Ransomware is one of the more dangerous threats out there for businesses of all industries and sizes. To help emphasize just how dangerous it is, however, you have to look past the initial threat of having to pay a ransom and look at the other risks associated with it. We’re here to try to get the point across that ransomware is something your business should absolutely be taking seriously.
Ransomware is such a common occurrence these days that it has entered the public discourse, but we also want to note that it’s such an important topic to discuss with your team that you can never talk about it enough. We want to address some of the most common questions we get asked about ransomware and what can be done about it.
In today’s business, the more robust an IT network is the more risk there is of system failure. This comes down to what is known as Murphy’s Law, which states anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. That’s why when coming up with a defense strategy, you need to mix smart IT management decisions with overwhelming redundancy to have a chance. In this week’s blog, we will outline some of the most common reasons for system failure and why you need a data backup solution.
There is a lot made about ransomware, for good reason. It is quite simply one of the nastiest cyberattacks out there and it demands your attention. A lot of people understand what exactly ransomware sets out to do, but they don’t understand how it got that far and how to address the situation if they have the misfortune of being put in that position.
WhatsApp is one of the world’s most popular messaging applications. With over 2 billion users, WhatsApp is known for its relative security, as it is one of the few messaging applications that offers end-to-end encryption. A modified version of WhatsApp, called YoWhatsApp, has been reportedly deploying malware.
Ransomware is one of the more dangerous threats out there today, and since it is so prominent and dangerous, it is a popular choice amongst hackers. To combat this threat, a community has formed around the cause, encouraging users to not pay the ransom by providing free malware removal tools for the most popular ransomware threats.
This past year saw a dangerous 86% increase in the most dangerous types of malware out there, so we want to ask you an important question: are you ready to protect your business from the different types of threats you might encounter? We know a technology solution that might help this mission along, and we want to share it with you today: artificial intelligence.
When we think about cybersecurity, we usually think about protecting our computers from viruses, right?
I’d imagine a few of our older readers remember a time when you would go to the store and buy antivirus software that came in a big brightly-colored box with a CD in it each year.
As you probably already know, things aren’t as simple anymore.
There are countless cybersecurity threats out there, many of which wait until very unfortunate times to strike. One such time is over extended weekends or holiday breaks, when many companies shut down operations longer than the usual two-day weekend. In fact, this is such an issue that the Federal Bureau of Investigation and CISA have issued warnings in response to them.
We know, we know; you’re probably sick of seeing ransomware in headlines, and so are we, but we cannot stress enough how important having an awareness of it is for any business owner. A new study has found that businesses infected by ransomware who choose to pay up experience a different type of fallout--one that is a major cause for concern and a stark reminder that there are no guarantees with ransomware. Ever.
There is an entire litany of stereotypes that are commonly linked to the term “hacker”… too many for us to dig into here, especially since they do little but form a caricature of just one form that today’s cybercriminal can take. Let’s go into the different varieties that are covered nowadays under the blanket term of “hacker,” and the threat that each pose to businesses today.
Chances are, you not only have a smartphone, but that smartphone is also currently within arm’s reach. With these devices playing an increasingly important role in our personal and professional lives, these devices have proven to be a lucrative target for hackers to pursue. This week, our tip is meant to help you spot the warning signs that an application is hiding an attack.
The short, yet devastating, history of ransomware is littered with what amounts to individual horror stories. As you may well know, ransomware, is a particularly devious and potentially devastating strain of malware that, when enacted, locks a computer’s files down so that the user can’t access them. In their stead, a message is relayed that instructs them to contact a third party to pay a ransom for access to the files. This is where the threat gets its name.
If your employees are given an Android device to use for work, or if they bring in their own as a part of BYOD, you may want to pay special attention to what follows.
Hackers continue to innovate and cause trouble for businesses of all industries and sizes. One of the more interesting recent tactics includes utilizing a malicious Twitter account to command a botnet of Android devices to do its bidding. Twitoor is considered to be the first real threat to actively use a social network in this manner, making this a major cause for concern.
