Tammy Cipriani

Data breaches have become more common in recent years, owing primarily to the rapid emergence of new threats. According to a new study, the average cost of a data breach increased 2.6% from 2021 to 2022.* Hackers can now access sensitive information a lot easier than ever before, thanks to the growth of the internet and the increasing interconnectedness of businesses. They can then sell that information on the dark web or use it to commit other crimes such as identity theft.

So, what can you do to safeguard your business against data breaches? The first step is being aware of the threats that exist. Second, you must take precautions to protect your data. Third, you need to know what to do if your data is compromised.

In this blog post, we’ll discuss a few of the threats you need to look out for to safeguard your business.

Don’t let these threats get to your business

Here are some lesser known cyberthreats that you need to be aware of:

Juice jacking

Juice jacking is a cyberattack where a malicious actor secretly installs malware on a public charging station. This malware can then infect the devices of anyone who plugs into the charging station. Once infected, the attacker can access the victim’s data. Crazy, right?

An attack of this nature needs to be proactively tackled because more people are using public charging stations to charge their devices. Remember, it’s not just phones that are at risk — any device connected to the infected public charging station is susceptible to juice jacking, including laptops and tablets.

If you must use a public charging station, take a few precautions. To start, only use trustworthy stations. Second, to keep your device from becoming infected, use a USB data blocker. Finally, ensure that your device is in “charging” mode rather than “data transfer” mode.

Malware-laden apps

The number of smartphone users has grown and along with it the number of mobile apps. While there are many legitimate and safe apps available in app stores, there are also many malicious apps cybercriminals release despite valiant efforts to keep app stores safe.

One of the biggest dangers of downloading bad apps is that they can infect your device with malware. This malicious software can wreak havoc on your device, including stealing your personal data, vandalizing your files and causing your device to crash. In some cases, malware even equips hackers to take control of your device remotely.

So, how can you protect yourself from downloading malware-laden apps? The best defense is to be vigilant and research before downloading any app, even if it’s from an official store like the App Store or Google Play Store. Check reviews and ratings, and only download apps from developers that you trust.

Malicious QR codes

It’s no secret that QR codes are becoming increasingly popular. Unfortunately, while they offer a convenient way to share information, they also present a potential security risk. That’s because scanning a malicious QR code can give attackers access to your device and data.

The best way to protect yourself against this type of attack is to be aware of the dangers and to take precautions when scanning QR codes. For example, you can use a reputable QR code scanner that checks malicious content before opening it. You can also avoid scanning QR codes that you don’t trust.

Using public Wi-Fi without a VPN (Virtual Private Network)

Public Wi-Fi is everywhere, and it’s often very convenient to use when you’re out and about. However, what many people don’t realize is that using public Wi-Fi without a VPN can be a security disaster.

When you connect to a public Wi-Fi network, you unwittingly invite potential hackers and cybercriminals to access your data. Without a VPN, anyone on the same network as you can easily see what you’re doing online. They can intercept your data and even steal sensitive information.

That’s why we recommend using a VPN. A VPN encrypts your data and provides a secure connection, even on public Wi-Fi.

Collaborate to tackle cyberthreats

 If you can’t devote sufficient time and effort to combating cyberthreats, partnering with an IT service provider is your best option. An IT service provider, like us, can help you with cybersecurity, backup, compliance and much more.

We can also improve your employees’ readiness to deal with cyberthreats by helping you provide regular security awareness training. Employees can benefit from this training by learning how to identify and avoid phishing scams, protect their passwords and detect other types of cyberattacks.

To learn more about security awareness training, download our eBook “Security Awareness Training: Your Small Business’s Best Investment” by clicking here.

Your Small Business’ Best Investment

Empowering Employees to be Security Savvy Stops Cyberattacks and Saves Money

Employees are at the heart of your company’s security. They are the last line of defense against cyberattacks and the first ones to notice when something unusual is happening at work. This makes them your most valuable security asset.

However, they can also be a vulnerability. When an employee makes a mistake, like mishandling data, clicking on a malicious link or giving a cybercriminal their password, they are opening the doors to expensive compliance failures and security nightmares for your organization.

