If you’ve ever attended one of our byte-size learning events, you’ve likely heard one or more of our presenters mention a company’s biggest risk is its personnel. We staff our businesses with the best, brightest, and most capable humans possible. We spend a great deal of resources training and educating our teams to ensure they have all the tools and resources necessary to do their jobs and serve our clients. So then, how is it that our most valuable assets also pose our greatest risks?

Here are some recent, real-world examples of the best intentions gone bad.

On February 17 it was reported that a small city in Ohio was the victim of a phishing scam that cost the community $219k. With all the warnings posted everywhere, you might think you would never fall for something like this, but it happens every day – to small and large companies/organizations alike. No one is truly exempt from these attempts.

How exactly did a city smaller than Manhattan, Kan. get swindled out of hundreds of thousands of dollars? Think about the world we live in today. The public demands transparency, and in an effort to comply, cities share project updates on social media. Road closures, repairs, major projects, etc. are all public information, along with the contractors and vendors. In this situation, an email was received from someone posing to be an existing vendor. They were able to persuade the accounting assistant to change the bank routing number. While this is standard work for that position, the employee failed to follow a verification protocol that was in place. One simple oversight cost the taxpayers $218,992.06.

In another recent example, an organization you might assume would be untrusting and overly suspicious of illegal activity, was duped and is now dealing with limited connectivity to its systems. While the Modesto Police Department in California is not reporting ‘exactly’ what happened, they have disconnected a portion of their computer network in an effort of precaution.

The reality is, ransomware is a growing concern for law enforcement agencies across the nation. In perspective, Modesto’s department employs 199 sworn officers, comparable to Salina and Olathe here in Kansas. But law enforcement agencies and municipalities are not the only ones being targeted. Unfortunately, as we mentioned, no one is exempt from these attempts.

The burning question is, how do we combat these attacks and attempts?    

One way is to implement an employee education program. Computer-based Security Awareness Training can teach employees how to identify phishing emails, while also conducting phishing simulations to identify an organization’s high-risk employees.  When an employee is identified as high-risk, the company can assign additional training to the employee, which is a much better step than falling victim to an actual phishing attack.

Aside from training and awareness, a very effective addition is the implementation of multifactor authentication (MFA). While this will not protect you from social engineering attempts, it does have a 99% effectiveness score for preventing cyberattacks. If you are unfamiliar with MFA, it simply requires you verify your identity using either an authenticator app or one-time passcode. While it may seem inconvenient initially, it’s a much better alternative than being locked out of your data for an interminable amount of time, facing extortion, and/or having email accounts compromised.

If you need assistance implementing training tools or MFA, please reach out to us. Our experts are here and happy to assist you with everything to implement security best practices within your organization.

Businesses of all sizes are common targets for cyber-attacks, and the damage can range from temporary inconvenience to financial devastation. Many small enterprises, in fact, have been forced to close within several months after a data breach cost them their private information and/or a lot of cash.

There are multiple types of attacks, including password hacking, phishing, malware, and ransomware. Most businesses will be targeted at one time or another, and a large number of applications a typical business uses, combined with a large number of people now working from home, can make it difficult to batten down the data hatches. But it can be done!

Here are a few simple guidelines to make it more difficult for bad actors to break in.

Let’s begin with creating a password policy. It’s important that you implement one that you enforce it. Here’s what we suggest:

• Require every password to have at least 12 characters that are a mix of numbers, capital and lower-case letters, and symbols. Password phrases are best! (Example: MyC@r!sAmazing)

• Require passwords to be changed at least once a year. Don’t allow the use of previous passwords.

• Use password manager applications. There are many good options on the market. Allow your staff to store all those passwords in one place, online, and not on a sticky note on their desks.

• Regularly remind your employees that personnel will never request their password by phone, text, or email. That’s how phishing succeeds.

• Regularly remind your employees to avoid clicking on links in any text or email that’s from an email or number they don’t recognize. Remind them to look closely and twice: cyberthieves often use email addresses and phone numbers that resemble that of senior managers or close colleagues.

