Fountainhead Cyber

03/30/2026

Could your business survive being offline for 72 hours? ⏳

Don't wait for a "red screen" to realize your data wasn't backed up. Join us TOMORROW at 10:00am for "The 10-Minute Security Shield" webinar!

We’re giving away a FREE checklist and a local perspective on how to keep our Valley businesses safe from global threats.

👇 Last call to register:
5862aae6-8035-484c-bc5a-52b309ab0b49@3ca6003f-6cf1-4796-8efc-4a923ab26f19" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/5862aae6-8035-484c-bc5a-52b309ab0b49@3ca6003f-6cf1-4796-8efc-4a923ab26f19

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

03/25/2026

Your AI-enhanced EDR may be awesome at detecting and blocking malware before it infects your system, but detection just one part of the equation. How do you *respond* when a threat is detected? Even if the malware is blocked and you're safe this time- how do you *prevent* it from happening again?

That's the value of having a 24/7/365 Managed Extended Detection & Response (MXDR) team at your back. 100% certified *real humans* you can do a post-mortem with to help you PROactively improve your security posture instead of always being REactive to threats as they happen.

It's dangerous to go alone! Take Fountainhead's MXDR team with you. Stop the constant firefighting and start maturing into a security-first organization.

Email us: [email protected]
Call us: 540-385-1555

03/19/2026

CISA Alert: Hardening Endpoint Management Systems in a Heightened Threat Environment

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued a critical alert yesterday (March 18, 2026) following a significant cyberattack against a major U.S. organization. The incident highlights a growing trend: the weaponization of legitimate endpoint management tools to move laterally and cause widespread disruption.

Why this matters now:
The ongoing conflict involving Iran has fundamentally shifted the risk landscape. We are seeing a direct correlation between geopolitical tensions and retaliatory cyber operations targeting U.S. businesses. Regardless of your industry or size, the current environment means that every U.S.-based entity is a potential target for state-aligned threat actors.

Actionable Steps for Security Teams:
CISA is urging all organizations to "double down" on their defense-in-depth strategies. Now is the time to move beyond standard hygiene and focus on:

* Hardening Endpoint Management: Review configurations for tools like Microsoft Intune and other RMM platforms. Ensure these powerful administrative channels aren't being turned against you.

* Access & Authentication Controls: Enforce phishing-resistant MFA across the board and strictly apply the Principle of Least Privilege. Administrative access should be the exception, not the rule.

* Vigilant Logging & Monitoring: Review your logs specifically for anomalous authentication patterns or unauthorized configuration changes in your management plane.

This is a time for a "Shields Up" posture. Let’s prioritize resilience over routine.

https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/alerts/2026/03/18/cisa-urges-endpoint-management-system-hardening-after-cyberattack-against-us-organization

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock () or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

03/17/2026

How often do you identify and assess risks to your business? You probably can think of a few off the top of your head:

- What if my beef shipment is late for our Friday dinner special? Do we have an alternative supplier we can use in a pinch?
- What if there's a fire in our warehouse? How much product would we lose and how many customers would drop us?
- What if my federal funding gets reduced or cut entirely? Do we have enough alternative funding to continue offering our programs?

These are all very real and legitimate questions to be asking yourself on a daily basis and should be addressed.

But in 2026, if you're not asking questions about cyber risk you're leaving a huge blind spot in your risk analysis that can have just as much of an impact on revenue and operations as these, if not more.

How often are you asking yourself the following questions:

- What if we get hit with ransomware? Do we know how to respond? How long would it take and how much would it cost to recover? How old are our backups, and are they isolated enough that the ransomware could not affect them too? Would this negatively impact our reputation in the community and cause people to stop doing business with us?
- What if someone breaks in and steals our back office computer? Do we have cameras covering all angles? Are they still functional and recording? Does anyone have access to the camera system that shouldn't? Do we have backups in place to recover the stolen data?
- What if one of our employees accidentally leaks sensitive client/patient data to someone they thought was me? Are we training our staff well enough to identify and resist social engineering attacks? Do we know how to properly respond to a data breach incident to comply with state and federal regulations? How many customers/patients could we lose over this loss of trust?

Comment below which cyber risks keep you up at night! Or if there aren't any, share with our network why so they can sleep better at night themselves!

03/17/2026

🚨 2 WEEKS TO GO! 🚨

Is your business truly secure? Most owners think they’re "too small to be a target," but the truth is, automated bots don't care about your zip code.

Join William Trelawny on Tuesday March 31st for The 10-Minute Security Shield. We’re breaking down the complex world of cybersecurity into simple, actionable steps you can finish before lunch. We’ll even talk about the "Oops Rule"—the secret to making sure your team is helping you, not accidentally hurting you.

