"PHISHING ATTACKS PREVALENT AMONG SMALL AND MEDIUM-SIZED BUSINESSES"

Does this common headline make you wonder if you have taken the right steps to protect your small and medium-sized business (SMB)?  Let's assume you have a robust firewall, up-to-date antivirus, and a current patching program. Your remote employees are working from a private VPN, ensuring secure network access. You've created a password policy requiring complex passwords that must be changed frequently. And recently, you've implemented multi-factor authentication (MFA), adding extra security against compromised credentials. If this describes your network, then you are on the right track, but have you considered the human element?

Has it been a challenge to manage your complex environment due to the frequency of Microsoft 365 feature updates? Would you prefer less frequent updates since they can be unpredictable and disruptive to productivity? If this is the case at your organization, then we have good news for you. As of May 12, 2020, Microsoft announced the general availability of a new Monthly Enterprise Channel. Now, organizations can bring users the latest capabilities to stay productive and secure, but on a predictable, once-a-month release schedule.

What’s in a name? As Juliet pointed out to Romeo, a rose could have any other name, and still smell just as sweet. This is essentially what Microsoft has done with their recent name changes to several of their Office 365 product suites. Going forward, all the product names of Office 365 for small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) and Office ProPlus products will use the Microsoft 365 name, dropping the ‘Office’ brand.

As we begin the third quarter of 2020, cybercriminals are continuing to adapt and increase their COVID-19 related attacks. Small to medium-sized businesses (SMB) are being targeted through a variety of malicious tactics. According to FBI Deputy Assistant Director, Tonya Ugoretz, the number of cybercrime reports has quadrupled in the months since the pandemic began. The FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) was previously fielding 1,000 complaints a day. They are now receiving between 3,000-4,000, with the majority of complaints related to COVID-19 (Source: The Hill.)

Last week we kicked-off our two-part series “The Why & How of Cybersecurity Risk Management.” This series is intended to review how small to medium-sized businesses (SMBs) can reduce exposure to cyberattacks through Cybersecurity Risk Management. Part one looked at practical ways to address and measure acceptable risk. In part two, Erik Thomas, Leader of Advisory Services at Systems Engineering, walks through a framework for addressing and reducing cybersecurity risks and vulnerabilities in your organization.

Did you know that 66% of Small to Medium Businesses (SMBs) have experienced a cyberattack in the past 12 months? With SMBs facing increased, targeted, and harmful cyberattacks, we wanted to provide some useful guidance on this topic. We are presenting a two-part series reviewing how SMBs can reduce exposure to cyberattacks through Cybersecurity Risk Management. In part one, Brad Sprague, Leader of Account Management at Systems Engineering, reviews practical ways to address and measure risk.

Has your organization acquired Microsoft 365 but are overwhelmed by the full array of powerful and flexible Microsoft 356 apps? You know you now have a great productivity booster for your company, with employees able to work from anywhere with the choice of apps to match their style. The problem now is how to identify which Microsoft 365 app to use and the appropriate situation for each.

Company Joins Small Rank of New England Firms to Hold Designation 

PORTLAND, Maine — June 3, 2020 — Systems Engineering, a leading IT strategy and managed services provider serving clients across New England, announced today it is enhancing its services with Microsoft Premier Support for Partners agreement advancing the company's position as an elite Microsoft partner.

For years now, multi-factor authentication (MFA) has been at the top of cybersecurity best practice lists. MFA has proven to curb data breaches due to compromised credentials (usernames and passwords). According to Microsoft, 99.9% of cyber-attacks on company accounts are preventable with properly deployed MFA. This is a statistic no business leader can afford to ignore.

PORTLAND, Maine — May 19, 2020 — Systems Engineering announced today that, for the second year in a row, it has received a Best Wellness Employer Gold certification. This 2020 award was presented by Wellness Workdays, a leading provider of corporate wellness programs that developed the program with experts from Harvard Medical School to advance the field of worksite wellness. The data and research driven program recognizes the significant achievements of employers that are dedicated to improving employee health and well-being in innovative and meaningful ways.