Can Your Business Afford A Cybersecurity Breach

Each day, more of our activities are digitalized and bring with them large amounts of personal data that can be easily exploited for profit or influence by those who have the desire and the inclination to go against ethical norms. Cybersecurity refers to the protection of personal data stored digitally.

Your business might not need to worry about data security. What are the chances that your site will be targeted? Your website is unlikely to be among the most important companies in the world so anonymity is not an option.

Even though the likelihood of your company being the target of a data breach is low, there is still the possibility. And the potential consequences can be very dire.

Can you afford to take the chance?

Cyber security should be at the top of your priority list.

Customer Data is Very Sensitive

A website that tracks and collects data on regular customers will give the business an unprecedented view of the person’s daily life. This includes their eating habits, allergies, viewing habits, engagement, divorce, vulnerability, etc.

This data is often used to increase sales in the ecommerce industry. Promoting diapers for new parents and expensive gifts for couples celebrating their anniversaries is a good idea. Although it may seem intrusive and creepy, it is easy to ignore. Persuasion is not the worst thing in this world.

However, customer data that is exposed via a security flaw can be made even more dangerous. Blackmailers could threaten to release the data to the public if the business doesn’t pay them extortion money or use it directly to extract payments from the customers affected.

The fact that the data was leaked will do great damage to the company’s reputation. It is unlikely that anyone will continue to buy goods and services from businesses that have requested their data only for them to not keep it safe. The affected company will lose the trust of their clients.

Regulators are getting more strict

The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), which was implemented in the European Union (EU) on May 25, 2018, sets a high standard for EU businesses. Although there isn’t any such broad legislation in the USA, there are still a few reasons to be cautious.

First, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which is empowered under Section 5(a), Federal Trade Commission Act, has the power to ban “unfair or deceptive acts and practices in or affecting Commerce”. Their resources allow them to be the de facto protector for customer data.

Second, computer security issues will not be going away, no matter what is in the pipeline. The law will catch up eventually, even though it may seem slow at first. It’s impossible to predict when it will happen, and what retroactively might apply because that possibility cannot be eliminated. Therefore, it is important to act immediately.

Cybersecurity Attacks Encouraged by Exposed Vulnerability

There are two basic types of security vulnerability. The first is the architectural type. This involves the software and protocols used. It includes compliance with the PCI standard for credit card transactions and use of SSL certificates (Secure Sockets Layer). These certificates verify website authenticity. Two-factor authentication protects user accounts.

You can work with a cybersecurity company to increase security. This option can be used to reduce the risk of architectural or outdated software.

There’s also the procedural type, which involves the steps taken by the business to ensure security on a daily and ongoing basis. This includes the use secure passwords, vetting employees, physical protection of data storage solutions and protection against bots, malware and other network intrusions.

A security-compliant web hosting solution is a good choice for businesses. Top platforms are known to invest in security. To combat open-source vulnerabilities, WordPress users should invest in a strong security system. Plugins are particularly susceptible to attacks. However, a strong platform will not make it less likely that weak passwords can be cracked.

Sharks can smell blood in the water and will move in for the easy catches. Although the business world is not as violent, the same principle applies. If people see that your security was breached they will quite sensibly ask if it can again be done.

Operation are becoming more cloud-based

The internet opened up new opportunities for businesses and created hybrid operational modes. Physical premises were linked to digital ones. A typical business would have offices or multiple offices and a website to encourage people to visit.

This helped to minimize the impact of cyberattacks. An online attack cannot compromise the security of physical stores with on-site locks or guards. This has all changed in recent years, both at the legal and operational levels, largely due to the enormous growth of e-commerce. It’s possible to operate a business without a physical presence.

Everything can be compromised by the internet, even entire businesses that exist (for all practical purposes) in the cloud. An entire company’s infrastructure could be destroyed by a malicious attack in seconds and then disappear forever. Although your business may be still office-based, it is important to know how things are moving.

It’s not rational to make your business vulnerable online for the reasons we have discussed. No matter how small or unknown your business may be, the risks are greater than the cost of creating safeguards.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you’re looking for an IT company that can help protect your business against online threats.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Florence, SC 29501
843-396-8762
http://manageditservicesflorence.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence, Charleston

The Many Faces of Malware: Real-World Samples

There’s a good chance that you haven’t seen malware in person. Even if your antivirus software detected malware on a site you visited or clicked on a link that could be dangerous, it will have stopped the infection. You might be wondering what malware looks like. What would I recognize as a malware program?

What You Need To Know About Malware

Many malicious programs, to be honest, don’t even look like they are. For example, a virus may try to hide while infecting other files or computers. A bot is silently sitting on your computer, waiting for orders from the command center to send spam or take part in a DDoS attack against a major website. Trojans on the other hand, look legitimate and useful programs. They hide behind a pretentious facade to steal your personal information. Ransomware is a nasty threat that tries to get your attention.

All of these variants have been encountered as I am gathering and analysing new samples for my hands on malware protection tests. I begin with thousands of malware-hosting URLs. Then, I download their malicious payloads and run them through their paces. I am a fool in the testing process, opening unknown files, clicking through to allow them to install, and giving them permissions if they ask. Here are some of the strange things I encountered while searching for the best samples.

Another thing: You might not expect malware-like features from some of the items below. They have all been verified by the VirusTotal website. Each sample was submitted with its unique fingerprint to the VirusTotal Database. It listed the 70 antivirus engines that had identified the file as malware in return. At least 40 antivirus engines flagged all of the programs in this list.

Ransomware: The Horror of Ransomware

You won’t notice a ransomware attack on your computer until it is too late. Ransomware quietly encrypts your files, hidden from your view. The ransom note of the malware demands your attention after the ransomware has done its dirty work. The ransom note promises that you will get your files back if you pay the ransom, usually in Bitcoin or another cryptocurrency. However, if they run away with your money, there is no recourse. Ransomware is something you don’t want to come across.

Maze, a ransomware that demands you pay a ransom to see its ransom note. It takes control of your entire desktop to grab your attention. To prove that it is possible, this ransomware offers to decrypt one file for you, in order to get you to pay.

Screen locker malware does not encrypt your files.

It simply covers up the desktop and all program, so that you can’t use it. These attacks often claim come from law enforcement and demand that you pay a penalty in untraceable money. Sometimes, it is possible to call the ransomware’s bluff using basic recovery methods. This example is more difficult and much more ugly. Even though I used Yandex Translate to translate the image, there wasn’t a demand for ransom. It’s not easy to escape its clutches.

It’s not worth the pain of having your computer access blocked. Maybe it’s more pleasant to have it done well. Although the screen locker is just as ineffective as the ugly, it does give you flowers and an anime girl. This one was easy for me, as the perpetrators might have expected. The filename is ForNowLock.exe and not ForeverLock.exe.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you’re interested in getting managed IT services to protect your systems against malware and other types of threats.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Florence, SC 29501
843-396-8762
http://manageditservicesflorence.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence, Charleston