Blog - Page 20 of 24

Actionable Threat Intelligence: What Businesses Should Focus on Right Now

A timely guide to the most pressing cyber threats and how to respond with clarity, speed, and operational readiness.

AI-driven deception is the new frontline

Cyber adversaries are now using generative AI to craft realistic phishing emails, deepfake videos, and voice-based social engineering scams. These tactics are designed to exploit trust and bypass traditional filters.

Businesses should implement advanced email threat protection that uses behavior-based detection, train staff to verify requests through secondary channels, and review voice authentication protocols for sensitive tasks.

a business leader being updated on actional threat intelligence

Infostealers are quietly stealing credentials

Malware strains like Lumma and RedLine are actively stealing browser-stored passwords, email logins, and financial credentials. These tools often remain undetected and are widely sold on underground markets.

Endpoint protection should be configured to detect command-and-control communication and data exfiltration patterns. Credential audits and forced password resets should be scheduled after any suspected compromise.

Ransomware is more targeted—and more public

Double extortion is now standard: threat actors encrypt data, then threaten to release it. This approach is increasingly used against professional services firms, healthcare providers, and mid-sized enterprises.

Organizations must maintain immutable backups, review which systems can communicate laterally across the network, and ensure response plans include legal, public relations, and client communication strategies.

Supply chain attacks remain a blind spot

Third-party vendors continue to be exploited as an entry point into larger organizations. Attackers compromise one supplier and move upstream, making vendor risk management a security priority.

Businesses should maintain inventories of all third-party access points, require vendors to meet minimum security standards, and segment supplier systems wherever possible.

By Thomas McDonald
Vice President

cmcwplgnomg4042025-06-22T16:18:19-05:00May 25, 2025|

How to Document Your Technology Environment (and Why It Matters)

A look at what IT documentation should include and how it supports support, compliance, and business continuity.

Unwritten knowledge creates risk

Many businesses operate with a limited understanding of their own IT environment. Systems are added over time, passwords are stored informally, and dependencies exist only in someone’s memory. When that person leaves—or a crisis occurs—reconstructing that knowledge becomes a costly exercise.

Documenting your IT environment reduces that risk. It turns unwritten knowledge into shared resources that support troubleshooting, planning, and incident response.

What effective documentation includes

Every organization’s environment is different, but most documentation should include:

Network diagrams showing devices, connections, and internet-facing systems
Server and workstation inventories with location, purpose, and update status
Application lists, license keys, and support contacts
Administrative credentials and access control logs (secured separately)
Backup schedules, retention policies, and restore procedures
Notes on vendor contracts, warranties, and renewal dates

These records should be centralized, regularly updated, and accessible to authorized personnel.

The benefits go beyond emergencies

Well-documented environments accelerate onboarding, simplify provider transitions, and support compliance reviews. They reduce reliance on individual memory and help IT teams respond faster when issues arise.

In regulated industries, documentation can serve as evidence of due diligence. It demonstrates that systems are known, monitored, and maintained—an expectation in many audit scenarios.

Ultimately, documentation isn’t about complexity. It’s about control.

cmcwplgnomg4042025-06-24T19:50:54-05:00May 25, 2025|

The Role of Patch Management in System Stability

A practical explanation of how timely updates reduce vulnerabilities, support performance, and help prevent business disruptions.

Patching is more than a security task

Software updates are often viewed as a checkbox—applied when convenient, postponed when they cause disruption. But patch management plays a central role in both security and system stability. Left unaddressed, missing patches can lead to performance issues, downtime, and gaps in compliance.

From operating systems to third-party applications, patches are released regularly to fix bugs, improve compatibility, and close security holes. Each delay increases exposure to known threats or operational risk.

Why consistency matters

Organizations with inconsistent patching routines often encounter fragmented environments. One department may run outdated software while another is fully up to date. Over time, this creates compatibility issues, support delays, and difficulty troubleshooting.

When problems arise, it’s harder to isolate root causes or replicate issues when systems are not aligned. Consistent patching, by contrast, supports predictable performance and simplifies management.

Coordinating patches without disruption

Effective patch management doesn’t mean applying updates blindly. It requires a structured process—testing critical patches, evaluating vendor notes, and deploying during maintenance windows.

Modern tools allow organizations to schedule updates by group, monitor status centrally, and verify completion. More importantly, they provide reporting to show what’s current, what’s pending, and what’s failed—data that becomes essential during audits or post-incident reviews.

