Botz & Associates today announces a set of new retainer-based IT security services designed to provide ongoing cybersecurity management expertise to small and mid-sized companies. Called TeamSecurity, the service establishes Botz & Associates staff as part of an organization’s IT structure at a fraction of the cost of maintaining expertise in-house, with monthly responsibilities defined under one of three package options. Package options range from continuous event monitoring and anomaly detection to a Virtual CISO option that also includes help with security strategy and implementation.

According to Patrick Botz, CTO of Botz & Associates and former Lead Security Architect at IBM, breaches have become so commonplace that the National Institute of Standards & Technology (NIST) now recommends that organizations start with the assumption that they have already been breached.

“Attackers and their targets and objectives are changing,” explains Botz. “No longer are they script kiddies trying to make a name for themselves. It’s now organized crime rings and even nation-states looking to make money or establish the ability to cripple critical infrastructure. That means establishing an ongoing, covert presence without being caught. Attacks on at least two small utilities company have already been identified, and ransomware attacks against small businesses have been rampant this year.”

“Small banks, utilities, manufacturers and even HVAC services companies are all on target lists today. Smaller businesses make an ideal target because they have no way of telling if their systems have been breached!”

For this reason, Botz considers managed security monitoring an absolute requirement for all organizations, regardless of size. “Active security management not only helps prevent breaches, but also gives you a chance to identify breaches before the perpetrators do serious damage if you are successfully breached. TeamSecurity gives you an affordable way to do this.”

“Unfortunately, the IBM i’s legendary security capabilities have made many organizations complacent. They think the system protects them. The simple truth is that the IBM i is highly securable, but you need to know how to apply those capabilities to potential vulnerabilities to keep your systems secure.”

The TeamSecurity Virtual CISO package combines managed security monitoring and an annual risk assessment with proactive security management services that can be used as needed to address compliance mandates, prepare for audits, define and implement security policies, close existing security gaps, and anticipate new vulnerabilities.