How to Prevent Malware

Whether it’s a new album from our favorite band, an application to make our browser run faster, or a new computer game we want to check out, we are in a state of constant downloading. We can leave ourselves open to cybercriminal attacks if we aren’t vigilant about what we download.

When our gear starts behaving strangely, our first thought is that it’s a virus. Though a virus is always a possibility, the problem is more frequently known as malware. The malware was the most concerning cyber threat targeting enterprises, according to a poll of global IT security decision-makers conducted in November 2020. Phishing and ransomware were tied for second place with a relative score of 3.99 on a five-point scale.

This article will discuss how to prevent malware and highlight ways how to prevent malware. Let’s get started.

The Most Common Ways You Can Get Malware

Malware is a type of software program that is designed to damage or disable computers and computer systems. It includes computer viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ransomware, spyware, and adware. Malware can cause a loss of productivity, revenue, and reputation for businesses. In some cases, malware can lead to data theft or identity theft.

One of the most common types of malware is a virus. A virus is a small code that attaches itself to another program or document so it can spread from one computer to another without being detected by security software. Viruses are often sent through legitimate email messages but contain malicious attachments or links to malicious websites.

Malware is a huge problem, and it cannot be easy to protect yourself. Some people think they’re safe because they don’t install software from the internet, and that’s true, but malware can still get on your computer in other ways.

The most common ways you can get malware:

• Downloading free software (malvertising)
• Opening an infected attachment in an email
• Visiting a malicious website
• Sending files to someone via email or instant messaging

Impact of Malware

Malware may also include spyware and adware programs that collect information about your online activity and display unwanted or intrusive advertisements on your screen. Some malware is designed to steal your personal information, such as credit card numbers or passwords.

Often, malware is installed without your consent when you visit an infected website or open an email attachment containing a virus. Once installed, malware can perform any number of functions, including:

• Stealing your personal information.
• Stealing money from your bank account.
• Disabling essential system files so that you cannot use your computer.

Do I Need to Clean My Network or Computer for Malware?

You can protect yourself from malware in several ways. The first is personal vigilance. You should avoid clicking on links, downloading files from unknown sources, and visiting websites with a reputation for containing malicious code. Most importantly, ensure all your software is updated, including your operating system and browser.

The second protection method uses protective tools such as firewalls and antivirus software. These tools can monitor your network traffic and detect any suspicious behavior coming from your computer or network, then block it before it has a chance to do any damage.

Steps to Protect Your Computer from Malware

So, what can you do to protect yourself against common viruses like ransomware, phishing, and cryptojacking?

A strategy is outlined below.

1.    Rely Only On Secure Networks (Encrypted)

If you’re using an unsecured Wi-Fi network, someone could easily intercept your data as it moves between your computer and your site. This includes sensitive information like passwords and credit card numbers.

2.    Employ Browser Common Sense

Browsers are one of the most common ways malware gets onto your computer. Many sites try to trick you into clicking on links or downloading files that contain malware. Be careful when browsing online, and avoid clicking on links in emails from unknown senders.

3.    Take Care of Your Personal Information

The most important thing to prevent malware from infecting your device is to keep a tight grip on your personal information. This means never sharing personal details over email or social media platforms. It would be best if you also avoided downloading apps from unverified developers and websites, as they could be hiding malicious code inside their programs.

4.    Stay Up-to-Date on the Latest Attacks

Maintain your operating system, any third-party applications installed on your computer, and any antivirus software installed on your computer to have the latest protection against new threats that may be around the corner.

5.    Use Antivirus Software

While not foolproof, antivirus software can detect and block some types of malware at entry into your device or system. But even if it does catch a virus, it won’t remove it from your computer because it doesn’t have access to all areas of the operating system where there are viruses.

6.    Don’t Click Suspicious Links or Attachments

It can be hard not to click on suspicious links or attachments in emails or text messages, especially if they appear to come from someone you know. However, if an email or text message looks strange, don’t open it! Malware can spread through email attachments and links that take you to phishing websites, where criminals try to trick users into giving up their personal information.

7.    Use Strong Passwords

Make sure you use a different password for each account — including gaming accounts. At least eight characters should be used with a combination of numbers and letters that aren’t found in the dictionary or on a keyboard. It shouldn’t be easy to guess your birthday, family member’s name, or pet’s name.

8.    Configure Regular Scans and Monitor Settings

Malware can be distributed using various methods, including email attachments, social media links, and fake websites. To stop malware from infecting your device, you need to configure it for scanning regularly. This will help identify any threats before they cause damage to your system. You should also configure your network settings to detect any changes in traffic patterns that might indicate an attack.

9.    Always Update Your Operating System

You must keep your operating system up-to-date because new updates often contain patches for existing vulnerabilities that malware developers could exploit. If you don’t update regularly, it leaves your device susceptible to attacks by cybercriminals who may use these vulnerabilities against users with outdated systems.

Final Words

Infections with malware can be fatal for businesses. Malware can seriously harm your finances and reputation by disrupting essential procedures and stealing or encrypting vital data. Use the suggestions above to safeguard you and your company against malware attacks. Additionally, make sure you regularly isolate the backup of your data so that you can restore it from a backup if your environment becomes infected with malware. You should always ensure you download software from trusted sites only.

