service: Our flexible deployment models enable Sophos partners to grow their business by co-managing or delivering their own MDR services or by reselling Sophos MDR to provide an “Instant SOC” to their customers.

Recognized by industry analysts

The most highly respected industry analysts recognize the strength of the Sophos MDR service in their comprehensive evaluations:

• Sophos is named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Services 2024 Vendor Assessment (doc #US49006922, April 2024)
• Sophos is named a Leader in the IDC MarketScape: European Managed Detection and Response (MDR) Services 2024 Vendor Assessment (doc # EUR151172124, September 2024)
• Sophos is named a Leader in Frost & Sullivan’s 2024 Frost Radar™ for Global Managed Detection and Response
• Sophos is named a Leader in the 2024 Gartner®️ Magic Quadrant™️ for Endpoint Protection Platforms for the 15th consecutive time

Discover Sophos MDR today

With superior service, top customer ratings, and impressive results in independent evaluations, it’s not surprising Sophos MDR is trusted by more organizations than any other provider.

To learn more about Sophos MDR and explore how we can help you, speak to one of our cybersecurity specialists today.

Source: Sophos

This November brings both the second anniversary and 1,000 customer milestone for Sophos Network Detection and Response (NDR). Such phenomenal growth in two short years reflects the power of Sophos NDR as well as growing awareness of the importance of network detection and response in the security stack.

Adversaries go to great lengths to avoid being detected before they can complete their attack. But however good they are at hiding their tracks, they always need to cross the network. The good news is that with Sophos NDR adversaries simply can’t hide – there is no spot that the solution can’t shine a light on.

Sophos NDR sits deep on the network, monitoring all network traffic from managed and unmanaged devices and detecting suspicious activities that may otherwise go unnoticed until it’s too late. Extensive response capabilities enable analysts – both in the Sophos MDR team and the in-house analysts of our customers and partners – to quickly investigate and neutralize threats.

Watch this short video to see Sophos NDR in action stopping a Cobalt Strike attack.

Combining AI and five real-time detection engines

Sophos NDR continually monitors your network traffic, using five real-time threat detection engines to identify signs of malicious or suspicious activity. Leveraging a combination of AI-powered machine learning, advanced analytics, and rule-based matching techniques, it identifies threats that often go undetected until it’s too late, including:

• Threats on unprotected devices like point-of-sale systems, IoT and OT devices, and legacy operating systems
• Rogue assets that adversaries exploit to launch attacks
• Insider threats such as sensitive data uploads to an offsite location
• Zero-day attacks, and more

Plus, when combined with other security telemetry, Sophos NDR enables threat analysts to paint a more complete, accurate picture of the entire attack path and progression, enabling a faster, more comprehensive response.

Dive deep with the powerful Investigation Console

The Sophos NDR Investigation Console deploys on the local network, providing rich analysis tools to accelerate the identification of potential issues and threats, including the timing of events, the number of occurrences, their severity, and their geo locations. It also enables analysis of application traffic to identify unwanted or suspicious application activity and potential data loss incidents, as well as analysis of risky session data to ensure the network is operating efficiently and securely.

Recognized as a Major Player

Sophos is recognized as a Major Player in the IDC MarketScape: Worldwide Network Detection and Response 2024 Vendor Assessment (November 2024, IDC #US51752324). The IDC MarketScape noted that “a powerful feature that businesses benefit from when working within a Sophos dedicated ecosystem is Active Threat Response.” The report also noted that “pricing is competitive for midsize companies.”

Flexible deployment, maximum impact

Sophos NDR deploys as a virtual appliance on VMware or Microsoft Hyper-V, in the cloud on AWS, or on a range of certified hardware appliances.

Licensing is based on the number of users and servers on the network. There are no restrictions or additional costs to deploy multiple NDR sensors and a single sensor can support up to 40Gbps of network traffic.

Sophos NDR is available with both our managed detection and response service, Sophos MDR, and our self-managed Sophos XDR solution. Whether you want to conduct network detection and response yourself or have our team do it for you, Sophos NDR can help.

Get started today

To learn more about Sophos NDR, visit our website or speak to your Sophos partner or representative. Current Sophos customers can also activate a free 30-day trial directly within their Sophos Central console.

