Secure Your Most Valuable Asset.
Your Business.
Every organization in 2025 faces the same challenge: doing more with less. Budgets are tight, cyber threats are escalating, and customers, members, and employees all expect fast, reliable services. Many organizations still rely on a single in-house IT employee, or a small IT staff, to handle everything from resetting passwords to defending against ransomware. The reality is, that model simply isn’t enough anymore. Here’s why organizations should look to a Managed Services Provider (MSP) in 2025 instead of relying solely on staff IT: 1. Cybersecurity Has Become Too Complex Cyberattacks against organizations of all sizes are on the rise. Hackers no longer just target large corporations, they increasingly go after small and mid-sized businesses, nonprofits, schools, and professional practices because defenses are often weaker. A single IT staffer cannot monitor systems around the clock, implement enterprise-grade protections, or keep up with evolving threats. An MSP brings an entire team equipped with Security Operations Center (SOC) monitoring, endpoint detection, intrusion prevention, and advanced security tools. These are resources most organizations could never afford on their own, nor would they know how to assemble into a security stack strong enough to defend against modern threat actors. 2. 24/7 Support and Monitoring A staff IT person clocks out at 5 PM. Hackers don’t. MSPs provide round-the-clock monitoring and response. That means ransomware attacks at midnight get caught early, servers that crash over the weekend get worked on before monday, and your operations don’t suffer long outages that damage your reputation. 3. Scalable Expertise IT staff often wear too many hats: networking, cybersecurity, backups, compliance, user support, and more. No one person can be an expert in all areas. With an MSP, organizations gain access to a team of specialists in different areas of technology. That expertise scales as you grow, without the cost of recruiting, training, and retaining multiple full-time employees. 4. Budget Predictability Budgets are often set years in advance. Unexpected IT costs, like replacing servers after a failure or paying for emergency breach recovery, can wreck financial stability. MSPs provide predictable, fixed monthly pricing that covers proactive maintenance, monitoring, and support. This helps organizations plan more effectively while avoiding expensive surprises. 5. Compliance and Data Protection Organizations of all kinds handle sensitive data: financial records, health information, member databases, or intellectual property. Regulations around data handling and privacy are becoming stricter every year. An MSP ensures that data is encrypted, backups are tested, and compliance requirements are met, protecting both your organization and the people who trust you. 6. Focus on Your Mission When IT issues consume staff attention, leaders and employees can’t focus on what matters most: serving customers, members, or the community. By outsourcing IT management to a trusted MSP, organizations free up time and resources to grow, innovate, and serve more effectively. 7. Future-Proofing Technology Technology is advancing quickly: cloud solutions, AI-driven services, remote collaboration, and industry-specific applications are becoming essential. An MSP helps organizations adopt new technologies smoothly and securely, ensuring they don’t fall behind while competitors modernize. Who Needs an MSP? The truth is, every type of organization is a target for cyberattacks and can benefit from professional IT management. Whether you are in: Municipalities and Local Government Financial Services (banks, credit unions, investment advisors, insurance firms) Healthcare and Medical Practices Education (K-12 schools, colleges, training centers) Nonprofits and Community Organizations Manufacturing and Industrial Companies Professional Services (law firms, accounting, CPA, engineering, etc.) …a Managed Services Provider can deliver the protection, reliability, and expertise you need. Final Thought IT is no longer just about fixing computers. It’s about defending against cyberattacks, keeping essential services running 24/7, and planning for the future of digital operations. In 2025, a single staff IT person simply cannot carry that responsibility alone. By partnering with a Managed Services Provider, your organization gains the expertise, protection, and scalability it needs to safeguard data, maintain uptime, and grow with confidence, without blowing the budget.
Anthropic’s latest threat report confirmed what cybersecurity professionals have feared: the barrier to launching ransomware attacks has collapsed. Who is Anthropic and why should we believe them? Anthropic is one of the world’s leading AI companies, founded by former OpenAI researchers and backed by Amazon and Google. Their AI, Claude, is a direct competitor to ChatGPT. When Anthropic issues a threat report, it’s not hype, it’s insider intelligence from a company building the very technology now being weaponized. In one documented case, a single individual with no coding skills used Claude Pro to: Research and select targets Develop custom malware Automate extortion campaigns The attacker successfully executed 17 ransomware incidents , demanding ransoms between $75,000 and $500,000 . Why This Matters Until now, ransomware required specialized technical knowledge, underground criminal networks, and months of preparation. That barrier to entry is GONE . Today, all it takes is an AI subscription and basic English skills . Artificial intelligence has compressed the learning curve from years to weeks. That means: Attacks will multiply — What one unskilled attacker pulled off, thousands more can replicate. Small businesses are in the crosshairs — Automation makes “smaller targets” profitable at scale. Cyber insurance costs will spike — Actuarial models are based on yesterday’s risks, not today’s reality. The Dangerous Window We’re In The defense industry will adapt, but there’s always a lag between new attack methods and effective countermeasures. Right now, we’re in that gap. This is the most dangerous time for unprepared organizations. What Businesses Should Do Immediately If you’ve been putting off security upgrades, the clock just ran out. Here are urgent steps every organization should take: Audit your current security posture — Identify vulnerabilities before attackers do. Upgrade your incident response plan — Assume a breach is possible and plan accordingly. Harden email and endpoint security — Most ransomware campaigns begin with phishing or weak endpoint protection. Invest in employee training — Humans remain the easiest entry point for attackers. Review your cyber insurance coverage — Premiums and exclusions are about to shift dramatically. The Bottom Line Cybersecurity risk has changed permanently. If one person with no technical background can launch automated ransomware campaigns, the floodgates are open. Doing nothing is no longer an option. The question isn’t if attackers will find your business, it’s whether you’ll be ready when they do.