The everyday choices employees make have a tremendous impact on your company’s security and success. That’s why it’s critical to educate them on the risks they might face and how to practice good cyber hygiene to keep your business compliant and safe from cyberattacks.

How can you empower your team to fight cybercrime? Create a comprehensive security awareness training program that arms them with the knowledge they need to avoid pitfalls — your company is only secure when everyone knows they are part of the security team.

When you have a well-trained team, they can promptly flag a possible threat. The faster you identify a threat, the better your chances of minimizing the impact it has on your business. After all, security is about more than just technology; it’s about people and processes, too.

How do Employee Choices Impact Security?

Every time someone logs on to your company’s network, answers an email or takes work home, they’re taking an action that could have security repercussions whether they mean to or not. The actions that employees take can result in insider risk for your organization.

As companies become increasingly dependent on technology to get the job done, employees have more opportunities to take actions that could be harmful. Insider threats have nearly doubled in the past two years both in frequency and cost. While insider risk is not something that can be eliminated completely, it can be mitigated, and security awareness training is an affordable and effective way to do it.

Human error is responsible for an estimated 82% of security breaches.

Everyone Needs to be on Board to Build a Strong Security Culture

Companies with a strong security culture have a high level of security awareness — and that’s a powerful asset. However, many businesses face challenges in getting the entire leadership in their company on the same page about the vital role their security culture plays in both defense and compliance.

Taking a zero-trust approach to cybersecurity can safeguard your business by removing implicit trust and consistently authenticating each level of a digital interaction. Many companies have been implementing a zero-trust strategy to lower the risk of remote work and insider threats, limit third-party risk, manage cloud risk and improve their security culture.

60% of organizations will embrace zero trust as a starting point for fostering a strong security culture by 2025.

A major barrier to your organizational risk management might be a lack of strategic alignment. Often, a company’s leadership overlooks strategic risk management because they don’t realize the potential damage cyberattacks can cause.

Security Awareness Training has Concrete Benefits

Looking at some of the concrete benefits of security awareness training shows exactly how valuable the training is and why smart companies are making this small investment that gives them a big security advantage. Expecting your staff to study your policy and adopt security procedures on their own is unrealistic. The training you give your employees leads to adoption. They are informed and better understand risks post-training.

Immediately Expand Your Security Team Without Adding Headcount

Worryingly, 45% of respondents in a recent survey said that they are not responsible for maintaining security because they don’t work in the IT department. That’s a disaster waiting to happen. Security awareness training changes this mindset. When employees gain security savvy, they realize that maintaining security to fight back against cybercrime is everyone’s job.

By partnering with us, you can easily access the security expertise you need to mitigate today’s sophisticated attacks without having to hire in-house.

Maintain Compliance with National, Local, Regional and Industry-Specific Regulations

Data privacy and cybersecurity regulations are tightening in many industries, and the price of a compliance failure is high. Security awareness training is required under many data privacy and data handling statutes. Implementing this training equips your employees to identify potential risks and defend your organization from cyberattacks. By fostering a strong cybersecurity culture across your organization, you can not only minimize insider attacks but also ensure security compliance.

Lower Security Expenses, Like the Cost of Phishing

Phishing is expensive whether the attack is successful or not. If it hits, you’ve got a potentially devastating incident on your hands. If it doesn’t, the matter still requires investigation. The cost of just dealing with the headache of phishing altogether can be devastating for your business. According to the DBIR 2022 report, 82% of breaches involved phishing or social attacks.

Leading Companies Rely on Security Awareness Training to Prevent Cyberattack Disasters

Security awareness training gives companies an edge against cyberattacks by boosting cyber resilience, making them less likely to be crippled by a cyberattack. About 84% of leading organizations cite security awareness training as a key building block of cyber resilience.

Train Employees to Resist Your Top Data Security Threat: Phishing

The biggest security risk that any organization faces today is phishing. It is the number one cause of a data breach. Phishing is also the risk that employees encounter the most — and fail to detect the most as well — often opening their organization up to dangerous cyberattacks like ransomware.

Employees and Phishing are a Disastrous Combination

58% – 58% of employees have clicked on at least one malicious URL on their mobile devices.6

16% – 16% of employees have downloaded malware or riskware apps on their mobile devices.

