Deft Blog
Keep up with the latest in colocation, cloud, and disaster recovery services.
Deft Security Notice: Log4j Update
A critical vulnerability has been made public for Apache’s Log4j Java-based logging tool. It allows an attacker to alter code remotely.
Public cloud resilience – it’s your responsibility
Cloud resiliency is your responsibility. The importance of resilient public and hybrid cloud environments has never been higher.
Deft Ranks #5 on Clutch Global Awards List for Top MSP Services
Deft has been rated as the number five Managed Services Provider worldwide of 2021.
Achieving compliance in the cloud requires a rules rethink
Maintaining compliance in the cloud should be easy. Every industry that manages sensitive data has some form of requirement around how that data is held. SOC 1, SOC 2, HIPAA, or PCI — a regulatory agency, governing body, or compliance board writes the...
Hiring cloud engineers is hard. Here’s what to do when you can’t.
Hiring cloud engineers is only part the challenge. You also have to keep them. And if you can’t, we’re here to help.
The Levels of RAID
Let’s learn what each level of RAID means. As with anything in engineering, each option has its own set of trade-offs.
Azure’s new features can save on cloud costs — if managed properly
Azure new features offer more than just improved security — they can also save you money. Here’s how to know what’s worth using.
Technology drives transformation, but it’s people who make it happen
The ability to transform is the true promise of technology, but it’s people who turn that promise into action.
Azure cost optimization best practices take mindset shifts
Azure cost optimization best practices are less of a checklist and more of a series of evolving choices. Here’s how to make the best ones.
Azure cost management depends on governance and transparency
The biggest threat to Azure cost management doesn’t have to be service spikes or secret charges. Shortcuts and complacency are more than enough to send bills spiraling out of control. The solution is twofold: Create clear governance structures to keep cloud costs...
The pitfalls of Azure cost optimization, and avoiding them
Managing Azure cost optimization is all about balance. Security, scalability and efficiency, none of these can be compromised. At the same time, they can all span the range of affordable to astronomically expensive. Paying more doesn’t necessarily mean getting more...
Deft Expands Managed Object Storage to Further Support Hybrid IT Environments
Managed Object Storage (MOS) is now available in our Chicago, IL and Ashburn, VA data centers.
How to prepare for a ransomware attack
If you’re diligent about having up-to-date backups, recovering from ransomware is as easy as cutting off infected infrastructure and restoring your backups.
ServerCentral Turing Group Rebrands as Deft, Evolving the Company’s Role as a Trusted Advisor
ServerCentral Turing Group rebrands as Deft, evolving the company’s role as a trusted advisor.
Amazon S3 Object Lambda – What, Why and When
AWS S3 Object Lambda is powerful. When is it worth executing an S3 Object Lambda invocation for each reader vs. saving a copy of the file?
Lessons learned from supporting a remote workforce
Here are my top 3 lessons learned from supporting a remote workforce since March.
Decade-old vulnerability found in Linux Sudo bug
Get patching, Linux users! A vulnerability in the popular Linux Sudo package could grant privileged root access on affected systems.
Practicing safe DevOps
Safe DevOps means that all changes to the environment should be made through the configuration and change management system. Here are some examples.
SUNBURST SolarWinds Orion IT management platform security advisory
If your organization is using SolarWinds Orion, the CISA ED advises its immediate shutdown and partnering with an organization that conducts incident response to assess impact.
Goodbye CentOS, hello CentOS Stream
From now on, there will be no CentOS Linux — just CentOS Stream. Here’s how it will affect the IT industry.
The downside of scaling up
The ability to quickly provision resources is one of the most well-known cloud benefits. But it can present as many problems as it solves.
Chicago colocation pricing — how to avoid the hidden fees
Chicago colocation seems simple. Power. Space. Cooling. Connectivity. Support. You pay for each one based on your needs, and in turn, Chicago colocation providers deliver everything you need to run your critical IT infrastructure. When you start to dig into the each...
Listen to this podcast featuring Kurt Mackey, CEO of Fly.io
Listen to this new podcast interview with Kurt Mackey, CEO of Fly.io, a platform for running app servers close to users.
Your disaster recovery plan has to work
It’s important to have a disaster recovery plan, but it’s equally as important to make sure that it works. Here’s how.
iDRAC vulnerability puts Dell EMC PowerEdge systems at risk
SCTG is taking steps to mitigate a vulnerability (CVE-2020-5366) in the iDRAC9 controller onboard Dell EMC PowerEdge 14th-Generation servers.
