When it comes to cybersecurity, there are no guarantees, and the same holds true for browsing the internet. Though there are steps you can take to increase privacy and make yourself more anonymous, achieving total and complete privacy and anonymity is unlikely.
There are many reasons organizations and individuals seek to browse the internet anonymously or privately. For businesses, keeping employee internet traffic private is a matter of security: shielding employee internet traffic makes it more difficult for cybercriminals to gather the information they need for social engineering attacks or blackmail. As such, taking organizational-wide steps to improve employee privacy as well as educating employees about the importance of privacy and what steps they can take is critical for any security posture.
To help you best safeguard your organization, we have created this handy guide outlining some tools and policies you may want to consider adopting.
Private is Not the Same as Anonymous
It takes a surprising amount of work to remain anonymous on the internet. Though many articles and organizations within the cybersecurity space use the terms “anonymity” and “privacy” interchangeably, they are not actually interchangeable.
An encrypted message is private because only you and the recipient can read its contents, but because of metadata, you aren’t actually anonymous. Metadata is snippets of information that provide context about the message, such as who you are talking to, how long you have been exchanging messages, how many messages you have sent, the presence and size of attachments, and what medium you are using (text, email, etc.), and unlike the contents of your message, isn’t encrypted.
Because you can’t encrypt this metadata (which can be accessed by cybercriminals and other unauthorized individuals with the right tools, technical knowledge, and motivation), you can’t actually browse the internet or send messages anonymously.
Tips & Tools to Increase Your Privacy Online
Using Tor & Signal
Adopting Tor and Signal for your internet browsing and message sending needs is a good place to start.
Tor
Tor is the largest, most comprehensive, and highly effective meta-data resistant piece of software designed to promote privacy and anonymity. Though Tor doesn’t guarantee it will keep your browsing habits private, it is the best option currently available. Tor has developed a bit of a bad reputation because it is favored by criminals looking to keep their illegal activities secret, but it has also been a critical tool for journalists looking to research stories anonymously and has even partnered with Reporters Without Borders. However, using Tor comes with some complications: browsing the internet over Tor is slower than using other search engines, and some large web services block Tor users.
Signal is a popular and highly effective messaging app that allows users to send and receive encrypted text messages, voice memos, audio calls, and video calls. Its user interface is similar to other popular messaging apps, making it easy to use even for less tech-savvy individuals.
However, just because your messages are private doesn’t mean you are anonymous. Any network-level adversary can tell you are using Signal, and government agencies such as the CIA can still digitally peek over your shoulder using malware. Also, the metadata associated with Signal users is still available, so organizations such as the US government and Five Eyes are able to access Signal traffic to learn who is communicating with whom when they are communicating and how long they have been in communication. Though the developers of Signal are aware of these shortcomings, metadata-resistant communication remains an unsolved technical problem.
In short, Signal is the best encrypted messaging app available, offering a more private communication experience, but it isn’t perfect and cannot be relied on for total or even strong anonymity.
VPNs Are Useful, But Don’t Actually Offer Anonymity (Only Privacy)
VPNs (virtual private networks) do not actually anonymize your browsing. All they do is move trust from your ISP address (at home, at the office, at your local coffee shop) to someone else’s server. VPNs can be incredibly effective security tools (and vital for remote workers who might be logging on from less than secure networks), but they don’t offer anonymity.
Since the VPN just shifts your traffic to their server, they can still see all of your traffic; as such, if someone you wish to hide your browsing from accesses the VPN’s servers (either through a cyber attack or via legitimate means such as a court order) they will also be able to see all your traffic.
Using Zero-Knowledge Services
Many of the tools you likely use every day, including Gmail, Office365, and DropBox, know everything you do on their respective platforms; Google reads your emails, Office365 can access everything you write, and DropBox has the ability to open and examine all files you upload. These three organizations, along with many more, are also Prism providers, which means they cooperate with mass surveillance programs and, as such, are willing to share anything you do on their platforms with the US government.
