Honoring Our Heroes on Veterans Day

At Mainstreet Technologies, we take immense pride in honoring the brave men and women who have served our nation with unwavering dedication and courage. This Veterans Day, we extend our deepest gratitude to all veterans for their selfless service and sacrifice.

We are especially proud to recognize our father, a Bronze Star awardee in WWII, whose exemplary bravery and commitment continue to inspire us. His legacy of valor and dedication to our country is a testament to the extraordinary contributions of all veterans.

To all veterans, past and present, we salute you. Your courage, resilience, and unwavering commitment to protecting our freedoms are deeply appreciated. We are forever grateful for your service and sacrifice.

As we honor our heroes, let us also remember the families who support them. Your strength and dedication are integral to the sacrifices made by our veterans.

Thank you for your service. Happy Veterans Day!

Feel free to let me know if there are any adjustments or additional details you’d like to include!

The post Honoring Our Heroes on Veterans Day appeared first on Mainstreet Technologies.

We are thrilled to announce that Mainstreet Technologies, Inc. has been awarded the prestigious One Acquisition Solution for Integrated Services Plus (OASIS+) contract by the General Services Administration (GSA). This significant achievement underscores our commitment to excellence and our dedication to providing top-tier services to our clients.

The OASIS+ contract is a testament to our team’s hard work, expertise, and unwavering dedication. It opens new avenues for us to deliver comprehensive and innovative solutions across various domains, including program management, management consulting, logistics, and scientific consulting services. This award not only enhances our capabilities but also strengthens our position as a trusted partner in the industry.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to our incredible team, partners, and clients for their continuous support and trust in our services. This milestone would not have been possible without your collaboration and dedication.

As we embark on this exciting journey, we remain committed to delivering exceptional value and exceeding expectations. Stay tuned for more updates as we continue to leverage the OASIS+ contract to drive innovation and success.

Thank you for being a part of our journey. Together, we are poised to achieve even greater heights.

The post Mainstreet wins Oasis Plus Contract appeared first on Mainstreet Technologies.

Experience

As small IT businesses progress, they differentiate themselves from bigger companies as they have a stronger connection to their employees. When inquiring about a job, employers are looking for a hefty amount of experience for a position that some people haven’t achieved yet. Small IT companies offer experience-based work which pushes employees to be hands-on. (recro.io.com) This allows employees to produce work while learning from their mistakes. Being able to provide employees with guidance as they work makes them feel as though they are cared for and important. Obtaining these skills from a small IT company can progress a person’s motivation and skills to move up in the company.

Career Development

Moving up in bigger companies can take years to happen. There is seniority and skill factor in who may get the next big position at a bigger company. (taledo.com) This could take years for any position inquired about in the company. Small IT companies give employees a chance to rise in position with the company as the company gains recognition and a positive reputation. Small IT companies extend opportunities to employees who work hard, dedicate themselves, and demonstrate skills within the company to progress the company.

Workplace Flexibility 

Since the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of work-from-home has expanded. While people now have the option to work from home, workplace flexibility has been common in small IT companies. Workplace flexibility offers innovative scheduling and hybrid work. (roberthalf.com)  With this advantage, workplace freedom is offered at small IT companies, unlike other companies. (techtalent.co.uk) Workplace freedom relieves employees of feeling pressure in the office.

The future of small IT companies will transform technology. People will learn how to advance their skills to become a part of small IT companies and receive the benefits that come along with it. Although these are small businesses, the power of their influence can change the industry.

The post Top Reasons to join a Small IT Company appeared first on Mainstreet Technologies.

This week, Mainstreet Technologies had the pleasure of beginning our fellowship with the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Business program. This program allows small businesses to guide interns in and around their intended career field while developing skills as the business receives extra help. This program offers opportunities for selected Morgan State University students and The Community College of Baltimore County students. On Monday, the program hosted a Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Fellows Kick-Off for the program host and fellows on the Morgan State University campus. The host and fellows were able to meet in person, some for the first time, to network with each other and hear from speakers at the event. Mainstreet Technologies would like to welcome our newest intern, Kiara Smith, who will join us to assist with our Media Communications.

The post New Internship collaboration with Goldman Sachs appeared first on Mainstreet Technologies.

The United States Congress raises significant concerns about Tiktok, a social media app believed to be a potential threat to the United States National Security. TikTok is owned by a Chinese company, ByteDance, which U.S. officials are concerned with Chinese laws pressuring the company and TikTok to share United States user data for disinformation and intelligence reasons.