75% – More than 75% of supply chain attacks include three steps — phishing is one among them.

Cybercriminals are adept at using hard-to-detect ways, like impersonating a well-known brand, to fool their targets into falling for a phishing message. They are so good with these that your employees cannot usually spot a sophisticated phishing email without training.

Help Employees Avoid Malicious Attachments

Inexperienced employees often fall for phishing lures that entice them to click on malicious links, download suspicious files and email attachments, enter their credentials on a fake site and even correspond with cybercriminals. That’s a huge problem for businesses like yours.

If a malicious file is attached as a Microsoft Office document, it can be even harder for your employees to understand whether the email is legit or not. Security awareness training teaches employees how to identify suspicious attachments carrying malware that masquerade as routine files.

Empowered Employees Protect Companies From Today’s Most Dangerous Threats

A new cyberattack is launched every 39 seconds.9 That’s bad news for

organizations that aren’t prepared since only 16% of employees are able to

recognize sophisticated threats without security awareness training.10

Ransomware and Malware

Ransomware attacks have surged by 13% to 25% in one year, which is more than the past five years combined.11 However, ransomware isn’t the only malicious software on the block. Payment skimmers, cryptominers, Trojans and other nasty malware types can also cause damage to your business. According to a recent study, 70% of malware-related breaches involved ransomware, one of the most common tactics used by capable threat actors in system intrusions and supply chain attacks, irrespective of the size of your business.

How security awareness training helps prevent this

Employees encounter these threats every day but are unlikely to detect them without training — if your employees are adequately trained, aware of threat patterns and know which actions lead to a threat, they will behave responsibly.

Account Takeover

A bad actor taking over a user account is a nightmare for every small business, especially if the bad guys hijack an account that contains sensitive customer data. Account takeover (ATO) fraud takes a number of forms, including phishing attacks, phone scams or credential compromises.

Business Email Compromise

In a common business email compromise (BEC) scenario, bad actors target a victim and pose as a company the victim’s organization would do business with to fraudulently obtain money or sensitive data. BEC also endangers a company’s reputation and relationships, with employees encountering this hazard daily. How security awareness training helps prevent this Effective training keeps your users aware of the signs of an ATO as well as the dangers of ATO risks, like phishing and credential compromise, and prevents these attacks from landing.

How security awareness training helps prevent this

Employees who have strong cybersecurity awareness are more likely to be suspicious when they experience unusual behavior when communicating with third-party service providers or suppliers.

Brand Impersonation and Spoofing

Bad actors will often use cloned or “spoofed” legitimate email messages from a well-known company like Microsoft to send phishing messages that trick unwary readers into taking an action to do things like correct a problem, collect a prize or snag a deal.

Data Breach

Employees are bombarded with malicious messages daily. However, getting tricked by a phishing email isn’t the only way employees can cause a data breach. Errors like sending someone the wrong file and other data handling mistakes are just as dangerous.

How security awareness training helps prevent this

When employees know what to look for, they can easily identify phishing emails and flag them. When your staff is unaware of spoofing emails, they may click on bad links, which could result in a data breach and downtime for your entire company.

How security awareness training helps prevent this

Security awareness training arms employees with knowledge that helps them resist threats like phishing while making them more thoughtful in general about how their actions and behaviors impact security.

Remote and Hybrid Workers

We are living in an era where 60% of knowledge workers are working remotely and 18% of them have no plans to go back to the office. The modern way of working remotely, coupled with greater use of public clouds, highly connected supply chains and cyber-physical systems, exposes your business to new and challenging attack surfaces.

Often, employees think they can get away with risky behavior like writing down passwords or opening suspicious emails when working remotely. Plus, cybercriminals know that remote workers are more likely to fall for phishing tricks and less likely to report a problem or ask for help if they don’t even know whom to ask.

Insider Risk

Every employee is an insider, and every employee brings a certain degree of risk to the table whether they intend to or not. A recent study reveals that negligent employees were responsible for 56% of insider threats, while malicious insiders caused 26% of attacks.