While you can protect your privacy on these platforms by encrypting everything you do, you can also choose more privacy-conscious alternatives such as SpiderOak (an alternative to DropBox) or Protonmail (as opposed to Gmail). You should carefully vet these companies for yourself before using their products, but these zero-knowledge options are certainly worth exploring further.
Check Your App Permissions
Though Apple recently released an update designed to improve user privacy and security (including limiting photo and location access, discouraging Wi-Fi tracking, and at a future date, limiting app tracking), both Apple and Android users should still take the time to check their app permissions. Many apps request greater permissions than they need (including camera and microphone access, location data, and other information), raising security and privacy concerns.
Be sure to periodically check your app permission settings and revoke unnecessary permissions.
Consider Installing an Ad Blocker on Your Browser
Ads used to be targeted at wide demographics, using a one-to-many broadcasting model. However, targeted advertising now means that what ads you see while browsing the internet are specifically tailored to you to maximize your chances of clicking a link or buying a product or service. This personalization is possible because of online tracking.
Installing an ad blocker won’t completely hide your browsing activities from curious advertisers, but products such as Brave Browser, AdBlock, and the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Privacy Badger offer better protection than nothing at all.
Consider an Ad Blocking DNS Service
To block ads at the network level, you may want to consider a DNS adblocker such as Pi-hole. DNS ad blockers are basically DNS (domain name system) servers that act as DNS sinkholes, blocking ad traffic by checking requests from your browser (in this case, coming from advertisers who want to serve you ads) against your client hosted DNS server, which contains a list of domains that usually serve ads. If a requester is on that list, their request is denied, blocking the ads before they even reach your computer. This approach is usually done via hardware (for example, Pi-hole requires a Raspberry Pi).
Google Home, Amazon Echo, and Apple’s Siri offer convenience, but they are a privacy nightmare. In order to know when to update your grocery list, play a requested song, or call your parents, these devices need to be constantly listening for instructions. Private conversations aren’t private if you have a digital spy in the room, but even if you refuse to get an Amazon Ring for your front door, it doesn’t really matter if they are ubiquitous in your neighborhood.
However, if you are concerned about privacy, you should still consider banning these devices from the office (and the home office) and turn off Siri voice activation.
Use Common Sense
At its core, privacy is about autonomy: choosing which information you share and with whom. A good general rule is that you are doing something you don’t want the world to know about, it’s probably best to keep it off the internet. If your team needs to discuss a top-secret project, have them meet in person (when it’s safe to do so) or limit communication to secure devices and products only.
Depending on the nature of your business, you may want to create clear social media and internet use guidelines for employees, contractors, volunteers, and any other individuals involved in your organization.
It’s almost impossible to be truly anonymous on the internet, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t steps you can take to improve privacy (and, by extension, security) at the individual and organizational level. For more information about steps, your organization can take, please contact the Virtual Armour team today.
CENTENNIAL, Colorado, – (May 31, 2021)– VirtualArmour International Inc. (CSE:VAI) (OTCQB:VTLR), a premier cybersecurity managed services provider, reported results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021. Financial results are in U.S. dollars, with comparisons made to the same year-ago quarter unless otherwise noted. For complete details, please refer to our financial statements and discussion found here: https://www.sedar.com/DisplayCompanyDocuments.do?lang=EN&issuerNo=00037617
Q1 2021 Financial Highlights
Managed and professional services revenue for the period increased to $1.58 million, increasing by 13% year-over-year.
Overall revenue for the period increased to $2.6 million, increasing by 4.9% year-over-year due to an offset to the revenue increase by a 5.4% reduction in product sales.
Gross profit margins for managed and professional services came in at 51% with overall gross profit margin, including lower margin resale revenue, of 38%.
The company lost $21,300 from operations in the period ending March 31, 2021 compared to an operating loss of $312,000 for the period in 2020.
Adjusted EBITDA was $27,000 for the period ending March 31, 2021. See Supplemental Non-GAAP Financial Measures below.