Register here to save your spot: 5862aae6-8035-484c-bc5a-52b309ab0b49@3ca6003f-6cf1-4796-8efc-4a923ab26f19" rel="ugc" target="_blank">https://events.teams.microsoft.com/event/5862aae6-8035-484c-bc5a-52b309ab0b49@3ca6003f-6cf1-4796-8efc-4a923ab26f19

Microsoft Virtual Events Powered by Teams

03/12/2026

Yesterday: 82F, sunny, awesome
Today: 42F, rainy, depressing

As quickly as the weather can change overnight in Spring in Virginia, so too can your business take a turn for the worse overnight when you don't take your cybersecurity seriously.

No business is too small to be hit by ransomware. You may just be another IP address to a hacker, but what is your business worth to YOU?

It's not too late to register for our FREE webinar, The 10-Minute Security Shield on Mar 31st at 10am. You'll walk away with a free checklist of EASY actions you can do yourself to massively boost your security posture in just 10 minutes!

You simply can't afford NOT to join. See you there!

03/11/2026

Important Security Alert for Notepad++ Users! ⚠️💻

You may have seen news about Notepad++ being "hijacked." The developer has just released a final update on the situation, and here’s what you need to know to stay safe:

What happened?
State-sponsored hackers didn't hack the software itself, but they did manage to compromise the server where updates were hosted. This allowed them to send "fake" updates containing malware to a very small, specific group of high-profile targets.

Am I at risk?
The vast majority of users were likely never targeted. However, it is always better to be safe than sorry!

How to protect yourself:
🔹 Update Now: Make sure you are running version 8.9.1 or higher.
🔹 Download Manually: To be 100% sure, go to the official site https://notepad-plus-plus.org/ and download the latest version directly.
🔹 Spread the word: If you have friends in IT or developers in your circle, make sure they’ve seen this update!

The issue has been fully resolved with a move to more secure hosting and better update verification. You can continue using this great tool with confidence once you've updated!

Notepad++ is a free (as in “free speech” and also as in “free beer”) source code editor and Notepad replacement that supports several programming languages. Running in the MS Windows environment, its use is governed by GNU General Public License.

03/10/2026

Think MFA makes you 100% safe? Think again. 🛡️🚫

A new, highly sophisticated phishing campaign is targeting businesses across North America, and it has found a way to jump right over Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). 😱

How it works: The hackers don’t want your password. Instead, they trick you into entering a "device code" on the real Microsoft website. Once you "log in" to help them, they get a digital "master key" (an OAuth token) that gives them full access to your emails, files, and Teams chats—even if you have MFA turned on!

Watch out for these phishing lures:
💰 Fake "Payment Processed" notifications.
📈 Documents labeled "Salary Bonus Distributions."
🎙️ Alerts about long voicemail messages.

What can you do?
1️⃣ Be skeptical: Never enter a code on a Microsoft login page unless YOU initiated the login process on a secondary device (like a smart TV or game console).
2️⃣ Admins: Check your Microsoft 365 settings and disable the "Device Code Flow" if your team doesn't need it.

Don't let your "Human Firewall" be the weak link. Stay informed and stay safe!

Read more about this campaign: https://blog.knowbe4.com/uncovering-the-sophisticated-phishing-campaign-bypassing-m365-mfa

KnowBe4 Threat Labs has detected a sophisticated phishing campaign targeting North American businesses and professionals.

03/04/2026

Is your business ready for "Operation Winter Shield"? 🛡️

The FBI recently announced new guidance to help businesses defend against increasingly sophisticated cyberattacks. The message is clear: Cyber resilience is no longer optional.

The good news? If you’re working with us, you’re already covered. We use the Todyl platform to wrap your business in a "unified shield" that checks every box the FBI is looking for:

✅ Better Login Security: Stopping hackers from stealing credentials before they even try.
✅ Legacy Tech Protection: We monitor old systems that are hard to patch so they don’t become a backdoor.
✅ Replacing Risky VPNs: Moving your team to a more secure, modern way to work from anywhere.
✅ 24/7 Expert Eyes: Our human-led security team (MXDR) watches your network around the clock.
✅ Long-Term Memory: We keep your security logs for up to 7 years for total compliance and peace of mind.

Don’t let "Operation Winter Shield" catch you off guard. We make enterprise-grade security accessible for businesses of every size.

Want to see where you stand? Drop a comment or send us a DM for a quick security consultation!

03/04/2026

🚨 ALERT: With the recent Iranian conflict it is more important than ever to increase vigilance against phishing and social engineering attacks.

