The technology world is changing at a very fast pace and new trends keep on emerging every day. The latest product that has received a warm reception and excited many business managers is Artificial Intelligence.
Showing posts with label cyber security. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cyber security. Show all posts
Thursday, July 12, 2018
Tuesday, June 19, 2018
Hackers in today's business world are working hard to come up with new techniques and weapons to infiltrate networks. As attacks get sophisticated, security providers are responding to these evolving threats. There are a lot of tools to help organizations of all sizes and budgets to combat ongoing threats.
Thursday, May 31, 2018
In the world where cybercriminals and technology are getting better by day, businesses must have a strategy for enhancing their security against unauthorized IT systems and access to data. Enterprise security plans allow firms to protect themselves against external and internal threats. Businesses have to engage in security management procedures such as assessing, developing, and enhancing enterprise security procedures in a bid to reduce risk.
Thursday, May 24, 2018
Network security is an issue that is increasingly important as businesses and even households shift more workflow processes and key tasks to the network and into the cloud. While some users may find it a challenge to protect even a single digital device, keeping an entire network secure can be a tall order for even the most tech-savvy users.
Wednesday, May 16, 2018
The internet is an amazing thing. It has changed how people communicate with each other. Today, any person can communicate with any other person on any continent through the power of the internet. It has also given regular people access to more information than could be stored in the largest libraries in the world. According to Internet Live Statistics, there are currently 1.9 billion websites online today.
Wednesday, April 25, 2018
A computer virus can be an extremely annoying problem to deal with. Browsers redirecting to spam sites and computers running slow would be the least of your problems though. Truly malicious viruses may steal information from your hard drive or log your keystrokes. No virus of any kind presents an acceptable risk. Once you do get a virus, you likely become much more diligent to protect against them.
Tuesday, April 17, 2018
In a world where internet usage is increasing exponentially, information security has been more critical than it was before. Links are everywhere on the internet. Links are used to moving you from your current website to another website. While links are good advertising platforms, some of them may contain malware that can steal your personal information and go as far as taking control of your computer.
Wednesday, April 11, 2018
Every industry is vulnerable to having their data leaked to the public, or to hackers. If your company is looking to protect their data, you need to have the right tools and tactics in place.
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Business owners have a lot to worry about, from employee retention to profits and, on top of all that, they still have to address security issues. Business owners assume a lot of responsibility such as their employees, customers, and their property. The following are three tips that may help you keep your business a bit safer.
Monday, January 15, 2018
Every year, the big data companies possess grows exponentially, which is why cybersecurity is an ever-growing field at all levels of business and government. According to the FCC, “Theft of digital information has become the most commonly reported fraud, surpassing physical theft.”
Monday, September 25, 2017
It's common to hear about a new cyber attack taking place. Data breaches are incredibly common these days and can impact very nearly any company. Ironically, small business owners seem to think they are immune to this ever present threat.
In 2015, more than half of all small businesses didn't have a threat to prevent cyber attacks.
Small Business Risks
Large companies, like Amazon or Walmart, spend millions on cyber security every year. They have dedicated staff and managed detection and response services to combat threats. If a threat is detected, it can be quickly identified and addressed, reducing risks.Small businesses are at a much greater risk. Their information is easier to access and they simply don't have the funds to track down the cyber criminals responsible. Ask yourself this question; If you were a hacker, which attack would be more likely to succeed?
Small Businesses are Vulnerable
Small businesses are increasingly at risk of an attack. In 2015, 43 percent of cyber attacks were targeted at small businesses with less than 250 employees. Why is this happening? Let's take a look at five of the major risk factors for small businesses.
The Element of Surprise
According to Phil Goldstein of BizTech, the Ponemon Institute state that 58 percent of small businesses don't consider cyber attacks a threat. This creates gaping holes in cyber security, making it easy to breach their defenses.
No Policies in Place
Large companies often have extensive policies is place, while only 36 percent of small businesses have any data security policy. This means that small businesses are woefully unprepared in the event of a cyber attack or data breach.
Phishing Schemes Work Better
Employees of small businesses are not trained to identify phishing schemes. Phishing attacks usually occur via email or other software programs and are disguised to look official. They try to trick employees into releasing sensitive information, which is then used for nefarious purposes. Employees of small businesses simply don't recognize or report the attack due to their lack of awareness.