Annual recurring revenue (ARR) totaled $5.3 million at March 31, 2021, representing an increase of 4% from $5.1 million at March 31, 2020. ARR is defined as the value of VirtualArmour’s service contracts normalized to a one-year period.
Q1 2021 Operational Highlights
First sales of expanded offering in Essential Core Services to include Managed SIEM, Managed Infrastructure and Firewall, and SOCaaS show validation of the market and GTM strategy success.
Implemented and operationalized Phase 2 of the VirtualArmour Automation project, which has resulted in savings of approximately 100 hours per month in engineering man-hours and an increase in quality of investigations to the customer.
Created integrations with advanced threat intelligence sources, improving reliability, threat detection and quality of the investigations.
Investment in engaging lead generation company, Google Ads and webinar events have led to 2-3 regular in-bound leads per week.
Revamped standard customer reporting and interaction with Technical Business Reviews that will continuously improve awareness and guide customers to strengthen their security practice.
Q1 2021 Financial Summary
Revenue totaled $2.6 million for the three months ending March 31, 2021. Managed and professional services revenue totaled $1.6 million in the first quarter reflecting a 13% increase in managed and professional services revenue year-over-year. Product revenue for the first quarter decreased from $1.07 million in 2020 to $1.02 in 2021.
Cost of sales totaled $1.6 million in the 2021 period, down from $1.7 million in 2020.
Gross profit was $987,000 for the first quarter of 2021 as compared to $730,000 million in 2020. The change in gross profit was due to higher margin revenues from managed services.
Total operating expenses were $1.01 million for the period in 2020 as compared to $1.04 million in the prior year.
Operating loss was $21,300 for the period in 2021 compared to an operating loss of $312,000 in 2020. Net loss was $370,000 or $(0.00) per share for the first quarter 2021 as compared to a net loss of $890,000 or $(0.01) per share in the prior year.
Cash totaled $27,311 at March 31, 2021, compared to $179,335 at December 31, 2020.
Management Commentary
“Having the right staff in the right place was crucial to VirtualArmour SOC operations at the beginning of the new year. It was a top priority that we not only have the right service offerings in place, but the right people. We conducted an in-depth review of operations to ensure we have necessary efficiencies in place to drive the company forward, our people and processes are major factors to our USP” said VirtualArmour CTO, Andrew Douthwaite.
“In the first quarter of 2021, VirtualArmour continued their focus on providing services that were easily adoptable for new online businesses. We simplified our portfolio to offer what truly matters to the vast majority of business in this new online environment.” added Tianyi Lu, VirtualArmour VP Product Strategy.
Chad Schamberger, VirtualArmour VP Operations comments, “I have become more involved in each department, as the business continues to grow, we are working hard to ensure that there is cross-department communication happening. When we work together, this enables innovation.”
VirtualArmour Outlook 2021
As the COVID-19 pandemic continued to grip the globe throughout 2020 and many businesses went completely online, the uptick for cybersecurity services continued to increase. Our focus from hardware/software resale to offering primarily managed cybersecurity services in 2020 lead to the safeguarding of our margins from the widespread freezes on capital spending in all industries. Tapping into a new section of the market that was previously overlooked by competitors, the VirtualArmour addition of new Essential Core Services offering has opened up entry and mid-level markets for the company. As we continue to experience growth in all areas of our business, the company formed an internal dedicated product team leading to increased efficiencies, quality and more value add to the customer.
As the world slowly emerges from the pandemic in 2021, VirtualArmour predicts we will continue to see interest and expansion in our new service offerings. With the growth of our company, we have experienced a need for process that has lead to increased internal efficiencies and automation. Shifting our focus in 2020 has benefited the company greatly, and enabled us to finish the year with strong performance.
About VirtualArmour
VirtualArmour International is a global cybersecurity and managed services provider that delivers customized solutions to help businesses build, monitor, maintain and secure their networks.
