Welcome back to another installment of our “Thrive Spotlight” blog series.
Our featured employee is Nicholas Vizzini, Technical Advisor. Nicholas plays a key role in supporting his team by providing strategic solutions and ensuring the Advisory Team is equipped with the necessary technical training, product knowledge, and compliance updates. He also collaborates with vCIOs to assist with Technical Business Reviews, helping to drive success for our clients.
Nicholas lives in New York, NY, and works out of our Lexington Avenue office in New York City. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family, reading, and going for bike rides.
Hi Nicholas! Can you tell us about your background and how you came to Thrive?
I began my career working at S7 Technology Group, where I worked for three years before the company was acquired by Thrive. Since joining Thrive, I’ve held roles as a TSE, SE, SA, and now Technical Advisor. This October will mark four years with Thrive.
Where did you go to school or get training?
I earned my bachelor’s degree in computer systems Networking and Telecommunications from Farmingdale State College, with a focus on Computer Networking and Systems Management.
What do you most enjoy about working for Thrive?
I enjoy solving complex problems and watching our team grow. We play a significant role in Thrive’s success and, most importantly, in the success of our clients.
Are there any recent exciting projects at Thrive you can tell us about?
Over the past year, we successfully migrated several of our clients from their legacy NetApp DaaS environment to our ThriveCloud solution. This rewarding project was challenging but we were able to collaborate with several departments to complete the projects on time.
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…
Thrive Opens New Data Center in MontrealLeading global MSP/MSSP expands data center locations, empowering customers to better safeguard their critical data
Boston, MA, November 26, 2024 – Thrive, a global technology outsourcing provider for cybersecurity, Cloud, and IT managed services, today announced it will be opening a Montreal-based SOC 2 certified data center to support its private Cloud offering. With this new opening, Thrive continues to expand its data center locations, enabling customers throughout Canada to better secure and protect their data.
Data breaches continue to be on the rise. In fact, according to the Identify Theft Resource Center, the number of data compromises reported in the first half of 2024 increased 14% compared to the same period in 2023. With potential threats always looming, organizations must ensure their data, and their customers’ data, are properly housed, managed, and secured. With the addition of the data center in Montreal, Thrive adds to their list of enterprise-class data center locations to ensure all Canadian customers have access to secure and reliable Cloud infrastructure to store their most valuable data.
As is the case with all Thrive’s data center locations, customers will gain a range of benefits, including:
- Security: Thrive’s data centers utilize best practices in on-site physical security, including biometric access controls, perimeter monitoring, and 24×7 staffing, along with cutting-edge digital security measures.
- Reliability: Thrive’s purpose-built data center facilities deliver maximum reliability and connectivity for mission-critical infrastructure that powers organizations.
- Scalability: No matter the specific needs of an organization, Thrive can provide the data center flexibility and capacity to handle future growth.
- Emergency Backup: Thrive’s data centers offer fully redundant power, networking, and environmental systems, ensuring that each facility is available when needed most. Paired with best-of-breed replication and recovery technology platforms, Thrive can help protect critical systems and data from loss in the event of an emergency.
“Many organizations today are facing the daunting task of protecting and storing their critical data amidst an ever-changing cybersecurity landscape – and it is more important than ever to ensure data is housed properly,” said Scott Steele, Chief Operating Officer, Thrive. “Thrive’s customers in Canada will have access to not just a data center, but a sustainable private Cloud infrastructure solution, positioning their business for secure, scalable growth well into the future.”
Along with its private Cloud offering, Thrive offers an array of services, customized to each organization’s business needs. To keep pace with the evolving landscape, Thrive continues to grow their services, from managed detection and response to incident response & remediation.
To learn more about Thrive, visit the website.
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.
Contacts
Amanda Maguire
Thrive Appoints Kristina O’Connell as Chief Marketing Officer
Leading Global MSSP Touts Latest Executive Appointment as it Continues to Grow
Boston, MA, November 20, 2024 – Thrive, a global technology outsourcing provider for cybersecurity, Cloud, and IT managed services, today named Kristina O’Connell as its Chief Marketing Officer (CMO). With experience spanning new and growing industries, including SaaS, AI, and wireless charging, O’Connell will guide Thrive’s corporate marketing and brand building initiatives as the company continues to experience a rapid period of growth.
