State of the "Scam"?
Table of Contents:
● Cybersecurity safety at home
● 5 ways a hacker can gain control of your business network
State of the Scam….at home
Much has been said about cyber breaches occurring in the workplace. From JBS to Colonial and many more, the priority for cyber security has been placed in the business sector and with good reason. After all, an Accenture report estimated that the average cost of cybercrime for organizations is $13 million.
Although less common, cyberattacks targeting the individual is a thing, with the FBI receiving more than 2,000 internet crime complaints a day in 2020. Coupled with this figure, 53% of adults don’t know how to protect themselves but the majority of those surveyed want to do more to protect their privacy. And 63% of adults are very worried that their identity will be stolen at some point.
But one of the best ways to protect yourself is education. To help you keep your home as secure as your office, we wanted to share this item from the NSA that you can print out and keep at home to help ensure your data is kept secure even when at home.
https://www.dni.gov/files/NCSC/documents/campaign/NSA-guide-Keeping-Home-Network-Secure.pdf
Five Ways Hackers Gain Access to your Network
We’ve talked several times about the frequency of cyberattacks and hackers and the amount of damage they can do to tour business, but have you ever wondered just how these hackers gain access to your network? Here are the 5 most common ways:
Weak Passwords - this is probably the most common way a hacker gains access to your systems. John Brandon, a contributing editor with Inc Magazine reported that 80% of cyberattacks involve a week password - and that 55% of people reuse the same password for multiple sites.
How to Fight Back:
● Shoot for 20 random characters that do not equal a word
● Use different passwords for each site and take advantage of the auto-generated passwords offered by your computer
● Be sure to use special characters such as @#$*! or &
Phishing Emails - You’ve seen them before, whether you realize it or not. That email that claims to be from Best Buy with that $300 Nintendo Switch on sale for $99 but after you click, you notice that there is just something not right about the website. Or an email that claims your account has been comprised and you must log in to change your password NOW. Both of these scenarios, however, enable a malicious source to gain access to your private data and you are now a victim of a phishing attack.
How to Fight Back:
● As with malware, keep all software, hardware, operating systems, and browsers updated with the latest patches. Frequently look for software updates from your manufacturer and install them immediately.
● Do NOT click on links in emails from external sites. Instead, manually browse to the vendor/businesses soliciting you to click to verify the accuracy of the claims in the email.
Social Engineering - a modern-day tactic, social engineering involves hackers who are pretending to be you and change all of your passwords. These attackers generally gain the information needed to access your account by browsing your public content such as social media profiles, to gain clues as to what you may use as a password.
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How to Fight Back:
● Ensure you have adequate policies for handling sensitive requests for your consumers, such as how to change the password over the phone and what information is required.
● Perform a security audit
● Closely consider what you reveal on social media. It all can be used as fodder for social engineers.
Malware - Malware is either an infected website, USB drive, or an application delivering software that does more than provide information…and captures keystrokes, passwords, and data. As of September of 2021, the security provider SonicWall reported a staggering 500 Million cyberattacks, and this number is only expected to climb.
How to Fight Back:
● Keep software (including the operating system) updated
● Ensure robust malware-detection software is installed and working properly
Ransomware - One of the original cyber attacks, ransomware involves the hackers gaining access to and holding your website hostage in ways that it is unusable to you or potential customers and they attempt to extort a ransom out of you to get your data back. The thing they hold over your head is the risk of posting embarrassing or damaging content in an effort to get you to hand over the cash to release your site and prevent the exposure of the damaging content. According to Inc, Magazine, almost $5 million total is extorted through these means a year.
How to Fight Back:
● Regularly back your data up, both externally and internally.
● We repeat: DO NOT click on suspicious links or unsolicited emails.
Letter from the CEO/President/Operator
As we emerge from yet another winter and look forward to spring, don’t let your data go unprotected. With the warmer weather comes a higher risk of natural disasters from fire, flooding hurricanes, or tornados. Now is the best time to evaluate your disaster recovery procedures in the event that this should occur near you.
If you are in an area prone to these risks don’t wait. Develop, or re-evaluate a backup strategy now. We’d love to share some best practices with you. Just give us a call at 415-692-3380.
Jason Welshonse
President
Office hours
Office hours:
M-F 8:00 AM to 5:00 PM