Ransomware is on the Rise
Earlier this year, ransomware such as WannaCry and NotPetya was used to attack companies and hold their information hostage. Once the ransom was paid, the information was released. However, those that didn't pay the ransom suffered from devastating data breaches. These major attacks shut down entire governments and put millions of people in danger. This trend is expected to continue and increase in the future.Related articles
Small Businesses Go Out of Business After Attacks
Whereas large companies can afford the costs of a breach, most small businesses cannot. The average cost of recovery stands at $690,000. This causes nearly 60 percent of small businesses to fail within six months of a cyber attack.What You Can Do
Since the cost of recovery often exceeds what a small business can withstand, it is vitally important to be prepared. Preventing an attack in the first place should be a priority. The following tips will help your company survive potential attacks.
Create a Cyber Security Policy
Policies let employees know exactly what do and who to report to if they suspect a phishing scheme or cyber attack. These policies are in place to minimize the damage of an attack and stop it quickly.
Train Employees
Employees who undergo training, especially in phishing attacks, will be aware of the threat. If an employee is not aware of a threat, they can't recognize it.
Don't Rely on Software
Software is a valuable tool, but it is important to have live monitoring and detection to respond quickly to threats and prevent damage.Small businesses are at a much greater risk than many believe. It is important for a small business to actively prevent an attack for the company to succeed.
By  Mark Palmer | Embed |
Author Bio - Mark Palmer is a small business expert and has a passion for helping entrepreneurs make the most out of their company. As a freelance writer, Mark hopes to influence others so they can have a positive business experience. | |
Monday, September 11, 2017
If you do not take precautions against an unwanted attack on your personal computer, it is not a question of if it will happen but when. Computer viral infections often do not have any symptoms. They can operate in the background, watching and waiting. The malicious code may only interested in replicating itself on other machines, or it may steal banking and other personal information and then report back to thieves halfway around the world.
There are all kinds of computer infections that can be anything from annoying ads to ransomware that denies access to your computer until you pay a ransom. All of it can be avoided by taking a multilayered approach to protect you system.
Stop Clicking on Unknown Links
The typical virus infection scenario starts with an email from a friend telling you to click on a link. You do not know where the link leads, but you trust your friend. The problem is that your friend's computer is infected with a virus that sends out infected links using their email and address book. If you click on the link, your computer gets infected, and you will not even know it unless you have antivirus protection running. Be sure of any URL and its destination before clicking on it. Thieves thrive on link names that look legitimate but are not.
Add a Backup Malware Detection App
The best antivirus software may let some unwanted code slip through. Most antivirus programs offer protection from tracking cookies and adware. However, some potentially unwanted programs (PUPS) may slip through. Malware (malicious software) detection can catch things a purely antivirus program may miss. You do not have to let it run constantly, but you should do a complete scan about once a week.Related articles
Turn on the Link Scanner
You probably Google something on your computer several times each day. However, you should not inherently trust the links that Google or any other search provider serves us as results. Any of them can be infected with viruses or malware. Your antivirus software should offer a browser helper or plugin that will warn you of potentially harmful links for search results as well as links on websites you visit. Reviews sites, like Top 10 Jungle, have information on complete antivirus software suites that include link scanners and other options.Limit Who Uses Your Computer
You can control what you click on as well as what permissions you allow with your computer. Letting anyone else use your computer is a risk as they may not be as savvy or diligent about protecting computers from viruses, malware and adware as you are. If you do any financial transactions on your computer from banking to making online purchases, you should not let others use it. A quick lookup of something on a search engine could lead to an infection that causes anything from theft of information to data loss.Your digital life is contained on your computer. You should take steps to protect it like you would protect cash, a journal of your personal secrets and pictures you would prefer not be made public. If you have any information at all on your personal computer that you would not want compromised in any way, then protect it with multiple layers of security.
By  Hannah Whittenly | Embed |
Author Bio - Hannah Whittenly is a freelance writer and mother of two from Sacramento, California. | |
Monday, August 28, 2017
There a lot of things that have changed the face of the business world over the years but few have had a bigger or more permanent impact than the internet. It's hardly a surprise that the internet has caused such a fundamental shift in the way in which many businesses function, there isn't really a single part of life that hasn't been changed in some way by the internet so there's no reason why business should be an exception.
