Information technology blog, cybersecurity blog

The world learned last week that the information of over 10 million hotel guests at MGM Resorts was obtained by hackers. The data breach is the result of a security incident that occurred last year, but the data was being shared in hacker circles recently and discovered and verified by ZDnet. Most of the data is limited to hotel stay info, addresses, and phone numbers dating back to 2017 and earlier. Since Kelser is a trusted, local managed service and cybersecurity provider, FOX61 News had Kelser CTO Jonathan Stone on following the breach to discuss what hackers can do with this type of apparently harmless information.

Hopefully you’re reading this on a device that is running an operating system other than Windows 7. If not, I have some bad news for you. You’re on your own.

IoT devices pose uniquely terrifying security threats. Just ask a Waterbury, Connecticut, family who was awakened and harassed by hackers accessing their Ring security cameras. As part of their coverage of this incident, WFSB Channel 3 news asked Kelser to offer some insight into how hackers may have gotten access, and what can be done to secure IoT devices.

In case you haven’t heard, October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month! Perhaps you’ve already checked out some tips and best practices to help keep you more secure. If you haven’t, not to worry as we have you covered with a roundup of tips and resources from our experts. If you have, you might find additional valuable cybersecurity awareness info below!

It’s been a difficult summer for Connecticut public schools when it comes to cybersecurity. In addition to the three Connecticut school districts hit by cyber attacks in late July, it recently came to light that the Wolcott public school district suffered a devastating ransomware attack months ago from which it has not fully recovered. No data was stolen, but a great deal of data was locked and held for ransom, much of which was not backed up. As a result, teachers are starting the new school year without key materials.

In late July, three Connecticut school districts experienced or became aware of data breaches or cyberattacks. The school districts of New Haven, Wallingford, and Pomfret were affected. NBC Connecticut interviewed Kelser for a story that covers each of the three school districts.

Less than 12 hours after the massive Capital One data breach was announced on a Monday night, Kelser CTO Jonathan Stone was on the phone with a reporter from The Washington Post helping break down the role of cloud storage in the story. In the days that followed, Kelser experts were on all four local Connecticut TV networks to provide perspective on this breach.

Cybersecurity is the responsibility of everyone in your organization, not just the IT department. Executive positions such as the CIO (chief information officer), CISO (chief information security officer), and CTO (chief technology officer) are becoming more and more common, as leaders recognize the impact of cybersecurity on the business as a whole.