The company maintains 24/7 client monitoring and service management with specialist teams located in its U.S. and UK-based security operation centers. Through partnerships with best-in-class technology providers, VirtualArmour delivers leading hardware and software solutions for customers that are both sophisticated and scalable, and backed by industry-leading customer service and experience. The company’s proprietary CloudCastr client portal and prevention platform provides clients with unparalleled access to real-time reporting on threat levels, breach prevention and overall network security. VirtualArmour services a wide range of clients, which include Fortune 500 companies and several industry sectors in over 30 countries across five continents. For further information, visit www.virtualarmour.com.
Supplemental Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to GAAP financial measures, management uses non-GAAP financial measures to assess the company’s operational performance. It is likely that the non- GAAP financial measures used by the company will not be comparable to similar measures reported by other issuers or those used by financial analysts as their measures may have different definitions. Generally, a non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of an entity’s historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flows that is neither calculated nor recognized under GAAP. Management believes that such non-GAAP financial measures can be important as they provide users of the financial statements with a better understanding of the results of the company’s recurring operations and their related trends, while increasing transparency and clarity into its operating results. Management also believes these measures can be useful in assessing the company’s capacity to discharge its financial obligations.
Management assesses adjusted EBITDA as the net gain (loss) for the period as reported excluding depreciation and amortization, change in fair value of warrant derivative liabilities, share-based compensation and interest expense. Adjusted EBITDA is not a term recognized under GAAP and non-GAAP measures do not have standardized meaning. Accordingly, non-GAAP measures should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for measures of performance prepared in accordance with GAAP.
The table below provides a reconciliation of net gain (loss) for the period as reported to non-GAAP adjusted EBITDA for the three months ended March 31, 2021 and 2020:
Important Cautions Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and U.S. securities laws. This press release includes certain forward-looking statements concerning a service contract VirtualArmour has entered into with a current client, VirtualArmour’s continued relationship with various suppliers, the future performance of our business, its operations and its financial performance and condition, as well as management’s objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. The forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of VirtualArmour. Although VirtualArmour believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information as VirtualArmour cannot provide any assurance that it will prove to be correct.
Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by such words as “may”, “will”, “plan”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “intend” and similar words referring to future events and results. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and expectations of management. All forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including the success of the Company in performing the IT implementation and migration, performance under the contract by all parties, the ability of VirtualArmour to meet timelines, the continued availability of necessary hardware, the absence of any trade war or tariffs affecting VirtualArmour’s ability to perform, competitive risks and the availability of financing. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and VirtualArmour disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether as a result of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.
March 31, March 31,
2021$
2020$
Revenue
2,596,450
2,476,393
Cost of sales
(1,609,731)
(1,746,429)
Gross Profit
986,719
729,964
Expenses
General and administrative
429,253
510,801
Research and development
99,915
90,219
Sales and marketing
478,848
440,962
Total Expenses
1,008,016
1,041,982
Loss Before Other Income (Expense)
(21,297)
(312,018)
Other Income (Expense)
Change in fair value of warrant derivative liabilities
(294,075)
–
Interest expense
(55,050)
(577,915)
Total Other Income (Expense)
(349,125)
(577,915)
Net Loss and Comprehensive Loss
(370,422)
(889,933)
Loss per share – basic and diluted
(0.00)
(0.01)
Weighted average number of shares outstanding – basic and diluted
106,509,378
73,973,142
March 31, 2021$
December 31, 2020$
ASSETS
Current Assets
Cash
27,311
179,335
Accounts receivable
1,163,357
945,558
Other receivables
–
20,000
Prepaid expenses
1,054,081
1,345,684
Total Current Assets
2,244,749
2,490,577
Operating lease right-of-use assets
47,160
62,880
Property and equipment
203,679
256,310
Intangible assets
64,165
29,708
Total Assets
2,559,753
2,839,475
LIABILITIES
Current Liabilities
Accounts payable and accrued liabilities
787,671
819,905
Factoring payable
182,703
258,624
Deferred revenue
1,583,941
1,963,203
Loans payable
479,788
424,843
Current portion of operating lease liabilities
46,933
61,671
Current portion of finance lease liabilities
29,328
61,840
Due to related parties
–
–
Total Current Liabilities
3,110,364
3,590,086
Deferred revenue
769,312
913,558
Loans payable
1,024,411
593,431
Finance lease liabilities
–
–
Warrant derivative liabilities
1,757,560
1,463,485
Total Liabilities
6,661,647
6,560,560
STOCKHOLDERS’ DEFICIT
Common stock, no par value, 300,000,000 shares authorized Issued and outstanding: 106,533,822 (2020 – 106,508,822) shares
Cybersecurity incidents are becoming increasingly common in the modern world, so your organization needs to have policies in place to safeguard your digital assets. While large organizations may be able to support an in-house cybersecurity team, many small and medium-sized businesses have neither the capital nor the people power to support such a resource-intensive department.