Source: Sophos

Defenders need all the help they can get. The Sophos XDR team has been focused on delivering features and functionality that will expand and improve analysts’ efficiency and ability to detect and neutralize threats faster.

The latest enhancements expand the power and capabilities of Sophos XDR with generative AI (GenAI) and new case investigation functionality. The GenAI features are focused on delivering outcomes such as accelerated investigations, enabling less experienced analysts to do security operations and neutralize adversaries faster.

GenAI capabilities are available as an opt-in for all licensed Sophos XDR customers, ensuring they remain in control. Customers can opt into these features in Sophos Central.

AI Search

AI Search helps security analysts by allowing them to search large volumes of security data using natural language. This makes it easier to conduct investigations without needing advanced technical knowledge like SQL.

Powered by OpenAI’s large language models (LLMs), AI Search translates natural language queries into structured SQL queries that are executed against Sophos’ data lake.

Users can ask simple questions (e.g., “Show me all detections from the last week related to Windows Server”) and view results in a user-friendly format.

For more details, please refer to the AI Search article on the Sophos Community.

AI Case Summary

AI Case Summary provides an easy-to-understand overview of detections and recommended next steps, helping analysts make smart decisions fast.

This feature uses GenAI to analyze detections associated with a case to summarize what has happened, the entities involved, and possible next steps for investigation.

AI Case Summary also determines which MITRE ATT&CK tactics, techniques and procedures (TTPs) are observed within the case, if any.

AI Command Analysis

AI Command Analysis provides insights into attacker behavior by examining potentially malicious commands that create detections.

This feature uses GenAI to analyze the command line executed in the customer’s environment to explain the intent and describe the possible security impact on the environment. AI Command Analysis will de-obfuscate code, minimizing the complexity, time, and skills needed to assess a detection.

Coming Soon: AI Assistant

The Sophos AI Assistant is a collaborative chat interface designed to elevate security operations with a collaborative, conversational interface.

Underpinned by the Sophos Data Lake and a set of robust tools, the AI Assistant streamlines complex investigations using GenAI to improve threat response, no matter the level of expertise.

Sophos and AI

Sophos combines AI and human expertise to stop the broadest range of threats wherever they occur. Security analysts are empowered to make smart decisions fast, and customers can operate confidently, knowing Sophos’ robust, battle-proven AI solutions are on their side.

Since 2017, Sophos has been elevating cybersecurity with AI. Deep learning and GenAI capabilities are embedded at every point and delivered through the industry’s largest, most scalable, open AI platform.

Sophos’ AI-powered products and services secure over 600,000 organizations from cyberattacks and breaches.

New case investigation enhancements

When an analyst looks at the specifics of a detection as a part of a case, they now benefit from a refreshed and simplified interface of the pivot menu for new quick actions and updated queries.

The pivot menu allows an analyst to select key information from a detection, using it as a starting point for deeper investigation and immediate action.

Here’s what’s new:

• Run actions: We have added the ability to isolate and un-isolate devices directly from the pivot menu, allowing users to remediate quickly without losing context
• Run Live Discover and Search Data Lake: The queries list has been updated to feature the most frequently used queries
• Copy Device Name: Easily copy the device name to the clipboard
• Detections with Device: Go straight to the detections page to see all detections associated with the device; the default time range is the last 24 hours
• Device Details: Navigate directly to the device details page for more in-depth information

The Cases public API has also been enhanced, allowing customers and partners to create, update, and delete cases using their preferred tools.

With this new functionality, customers can easily modify key fields such as case status, severity, and case summary, enabling more effective prioritization and faster triage times.

These improvements are designed to give customers more flexibility in their workflows and help address issues more efficiently. Please refer to the Cases API Guide for more details.

Source: Sophos

Kaseya, the leading global provider of AI-powered cybersecurity and IT management software, announced Kaseya 365 User, joining Kaseya 365 Endpoint which launched in April 2024, at DattoCon Miami. Kaseya 365 User gives managed service providers (MSPs) the ability to help their customers prevent, respond to and recover from threats to user identity and security. Kaseya also announced it has acquired SaaS Alerts, an industry-leading cybersecurity company that helps MSPs monitor and protect customer’s SaaS application usage. SaaS Alerts’ technology is included for free as part of the Kaseya 365 User subscription, adding significant value to the new subscription for MSPs.

