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To Respond or Not To Respond? Six Phases of Incident Response

“Hmm, that’s strange.” In the scientific community, these words are thought of as the immediate precursor to the ‘Eureka’ moment when something amazing is discovered. In the information technology field, specifically in security, they usually mean something bad is happening.

5 Ways Ascend Protects Your Castle with Managed Security Services

It seems that our news feeds are constantly flooded with the headlines of the latest cyber attack. Wishing it away, or hoping that our news filters are malfunctioning, is just not possible. Sadly, it is due to the fact that these crimes are happening more frequently than ...

Two Signs Your Retail Business is Vulnerable to Cyber Risk

The retail sector continues to struggle with ever-evolving cyber threats and cyber risk. A survey earlier this year by the global consulting firm BDO found that privacy concerns related to data breaches are considered a top risk by retailers, tying for the No. 1 spot with ...

Preventing Risk in Your BYOD Healthcare Environment

As the BYOD trend becomes mainstream in healthcare, it is enabling the mobile workforce to be more efficient and productive. But the benefits of the BYOD phenomenon come with their own set of risks.

That's No Moon... It's Malware

Thanks to the deluge of Crypto malware attacks recently, everyone in infosec has been VERY on edge about anything that pops in a quarantine. “Oh crap. What’d they hit? Where’s it going? What IS this?!” Recently, we noticed such a hit with one of our customers in the ...

Cloud Computing Explained: SaaS, PaaS, and IaaS

Cloud strategy, integration, and support is an important part of our business here at Ascend. We help clients determine their cloud needs, assess their options, and find the right solution for their budget and situation.

Subscribing vs. Buying: The Microsoft Office Dilemma

Still using Microsoft Office 2007?

Balancing Security and Performance in the IOT Era

In 2016, Business Insider Intelligence predicted there will be 34 billion connected devices, up from 10 billion in 2015. This latest prediction nearly doubles Gartner’s 20 billion connected devices prediction, but it doesn’t come close to other projections. In any case, ...

The Biggest Vulnerability in Your Network? It’s You.

At Ascend, we write a lot about the technical aspects of cybersecurity. We focus on cutting-edge topics in malware, ransomware, even machine learning. But one of the most insidious and effective cybersecurity threats around doesn't involve a single line of code: social ...

Four Tips For Creating a Strong Security Culture

Brazen cyber attacks by organized crime rings and political groups against high-profile retail giants, powerful government agencies, and energy facilities make news. But you may be surprised to know that one of the biggest risks to the cybersecurity of most businesses isn’t ...

4 Threat Assessment Best Practices

Cyberattacks have become commonplace across a variety of verticals —from big box stores to toymakers and even the federal government. Security staffers are feeling the pressure to ensure their company isn’t the next one splashed across the headlines.

How to Protect Patient Data From Network Gate Crashers

Healthcare providers have historically taken a perimeter-focused approach to cybersecurity which is the equivalent of building a strong fence around your property to keep the cattle safe. On the ranch, a fence may develop a small hole that allows a predator in or a stampede ...

Is Your Aging IT Infrastructure Putting You at Risk?

Cisco just released their midyear cybersecurity report, exploring the reasons why potent attacks are spreading and providing insights into undermining attackers' impact. Their findings were rather disturbing, but they do illustrate the point that businesses can prevent ...

Why are Healthcare Providers Underinvested in Cybersecurity?

According to 2016 survey results from The Ponemon Institute, healthcare organizations average about one cyber attack per month. So why, then, do so many remain underinvested in cybersecurity? That’s a question we often ask ourselves and encourage healthcare executives to ...

Preventing 3rd-Party Security Breaches: A Must for Healthcare

Businesses in all sectors are increasingly relying on vendors and associates. This is especially true in healthcare, where functions such as billing are frequently performed by outside parties, and providers rely on various partners for services like imaging and diagnostics.