Texas Cybersecurity Update
If you’re in Texas, you’ll want to take note of a recent law that took effect on September 1, 2021. Governor Greg Abbott signed House Bill 3746 that has amended the state’s data breach notification law.
The original law, Business and Commerce Code 521.053 established requirements for businesses around “any breach of system security” that they were alerted to or discovered on their own to notify within 60 days, any individual who had sensitive personal information that was or is reasonably believed to have been compromised in the breach. If the breach involves at least 250 Texas residents, the Texas Attorney General must also be notified within 60 days.
Cybersecurity Awareness Month Toolkit
The work of an MSP is often taken for granted – until something goes wrong. And then you are the first phone call that a client makes and it’s a hurry up and rush scenario.
At Breach Secure Now, our partner-focused mission is the foundation for all that we do. Our founder Art Gross was (is) an MSP and knows the challenges that you face not only as a professional in the IT industry but as a business leader as well! So, when there is an opportunity to ‘shine’, we want to make sure you take it and maximize the opportunity!
Class is Canceled
This past week Howard University had to cancel classes due to “unusual activity on the University’s network”. As a result, their Enterprise Technology Services (ETS) team shut down the school’s classes for the day to investigate the situation which they identified as a ransomware attack.
This incident brought to light the consideration of how deep and wide the net can be cast when an attack takes place on an entity such as this. While nothing is confirmed with the Howard University incident, it does mean that we must pause to consider the range of data that could be compromised.
Inside Threat
The threat to a business from outside perpetrators is very real when it comes to cybercrime. But sometimes the threat comes from within, and it is even harder to detect or prevent in the first place.
Why would someone try to intentionally hurt the very company that provides them with a paycheck? The reasons vary, but there are a few that are repeat offenders. They include stealing proprietary information to take to another job, selling to the competition, or working with cybercriminals to provide the foundation for an attack.
Collective Action Against Cybercrime
Last week the President met with leaders in the private sector as well as those in education to discuss the need to address cybersecurity threats to the nation and efforts needed across the board. The increase in incidents and the ongoing threat of attack is something that transcends all the invisible borders that we put on humans or businesses. In other words, cybercriminals don’t care about your race, religion, income, or the industry that you work within. Data is valuable to them however it needs to be obtained and whatever information it can provide – it all adds up.
Cellular Breach
Last week we saw the mobile phone carrier T-Mobile fall victim to cybercriminal activity when a hacker accessed the personal data of their users. They learned of the breach via claims that were made on an online forum. This led to an investigation and hiring of cybersecurity experts to help with the situation.
Why You Should Do a Security Risk Assessment
You can’t fix what you don’t know is broken.
And that in a nutshell sums up why you need to do a security risk assessment (SRA) when it comes to a business and addressing their cybersecurity needs. But of course, there is more to the story, that’s simply the headline. As an MSP, you want to work with your clients to keep them secure and running but starting with an SRA is the first step to identify what should be a long-term partnership together.
Trends in Cybercrime
Trends come and go and keeping up with them when it comes to pop culture or fashion might be challenging, but when it comes to cybercrime, you’ll likely never be ahead of the hackers. Their ability to adapt their tactics and tailor them to be more effective is constantly changing – and nearly impossible to keep up with.
Vacation Cyber Safely
With summertime in full swing, many of us are heading out on vacations that are long overdue. Whether you’re visiting family, friends, the mountains, or the beach, be “shore” to travel with smart cyber habits that will keep you and your loved ones protected in ways that can’t be fixed with that first aid kit that you stashed in the trunk.
Why Is Healthcare Such a Target?
Last week, we discussed the opportunity that is present to best support your healthcare clients, the importance of those organizations being HIPAA compliant, and how cybersecurity comes into play in healthcare. This week, we’re taking an even deeper dive into healthcare cybersecurity to answer the question, Why Is Healthcare Such a Target for Cybercrime?