Devolutions 2021 Year in Review: Part 2

We started our annual year in review by recapping the first six months of 2021 at Devolutions. Now, let’s continue with a look at the second half of the year:

July

In July, many people took the opportunity to take a long-awaited and much-deserved vacation. Unfortunately, hackers don’t take a break, and the cyber threat on everyone’s mind was ransomware. To address this, we published “Ransom Rising: What’s Happening & How to Protect Your Organization.”

Still on the topic of cybersecurity, we listed 5 Common Cybersecurity Mistakes That SMBs Make and How to Fix Them, and our VP of Business Solutions Maurice had an article entitled “Improving Your Security Posture” published in The Record. It is a must-read for SMBs who want to know more about three fundamental tools for protecting their data, customers, and reputations.

Speaking of reputations: In July, we proudly announced that Devolutions is officially a CVE Numbering Authority (CNA). CNAs are organizations from around the world that are responsible for assigning CVE IDs to vulnerabilities, and for publishing information about vulnerabilities in associated CVE Records. Each CNA has a specific scope of responsibility for vulnerability identification and publishing. Devolutions’ scope covers vulnerabilities related to Remote Desktop Manager and Devolutions Server products.

We also shone the spotlight on two customers — Aptean and Wortell, respectively — that are using our solutions to streamline administration, strengthen security, increase visibility, and enforce compliance.

And for fun, we had a big laugh at Patrick’s Sysadminotaur #108: Debugging.

August

Famous novelist Sylvia Plath once wrote: “August rain: the best of the summer gone, and the new fall not yet born. The odd uneven time.”

Well, we aren’t famous novelists — which is probably why August around here was neither odd nor uneven. It was awesome! Here are some of the highlights:

After many requests, we finally added the Dark Theme Option in Remote Desktop Manager for Android. We promise: The delay was not due to a lack of attention or effort. It was because we wanted to ensure that the Dark Theme port was flawless. We also shared several tutorials, including: How to Restore a User Vault as a Shared Vault in Password Hub Business, How to Use Devolutions Web Login When Browsing in Incognito Mode, and How to Configure the Password Hub Personal Emergency Kit.

Our VP of Business Solutions Maurice also had an article published in Channel Pro Network entitled “Never Trust, Always Verify,” in which he provided practical advice to a growing number of Managed Service Providers (MSPs) that are facing a difficult challenge: Due to security and/or compliance concerns, their clients do not want to grant MSP staff permission to access networks and apps. We highly recommend this article if you are an MSP, or if your company works with (or is considering working with) an MSP.

We also published an article about a security threat vector that many companies — and especially SMBs — overlook, which is the importance of having a deprovisioning strategy for employee departures. Plus, we added a new use case to the roster on how organizations can use Devolutions Web Login to autofill website credentials.

Microsoft was also making headlines in July by announcing major product developments for Windows 365 and Windows 11. Marc-Olivier covered this breaking news and highlighted some of the biggest changes.

And for fun (well, we always have fun around here, but for MORE fun), we laughed and laughed at Patrick’s Sysadminotaur #109: BYOD 2. It is sure to be a favorite for all IT pros who, unlike non-technical users, cannot work anywhere without the right battle gear!

September

Traditionally, September is one of the busiest months of the year here at Devolutions — and 2021 was no exception!

We kicked off the last quarter of the year by looking at the Evolution of Phishing: Why It’s Getting Worse and How to Fight Back. Did you know that phishing accounts for about 80% of all reported security incidents?

We also published what has become one of our most popular use cases: Advice for Organizations on Whether to Choose Devolutions Server (On-Premises) or Password Hub Business (Cloud-Based) Password Management Solution. If you are looking for clarity on which approach is best for your company, we invite you to download the use case — and of course, get in touch with us for further guidance and advice.

Back in 2001, Jennifer Lopez sang, “Love Don’t Cost a Thing” — which is great to know. But you know what DOES cost quite a bit? Hiring experienced and knowledgeable IT pros! And that’s why in September, we looked at the 10 Highest-Paying IT Certifications. Of course, money isn’t everything. In fact, many surveys have confirmed that money is not the #1 factor that determines job satisfaction. But money still matters (especially if you’re a gamer and really, really, really want to get your hands on a PS5 or Xbox Series X…HEY SANTA CLOUD, ARE YOU PAYING ATTENTION?).

Also in September (see, we told you we were busy!), we introduced the new Remote Desktop Manager Pro Tips Video Series on our YouTube Channel. Yann does an amazing job of exploring important features and functions to help users get the most out of Remote Desktop Manager, including how to enable 2FA, create a vault template, use playlists to automate daily tasks, and more. Check it out and subscribe to get notified when new videos are available.

For fun, we provided an update on Devolutions’ pinball machine empire (you’re always welcome to come over and play!), and Patrick created another Sysadminotaur instant classic with #110: Multifactor.

