WELCOME TO THE JULY 2025 NEWSLETTER
Cyber Scoop is KeyStone Solutions monthly newsletter about the latest trends, topics, and articles relating to cybersecurity. As a Managed Service Security 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.
From The Desk of the CISO
The Latest AI Cyber Threats and How to Defend Against Them
By Rob Ashcraft, CISO at KeyStone Solutions
The advent of Artificial Intelligence (AI) has dramatically reshaped the cybersecurity landscape, introducing both powerful defensive tools and sophisticated new threats. Cybercriminals are now leveraging AI to orchestrate attacks with unprecedented speed, scale, and stealth. One of the most alarming developments is the use of AI in automated phishing campaigns where large language models (LLMs) generate highly convincing and personalized emails, messages, and even deepfake audio or video. These AI-powered scams are often indistinguishable from legitimate communications, significantly increasing the success rate of social engineering attacks and making it easier for even novice attackers to launch effective campaigns.
KeyStone Solutions Climbs to #37 on Prestigious Channel Partners MSP 501 List for 2025
Significant year-over-year leap reflects growing strength in managed services and cybersecurity
Cleveland, TN (July 10, 2025) – KeyStone Solutions, a SOC 2, Type II provider of comprehensive IT services and cybersecurity solutions, is proud to announce its continued recognition on the Channel Partners MSP 501 list for the third consecutive year, climbing to an impressive #37. This marks a major milestone in the company’s commitment to delivering exceptional managed IT services and cybersecurity solutions to the SMB market nationwide.
The Channel Partners MSP 501 list is a globally respected benchmark that ranks the most innovative and strategic Managed Service Providers (MSPs) based on growth, operational efficiency, and customer-centric offerings.
*NEW* 10-Second Instant Quote Estimate Tool
We’re excited to introduce our new online 10-second quote tool, a quick and easy way to receive an estimated quote from KeyStone Solutions. In just a few clicks, you’ll get a fast snapshot of what our services might cost, giving you a helpful starting point as you explore your options.
Please note, this tool provides an estimate only. A detailed, customized proposal will follow after a full consultation with our team. Try it today and see how simple it is to get started!
What Does This Mean for Your Business?
Commentary by KeyStone’s Rob Ashcraft
There is a great article in Cloudflare about the anatomy of an Account takeover (ATO). The article describes an ATO as a type of cyberattack where a malicious actor gains unauthorized access to a legitimate user’s account. This can be achieved through various methods, including credential stuffing, phishing, malware, exploiting application vulnerabilities, or using stolen session cookies. Once an account is compromised, attackers can use it for data theft, distributing malware, launching further attacks, moving laterally within a network, or selling the account for financial gain. The consequences for your organization can be severe, ranging from proprietary data and privacy breaches to significant financial losses.
To combat ATOs, the article emphasizes a multi-layered defense strategy. This includes implementing robust preventative measures like strong password requirements, phishing awareness training, and multi-factor authentication (MFA). Furthermore, it highlights the importance of continuous application security testing and securing APIs. Beyond prevention, mitigation strategies such as behavioral analytics and adopting a Zero Trust security model are crucial. Zero Trust ensures that no user or device is trusted by default, requiring verification before granting access to resources, thereby significantly reducing the impact of a successful account takeover.
Here are my key takeaways from the article:
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- The consequences of ATOs include data theft, malware distribution, follow-on attacks, lateral movement within networks, and financial exploitation.
- Defenses against ATOs include strong password policies, phishing protection, and the implementation of multi-factor authentication (MFA).
- Application security testing and robust login/API security measures are crucial for preventing account compromise with proprietary applications.
- Zero Trust security and behavioral analytics can minimize the damage from successful account takeovers by continuously verifying access.
View Live Cyber Threat Map From Check Point