“Our mission is to make our partners more profitable, by providing them a platform that provides far more AI-based automation than otherwise available, and offering that platform at a fraction of the cost,” said Fred Voccola, CEO, Kaseya. “When we launched Kaseya 365 Endpoint earlier this year, the market response was astounding. Our goal from the beginning of our journey was to ensure our MSP partners get the recognition and financial benefits that match the enormous value they provide to SMBs around the world. Now, with Kaseya 365 User, we get to take another major step. Our partners can better protect themselves and their customers, automate service delivery and once again vastly improve their unit economics for greater profitability.”

While small businesses power the global economy, their technology infrastructure is largely dependent on MSPs to protect user data and respond to ever-present cyber threats. With Kaseya 365 User and Kaseya 365 Endpoint, MSPs can now offer comprehensive protection for small business owners and their customers.

“Now more than ever, there is a massive advantage to being an MSP powered by Kaseya,” said Nick Martin, Director of Managed Services, Mainstreet IT Solutions. “It’s a true competitive advantage because with Kaseya 365 User we’re getting more for less money, and we can pass along savings to our customers without sacrificing anything.”

SaaS Alerts, a critical component of Kaseya 365 User, is the leading SaaS security platform for MSPs. This innovative technology allows MSPs to monitor and remediate any potential threat to their critical business applications or users in SaaS environments in real time and ensure critical business applications are safe from both internal and external threats.

“As cyber threats are becoming more sophisticated, MSP tools need to evolve,” said Jim Lippie, CEO, SaaS Alerts. “With cloud detection and response, MSPs can identify breaches and act on them quickly. This is a must-have for MSPs to protect their customers.”

Additional key announcements from Kaseya include:

• Backup Concierge Program: Backup is the last line of defense and one of the most important tools for an MSP, but it represents one of their largest spends and highest risks. Kaseya is committed to solving the challenge, both commercially and technically, with a $10M investment in the new Backup Concierge Program. This program is free for Kaseya Datto backup customers and is purpose-built to ensure they are optimizing their profitability, as well as supporting their technical needs throughout the data protection journey for new and existing clients.
• Next Gen Endpoint Backup: Building on its commitment to protect data everywhere, Datto’s Endpoint Backup expands to offer better control, more flexibility, and greater restore options – while still at a price point which makes it more profitable than any competitive solution on the market. Purpose-built for MSPs, it boasts centralized, policy-based management; smart scheduling with custom controls (ie, business hours); full control over throttling, data regions, and selective backup configurations (inclusions/exclusions); and is fully integrated with popular MSP solutions like IT Glue, PSAs, RMMs and more.
• Free Hardware for SIRIS: We believe every client deserves Datto. To make this possible, Datto SIRIS S5-X and S5-X4 appliances are now available with free hardware for any term – including month to month! MSPs can now afford to profitably provide the best disaster restoration in the industry to ALL clients while eliminating risk and standardizing their backup portfolio for even greater efficiency.
• Cooper Copilot Expands to PSA: With new AI features, Kaseya BMS and Autotask both amplify technicians’ ability to swiftly act and communicate. Smart Ticket Summary saves time spent reading through tickets to see actions already taken, distilling it into a succinct recap. Smart Writing Assistant empowers technicians to send clear and professional messages to end-users by transforming their technical expertise into simple communication. Smart Resolution Summary automatically captures and documents the steps, actions and outcomes involved in resolving IT tickets, creating a detailed record for future reference and faster issue resolution. These features streamline the ticket resolution process so techs can do more in less time.
• Better Together: Network Detective Pro and audIT are now one platform delivering unparalleled audit, discovery and reporting to MSPs to close more business and increase profits by showcasing IT value. New and existing partners get the automated capabilities of Network Detective Pro coupled with the dynamic presentation layer of audIT at no additional cost.
• New Capabilities to Vonahi: Vonahi has introduced a new prospecting test feature that allows MSPs to offer potential clients a preliminary pentest evaluation to demonstrate immediate value. Further, custom-branded reports can now be exported to Microsoft Word for full customization that allows MSPs to add additional data and customize report themes to fit their company brand.