U.S. officials believe Tiktok has the authority to control the user algorithm and create heavy influence on users this way. Along with other programming concerns of ByteDance, Congress curated the “ No TikTok on United States Devices Act” in December 2022 as part of a $1.7 trillion spending bill. With the fear that China may weaponize the data, the U.S. government banned the app from official devices, which caused more than half of the U.S. states to follow. Some states created their guidelines and restrictions along with some colleges, which have made TikTok inaccessible through campus Wifi.

TikTok spokesperson, Brooke Oberwetter, denies China’s laws impacting the company because the app is privately owned. While Congress believes the app controls U.S. users’ information, Oberwetter says, “ The app also doesn’t access users’ photos, videos, or contacts unless the user allows it.” On March 23, TikTok CEO, Shou Zi Chew, is scheduled to testify on the users’ privacy and data security, along with any affiliation to the Chinese government, during the House Energy and Commerce Committee Hearing.

With these concerns, many businesses may not want to use TikTok as a platform to market. As many states across the country put together their own rules for the app, it leaves businesses with a small marginalized demographic to grasp as an audience. While the larger demographic on TikTok is Gen Z and Millennials, it makes the demographic market smaller and smaller. Producing unique content on TikTok is harder for businesses, including small businesses, so TikTok may be too big of a platform to stand out.

The future of TikTok will be determined by the results of the hearing in front of the House Energy and Commerce Committee as the company will have to explain issues that concern United States National Security.

The post Congress set to remove the use of Tiktok in America appeared first on Mainstreet Technologies.

The post Mainstreet Technologies Is Now An NVBDC Certified Business appeared first on Mainstreet Technologies.

Russians Hackers cyber-attack RNC and 1,500 to over The Holiday Weekend

The post Russians Hackers cyber-attack RNC and 1,500 to over The Holiday Weekend appeared first on Mainstreet Technologies.

Last week, the CEO of Colonial Pipeline stated that they gave a 4.4 Million dollar ransom payment to a Russian hack group called Darkside. The decision did not come easy, but with Colonial Pipeline being such a huge part of the US Economy, there was no other way to resolve the matter quickly. Colonial is responsible for 100 million gallons of gasoline a day. May 7th, when the attack started,  operations shut down, and it sent the public into a frenzy. With no end in sight, people started filling up their tanks, causing long lines, and gas station outages all over the west coast.

Although the criminals were paid and things were going back to normal, this shows that a lot of systems are still vulnerable. Over the past few years, streaming services, hospitals, cities, and more have been attacked. Any system without the proper protection can be compromised.

The post Colonial Pipeline Pays 4.4 Million in Bitcoin to End Ransomware Attack appeared first on Mainstreet Technologies.

CISA Detects SuperNova Malware

April 22, CISA (Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency) released a brief about new malware. CISA recently responded to an advanced persistent threat (APT) actor’s long-term compromise of an entity’s enterprise network, which began in at least March 2020. The threat actor connected to the entity’s network via a Pulse Secure virtual private network (VPN) appliance, moved laterally to its SolarWinds Orion server, installed malware referred to by security researchers as SUPERNOVA (a .NET webshell), and collected credentials.

Supernova is a malware webshell that allows operators to inject C# source code into a web portal that injects malicious code. Supernova is used to conduct reconnaissance, domain mapping, and steal information and credentials. It is camouflaged as a part of SolarWinds Orion Server, so it is harder to find when looking for Malware. If you are using a SolarWinds Server for your company, it is key that you regularly check for malware because you could be at risk for compromisation.

The post CISA Detects SuperNova Malware appeared first on Mainstreet Technologies.

Over Thirty thousand Microsoft accounts from different Businesses and Government agencies have been compromised due to a hacking campaign that Microsoft claims was sponsored by the Chinese Government. The Hack was first found in January and has escalated to become a bigger issue in the past few weeks. Of the customers that have been hacked, the main users are small businesses, local and state governments,  as well as military contractors. Confidential emails were stolen, and malware. Volexity investigated the issue when it was first found in January and discovered that the hackers used a bug that could bypass passwords in order to infiltrate email accounts. While Microsoft blames China, China’s spokesman from their Ministry of Foreign affairs has stated that Cyber attacks are “complex issues”, and it is a “highly sensitive political issue to pin the label of cyberattacks to a certain government. With this being said, it is key to make sure your passwords are as strong as they can be and to also use 2-factor authentication when possible for certain accounts.

Sources:

Kate Conger and Sheera Frenkel, The New York Times

Getty Images

The post 30,000 Microsoft Exchange Accounts Hacked, Company Blames Chinese Government. appeared first on Mainstreet Technologies.