15 – Ransomware with Corey Nachreiner of WatchGuard

This week, Corey Nachreiner, Chief Security Officer at WatchGuard, joins The Holtz Story to discuss data’s role in ransomware. Corey is an authority on network security and an internationally quoted commentator. He is a regular contributor to leading publications including CNET, Dark Reading, eWeek, Help Net Security, Information Week, and Infosecurity, and delivers WatchGuard’s “Daily Security Byte" video on Facebook.

This episode opens with a discussion of ransomware and how it has evolved over time. Corey calls the early years of ransomware the shotgun period, where everyone was targeted and ransoms were small. Now, cybercriminals are taking more time to select their targets and are seeking bigger paydays.

The conversation then shifts to budgets and strategic approaches of SMBs. Corey points out that we can achieve a lot in cybersecurity by implementing best practices with traditional tools, as well as the need to focus not only on blocking attacks but on the detection and remediation of threats.

Tracy brings the conversation back to a broader security framework and Zero Trust. Corey points out Zero Trust is an evolution of the least privilege principle which has been around for a long time. It starts with identity, making sure we can validate the person is who they say they are, and then only letting the user do what they are permitted to do.

This podcast ends with a discussion about why SMBs need MSSPs, and how MSPs are adapting to this need. Corey shares how we went from VARs to MSPs to MSSPs, and how blurred the role of the MSP has become in cybersecurity. This also includes a brief discussion on how M&A is shaping some of this change.

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