Kaseya 365 User is a new subscription offering in addition to Kaseya 365 Endpoint (formerly Kaseya 365), which was introduced in April. Less than six months after launching, Kaseya 365 Endpoint now protects more than 5.5 million devices.

For more details and to learn more about how to migrate to Kaseya 365 User, please visit here.

Source: Datto

Kaseya 365 offers a seamless way to manage, secure, back up and automate your endpoints from a single interface, all under one affordable subscription. By consolidating these four crucial IT functions into one service, Kaseya 365 provides IT professionals with an efficient way to deliver IT services and manage their infrastructure. For example, a technician running routine maintenance across hundreds of devices can automate updates, monitor performance and ensure backups run smoothly from a single dashboard.

The four main pillars of Kaseya 365

Kaseya 365 is built on four key pillars: manage, secure, back up and automate. These pillars are the core of the platform

A. Manage

Managing endpoints using fragmented tools can be a nightmare for technicians. You’re constantly switching between platforms, trying to piece together information and often reacting to problems instead of preventing them. It’s stressful, time-consuming and prone to errors.

Kaseya 365 gives you advanced remote monitoring and maintenance solutions, Datto RMM and Kaseya VSA, for complete control over endpoints, networks and cloud services. With real-time monitoring, advanced automation and quick troubleshooting, you can fix issues before they escalate. Moreover, your intuitive dashboards and detailed reports provide a crystal-clear view of your IT landscape, allowing you to cut operational costs, boost security and improve end-user support with ease.

Datto RMM

Datto RMM is a secure, full-featured remote monitoring and management solution. Known for its scalability, efficiency and usability, it’s perfect for enhancing IT management. Key features include:

• Advanced software management
• Flexible patch management
• Monitoring automation and scripting
• Rapid remote access and support
• Auto-remediation of issues
• Asset and inventory management
• Reporting and analysis
• IT automation

Kaseya VSA

Kaseya VSA represents unified IT management, allowing you to oversee and control any device within your network from anywhere. As a comprehensive RMM software, it centralizes real-time monitoring, automated patch management and security features, making it easier to maintain and protect your IT environment. This unified approach simplifies operations, boosts efficiency and enhances service delivery. Key features include:

• Comprehensive monitoring and alerting
• Automated patch management
• Auto-remediation of issues
• Asset and inventory management
• Remote access and control
• Omni network monitoring
• Reporting and analysis
• IT automation
• Mobile device management

B. Secure

Ensuring endpoint security across multiple platforms is a significant challenge for IT professionals. The constant threat of cyberattacks requires vigilant monitoring and rapid response. Kaseya 365 provides a robust suite of security features such as integrated EDR, antivirus and ransomware protection to help you monitor and neutralize threats in real-time. This comprehensive security approach not only protects your data but also ensures compliance with industry standards, giving you peace of mind.

Datto EDR

Datto EDR offers advanced threat detection capabilities, ensuring that any malicious activity is identified and addressed swiftly. It provides real-time visibility into endpoint activities, allowing you to detect, investigate and respond to threats effectively. Key features include:

• Detect fileless attacks
• MITRE ATT&CK mapping
• Easily stop zero day threats
• Eliminate alert fatigue
• Automated threat mitigation recommendations
• Patented advanced correlation engine to reduce unnecessary noise and drown out false positives
• Automated threat response

Datto antivirus (AV)

Datto AV stands as your business’s first line of defense, offering next-generation antivirus protection. With automatic updates and comprehensive scanning capabilities, your systems remain protected without requiring constant manual intervention. Key features include:

• AI, machine learning and the latest in threat intelligence to identify and block threats
• Proactive identification and blocking of zero-day and polymorphic threats
• Automatic virus definition updates
• Comprehensive system scans and real-time protection
• Customizable scanning schedules
• Global threat intelligence

RocketCyber managed detection and response (MDR)

RocketCyber MDR provides advanced, continuous protection by leveraging cutting-edge technology and expert analysis to proactively monitor, detect and respond to cyberthreats in real-time. This means you can rest easy knowing your critical data and infrastructure are safe from even the most sophisticated attacks. Key features include:

• Endpoint: Windows, macOS and Linux event log monitoring, breach detection, malicious files and processes, threat hunting, intrusion detection, third-party NGAV integrations and more.
• Network: Firewall and edge device log monitoring integrated with threat reputation, whois and DNS information.
• Cloud: Microsoft 365 security event log monitoring, Azure AD monitoring, Microsoft 365 malicious logins, Secure Score.