October

The year was 1995. The “Macarena” took over the world. Braveheart won Best Picture at the Oscars (remember this epic speech?). Amazon.com sold its first book. And something else happened that year that we wish didn’t: the word “spyware” entered the vocabulary. Fast forward to 2021, and this threat is still prevalent. And that’s why in October, we took a closer look at Spyware: What It Is, What It Does, and What to Do About It.

We also shared a customer story about How ISM Group Is Using Devolutions Server to Enable Secure Remote Access & Enhance Client Service, and we published a tutorial on How to Renew Your Remote Desktop Manager License for Single Users, Admins, and Not-for-Resale.

There was also some BIG NEWS in October, as we announced that the Devolutions State of Cybersecurity in SMBs in 2021-22 Survey report was on the way! This is the second consecutive year that we produced the survey (and yes, we are already planning for next year’s edition!).

Also in October, Marc-Olivier shared 7 Tips for New IT Grads — including one of the most important that often gets pushed aside or forgotten: HAVE FUN (at least some of the time). Basically, there is no end to challenges and problems in the IT world. Just try and enjoy the ride.

And speaking of enjoyment: Patrick created one of the most profound and poetic Sysadminotaur comics of all time with #111: Lucky Number 0b111. It was also one of the most commented-on Sysadminotaur comics ever.

November

November was REALLY busy around here, because the big push was on to release the year’s final major updates to our products. We had some long days (and some long nights, too!), but we came through and launched Remote Desktop Manager 2021.2, Password Hub Business 2021.2 and Devolutions Server 2021.2.

And that was just the start! On November 17, we held our second annual virtual conference: Devolutions Central Online 2021. Thanks to our keynote speakers and attendees from around the world; the event was a huge success! You can check out the recap here. And here is some more good news: Videos for all of the sessions are now available on our YouTube channel (click here for the playlist).

Also in November, we proudly shared that Excellence Canada awarded Devolutions with the prestigious Excellence, Innovation, and Wellness award. This distinction is given to organizations that demonstrate superior commitment and capacity across all drivers, including: leadership, planning, customers, people,, and processes.

You might think that after such a productive month we would dial things down and take a break — but instead we kept the momentum going and released the infographic and report [PDF] for the Devolutions State of Cybersecurity in SMBs in 2021-2022. This year’s survey was much bigger and more comprehensive than last year’s, and we provided 3x more recommendations to help SMBs stay safe on an increasingly dangerous cybersecurity landscape.

11 Tsuki ni wa, RDM ga nihongode riyō kanō ni natta koto mo happyō shimashita. (Translation: In November, we also announced that RDM is now available in Japanese!)

And if you ever wondered if ergonomics could actually be a liability rather than an asset, Patrick’s November Sysadminotaur comic #112: Ergonomicon is for you!

December

And here we are in December, asking ourselves, where did the year go!? It seems like yesterday we were making (and alas, breaking) our 2021 New Year’s Resolutions. They say that time flies when you’re having fun, but when you’re having fun AND incredibly busy at the same time, it travels so fast that it can do the Kessel Run in less than 12 parsecs.

We kicked off the final month of the year with a special poll question: Which IT and Cybersecurity Investments Do You Want “Santa Cloud” to Give You in 2022? We hope you’ve all had the chance to send in your wishes.

We also focused on several key data points when comparing the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 State of Cybersecurity in SMBs survey reports, and our Chief Innovation Officer Marc-Andre published an in-depth tutorial on Finding Secret Registry Keys Using IDA Free. Marc-Andre’s tutorial includes multiple screenshots, and is an exceptional resource for IT pros who want to perform simple reverse engineering tasks using nothing more than logical deduction and the right set of tools.

Next, Marc-Olivier — one of the many gaming enthusiasts we have here at Devolutions! — published a review of Halo Infinite Multiplayer, and shared his thoughts on the present state of AAA games.

And since it is that time of year for displaying lights and decorations, we looked at 10 Spectacular Holiday Displays Around the World. We also wanted to take a moment to wish all of you the very best of the season, and THANK YOU for being such a wonderful part of our experience this year. You are the best!

Some Final Thoughts

It has been a very eventful year here at Devolutions. There have been challenges, but also celebrations. And although you may be getting kind of tired of us saying this over and over, we can’t help it because it is the simple honest truth: our community of users is EVERYTHING to us. We exist to serve your needs, solve your problems, and help you succeed. Trust us, we know how difficult and stressful things are in the IT world — especially over the last couple of years. We are always on your side, helping you control and secure the IT chaos.

Thank you for being such a huge part of our journey in 2021. You helped make this one of the best years in the history of Devolutions. And while we are happy with our growth and success, rest assured that we will keep innovating and raising our standards — because that is what you demand and expect of us. The best is yet to come!