Author Archives: Megan Carnes

Investment Firm Excels with Modern Technology Download Now

Sand Grove Capital Management, a London-based alternative investment management firm, has long depended on managed IT services to support its operations. Without an internal IT team, they rely entirely on Thrive, their Managed Service Provider (MSP) to maintain a robust, secure, and business-aligned technology environment. In recent years, as market conditions have shifted, Sand Grove reassessed its IT infrastructure and service model to ensure efficiency and resilience. Thrive played a crucial role in assessing their IT operations while fostering business growth and operational improvements.

Overcoming Market Challenges: Strategic Shifts, Cost-Effective Solutions, Strengthened Security

Like many investment firms, Sand Grove encountered several hurdles as it navigated market-based challenges in the early 2020’s. External trends and unforeseen events placed pressure on fund performance, making cost-effective business solutions more critical than ever. Coming to Thrive through the acquisition of their previous MSP, Sand Grove went through a re-contracting process to take advantage of Thrive’s billing and flexible service model.

Thrive’s deep understanding of Sand Grove’s IT environment allowed for a seamless transition to the Thrive platform and ongoing transformation of their operations. Cost savings and service optimisation were achieved through a strategic restructuring of IT services, led by Thrive’s account management team. Their dedicated Account Manager ensured greater cost efficiency without compromising service quality, renegotiating contracts to deliver significant financial savings while strengthening cybersecurity and IT support.

Cybersecurity and compliance efforts saw major advancements with the introduction of DNS filtering, AvePoint M365 backups, and proactive threat monitoring. A physical monitoring device was installed in the server room, complemented by endpoint security measures to mitigate cyber threats. Additionally, Thrive improved the monitoring of remote logins, ensuring immediate alerts for unusual activity.

Operational efficiency also improved as Thrive streamlined Sand Grove’s IT infrastructure. By migrating their portfolio management system to a different environment, inefficiencies caused by multiple vendors were eliminated.

Sand Grove has the peace of mind that comes with knowing Thrive will always do what they can to support the organisation’s growth. When a critical due diligence questionnaire required completion, Thrive’s rapid response enabled Sand Grove to secure new funding, underscoring the strength of their partnership.

Thrive remained proactive in aligning IT services with Sand Grove’s business objectives, ensuring agility and resilience in a competitive financial landscape. Further technological improvements included the deployment of an enhanced incident response framework, ensuring swift action in the face of security incidents.

Prioritising Business Outcomes and Boosting Investor Confidence

Strategic IT advisory services also played a pivotal role in Sand Grove’s continued success. Regular technical business reviews with their vCIO and Account Manager provided tailored IT guidance aligned with the firm’s evolving needs. Sand Grove’s engagement in Thrive’s industry events, such as the Breakfast Club, fostered valuable knowledge-sharing and networking opportunities.

Through its partnership with Thrive, Sand Grove Capital Management has optimised IT spending, reinforced cybersecurity, streamlined operations, and bolstered investor confidence. Thrive’s proactive partnership, technical expertise, and strategic guidance have been instrumental in positioning Sand Grove for sustained success. This collaboration stands as a testament to the transformative impact of a well-managed IT service relationship, demonstrating how the right MSP can drive business growth and resilience in an ever-evolving financial sector.

“Whenever anyone logs in to their computer from abroad, we get an alert. It’s a nice layer of security. We know things are working and that there is proper monitoring going on.” – Jonathan Groom, Chief Operating Officer, Sand Grove Capital Management

About Thrive

Thrive delivers global technology outsourcing for cybersecurity, Cloud, networking, and other complex IT requirements. Thrive’s NextGen platform enables customers to increase business efficiencies through standardization, scalability, and automation, delivering oversized technology returns on investment (ROI). They accomplish this with advisory services, vCISO, vCIO, consulting, project implementation, solution architects, and a best-in-class subscription-based technology platform. Thrive delivers exceptional high-touch service through its POD approach of subject matter experts and global 24x7x365 SOC, NOC, and centralized services teams. Learn more at www.thrivenextgen.com or follow us on LinkedIn.

Reflections on a Healthcare Data Breach: Where Are We Now?

One year ago, the Change Healthcare cyberattack caused a disruption of healthcare operations on a massive scale, resulting in outages, payment delays, and cancellation of patient appointments. The attack highlighted the need for healthcare organizations to strengthen their cyber preparedness and security posture and demonstrated the devastating impact an attack can have on care delivery.

One year later, challenges still remain, explains Michael Gray, CTO of Thrive.

“We are still very much at risk,” he says. “A year out after an attack, you know a lot about that attack. I watched the Change Healthcare CEO speak in front of congress about how the attackers got in, and we knew how to stop these attacks 10 years ago. There’s this theme where you can tell people the right way to do things but until they prioritize security, it’s not going to get better.”