At Protected Harbor, we are a team of cybersecurity experts who can assist your business in safeguarding critical data from cyberattacks and data breaches. We offer 24/7 monitoring, isolated backups, endpoint security, network security, and advanced threat detection to protect your organization against malware, ransomware, and other cyber threats. Our expert engineers will work with you to develop a customized network security solution that meets your organization’s needs. From top to bottom, we ensure that your network is secure and protected against the latest cyber threats.

Contact Protected Harbor today for tools and free IT consultation regarding malware prevention and detection.

Small Business Network Security Checklist

In today’s business environment, cybersecurity is a crucial concern regardless of a company’s size. The impact of a security breach might result in the destruction and closing of a smaller-sized firm if they lack the resources for considerable damage control. Because of this, every company needs to take the proper precautions to safeguard critical data from unauthorized users, no matter how small or large.

This small business IT security checklist will help you to stay on top of your network security and avoid the most common mistakes. Download it now.

 

What is Network Security, and Why is it Important?

The internet is a fantastic resource for modern enterprises. Instead of a room full of old filing cabinets, a searchable database is available worldwide and across all wireless networks. Nowadays, we can even attend a video meeting and get the same results without the need to fly to another location for the same in-person meeting.

However, even though we now have a lot of new conveniences, business networks are even more exposed to vast, complex security threats. Every time a new program or a piece of hardware is put into use, there is a chance for online hackers to break in and steal sensitive data from a person or company.

Businesses must ensure they are effectively controlling their network security if they want the convenience of the internet and the much-needed security. Even though doing a network security audit can be stressful, companies should still do them if they want to keep their data as secure as possible and follow small business cybersecurity best practices.

We’ve created a brief cybersecurity checklist for small businesses below to make things simpler and to help prevent cyber-attacks.

1. Use Antivirus and Anti-malware

Anti-malware and antivirus software safeguards you from any unwanted programs installed on your network, including viruses, trojans, ransomware, spyware, and worms. These may reach your system through a corrupted file or link, another infected device, or a combination of the two.

Cybercriminals create malware, or malicious software, to infect your machines for various reasons. For example, ransomware encrypts your files so that you become locked out and are forced to pay the attackers price to access your crucial business data. Malware-based cyberattacks of other kinds could even seize control of your network and use it for a DDoS (Denial of Service) attack or to harm your system directly.

Anti-malware software inspects files as they enter your network and periodically scans the files already on your machine to check for either errors or damaged files. The software will then quarantine or remove any suspicious files if they are found.

2. Regular Software Updates

Software updates are highly likely to include fixes for known security vulnerabilities and performance enhancements. Delaying these updates could prevent you from receiving the patches for known security flaws, putting your data in danger and enabling hackers to access your system.

Consider purchasing patch management software if your network consists of various devices that require updates, such as network equipment like routers or office PCs.

3. Use Strong Passwords

Did you know that weak password security is believed to be the source of 81% of data breaches? By using secure passwords, you can stop hackers from accessing your system. Make sure to change the default password to a secure one when you first receive a device or install any software.

Using default passwords makes it easy for hackers to access your system. Develop a plan to update the password frequently to ensure your devices are always protected.

Make sure your employees understand a network security checklist for small business, what a strong password looks like, urge them to follow your company’s password policy, and utilize two-factor authentication on their work devices to stay on the same page.

4. Firewalls

Firewalls use a set of rules to regulate the traffic entering and leaving your network. They are the barrier separating your secure internal network from the unidentified outside network. Firewalls can stop unauthorized traffic from entering your internal network by monitoring the traffic and blocking it.

Additionally, firewalls segment the network to divide traffic into smaller groups that are easier to manage. There are various kinds of firewalls, including proxy firewalls, stateful firewalls, Unified Threat Management (UTM) firewalls, packet-filtering firewalls, Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW), and so on.

5. Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Data Loss Prevention (DLP) software scans your network for sensitive data being transported and stored to prevent leaks. Suppose your business has a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy. In that case, for employees who either work remotely or if you keep their data stored in the cloud, data loss prevention solutions become more critical.

DLP solutions safeguard your data by keeping an eye on the network to ensure that users aren’t flouting the rules you’ve set for sensitive data, including sending it to a risky network or making an unauthorized copy. DLP systems do this by continuously monitoring, tracking, and logging where your sensitive data are. This lowers the possibility of accidental mistakes.

6. Managing User Accounts and Remote Access

Limit account permissions to the minimum amount necessary for the user to perform their job. Only utilize administrator accounts when necessary to make changes to the administration. Ensure that only the administrator account has access, and each employee has secure remote work for small businesses and a distinct account with their login information. Remote access is only permitted through a Virtual Private Network (VPN). If at all possible, make your system’s access subject to multi-factor authentication. Also, be sure to remove a former employee’s account as soon as they exit the company.

Since remote work and BYOD policies are the standards for most firms these days, this is even more crucial. Implementing these regulations may encourage users to be more lenient with their data, which could put your company at significant risk. You must take precautions to preserve the integrity and security of your data, including developing a tight policy restricting access to only what’s required for personnel to do their duties.

7. Data Recovery Plan (DRP)

It’s necessary to keep your data safe from illegal and unwanted access, but it’s also crucial to have a disaster recovery plan in case your data is lost. Sometimes, rather than stealing information, the goal of a cyberattack is to just disrupt a business. Do you have a backup copy of all your crucial data in case it gets corrupted or disappears entirely?

To ensure they are not missed and that your backups contain the most recent files, backups should be encrypted and automatically scheduled. Several backup techniques, including onsite servers and cloud backup, provide an extra degree of security.