• Use multi-factor authentication (MFA) software. This requires a second authentication measure beyond simply a password. That can be a challenging question the user must answer or a code that’s sent to the user’s mobile phone. Like password managers, there are multiple options available that are relatively inexpensive and highly effective.

• Speaking of the user’s mobile phone, your password policy also should spell out what devices are included, including any private phones, laptops, and/or tablets used for company work.

Cybercriminals constantly change their tactics and they’re not going to stop trying. Simple password and dual authentication measures that are strictly followed and enforced can go a long way toward keeping these threats at bay.

To learn more about cybersecurity for your business, contact us at consulting@networksplus.com, or call 800.299.1704.

As a new year dawns, we are doing our best to predict what cyber risks lie ahead. While we don’t have a crystal ball (wouldn’t that make life a lot easier?!), we do have some statistical data to help us better serve you.  Here’s what we have summarized thus far:

Geopolitics will play an instrumental role.

Ukrainian targets have been attacked six times with wiper malware already this year. According to a Forbes Report, more non-government businesses may become targets of state-sponsored attacks.

State-sponsored attacks (SSA) are carried out by cyber criminals directly linked to a nation-state, such as France, Egypt, Germany, and Japan to name a few. Their goals are threefold: Identify and exploit national infrastructure vulnerabilities; gather intelligence; and exploit systems and people for money.

According to Asaf Kochan, Co-Founder of Sentra, “… 2023 enters during a period of tremendous global tension and economic uncertainty. If the past few years have been defined by ransomware attacks from organized hacking groups, we are now entering an era in which an increasing number of threats will come from state-sponsored actors seeking to disarm global economies. This poses a direct threat to specific sectors, including energy, shipping, financial services, and chip manufacturing. These attacks won’t stop at stealing IP or asking for ransom. Instead, they will focus on proper disruption — compromising or shutting down critical operations on a national scale.”

But… don’t let that fool you. Ransomware will continue to be an issue.

As attacks appeared to peak in 2022, the trend, unfortunately, is likely to continue. It is anticipated that these attacks will evolve into more of a focus on corrupting data rather than encrypting it.

What does this mean for your business? If you are not sufficiently backing up your data, you will be faced with either paying the ransom or losing all your data. There won’t be an opportunity to unencrypt it. It will simply be destroyed. This makes prioritizing offsite backup a critical factor in the coming new year.

One last subject we want to touch on is the threat of botnets. With all the looming threats, Botnots remain a critical risk for small-medium-sized businesses.

Botnets, also known as robot networks, target a network of private computers (think of the network at your office), and infect them with malicious software. Without any knowledge from you or your staff, your network is taken over by bot/s who begin sending emails, stealing data, and worse, all while impersonating your business.  Forbes predicts we will see an increase in bot activity in the coming months.

These are just THREE of the looming threats we see on the horizon. No business is immune – all it takes is one click to jeopardize everything you have worked so hard to build. We urge you not to take unnecessary risks with your data. Even in these times of economic uncertainty and budget cuts, eliminating or foregoing cybersecurity will leave you and your data vulnerable – potentially costing you more in the event of an attack. Let the experts at Networks Plus partner with you to find a solution that not only fits your budget, but that will protect you in the coming months!

Arguably no phrase has dominated the tech world the last 24 months more than the term “data breach.” From breaches that have impacted critical infrastructure like the Colonial Pipeline to hackers compromising healthcare records at UC San Diego Health, the last two years have been saturated by headlines of cybersecurity mishaps. Yet, despite the prevalence of the breach-centric news cycle, many everyday individuals may not know what exactly a data breach is, how they typically start, and why they occur.

According to IBM, the average time it takes to identify that a breach has occurred is 287 days, with the average time to contain a breach clocking in at 80 days. And with 81% of businesses experiencing a cyberattack during COVID, it is essential that individuals are familiar with the anatomy of a data breach so that they can keep their data, as well as their colleagues’ and customers’ data, safe.

With that in mind, here is some helpful background on what data breaches are and why they are so problematic.

What is a data breach? 