The Change Healthcare cyberattack still resonates more than a year later

The Change Healthcare cyberattack is recognized as the most prominent medical data breach in American history, impacting over 190 million people nationwide. Immediately after the attack, hospitals, clinics, and pharmacies suffered the repercussions as much of their critical infrastructure and operations were halted. In addition to exposing sensitive medical and financial data, the breach froze day-to-day conduct and delayed treatments, ultimately costing the parent company, UnitedHealth Group, a $22 million ransom payment. Over a year later, healthcare organizations are still grappling with the fallout from the attack.

The Change Healthcare attack should not be remembered as a one-off incident but rather as a wake-up call for what could happen to any organization in any industry dealing with sensitive data. To better prepare for and ultimately prevent similar attacks, security experts and IT professionals must learn from this incident and preemptively put the right safeguards in place in their organizations.

Thrive Spotlight: Janet Salvo – Service Delivery Manager

Thrive Spotlight: Janet Salvo – Service Delivery Manager

Welcome back to another installment of our “Thrive Spotlight” blog series.

Our featured employee is Janet Salvo, Service Delivery Manager. Working in Event Management, Janet and her team are responsible for the monitoring of networks for all our clients and troubleshooting all alerts that come through. Her responsibility in the department is to manage the amazing team that she works with. She tries to make sure that she is always keeping her team, our clients, and the company happy by working on updating our processes and procedures.

Janet lives in Westbook, Maine, just outside of Portland, and works out of our Cumberland, Maine office. Janet loves to spend time with her friends and family. She has a kayak and loves to bring it out on the river, since it is such a peaceful place. Janet also likes live music and is eagerly waiting to go an upcoming country festival in Portland, Maine. She is a Dog Mom to her two beloved Italian Greyhounds, Biscotti and Whisper, and a Bunny Mom to Luna, who all bring her so much joy and laughter.

Hi Janet! Can you tell us about your background and how you came to Thrive?

I was a bit of a “Jack of All Trades” before going to school for IT and coming to Thrive. I had many hats: real estate, dog grooming, dog training, and a massage therapist. Each of the positions presented challenges that lead me forward to the next one.

IT has always fascinated me. I started out with an Apple 11e when I was younger and as I grew older, people always came to me to resolve their computer issues. One time, when I was living in California, I was working at the Comedy Store in LA as one of the overnight managers. I took a four-day weekend to Palm Springs and the computer system at “The Store” went down. I had to walk them through getting it back up and running over the phone.

Ultimately, my decision to pursue IT became clear. I enrolled in school, and from there my journey led me to Thrive. This path has aligned perfectly with my long-term career goals, although, once I hit retirement, I think I will get back into dog training!

Where did you go to school or get training?

I attended the Northeast Technical Institute and graduated from the Network Administration and Design Program.

What do you most enjoy about working for Thrive?

Hands down, the people, my teams, the people I work with outside of my team, and our clients. I am a people person, so I love being able to work with so many. It is also a pleasure to help my team grow. I recently had the chance to help some of my team members move into new departments they dreamed of being in and it was incredibly rewarding.

Are there any recent exciting projects at Thrive you can tell us about?

We do have an upcoming project coming up that will greatly impact my team and I am super excited about it. This is in the final stages of being created and as of now, there is no set go live date, so I don’t want to share too much yet. Aside from that, my team is constantly changing processes to make the workload more efficient.

Are you interested in learning more about Thrive? Click here!

Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter and LinkedIn for the latest news, and continue checking our blog for more in our “Thrive Employee Spotlight” series. Until next time…

Beyond the Breach: The Ongoing Impact of the Change Healthcare Attack

Thousands of healthcare providers across the country rely on Change Healthcare’s solutions and services, including the exchange of healthcare data and financial transactions between healthcare providers, insurers, and patients. The fallout from the attack led to months of outages for these organizations, and healthcare providers had to turn away patients and cancel appointments until they could recoup their systems. Eventually, United Health Group, the parent company of Change Healthcare, was forced to pay the attackers a $22 million ransom to prevent patient data from leaking.

The Change Healthcare data breach demonstrated how much an indirect attack can impact an organization and the critical need for having the right cybersecurity protocols in place. Organizations both in and outside of healthcare rely on third-party vendors, opening new vulnerabilities that could have an immense impact on operations if not addressed. Luckily, every company can learn from the Change Healthcare attack and use those lessons to build more substantial and secure operations.

Thrive Awarded State of Florida Contract for Digital Security Solutions

New contract will provide state, county and city agencies with cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions

Tallahassee, FL April 9, 2025 – Thrive, a global technology outsourcing provider for cybersecurity, Cloud, and IT managed services, announced today that it has been selected by the State of Florida, Department of Management Services as a vendor for the Digital Security Solutions contract. This latest partnership adds to the list of state and local governments that trust Thrive to protect them from cyber threats, including phishing attempts and data breaches.

Local and state governments continue to be targets of cyberattacks, and the effect is costly. According to IBM’s Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024, the global average cost of a data breach is $4.88 million. And with a government’s limited resources, a cyberattack can be devastating, not only financially but also to the trust of its constituents.

