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Yes – you read that correctly.  Here at Cogeco Peer 1 September 1 signaled the start of our new fiscal year.  And, as the new year is a time of fresh starts, what better time for me to hit the road for a mini-tour across North America and Canada where I visited our offices in Atlanta and Toronto – meeting the teams and sharing our plans for the next year and beyond. The conversations I have had recently suggest that the 12 months ahead will be marked as a year of change. Digital transformation is an ongoing process, as is the arrival and adoption of technologies such as blockchain, machine learning, artificial intelligence, hybrid cloud and SD-WAN. Move over big data and welcome to data lakes (where storage is king!). Our team, along with a group of influential CIOs, took on some of these topics at the recent Canadian CIO…

The new secret ingredient to developing a successful business emerged so gradually most people might not have noticed. It started sometime around the moment we all began searching for information online through our desktops, rather than hunting in filing cabinets and banker’s boxes in a storage room. It got worse around the time we needed anytime, anywhere access to almost everything connected to our jobs via smartphone, tablet or wearable device. Now it’s just a fact of life – even though it won’t be taught in most business schools or marketed as a selling point by CEOs. Developing a successful business is no longer just a matter of finding a great location, hiring the smartest people and offering products the market wants. Developing a successful business requires network connectivity you can count on. And the most flexible, secure and fastest way to get that connectivity is through SD-WAN. Here’s the…

In March 2017, the largest DDoS attack ever recorded took place. Weighing in at an unprecedented 1.7 Tbps, this DDoS attack set a new benchmark in terms of scale and occurred just weeks after another DDoS attack had claimed the title of ‘the world’s largest’. While large-scale, volumetric attacks like this aren’t uncommon, the fact they are continuing to grow highlights that they are still very much part of an attacker’s toolkit today. However, the real problem with these massive DDoS attacks is that they are often used as a smokescreen to hide other, more nefarious, activities. This reality, known as Dark DDoS, is one that’s becoming increasingly common, which is why organizations need to sit up and take note when it comes to protecting their web-facing assets – including the growing threat of layer 7 DDoS attacks. Layer 7 DDoS attacks target the uppermost layer (the application layer) of…

Hello and welcome to the first of a series of updates I’ll be sharing in my new role as President of Cogeco Peer 1.  Since the announcement was made regarding my appointment, I’ve been grateful for the messages of congratulations I have received. Thank you to everyone who has taken the time to welcome me into this role. It’s been heartwarming to have so much support. Thank you! I’ve been reflecting on my time with the company and revisiting what makes Cogeco Peer 1 unique as a business. Is it our unrivalled IT Infrastructure, our strong customer and partner relationships, our tried and tested processes?  Undoubtedly all of these play a part.  But what really sets us apart is our people. The diverse and innovative approach of our employees and our customer centric culture form the life-blood running through the business. This culture of customer-first innovation is why I’m confident…

Technology has revolutionized business and is a fundamental component to success, helping organizations, irrespective of industry, maximize their potential and grow. To achieve this potential, an agile and flexible IT partner is key. However, many organizations can be hindered by common restrictions such as internal complexity, security and system integration difficulties. To gain greater insight into these every-day frustrations, Cogeco Peer 1 has canvassed the options of 150 IT decision-makers across several different industries including financial services, higher education, retail, media and business services. Interestingly many IT influencers point to issues with IT vendors that hinder their ability to move forward. It seems that a lack of choice and flexibility in IT infrastructure is holding back UK businesses, with 85% of respondents revealing that their organization would see faster growth if its IT vendor was less restrictive. 69% of IT decision-makers believe their organizations growth and development has been restricted…

There is one statement about that has been written since the dawn of network security; and written in various ways and will likely remain true for many years to come:  “The number, intensity, and sophistication of cyberattacks increased dramatically last year, and will only continue to grow.” In fact, according to the Online Trust Alliance, the number of cyberattacks targeting businesses nearly doubled from 2016 to 2017. And except for a couple of anomalies in 2009 and 2011, the number of data breaches and exposed records has risen every year since 2005. Understanding the reality Today’s most virulent threats come in the form of a so-called “brute-force” – distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks—by far the most reported types of incursions according to the 2017 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report. The number of DDoS attacks reached an all-time high in 2017. A total of 7.5 million DDoS attacks were reported during the year,…