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On Friday, May 7, 2021, the Colonial Pipeline became the victim of a ransomware attack organized by an online gang known as DarkSide. Pipeline employees shut down operations to combat the data breach. However, once a ransomware attack succeeds, there is little a company can do to regain control of the stolen data. The Colonial Pipeline sought help from FireEye, a large cybersecurity company focused on serving high-profile customers. FireEye is currently working in conjunction with The Colonial Pipeline to harden the infrastructure enough to resume fuel line operations.

The attack serves as validation that the United States’ infrastructure is vulnerable to cyber threats. Although the likelihood of another attack happening is probable, this breach might serve as motivation for companies throughout the US to strengthen cybersecurity programs.

The ransomware attack is not a surprise to those in the IT and cybersecurity space, like Greg Clements, COO of Simple Helix.

“These [hackers] have been doing this for a while and they’ve turned it into big business,” said Clements. “Back in the 70s and 80s, security was a secondary thought. Back then, you never considered that someone could take control of your system because there were so few that could. Now that more people have access to cyber architecture and the know-how to use it, the threat vector is exponentially increased. It would benefit all businesses to strengthen their IT security posture now.”

If you’re looking to protect your business from these attacks, Simple Helix is here to help. We are a Managed Services Provider (MSP) dedicated to serving businesses of all sizes and industries. Our team of IT experts provides the tools and services to equip and protect your company. Contact us today at info@simplehelix.com or (256) 704-1041 to set up a FREE consultation. 

Think back to a few decades ago – there were no smartphones, streaming platforms, or social media. The means of communication were simple: standard television programs, snail-mail, or landline telephones. In today’s world of modern technology, we have a lot more obstacles to jump over such as cybersecurity threats, internet outages, hackers, and so much more. What’s the solution to these problems and who can help? A Data Center!

What is a Data Center?

If you don’t know by now, a data center is a central hub that hosts and protects client’s sensitive files and data in-house. Through SOC and NOC services they have access to your network and can monitor for any potential threats or vulnerabilities. Data centers are well known for not only storing and protecting data, but also for providing additional cloud storage, recovery and backup services, and managed IT services.

Keeping Your Business On Track

There are a multitude of ways that a data center can help keep your business on track. First, you need to establish what your main area of concern is. Is it keeping your network secure? Storing data? Backing up your data in case of an emergency?

Whatever your concerns are, a data center can help keep your business running smoothly and more efficiently. Here’s how:

Recovering and Backing Up Your Data

Having your data backed up in a data center is one of the best precautions you can take. When it comes to sensitive data and files, you don’t want to risk a network failure and losing everything. While this is not very common, it does happen and your business could pay a tremendous amount of money if it happens to you. Having a safe, secure, and dependable data center on your side will ensure you can rest easy knowing all of your data is stored and protected in case of an emergency. At Simple Helix, technicians can check and monitor your backups on a regular basis to ensure there are no errors and everything is working properly.

Increased Up Time

If your business is spending precious time waiting on the internet to load or reconnect, or you experience several interruptions during the day, you need a data center! Simple Helix uses a multi-carrier approach to deliver our customers a reliable and consistent internet connection. Not only is it fast, it delivers internet connectivity directly to your business and you’ll maintain an internet connection regardless of system failures or other errors. We understand the importance of being able to access the internet at all times, and how much of a pain it can be when you aren’t able to. We can help keep your business connected and on track!

IT Services

Whether you already have an established IT department or you’re looking for a company that you can outsource your IT to, Simple Helix can help! We can work hand in hand with your in-house team or handle all of your managed IT needs for you. We keep a “customer-first” mentality and can provide 24/7 monitoring, issue resolution, reporting and more. Our team of experienced engineers have a diverse skill set and can deliver the IT dream team you’ve been waiting for. As mentioned, if you already have an IT staff, we can work alongside them to deliver the results you are expecting.

There are so many benefits to hiring a data center for your business. These are just a drop in the bucket. If you’re looking to learn more about Simple Helix and our Tier III Data Center, contact us today.