SIGRed: What you need to know about Microsoft’s latest vulnerability
Security researchers have discovered a 17-year old bug in Windows Server that allows a hacker to gain Domain Admin rights to your system. Here’s what to do.
Why everyone says data centers are dead
No one wants to deal with building their own data center anymore. But cloud isn’t the only alternative.
VMware releases vCenter security advisory
VMware announced a vCenter security vulnerability (VMSA-2020-0006) rated 10 out of 10 on the CVSS v3 scale. That’s not good.
Fighting the coronavirus with computers
COVID-19 research is performed in labs — but not the kind you might think. Thanks to the biomedical research platform Folding@home (F@h), computer labs operating out of regular people’s homes are actually running the complex calculations that will help scientists understand the coronavirus. Here’s how to get involved.
Secure your backups in 5 steps
To secure your backups, start by combining a local NAS or USB backup with a remote cloud backup (e.g., AWS or Google) for remote employees using storage.
What companies get wrong about disaster recovery
Most businesses have a DR plan. But 23% of them admit to never testing their plans. That’s a problem — but not an unsolvable one.
Buzz vs. substance: which cloud technologies are actually viable?
Here’s a quick overview of the buzz (and substance) behind three of the most talked-about cloud technologies.
Addressing the CVE-2020-0796 security vulnerability
SCTG is currently taking steps to mitigate the CVE-2020-0796 security vulnerability on all internal systems and platforms. We advise all customers to take the necessary precautions to mitigate this exploit on their systems also.
Northern Virginia Colocation Price Traps
Here’s how to avoid common colocation price traps in the Northern Virginia and Washington D.C. area.
Out with the old, in with the new – Windows 7/2008 are now End-of-Life
As of January 14th, 2020, Microsoft’s Windows 7 and Server 2008 operating systems are officially “End-of-Life”.
Avoiding cloud bill surprises, what smart companies do differently, and more
Read excerpts from a convo between two employees about how to avoid cloud bill surprises, why smart companies approach tech differently, and more.
Deft ranks as top cloud consulting and managed IT services firm
Clutch.co has recognized Deft as a Top 5 Global Cloud Consultant and a Top 5 Managed IT Services Firm.
Guiding customers along each step of the cloud transformation journey
Deft defines itself as a next-generation MSP by its ability to help customers execute a long-term cloud transformation strategy.
VMware Cloud service undergoes vCloud Director updates
We’re updating all Enterprise Cloud environments with vCloud Director 9.7.0.3. Here are some of the changes that customers can expect.
How much cloud do I really need?
Right-sizing your infrastructure is a critical step in moving to the cloud — and we see companies skip it all the time. Here’s what to know before you move.
To survive your next IT disaster, you need a recovery plan
A strategic disaster recovery plan drastically improves your odds of surviving an IT outage or data loss. Here’s where to start.
Getting started with serverless computing
With serverless, you can build and launch containerized applications without managing a fleet of servers. Here’s how to get started.
Introducing fully managed object storage
Today, we are formally introducing our Managed Object Storage (MOS) service. Learn all about it here.
It’s not colocation vs. cloud — the two grow your business together
Colocation vs. cloud is the wrong question to ask. Both should be working together to move your business forward. Learn more about skipping the debate here.
Mitigating Microsoft RDS vulnerabilities
Microsoft recently announced several critical security vulnerabilities. Here’s how to patch them ASAP.
ERP vulnerability reveals danger of under-resourced IT teams
How is it that schools are still affected by a vulnerability that was patched months ago? It’s simple: their IT teams couldn’t implement the patch in time.
The BlueKeep vulnerability and what you can do about it
If there aren’t enough reasons to make sure your patch management program is effective already, a vulnerability like BlueKeep gets discovered and reminds us all. Here’s what you can do about it.
The hidden costs of colocation
Colocation pricing can be tricky. Let’s cover some hidden costs to be aware of the next time you’re shopping for a colocation contract.
Amazon makes cloud security easy
With AWS, it’s easy to attain Amazon-level cloud security when you’re most certainly not Amazon.
5 easy steps to improve your AWS security
I can’t stress how important it is to safeguard your AWS environment. Here are five easy steps that anyone can do right now to improve their AWS security.
