After AI-assisted researchers exposed the PHP2Shell flaws in software that runs most of the web, the Pasadena IT provider says security can no longer be an add-on and has built it into all three of its per-user plans.
PASADENA, Calif. – Managed IT Services Pasadena, a managed IT services provider in Pasadena, has updated its pricing and now includes cybersecurity protection in every plan it offers instead of selling it as an optional upgrade. The company, also known as MITSP, said the change follows this week’s disclosure of PHP2Shell, a pair of critical flaws that researchers using AI tools uncovered in the programming language behind most of the world’s websites, and a broader rise in security incidents where AI has sped up how quickly weaknesses are found and used.
The updated plans are posted at manageditservicespasadena.com, where Pasadena organizations can compare three per-user tiers that each include security tools from the first user onward.
How AI Turned a Dormant PHP Flaw Into a Global Emergency
The two vulnerabilities, tracked as CVE-2026-109618 and CVE-2026-109619, let an attacker run code on a web server that uses PHP without logging in. Both carry a severity score of 9.2 out of 10. According to figures from web technology tracker W3Techs reported by Reuters, PHP powers roughly three-quarters of websites whose server-side technology is known, including sites built on WordPress.
The underlying weakness in how PHP handles memory dates back to the release of PHP 5 in 2004, but it was long considered too difficult to exploit in practice. That changed when researchers at security firm Calif, working with AI models as part of an OpenAI-backed initiative, and separately researchers at Wiz, found reliable ways to trigger it. CNN described AI as turning a long-known theoretical problem into a crisis in roughly two days.
Details leaked online ahead of the planned disclosure, and the PHP project released fixes on Oct. 21 in versions 8.5.12, 8.4.27, 8.3.36 and 8.2.35, a day earlier than scheduled. Amazon’s threat intelligence team reported an exploitation attempt dating to Oct. 17, and Cloudflare said it saw early attacks before patches were available. The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency urged organizations running PHP-based websites to patch right away, and several government agencies in Europe took websites offline while they applied fixes.
“The gap between a flaw being discovered and a flaw being used used to be measured in weeks. PHP2Shell showed it can now be a few days, and AI is a big part of why,” said Adam Williams, founder and CEO of Managed IT Services Pasadena. “Cybersecurity has to be part of everything we do for a client now. It shouldn’t be a line item someone can decline.”
Why a Web Server Flaw Matters to a Pasadena Office
PHP2Shell affects web servers rather than office laptops or email accounts, and most small businesses rely on a hosting company or web developer to patch the servers behind their websites. MITSP said the lesson for local organizations is broader than any single vulnerability: AI is shrinking the time between when a weakness becomes known and when attackers start using it, and that applies to every system a business depends on.
For a typical office, those systems include Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace accounts, inboxes that receive phishing messages and laptops that need regular security updates. The company said treating protection as something to add after a close call, or as an optional upgrade some clients turn down, no longer matches how quickly threats are moving.
Older PHP installations remain a concern even after this week’s patches. Versions 8.1 and earlier no longer receive regular updates from the PHP project, and security researchers have warned that many outdated versions are still in use. MITSP recommends that Pasadena businesses ask whoever manages their website which PHP version it runs and whether the October fixes have been applied.
What Every MITSP Plan Now Includes
MITSP’s updated lineup has three plans, each priced per user, per month. Even the entry-level Basic User plan, at $39.99, includes advanced email security, detection and response for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace accounts, backup and recovery for both platforms, security awareness training with phishing simulations, dark web monitoring and a password manager.
The Professional plan, at $49.99 and listed as the company’s most popular option, extends that protection to employee devices with monitoring and management, device backup, patch management, next-generation antivirus, ransomware detection, and endpoint detection and response. The Enterprise plan, at $59.99, adds 24/7 managed detection and response for organizations that need around-the-clock coverage.
Month-to-Month Plans With No Setup Fees
Every plan is month to month with no long-term contract, and the company charges no onboarding or setup fees. Hands-on help outside a plan, whether remote or onsite, is billed at $150 per hour in 15-minute increments. A 10-person office on the Professional plan, for example, would pay about $500 per month before any additional support hours.
MITSP said publishing its rates is meant to make it easier for owners to compare managed IT services without waiting on a custom quote to learn whether security is included. Its support model pairs a remote help desk with locally based technicians who visit offices when an issue calls for hands-on work.
“A business owner should be able to look at our pricing and know exactly what protection they’re getting and what it costs,” Williams said.
Shorter Windows Between Discovery and Attack
MITSP expects AI to keep compressing the time defenders have to respond, both because researchers are using it to find flaws faster and because attackers can use the same tools to study patches and build working exploits. The company said it will keep reviewing what each plan includes as those threats change, with security remaining the starting point of every client relationship rather than an upgrade.
About Managed IT Services Pasadena
Managed IT Services Pasadena, also known as MITSP, provides managed IT services and technology support to businesses in Pasadena, California. Its services include managed IT support, cybersecurity, cloud services, network and infrastructure management, data backup and business continuity, and IT consulting.
The company’s service model combines remote technology management with access to locally based technicians for on-site assistance. More information about the company and its approach to managed IT services in Pasadena is available at manageditservicespasadena.com.
Contact Information
Managed IT Services Pasadena – MITSP
1055 E Colorado Blvd, 5th Floor
Pasadena, CA
Phone: 323-990-8156
Website: manageditservicespasadena.com
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