This is where Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) come in. MSSPs can offer your organization all of the benefits of a personal team of cybersecurity experts without the significant overhead costs associated with an in-house department.
Stay Up to Date on Cybersecurity Threats
A cybercriminal only has to breach your defenses once to gain unauthorized access to your systems. Your organization has to thwart their efforts every single time to ensure those digital assets remain secure.
Detecting and tracking credible threats, monitoring systems for suspicious activity, and ensuring your defenses are up to snuff is a full-time job. A good MSSP not only performs all of these critical tasks for you, but they do so 24/7/365 and are staffed by a team of diverse experts who can pinpoint which potential threats are credible, and have the skills and knowledge to safeguard your assets effectively.
Rapid Incident Response
If a cybersecurity incident does occur, an MSSP is poised and ready to respond effectively. Their team of experts will work to pinpoint the breach, determine how it occurred, and work with you to shore up your defenses. They can also help you assess the damage, identify vulnerabilities and gaps in your current cybersecurity defenses, and craft new policies to address those limitations.
Once the incident has been dealt with, your MSSP can also help you train your employees to prevent or mitigate future incidents, and can even run tabletop scenarios or pen tests to help your team test out their new skills and strategies in a no-stakes environment.
Not everyone is a cybersecurity expert, and that is okay. Though every organization needs to have robust yet flexible policies in place to safeguard their digital assets, your role in your organization is to do what you do best: your job.
When you hire a good MSSP, you can rest assured that your organization’s cybersecurity is in good hands and focus on your business.
Manage Risk & Compliance
A good MSSP will help you safeguard your digital assets and help you ensure that your organization is compliant with all relevant legal and regulatory rules. Rules and regulations are typically convoluted and may change suddenly with little warning, so it is imperative that you have access to a team of experts who can ensure your organization remains compliant. If an incident does occur, your MSSP can help you alert the relevant legal and regulatory authorities, by filing the appropriate reports.
Your MSSP can also help you effectively manage risk so that you can minimize the chances of a breach occurring in the first place.
An MSSP You Can Trust
VirtualArmour provides comprehensive and tailored cybersecurity and networking solutions for organizations of all sizes in all industries. We offer 24/7/365 monitoring, rapid response, and employee training. For more information, please contact us.
Though many of us may only hear about big cybersecurity incidents like the Equifax breach of 2017 and the CapitalOne hack of 2019, cybersecurity incidents are becoming increasingly common in the modern world.
Many C-suite executives and other decision-makers likely shook their heads as they read about these and other serious cybersecurity incidents, thankful that that sort of thing could never happen to their organization. Unless you have a flexible and robust cybersecurity strategy in place, stay up-to-date on current threats, and have a post-breach playbook, the unfortunate reality is that your organization could experience a similar beach.
You Aren’t Up to Date on Cybersecurity Threats
You can’t adequately protect your organization and safeguard your digital assets if you don’t know what you are safeguarding your assets from. The cybercriminal landscape is continuously shifting and changing, and new threats are popping up every day.
Cybercriminals don’t work nine to five, Monday through Friday, so your cybersecurity team can’t either. Your team needs to be able to monitor threats 24/7/365.
