The new year is approaching, and recapping the features and enhancements ADSelfService Plus realized in 2021 is fitting. The integrated self-service password management and multi-factor authentication (MFA) solution for Active Directory and cloud applications added many exciting new features and enhancements. In 2020, the major features released by ADSelfService Plus, like MFA for VPN and conditional access, focused on tackling the security issues that arose with the shift to remote work.

The hybrid work environment is a significant and challenging change we have embraced in the past two years due to the pandemic. And Microsoft 365 continues to be the most commonly chosen cloud-based work suite with 50.2 million users around the world. With cloud-based products, all we need is internet connectivity. The people, files and data we work with travel with us, irrespective of where we work from. Microsoft 365 comes with a wide array of features to simplify collaboration and communication.

New software and assets introduced into your network are, by default, configured to be multifunctional and convenient to use, but they’re not always the most secure. IT teams also make constant changes to systems’ configurations, leading to inevitable security gaps. Maintaining secure configurations in assets and software is essential for organizations that want to avoid potential cyberattacks or face costly audit penalties.

Redundant, obsolete, and trivial (ROT) data refers to information housed in data repositories that is either not in use or not needed in current business operations. These are files just lying around in your data stores, adding to data storage costs.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, there has been an increase in the volume of sensitive patient data being stored and processed by healthcare organizations. A patient’s health history, including all the treatments, procedures, prescriptions, lab tests, and scan reports, are stored in the form of electronic health records (EHRs).

This year’s Cybersecurity Awareness Month has come to an end and, with every passing year, cyberthreats are increasing in number and complexity. Reactive solutions are no longer enough to confront cyberattacks. Organizations must implement proactive strategies to secure their IT assets.

Five worthy reads is a regular column on five noteworthy items we’ve discovered while researching trending and timeless topics. This week let’s zoom in on cybersecurity mesh, which brings a twist to the existing security architecture with a distributed approach.

Alan is one of the senior officers of a financial bank in Texas. Alan was looking to buy a Halloween costume and got an email about a sale happening at a store near his neighborhood. He clicked on the email to learn more about the offer. In a few hours, his computer, which had critical high-profile customer files and details got infected by ransomware.

The Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack is potentially one of the worst cyberattacks to have happened this decade. A hacker group known as DarkSide stole nearly 100GB of data from the Colonial Pipeline servers before locking them down and demanding a ransom. Colonial Pipeline, with the assistance of FBI, paid around 5 million dollars to recover its systems. And it didn’t stop there.

Many organizations allow their corporate devices to be shared by different employees, or hand them out to teams or departments on a rotating basis. Healthcare providers, logistics companies, retailers, and schools often deploy mobile devices that are shared to ease the device management process, cut down on inventory costs, solve issues arising from workspace changes, and efficiently manage contract employees and students.