How security awareness training helps prevent this

A strong security culture is a major determinant in reducing your company’s overall risk, and security awareness is the foundation on which it is built. If security is top of mind for everyone, employees make fewer mistakes and notice suspicious behavior faster.

Start a Security Awareness Training Program and Reap Immediate Benefits

Don’t wait! Security awareness training is just what the doctor ordered to reduce risk and keep your business safe in today’s volatile threat landscape.

Contact us today to schedule a no-obligation consultation.

904-559-1600 ex 915

References:

1,14 The Cost of Insider Threats, 2022 | 2,6,7,8,11,12 DBIR, 2022

3,4 Gartner, 8 Cybersecurity Predictions for 2022-23 | 5 IBM Cyber resilient Organization Study, 2021

9 University of Maryland | 10 HIPAA Journal, 2021 | 13 Gartner, 7 Top Trends in Cybersecurity for 2022

Cyber Monsters and Data Loss

Your minds start to wander as you glance over your backup logs, hoping that today isn’t the day the monsters come out to play.

Welcome to the life of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). On the surface calm, cool and collected – masters of their domain. Yet, deep down, they know something is lurking in their server closets and beyond — monsters that cause data loss, downtime and bleed businesses dry. Businesses everywhere are constantly looking over their shoulders thinking, “what if I’m next?”

Unfortunately, it isn’t a matter of if but when.

This eBook aims to shed light on the cyber monsters that cause data loss, wreak havoc in your production environment, delay strategic initiatives and trigger major business losses. This eBook also provides solutions on how to bring an end to their reign of terror, allowing businesses to concentrate on their growth without worry.

Limitations of Software-as-a-Service (SaaS)

Many are still clueless about the limitations of native data protection capabilities among SaaS providers.

The usage of SaaS applications like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace has exploded in recent years thanks to rapid digital transformation. However, despite this rise in popularity, there are still misconceptions about who is responsible for data protection.

SaaS providers like Microsoft 365 follow the Shared Responsibility Model, where the customer is considered the “controller” of the data and the provider acts as the “processor” of that data.

As a processor, it is their responsibility to add, delete or modify data upon request. That means if any malicious activity or accidental deletion request is authenticated by valid credentials, the processor will consider the request legitimate. As a result, accidental, malicious or fraudulent deletions, in all cases, are the responsibility of the customer/controller.

Sadly, many IT pros and businesses are either unaware or ignore the obligations that come with the shared responsibility model, and operate under false assumptions. For instance, SaaS applications have native solutions to protect data. In reality, these built-in features are usually archival solutions. That means deleted data is stored for a limited period only and restoring it can be a slow, cumbersome nightmare.

The bottom line is operational and contractual responsibility for SaaS data lies firmly in the hands of the users and not the SaaS vendors. Ignoring this fact can severely damage your business.

Overlooked Compliance Matters

Fear of compliance matters and negligence prevents businesses from keeping a disaster recovery (DR) plan on par with required standards.

Granted, DR testing can be challenging — right from keeping up with environmental and personnel changes to having the required time and resources to properly test. However, not testing leaves businesses in the dark regarding the effectiveness of their DR plans. In effect, they are left with a “living dead” DR.

A well-crafted DR plan increases the possibility of a business recovering lost data and resuming normal operations with minimal disruptions. It’s a missed opportunity, not to mention a huge risk, to put in the hours and resources to create a disaster recovery plan only to then not test it. One of IT-based businesses’ greatest nightmares is realizing that their non-tested DR plan isn’t working as intended, and by the time this realization hits, they’re already in the middle of a disaster – which is exactly when the DR plan is supposed to work.

In sectors like healthcare, finance and government, strict compliance standards like HIPAA and FINRA demand a disaster recovery plan with a specified uptime. Accurate assessment of uptime and gauging whether defined recovery time objectives (RTOs) can be met is not possible without DR testing.

A lack of DR testing leads to long hours of unplanned downtime that can cost businesses huge amounts of money depending on the size of the business, not to mention penalties and legal fees that arise from non-compliance. With these kinds of losses, businesses might very well join the ranks of the walking dead.