You Aren’t Adequately Safeguarding Your Data
Not only do you need to stay up to date on all potential threats, but you and your team need to have the knowledge and skills necessary to protect your assets and thwart any would-be breaches before they occur. If you do not have an adequate cybersecurity strategy in place to safeguard your data, you are vulnerable to a breach or other cybersecurity incident.
Your Employees Need More Training
Every employee, from the CEO all the way down the ladder, is responsible for cybersecurity. Employees need to understand why cybersecurity is important, what they can do to help safeguard your organization’s digital assets (from selecting strong passwords to reporting suspicious emails), and what they need to do if a breach or other incident occurs.
Not only do employees need to be trained, but their training should be ongoing and reviewed regularly. Tabletop scenarios and pen tests can help your team keep their skills up to date and avoid getting rusty. These scenarios also give your team a chance to test out your current cybersecurity protocols and analyze the efficacy of their response in a zero-risk environment so that they can be better prepared if an incident does occur.
Poorly trained or inadequately trained employees are a security risk, and may not even know they have compromised your cybersecurity or inadvertently caused a breach until the damage is already done.
You Don’t Have an Offboarding Process
While most organizations have a formal, or even informal, onboarding process (sorting out ID badges, assigning desks, signing paperwork), many organizations lack formalized protocols for offboarding employees who are leaving the organization.
When someone leaves your organization, you need to have a formal checklist in place for removing their access to critical systems as well. This includes removing access to internal systems as well as asking them to turn over their keys, ID badge, and any company equipment they were granted the use of during their time with the company.
You Don’t Have a Post-Breach Plan
Unfortunately, too many organizations don’t have adequate post-breach protocols in place. This means that when an incident does occur both employees and management are ill-prepared to deal with the aftermath. Being unprepared can not only prevent you from properly addressing the breach and shoring up your defenses, but it could cause you to inadvertently run afoul to regulations such as GDPR because you are unable to craft the necessary comprehensive reports.
Reacting poorly to a breach can also harm your reputation and damage the trust you have worked hard to build with clients or customers.
Your Permissions Are Too Permissive
The hacker responsible for the CapitalOne hack may have used her insider knowledge of Amazon Web Service’s systems to exploit a bug and gain unauthorized access to CaptialOne’s private servers, but once she was inside it was CapitalOne’s excessive permissions that allowed her to gain access to the data of nearly 100 million Americans.
The way CapitalOne had configured their internal permissions meant that once the hacker was inside, she encountered almost no resistance and was able to easily view and read a wide selection of private files, and export them. By implementing policies such as zero-trust architecture, you can contain a hacker and prevent them from moving freely about the system should they be able to gain access. Zero-trust architecture works like RFID keycards: you need to verify who you are each time you try to access private or sensitive areas of the system.
An MSSP Can Help
All of this may seem overwhelming. Cybersecurity is complicated, and there are a lot of things you need to consider to ensure that your organization’s digital assets remain secure. A good Managed Security Services Provider (MSSP) can help you craft tailored cybersecurity strategies to meet your needs, monitor your systems 24/7/365 for potential threats, provide ongoing support, help you train your employees, and help you mitigate damage and ensure compliance if a cybersecurity incident does occur.
CENTENNIAL, Colo.,Sept. 23, 2019(GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —VirtualArmour International Inc.(CSE:VAI) (OTCQB:VTLR), a premier cybersecurity managed services provider, has been named to MSSP Alert, published byAfter Nines Inc., Top 200 MSSPs list for 2019at number 61.
The list and research identify and honor the top 200 managed security services providers (MSSPs) that specialize in comprehensive, outsourced cybersecurity services. The rankings are based on MSSP Alert’s 2019 readership survey combined with aggregated third-party research. MSSPs featured throughout the list and research proactively monitor, manage and mitigate cyber threats for businesses, government agencies, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations of all sizes. This year’s edition, at twice the size, reflects MSSP Alert’s rapidly growing readership and the world’s growing consumption of managed security services.