With over three decades of experience leading marketing teams in the technology industry, O’Connell brings an unparalleled wealth of knowledge and expertise in brand development, creative innovation, and marketing strategy. Before joining Thrive in October 2023, she led marketing at WiTricity, where she helped build and develop the market for electric vehicle wireless charging (B2B2C) from an MIT spin-out to commercialization. O’Connell served ExaGrid for a decade, defining brand and creative strategy in the Tiered Backup Storage enterprise market. At F5 Networks, she led the company’s worldwide marketing and was instrumental in helping F5 pioneer the load-balancing market from startup through IPO to #1 in global market share.
“When you hear customers saying that they’re seeing Thrive everywhere, you know your marketing team is doing something right – and that has been normal feedback we’ve heard since Kristina joined us,” said Rob Stephenson, CEO of Thrive. “Kristina’s deep understanding of not only our offerings but the cybersecurity and technology industries at large are invaluable when it comes to communicating what Thrive brings to the table. As CMO, I know she will strategically communicate our vision to the broader market and take Thrive to new heights as we innovate and expand.”
As Thrive continues to provide new services to customers and increase its geographical footprint through acquisition, O’Connell’s guidance in ensuring brand visibility and consistency across regions, growing the company’s thought leadership, influence, and raising Thrive’s overall profile amongst prospects, media, and other stakeholders will be critical. Her vast experience across technology domains, including networking, storage, enterprise software, SaaS, and AI-powered software, will help elevate Thrive’s services and key messages to new audiences.
O’Connell’s appointment comes amidst an exciting period of growth for Thrive. The company recently acquired Safety Net – its eleventh acquisition in just two years. The company also appointed Scott Steele as Chief Operating Officer in June 2024.
“When I came to Thrive, I was incredibly impressed by Thrive’s team, NextGen platform of services, the business problems we were solving for our clients, and the possibilities when it came to innovating for the future,” said O’Connell. “I look forward to working with the rest of our executive team to continue to amplify our brand, influence, culture, and excitement for how we do business. Thrive is changing the game with outsourced technology.”
If you’re interested in learning more about open positions at Thrive, visit the careers page.
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.
Contacts
Amanda Maguire
Thrive Becomes Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus Certification Body
Leading Global MSSP to Help UK Companies Better Protect Themselves from Cyber Threats
Boston, MA, November 19, 2024 – Thrive, a global technology outsourcing provider for cybersecurity, Cloud, and IT managed services, today announced that is has become a Cyber Essentials (CE) and Cyber Essentials Plus (CE+) certification body. The company can now audit for accreditation and compliance with the Information Assurance for Small and Medium Enterprises (IASME) Cyber Essentials control framework.
According to a government report issued earlier this year, half of businesses (50%) and around a third of charities (32%) in the UK report having experienced some form of cyber security breach or attack in the last 12 months. To mitigate these threats and ensure organisations have the proper safeguards in place, the IASME requires most public sector institutions that touch government, healthcare, and social housing, as well as many small and medium businesses (SMBs), to be CE or CE+ compliant in order to be eligible to bid for contracts. CE is a government-backed, industry-supported self-assessment that organisations can utilise to protect themselves against common cyber threats and gain certified compliance with best practices. Aligning with this standard helps organisations position themselves to maintain the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of their information systems and data assets.
As a certification body, Thrive can now work with UK organisations to help them achieve compliance with the CE or CE+ framework. The normal CE certification requires a self-certified questionnaire, submitted online to the IASME. Upon successful completion, Thrive will issue the CE certification. Thrive also provides Readiness Assessments for SMBs seeking CE+ accreditation. This includes a gap analysis report and roadmap to address both CE and CE+ certification requirements, enabling an organisation to also pursue the CE+ certification once the CE Questionnaire is completed. The Readiness Assessment will focus on the CE Questionnaire along with technical controls for firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control, and malware protection. As part of the CE+ certification, a Thrive certified CE+ Assessor will carry out the required audit on the systems that are in-scope for CE, including a representative set of user devices, all internet gateways, and all servers with services accessible to unauthenticated internet users.
