The CINS Army Brief

Our Take We’re fans of this new buzzword: “Shadow AI.” Generative AI is getting integrated into every SaaS tool out there: customer support, content creation, graphic design, software development, etc. etc. … So how in the world do you balance the obvious productivity benefits with keeping your employees from dumping… Read More

Our Take We mostly serve smaller organizations with limited budgets, so ‘struggling to get budgets’ is nothing new for us. In fact, we preach about this topic to anyone that’ll listen. And, this little nugget from the article below is unfortunately also true: “… extreme circumstances, such as a… Read More

Our Take This month’s focus seems to be government regulation … As governments consider more laws specific to cyber and privacy, we hold out hope that they remain 1) vendor agnostic; 2) flexible enough that smaller organizations with small budgets can adapt; and 3) based on clear guidelines or frameworks… Read More

Our Take The edge is dead. Long live the edge! We recently published a blog on this topic, so it seems appropriate to highlight a couple recent examples of how edge and public-facing vulnerabilities and flaws remain painfully relevant in the cybersecurity landscape. Peloton Bugs Expose Enterprise… Read More

Our Take ” … significant amounts being spent on what’s hitting the headlines instead of strategic, business-centric investment in security defenses.” So, how do you avoid this? If you know anything about us, we’re big fans of frameworks like the CIS Controls. In our humble opinion, that’s the clearest… Read More

Our Take Well he’s not wrong. This month’s highlight article is, admittedly, an Advertorial. That said, the author isn’t wrong about most organizations’ (particularly SMEs’) need for managed services to bridge the security gap. Most Companies Can’t Handle Cybersecurity Alone https://hbr.org/2023/05/most-companies-cant-handle-cybersecurity-alone This is… Read More

Our Take Even though we’re a small company, our CINS Threat Intelligence feed is used all over the world. And because of that, sometimes people reach out and ask us why they’re network is on our list and considered malicious. That’s when we have to break the news to… Read More

Our Take In our humble opinion, the reason articles like this still need to be written is that we as vendors still have a hard time justifying the ROI on cybersecurity spend. Quantifying risk is hard. Justifying the benefits of managed services is easier. We’ll keep working on it. Many… Read More

Our Take “Because cybercriminals have access to these thousands of exploits, they don’t have to invest as much time or money finding new ones; older ones are doing just fine” … Love this! Patch your stuff, and keep those old IPS rulesets updated! Most ransomware blocked last year, but cyberattacks… Read More

Our Take Yep, this again. (We highlighted it back in October, too.) We’re a small team competing against enterprise organizations, with a mission to serve smaller IT teams that can’t afford the so-called “top talent.” Therefore, we’ve seen this first hand internally and with our customers, too. By reframing… Read More

Our Take This month’s Brief is full of predictions for 2023, but the biggest news so far is our official name change! Our ‘Sentinel’ name treated us well, but we’ve outgrown it. Say hello to Nomic Networks! What does ‘Nomic’ mean, you ask? All your answers are right here. Sentinel… Read More

Our Take Sticking with the same theme as last month’s Brief, this one is a little depressing (and not surprising), but let’s focus on the small bit of good news buried deep in the article: ” … cybersecurity leaders feel they are finally getting through to company leaders”. We see… Read More

Our Take Never been a fan of hyperbolic headlines that use terms like “breaking point” and “We should all be worried,” but stress and burnout in IT and cybersecurity are real concerns. Beyond the obvious sales pitch we would make as a managed security provider, another important factor in addressing… Read More

Our Take This article hits the nail on the head. As a small company serving organizations with lean IT teams, we (and our customers) have known this secret for a long time – and it works: Hire the person, not the resume. Looking for those ‘diamonds in the rough’ and… Read More

Our Take Identity Management, MFA, and “Zero Trust” are some of the newer buzzwords in a long line of cybersecurity trends over the years. Their adoption is no doubt critical, but as these articles point out, they’re not necessarily easy or infallible – emphasizing the age-old need for Defense in… Read More

