STATE COLLEGE, Pa., May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Most drownings don’t look like you think they do. There’s no screaming. No flailing. Just a silent struggle that can go unnoticed in less than 30 seconds.

To raise awareness and help prevent tragedy, aquatic safety experts Dr. Tom Griffiths and Dr. Rachel Griffiths developed Dr. Tom’s Lifeguard Vision – a mobile app that simulates real drowning behaviors so parents, caregivers, and lifeguards can learn what to look for before it’s too late.

Recently recognized as one of Aquatics International’s 2024 Most Valuable Products, the app presents short, realistic drowning scenarios that help users sharpen their detection skills anytime, anywhere. Whether you’re heading to the pool, prepping for swim lessons, or conducting in-service training, this app ensures your eyes are trained to spot the subtle signs of drowning – because it can happen fast and without warning.

“You can’t save what you can’t see,” says Dr. Griffiths. “Our goal is simple: make drowning prevention something everyone can practice.”

Dr. Tom’s Lifeguard Vision is available to download at no cost on the App Store and Google Play.

The app is ideal for:

Parents and caregiversLifeguards and swim instructorsHealth educators and pediatricians

Download the app today:

Google Play Store: https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.game.lifeguardvision
Apple App Store: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/dr-toms-lifeguard-vision/id6468658824

For more information or to schedule an interview with Dr. Tom or Dr. Rachel, contact:

Aquatic Safety Research Group
https://www.AquaticSafetyGroup.com
(814) 321-5242

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SOURCE Aquatic Safety Research Group

The Guardz Research Unit uncovered a coordinated cyber campaign using outdated login methods to bypass MFA and infiltrate cloud environments by attempting to exploit basic authentication protocols 

MIAMI, May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Guardz, the cybersecurity company empowering Managed Service Providers (MSPs) and IT professionals to protect small businesses with AI-native unified detection and response, today disclosed its discovery of an advanced attack campaign exploiting legacy authentication protocols in Microsoft Entra ID. Uncovered by the Guardz Research Unit (GRU), the campaign was active between March 18 and April 7, 2025, and shows how outdated authentication methods, particularly BAV2ROPC, continue to be exploited by threat actors to bypass modern identity protection systems, including Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) and Conditional Access Policies.

The campaign has since subsided, but Guardz warns that vulnerability continues to exist in many environments, posing a critical risk to organizations that have not yet fully modernized their authentication frameworks. Sectors that were identified as being disproportionately targeted by this vulnerability include financial services, healthcare, manufacturing, and technology services.

“This campaign is a wake-up call—not just about one vulnerability, but about the broader need to retire outdated technologies that no longer serve today’s threat landscape,” said Dor Eisner, CEO and Co-Founder of Guardz. “At Guardz, we’re focused on helping small businesses and the MSPs that serve them stay ahead of evolving attacks by identifying hidden risks before they’re exploited.”

Guardz detected over 9,000 suspicious login attempts from distributed IP addresses, primarily originating in Eastern Europe and the Asia-Pacific region, indicating a globally orchestrated effort. Attackers leveraged automation, IP rotation, and advanced tooling to probe security controls and gain unauthorized access to cloud resources, particularly Exchange Online.

The attack unfolded in two major phases:

Initialization (March 18-20): Low-intensity probing with approximately 2,709 attempts per day.Sustained Attack (March 21-April 3): Spiking to over 6,444 attempts per day – a 138% increase – marking a move to aggressive exploitation.

Guardz tracked this progression using new AI-driven research methods and internal systems designed to continuously hunt for anomalous behavior and active threat campaigns on the dark web. The company’s AI agents executed thousands of actions in tandem with human GRU researchers, identifying patterns across IPs, geographies, and attack tools.

The campaign zeroed in on Basic Authentication Version 2 – Resource Owner Password Credential (BAV2ROPC), a behind-the-scenes compatibility mechanism in Entra ID that allows legacy applications to authenticate using usernames and passwords. Unlike modern, interactive login flows that enforce MFA and security checks, BAV2ROPC operates non-interactively and bypasses MFA, Conditional Access Policies, and login alerts and user presence verification.