Ransomware detection

Stay ahead of cyberthreats with Datto RMM and VSA’s in-built ransomware detection capability. The feature leverages real-time monitoring, behavioral analysis and automated response protocols to detect suspicious activities and isolate affected endpoints immediately. With robust reporting and alerts, you’ll always be informed and ready to tackle any threat. Key features include:

• Early detection of ransomware behavior
• Automated response to ransomware threats
• Regular backups and quick recovery options
• Continuous monitoring for new ransomware variants

C. Backup

Data loss can be catastrophic for any organization. Whether caused by hardware failure, human error or cyberattacks, losing critical data can disrupt operations and lead to significant financial losses. Kaseya 365’s integrated backup solutions ensure that your data is always secure and recoverable. The comprehensive backup approach supports various environments, including on-premises and cloud, ensuring that your data is protected regardless of where it resides.

Datto endpoint backup

Datto endpoint backup has got you covered, protecting everything from Windows servers and virtual machines (VMs) to cloud instances, desktops and laptops. Features like automated backups, end-to-end encryption and rapid restore capabilities work together to keep your data safe and quickly recoverable. With advanced scheduling, flexible retention policies and centralized management, you can easily customize and control your backup strategy. Key features and benefits include:

• Reliable, appliance-free Windows Backup, a feature that uses image-based backup technology, removing the need to procure or manage additional hardware
• Software-only Windows backup directly to the Datto Cloud, ensuring your data is protected no matter what
• Recovery from ransomware or hardware failure
• Reliable cloud backup to easily restore individual files or restore the entire image to a new device
• Simple deployment and management

Unitrends endpoint backup

Protect your data anytime, anywhere with Unitrends endpoint backup. Whether it’s work-from-home users, road warriors or remote servers, Unitrends makes endpoint protection effortless with resilient, automated backup and recovery. Key features and benefits include:

• Simplified deployment with no assembly required. Eliminate the hassle of implementing unfamiliar, complicated devices
• Simply install the Unitrends agent and our endpoint backup solutions will begin automatically backing up to the secure Unitrends Cloud — no hardware required
• Get protected quickly, with no infrastructure and minimal configuration
• Built for remote management of dispersed endpoints
• Reliable endpoint backup, efficient recovery
• Multilayered security for maximum protection — data is encrypted in-flight and at-rest and stored on immutable blocks
• Cloud deletion defense enables recovery of accidentally or maliciously deleted backups

D. Automate

Manual IT tasks can be time-consuming and prone to errors, diverting valuable resources from strategic initiatives. Automating these tasks can significantly enhance efficiency and accuracy, allowing your IT team to focus on more critical projects. By leveraging powerful automation tools, you can reduce the workload on your IT staff and improve overall operational efficiency. This not only saves time and reduces errors but also allows for more proactive management of your IT environment. Kaseya 365 offers more than 20 out-of-the-box automations and even policy-based automation capability to help you break barriers on what you can do. Here are some pre-configured workflows available:

• Automated patch management
• System health checks
• Software deployment
• Disk cleanup
• Security scans
• Backup and restore
• User account management
• Performance monitoring
• Incident response

Real-world applications and case studies

To truly grasp the value of Kaseya 365, let’s look at a real-world success story. Two River Technology Group, an MSP based in Holmdel, New Jersey, saw remarkable results with Kaseya 365. They achieved a 28% reduction in tool costs, saved dozens of manual labor hours each month and streamlined their billing processes. These improvements not only boosted their profitability but also enhanced their service delivery.

