Proactive Managed Services

Archive for Proactive Managed Services

SonicWALL Releases new Content Filtering Service

Posted by Cameron Gracie on September 3, 2016

SYGNET has standardized on SonicWALL firewalls to protect our client’s networks for years. One of the capabilities we have relied on to provide extra security for the network and risk control regarding employee surfing, is the Internet Content Filtering Service (CFS). We configure the CFS on our client networks to block access to hacking websites, and other undesirable categories such as proxy avoidance. This helps boost the security of the network as a whole. Further to that, some of our clients want to block employee access to sites categorized as Pornography, Violence/Hate/Racism, Gambling, and others. We have had good success with the SonicWALL CFS in the past, and now they have released version 4.0 in the latest updates to their firewalls. This update, which is free to clients with active support, will allow for more granularity in the filtering policies, and more options on the actions to take within the policies. This combined with faster performance should increase our client’s satisfaction with this great service from SonicWALL.

SYGNET will be rolling out CFS 4.0 to Active Network Management service clients in October and November of this year.

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Posted in: Information Security, Proactive Managed Services

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Users Should Upgrade Apple iPhones and iPads to 9.3.5 Immediately

Posted by Cameron Gracie on August 29, 2016

SYGNET is advising clients inform their end users to upgrade their Apple iOS devices (iPhones and iPads) to the latest release which is 9.3.5 as soon as possible. This update was released late last week.

The reason for this recommendation is the potential for the spread of a particularly nefarious piece of malware named Pegasus. There is significant media coverage of this exploit for users who wish to know more about the specifics, however we agree with Apple’s recommendation to install this update quickly.

SYGNET has tested the update internally, and so far has not come across any major issues. There are also no wide spread reports of problems with the update from the media. That being said, we recommend users to consider the timing of their updating to avoid major inconvenience in the event of a problem (ie. do not update your device right before travelling).

The following is a link to instructions on how to initiate an update on an iOS device.
https://support.apple.com/en-ca/HT204204

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Posted in: Proactive Managed Services, Security Response

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Good Article on why 3rd Party Patching Matters

Posted by Cameron Gracie on August 10, 2016

SYGNET has always regarded timely patching and updating of systems as a serious part of overall security. So often we read of data breaches where hackers took advantage or one or several known vulnerabilities in the target systems that could have been blocked through proactive patching. There are some hacks that take advantage of unknown vulnerabilities, however those are actually the minority. Most people of familiar with the need to patch their Operating System, such as Microsoft Windows or Apple Mac, however it is just as important to consider other commonly attacked software. Hackers tend to focus where they get the most bang for their effort, hence they will target common 3rd Party Software, such as Adobe Reader, Adobe Flash, Java, and VLC Player. A good article covering 3rd Party Software can be seen here. SYGNET’s Active Network Management service covers the patching of all the software mentioned in this article. Further to that, SYGNET will help clients by uninstalling software they do not need, thereby reducing the possibility of attack.

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Posted in: Information Security, Proactive Managed Services, Security Response

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Good Article on the Potential Security Risks from Free Software Bundles

Posted by Cameron Gracie on August 10, 2016

There is a good article here that outlines the potential security risks from free software downloads or bundles. There is some great free software available over the Internet, and there are numerous titles we recommend to clients. However, users need to be careful on what titles they select, and where they download them from. Per the article, a poor download choice can leave a system or network with unintended security vulnerabilities. Companies should encourage their users to seek advise from IT in vetting new software they are interested in. Further to that, IT should configure systems to block the installation of unapproved software. SYGNET’s Active Network Management service provides controls for software control and deployment.

Posted in: Information Security, Proactive Managed Services

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Symantec.Cloud Server Agent Update

Posted by Cameron Gracie on July 31, 2016

On July 21st, 2016, Symantec released an update for Symantec.Cloud Endpoint Protection server agents in response to a discovered vulnerability detailed here. For the server version of the agents, manual intervention was required to complete the agent update successfully. SYGNET has completed the manged rolled out this update to all client servers as of today. Our clients feel safer knowing important vulnerabilities are quickly patched.

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Posted in: Proactive Managed Services, Security Response

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HP Notebook Computer Battery Safety Recall and Replacement Program

Posted by Cameron Gracie on July 27, 2016

On June 14th, 2016, HP Inc. initiated a recall affecting Notebook batteries, the details of which can be found here.

Thanks to SYGNET’s Asset Management capabilities included with our Active Network Management service, we were able to quickly identify any potential client Notebooks covered by the recall. Fortunately, none of our clients were affected by this particular recall. However they all feel safer knowing none of their staff are using Notebooks with batteries that could pose a safety risk.

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