Our Take SMBs are behind in adopting multi-factor authentication https://www.techrepublic.com/article/smbs-behind-adopting-mfa/ There are a lot of headlines that could start with the words, “SMBs are behind in adopting …” Here’s one you might not have though of: Most cybersecurity companies don’t focus their marketing and sales on… Read More

This is our CINS Army Brief for June 2022, curating the most interesting cyber news from the past month. Learn more and subscribe here. Our Take Where’s That $1B in State, Local Cybersecurity Grants? https://www.govtech.com/budget-finance/wheres-that-1b-in-state-local-cybersecurity-grants… Read More

This is our CINS Army Brief for May 2022, curating the most interesting cyber news from the past month. Learn more and subscribe here. Let’s keep the ‘metrics’ theme from last month going, and don’t forget the soft skills. Geez,… Read More

This is our CINS Army Brief for April 2022, curating the most interesting cyber news from the past month. Learn more and subscribe here. It’s true: You’ll catch more flies with honey than with vinegar. With the avalanche of bad… Read More

This is our CINS Army Brief for March 2022, curating the most interesting cyber news from the past month. Learn more and subscribe here. When it rains, it pours. Ukraine is having a ripple effect across the entire cybersecurity landscape. Read More

This is our CINS Army Brief for February 2022, curating the most interesting cyber news from the past month. Learn more and subscribe here. Let’s sift through some of the other cybersecurity news you may have missed. How MSPs can… Read More