8. Phishing and Spoofing Messages

Phishing and spoofing perpetrators deceive recipients by sending false communications and other social engineering strategies. These frauds typically pose as trustworthy organizations trying to dupe victims into either downloading harmful files, clicking on dangerous links, or disclosing personal information.

Emails and SMS are two examples of text-based communication channels where spoofing and phishing are frequently used. Installing security solutions with anti-phishing features is strongly advised to help you avoid being a victim of spoofing and phishing. This function will notify you if a link or email’s sender raises any red flags.

On the rare chance that they manage to get past your anti-phishing defenses, you will still need to be vigilant when checking your email to prevent falling for a phishing scam. To enhance your employees’ awareness and attention when checking their inboxes, train your staff and have them participate in phishing scenarios.

9. Train your Workforce

The most crucial aspect of any network security plan is your end users (employees). Your users are your best line of defense, even if you have all the tools, systems, and regulations at your disposal.

When working from home, 47% of employees blamed distraction for their fallibility to phishing attacks. It’s time to train your entire crew to defend against all security threats since the average data breach cost has increased to about $4.64 million.

Ensure your end users understand the potential effects of a security breach on your business, their responsibility for securing company data, and how to protect themselves from malicious actors. To achieve this, you’ll need an excellent training program to instruct your users on how to raise their security levels and to be on alert for any suspicious activity.

10. Develop a Response for Security Breaches

A planned reaction during a breach can significantly enhance your company’s outcome. You’ll have a list of steps you need to follow to protect anything that hasn’t already been accessed rather than having to react immediately. Written instructions will guarantee you follow all the essential procedures to halt the attack from causing more harm and, if necessary, start the recovery process.

If you can act quickly and inform your clients about how it has affected their data security, it can also help you restore your reputation with them. Additionally, small business cyber security includes performing regular vulnerability audits to check your network for potential weak spots and fix them before a breach occurs.

 

Enhance Network Security with Protected Harbor

A layered strategy is required to protect your network’s security and prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data. By routinely inspecting your network security on all network devices, mobile devices, and other devices with internet access in your organization, you can be sure you are following these security best practices under the small business IT security checklist.

In addition to your security system, educating your staff about daily hazards and small business cybersecurity is crucial. Since remote work is the norm for most businesses these days, a more stringent training program is required to guarantee the security and protection of all company data.

Protected Harbor’s Network Engineers create a secure environment by building a network resistant to cyber-attacks and staying operational during emergencies. We use network monitoring tools to scan network performance, security, and compliance. We also troubleshoot issues, upgrade network hardware and software, and work with vendors to ensure new products meet the company’s security requirements.

A network vulnerability assessment from Protected Harbor will help your organization identify potential weaknesses and vulnerabilities in your current network setup. For this you can take help of network security checklist for small business.

A Protected Harbor security expert can assist with a free assessment for cybersecurity for small business and vulnerability test to determine your weak points. From there, we will build a plan that includes updates, new configurations, implementation, unlimited onsite support, and live monitoring services for a flat monthly rate to safeguard your network. Ready to get started? Speak to a professional that can assist you with your network and security needs.

IT Security Incident Affects Multiple Facilities Across CommonSpirit Health

One of the most significant health systems in the country, CommonSpirit Health, said that the IT security breach happened on Monday, October 3, 2022.

 

CommonSpirit Health, a faith-based healthcare organization, located throughout the Midwest, recently experienced an unfortunate security incident. At first glance, this security incident may appear innocuous since it only involved exposing sensitive patient information. However, the ramifications extend far beyond a breach of privacy.

In light of these developments, we have compiled a brief overview of the CommonSpirit Health IT security incident to help you identify potential vulnerabilities in your environment.

 

What Happened?

According to reports, a hack on CommonSpirit Health System that is still ongoing compromised facilities in Tennessee, Nebraska, and Washington. EHRs (Electronic Health Records) are currently among the offline IT systems, and patient visits have since been rescheduled.

The number of facilities impacted by the issue, which started on Monday, is still unknown, as is the number of patient records.

According to a statement from CommonSpirit, “as a result of this situation, we have rescheduled some patient visits in several of our communities.” If a patient’s appointment is impacted, their provider and care facility will contact them directly.

One of the largest health systems in the nation, based in Chicago, runs 142 hospitals and more than 2,200 care facilities throughout 21 states.

It stated, “We take our responsibility to safeguard patient privacy and IT security very seriously.”

According to CHI (Catholic Health Initiatives), the facilities are adhering to procedures for system failures and “[are] taking steps to minimize the disturbance.”

 

Why This Matters?

In 2019, Trinity Health and CHI merged to create CommonSpirit Health, a new nonprofit Catholic health system with a presence in 21 states.

According to The Chattanoogan.com in Tennessee, the hacking attack impacted the neighborhood of CHI Memorial hospital. According to the report, CHI officials said several patient procedures had to be rescheduled, and some systems had to be shut down.

The Virginia Mason Franciscan Health in Seattle has also stated that the outage has affected their systems. St. Joseph Medical Center in Tacoma is one of the hospitals and clinics in the Puget Sound region run by VMFH. Given this, patients could not access MyChart, an online patient portal.

CommonSpirit is one of several renowned nonprofit health systems reporting significant losses for the most recent fiscal year.

In 2022, the company recorded losses of $1.85 billion.

