Five Best Practices for an Incident Response Plan
Use these five best practices to create or update an IT security incident response plan.
A Look Back at 2021 with US Signal
Between large-scale data breaches and the continuing pandemic, 2021 looked a lot like 2020. But it was also a year that saw US Signal continue to evolve and expand its products and services ─ particularly on the data protection and security front ─ to better meet our customers’ changing needs. The following are just a few highlights.
Endpoint Detection and Response
In late of 2021, US Signal released its Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) solution. The next-generation security service combines continuous monitoring and real-time assessment with artificial intelligence and other leading-edge technologies to prevent and resolve security issues across laptops, desktops, and servers.
EDR is available in two service tiers ─ standard and premium. The premium tier includes a managed service option, in which US Signal's Security Operations Center (SOC) team handles all security alerts and responses.
EDR works by installing software agents on individual endpoints to monitor activity and collect data into a centralized database. Drawing on machine learning and behavioral analysis, the service identifies and automatically addresses suspicious activities ─ including ransomware ─ with intelligence- and rules-based responses.
Threats are stopped before they can execute. Non-threats can proceed without disrupting operations. Information about both is used to continually enhance the service’s ability to detect and protect against existing and emerging security issues. The service also provides protection even if an endpoint is offline to support remote workforces. In addition, it can help ensure endpoint compliance with data security standards.
Pricing includes a one-time set up fee and a monthly charge per endpoint.
Cohesity Data Management
US Signal also launched Data Management for Cohesity, a data protection and disaster recovery solution that combines US Signal’s secure, scalable cloud resources with the multicloud data platform offered by Cohesity, a leading global data management firm.
The Cohesity-powered service protects workloads in US Signal’s public and private cloud infrastructure. Full virtual machine (VM) protection is provided, including at the application and file level, but doesn’t require the installation of an agent on the VMs. Deduplication of the data helps to reduce required storage space, adding to the solution’s cost-saving benefits for the customer.
The cloud-based solution features SLA-backed 100% data availability. It uses a pay-as-you-go consumption model for flexibility and cost effectiveness. Because the solution is delivered “as a service,” no hardware investment is required. Customers also benefit from the ability to copy backups to low-cost S3 compatible object storage. Or it can be moved to tiered storage on a predetermined schedule to accommodate long-term data retention and compliance requirements.
MEF-certified Ethernet Transport
US Signal’s Layer 2 Ethernet service took on a new name in 2021. Formerly known as Wholesale Ethernet Service, it’s now called Ethernet Transport. More expansive than before, it’s designed to support the growing application performance and bandwidth requirements associated with digital transformation, as well as today’s rapidly changing business needs.
Ethernet Transport delivers secure, scalable connectivity with E-Line (point-to-point), E-LAN (point-to-multipoint), E-TREE (multipoint to multipoint), and E-Access (point-to-ENNI) topology solutions. Each solution type includes a port-based and VLAN/EVC-based option and supports MTU sizes up to 9,000 bytes in US Signal’s 14,000-mile, wholly owned fiber network. Scalable service bandwidths are available from 1 Mbps up to 10 Gbps. Each solution type is also MEF certified.
Earlier this year, US Signal joined MEF, a global federation of network, cloud, and technology providers working to advance enterprise digital transformation, and attained MEF 3.0 Carrier Ethernet Certification. The company-level certification attests that US Signal has demonstrated that its solutions conform to the rigorous specifications established by the industry’s defining authority.
More Resources Than Ever
US Signal also released or updated numerous resources throughout 2021 to help customers and partners alike overcome IT challenges and become better informed about potential solutions. If you missed them, here are a few to check out:
10 Considerations for Creating a Remote Workforce Needs Checklist
IT Disaster Recovery eBook: What to Do and What to Know
eBook: On-Premise vs the Cloud: Comparing Costs and Making the Move
Even more resources can be found here.
What’s Ahead
With IT vulnerabilities continuing to be exploited and cyberattacks becoming increasingly complex and costly, expect to see US Signal continue its emphasis on helping customers strengthen their IT security, data protection and disaster recovery strategies. Watch for our 2022 blogs to learn what’s coming. And if you have suggestions for topics you’d like to see covered in our blogs, let us know. Email: [email protected]
Related Blog Posts
Expand from Network Security to Cloud Security
Learn how to expand from on-prem network security to cloud security with these best practices and resources.
Safer Internet Day Starts with Strong IT Security
Safer Internet Day offers a reminder of steps your organization can take to enhance its IT security and combat DDoS attacks and other forms of cybercrime.