The recent Drift by Salesloft breach is a reminder that even tools we think of as harmless, like chatbots or small integrations, can open the door for hackers. In this case, attackers got into Drift and used that connection to steal data from big companies through Salesforce. While the headlines are about large organizations, the real lesson is that every business is at risk if they don’t stay on top of third-party apps and connections. This is why regular security assessments and having a trusted cybersecurity partner are so important. This post is a bit more technical and detailed than usual. I just wanted to make sure all the information was clear and available, so thanks for bearing with me. 1. The Anatomy of the Breach: How It Happened Origin in GitHub Access Threat actors associated with the group tracked as UNC6395 gained access to Salesloft’s GitHub account between March and June 2025 . This foothold allowed them to extract sensitive credentials including AWS keys, passwords, Snowflake tokens, and more Token Theft and Lateral Movement Between approximately August 8 and August 18, 2025, attackers exploited the SalesDrift integration, which connects Drift’s AI chat features to Salesforce, to steal OAuth (Authentication) and refresh tokens. These tokens were then used to access customer Salesforce environments and exfiltrate data. Scope of Impact Hundreds of organizations were affected, including cybersecurity giants such as Palo Alto Networks, Cloudflare, Zscaler, Proofpoint, CyberArk, Tenable, and Workiva. Notably, exfiltrated data typically included business contact names, support case metadata, job titles, and occasionally credentials like AWS keys and Snowflake tokens. Broader Credential Harvesting Beyond Salesforce, the “Drift Email” integration may have compromised small numbers of Google Workspace accounts , though core Google systems remained untouched. Sophisticated Attack Tactics The attackers displayed operational stealth, deleting query jobs to erase evidence and avoid triggering alerts. 2. Why Primarily Larger Enterprises Got Hit Heavy Reliance on SaaS Integrations Organizations like Salesforce customers often rely on complex ecosystems of integrated tools, SalesDrift and Drift for CRM automation included. These dependencies expand attack surfaces. High-Value Targets Big companies tend to store extensive customer data and internal sales intelligence, making them lucrative targets for supply chain attacks. Broad Token Privileges OAuth tokens used in integrations can grant broad access. If not properly scoped or monitored, they act like skeleton keys, especially in environments with weak visibility. 3. A Wake-Up Call: Why Every Business Needs Third-Party Security Assessments Even if you're not in enterprise-level security, the Drift incident spotlights universal threats: Hidden Vulnerabilities A breach in a small third-party app, like a chatbot, can bypass traditional perimeter defenses, especially in SaaS-oriented workflows. Inadequate Monitoring and Logging The breach revealed lagging detection systems and weak audit trails. Proactive logging and anomaly detection could have spotted unusual OAuth token behaviors sooner. Token Persistence and Privilege Creep Stale or overly broad tokens, particularly in integrations with powerful tools like Salesforce, become a liability if not effectively revoked or rotated. 4. Why a Strong Cybersecurity Partner Matters A trusted cybersecurity partner can bring in forensic readiness, real-time monitoring , and incident response maturity to detect, contain, and mitigate breaches quickly. Third-Party Risk Management (TPRM) frameworks help organizations: Visualize interconnected integrations (not just direct but also fourth-party risk). Tag high-risk integrations and enforce strict privileges. Monitor OAuth/API activity patterns for anomalies. In the Salesloft case, external assistance from Mandiant and Google’s GTIG was critical to containment; without such partners, the breach could have wreaked even more havoc. 5. Key Takeaways and Actionable Advice Audit all third-party integrations - Detect unknown or outdated integrations that carry token privileges. Revoke and rotate credentials promptly - Blocks persistence if a channel is compromised. Enforce least privilege - Limit what each integration can access. Implement robust logging & monitoring - Detect stealthy behaviors like deleted query jobs. Engage in continuous TPRM - Visualize both direct and indirect risk across your tech stack. Partner with cybersecurity experts - Be ready for rapid response, forensic investigation, and containment. Conclusion: A Silent Breach, A Loud Reminder The Salesloft Drift breach u nderscores a harsh reality: even integrations perceived as innocuous, like AI chatbots, can become entry points for high-impact supply chain attacks. While major firms bore the brunt, the same vulnerabilities apply to organizations of every size. Now is the time to deeply evaluate third-party risk and increase defenses via continuous assessment, strong oversight, and reliable cybersecurity collaboration. We live In a world where trust is transacted through tokens, being vigilant is your best safeguard.