“From phishing to malware, we’re seeing an increase in threats of every kind, and too often the organisations that are most susceptible to these threats are small and medium businesses or those working in the public sphere,” said Michael Gray, Chief Technology Officer at Thrive. “Becoming CE certified allows organisations to take essential steps in understanding and improving their cybersecurity posture. Thrive is proud to be a partner in helping businesses on their accreditation journey and providing them with the guidance needed to not only better protect themselves but set them up for long-term success.”
In addition to CE and CE+ certifications, Thrive offers and array of services and offerings to help organisations of all sizes better protect themselves. From managed detection and response to autonomous penetration testing and cloud services, UK enterprises can trust that Thrive has the team, solutions, and experience to bolster digital transformation and cybersecurity efforts, regardless of sector or size.
To learn more about Thrive’s offerings, visit the website.
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.
Contacts
Amanda Maguire
Florida Southern College Modernizes IT and Achieves Compliance with Thrive Download Now
Florida Southern College, a small private institution, overhauled its IT infrastructure and fortified its security by partnering with Thrive. Through Thrive’s Disaster Recovery as a Service (DRaaS) and Data Protection as a Service (DPaaS), featuring immutable backups, the college was able to meet regulatory standards, enhance infrastructure reliability, and protect critical data. This partnership has driven continuous IT improvements, successfully attaining the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA) and FERPA compliance.
Florida Southern College, facing the unique challenge of modernizing its IT infrastructure and meeting strict regulatory requirements with limited resources, initially relied on DSM for disaster recovery and data protection services. After Thrive acquired DSM, the partnership focused on risk assessments and proactive IT improvements, helping the college enhance security, achieve GLBA and FERPA compliance, and strengthen its digital capabilities.
Why Thrive Was Chosen
Florida Southern initially engaged Thrive to handle specific IT projects, such as migrating student emails to the Cloud, due to the college’s limited internal resources and small internal IT team. As Florida Southern’s needs evolved, Thrive’s expertise and hands-on support made them a key partner in tackling more considerable challenges like network security and compliance.
Florida Southern College Chief Information Officer Francine Neiling recognized the need for continuous risk assessments to identify and remediate IT vulnerabilities. Neiling prioritized Thrive’s risk assessments, which provided detailed insights into potential gaps and risks. These assessments allowed Florida Southern to allocate resources strategically and drive improvements while adhering to their budget constraints.
“Thrive’s assessments were critical in helping us understand our IT gaps and prioritize projects based on risk, all while staying within our budget. While other vendors delivered the basics, Thrive followed up with solutions and guidance to ensure everything worked seamlessly across our systems,” said Neiling.
Strategic Deployment of Advanced Security Measures
Thrive has become Florida Southern College’s primary partner for security and compliance, helping implement key regulations like GLBA and FERPA. They have been instrumental in deploying multi-factor authentication, improving data loss prevention, and securing student information. Thrive also provides regular network assessments and annual penetration tests to maintain compliance and security.
Thrive provided Florida Southern with a fully managed on-premise Cloud infrastructure, delivering scalable DRaaS and DPaaS with immutable backups. This flexible infrastructure met both operational and regulatory needs while continuously improving security and disaster recovery.
“Thrive’s on-premise Cloud infrastructure gave us the flexibility to meet our specific IT needs, while their immutable backups and orchestrated offsite recovery provided peace of mind, knowing our data was secure and recoverable,” said Neiling.
Thrive’s Impact
With Thrive’s continued support, Florida Southern College has significantly improved its network stability and security. By streamlining its network infrastructure, the college resolved issues caused by multiple vendors’ equipment that had previously led to campus-wide outages. Thrive’s guidance has also helped the college maintain regulatory compliance, saving time and money while allowing its small IT team to focus on daily operations.
In its 2024 audit, the college received only two minor findings, demonstrating the enhanced security posture and infrastructure resilience.
“Since partnering with Thrive, our security has improved dramatically. What would have taken us years to accomplish on our own was completed efficiently with their hands-on support. They’ve truly become an extension of our IT team,” said Neiling.