This is our CINS Army Brief for January 2022, curating the most interesting cyber news from the past month. Learn more and subscribe here. Looking at some of the latest trends, including … Brainjacking? Taking IoT to a whole new… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for December 2021. Learn more and subscribe here.) ““It’s not the future that you’re afraid of. It’s repeating the past that makes you anxious.”” — Unknown As we begin 2022, imagine how powerful we’d be working in unison with people… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for November 2021. Learn more and subscribe here.) “When asked if my cup is half-full or half-empty my only response is that I am thankful I have a cup.” — Sam Lefkowitz We at Sentinel are grateful to serve such… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for October 2021. Learn more and subscribe here.) We are all aware by now of the tricksters who try to wreak havoc on our networks with ransomware, phishing, and hijacking. We can counter these tricks with treats of our own;… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for September 2021. Learn more and subscribe here.) And the “CINSY” for Baddest Actor in Cybersecurity goes to … Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS). From REvil to DarkSide to BlackMatter, these probably-not-state-sponsored organizations have matured into highly organized and profitable businesses, with… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for August 2021. Learn more and subscribe here.) Raging wildfires in California, a fourth wave of Covid cresting, and temperatures soaring. That’s not all that’s on the upswing; in the return-to-work era ransomware attacks are surging and threat actors are… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for July 2021. Learn more and subscribe here.) “Everything is continuously changing … Sometimes it flows slowly and sometimes swiftly … As soon as we think we are safe, something unexpected happens.” – Buddha Ain’t that the truth. Kaseya, Solar… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for June 2021. Learn more and subscribe here.) You know when you get in the car that’s been sitting outside in the heat of summer and your leg touches the seat belt? Burned, you get burned, son. Not only are… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for May 2021. Learn more and subscribe here.) Spring 2020 saw many essential items in short supply. This year those items are abundant, and it’s a very, very different variety of products that are limited … Everything from boat manufacturers… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for April 2021. Learn more and subscribe here.) There are many silly things to celebrate this coming May: No Diet Day, International Tiara Day, Hug Your Cat Day … But our favorite by far is Limerick Day. Here’s one we… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for March 2021. Learn more and subscribe here.) The dark web is big business, with sophisticated marketplaces and a mature corporate structure. Ransomware continues to evolve, and security strategies and tools constantly adapt to match. Don’t be fooled by the… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for February 2021. Learn more and subscribe here.) From 0 to 60 in 4.2 days, we’re talking about the temperature here in Texas y’all. We can think of one other thing that can swing from good to bad in even… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for January 2021. Learn more and subscribe here.) Vegan-uary, Dry January, Walk Your Dog Month?? With 2020 behind us, what should we call this fresh, new January? We humbly suggest CINSuary – dedicated to inspiring us all to work together… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for December 2020. Learn more and subscribe here.) Let’s just get this year over with, huh? The network security world is ending this already crazy 2020 with a bang – or shall we say, SUNBURST? Feast… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for November 2020. Learn more and subscribe here.) “As God is my witness, I thought turkeys could fly.” -Mr. Carlson, WKRP in Cincinnati A quintessential, hilarious Thanksgiving episode of the 70’s sitcom, in which live turkeys are dropped from… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for October 2020. Learn more and subscribe here.) “There are three things I’ve learned never to discuss with people: religion, politics, and the Great Pumpkin.” -Linus, “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown”, October 1967 Even in these crazy, crazy… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for September 2020. Learn more and subscribe here.) And the “CINSY” for Baddest Actor in Cybersecurity for 2020 goes to . . . Novel Coronavirus-2019. Covid-19 has changed how we work, live and learn, and has had a profound impact… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for August 2020. Learn more and subscribe here.) As the cybersecurity focus shifts to securing remote workers, the more things change, the more things stay the same. Phishing becomes Vishing, ransomware evolves but the trojans remain the same, and the… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for July 2020. Learn more and subscribe here.) Nobody on the road, nobody on the beach. I feel it in the air, the summer’s out of reach. Empty lake, empty streets, the sun goes down alone.”Don Henley – “The… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for June 2020. Learn more and subscribe here.) The Black Knight from The Holy Grail suffers from unchecked overconfidence and a staunch refusal to ever give up. Be the Black Knight: Refuse to give up on improving your network security… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for May 2020. Learn more and subscribe here.) The COVID pandemic has triggered a curious assortment of items in short supply: Toilet paper, medicine, and yeast to name a few. While certain ingredients are slow to restock, the most… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for April 2020. Learn more and subscribe here.) Just like last month, we all have a lot on our minds these days, so let’s keep this Brief, well, brief. Here are some of the best recent network security articles you… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for March 2020. Learn more and subscribe here.) We all have a lot on our minds these days, so let’s keep this Brief, well, brief. We are all doing the best we can to do our part in stopping the… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for February 2020, a little late. Learn more and subscribe here.) Does your network’s security sometimes feel like March Madness? You might be a #1 seed, but there are still 67 other bad actors out there trying to take you… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for January 2020. Learn more and subscribe here.) The culmination of practiced plans, spectacular performance, and expensive cost. Super Bowl? Nah, I’m talking cyber-attacks, with ransomware and phishing taking centerstage at the halftime show. Just as football teams adopt a… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for November 2019. Learn more and subscribe here.) Black Friday, Cyber Monday & Malware: What do these things have in common? They will all cost you money. Happy Thanksgiving! 😉 Seriously, folks: We at Sentinel are grateful for what we… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for October 2019. Learn more and subscribe here.) This Halloween brought more malware, ransomware and phishing than Ghosts, Goblins and Ghouls. November promises to bring more of the same with your turkey and stuffing. Enjoy this cornucopia of articles on… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for September 2019. Learn more and subscribe here.) And the “CINSY” for Baddest Actor in Cybersecurity goes to … Emotet. Dubbed the triple threat by many in security, Emotet took a short hiatus over the summer and came back stronger… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for August 2019. Learn more and subscribe here.) The heat is on, the Dow is down, “ … Dogs and Cats living together.” – Ghostbusters (1984) Not only temperatures are rising; here in the state of Texas ransomware attacks are… Read More

(This is our CINS Army Brief for July 2019. Learn more and subscribe here.) “In my attempts to see clearly in the deepest dark … did I open myself to some pure source of evil?” – Batman The dark web is becoming big business, with marketplaces… Read More