While it may seem like a complex concept, once the jargon is removed, a data breach is actually really straightforward to explain. According to Trend Micro, a data breach is “an incident where information is stolen or taken from a system without the knowledge or authorization of the system’s owner.” And while data breaches can be the result of a system or human error, a vast majority of data breaches are the result of cyber-attacks, where a cybercriminal gains unlawful access to sensitive system data. In fact, 92% of the data breaches in Q1 2022 were the result of cyberattacks.

What kind of data can be breached?

Unfortunately, cybercriminals look to get their hands on any information that they possibly can ranging from more obvious sensitive information such as social security numbers and credit card information to more obscure data like past purchase history.

What are some of the tactics used to execute data breaches?

Cybercrime is getting more sophisticated each day. However, cyberattack tactics do not have to be cutting-edge or advanced in order to be very effective. Here are a few examples of popular tactics used by cybercriminals:

• Phishing: Phishing is when a cybercriminal pretends to be a legitimate party in hopes of tricking an individual into giving them access to personal information. Phishing is one of the oldest tricks in the book for cybercriminals, but it is just as effective as ever. For example, 80% of security incidents and 90% of data breaches stem from phishing attempts.
• Malware: Another tried-and-true method for cybercriminals is malware. Malware is malicious software that secretly installs itself on devices – often by way of a user engaging with fake links and content – and quietly gains access to the data on an individual’s device or a business network.
• Password Attack: Through password attacks, cybercriminals look to gain access to sensitive data and networks by way of “cracking” user passwords and using these credentials to get into networks and extract data from a given network.

How to spot a possible breach?

The best way to stop a data breach is to stop it before it even starts. This includes taking steps from making sure passwords are long and complex to report suspicious emails. If you do suspect that you have been the victim of a breach, immediately contact your IT department or experts at Networks Plus to notify them and follow subsequent protocols to help them scan, detect, and remediate any issues that exist.

Keeping information safe and secure is challenging developments for businesses of all sizes over the last few years. Expeditious shifts from in-person to online to hybrid workplaces forced companies to change, or at least reexamine, their cybersecurity practices and protocols, and far too often they weren’t prepared. In fact, according to CyberEdge’s Cyberthreat Defense Report, 85% of organizations suffered from a successful cyberattack in 2021.

Now, businesses that have suffered cyberattacks along with companies that have been fortunate enough to avoid being a victim of breaches and hacks are looking at ways they can bolster their defenses and safeguard their data. But which plans, practices, and services should these organizations invest in?

Below are 4 steps businesses of all shapes and sizes can take to better protect themselves against cyber attacks:

Identify “Crown Jewels” of Your Business 

Understanding what information cybercriminals are after most is essential to combating cyber attacks. Therefore, creating an inventory list of the valuable data and assets within your organization, including manufacturer, model, hardware,

and software information, is of the utmost importance. In addition, take note of who has access to important data and information while also accounting for all storage locations. This practice will ensure that business leaders have a track record of accessibility so that they know where to look in case of a vulnerability or breach.

Protect Assets by Updating and Authenticating

At the end of the day, protecting your data and devices from malicious actors is what cybersecurity is all about. In order to accomplish this, make sure your security software is current. Investing in the most up-to-date software, web browsers, and operating systems is one of the best defenses against a host of viruses, malware, and other online threats. Furthermore, make sure these devices have automatic updates turned on so employees aren’t tasked with manually updating devices. Additionally, make sure all data is backed up either in the cloud or via separate hard drive storage.

Another important way to keep your assets safe is by ensuring staff are using strong authentication to protect access to accounts and ensure only those with permission can access them. This includes strong, secure, and differentiated passwords. According to a 2021 PC Mag study, 70% of people admit they use the same password for more than one account. Using weak and similar passwords makes a hacker’s life a lot easier and can give them access to more materials than they could dream of. Finally, make sure employees are using multi-factor authentication. While this may result in a few extra sign-ins, MFA is essential to safeguarding data and can be the difference between a successful and unsuccessful breach.