The vast majority of these changes have, of course, been positive. Businesses are now able to grow with much more ease, reaching markets that were never accessible before, connecting with employees no matter where they are, and increasing the efficiency of many businesses tenfold. However, while there are many positive aspects to the internet, there are also some unique risks that come with it. In order to help you avoid these dangers, here are some things that you can do to keep your business secure in the internet age.
Related articles
Anti-fraud methods
Fraud has always been an issue for many businesses, but the anonymity of the internet means that it's now easier than ever for opportunistic criminals to take advantage of lax security measures. Because of this, you need to make sure that you're thinking very carefully about how to prevent fraud. Not only that but you should think about friendly fraud as well. Friendly fraud is when the fraud being committed is not against you but against your customer. While it might be tempting to turn the other way when it comes to that kind of thing, customers will feel much more connected to your business if you help to protect them as well as yourself. Companies like Netverify offer fantastic services to protect against fraud. Things like facial recognition might sound like they're straight out of science fiction, but they can be incredibly valuable tools for you and your business.
Digital security
For a very long time, if you wanted to keep your business secure all you needed was a thick chain and a large padlock. However, the internet age, things have become significantly more complicated. If you're not thinking about digital security as well, then you're going to end up leaving your business incredibly vulnerable to attack. You need to make sure that you are not only using antivirus and firewall software but that you're keeping them constantly updated. Cyber criminals work tirelessly to try and break through these kinds of defenses so keeping them up to date is the best way to prevent that from happening.
A workplace culture of safety
In the end, you can have all of the right security methods in place, but if you can't trust your employees to implement them properly, then it's all going to be as good as useless. You need to create a workplace culture that values security and safety in your business as much as it values productivity and efficiency. This isn't always easy to do, but it's a lot less complicated than a lot of people assume. The best way to do it is simply to lead by example. Make sure that your employees always know what their responsibilities are and show them that you're following those same responsibilities as well. Being able to see you practicing what you preach allows your employees to see just how important it is to be safe and secure in everything that they do while at work.Protected data
Image source
The shift from physical to digital storage has been something of a godsend for many businesses. It's now easier to store information than ever before as well as much more convenient for anyone to access it. However, there's also the issue that your data is a lot more vulnerable than it was before. It's not just a matter of cyber criminals trying to access your data, but keeping such a large amount of data on a dedicated server means that if that server fails, your business could find itself grinding to a complete and total stop. Things like cloud storage are a fantastic option because your data is still just as easy to access, but it's a great deal more safe and secure than keeping it all on a single server.
While many of these methods use techniques that would have been practically unheard of even a decade ago, it's important to remember that they are very much based on the same fundamental ideas as all security measures. The need for constant vigilance, the right equipment, and a commitment to security from all of your employees are far from being new concepts. Make sure that you don't forget those security fundamentals, even when you're trying to defend against some extremely modern threats.
Tuesday, August 22, 2017
From backing files to encouraging the culture of caution, there are different ways in which SMEs can protect themselves against hacking threats. Unlike most of the large corporation, small businesses usually operate without dedicated IT professionals, and this makes them an easy target for cyber attack.
Here are some of the key aspects that small businesses need to consider if they want to prevent cyber attack.
Set up and pay attention to alerts
Most banks credit cards have got alerts that can be set and later reverted inform of text when a transaction exceeds the required limit. You can also set email alerts on your credit card so as to get notifications when the balance it hits a certain limit. It's ironic that some business owners receive notifications on social media, news and sports scores but would hardly spare time for important transactions.The anti-theft service
Some small businesses hate the idea of anti-theft companies because they believe that they are out to manipulate customers' sentiment which encourages the customers to sign up for their services. However, it only takes a single violation to demonstrate the effectiveness of such companies.Related articles
Secure password combination
It's important for businesses to have both a unique and strong password combinations for each of their accounts. To achieve a strong combination, the enterprise should consider a standard password theme or algorithm that makes it easier for them to remember their complicated passwords quickly. Also, all the financial apps need to have facial recognition and fingerprint features, and it's important that you take the time to set them up.Never ignore threats
The cyber threat attack is a common phenomenon even on bigger co operations. While it might be easier to conclude that large companies are a primary target for an attack; smaller businesses are still at risk of an attack just like their larger counterparts. Additionally, most of the small and medium sized companies don't adequately protect themselves, and this is cause for alarm.