Wright Lassiter, formerly with Henry Ford Health, was recently named by
CommonSpirit as its new CEO and Lloyd Dean’s replacement.

 

Protected Harbor’s Take on the Matter

“An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure, right? Well, this holds true when it comes to cybersecurity as well as in the case of the CommonSpirit health incident. Even the most diligent and well-intentioned companies can be the victim of a data breach. With the GDPR in effect, it’s now a matter of public record if your data has been stolen.” – Richard Luna, CEO of Protected Harbor.

It is a proven fact that most cyberattacks happen due to negligence. Therefore, it is imperative to have a reliable security system to protect you from all sorts of online threats. At the same time, it is equally essential for you to keep your operating systems, antiviruses, firewalls, and patches up to date with the latest versions available. Without regular updates, your system can become vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Therefore, it is essential that you keep track of all the updates and install them at the right time.

MFA (Multi-Factor Authentication) and IAM (Identity Access Management) are the primary security requirements we suggest all businesses implement to have an extra layer of security.

Cybersecurity awareness should be an integral part of your business plan. It doesn’t matter if you are a large corporation or a small business; cybersecurity is critical for everyone.

For more information, check out a quick guide to proactive cybersecurity measures.

 

Final Thoughts

Unfortunately, many businesses are unaware of the significance a robust security plan has and thus remain vulnerable to cyber threats. If you are concerned about your business’s security and want a foolproof security plan, then hiring an expert can help you.

Protected Harbor offers a range of security services, including a Web Application Firewall (WAF), data breach response, email security, ransomware security, and cloud security to businesses of all sizes. We keep your data and systems secure, help you comply with regulations, and meet your documentation requirements. Our products are easy to use and come with 24/7 support.

Our focus on ease of use, transparency, and value for your dollar sets us apart from the competition. Protected Harbor is one of the best-reviewed cybersecurity providers. We have a 90+ Net Promoter Score.

Even if you feel you have a solid security plan, it can’t work if it’s not in use. A security audit of your network and systems is equally as important. With that being said, Protected Harbor is here to help and will be offering free cybersecurity assessments for all healthcare providers. Contact us today.

Your Smartphone Has Been Hacked If You Notice These Signs

Your smartphone is your constant companion. It’s your source of information, entertainment, and social interaction, all in one small device. Most people check their phones at least 20 times a day, which makes them an attractive target for hackers and cybercriminals.

However, security features on most smartphones have made it pretty tricky for hackers to break through and take control of the device without you knowing about it. That doesn’t mean you can let your guard down or give hackers any opportunity to breach your phone’s security measures.

It will help if you remain diligent in keeping from being hacked. If you see any signs indicating that you have been hacked, take action quickly before it has a chance to do further damage to your data and access more personal information.

 

What causes this to happen in the first place?

To hack into your phone, a person doesn’t necessarily need to be a hacker. While you’re sleeping, someone may bring your phone up to your face and unlock it. With only this one action, they can look through your smartphone secretly.

There is also software that accomplishes the task. Stalkerware is intended to follow you using your location, call logs, messages, photos, browsing history, and other methods. Behind another app that appears to be unimportant, this malware may be disguised.

Your phone may become infected by malicious links and files without your knowledge. Even seemingly innocent PDF files can contain dangerous information. Because of this, it’s crucial to click with caution.

How about apps? Unreliable downloads may mimic well-known applications or attempt to con you into downloading and using them. When you do this, malware is installed on your phone.

There is also a much more focused technique known as SIM swapping. The criminal disconnects your previous connection and transfers everything to the criminal’s device by calling your phone company, pretending to be you, and asking for a new SIM card.

 

Signs to Look Out For

How can you tell if your phone has been compromised? Here are some warning signs:

• Your phone is being slowed down by too many processes operating at once, or it can just be malware using up many resources as the sole offender. Your phone may become heated as a result of this.
• Your battery is depleting significantly more quickly than usual.
• Significant increases in data usage may be a symptom of malware like adware that operates covertly.
• Spammy pop-ups clearly indicate that a malicious program has been installed on your phone.
• Malware can cause your internet to slow down by diverting your traffic to risky servers or simply using up all of your capacity to steal more data from you or target other people.
• Off your phone, there may be some indications, such as emails you don’t recall sending or odd social media posts.

Tap or click here for Top 5 Email Scams You Need to Look Out for This Month.

 

How to stop hackers from getting onto your Smartphone?

A little work can go a long way in preventing malware and hackers from accessing your phone.

• To start, always maintain your phone’s security patches and updates. 
• Turn on two-factor authentication for each account that supports it. Read our comprehensive 2FA guide.
• Avoid clicking on shady or uninvited links. This includes emails, internet adverts, and messages from friends.
• Keep in mind that your home or business network is neither secure. For advice on how to secure it to keep snoops and bad guys out, tap or click here.

Conclusion

Take action right away if you discover any of these indicators that you’ve been hacked so the hacker can’t access more of your data or cause more damage. Your first step should be to power off your device and change your passwords, especially for social media accounts. Next, report the breach to your phone carrier and contact customer support to see what they can do to help. Finally, clean up your phone and make sure to keep your device protected in the future to avoid being hacked in the future.

