News & Notes: Sophos Launches ‘Phish Threat’ Anti-Phishing Tool

Security as a Service vendor Sophos today launched a new anti-phishing feature aimed at helping MSPs identify end users that are vulnerable to phishing attempts and deliver additional training.

Sophos Phish Threat began appearing on partner dashboards this morning, enabling system administrators to send simulated phishing emails to individual users or groups of users, and observe which are likely to admit a cyberattack.

Phishing and related social engineering tactics have become a primary means by which malware exploits are introduced, said Scott Barlow, vice president of global MSP for Sophos.

“It’s prevalent because it works,” he said. “Ninety percent of ransomware payloads are introduced by phishing.”

Once the simulated phishing emails are sent, administrators can monitor who clicks.

“These are (phishing) campaigns that are similar to those we’re seeing right now in Sophos Labs,” Barlow said. “It will help users isolate problems before they happen.”

End users who trigger the fake malware receive a message informing them of the simulation and explaining that their actions would have introduced an attack.

If additional training is needed, MSPs can send the end user an appropriate cybersecurity training module.

In cases where the vulnerability is deemed sufficiently serious, administrators can set policies to isolate user endpoints and protect the broader environment.

Kaseya releases VSA 9.4: Software vendor Kaseya this week released a new version of its RMM solution, targeted toward “advanced MSPs and enterprise IT departments.”

Kaseya VSA 9.4 is available for on-premise or cloud, and supports Windows, macOS and Linux.

Improvements include enhanced technician experience, cloud backup, improved discovery, and support for Red Hat 7 and Ubuntu 16 Linux.

Unigma adds support for Microsoft CSP: Cloud management software vendor Unigma this week announced it has added support for the Microsoft Cloud Solution Partner program.

The Microsoft CSP program is designed for resellers and MSPs, allowing them to buy Azure and Office 365 for resale, or to be bundled with other services.

Unigma makes a tool that provides cloud automation, monitoring and cost analysis. It’s compatible for use with Azure, Amazon Web Services and Google Cloud Platform.

CompTIA releases ‘Quick Start Guides’: CompTIA, the nonprofit association for the technology industry, announced the release of four free Quick Start Guides, covering the topics of contracts, hiring, marketing and mergers & acquisitions.

The guides are designed to help improve the operational efficiency of MSPs, VARs and other technology firms.

The guides include:

CompTIA Quick Start Guide to Contracts and Negotiations

CompTIA Quick Start Guide to Planning an Event

CompTIA Quick Start Guide to Managing a Multigenerational Workforce

CompTIA Quick Start Guide to Mergers and Acquisitions

Kaspersky employee arrested for treason in Russia: A top manager at cybersecurity firm Kaspersky Labs has been arrested in Russia on possible treason charges, the Associated Press reported.

Rulan Stoyanov, head of the computer incidents investigations unit, was arrested last month, Kaspersky Labs confirmed today.

A Kaspersky spokeswoman said the arrest is unrelated to his work at the cybersecurity firm.

Stoyanov’s LinkedIn page lists a stint at the Cyber Crime Unit of the Russian Interior Ministry during the early 2000s, AP reported.

A senior Russian intelligence officer was also arrested in connection with the probe.

CloudJumper partners with US Signal: Workspace as a Service platform vendor CloudJumper today announced a deal with ISP and hosting firm US Signal to deliver services.

Under the deal, CloudJumper will use US Signal cloud infrastructure to deliver “hosted desktops, applications, storage and complete workspaces to midsize and large enterprises nationwide,” a CloudJumper statement said.

Send tips and news to [email protected].