Get your vendors and employees on board
Most of the security related incidences are as a result of employee behavior. This is the main reason why your employees should be well trained and be aware of the company's' cyber security. Additionally, the existing security policies should be stated within and thought the business. Also, your business partners, as well as vendors, should be vetted and they are to uphold a strict internet security protocol. In fact, not all the vendors might be willing to comply but showing your willingness to make cyber protection a priority will live up to its importance.Consider insurance
If your business undertakes large financial transaction online, communicates electronically or stores sensitive information, it's important to discuss with your insurance company the potential loss that might occur as a result of a major data breach in your business. Enterprise data loss prevention is paramount for small business and should be a standard liability just like companies vehicle insurance.Check banking activities frequently
It's important to ensure that your business can consolidate all the banking activities as part of public key infrastructure, which can either be personal or business related. This, in turn, makes it easier to check transactions daily or every few days when you have time. Taking advantage of services such as quicken and mint can aid in monitoring transactions across all your accounts. What's more, such services come with mobile applications that you can use on the go.Avoid public Wi-Fi
One of the easiest avenues that hackers use to get sensitive business information is unsecured public Wi-Fi. That said, it's important that all businesses that require logins and password authentication to carry out their transactions on secure networks. Other than the public Wi-Fi, you could consider mobile phone data networks as an alternative.| By Mark Palmer | Embed |
Author Bio - Mark Palmer is a small business expert and has a passion for helping entrepreneurs make the most out of their company. As a freelance writer, Mark hopes to influence others so they can have a positive business experience. | |
Wednesday, May 31, 2017
Cyber Security
As identity security changes over time, we all will be learning new things and tactics when it comes to technology. Here are a few ways identity security is evolving.
Online security and privacy have been concerns for as long as the Internet has existed. And as the technology to break into databases and retrieve digital information has advanced, so have the technologies to prevent that. What was once the stuff of science fiction is now in many ways a reality, and identity security continues to evolve. Consider these four ways identity security is evolving with technology.
1. Retinal and Thumbprint Scanners
New smartphones have the ability to scan and recognize your face in order to grant you access. Once a thing of science fiction, thumbprint scanning is now pretty standard on most devices. Iris scanners are newer, but there are several devices that now come equipped with it. This makes it much more difficult for anyone other than you to access your devices and data.2. Better Password Requirements
To make it more difficult for computer programs to be able to run through combinations until they find the right one or other users from guessing them, many sites are requiring users to have more variables in their passwords. Namely, the most common addition nowadays to old password requirements is that new ones must utilize a special character in addition to letters and numbers.Related articles
3. CAPTCHA
While annoying to many users, CAPTCHA does play an important role in preventing spam. The purpose of CAPTCHA is to prevent spam messages from being sent or fake spam accounts from being created. It does this by forcing users to enter words off an image or answer questions to ensure they aren't bots. CAPTCHA has evolved significantly in even the last few years in order to fend off programs that can correctly guess and enter the right words, including the addition of visual puzzles.4. Management Services
New technologies to manage your digital presence, such as Joinesty, now offer users the ability to keep and manage their logins and passwords all in one place. These services are secure, especially compared to your browser. While convenient, the ability of most browsers to store important information, such as shipping addresses, credit card information and even your social security number, should be used with caution, particularly if you share your computer with someone else.In order to keep your data as secure as possible, it's always in your best interest to know what security features are available and have them turned on. It's also important to recognize potential security problems and turn off those features if you so choose. A matter of final importance to consider is that no matter how good your encryption is, the host's security needs to be up-to-date as well - you should always do what you can to understand privacy policies and ensure the type of encryption websites use will be sufficient. As identity security evolves, we all will be learning new things and tactics when it comes to technology.
By  Emma Sturgis | Embed |
Emma is a freelance writer currently living in Boston. When not writing, she enjoys baking and indoor rock climbing. Find her on Google +. | |
Monday, May 15, 2017
Cyber Security
It’s a scary fact that thousands of cases of identity theft happen every year. And a lot are now happening through our tech. After all, we are keeping more important information on our computers and laptops. But if this is seen by the wrong people, your personal info could end up being put in jeopardy. However, there are some ways you can avoid identity theft. In fact, here are some ways you can keep your identity safe on your computer.