To enable these organizations to strengthen their cybersecurity and better protect their data, Thrive has a dedicated public sector team with more than 20 years of experience. This team delivers proactive, fully managed security solutions designed to protect state agencies from cyber risk.

Florida’s Department of Management Services will allow Thrive to provide cybersecurity solutions to state agencies and other eligible entities across multiple service categories, including:

Service Category 3: Endpoint Detection and Response Fortinet FortiEDR with Thrive Management
Service Category 5: Email Security Checkpoint Harmony Email & Collaboration Security with Thrive Management
Service Category 10: Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) Checkpoint SASE with Thrive Management

“State and local governments are seeing an influx of data at the exact same time that cyberattacks are becoming more sophisticated. It has never been more important to ensure government systems are updated, teams are trained, and data is protected,” said Bill McLaughlin, CEO of Thrive. “Thrive has a deep understanding of the unique needs of local and state governments across our cybersecurity journey. When government agencies like the State of Florida, partner with us, we bring in our team of experts to handle cybersecurity risk so the organization can focus on serving citizens.”

To learn more about Thrive’s CJIS offerings, click here.

About Thrive

Contacts

Amanda Maguire

thrive@v2comms.com

AI Is Changing The Managed Services Game

Thrive, an MSP based in Foxborough, Mass., is harnessing AI to transform how managed services handle routine tasks by streamlining operations, detecting issues before they arise and allowing technicians to focus on critical problems rather than getting bogged down by routine maintenance, said CEO Bill McLaughlin. This results in a smoother, quicker customer experience, which leads to higher satisfaction and efficiency, he said.

But those benefits only come through thoughtful implementation, he said.

“You need the right team in place to roll it out and, like any technology, it needs constant attention,” McLaughlin told CRN. “AI runs on data, so organizations need to ensure that the data is clean, secure and maintained.”

While AI has the potential to significantly enhance managed services, success hinges on careful planning, expert implementation and rigorous data hygiene, McLaughlin said.

“There needs to be proper quality control and security around the data you’re working with,” he said. “It’s not just about flipping a switch and turning it on. If not properly vetted, AI could introduce more problems than it solves.”

Bolster cyber resilience to increase corporate and individual security

Today, the lines between professional and personal lives are increasingly blurred, and the security of an organization is tied to the security habits of each individual employee.

Improving cyber resilience is not just about protecting company assets on servers or in the cloud — it’s about safeguarding the personal data, devices, and digital habits of everyone within an organization. Even if one employee’s account is breached, the company is at risk. In fact, in a report from Varonis, the average employee is estimated to have access to 11 million files, showing just how important the security of the individual is to the security of its employer.

Why US third-party vendors need to act fast on DORA compliance

The Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) has been in effect for over two months (since 17th January 2025, with the previous two years for preparation), but some organizations are still unprepared. While this regulation directly affects the financial sector of the European Union (EU), it also impacts US companies providing services to EU financial firms, including US firms providing services to their EU subsidiaries.

Thrive Spotlight: George Seybolt – Director, Strategic Operations

Welcome back to another installment of our “Thrive Spotlight” blog series.

Our featured employee is George Seybolt, Director, Strategic Operations. George’s role is split into two parts, both relating to strategic operations. The first part is focused on integrating acquired companies and making sure they are correctly and smoothly cutover into ServiceNow (SNOW). This includes several different pieces including completing due diligence on the business operation functions, reviewing contracts, invoices, and any ongoing operation functions that the acquired business may still have, as well as mapping all their existing data into SNOW for their cutover.

The second half to George’s role is managing strategic operations related to Thrive, as well as a small team within Business Operations focused on strategic projects. Some of these initiatives include rolling out new products through campaigns like SaaS Alerts, sunsetting legacy products, as well as advising on new processes within SNOW that are related to the business operations function.

When George first started at Thrive, he lived right outside of Boston in Waltham and worked out of our Foxborough office. However, thanks to the flexibility to work remote, George now lives in Denver, CO. Outside of work, George loves exploring outside and going for a hike whenever he can. Now that he lives out West, he does a lot of hiking and backpacking in the Rockies and Wasatch ranges.

Hi George! Can you tell us about your background and how you came to Thrive?

I started my career with three years working at State Street Bank in various roles including regulatory research, audit, and finance. I found Thrive through Zach DesMarais as he had been working with the previous integration team before moving into a new role, so he recommended me for this roll since they were looking to fill his previous position.

Where did you go to school or get training?

I attended the University of Vermont and majored in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance and a minor in Statistics.

What do you most enjoy about working for Thrive?

My favorite thing about working for Thrive is seeing how it has grown and evolved over the years. It was a relatively small 250 person MSP when I first started in 2019, and seeing the rapid growth since then has been exciting. Since I started, I have been heavily involved on the integration side of the business and have seen almost all 21 acquisitions, and the unique perspectives each acquisition team brings to Thrive is incredible.