Blog Posts

Many financial institutions rely on Microsoft 365 (formerly Office 365) and Azure Active Directory (Azure AD) to access resources that can enhance their employee productivity and business operations. Here are some basic, but important, terms to keep in mind for these products: Microsoft 365 (M365) versus Microsoft Office (O365) Microsoft announced early last year that […]

The coronavirus pandemic has fueled ongoing inventory and material shortages in a number of industries and IT is no exception. Many components, such as servers, routers, firewalls, network switches, phones, keyboards, microphones, webcams, and more are still in relatively short supply. We’re seeing lead times for hardware delivery lasting four to six months—and the situation […]

Cybercriminals are always looking for new ways to bypass defense measures and exploit emerging weaknesses. Today, financial institutions are fending off security threats that are more ubiquitous, complex, and costly. As more employees than ever before engage in remote work and online collaboration, this presents a host of potential security gaps. Unsecured home Wi-Fi networks, […]

Implementing a technology-enhanced information security program doesn’t have to be a daunting task. Working with a third-party expert can make the process easier and smoother than managing all the requirements completely in house. Effective information security (InfoSec) allows organizations to safeguard key IT assets, business processes and data from potential threats. It involves the broad […]

Firewalls have been a critical first line of defense in network security for decades. Over the years, they have evolved beyond simply filtering traffic between internal and external networks to offering more advanced features. Today banks and credit unions can capitalize on the technical innovations of next-generation firewalls (NGFW) to significantly enhance their network security. […]

While the COVID-19 pandemic certainly isn’t over, financial institutions have learned valuable lessons so far. In retrospect, the pandemic’s impact on community banks and credit unions hasn’t been as catastrophic as examiners had initially feared—at least not financially. Key impacts have been mostly operational, involving risk related to temporary measures taken to weather the crisis. […]