Related articles
Limit information out there online
It’s so easy to put a wealth of information online nowadays. After all, we have social media accounts and websites which give a ton of information out about our lives. And if you have an online business, you could also have information through this on the net. But you need to be so careful about what you are sharing online. After all, if a thief managed to get hold of your name, address, and date of birth, they could soon start accessing things in your name. In fact, they might even be able to make a fake ID for you! Therefore, limit the information you supply online. If you have a business, you might want to use an online address instead. After all, you can then avoid putting your address out there on show on the net. And remember if you are setting up accounts online where you put personal details, ensure it’s a trustworthy site. After all, you don’t want your information to end up being passed on to the wrong people!
Always dispose of important documents properly
It’s likely that you will have plenty of important documents on your computer. After all, it’s so handy to keep them on your computer nowadays rather than printing out hard copies. But when it’s time to sell your computer, you need to make sure these are moved over properly before the hard drive is destroyed properly. After all, you don’t want important documents to end up being viewed by complete strangers. Otherwise, there’s a high chance your identity could be at risk of being stolen. Therefore, move all your documents off via a stick or external hard drive. And then you can use some form of hdd degausser which will erase the drive completely. That way, there is no way your important documents could end up being stolen by a stranger!
Use an anti-spyware software
You might be surprised to find out how easy it is to end up with a virus or malware on your computer. After all, you can just click on some spam which you are sent via email or even on a website you are visiting, and then your computer can become infected. And if you have spyware on your computer, it’s easy for it to contain viruses and other malware which could end up causing your information to be at risk. Therefore, you should go for an anti-spyware software which will inform you if it’s on your computer. And will tell you when to delete it if it poses a risk. That way, you can keep your identity safe while on your computer!And remember to opt for strong passwords to stop cyber criminals from accessing your details via programs and websites!
Thursday, April 6, 2017
Business Tools
The importance of technology to businesses is something that needs to be considered at any organization, no matter the size. The latest technological trends for enhancing productivity and sales are widely available and can be attained by small enterprises, as well as large corporations.
The prevailing notion associated with small businesses is that mostly all of the back-office operations, procurements and other financial and HR related daily grinds of work are handled manually by business personals and executives, whereas market giants make use of new technologies being incorporated in their offices to make things run faster and more efficiently. An example would be the latest Amazon Echo
(An AI component launched by Amazon.com). Implementing these technological accessories saves a lot of time for the personnel to focus on more productive and creative tasks that would boost up business growth. Hence, it is imperative that small businesses also use these latest technological trends for enhancing their productivity and sales. Below are some tips regarding this:
Artificial Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence (AI) goes hand in hand with Business Intelligence (BI) for boosting up a small business in recent times. In this technology-driven world today, AI saves up plenty of time for business personals to focus on more creative and fruitful work beneficial for their businesses. AI apps efficiently do certain repetitive works such as entering data on behalf of a sales person or filter out job applications for a recruitment HR and many more of such tedious works which are unproductive and time-taking, if done manually.Use of AI on Business Intelligence and Analysis is also a common success mantra for organizations to come up with innovative solutions for the growth of their businesses. Most of these AI apps are essentially developed to perform a narrow range of work, or, in other words, are specialized; so these are proficient, precise and can do many complex tasks such as scheduling business meetings, answering some common customer queries, etc.
Related articles
Cyber Security Upgrades
This is one of the most important aspects for a small business owner to take care of. Cyber security has been the foremost challenging issue to resolve for small business for many years now. The reason, for this, is the use of outdated 90s era attitude to security issues by the small business owners. As a result, cyber vulnerability is a very common flaw associated with small business organizations. Hence, cyber security upgrade can be a major step for your business’s success. As per records revealed by Microsoft, small businesses discover that their cyber security is infiltrated after 229 days (on an average) of the actual attack. Such is the level of security measures taken up by small businesses when it comes to cyber-infiltrations. Without an upgraded, up-to-date cyber security approach, your small business will not be able to grow properly.Business Intelligence and Analytics
It’s a common misconception that Business Intelligence (BI) and Analytics have little to do with small businesses. Well, just like the giant industries, small businesses can reap immense benefits by implementing BI and analytics in their decision-making processes. There are numerous ways by which BI can help to boost your small business; prioritizing issues that are really important for the growth of your company, streamlining and organizing internal systems, budgets and researches for your business growth, setting up target levels. All these are some of the areas where BI and analytics can efficiently work on. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) is a crucial tool for the success of any company, and that is where BI proves its real worth. Online relationship and digital presence is an unavoidable aspect that comes under CRM, and it can be handled wonderfully by BI and analytics. To sum it up, if you want to thrive in today’s competitive world, BI and analytics must be employed while strategizing for your business growth.