“Thrive has consistently gone above and beyond, offering the kind of hands-on support that makes a real difference. Without their expertise and dedication, we wouldn’t be where we are today.” ~ Francine Neiling, CIO, Florida Southern College
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.
Thrive Spotlight: Catie Kueppers – vCIOWelcome back to another installment of our “Thrive Spotlight” blog series.
Our featured employee is Catie Kueppers, newly promoted to vCIO. Catie, former Thrive System Administrator, oversaw the Mid 3 POD and was an acting Senior System Administrator for the Texas 01 POD. She is mostly involved with Microsoft Azure and various Windows networks.
Catie lives in Palm Bay, Florida but is based out of the Maryland office since that is where Ease Technologies was located prior to being acquired by Thrive. Outside of work, she loves going boating and exploring different islands around Sebastian Inlet with her husband who is a Veteran and 4 kids, 2 sons and 2 daughters.
Hi Catie! Can you tell us about your background and how you came to Thrive?
I have been working within the IT industry for over 25 years. I started in 1997, purchasing electronic components in bulk for computers and reselling them to electronics brokers. Within this position, I was able to gain customer service experience and started working the Help Desk at Lance Inc. in 1998. Since, I have worked for larger companies like IBM, Blue Cross & Blue Shield, Computers Sciences Corporation, Cessna Aircraft, and Bell Helicopter. I worked my way up to various titles of Network Administrator in various areas of technology.
After working for such large companies, I wanted something smaller and more personal. I landed at Ease Technologies in 2013 which then got acquired by Thrive in 2019. Although Thrive is a much larger company, it still has a personal feel, while still getting to work with some of the same people from before we were acquired.
Where did you go to school or get training?
I have been a certified Microsoft Azure Administrator for 2 years as well as other Microsoft certifications. I also attended Kaplan University for a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration and Human Resources Management.
What do you most enjoy about working for Thrive?
I enjoy engaging with different people and teams every day. Also, our customers, they keep me busy and challenged. Thrive also offers a lot of learning opportunities which I love.
Are there any recent exciting projects at Thrive you can tell us about?
I am in the process of transitioning into my newly promoted role as vCIO, and I look forward to embracing the learning opportunities and challenges that come with this position.
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…
Northeast Investment Management Partners with Thrive to Enhance IT Resilience and Security Download Now
Northeast Investment Management, Inc. (NIM), a Boston-based investment firm managing nearly $3 billion in assets, partnered with Thrive to address its IT and cybersecurity needs. Thrive’s managed IT services provided a complete, outsourced technology solution, allowing the firm to focus on its core business while ensuring regulatory best practices, safeguarding client data, and enhancing remote accessibility.
By partnering with Thrive, Northeast Investment Management (NIM), a registered investment advisor (RIA) in Boston, overseeing nearly $3 billion in assets for individual clients and family offices, has reinforced its cybersecurity, maintained regulatory compliance, and improved operational efficiency. NIM recently moved its Boston office and relied on Thrive to transition their entire IT infrastructure to their new location.
Why Thrive Was Chosen
Northeast Investment originally began working with Tier1Net, a firm later acquired by Thrive, based on a trusted recommendation. Thrive’s proactive approach to IT management and expertise in investment advisory compliance made it a natural choice for NIM.
“Thrive’s knowledge of compliance, especially cybersecurity and privacy, gave us confidence that they could manage these complexities. Their specialized, single-source IT and security support keeps us on track with industry standards,” shared Richard Manoogian, Chief Compliance Officer.
Solutions Delivered
Thrive provided NIM with a comprehensive suite of services, spanning network management, software maintenance, data security, and staff training. Thrive managed NIM’s migration to ThriveCloud, ensuring a secure, cloud-based environment that provides peace of mind for NIM.
Manoogian added, “Thrive delivers everything from infrastructure management to cybersecurity training. They’re a true one-stop shop, even providing us with tools like phishing tests to keep our team vigilant and secure against evolving threats.
Thrive’s Impact
Partnering with Thrive allowed Northeast Investment to reduce operational risks while ensuring their technology infrastructure met the stringent regulatory requirements. Thrive’s expertise saved the firm time and costs by negating the need for additional in-house IT staff.