Monitor and Detect Suspicious Activity

Companies must always be on the lookout for possible breaches, vulnerabilities, and attacks, especially in a world where many often go undetected. This can be done by investing in cybersecurity products or services that help monitor your networks such as antivirus and antimalware software. Moreover, make sure your employees and personnel are following all established cybersecurity protocols before, during, and after a breach. Individuals who ignore or disregard important cybersecurity practices can compromise not only themselves but the entire organization. Paying close attention to whether your company is fully embracing all of your cybersecurity procedures and technology is incumbent upon business leaders.

Have a Response Plan Ready

No matter how many safeguards you have in place, the unfortunate reality is that cyber incidents still occur. However, responding in a comprehensive manner will reduce risks to your business and send a positive signal to your customers and employees. Therefore, businesses should have a cyber incident response plan ready to go prior to a breach. In it, companies should embrace savvy practices such as disconnecting any affected computers from the network, notifying their IT staff or the proper third-party vendors, and utilizing any spares and backup devices while continuing to capture operational data.

When we think of cybersecurity, oftentimes our minds go straight to the bad guys. The hackers, cybercriminals, and the dark web. The truth is, while these are the instigators behind the attacks, they are not our biggest threat. As shocking as that may sound, our biggest threat is our employees – including you. Oftentimes owners, supervisors, and IT staff are some of the worst offenders.   

Sure, our employees are good, honest, trustworthy people. After all, we trust them with our corporate finances, client interactions, and day-to-day operations. But they are, after all, only human and unfortunately, that puts our cyber safety in jeopardy every day. 

Human error is the leading cause of most cyberattacks. This has less to do with employees being vindictive or malicious and a lot more from curiosity and carelessness. No longer is it safe to assume our employees know or even understand our company’s cybersecurity protocol or best practices. It’s a matter of taking responsibility to ensure they know, comprehend, and agree to adhere to it.    

Let’s explore a few ways we can educate our team to be our best allies and defense rather than the gateway to attacks.  

1. Email Education 

Phishing scams and malicious links sent through emails are the two most common areas for errors to happen. A study in 2019 by Webroot revealed that nearly 49% of employees admit to clicking a link from an unknown sender that they didn’t request. Even more startling is that 29% admitted to doing this more than once.  

 It is no longer enough to rely on spam filters and quarantines. Employee education must be at the forefront of all cybersecurity plans.  

1. Web Browsing 

Many companies either can’t or don’t limit their employees to internet access. There are many positions that require free reign to research, make purchases, communicate with customers, etc., making restrictions a bit of a hindrance. The flip side of this is that employees can visit malicious websites without even realizing it.   

Like emails, it is imperative that employees learn to avoid clicking links, to steer clear of unknown websites, and to only enter personal, corporate, or financial information on trusted sites.   

1. Password Strength 

Humans are notorious creatures of habit. We tend to park in the same vicinity every day, we have morning and evening routines, and even choose the same passwords for multiple accounts. Bad password habits create whole new levels of vulnerability and risks. By implementing password protocols and even password management, you are able to reduce and mitigate some of that risk.  

The Networks Plus team understands this might not be at the top of your daily to-do list. That’s why we have a group of experts available to help and assist you in not only getting these protocols in place but in educating your employees on these best practices.  

If you want help helping your team, call us today!  

[     ]     Verify all software patches and updates have been installed. Not just laptops and servers, but firewalls and other network devices (routers, switches, APs, office equipment, etc.)

[     ]     Implement access control to manage who can access data and restrict from where that data can be accessed.

[     ]     Change passwords for network devices; when possible, require multi-factor authentication (MFA)

[     ]     Upgrade end of service versions of software your company is using and supports

[     ]     Document and train employees on the process for reporting suspicious activity

[     ]     Test backups and put at least one version offline monthly (or more often)

[     ]     Enable employee multi-factor authentication (MFA) everywhere

[     ]     Remove internet-facing management consoles (internal access only)

[     ]     Verify everyone in your company has completed security awareness training

[     ]    Implement Managed Detection & Response (MDR) on computers and servers to monitor and respond to threats via both technology and human expertise.

[     ]     Implement security information and event management (SIEM) software for additional visibility, when possible

[     ]     Review cybersecurity policies and corresponding procedures, especially incident response plans and updates have been installed. Not just laptops and servers, but firewalls and other network devices (routers, switches, APs, office equipment, etc.)