Big Data
A term that was the talk of the town during its early days (back in 2012), big data refers to a large number of business related information like customer behavioral, financial and identity related details, business and product related market status etc. that are gathered and used to make future business strategies and projects. Though its popularity witnessed downfall owing to the clumsiness of such vast numbers, yet you must not avoid it if you want yourself to be fully updated and aware of the existing demand, market status and competition around you before making any crucial business plans. The quantitative and numerical texture of big data is the reason for its success and ironically its downfall also. However, it is expected that a more humanized and visual way of representation of these humongous number of data would soon be available and that is when the use of big data will increase again.
Payment Processing
It is the era of digitization now, and you would hardly find any big companies and industries without the facility of payment processing incorporated in their mechanism. Small and medium businesses (SMB) also must start investing in payment processing technologies as people are now more inclined to pay through their phones or other devices. Though with these payment processing technologies, comes the risk of cyber-crimes. ‘High-risk payment gateways’ is something that is not unheard of and hence cyber-security must be tightened to avoid such threats. But, if this particular area is taken care of, then payment processing technology is a must for small businesses nowadays to survive and grow in this competitive and highly demanding market.By  Kate Ashton | Embed |
Author Bio - Kate Ashton is a writer at SharkProcessing.com. Shark Processing is a wonderful source for startup, small & medium-sized business owners & merchants to check plenty of genuine & unbiased high risk merchant account reviews & articles before opting for one. Connect with Shark Processing through Facebook and Twitter. | |
Monday, April 3, 2017
Cyber Security
As the internet continues to evolve, so does the potential danger that lurks from within. Thankfully there are a number of recent innovations that have greatly assisted the experts in keeping the Internet safe and secure.
Consider the following four major technological advances in internet security to occur in the 21st century.
Secure Passwords
As cyber criminals have become more sophisticated in their efforts to gain password access to a variety of applications, technology has evolved to make it more difficult to crack those same passwords. Secure passwords are now the norm, rather than the exception. Many programs require that the passwords be regular changed, and those same passwords are encrypted to make them more difficult to intercept.Related articles
Protection against Malware
People who would seek to do harm by infecting computers around the globe with malware have largely had their way for the past few decades. Those days are gradually coming to a close, however, as technological advances in recent years have seen protection against malware become a reality. As long as machines are regularly updated, it has become extremely difficult for malware to do its thing.
Security Awareness Training
As firms become more security conscious about keeping the internet safe, security awareness training is now a normal part of operating procedures. These trainings are regularly updated to include the latest industry developments. IT professionals and others who are responsible for Internet security are advised to attend such awareness trainings on a regular basis in order to keep abreast of the latest threats and how to thwart them.
Mobile Protection
When mobile devices first entered the scene, they were relatively easy to crack. They were not secure, and so users were left vulnerable at most stages of Internet access. Mobile devices are becoming more secure, and there are applications to encrypt sensitive data for users that require high security. While there is a still a long way to go in this regard, mobile protection is a lot more secure today than it was in the past. It is important to continue to take precautions when using Internet services on a mobile device.While these four advances alone will not guarantee the safety and security of information stored over the Internet, they go a great way towards making cyberspace more useful for everyone. As technology continue to evolve, so will the efforts aimed at enhancing internet security. The aim is to thwart the efforts of those who aim to perpetuate evil throughout cyberspace.
Wednesday, November 30, 2016
Cyber Security
In recent years cyber-attacks above have caused billions of dollars in damages, and according to experts, what we have witnessed so far is only the tip of the cybercrime iceberg. These four cyber crime incidents are notorious for the massive impact they had.
