Information technology blog, cybersecurity blog

With more internet-connected devices in the hands of more people, and a larger chunk of the workforce doing their 9-to-5 from home, cybercriminals have targets and opportunities like never before. The state of Connecticut is responding to this tidal wave of cyberthreats with proposed legislation aimed at encouraging companies to increase their cybersecurity. In a nutshell, the proposed bill provides incentives for businesses to reach compliance with nationally recognized standards of cybersecurity. In case of a breach, a compliant company would be shielded from legal liability stemming from a cyber attack. The bill was unanimously approved in the state House on May 20 and now moves to the state Senate.

You may have heard by now that the newest wireless standard 802.11ax, also known as Wi-Fi 6, is upon us. Many vendors are now incorporating this standard into their latest round of access points (AP) and hardware. You’re likely intrigued by that alone but also swarmed with a few questions. Like what the benefits of Wi-Fi 6 are outside of the info in manufacturer slicks. Over the past several years, I've worked in complex Wi-Fi environments where it has been critical to understanding how the various 802.11 protocols work and what has been most prominent in their feature evolution.

You’ve signed on the dotted line, completed your technology project, purchase, or have begun a managed services agreement. Congratulations! Based on our previous client feedback, I imagine and hope that’s been a great experience. Now comes the elephant in the room. The conversation that some folks shy away from: how do you pay Kelser for the product and/services we provided for your business? I can assure you that it’s relatively simple, straightforward, and we do our best to make it as painless as possible. Trust me, I’ve been Kelser’s manager of accounting for almost a decade, so I’ve had that conversation countless times with clients in your same spot.

You’ve consulted with an IT firm or managed service provider (MSP) and decided that a technology refresh could help your business. Your old Windows 7 workstations are limping along anyway and were creating security concerns on top of that. By switching from desktops to laptops you’re also meeting the needs of your more mobile workforce. But what now? You’re staring down a 30-workstation hardware refresh all at once. You already know that it’s a valuable and worthwhile investment. You’re just not sure what your options are for funding this IT purchase. You’re not alone in having these kinds of thoughts at this moment. Across my nearly two decades in finance and as Kelser’s vice president of finance, I’ve worked with a ton of businesses that are where you’re at right now. I’ve helped them navigate those unknowns to get them where they need to be.

This article originally appeared in the New England Real Estate Journal. The arrival of 5G wireless enables much broader internet availability and greater speeds on the job site as well as the opportunity to employ IoT (internet of things) devices that previously would not have been practical.

Even with managed services proactively addressing your technology problems, you’ll still need technical support from time to time. Whether you’re a new employee at one of our clients wondering how to get your problem fixed, curious as to what it would be like to use Kelser as your help desk, or just wondering how it all works, you’ve come to the right place. One of the perks of a managed services agreement with Kelser is that you get unlimited technical support and an entire staff of certified professionals to solve your issues.

I’ve been having many conversations with manufacturers about their need to get aligned with an interim rule put out by the Department of Defense (DoD) recently. The basic deliverables of that rule are to submit the score a supplier achieves following a gap analysis based on the controls listed in the NIST Special Publication 800-171 document. Sounds simple right? I’ve been working with hundreds of DoD suppliers as an outside consultant to guide them towards NIST 800-171 and CMMC compliance. I can tell you from experience that the idea is not clearly defined within the rule.

Cybersecurity is largely about identifying vulnerabilities and risky practices, ideally before hackers have the chance to find and exploit them. I was quoted extensively, along with experts from Deloitte, Schellman & Co., Sikich and Markel, in a story for SC Magazine on how data and the supply chain drive hidden network threats.