Guardz urges all organizations to immediately mitigate risks from legacy authentication by auditing and disabling outdated protocols, enforcing modern authentication and MFA across all accounts, implementing conditional access policies to block unsupported flows like ROPC, and closely monitoring for unusual login activity or failed authentication patterns.

Recognizing that small businesses often lack the in-house teams and infrastructure available to larger enterprises, Guardz bridges this gap with its AI-powered cybersecurity platform that delivers identity protection, email security, threat detection, and automated incident response, purpose-built for the needs of small organizations.

To explore Guardz’s findings on the legacy authentication attack campaign and how its platform defends against such threats, read the full research blog here.

About Guardz

Guardz provides MSPs and IT professionals with an AI-powered cybersecurity platform designed to secure and insure SMBs against cyberattacks. The Guardz platform offers automatic detection and response, protecting users, emails, devices, cloud directories, and data. By simplifying cybersecurity management, Guardz enables businesses to focus on growth without being bogged down by security complexities. The company’s scalable and cost-effective pricing model ensures comprehensive protection for all digital assets, facilitating rapid deployment and business expansion.

Media Contact
Allison Grey
allison@headline.media
+1 323 283 8176

View original content:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/guardz-uncovers-sophisticated-campaign-exploiting-legacy-authentication-in-microsoft-entra-id-302448704.html

SOURCE Guardz

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz., May 7, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Vital, the AI-powered patient experience platform used by leading U.S. health systems, has chosen Amendola Communications, part of Supreme Group, to spearhead an integrated PR and thought leadership program targeting healthcare IT and clinical audiences.

“Amendola came highly recommended by an industry veteran and brings exactly what we need: deep healthcare expertise, senior-level account directors, and strong health tech media relationships,” said Aaron Patzer, founder and CEO of Vital. “We’re excited to spotlight the concrete financial, operational, and experience improvements health systems are achieving with our platform.”

Amendola’s integrated program will support awareness and growth for Vital’s expanding product suite — Vital Emergency, Vital Inpatient, and Vital Care — all designed to simplify and improve the patient journey. The platform sends real-time updates, education, and actionable information to patients and families in their preferred language without requiring logins or app downloads.

“Vital is changing the game by enabling real-time communication in healthcare that mirrors what consumers expect from other industries — from package tracking to travel alerts,” said agency CEO, Jodi Amendola. “It’s a powerful story we’re excited to help tell.”

Amendola will support Vital’s growth through a strategic blend of media outreach, thought leadership, and targeted content development aimed at healthcare decision-makers.

About Vital.io

Vital (Vital.io) is an AI-powered patient experience company on a mission to make the patient journey better—for everyone. Real-time updates, predictive wait times, plain-language explanations of test results, and simplified discharge instructions all help patients feel valued and reassured. Because, the experience matters as much as the medicine. Ranked by KLAS as #1 in patient experience, Vital achieves concrete results: 30–50% fewer LWOBS/AMA, 10–15% higher NPS, stronger HCAHPS scores, reduced ED returns, and 5–7% lower 30-day readmissions. Designed to integrate seamlessly with existing EHR systems, Vital provides a user-friendly interface that engages patients, resulting in 60%+ adoption rates, 5-10x higher than the competition. View our product overview.

About Amendola

Amendola, part of Supreme Group, is an award-winning, insights-driven public relations and marketing firm that integrates media relations, social media, content, and lead gen programs to move healthcare, life sciences/pharma and healthcare IT decision-makers to action. The agency represents some of the industry’s best-known brands as well as groundbreaking startups disrupting the status quo. Nearly 90% of its client base represents multi-year clients and/or repeat client executives. Amendola’s seasoned team of PR and marketing pros understand the ongoing complexities of the healthcare ecosystem and provide strategic guidance and creative direction to drive positive ROI, boost reputation and increase market share. Making an impact since 2003, Amendola combines traditional and digital media to fuel meaningful and measurable growth. For more information about the industry’s “A-Team,” visit our website and follow us on LinkedIn.

Media Contact:

Marcia Rhodes / mrhodes@acmarketingpr.com

View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/vital-taps-amendola-to-lead-integrated-pr-and-thought-leadership-program-for-its-patient-experience-platform-302447726.html

SOURCE Amendola, part of Supreme Group