Related articles
In the history of security as it relates to information technology, a few attacks stand out more than others in terms of magnitude and notoriety. The four computer security incidents in the following list became infamous due to the severe economic impact they caused to their targets. It is important to note that although the attacks below were eventually contained, similar versions are still being used to this day.
Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS)
The internet was truly coming of age in the year 2000. The Y2K scare turned out to be a nuisance and the crash of the Dot-Com Bubble was still a few months away when major websites operated by Amazon, Dell, E-Trade, FIFA, and Yahoo were taken offline by a massive DDoS attack perpetrated by a 15-year old Canadian hacker who went by the online moniker of MafiaBoy, who would end up serving eight months of juvenile custody plus a year of probation. These days, DDoS attacks have become extremely sophisticated and far more destructive; the most extreme cases require active interventions by IT specialists like those provided by Ottawa managed services. The Sasser Worm
This Windows XP featured a payload that exploited what seemed to be a minor weakness in the Windows XP operating system. The most sever version of Sasser targeted the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service process, which would take up resources and slowed down the operation of the infected computers until a hard reset was required. Another version of Sasser was a prank email chain that called on users to open the Windows Task Manager and terminate the aforementioned process to force a computer restart. The solutions to Sasser-like attacks consists of keeping operating systems and antivirus software up-to-date.Ransomware
This type of attack was first reported around 2010, and it is an evolution of "scareware." In essence, ransomware is deployed via Trojan attack or social engineering; once the malicious code is installed and executed, all files in a hard drive are either encrypted or rendered inaccessible, thus prompting the affected user to make an online ransom payment via credit card to regain access. One of the most recent Windows variants is called "Ransoc," and it can be thwarted by using a combination of utilities such as Shadow Explorer, Disk Drill and the Windows System Restore. The University of Calgary in Canada recently paid $20K in ransomware attack.
Stuxnet Virus
This cyber warfare attack is believed to have been used by the United States and Israel to infect nuclear plants in Iran. Stuxnet works by surreptitiously speeding up certain machinery until it breaks down. Intelligence analysts believe that the virus may have been introduced by insiders or secret agents; this type of attack requires a full computer forensic investigation to detect and mitigate.The four cyber-attacks above have caused billions of dollars in damages, and they are only the tip of the cybercrime iceberg; for this reason, business owners and network administrators should frequently review their security policies.
Saturday, November 19, 2016
Cyber Security
As a business owner cyber security should be a top priority. The following tips can easily be implemented to help better secure the IT structure at your organization.
IT security is more important now than ever before. Everyday, technology threats are reported from various sources, many of which have been major breaches that resulted in millions of identities being stolen. As a business owner, security in all aspects should be a top priority. The following tips can easily be implemented to help better secure the IT structure at your company:
Related articles
Firewall Implementation
Implementing is one of the most basic necessities everyone needs to consider when trying to increase IT security. Nearly every personal computer comes with a firewall already installed, however, it might not be enough. Consider purchasing anti-virus software and using that firewall instead. You'll have more protection from various types of malicious hackers, and the software normally allows users to run statistical reports that could be useful.Only Use Plain Text Email
HTML email, while attractive, can contain a variety of malicious links and other content that could cause a great deal of harm to your computer. On a company-wide level, enforce a policy that allows users to only use text based email messages. The written content will still be visible and easy to ready, and you'll be protecting yourself from any hidden content that could accidentally get through your security protocols.Use A Different Web Browser
Some web browsers, like Opera and older versions of Internet Explorer, are more prone to virus and spam attacks. This is because they haven't implemented security features that are essential to blocking hackers or notifying users when they're visiting a potentially dangerous website. Switch to a secure browser, like Firefox or Chrome, and make sure you update them on a regular basis.Backup Your Data
One of the fundamental items that needs to be addressed is data backup. Regardless of the level of IT security you've implemented at your company, your data needs to be backed up at all times. Online data backup is very complex and should be handled by someone with the proper education. This type of education will give you the training necessary to properly secure and store data in a compliant manner with the proper technical safeguards. For those interested in data security you may consider a masters degree in information assurance.IT security should not be taken lightly. Beyond securing your data and implementing a firewall, offer routine Internet security classes annually to keep your staff informed and up to date with the latest protocols.
By  Emma Sturgis | Embed |
Emma is a freelance writer currently living in Boston. When not writing, she enjoys baking and indoor rock climbing. Find her on Google +. | |