A core function of operational discipline

Patch management is not an optional best practice. It’s a foundational IT task that directly affects uptime, productivity, and security posture. Organizations that approach it systematically reduce reactive support needs and improve overall system performance.

cmcwplgnomg4042025-06-24T19:47:44-05:00May 25, 2025|

How to Build a Recovery Plan That Meets Regulatory Expectations

A structured look at how to align IT recovery planning with compliance standards in healthcare, legal, financial, and other regulated industries.

Regulators expect more than backups

Many organizations assume that having a backup system is enough to satisfy compliance requirements. But most regulatory frameworks—including HIPAA, SOX, and GLBA—expect documented recovery strategies that account for more than just data preservation.

What regulators want to see is evidence that your organization can restore systems, continue operations, and minimize disruption. That means showing not only that you have backups, but that they’re tested, time-bound, and tied to business functions.

Key components of a compliant recovery plan

A recovery plan that satisfies regulatory scrutiny typically includes:

Defined recovery time objectives (RTO) and recovery point objectives (RPO) for each major system
A clear inventory of systems, data classifications, and dependencies
Assigned roles and responsibilities for recovery procedures and decision-making
Backup and restore testing schedules with documentation of successful outcomes
Plans for communication, both internally and externally, during extended outages
Procedures for reviewing and updating the plan on a regular basis

These elements show regulators that the plan is not theoretical. It’s operational, maintained, and connected to business impact.

Avoiding common pitfalls

Many plans fail under scrutiny because they exist only as documents—not as active strategies. Some are written once and never updated. Others omit testing or rely on assumptions that don’t reflect current systems or staffing.

A common issue is mismatched expectations. For example, a system might be labeled “critical,” but the backup cadence or RTO doesn’t reflect that designation. In a review, that inconsistency raises questions about how decisions were made—and whether recovery is truly viable.

Overreliance on cloud platforms is another concern. While cloud services often include built-in redundancy, they don’t eliminate the need for your organization to define recovery roles, test accessibility, or document processes. Compliance responsibility isn’t outsourced.

Make recovery planning part of operational discipline

Recovery planning isn’t just a compliance exercise—it’s a resilience strategy. Organizations that treat recovery as an operational discipline are better prepared for both audits and real-world disruption.

That preparation includes maintaining current documentation, testing procedures regularly, and integrating recovery considerations into IT purchasing and infrastructure decisions. When a disruption occurs, or when a regulator asks for evidence, the readiness is already built in.

cmcwplgnomg4042025-05-25T19:10:42-05:00May 25, 2025|

HIPAA Compliance and IT: What’s Really Required

A grounded explanation of how technology systems support HIPAA compliance and what organizations must implement to avoid exposure.

Compliance goes beyond paperwork

The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) requires covered entities and business associates to protect sensitive health information—both in storage and in transit. While policies and training are essential, technology plays a central role in meeting compliance requirements.

That role is often misunderstood. HIPAA doesn’t mandate specific vendors or tools, but it does require organizations to implement safeguards that meet its security rule standards. These aren’t suggestions—they’re baseline expectations.

The key technical safeguards

HIPAA’s security rule outlines three types of safeguards: administrative, physical, and technical. For IT teams, the technical safeguards are the most operationally relevant. These include:

Access control: Ensuring only authorized users can access systems containing electronic protected health information (ePHI)
Audit controls: Maintaining logs that track who accessed data, when, and what actions were taken
Integrity controls: Preventing unauthorized alterations to data
Transmission security: Encrypting ePHI when it’s sent over a network
Authentication: Verifying that a person or system accessing ePHI is who they claim to be

These controls must be in place whether the data resides on local servers, in cloud platforms, or within third-party systems. Organizations are responsible for all systems that store, process, or transmit ePHI.

Common gaps that lead to risk

HIPAA violations often result not from deliberate negligence, but from incomplete implementations. Some organizations have access control in theory but no system to enforce it. Others have encryption enabled for email but not for backups. Logging is sometimes enabled, but logs are not retained or reviewed.

Another common gap is vendor oversight. Organizations may assume that using a HIPAA-compliant cloud service transfers responsibility—but HIPAA requires shared responsibility. If your configuration is weak or unmonitored, the liability remains yours.

Without regular assessments and technical documentation, it’s difficult to prove compliance or detect violations. That lack of visibility can become a serious risk during a breach investigation.

Compliance is ongoing, not one-time

HIPAA compliance is not a certification or a product—it’s a posture. Systems evolve, staff change, and threats adapt. Maintaining compliance requires continuous oversight, regular risk assessments, and active remediation when gaps are found.

Organizations that treat HIPAA as a living requirement—integrated into IT operations rather than siloed in policy documents—are better positioned to stay compliant and avoid penalties.

cmcwplgnomg4042025-05-25T19:08:14-05:00May 25, 2025|

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