Future of IT management with Kaseya 365

Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and automation are already significantly impacting businesses. In Kaseya’s 2024 The Future of IT Survey Report, a whopping 40% of organizations said they are prioritizing investments in IT automation, 37% are investing in AI and machine learning, and 23% are exploring ChatGPT.

In this environment, Kaseya 365 is designed to help users capitalize on these growing trends and elevate their IT management to new levels of efficiency. With 20 built-in advanced automations and seamless integration, Kaseya 365 brings unprecedented speed, efficiency and accuracy to your IT management. We encourage you to take a demo of Kaseya 365 and see for yourself why it’s creating such a buzz. Discover firsthand how it can transform your IT management, making your operations more efficient, secure and cost-effective. Book a demo of Kaseya 365 today.

Source: Kaseya

Investing in a comprehensive IT management solution is the surest and fastest way for managed service providers (MSPs) and IT teams to elevate their IT management capabilities. Technology is the foundation of all modern business and as such 100% uptime on technology is now considered essential. However, managing IT infrastructure smoothly while relying on fragmented tools is no easy task for technicians, especially when they also have to defend against security threats, manage constant data recovery issues and respond to a steady stream of support requests. Kaseya 365 will empower you to manage, secure, back up and automate IT and security management.

What is Kaseya 365?

Kaseya 365 offers a seamless way to manage, secure, back up and automate your endpoints from a single interface, all under one affordable subscription. By consolidating these four crucial IT functions into one service, Kaseya 365 provides IT professionals with an efficient way to deliver IT services and manage their infrastructure. For example, a technician running routine maintenance across hundreds of devices can automate updates, monitor performance and ensure backups run smoothly from a single dashboard.

The real power of Kaseya 365 lies in its automation prowess and seamless integrations. As the core subscription for the Kaseya IT Complete platform, Kaseya 365 offers the same level of integration that IT Complete is known for. While endpoint management, security and backup solutions are seamlessly integrated, you can expand your universe anytime to leverage the 30+ modules and over 1,300 integrations IT Complete provides. Limitless efficiency gains and cost savings are just a click away.

Kaseya 365 comes in two variants: 365 Express and 365 Pro. Its key capabilities are:

• Remote monitoring and management (RMM): Centralized oversight and control of endpoints with real-time monitoring, maintenance and troubleshooting.
• Patch management: Automates software updates and patches for both OS and third-party applications to eliminate vulnerabilities and ensure compliance.
• Endpoint detection and response (EDR): Comprehensive threat detection, analysis and response to protect endpoints from sophisticated threats.
• Antivirus: Robust malware and virus protection with real-time scanning and automatic updates.
• Ransomware detection: Advanced algorithms identify and neutralize ransomware attacks in progress, preventing potential widespread damage to your organization.
• Endpoint backup: Regular, automated backups for rapid data recovery and continuity.
• Managed detection and response (MDR): Enhanced threat detection and incident response managed by U.S.-based cybersecurity experts, exclusive to the 365 Pro version.

The value of Kaseya 365 for MSPs and IT departments

Kaseya 365 is designed to bring simplicity, efficiency and affordability to MSPs and IT departments. Consolidating all critical components into a single, easy-to-manage subscription minimizes vendor fatigue and streamlines the management process. This unified approach allows IT professionals to focus on their core tasks without juggling multiple tools and vendors.

Efficiency is at the heart of Kaseya 365. Its robust workflow integrations and automations dramatically improve technician productivity. Kaseya 365 not only saves time but also reduces the risk of errors, ensuring tasks are completed accurately and swiftly. Additionally, Kaseya 365 offers significant budget benefits, saving up to 75% compared to using a mix of separate solutions. For MSPs this often results in an instant increase in profit margin by about 37% due to the immense costs savings compared to traditional IT management software stacks.

Key benefits of Kaseya 365 are:

• Enhanced operational efficiency
• Improved security and compliance
• Streamlined IT management and maintenance
• Cost savings and resource optimization

Getting started with Kaseya 365

Implementing Kaseya 365 in your organization is straightforward. Follow these steps:

• Assess your needs: Identify the specific requirements of your IT environment.
• Choose the right variant: Decide between 365 Express and 365 Pro based on your needs.
• Plan your deployment: Develop a deployment strategy that includes timelines and milestones.
• Leverage the four main pillars: Customize solutions to meet your business needs using the manage, secure, back up and automate pillars.
• Train your team: Ensure your team is well-trained to maximize the benefits of Kaseya 365.

