Monday Morning Impact – April 8

Published On: April 7, 2024Categories: Buzz

Sophos Report Spotlights Cyberthreats Facing SMBs

Sophos, a UK-based cybersecurity company, has released its 2024 Threat Report focused on the biggest threats facing SMBs. According to the report, nearly 50% of malware detections for SMBs were keyloggers, spyware and stealers, malware that attackers use to steal data and credentials. Attackers subsequently use this stolen information to gain unauthorized remote access, extort victims, deploy ransomware, and launch other attacks.

The report also analyzes initial access brokers (IABs)—criminals who specialize in breaking into computer networks. As seen in the report, IABs are using the dark web to advertise their ability and services to break specifically into SMB networks or sell ready-to-go-access to SMBs they’ve already cracked.

“The value of ‘data’ as currency has increased exponentially among cybercriminals, and this is particularly true for SMBs, which tend to use one service or software application, per function, for their entire operation,” said research director Christopher Budd. “There’s a reason that more than 90% of all cyberattacks reported to Sophos in 2023 involved data or credential theft, whether through ransomware attacks, data extortion, unauthorized remote access, or simply data theft.”

While the number of ransomware attacks against SMBs has stabilized, it continues to be the biggest cyberthreat to SMBs, according to the company.

Ransomware operators continue to change ransomware tactics, according to the report. This includes leveraging remote encryption and targeting managed service providers (MSPs). Between 2022 and 2023, the number of ransomware attacks that involved remote encryption—when attackers use an unmanaged device on organizations’ networks to encrypt files on other systems in the network—increased by 62%.

Following ransomware, business email compromise (BEC) attacks were the second highest type of attacks that Sophos IR handled in 2023, according to the Sophos report. These BEC attacks and other social engineering campaigns contain an increasing level of sophistication. Rather than simply sending an email with a malicious attachment, attackers are now more likely to engage with their targets by sending a series of conversational emails back and forth or even calling them.

In an attempt to evade detection by traditional spam prevention tools, attackers are now experimenting with new formats for their malicious content, embedding images that contain the malicious code or sending malicious attachments in OneNote or archive formats. In one case Sophos investigated, the attackers sent a PDF document with a blurry, unreadable thumbnail of an “invoice.” The download button contained a link to a malicious website.

Channel Impact^®

The data underscore the ongoing threats to SMBs, which represent a sizable share of revenue for most MSPs and channel partners.

N-able Collaborates with Microsoft on MSP Cloud Offering

N-able, Inc., a Burlington, Massachusetts-based software company, has introduced “Cloud Commander,” a multi-tenant solution for the Microsoft Cloud designed to help MSPs manage, secure, standardize, and automate Microsoft 365 users, Azure resources, and Intune devices all from a single console.

The Cloud Commander platform enables MSPs to set least privileged access for their team, and streamline service desk operations by optimizing onboarding/offboarding of users and tasks such as password changes, MFA resets, group/role management, and license changes. It also assists in configuration of Microsoft Exchange Online, Microsoft Teams, OneDrive for Business, and SharePoint Online. It monitors Microsoft Secure Score, reporting across all clients, and drills down on each tenant for security scores to create a plan of action to reduce risk profiles, monitor risky users across tenants, and remediate issues. The platform also standardizes how Intune compliance policies are deployed, helping check security settings like enforcing BitLocker encryption, secure boot, and Defender remain in compliance.

“We’re continuing to strengthen our relationship with Microsoft, helping pave the way for businesses to confidently leverage the power of the Microsoft Cloud with efficiency and at scale,” said Mike Adler, Chief Technology and Product Officer at N-able. “Cloud management continues to be a top priority for MSPs and their SME customer base.”

Channel Impact^®

The platform is designed to offer increased efficiency, streamlining operations for SME customers, simplifying management of the Microsoft cloud environment, streamlining, and automating operations, and strengthening the security posture.

Avaya and Zoom Announce New Integration

Zoom and Avaya have announced a strategic partnership through which the Zoom Workplace collaboration platform will integrate with Avaya’s Communication & Collaboration Suite. Additionally, Avaya will offer the integrated Zoom Workplace solution and will deliver an enhanced collaboration experience to its base of enterprise customers.

“Today’s enterprises are seeking to benefit from the latest AI-powered innovations to help differentiate, accelerate, and grow, all while integrating new levels of performance with minimal disruption to existing core systems,” said Alan Masarek, Avaya CEO. “By partnering with Zoom, we can deliver on the promise of ‘innovation without disruption’ for Avaya customers, providing added value to enterprises through world-class collaboration experiences within the Avaya platform.”

The joint solution promises interoperability between platforms and devices, enabling users to work in Zoom Workplace while also leveraging their existing investments in Avaya’s Communication & Collaboration Suite solutions; access to Zoom AI Companion, Zoom’s generative AI digital assistant; and collaboration solutions such as Zoom Team Chat, Zoom Scheduler, Zoom Whiteboard, and flexible spaces.

Existing Avaya customers will retain their investments in Avaya’s solutions and devices while benefiting from Zoom’s AI-powered collaboration platform, Zoom Workplace.

Channel Impact^®

The combined solution is expected to provide channel partners and their customers with a streamlined way to manage their communications environments and workflows.

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