Press Release: Kelser enables mid-size companies to “Defend Forward” against cyber attacks

EAST HARTFORD – In response to increased cyber attacks in the middle market previously reserved for larger organizations, Kelser Corporation has launched Defend Forward, a comprehensive, customized Cybersecurity-as-a-Service offering for organizations in the Northeast.

IT staff at medium-sized companies can’t reasonably be expected to keep up with the evolution of threats ranging from ransomware (information or systems held hostage) to attacks that exploit human nature like “boss phishing” (when executives are impersonated online). Yet, 65 percent of cyber attacks in 2015 were directed at businesses with less than 2,500 employees.

With the average cost of a cyber crime incident exceeding $15 million, 60 percent of small businesses hit by cyber attacks go out of business.

“Defend Forward begins with a security study funded by our technology partners and is guided by the question, ‘What information do you have that would be harmful to your company or your customers if it were compromised?’” says Kelser CTO Jonathan Stone. “Typically, the answer is ‘A lot more than we thought.’”

“For companies that have to meet legal requirements to protect sensitive information, such as manufacturers and healthcare providers, the stakes are particularly high,” continues Stone. “You don’t have to be anywhere near the size of Anthem to experience a costly breach like they did last year.” In fact, attackers know they can get a lot from companies with annual revenues between $20-200 million, and that their defenses are usually lower.”

With Defend Forward, Kelser’s experienced security architects assess where risk areas are and work alongside internal IT staff to set up and maintain defenses for the company. These include monitored, next generation firewalls, encryption, employee awareness training, and other layers of protection. Customized plans are developed to prevent as many breaches as possible, while allowing swift action if a breach does happen.

This collaborative, on-going approach incurs low upfront costs and enables mid-sized companies to implement advanced cybersecurity measures on par with much larger organizations with greater internal resources.

“We saw the need for a package like Defend Forward develop over time,” says Matthew Kozloski, VP of Professional Services at Kelser. “As attackers have shifted focus to smaller companies, a-la-carte cybersecurity has become less effective and harder for IT staff to maintain. Defend Forward is a layered, defense-in-depth program that requires no planning, or complicated review of products in the marketplace. In addition to best of breed hardware, software, and services, our Defend Forward customers get the experience of Kelser actively put to work to protect their organizations.”

About Kelser

Since 1981, Kelser Corporation has helped organizations achieve their goals through technology. Based in East Hartford, Kelser is proud to assist a wide variety of organizations in the Northeast—including some of the largest companies in Connecticut—in using technology to move their businesses forward. Kelser’s experienced team of technology consultants understand their clients’ businesses as deeply as the products and services Kelser provides. The result is technology that works on behalf of businesses, not the other way around.