WEI Tech Exchange

Enterprise Security in 2017: Comparing 2016 Threats to Now

By Greg LaBrie |   Jan 17, 2017

If you have had the chance to read any of the latest analyst predictions for 2017, then you will have noticed that security remains at the top of the list. So what will you do differently this year than in year's past? As you review your security strategies and revisit best practices this New Year, it’s important to reflect upon the past. We examined the top security threats last year in our white paper, Effectively Managing Cyber Security: Top 5 Enterprise Threats. Now read on to learn about the top five enterprise security threats to the confidential and proprietary information on your network -- that you must consider for this year.

The Critical Role of Hardware-based Security Solutions

By Greg LaBrie |   Jan 12, 2017

How are your security protocols working? While most businesses are focusing on the type of software being used to keep cybercriminals out of the servers, Intel and its partners are working to change the face of security and working together to achieve better results.

3 Real Cases of Whaling as an Enterprise Security Threat

By Greg LaBrie |   Jan 10, 2017

There’s a new technology threat your organization should be cautious of in 2017 – it’s called whaling. Just like the practice of hunting a whale, cyber criminals use this technique to reel in a big catch by targeting top decision-making executives at enterprise organizations—and it works. If that doesn’t sound scary enough, many companies have experienced this threat in a very real way. Read on for a look into some high-profile, real-life whaling cases and their consequences.

The Value of Automated Storage Tiering with Software Defined Storage

By Greg LaBrie |   Jan 05, 2017

Software defined storage (SDS) has the potential to revolutionize your business processes and drive extraordinary value. However, storage isn’t just measured by capacity. In our previous blog post, we laid out the example of thinking of your organization’s storage infrastructure like a virtual city: there are specific places designated for each type of data, from highly-utilized information to archives. Because of this, there is a true need for segmenting your resources; today, SDS is finally allocating true Automated Storage Tiering (AST) for enterprises. AST has created a natural and timely partnership with flash storage to offer the speed and performance that personal computing devices have enjoyed for years and many organizations are now considering all-flash based arrays to meet the demands of server virtualization.

Advice for Managing Your Data with Software Defined Storage

By Greg LaBrie |   Jan 03, 2017

There are a couple of reasons why organizations are slow to adopt software defined storage (SDS) when compared to its cousin, software defined networking (SDN).  This is likely due to the concept of utilizing commoditized hardware. After all, if a switch goes down, it’s just a switch. If a RAID (Redundant Array of Independent Disks) goes beyond the point of degradation, it’s your own valuable data, which is why enterprises have been willing to pay such absorbent costs on proprietary disk array devices that boast enormous levels of redundancy. In addition, some of the terminology frequently used to describe various aspects of SDS can be confusing.

Avoid a Whaling Attack: Recognizing 3 Common Security Risks

By Greg LaBrie |   Dec 22, 2016

We recently discussed an emerging cyber threat called whaling, a new highly-targeted phishing tactic that’s threatening enterprises’ most valuable employees: the C-Suite. While whaling is similar to any other phishing or spam email scam, it’s a tactical approach that takes its time by targeting high-level executives by leveraging what seems to be legitimate business correspondence. How can you recognize a whaling attack before it infiltrates your organization? Read this post to get to know the common security risks.

Avoid the Latest Enterprise Security Threat: ‘Whaling’

By Greg LaBrie |   Dec 20, 2016

There’s a new kind of threat to your enterprise, under the phishing and spam umbrella, and that danger is referred to as whaling. Specifically designed attacks target your most valuable team members, the boardroom executives, and infiltrate your enterprise to a scary extent. How can you avoid whaling? Read on for our cyber security threat briefing.

Cisco ACI Case Study: Data Center Relocation and Innovation

By Greg LaBrie |   Dec 15, 2016

Writer's note: Every Thursday in November and December, this blog will highlight the SDN solution, Cisco ACI. As market acceptance and adoption increases for SDN, IT professionals can count on WEI to fairly evaluate the market leading SDN solutions available today.

Several analysts have predicted a rise in the adoption of SDN and software-defined technologies in the years ahead. We stand by the prediction as our networking solution engineers often get asked about our experience implementing the market leading SDN solutions available today. Read through this example of how WEI assisted its customer with a data center relocation and consolidation project that was enhanced by the implementation of Cisco ACI -- which presents a new networking model that leverages policy-based networking.

Use Software Defined Storage to Reveal the True Cost of Data

By Greg LaBrie |   Dec 13, 2016

Software defined storage (SDS) is a cost-effective way for companies to store their data in a safe cloud environment while freeing up space traditionally taken up by physical hardware. It can also provide a stronger level of data protection since cloud service providers (although their security policies vary) have a responsibility to care for customer data, per your service agreement. How can you determine if this fits into your organization’s budget? First, let’s dive into the circumstances that created a need for SDS

2016 Has Been a Banner Year for Ransomware

By Greg LaBrie |   Dec 06, 2016

As we look back at the year that was, one cannot ignore the growing prominence of Ransomware within the IT Security community. The dramatic surge of ransomware attacks has been outlined within headlines all across the country as cyber criminals continue to perfect this method of extortion in which no person or organization appears to be exempt from today.