Iranian government (IRGC) and politically-motivated hackivist cyber attack groups have historically targeted verticals that *maximize public disruption*, not just data exfiltration. If you operate in any of the below verticals, please take this threat seriously:

- State and Local Governments/Municipalities (Public safety impact)
- Healthcare (Operational disruption, sensitive data extortion)
- Critical Infrastructure (Exposed management interfaces, operational disruption)
- Defense, Aerospace, and Manufacturing Subcontractors (Not just primes, pivot to larger supply chains)
- MSP's and IT Service Providers (Single compromise can spread to all their clients)
- Financial Services (High data value, public visibility)
- High Education and NGO's (Policy-adjacent work, research data value)

What you can do TODAY:

1️⃣ Harden Identity & Enforce MFA Everywhere
2️⃣ Reduce Public Attack Surface
3️⃣ Lock Down RMM and Remote Access Tooling
4️⃣ Verify Centralized Observability
5️⃣ Validate Recovery Readiness

In support of our national security, Fountainhead Cyber is offering FREE consultations to discuss your current security posture, assess common attack vectors, and answer any questions or concerns you have in this time of elevated security risk.

There's no time like the present to check and double check your security controls and practices. Contact us today:

[email protected]
540-385-1555

03/03/2026

The recent escalation in the Middle East isn't just a physical conflict- it's a digital one that has immediate implications for North American organizations.

Todyl's latest blog post, "Iran Conflict and Cyber Risk: What North American Organizations Need to Know," breaks down the heightened threat landscape following recent events. With state-sponsored actors and hacktivist groups like Handala Hack and APT Iran mobilizing, the risk of retaliatory cyber activity is at an all-time high.

Key takeaways for your organization:

> Targeted Sectors: Critical infrastructure, financial services, government, and defense are in the crosshairs.
> Evolving Tactics: We’re seeing a surge in hyper-volumetric DDoS attacks, sophisticated phishing, and disruptive wiper malware.
> The "Low-Hanging Fruit" Risk: Attackers are prioritizing unpatched vulnerabilities and exposed internet-facing systems (like RDP) for quick, high-impact disruption.

What you should do now:

✅ Harden all internet-facing assets and remove unnecessary services.
✅ Ensure offline, air-gapped backups are secure and up to date.
✅ Conduct immediate social engineering training to protect against "Epic Fury" themed phishing lures.
✅ Review and stress-test your Incident Response plans.

At Fountainhead Cyber, we understand that navigating these geopolitical shifts can be overwhelming. We’re here to help you turn these recommendations into a robust defense strategy.

🛡️ Special Offer: We are offering a Free Consultation to help you assess your current posture and implement the specific protections outlined in this advisory.

Don't wait for a breach to find the gaps in your security. Let’s get ahead of the threat together.

👉 Read the full analysis here: https://lnkd.in/eWGvkv6F

DM us or comment below to book your free consultation today!

02/12/2026

Many business owners avoid proper investment in cyber security not out of negligence but simply because it seems too intimidating to get right. Instead of doing something with low confidence they do nothing at all.

This has to change.

We recently heard from a very busy business owner who was just trying to login to their Shopify account. They searched Google and clicked on the first link (a sponsored link) automatically. After providing their credentials they were prompted to open the Windows Command Prompt and enter a command to generate a security code.

Fortunately for them, this threw up a warning flag in their mind and they stopped, but it left them with many questions:

- Did they just hand over their Shopify credentials to an attacker?
- Did the website side load a keylogger onto their laptop?
- What should they do now- disconnect from WiFi? Turn off their laptop? Factory reset?

First thing first: If you succumb to a cyber attack, you're not stupid. You're just a busy CEO on their 4th cup of coffee before noon who doesn't have time or energy or patience to have your mental guard up every time you're on the web or checking email.

Attackers know this and are taking advantage of it more and more.

With the advent of AI, gone are the days of spotting typos, grammatical errors, or just getting the feeling something sounds off. LLMs can speak just like humans now, so you can't rely on your human intuition anymore to spot phishes.

So what can you do? Is it all hopeless? Far from it. Do these 2 things by the end of this week:

1) Pay a mere $2.99/mo for a password manager that creates unique, completely random, 64-character passwords for all your sites. Most also support MFA codes, passkeys, and monitor the dark web for credential leaks.

2) Invest in an enterprise grade, AI-powered security suite that monitors your devices AND cloud identities (M365, Google Workspace, etc) for suspicious activity. The free Windows Security or Apple XProtect won't cut it in 2026. These tools are incredibly affordable these days. Reach out to us for suggestions.

Mistakes happen. As always, Fountainhead Cyber is here to help, not judge, on your cyber security journey. Feel free to reach out if you have any questions or want guidance on how to level up your business' security posture!