Protected Harbor provides mobile security, data security, and identity protection. These services protect your company’s data, sensitive information, and valuable assets from cyber threats. In addition, we provide you with email and web security that blocks malicious content and stops data leaks. Our advanced threat protection gives you real-time protection against malware, ransomware, and other cyber threats. We also provide an integrated security operations center to monitor your network and devices, giving you complete peace of mind.

You can also contact our support team with questions or issues, and they’ll get back to you as soon as possible. With Protected Harbor, you can be sure that your company’s data is safe. So what are you waiting for? Secure your devices and network today! Contact us now.

Suffolk County Real Estate Industry Crushed by Cyberattack

Following a cyberattack on the Suffolk County government earlier this month, real estate transactions have come to a halt.

 

Since the cyberattack more than 20 days ago, verifying property titles and filing paperwork has been challenging, which has abruptly halted all deals in the county, according to The Real Deal. On September 8, The Suffolk Times reported that a breach by a group known as BlackCat knocked down county websites, servers, and databases.

It’s been stressful for real estate professionals in the New York area. While this may seem like just another insignificant cybersecurity issue, the implications are much deeper than we can see. In this post, we’ll dive into what happened, why it’s so concerning, and how to stay safe.

 

What Happened?

The Suffolk county cyber attack crippled the county clerk’s office, which is in charge of documenting paperwork and assisting with records searches for properties, and shut down the county’s internet systems last month.

Due to title companies’ inability to accurately scan county databases to confirm that the properties don’t have any liens, judgments, or other encumbrances to pass title, real estate closings have been postponed or canceled, especially on larger commercial acquisitions.

According to attorney David Rosenberg of Garden City-based Rosenberg Fortuna & Laitman, “After the Suffolk county hack, delay in restoring access to the county’s real estate records, which had been available online before the hack, is causing many title companies to withhold final clearance that would allow closings to occur.”

The ability to ascertain whether new liens, encumbrances, or property transfers have been recorded between the first title report and the closing depends on these documents. In more recent deals, it causes the title company to postpone the initial title report, which makes it impossible for lawyers, purchasers, borrowers, and lenders to close any sizeable transactions confidently.

According to The Suffolk Times, a hacker collective known as BlackCat took responsibility for the suffolk county data breach and demanded payment to allow users back into government servers. The hackers say they have taken four gigabytes of information, including information on specific citizens, from the clerk.county.suf domain.

 

What this Means?

Deals have slowed to a trickle since neither banks nor buyers can confirm that titles are clean — that is, the property is free of liens and that the seller is the legal owner and only owner — without checking the property out on county websites.

The process of filing claims is another problem. While some records supplied by hand are being accepted and preserved in chronological order, they won’t be officially on file until the systems are operational. Since New York is a “rush to record” state, the first party to file a title claim is the one whose claim is considered; hence incorrect document filing could result in significant issues.

According to Attorney Howard Stein, head of the Real Estate Practice Group at East Meadow-based Certilman Balin Adler & Hyman, the damage will increase exponentially. “New title reports cannot be created, and as a result, newly signed transactions are completely blocked.” The economic implications could be disastrous if a solution cannot be found.

Some title insurers have been forced to add an exception to their Schedule B list of things they cannot insure due to the closure of county systems. This exception now states that they will not cover “any defect, lien, encumbrance, adverse claim, or other matter created by or arising out of the inaccessibility of the Office of Suffolk County, including, but not limited to, an inability to search the public records, or any delay in recording of documents in the public records.”

According to Linda Haltman of Plainview-based Hallmark Abstract Services, “If they were in process before the hack and all of the title searches were done, they have been closing,”  “Underwriters are letting sellers sign affidavits if the searches have already been conducted, with the exclusion of unoccupied land, new development, and foreclosures.”

Haltman warns that delays in closing can become costly given the fast-increasing mortgage rates.

“Delays in being able to close could be costly without an extension of a rate lock-in term,” she warned. “It could cost an extra $5,000 upfront to pay down the rate on a mortgage for a $500,000 house.”

 

Protected Harbor’s Take on the Matter

On September 8, websites and web-based apps for Suffolk Government were shut down after officials discovered malware in county systems. Images of county documents were posted as ransomware on the website DataBreaches.net. The hackers claimed to have taken court records, sheriff’s office records, contracts with the state, and citizen personal data from the county clerk’s website.

“An immediate resolution to this issue is critical, as there will be an increasing number of damages as a result of the shutdown,” Protected Harbor CEO Richard Luna said.

Earlier, most small and mid-sized enterprises were unaware of the importance of cybersecurity. However, with the increasing number of cyber-attacks, it has become imperative for all enterprises to invest in cybersecurity. As a company that provides enterprise-grade software, we have always ensured that all our products are secure.

 

Tips to Fight Against Ransomware

1. Desktop/Network & Backup Isolation
   

   The first step in a new network design is to limit through segmentation of the network. Desktops, Servers, and the backup should all be on separated and isolated networks. Using this approach, an infected desktop will not be able to access the backups and will not infect the backups.

2. Virtualization
   

   We can accomplish desktop and network isolation using virtualization. Virtualization allows you to back up the entire desktop, not just shared folders, databases, or scanned folders, but all folders. This means we can recover the whole office, and not pieces of the office.

3. Email & Web Filtering
   

   Filtering email and web content is an integral part of the Ransomware defense. Good email filtering should include pattern recognition. The initial Ransomware attacks follow a template, and when properly configured, email filtering systems block or quarantine the attack.
   

