Public Sector : Automated IT Maintenance is the Need of the Hour

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From data center consolidation to adopting cloud plaforms/ services for the purposes of better collaboration, IT infrastructure modernization has always been adopted cautiously by Public Sector/ Government organizations.

Progress in this area, has been somewhat stalled by red tape, budgetary constraints and to a significant extent, cybersecurity/ compliance concerns.

High Workload, Less Productivity

In addition to this wariness, it is important to note that

  • Government agencies are currently experiencing a shortage in cybersecurity talent – based on research data from the International Information System Security Certification Consortium (IISSCC).
  • To make matters worse, these agencies also struggle with retaining IT experts in general.
  • According to the Federal Salary Council (FSC), public sector IT personnel earn nearly 35 percent less than they would in the private sector.

As a result Government agencies have to rely on 3rd party vendors, who have multiple customers. With the amount of workload involved, availability of timely support stands getting affected majorly.

The day of an IT admin is fraught with distractions. Emergency patching in response to new zero-day exploits might infringe on scheduled tasks. Mitigation of a malware intrusion – especially if it’s ransomware – could develop into a crisis that will completely dash any hopes of a productive day.

Additionally routine day-to-day functions such as user reports, scheduled re-imaging of select computers and software licensing or compliance audits can be tedious and time-consuming.

Cost-efficient, Automated IT Maintenance

The beauty of computer management solutions like Faronics Deep Freeze is that it gives IT staff a streamlined methodology for handling

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https://www.faronics.com/news/blog/public_sector_automated_it_maintenance_is_the_need_of_the_hour

Server-side Ransomware : Exploiting Vulnerabilities in Server Middleware

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The reason ransomware incidents are so prevalent, and what’s enabled its recent rampage, is that it’s not easily ensnared in firewalls. This is because encryption malware, can end up on the system as part of an email phishing scam. A worker at an organization gets a message in his or her inbox requesting that a seemingly harmless PDF attachment is downloaded. Perhaps the worker is having a hectic day, and doesn’t actually take the time to second guess the source of the attachment. Next thing they know, the files on their computers are being encrypted, and a message from hackers is demanding $1,000 in crypto currency.

It’s an unsettling scenario, and an all too common one. If there was ever a measure of comfort regarding ransomware, it was that an organization might be able to teach workers how to avoid these pitfalls.

However, a more recent strain of ransomware has changed up the rules of the encryption malware game a bit. Instead of intruding via email, it sneaks in through vulnerabilities in server middleware.

The Rise of SamSam : What It Means for Businesses

“Organizations running vulnerable versions of the JBoss server application are at risk.”

According to The Register’s Iain Thomson, SamSam goes after a vulnerability in JBoss middleware on servers. As of late April, Cisco Talos estimated that a whopping 3.2 million were running endangered versions of the middleware. Hospitals and schools in particular were singled out among the most prominent targets.

In a nutshell, organizations running vulnerable versions of the

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https://www.faronics.com/news/blog/server-side-ransomware-rise-heres-beat

Retail : How to Maintain Self-service Kiosks

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The beauty of automation is that it has the potential to expedite processes. A prime example is retail, where businesses are investing heavily on self-service kiosks for customer support and checkout. These can help customers with fewer items quickly check themselves out rather than having to wait in line. Moreover, self-service kiosks have become a big part of a brand’s user experience strategy, as they enable businesses ensure 24/7 service and engagement.

Research from Technavio suggests that retailers and customers alike find this approach favorable: The global market for self-service kiosk technology is expected to reach $18 billion by 2020.

The caveat of automation, however, is that the systems that make it possible, are not impervious to faults, or more importantly, to cyber threats. There has been no shortage of reports about point-of-sale malware or payment processing units rigged with card-stealing skimmers. Additionally, downtime can negatively impact the user experience.

That said, the convenience of self-service kiosks shouldn’t be overlooked because of the ancillary inconveniences that come with them – especially when these caveats are so easily addressed with computer management software like Faronics Deep Freeze Cloud.

Application Control and Lock-down Made Easy

One of the chief concerns about giving customers access to self-service kiosks is that in theory, they could insert a USB flash drive while no one’s looking, or attempt to tinker with the settings. Cyber criminals, for instance, might do this in an attempt to upload or download malware that would misuse customer data.

The good news is that there’s

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https://www.faronics.com/news/blog/retail-maintain-self-service-kiosks

Healthcare : Maintaining Network Vitality and Uptime

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Health care organizations face some monumental operational challenges, in terms of ensuring quality healthcare consistently, and within the norms of regulatory compliance. Especially in this age, when businesses are increasingly targeted and exploited by cyberthreats, healthcare organizations are among the most afflicted ones. Online health records are misused by hackers, who buy and sell them to identity thieves on the dark web.

Cyber-criminals are also well aware of the importance of network uptime for health care providers, which might be one of the reasons why several hospitals have been targeted of late – and with an unprecedented level of success. In fact, in a recent ransomware incident, the extortionists asked for a second ransom upon having their demand met.

Now, more than ever, the vitality of a health care provider’s network must be a top priority. Here are just a few ways how Faronics’ computer management solutions can help :

Reduce Downtime with ‘Reboot to Restore’ Technology

Some vulnerabilities are impossible to detect until it’s too late. Zero-day threats happen when an unknown weakness in a software’s code is exploited by hackers to break into a system. According to Ars Technica, the number of zero-day threats more than doubled over the previous year in 2015.

The ‘Reboot to Restore’ functionality of Deep Freeze, can be a real lifesaver in the event of a ransomware attack or any other malware intrusion. In the event of an intrusion, rather than giving in to hackers’ demands – like one Hollywood hospital paid (an estimated $17,000 ransom) – health care organizations can revert

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https://www.faronics.com/news/blog/maintaining-network-vitality-health-care-sector