Not Much to Smile About
SmileDirectClub (SDC) is a business that offers teledentistry services throughout the world. They produce and sell transparent retainers that fix crooked teeth in the way that traditional braces work. With 60-75% of people in need of their services, they are poised for long term success, with a large audience of potential patients.
Updating Software
It’s that little alert on your desktop. The “upgrades available” indicator when you check your computer. Or when your smartphone tells you that it’s going to update later while you’re sleeping, and you defer it to another time. What if you miss an email or a text? Nah, you don’t need to do that update, your phone is working fine.
Normalizing Breaches
In August of 2019, Facebook was the victim of a data breach that compromised information from 533 million people from 106 different countries. Why is this in the news now? Because the breach was addressed in a recent email from Facebook management, and that email was accidentally sent to a Belgium-based news outlet and, in that email, they don’t seem too concerned.
Cryptocurrency 101
Cryptocurrency is a term that we hear all of the time, but many of us don’t seem to fully grasp what it is, and how it works. We’ll take a look at it from a high level to provide some understanding. Why? Well, it isn’t going away, and it only seems to be gaining popularity. And also, because if you are a target of a ransomware attack, it could very likely be how the hacker demands payment. Now, we are not suggesting you pay that ransom demand, but getting familiar with cryptocurrency will help you in understanding how these cybercriminals are able to fly under the radar.
Mobile Threat
Verizon recently released their 2021 Mobile Security Index report, and in it they summarize their research findings by looking at 856 IT professionals. These are the people that buy, secure, and manage the mobile and internet of things (IOT) devices for their companies.
Check Yourself
At this time of year, we all risk resembling Charlie Brown waiting on his Valentine in the mailbox. Has my check arrived? Is it in the mailbox? Perhaps you’re waiting on stimulus checks or tax refunds. But along with the hint of spring flowers, there is mailbox optimism in the air for many of us. And when there is an opportunity at large like this, what do we know also increases? The likelihood of a scam.
Human Aspect of Security
It can be so frustrating to try to convince people that we “know better” than they do. Especially when it comes to health or safety right? You want them to know so that you can protect them! It’s like parenting, they need to make mistakes to learn, but nothing too catastrophic.
The Hacker Got Hacked
WeLeakInfo was a data breach site that offered paid subscriptions to users who could then access their searchable database which contained stolen records. This now defunct site contained 12.5 BILLION records of data that was illegally obtained through various means. This included names, phone numbers, addresses, passwords, and email addresses.
A Sigh of Cyber Relief
The passing of the recent COVID-19 relief Bill last week includes funding that will be set aside to address cybersecurity concerns and a rise in the issues that have increased as a result of the pandemic. As we often say when the topic can become divisive or political, regardless of which side you stand on, this is a good thing for everyone. A focus on cybersecurity and guarding individual privacy and rights is necessary, but when it comes to doing the same for government data, it is imperative to the collective good of our country.
Hoop Hack Attack
There’s a March Madness of a different kind that happens each year during this time of tournaments: the onslaught of phishing emails that users fall for over and over again.
With pools that take place in our offices, among friends, or to the individual who wants to join a group online, hackers are handed a very easy way to get us to click as we look to participate and enter our bracket choices.