4. Enable network monitoring
   

   Network monitors can alert and warn on unusual traffic or traffic that is typical of an attack; for example, if specific information is transmitted out of the network, that would trigger an alert.

5. Geo-Blocking
   

   Maintain enhanced network protection that includes active parameter checking and Geo-Blocking. For example, check the address of inbound requests, and if the IP is from a blocked country, then the traffic is blocked even before it reaches the client’s network.

Continue to read in detail how to protect yourself against ransomware attacks.

 

Final Thoughts

Cyber threats are increasing daily, and it is essential to stay protected against them. It is impossible to avoid cyber threats altogether, but we can stay protected by following specific steps and implementing the best cybersecurity practices.

Protected Harbor offers a range of cybersecurity products and services that protect your business against all types of malware, ransomware, and other cyber threats. It also ensures data integrity, regulatory compliance, and system availability.

The Ransomware solution is highly scalable and can be deployed on-premises or in the cloud. It is easy to set up and maintain, with no technical skills required. The solution comes with a 24/7 support team that will resolve any issues quickly and efficiently. We are committed to protecting all types of businesses and organizations, offering products and services that are both affordable and easy to use.

We believe there is no better time than now to invest in cybersecurity, as it is the only way to stay ahead in this highly competitive and ever-changing digital world. October is our Annual Cybersecurity Month; we’ll be posting security blogs and videos to keep you protected. Get in touch with our expert and get a free IT Audit today.

WELCOME TO CYBERSECURITY MONTH!

Cybercrimes & Everything You Need to Protect Your Business

Why Is Cybercrime So Dangerous and Can You Be Safer? 

If you are a small business using an off-the-shelf software, I’m sorry to inform you that you are at a higher risk of becoming a victim of cybercrime. We have all, at some point, received phishing emails or have been asked for personal information via our work email from people asking for something out of the ordinary. Most employees have work and personal information on either their company websites or social media. It’s one thing for your business to get scammed, but these bad actors will also go after your clients putting your reputation and business at risk. Fortunately, there are some things that you can do to keep yourself safer.

Social Media Risks

A criminal hacker can target any employee who uses social media. It’s fairly dangerous, but we at Protected Harbor have some tips. We harden our clients’ networks and run employee training all the time. The best thing to tell your employees is to not post anything online that you would not say to your competitors or your manager.

Several social networking sites, such as LinkedIn, allow users to post their resumes. Information concerning one’s work can reveal too much about one’s personal life, giving criminals such as hackers information that may enable them to hack into one’s account. Identity theft can also be committed using resume information.

The privacy settings on most social networking sites are either pre-set or default. Suggest your staff make an effort to alter their privacy settings to block strangers and people who are not friends with them from viewing their private information.

 

Protecting Yourself from Spyware and Viruses 

Think about utilizing safe search online browsing software, frequently included in antivirus software complete editions. This software often uses a red, yellow, or green dot next to the links on the search engine. This aids in warning employees of potentially harmful websites.

Never download a torrent file or a software crack, and never download any file that doesn’t come from a reliable website. These frequently include malware. Also, do not click on any pop-up windows that you are not expecting. Instead, either close the window or get out of your browser completely.

Most importantly, make sure that you are updating your OS’s security patches and always have the latest version of your web browser installed. It sounds simple, but companies like Windows Defender push patches and updates daily to fix vulnerabilities. If you are not fast enough in updating the software, a hacker will use it as an entry point into your system.

 

Understanding Social Engineering

Generally, social engineering involves some type of deception to gather information to commit fraud or gain access to a computer. For instance, our google account uses Meta for Business to run our Facebook Page. Often, we will get a general email to our work email claiming our ads were blocked or taken down due to a violation. It would be tempting to open the email and click on such a link if we actually ran ads there.

Do you know what typosquatting is? Pay attention to the spelling of website addresses. They may resemble a real website, but instead, they are misspelled, for example, GOOGLE.com vs. G00GLE.com.

Any email including an offer of any kind should raise suspicions, especially if it seems too good to be true. The same applies to receiving offers from social media or reputable internet businesses, like Facebook and Google.

 

Caller ID Spoofing; What You Need to Know

“ID spoofing,” is another cybercrime you must be aware of. These days, a random phone call is more likely than ever to be a scammer. Criminals can fool people by hiding their information using “spoofing.” Spoofing disguises, the telephone number from which a text is sent by creating a new one. Phony numbers with the same area code are often used to persuade recipients to answer. The scary thing for businesses is that they can make it look like your number, and call clients.

All of your business numbers and extensions represent assets that you need to protect. Software like IntelePeer and Hiya Connect Secure Call can stop scammers from mimicking your phone numbers, regardless of how many lines and extensions you have in your internal network.

 

Is Public Wi-Fi Safe?

Unfortunately, public Wi-Fi is not secure. Several security risks are associated with using a public Wi-Fi. These networks broadcast signals through radio frequencies, which means that anyone who has the right tools, and these tools are fairly easy to find, can intercept the data that is sent through it.

To protect yourself when using public Wi-Fi, you should use either a remote desktop or virtual desktop. DO NOT USE A VPN!

A VPN (Virtual Private Network) helps you establish a private network while using any public networks. While beneficial to provide access to employees and third parties, this access is open-ended and unsecure. All security capabilities are lost when granting third parties’ remote access via VPN. VPNs lack access controls and session monitoring, both effective means of security for network access. VPNs don’t manage, vault, or verify credentials, so password protection depends on your third parties keeping them safe.