Cybersecurity headlines have been buzzing about the Salt Typhoon hack, but many small and medium businesses (SMBs) are still asking: what does this mean for me? What is Salt Typhoon? Salt Typhoon is a name used to identify a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group. Unlike random hackers who spread malware for quick profit, Salt Typhoon is strategic and deliberate. Their operations often involve breaking into telecommunications networks, which is obviously a critical backbone for global communication. Once they compromise telecom providers, they can: Monitor phone calls, texts, and data traffic. Identify high-value targets. Stealthily move into other connected businesses. This isn’t a smash-and-grab cybercrime. It’s a patient, methodical infiltration designed to give attackers deep access to communication systems and the organizations that rely on them. Why This Impacts Small and Medium Businesses At first glance, it may sound like only large telecom companies or government agencies need to worry. But here’s the reality: If your business relies on phone systems, internet connectivity, or cloud-based communications, you’re indirectly connected to these networks. If telecom carriers are breached, attackers may pivot to businesses downstream. SMBs are stepping stones. Salt Typhoon and groups like them often use smaller organizations as an entry point into larger ecosystems. Data is data. Even if you’re not handling classified information, customer records, billing data, and employee communications all have value on the black market. Think of it this way: if attackers can intercept communications through a compromised telecom provider, they don’t need to target your business directly, THEY ARE ALREADY LISTENING! The Risks for Your Business The danger isn’t just about stolen data. A breach through telecommunications networks can mean: Intercepted customer calls and emails leading to fraud or impersonation. Loss of privacy as sensitive business discussions are monitored. Targeted spear-phishing attacks that appear even more convincing because attackers have inside information. Business disruption if your communications are tampered with or taken offline. For a small business, these outcomes can be devastating both financially and reputationally. How We Can Help At ABT Solutions, we take threats like Salt Typhoon seriously. Protecting SMBs against advanced cyberattacks requires layered defenses, including: Advanced threat detection to spot unusual behavior that could signal an attacker is in your network. Regular patching and updates to close off the vulnerabilities these attackers exploit. Penetration testing and assessments to identify weaknesses before hackers do. Employee training to ensure your team knows how to recognize and report suspicious activity. And much more! Cyber threats are evolving, and if attackers are patient enough to go after global telecom networks, they won’t hesitate to target smaller businesses that depend on those networks every day. π Don’t wait until your communications are compromised. Reach out today for a complimentary security assessment and let’s make sure your business is prepared.
π What Just Happened On July 21, 2025, Microsoft confirmed widespread active exploitation of a critical zero-day vulnerability in on-premises SharePoint Server (not affecting SharePoint Online/Microsoft 365). Hackers have leveraged this under-the-radar flaw, CVEβ2025β53770 (and related CVEβ2025β53771), to compromise approximately 75 servers, including those at U.S. government agencies and leading companies. β οΈ Why It Matters Remote Code Execution & Spoofing : The attackers gain deep access by impersonating trusted sources, potentially enabling full server takeover. High Stakes : Exploits targeting mission-critical infrastructure mean that once accessed, attackers can exfiltrate data, deploy malware, or disrupt services. Not Just Theory, It’s Happening : With at least 75 servers confirmed breached, this is no drill. π What Microsoft Is Doing Emergency Patches Issued (July 8, 2025): Security updates released fo r SharePoint Server 2019 and Subscription Edition u nder KB5002741, KB5002751, and related KBs. Fixes Still Pending : Patches fo r SharePoint Server 2016 exp ected soon, as of now, they're unavailable. Recommended Defensive Actions : Apply patches immediately. If patching isn't pos sible, disconnect vulnerable servers from the internet or enable advanced malware protection. π
Timeline of Key Events January–May 2025 : Microsoft patched several SharePoint vulnerabilities (CVEβ2025β21344, CVEβ2025β30382, CVEβ2025β49701, and others). These included remote code execution (RCE) and spoofing flaws that hinted at deeper risks within on-prem environments. July 8, 2025 : As part of Patch Tuesday, Microsoft rele ased emergency security updates for SharePoint Server 2019 and Subscription Edition (KB5002741, KB5002751). These updates addressed a newly discovered zero-day vulnerability, CVEβ2025β53770, be ing actively exploited in the wild. July 21, 2025 : Microsoft publicly conf irmed that at least 75 servers had been breached using this f law. The attackers leveraged spoofing to gain deep access, triggering widespread concern in both government and private sectors. A patch for SharePoint Server 2016 is still pending at this time. β
