WELCOME TO THE JANUARY 2026 NEWSLETTER

Cyber Scoop is KeyStone Solutions monthly newsletter about the latest trends, topics, and articles relating to cybersecurity. As a Managed Security Service Provider (MSSP), KeyStone’s expert team helps small to medium sized businesses with IT services including virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO), cybersecurity, help desk support, Governance, Risk, and Compliance (GRC), cloud solutions, and KeyStone’s signature service, IT Team as a Service (ITTaaS) which is an all-encompass solution.

Latest Cybersecurity News

Catch up on the latest cybersecurity headlines with a curated list of recent articles and updates. Explore expert insights and breaking developments to stay informed on the threats and trends impacting the digital landscape.

• 1/20/25 – The Hidden Risk of Orphan Accounts
• 1/15/26 – What You Need to Know About the New LinkedIn Phishing Scheme
• 1/14/26 – Impersonation Fraud Drives Record $17bn in Crypto Losses
• 1/6/26 – Dozens of Major Data Breaches Linked to Single Threat Actor
• 1/5/26 – Brightspeed Investigating Cyberattack

Be proactive and contact KeyStone if you would like a complimentary consultation to ensure your business is fully protected.

From The Desk of the CISO

The Critical Role of Patching in Small Business Cybersecurity

By Rob Ashcraft, CISO at KeyStone Solutions

Small businesses are increasingly reliant on technology to manage operations and production, communicate with customers, and store sensitive data. It goes without saying that this reliance also makes small businesses prime targets for cyberattacks. One of the most effective yet often overlooked defenses against these threats is keeping your systems and applications patched. Patching involves applying updates provided by software vendors to fix vulnerabilities, improve functionality, and enhance security. Neglecting this essential task can leave businesses exposed to significant risks.

What Does This Mean for Your Business?

Commentary by KeyStone’s Rob Ashcraft

An article in Scale Fusion highlights that third-party applications, when used daily, are critical productivity tools but also present substantial security risks when left unpatched. Since these apps are frequently targeted by cybercriminals exploiting known vulnerabilities, breaches may go undetected for long periods of time which can be devastating to your business. Regardless, effectively managing patches involves identifying all third-party applications, monitoring for updates, testing them in a controlled environment, prioritizing vulnerabilities, and automating deployments via tools like managed device management (MDM) solutions. This comprehensive approach not only protects corporate data but also ensures system stability and compliance.

Timely third-party patching yields several notable benefits such as enhanced security by reducing exploitable attack surfaces, improved application performance through bug fixes and optimizations, and adherence to regulatory requirements to avoid penalties. Failing to patch can result in malware infections, data breaches, productivity disruptions, reputational harm, and costly legal consequences. Using automated patch management platforms, such as the advertised Windows MDM solution, can streamline the patching process and enable your business to maintain updated application inventories and deploy patches consistently across distributed devices. If you have a Managed Services Provider (MSP) like KeyStone Solutions, I encourage you to inquire about the patching of your applications.

Key takeaways:

• • Third-party apps introduce significant attack vectors and often contain widely exploited vulnerabilities
  • Cyber threat dwell time averages 287 days, letting attackers infiltrate through unpatched software
  • A solid patching process includes application inventory, update monitoring, prioritized testing, and automation
  • Patching enhances security, performance, introduces new features, and supports compliance efforts
  • Neglecting patches leads to malware infections, data breaches, system outages, financial impact, and reputational damage

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