Information technology blog, cybersecurity blog

Following the interim rule passed down in the document DFARS Case 2019-D041 on September 29, 2020, there’s a growing number of subcontractors in the Department of Defense (DoD) supply base selling into the “Primes” who are receiving urgent requests from their customers to comply with this new requirement. Regardless how long the DFARS 252.204-7012 has been a stated requirement for DoD contract awards, this new urgency is driving a lot of activity in the Defense Industrial Base (DiB). As such, you have likely heard from a range of vendors that have offered to help you reach that goal.

See this article as it originally appeared in The Hartford Business Journal. When I read last year that employees at layoff-and-buyout-battered Tribune Publishing newspapers (including the Hartford Courant) received mock phishing emails promising bonuses of $5,000 to $10,000, my heart sank. I can only imagine how the journalists themselves felt.

If you’re a supplier or manufacturer that relies on business with the Department of Defense (DoD) and the contracts they offer, you will need to ensure that your IT infrastructure can pass a third party certification for cybersecurity readiness over the coming months. This certification is referred to as CMMC or the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification. It is an initiative designed to help protect the data being shared within the Defense Industrial Base of the United States and the contract information necessary to produce the parts, systems, and components needed for our national defense.

A version of the following article ran in the August 10 edition of the Hartford Business Journal under the headline "What part of your pandemic business should you keep?" As your organization scrambled to adjust to COVID-19, you may have implemented temporary solutions that could continue to be of value to the business going forward. With restrictions lifting, companies can pause to identify any positives that came out of this experience that may lower expenses or boost revenues on a long-term basis. In doing so, it’s also important to assess if your business may have gotten by with technology practices in the short term that could pose cybersecurity risks if left in place permanently.

As businesses continue to struggle with the economic fallout of COVID-19, many leaders are looking for ways to reduce costs, including technology. When implemented strategically, technology is a business enabler—an investment, not an expense. However, it’s always good to eliminate inefficiencies or redundancies in the IT department whenever possible. I recently had the chance to contribute to a TechRepublic article called “CIOs: 8 ways to trim IT budgets”. My tip, which focuses on telecom costs, is number 6. Below is more detail on how companies can potentially find savings in the IT budget.

During tax season, personal information is being exchanged at a much higher rate than any other time of year. Documents like W2s with Social Security numbers on them are just par for the course. It’s also a time of year when employers and employees engage in tax-related tasks that aren’t routine to them. There’s often a bit of chaos getting everything in order and even a bit of anxiety over doing it right. For hackers and scammers who rely on human error and deception, all of this combines to create ideal conditions. I was recently on FOX61 Morning news to offer tips to viewers to avoid tax season scams.

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.

Recently, Kelser CEO Barry Kelly gave two extremely detailed interviews, one with Authority Magazine (which will also run this year on Thrive Global) and one with CEO CFO Magazine. These interviews provide a glimpse into the roots of our company, its future, its culture, and more. Here is a selection of highlights from each interview which provide particular insights into Barry’s point of view and the character of the company he leads.