Tag: Phishing

A Rise in Ransomware & Phishing

So far in 2023, we have witnessed a concerning (but not surprising) rise in cyberattacks, particularly in the form of ransomware and phishing. And understanding the evolving tactics of cybercriminals is crucial for everyone.

Ransomware

These attacks are one of the most prevalent and damaging threats in the cyber landscape. Unlike other types of malware, ransomware encrypts victims’ files and demands a ransom to restore access. This year, cybercriminals took ransomware to new heights

Phishing

You are familiar with phishing. You’ve taught your clients and colleagues to be on alert for fraudulent emails. But are you changing your approach to education and training to match the sophistication of cybercriminals and their tactics?

Smart Phishing

Teaching effectively doesn’t necessarily mean endless bits of content and methodologies. It means that each lesson and tool should have an impact on users.

Social Media Reminders

Sloppy social media habits can lead to a compromise that extends beyond an individual’s personal account. Many people don’t realize that their login credentials tie them together with an invisible thread in the dark web. A hacked social account could lead to access to business credentials or more.

Hackers 101

Being in IT, you’re familiar with the various ways that hackers work to gain trust. That trust innocently leads to providing information that an individual deems irrelevant, but is not. It could be the one missing answer to a question that provides access to a password. Let’s take a quick look at the different ways that data can be unsuspectingly compromised.

Summer Phishing

Remember when summertime meant easy days and more time to relax? In the hurriedness of today, those moments can feel like they are too far gone to recapture. Additionally, as an MSP, there are so many clients relying on you, that it can be difficult to take time for yourself. 

Enter Breach Secure Now

We are built by an MSP, for MSPs.  And that means that when we create a product, it is built on that foundation. And moreover, with the goal of making your life easier and your cybersecurity stack as robust and complete as anything on the market. 

How to Create an Incident Response Plan

We often discuss the proactive approach that you should take when it comes to cybersecurity.  Security risk assessments will identify the gaps, ongoing training will help to strengthen the human risk factor, and tools like Catch Phish will keep the team engaged and learning along with those training programs.  But the fact is, you can’t eliminate all the risks that your clients face when it comes to experiencing a data breach.  That means that having an incident response plan (IR) should be on your list of “must-haves” when it comes to smart cybersecurity.

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. 

Stimulus Scam

With the election season winding down, and a new administration announcing plans for the future, there will be another factor that contributes to the uncertainty of our times.  (When does the list of uncertainties stop growing, I wonder?)

And again, we find hackers and cybercriminals in a power position to take advantage of our uncertainty of not only what is true, but also who to look for when it comes to dispersing accurate information.  This isn’t discrediting any individual or organization, but we can all agree to admit, chaos can prevail in the current climate of COVID-19.

Impersonation Nation

Business Email Compromise (BEC) is not a new term. BEC scams have been growing in popularity for some time now. If you’re not familiar with BEC, it’s when a fraudulent email is sent to a company or individual, and the email appears to be from a legitimate business resource or person, often varying from the legitimate email address by just a letter or two. There may be instructions within the scam email for the recipient to transfer money, purchase gift cards, click on a malicious link, or perform some other activity at the behest of the sender.

Stripe Customers Targeted by Phishing Email

New Lures for Phishing

A recent security alert from the online payment processing company Stripe has informed users of a phishing scam that shows just how fast hackers adapt to the efforts used to counter their tactics.

Stripe is successfully used by small business owners, charities, and individual consumers for payment & donation processing.  Recently, some customers may have received a fake email claiming to be from Stripe Support indicating that their account details are not valid, and until the user updates their information, no pending payments can be issued. 

Phishing Scams: A Growing Threat for Small Businesses

In a recent warning, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has cautioned consumers and small businesses about the continuing and growing threat of phishing scams. In the statement, the FTC has expressed that while cybercriminals continue to send out mass emails asking bluntly for personal information, they have become more sophisticated in their attempts. Small businesses are now being targeted by emails that their employees could expect to routinely find in their inbox.