“It is a great achievement forVirtualArmourto be recognized and listed alongside many innovative and progressive global managed security services companies,” saidVirtualArmourCEO,Russ Armbrust. “As concerns around cybersecurity continue to gain consistent global attention, the demand for customizable solutions by enterprise clients has been growing exponentially. Our skilled teams and proprietary prevention technologies enabled us to capitalize on this global market opportunity, and we’re well positioned to grow with the accelerating market.”
“After Nines Inc. and MSSP Alert congratulateVirtualArmouron this year’s honor,” saidAmy Katz, CEO ofAfter Nines Inc.“Amid the ongoing cybersecurity talent shortage, thousands of MSPs and IT consulting firms are striving to move into the managed security market. The Top 200 list honors the MSSP market’s true pioneers.”
MSSP Alert: Top 200 MSSPs 2019 – Research Highlights
The MSSP Alert readership survey revealed several major trends in the managed security services provider market. Chief among them:
The Top 5 business drivers for managed security services are talent shortages; regulatory compliance needs; the availability of cloud services; ransomware attacks; and SMB customers demanding security guidance from partners.
69% of MSSPs now run full-blown security operations centers (SOCs) in-house, with 19% leveraging hybrid models, 8% completely outsourcing SOC services and 4% still formulating strategies.
Although the overall MSSP market enjoys double-digit percentage growth rates, many of the Top 200 MSSPs have single-digit growth rates because they are busy investing in next-generation services – including managed detection and response (MDR), SOC as a Service, and automated penetration testing.
AboutAfter Nines Inc.
AfterNines Inc.provides timeless IT guidance for strategic partners and IT security professionals across ChannelE2E (www.ChannelE2E.com) and MSSP Alert (www.MSSPAlert.com). ChannelE2E tracks every stage of the IT service provider journey — from entrepreneur to exit. MSSP Alert is the global voice for Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs).
AboutVirtualArmour
VirtualArmour Internationalis a global cybersecurity and managed services provider that delivers customized solutions to help businesses build, monitor, maintain and secure their networks.
The company maintains 24/7 client monitoring and service management with specialist teams located in itsU.S.andUK-based security operation centers. Through partnerships with best-in-class technology providers,VirtualArmourdelivers leading hardware and software solutions for customers that are both sophisticated and scalable, and backed by industry-leading customer service and experience. VirtualArmour’s proprietary CloudCastr client portal and prevention platform provides clients with unparalleled access to real-time reporting on threat levels, breach prevention and overall network security.
VirtualArmourservices a wide range of clients, which include Fortune 500 companies and several industry sectors in over 30 countries across five continents. For further information, visitwww.virtualarmour.com.
Important Cautions Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation andU.S.securities laws. This press release includes certain forward-looking statements concerning management’s objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. The forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management ofVirtualArmour. Although,VirtualArmourbelieves that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information asVirtualArmourcannot provide any assurance that it will prove to be correct.
Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by such words as “may”, “will”, “plan”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “intend” and similar words referring to future events and results. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and expectations of management. All forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including the success of the company, future interest in such lists, competitive risks and the availability of financing. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release andVirtualArmourdisclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether because of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.
Company Contact Russ Armbrust
CEO VirtualArmour International Inc.
Tel (720) 644-0913 Email Contact
Source: VirtualArmour International Inc.
[/cs_text][/cs_element_layout_column][/cs_element_layout_row][/cs_element_section][/cs_content][cs_content_seo]Download PDF
CENTENNIAL, Colo., Sept. 23, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — VirtualArmour International Inc. (CSE:VAI) (OTCQB:VTLR), a premier cybersecurity managed services provider, has been named to MSSP Alert, published by After Nines Inc., Top 200 MSSPs list for 2019 at number 61.
The list and research identify and honor the top 200 managed security services providers (MSSPs) that specialize in comprehensive, outsourced cybersecurity services. The rankings are based on MSSP Alert’s 2019 readership survey combined with aggregated third-party research. MSSPs featured throughout the list and research proactively monitor, manage and mitigate cyber threats for businesses, government agencies, educational institutions and nonprofit organizations of all sizes. This year’s edition, at twice the size, reflects MSSP Alert’s rapidly growing readership and the world’s growing consumption of managed security services.