Remote desktop solutions are becoming increasingly familiar with the increased prevalence of distributed workforces and more employees regularly working from home. It’s perfect for people who are either frequently on the go, work out of a home office, or are often out in the field and need access to their local desktop computer. RDP is encrypted by default with a higher level of encryption than VPN and requires no additional connection time.

Even if you have a virtual desktop, don’t store any type of critical data on a device, and then use it outside of a network that is not secure. That means downloading documents to your cellphone, then connecting to Starbucks’ free Wi-Fi to watch TikTok. Turn off the Bluetooth and Wi-Fi on your cell phone or laptop when you aren’t using them, a device that can still send wireless signals appeals to a hacker.

 

What Is a Credit Freeze?

If you don’t have a credit freeze on your business bank account, you are putting your business at further risk. A credit freeze, sometimes called a security freeze, locks down a credit file so that a lender cannot check your credit. This is a good thing, as criminals cannot open any new accounts using your name or your EIN…and if a lender can’t check your credit, they are unlikely to extend a line of credit.

Remember that you must request a credit freeze from each credit bureau, including Equifax, Experian, Innovis, and TransUnion. Remember you can always un-freeze your accounts whenever needed.

 

Keeping Your Passwords Safe and Protected

The most important thing you need to know about passwords is that there is no secure password. Some passwords are more secure than others, of course, but they can always be found. Passwords are extremely convenient for people who want to access your accounts.

Is a Password Manager a Good Idea?

It’s hard to keep track of all your passwords, so it’s tempting to reuse the same one across the board. However, if a hacker gets possession of your password, they’ll have free access to everything you have. Password managers, on the other hand, can simplify your life.

It’s unsurprising for us to be asked, “are password managers safe to use?” The answer is, the use of password managers is considered to be one of the most secure ways to protect your passwords. Password managers offer strong protection against cybercrime because of their encryptions. AES, the industry-standard protection used by the U.S. government to safeguard its sensitive data, is just one example.

 

Set Up Two Factor Authentication on All Accounts

Password authentication is when a user enters a unique ID and key compared to previously stored credentials. It is one of the quickest forms of security; you can set up your device to require some identification before letting someone access your phone. It can be in a passcode, PIN, password, fingerprint, or two-factor authentication (2FA) can be adopted as well.

An additional layer of protection is provided by 2FA, which ensures that the user is whom they say they are. Before gaining access to the account, the user must first provide their username and password. The second piece of information is then requested. Almost every major company and organization website utilizes some kind of two-step, or two-factor, identification.

 

Protecting Your Credit Cards

Many of us, especially in today’s world, use credit cards for not only our jobs but even our daily lives, and there are several things you can do to protect yourself from credit card fraud.

First, make sure to examine your business credit card statements often to see whether they include any unfamiliar or strange expenses. Check your credit card accounts weekly if you can. Check for both large and small charges. If the hackers want to make a large purchase, they might make a small purchase to ensure it goes through.

You can also set up “push” alerts on your company accounts to receive notifications via email or text when purchases are made. For example, you may receive a text any time purchase over $100 is made, or an email anytime there is an online credit card transaction.

Also, store your credit card numbers online at your peril. It’s safer to manually enter the digits every time you want to purchase than to auto-input via Google or Apple.

 

Final Words

Many businesses have already installed firewalls, spam filters, and anti-virus software in order to prevent any cybercriminals from breaking in, yet they are still concerned – and we don’t blame them. These preventions are worthless without a dedicated IT team to respond to malicious attacks and fix compromised devices. If you are worried about ransomware or cyber-attacks, bringing in an experienced team to help with the rise in threats can provide a level of service beyond what firms currently have and at a lower cost.

Outside teams like Protected Harbor bring years of actionable experience to strengthen an organization.

We will ensure that your organization is protected from outside threats with well-tested, proven, and integrated technology. Protected Harbor concentrates on six elements throughout the stack, uplink, firewall, switches, hosts, VMs configuration, and storage to safeguard our customers’ operations.

 

We are offering free cybersecurity assessments and IT audits to all companies that may be interested. You can sign up here:  Free Cybersecurity Assessment

 

How do You Prevent Another Uber-Style Breach

Uber blames contractors for the hack and links breach to Lapsus$ organization.

 

In the News

According to Uber, the hacker responsible for the breach last week is a member of the Lapsus$ extortion group, which has previously attacked Microsoft, Cisco, NVIDIA, Samsung, and Okta, among other well-known IT firms.

According to the company, the attacker conducted an MFA fatigue attack by flooding the contractor with two-factor authentication (2FA) login requests until one of them was approved using the stolen credentials of an Uber EXT contractor.

The usage of this social engineering technique has increased dramatically in recent attacks on well-known businesses worldwide, including Twitter, Robinhood, MailChimp, and Okta. Continue to read how do you prevent another uber-style breach?

 

What happened

The attacker gained privileged access to several tools, including G-Suite and Slack, by breaking into numerous other employee accounts, according to Uber’s updated statement.

“The attacker then modified Uber’s OpenDNS to display a graphic image to employees on some internal sites,” which was posted to a company-wide Slack channel many of you saw.

The business stated that it had not discovered proof that the threat actor could access production systems that hold sensitive user data, including financial and personal information (e.g., credit card numbers, user bank account info, personal health data, or trip history).

The FBI and the US Department of Justice assist the company’s investigation into the event.