Here are the Penalties and Legal Fines for Non-Compliance

Purge all Closet Monsters with Unified BCDR

Unified BCDR is your one-stop solution for slaying cyber closet monsters that take away the peace of mind of businesses. Protect data across physical data centers and virtual and SaaS applications with ransomware detection, self-healing backups, dark web monitoring and much more.

Easy SaaS Data Protection

A unified BCDR solution provides powerful, yet easy-to-use SaaS data protection for Microsoft 365, Google Workspace and Salesforce. It allows administrators and users to restore data and get back to work in just a few clicks, and it’s backed by enterprise security and compliance.

No DR Surprises

A unified BCDR solution with Recovery Assurance performs the highest level of application recovery testing with no IT time or effort. It fully restores applications, performs analytics, measures recovery time and recovery point, and identifies reasons why recoveries failed.

Detecting cyber monsters capable of causing data loss is far from simple and can drain a lot of your time and effort. As a result, it’s always best to work with an expert, such as ourselves, who can help you through the process. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like to schedule an appointment.

With the business world heavily reliant on digitalization in this day and age, the use of technology in your organization is unavoidable. Although technology can undeniably give your business an advantage in increasingly competitive markets, there are many troublesome areas to keep an eye on. This is why interest in cybersecurity has risen in recent years.

Password protection is the best place to start if you want to ramp up your cybersecurity. Setting a password to secure an entity’s data is called password protection. Only those with passwords can access information or accounts once data is password-protected. However, because of the frequent use of passwords, people tend to overlook their significance and make careless mistakes, which could lead to breaches in security. This makes it imperative for businesses to devise strategies to educate employees about best practices when using passwords.

6 Password “Don’ts”

Protect the confidentiality of your passwords by following these six password “don’ts”:

1. Don’t write passwords on sticky notes
Although you may feel that writing down passwords improves password protection and makes it more difficult for someone to steal your passwords online, it can make it easier for someone to steal your passwords locally.

2. Don’t save passwords to your browser
This is because web browsers are terrible at protecting passwords and other sensitive information like your name and credit card number. Web browsers can easily be compromised and a wide range of malware, browser extensions and software can extract sensitive data from them.

3. Don’t iterate your password (for example, PowerWalker1 to PowerWalker2)
Although this is a common practice among digital users, it is unlikely to protect against sophisticated cyberthreats. Hackers have become far too intelligent and can crack iterated passwords in the blink of an eye.

4. Don’t use the same password across multiple accounts
If you do so, you are handing cybercriminals a golden opportunity to exploit all your accounts.

5. Don’t capitalize the first letter of your password to meet the “one capitalized letter” requirement
Out of habit, most of us tend to capitalize the first letter of our passwords to conform with the “one capitalized letter” requirement. However, hackers are aware of this, making it easy for them to guess the capitalized letter’s position.

6. Don’t use “!” to conform with the symbol requirement
However, if you must use it, don’t place it at the end of your password. Placing it anywhere else in the sequence makes your password more secure.

6 Passwords “Do’s”

Protect the confidentiality of your passwords by following these six password “do’s”:

1. Create long, phrase-based passwords that exchange letters for numbers and symbols
For instance, if you choose “Honey, I shrunk the kids,” write it as “h0ney1$hrunkth3k!d$.” This makes your password harder for hackers to crack.

2. Change critical passwords every three months
Passwords protecting sensitive data must be handled with caution because there is a lot at stake if they are compromised. If you use a password for a long time, hackers may have enough time to crack it. Therefore, make sure you change your critical passwords every three months.

3. Change less critical passwords every six months
This necessitates determining which password is crucial and which is not. In any case, regardless of their criticality, changing your passwords every few months is a good practice.

4. Use multifactor authentication
It’s your responsibility to do everything in your power to keep nefarious cybercriminals at bay. One of the best approaches is to barricade them with multiple layers of authentication.

5. Always use passwords that are longer than eight characters and include numbers, letters and symbols
The more complicated things are for hackers, the better.

6. Use a password manager
A password manager can relieve the burden of remembering a long list of passwords, freeing up time for more productive tasks. Need a password manager? We can help. Call today for a complimentary consultation 904-559-1600 x 915

Adhering to password best practices requires constant vigilance and effort on your part. As a result, it is best to work with an expert managed service provider (MSP) like us who can help you boost your security and put your mind at ease. Contact us for a no-obligation consultation.