“It is a great achievement for VirtualArmour to be recognized and listed alongside many innovative and progressive global managed security services companies,” said VirtualArmour CEO,
Russ Armbrust. “As concerns around cybersecurity continue to gain consistent global attention, the demand for customizable solutions by enterprise clients has been growing exponentially. Our skilled teams and proprietary prevention technologies enabled us to capitalize on this global market opportunity, and we’re well positioned to grow with the accelerating market.”
“After Nines Inc. and MSSP Alert congratulate VirtualArmour on this year’s honor,” said
Amy Katz, CEO of After Nines Inc. “Amid the ongoing cybersecurity talent shortage, thousands of MSPs and IT consulting firms are striving to move into the managed security market. The Top 200 list honors the MSSP market’s true pioneers.”
MSSP Alert: Top 200 MSSPs 2019 – Research Highlights
The MSSP Alert readership survey revealed several major trends in the managed security services provider market. Chief among them:
The Top 5 business drivers for managed security services are talent shortages; regulatory compliance needs; the availability of cloud services; ransomware attacks; and SMB customers demanding security guidance from partners.
69% of MSSPs now run full-blown security operations centers (SOCs) in-house, with 19% leveraging hybrid models, 8% completely outsourcing SOC services and 4% still formulating strategies.
Although the overall MSSP market enjoys double-digit percentage growth rates, many of the Top 200 MSSPs have single-digit growth rates because they are busy investing in next-generation services – including managed detection and response (MDR), SOC as a Service, and automated penetration testing.
About After Nines Inc.
After Nines Inc. provides timeless IT guidance for strategic partners and IT security professionals across ChannelE2E (www.ChannelE2E.com) and MSSP Alert (www.MSSPAlert.com). ChannelE2E tracks every stage of the IT service provider journey — from entrepreneur to exit. MSSP Alert is the global voice for Managed Security Services Providers (MSSPs).
About VirtualArmour
VirtualArmour International is a global cybersecurity and managed services provider that delivers customized solutions to help businesses build, monitor, maintain and secure their networks.
The company maintains 24/7 client monitoring and service management with specialist teams located in its U.S. and UK-based security operation centers. Through partnerships with best-in-class technology providers, VirtualArmour delivers leading hardware and software solutions for customers that are both sophisticated and scalable, and backed by industry-leading customer service and experience. VirtualArmour’s proprietary CloudCastr client portal and prevention platform provides clients with unparalleled access to real-time reporting on threat levels, breach prevention and overall network security.
VirtualArmour services a wide range of clients, which include Fortune 500 companies and several industry sectors in over 30 countries across five continents. For further information, visit www.virtualarmour.com.
Important Cautions Regarding Forward Looking Statements
This press release may include forward-looking information within the meaning of Canadian securities legislation and U.S. securities laws. This press release includes certain forward-looking statements concerning management’s objectives, strategies, beliefs and intentions. The forward-looking information is based on certain key expectations and assumptions made by the management of VirtualArmour. Although, VirtualArmour believes that the expectations and assumptions on which such forward-looking information is based are reasonable, undue reliance should not be placed on the forward-looking information as VirtualArmour cannot provide any assurance that it will prove to be correct.
Forward-looking statements are frequently identified by such words as “may”, “will”, “plan”, “expect”, “anticipate”, “estimate”, “intend” and similar words referring to future events and results. Forward-looking statements are based on the current opinions and expectations of management. All forward-looking information is inherently uncertain and subject to a variety of assumptions, risks and uncertainties, including the success of the company, future interest in such lists, competitive risks and the availability of financing. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release and VirtualArmour disclaims any intent or obligation to update publicly any forward-looking information, whether because of new information, future events or results or otherwise, other than as required by applicable securities laws.
Company Contact
Russ Armbrust
CEO
VirtualArmour International Inc.
Tel (720) 644-0913
Email Contact
Source: VirtualArmour International Inc.[/cs_content_seo]