Best practices for leveraging the four main pillars:

• Manage: Use real-time monitoring and detailed reporting for insights. Regularly update management policies to align with organizational goals.
• Secure: Implement multilayered security with EDR, antivirus and ransomware protection. Conduct regular security audits and vulnerability assessments.
• Back up: Schedule automated backups for critical data. Periodically test disaster recovery plans for quick data restoration.
• Automate: Automate repetitive tasks like patch management and software deployment. Create custom workflows tailored to your IT processes and business needs.

Tips for customizing Kaseya 365 to meet specific business needs

• Tailor the dashboard: Customize the Kaseya 365 dashboard to show critical alerts, performance metrics and security statuses. Implement role-based access controls for team members.
• Leverage integrations: Connect Kaseya 365 with other tools and systems your organization uses. Utilize APIs for custom integrations to meet specific business needs.
• Continuous improvement: Regularly review IT processes to identify improvements. Use Kaseya 365 insights for data-driven decisions and stay updated with the latest features and updates.

Future of IT management with Kaseya 365

Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning and automation are already significantly impacting businesses. In Kaseya’s 2024 The Future of IT Survey Report, a whopping 40% of organizations said they are prioritizing investments in IT automation, 37% are investing in AI and machine learning, and 23% are exploring ChatGPT.

In this environment, Kaseya 365 is designed to help users capitalize on these growing trends and elevate their IT management to new levels of efficiency. With 20 built-in advanced automations and seamless integration, Kaseya 365 brings unprecedented speed, efficiency and accuracy to your IT management. We encourage you to take a demo of Kaseya 365 and see for yourself why it’s creating such a buzz. Discover firsthand how it can transform your IT management, making your operations more efficient, secure and cost-effective. Book a demo of Kaseya 365 today.

Source: Kaseya

BeyondTrust is recognized as a Leader in the Gartner® Magic Quadrant™ for PAM for the sixth time in a row.

Sophos to Acquire Secureworks to Accelerate Cybersecurity Services and Technology for Organizations Worldwide.

Two global cybersecurity leaders are joining forces to accelerate the delivery of advanced cybersecurity services and technology for organizations of all sizes around the world.

Sophos today has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Secureworks®, the developer of Taegis^TM, the SaaS-based, open MDR/XDR platform built on more than 20 years of real-world detection data, security operations expertise, and threat intelligence and research. Our experience and reputation as a leading provider of managed security services and end-to-end security products, combined with Secureworks’ security operations expertise transformed into the Taegis platform, is expected to further deliver advanced MDR and XDR solutions for our customers.

In addition to integrating the Taegis MDR/XDR platform with Sophos’ industry leading MDR capabilities, Sophos also expects to leverage and combine additional solutions from Secureworks to provide a broader and stronger security portfolio. This includes Secureworks’ identity detection and response (ITDR), next-gen SIEM capabilities, operational technology (OT) security, and enhanced vulnerability risk prioritization. The breadth of the integrated portfolio will provide the fastest time to detect, investigate, and respond to threats, while the level of visibility across native and third-party tools will deliver improved customer ROI as they can better leverage existing investments.

“Secureworks offers an innovative, industry-leading solution with its Taegis XDR platform. Combined with our security solutions and industry leadership in MDR, we will strengthen our collective position in the market and provide better outcomes for organizations of all sizes globally, said Joe Levy, CEO of Sophos. “Secureworks’ renowned expertise in cybersecurity perfectly aligns with our mission to protect organizations from cybercrime by delivering powerful and intuitive products and services. This acquisition represents a significant step forward in our commitment to building a safer digital future for all.”

As two partner-centric organizations, the combination of Sophos and Secureworks will enable the combined company to expand its customer presence to create greater value with our channel partners and strengthen the overall security community. The transaction is expected to close in early 2025, subject to customary closing conditions. In the meantime, we will both operate business as usual with our shared unwavering mission to help businesses of all sizes defeat cyberattacks.

Source: Sophos