Halloween is a time when people of all ages dress up as something spooky that they’re really not. For the scariest of hackers, every day is like a reverse Halloween as they try to scam victims by pretending to be someone safe and trustworthy--a persona that they’re really not. This Halloween, don’t get tricked by the haunted hack!
Botnets are proving to be a difficult hurdle for security professionals, and it’s easy to understand why. Distributed Denial of Service attacks that can knock down servers or services, as well as hordes of remote-controlled zombie computers, are two of the most dangerous ways that hackers use botnets to serve their purposes. What can you do to protect your business from botnets?
Social media is a great way for organizations to share information about their products and services, but while it’s great for those who want to reach a new audience, it’s also exposing you to another audience that you may not want to be familiar with: hackers. Believe it or not, there are hackers who are trying to take advantage of the personal information you share on your social media accounts.
Computing systems are always vulnerable to some obscure hack or another, and researchers are always trying to find ways to shore them up and prevent future attacks. One previously undiscovered hack literally sounds far-fetched. It uses the sounds that your hard drive makes to help a hacker steal data from your machine, including encryption keys designed to keep your data safe and secure.
The threat in question targets the hard drive’s actuator. DiskFiltration looks at the sounds emitted by the actuator as it writes data to the drive’s platters. Granted, the malware needs to be paired with the correct device, which makes the malware a bit trickier to exploit than it sounds.
You can take a deep breath and relax, as this method doesn’t look like it will be an effective attack medium for hackers. DiskFiltration will only work if the recording device is very close (within six feet) of the system. What’s more is that it needs to be near it for an extended period of time. The data rate caps out at 180 bits each minute, so the longer the device has to be sitting around, the higher the chances of someone finding the device and foiling the plan. Another huge problem for DiskFiltration is that it only works with hard disk drives. Solid state drives don’t make sounds that the malware can filter through, and besides, SSDs are better than hard disk storage anyway.
If you’re worried about DiskFiltration, here are two ways that you can keep silent about your data.
Encourage Employees to keep Inventory of their Desktops
The physical part of DiskFiltration needs to be very close, so it’s possible that your employees might spot something out of place on their desk. Ask them to stay vigilant when it comes to their workspace, as there are plenty of other threats out there that utilize unfamiliar devices (like USB drives). Educate them on the fact that threats come not just from the Internet, but from other hardware as well.
Upgrade Your Hardware to Solid State Drives
Since SSDs don’t make much noise, DiskFiltration becomes pointless. In general, SSD can improve the way that your business functions, as it’s more stable than the hardware used within a hard disk drive. You can’t go wrong with SSD, as it will help your business in the long run and keep developing threats like DiskFiltration at bay.
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The branch of malware known as Ghost Push now has a new component, Gooligan, and it certainly lives up to its name. Google was struck by an attack that infected over one million Android users, with over 13,000 additional devices adding to that total on a daily basis.
Gooligan is able to steal the authentication tokens that are required to access data contained in many of Google’s popular offerings, including Drive, Docs, Gmail, and the G Suite.
However, it would seem that, instead of extracting personally identifiable information, the culprits have elected to install malicious Google Play apps to generate fraudulent ad revenue. Reports have said that this modus operandi nets the attackers about $320,000 every month, and that Gooligan may be the biggest recorded breach of Android devices, ever.
This makes it all the more fortunate that Gooligan has, as of yet, shown no signs of stealing any of the data it could potentially have accessed. Google has even gone on record in their belief that, “The motivation… is to promote apps, not steal information.”
While Google has since removed the apps that include Gooligan from the Play Store, there could potentially be countless more similar threats, lurking in wait of their next victim. This means that, should your employees be able to access the Play Store on their work devices, your business could be a potential victim.
Therefore, every member of a business should be informed of the seriousness of clicking around mindlessly when using a business device. Institute a policy of only allowing business-related apps on company devices, and require any BYOD devices to be thoroughly vetted by IT.
Do you have a plan to prevent unauthorized applications from appearing on company devices? Let us know in the comments!
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