Immediate Mitigation Steps Patch Immediately : On βprem SharePoint 2019: Install KB 5002741. Subscription Edition: In stall KB5002751. Isolate If You Can’t Patch : Remove public access or enable robust malware scanning. Monitor & Audit : Keep an eye on logs for unusual activity or spoofed traffic. Plan 2016 Update : Track Microsoft’s upcoming 2016 patch and be ready to deploy once available. π Broader Patch Landscape July 2025’s Patch Tuesday tackle d 132–137 security flaws across Wind ows, Office, SQL Server, and SharePoint, including another publicly disclosed zero-day in SQL Server (CVEβ2025β49719). While only one zero-day involved SharePoint this month, the sheer volume and severity of bugs underline the importance of timely patch management. π¨πΌ Final Take This isn’t a drill, an actively exploited zero-day in SharePoint Server dema nds urgent action. ο»Ώ Your top priorities: Patch immediately if you're running on-prem SharePoint 2019 or Subscription Edition. Isolate vulnerable systems if patching isn’t yet possible. Stay alert for forthcoming patches for 2016. π Thinking Ahead Ensure robust change control, backup validation, and incident response readiness. Consider internal segmenting of SharePoint servers and stricter access policies. Stay informed: This may not be the last critical vulnerability in SharePoint this year.
When you’re running a business, every decision you make should reflect professionalism, security, and compliance. Yet one of the most common mistakes we see, especially among small businesses, is using a free Gmail account (like yourbusiness@gmail.com ) for business communications. It might seem harmless, but if you care about protecting your data, building trust, and staying compliant with industry regulations, it’s a risky move. Here’s why using a Gmail account for business is a bad idea and why it could actually cost you. 1. It’s Not Professional Perception matters. Customers, vendors, and partners take you more seriously when your email address matches your domain name (e.g., you@yourcompany.com ). A free Gmail address comes across as amateurish or temporary, and that’s not the message you want to send if you’re handling sensitive data, insurance, healthcare, or financial services. 2. It’s Not Secure Enough for Business Use While Gmail includes decent security for personal users, it lacks critical business-grade protections unless you're using Google Workspace or another secure platform designed for business such as Microsoft 365. With a standard Gmail account, you don’t get: Administrative control over who can access what, Security policies like enforced 2FA or device management, Advanced threat protection tailored for business environments, Activity logging and audit trails. If an employee’s Gmail account is compromised, there’s no central control to shut it down or revoke access. That’s a huge risk. 3. It’s a Compliance Nightmare If you operate in a regulated industry, like finance, insurance, healthcare, or legal, you’re likely subject to regulations like HIPAA, FINRA, GLBA, or others. A personal Gmail account isn’t compliant with those standards. Here’s why: No signed Business Associate Agreement (BAA) from Google unless you use a paid Workspace account with the right plan, No data loss prevention (DLP) or archiving controls, No eDiscovery or retention policies, No centralized user management or access revocation, No encryption assurances for compliance-grade protection. Even if you think you’re just emailing “simple stuff,” the law may still consider it protected or sensitive data. And ignorance is no excuse in the event of a breach, audit, or class action lawsuit. 4. You Don’t Own the Account If an employee creates a Gmail account like yourbusiness@gmail.com , they control it, not you. If they leave, they could walk away with all your customer emails, files, and contacts. There’s no way to reclaim or shut down the account unless you’re using a business-grade email system with proper user controls. 5. You Need a Business-Grade Email Platform, Set Up and Secured by Professionals Business email isn't just about sending and receiving messages, it’s about protecting your organization from threats, maintaining compliance, and presenting a trustworthy image to clients. That’s why you need a business-grade email solution that’s not just purchased but also properly configured, secured, and monitored. When you partner with us, you get far more than just email: Professionally hardened Microsoft 365 environment, Ongoing security monitoring and proactive threat response, Phishing protection and anti-malware filtering, User access controls and compliance-ready policies, Ongoing support from a team that specializes in securing business communications. This isn’t something you “set and forget.” It takes expertise and continuous oversight to ensure your email system isn’t the weakest link in your cybersecurity posture. Final Thoughts: Free Email Isn’t Free, It’s a Liability Using a personal Gmail account may seem easy, but it leaves your business exposed on all fronts, security, compliance, and reputation. If you rely on email for business (and who doesn’t?), then it’s time to treat it like the mission-critical asset it is. That means using a secure, business-class email platform and trusting professionals to manage and monitor it the right way. Let’s get your email system secured, compliant, and working for you, not against you. Reach out today and we’ll help you do it right from day one.