A cyber incident is a type of security event that can harm a business like yours. Ranging from data breaches and system failures to malware attacks and phishing scams, these incidents can hinder productivity, revenue growth, and customer satisfaction.

In most cases, a cyber incident will result in data loss or downtime. This can include loss of confidential information, customer data or business records. In some cases, a cyber incident can also cause business interruption or financial loss. Download our Infographic on Cybersecurity and Business to learn more.

We can all agree that no one wants their business to be hacked. A single cyberattack can rob you of your time, money and peace of mind. In addition to getting systems operational and data restored, you have to let all affected parties know that their data may have been compromised. This can be a difficult situation to navigate for anyone, but it doesn’t have to be the end of the world.

In this blog, we’ll provide you with proactive and reactive approaches to tackle an attack, cope with the aftermath of a hack and prevent future incidents.

Proactive Approach to Cyber Incidents

By taking these proactive steps, you can help protect your business from the devastating consequences of a cyberattack:

Routinely update your passwords

It’s critical to update your passwords regularly to help keep your accounts safe. By updating your passwords every six months, you can help protect your accounts from being hacked.

Here are a few tips on how to create a strong password:

• Use a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols
• Avoid using easily guessable words like your name or birthdate
• Use a different password for each account
• Don’t reuse passwords

Use a virtual private network (VPN)

A virtual private network encrypts your company’s data and gives you complete control over who has access to it. This can aid in the prevention of data breaches and the protection of your company’s information. However, make sure to select a reputable provider offering robust security features.

Conduct regular security awareness training

As a responsible business executive, you must ensure that your company’s security awareness training program is comprehensive, engaging and adaptable to new threats. In today’s digital age, this is critical to protect your business.

Run regular phishing tests

Phishing is a type of cyberattack that employs deceitful techniques to try and obtain sensitive information from users or cause them to download malicious software. Phishing attacks can be highly sophisticated and challenging to detect, which is why it is essential to periodically test your employees to assess their vulnerability to this type of attack.

Reset access controls regularly

It is crucial to regularly reset access controls to prevent unauthorized access to protected resources. This helps to ensure that only authorized individuals have access to sensitive information. Resetting access controls can be done manually or with automated tools.

Use multifactor authentication (MFA)

Multifactor authentication is a security measure that requires your employees to provide more than one form of identification when accessing data, reducing the likelihood of unauthorized data access. This can include something they know (like a password), something they have (like a security token) or something they are (like a fingerprint).

Before we move on, take note of the cybersecurity training topics recommended by the Small Business Administration (SBA) for all small businesses:

• Spotting a phishing email
• Using good browsing practices
• Avoiding suspicious downloads
• Creating strong passwords
• Protecting sensitive customer and vendor information
• Maintaining good cyber hygiene

Reactive Approach to Cyber Incidents

The National Institute of Standards and Technology’s (NIST) reactive incident response framework covers the following five phases:

Identify

To develop an effective incident response plan, security risks must be identified. This includes, among other things, threats to your technology systems, data and operations. Understanding these risks allows you to respond to incidents more effectively and reduce the impact of security breaches.

Protect

To protect your company, you need to develop and implement appropriate safeguards. Security measures to guard against threats and steps to ensure the continuity of essential services in the event of an incident are examples of safeguards.

Detect

Detecting anomalies, such as unusual network activity or unauthorized access to sensitive data, are needed to limit the damage and get your systems back up and running faster following an incident.

Respond

A plan to respond to detected cyber incidents is critical. This strategy should include breach containment, investigation and resolution strategies.

Recover

To minimize disruption, you must have a plan to resume normal business operations as soon as possible after an incident.

Implementing the above proactive and reactive steps requires time, effort and skillsets that are possibly beyond what you can commit to at the moment. However, you can still accomplish this by collaborating with TruTechnology as your IT service provider. Our experience and expertise may be just what you need. Feel free to reach out to schedule a no obligation complimentary technology consultation here.

Also, to walk you through incident prevention best practices, we have created a checklist titled “Cyber Incident Prevention Best Practices for Small Businesses,” which you can download by clicking here.