“With Thrive, we don’t have to worry about our IT systems. They’re proactive, knowledgeable, and dependable. This partnership lets us focus on our clients, knowing our data is secure and compliant,” said Manoogian.
“Thrive’s expertise means we can sleep easy knowing our systems are secure, and our team can work efficiently — no matter what challenges arise.” ~ Richard Manoogian, Managing Director, Chief Compliance Officer, Northeast Investment Management, Inc.
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.
Steps Organizations Can Take to Improve Cyber ResilienceOrganizations’ devices, data and digital security infrastructure are constantly under threat from bad actors. In 2023, more than 880,000 cybercrime complaints were recorded by the FBI, nearly 10% more than in 2022, resulting in losses exceeding $12.5 billion. With the number of threats and potential losses, only growing, building a sophisticated cybersecurity program is an absolute necessity for modern organizations.
To thrive in these conditions, cyber resilience is key. Cyber resilience refers to an organization’s ability to prevent, address and recover from cyberattacks. Today, these attacks can come from many sources and extend far beyond data breaches. Cyber resilience is all about how well an organization can withstand attacks and operate successfully, even while navigating cybersecurity incidents.
Secure Your Healthcare Organization with Better Cyber ResilienceIt’s time for healthcare organizations to reevaluate their cybersecurity posture and cyber resilience. Last month was Cybersecurity Awareness month which brings a timely reminder for healthcare organizations to prioritize their digital defenses—not just for their own benefit, but for the benefit of the world around them. In an industry where patient data and critical medical and technology systems are increasingly interconnected, improving cyber resilience is no longer optional—it’s essential for protecting sensitive information and maintaining operational continuity.
Thrive Spotlight: Ariel Amarante – Engineer, Security DeploymentWelcome back to another installment of our “Thrive Spotlight” blog series.
Our featured employee is Ariel Amarante, Engineer, Security Deployment – Onboarding/ Pro Services. As a Security Deployment Engineer, Ariel’s main focus is to ensure a seamless transition to the security product implementation for our clients. He gets to ensure clients can execute their daily roles without having to worry about potential nefarious actors impeding on their organization.
Ariel lives in Yonkers, NY and works out of our Greenwich, CT office. Outside of work, he loves spending time with his three children. They do all types of fun things, but their favorite is taking road trips together. Ariel is a HUGE Yankees fan, so unless he is on a client call, you will see him in his Yankees hat. He is also an aquarist; he has saltwater fish and coral.
Hi Ariel! Can you tell us about your background and how you came to Thrive?
I started in IT as a Helpdesk Support Intern during high school in the MID Department for the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. Since then, I have had the privilege of road mapping, implementing, and maintaining new technologies across various industries such as hospitality, retail, and then landing in financial services. I joined Edge Technology which then got acquired by Thrive in 2022.
Where did you go to school or get training?
I got my AS at Queensborough Community College and started my BA in Computer Science at St. John’s University. Due to life changes, I left St. John’s University and focused on getting certified with different technologies I was already supporting with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection. I started with getting A+ certified which led me to getting my MSCE and CCNA. Since then, I have gotten a few additional certifications and recently got my Mimecast certifications.
What do you most enjoy about working for Thrive?
The organizations efficiency and the comradery that we have here. We all work together to achieve our goals. Whenever I need assistance, I can reach out to one of my colleagues and they are always willing to help me. #OneThrive holds true.
As part of the security development team, I get to put clients’ minds at ease by ensuring the security applications hand-picked for their environments protect their organization collectively, bringing industry best practices and standards to secure them from the latest unforeseen threats. It brings me a sense of pride to know that we can help others while doing something that I am passionate about.
Are there any recent exciting projects at Thrive you can tell us about?
There is excitement every day! As new products are introduced, we have a front row on learning and implementing these products for our clients. I always tend to take on projects that I have never implemented before to keep the cogs turning in my head. I love to learn by being in the driver seat and figuring it out if I get stuck, which leads back to #OneThrive and how the team always ready to step in and help!
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…