Have you written out your SSP for CMMC Compliance? Have you implemented the tools and services needed to pass your CMMC audit? If you have, are you sure your SSP is written to the specifics of a CMMC assessor? Watch the recording of our webinar event as CMMC Experts, Scott McDaniel (CEO, Simple Helix) & Cliff Neve (COO, MAD Security), discuss the best way to build and implement an SSP to ensure you pass your audit.

Submit your information to the form to view the event recording.

The journey to CMMC Compliance can sometimes be a little confusing. We know it can be stressful when questions go unanswered, so we’ve compiled a list of FAQs to help you out! The answers provided are high-level so please feel free to reach out if you’d like for us to elaborate on certain subjects.  

What is CMMC?  

• CMMC is a new standard of cybersecurity compliance developed by the DoD that all U.S. Government Contractors will have to adhere to by 2026 in order to continue working with the Government.  

Why is this happening?  

• The U.S. government realized the threat of cybercrimes rises daily. To prevent U.S. adversaries from gaining insight regarding our defense technologies, our nation must seek to strengthen its cyber security hygiene. Because of this CMMC was created. 

When will contractors have to be certified?  

• Contractors must become CMMC Compliant prior to being awarded a contract that requires the standard. The roll-out of contracts requiring compliance will be a phased approach over a 5-year period starting with the release of 10 RFIs and RFPs in 2020. All contractors will have to be compliant by 2026.  

Are prime contractors responsible for subs?  

• Prime contractors will have to ensure all sub-contractors working under them are CMMC compliant. However, they are not responsible for the subcontractor’s journey to compliance.   

What’s the difference between CMMC and DFARs or NIST 800-171?  

• Unlike previous cybersecurity standards, CMMC requires that the contractors be audited to ensure they are compliant. It also important to note that the project plan or POA&M must be completed before the assessment.  

How much will this cost?  

• The cost depends on which level you choose to pursue/achieve. The higher the level, the more expensive it is to implement, manage, and maintain. 

Can work towards CMMC be performed before the SSP is written?  

• There are certain things that can be done prior to writing an SSP. However, keep in mind that the CMMC Compliance cannot be achieved unless an SSP is created. 

There are 5 Levels within the CMMC Standard, and we’ve scoured documents released by the CMMC Accreditation Board to figure out the basic cybersecurity elements of each. You’ll see below a rundown of each of the levels along with some solutions we recommend so you have an understanding of the requirements you’ll have to meet! Take a look and feel free to contact me if you have any questions!  

Level 1: Basic

• At Level 1, contractors must implement Spam Filtering and Password Encryption.   

  Simple Helix Solution:  

  • Spam Filtering – Office 365 
  • Password Encryption – DUO 

Level 2: Intermediate

• At Level 2, contractors must meet the practices in level 1 and implement offsite, offline backups.   

  Simple Helix Solution:  

  • Offsite, offline backups – Veeam Cloud-based Backups hosted in Simple Helix’s Tier III Colocation Data Center 

Level 3: Good 

• At Level 3, contractors must meet the practices in levels 1 & 2. They must also implement DNS Filtering and Encrypted Email & File Sharing as well as retroactively monitor the Log Files. 

  Simple Helix Solution:  

  • Encrypted Email & File Sharing – Office 365, Office 365 GCC High, or PreVeil 
  • DNS Filtering – Webroot or Palo Alto Firewall 
  • Log File Review – LogRhythm with retroactive SOC monitoring services

Level 4: Proactive

• At Level 4, contractors must meet the practices in levels 1 through 3 and proactively monitor the Log Files. 

  Simple Helix Solution:  

  1. Log File Review – LogRhythm with proactive SOC monitoring services 

Level 5: Progressive

• At Level 5, contractors must meet the practices in levels 1 through 4 and actively monitor the Log Files 24/7. 

  Simple Helix Solution:  

  1. Log File Review – LogRhythm with active 24/7 SOC monitoring services