 

Uber claims to have taken the following steps to stop similar approaches from being used in future breaches:

• Any employee accounts that were affected or might have been compromised were found, and we either disabled their access to the Uber systems or ordered a password reset.
• Many internal tools that were impacted or might have been impacted were disabled.
• We changed the keys on many of our internal systems, effectively resetting access.
• We restricted access to our source to stop further code additions.
• We asked users to re-authenticate to regain access to internal tools. Additionally, we are enhancing our multi-factor authentication (MFA) guidelines.

We could keep all of our public-facing Uber, Uber Eats, and Uber Freight services operational and running smoothly. Because we took down some internal tools, customer support operations were minimally impacted and are now back to normal. — Uber

 

Is there a solution?

MFA is not an antidote on its own, but security experts believe that any level of MFA is better than none. Uber is not the only business whose network has been penetrated despite using multi-factor authentication.

By luring an employee into submitting their credentials to a phishing page, they had set up, which the hackers then used to generate a push notification delivered to the employee’s smartphones, hackers hacked into Twitter’s network in 2020.

According to an inquiry by the state of New York, the employee acknowledged a prompt, allowing the hackers to enter. More recently, a social engineering attempt that conned a worker into giving up their log in information led to another hack of Mailchimp.

 

Instead of focusing on the highly inspected systems for security issues, all of these attacks use the limitations of multi-factor authentication, frequently by directly attacking the individuals using it.

Cloudflare is the only company targeted in a recent wave of cyberattacks that successfully prevented a network compromise because it employs hardware security keys, which cannot be phished.

Even though some employees “did fall for the phishing messages,” Cloudflare acknowledged in a blog post that its use of hardware security keys—which require employees to physically plug a USB device into their computers after entering their credentials—had prevented the attackers from accessing its network.

According to Cloudflare, the attack “targeted personnel and systems in a manner that we believe would make it probable that most firms would be compromised.

 

Experts Advice MFA

The gold standard of MFA security, security keys, are not without their limitations, not the least of which are the expense and maintenance of the keys. We spend much time debating the necessity of physical security keys for everyone.

However, Tobac noted that some firms still push for mandated SMS two-factor authentication or MFA prompts for internal access.

As Uber’s breach shows, MFA by randomly generated code or push notification is far from ideal. Still, according to Richard Luna, CEO of Protected Harbor, ” Putting the good before the perfect is not a good idea.” Minor adjustments over time have a significant impact.

One notable advance is MFA number matching, which makes social engineering attempts much more challenging by presenting a code on the user’s screen and requiring them to enter it into an app on their verified device. The notion is that, similar to a security key, the attacker would need both the target’s credentials and their confirmed device.

Microsoft, Okta, and Duo offer MFA number matching. However, as security expert Kevin Beaumont pointed out, Okta’s number matching service is wrapped in an expensive licensing tier, while Microsoft’s solution is still in preview. Uber uses Duo for MFA, but it is said that at the time of the incident, number matching was not being used.

According to Tobac, network defenders can also set alerts and restrictions on the number of push messages a user can receive. They can also begin by distributing security keys to a test group of users before expanding it every three months.

In reaction to the hack, Uber stated on Monday that it is strengthening its MFA standards. Uber may still have many questions to answer regarding how the hacker gained access to high-privilege credentials for the remaining vital systems of the company using just a contractor’s stolen password.

 

Bottom Line

Stay up to date with patches, upgrade your software, and apply the latest security fixes. Install an antivirus program and keep it up to date. Use a VPN to protect your traffic from being monitored and encrypted communication to protect your data from prying eyes.

Stay vigilant and aware of any trends or changes in the threat landscape, and react accordingly. Stay informed by reading best practices and security blogs and keeping up with the news to stay on top of all the latest threats.

Protected Harbor security experts recommend enabling multi-factor authentication, using encryption, and activating Identity and Access Management. These tools will help to maintain data integrity, protect private and confidential information, and keep your customers safe from identity theft and data breaches.

Identity and Access Management solutions allow you to delegate the right level of access to the right people, thereby limiting the risk of data breaches. Encryption is essential to protect data in transit and at rest. It is recommended to use TLS protocol for secure data transfer and a FIPS-certified cryptographic module for data at rest.

Get a free security IT Audit and Penetration Testing today from Protected Harbor. Contact us now!

Accessing the Dark Web

The dark web can be accessed using a specially designed browser called a Tor Browser. Tor Browsers allow users to surf the internet anonymously by routing all internet traffic through a series of different computers commonly known as nodes. These nodes are run by volunteers worldwide and serve as a sort of middleman for your internet activity.

When you visit a website through a Tor browser, your computer will first connect to a node. That node will then attempt to connect to the website that you requested. Once that node has connected to the website, it will send the website’s data back through a separate node. The final node will then send the data back to you with the IP address of the original node. This makes it extremely difficult to trace your computer’s IP address and discover your real identity.

How Does the Dark Web Work?

While Surface Web is more easily accessible and hosts many online activities, the Dark Web has a different purpose. Most of the content on the Dark Web is either both illegal or unethical in nature, such as drug trafficking, weapons trading, and child pornography. Because of the illicit activities found on the dark web, numerous cyber security experts have attempted to shut down and control the usage. However, it is tough to regulate the dark web due to its decentralized nature.

The dark web has become a global hub for users who want to remain anonymous. It was first utilized by the US Department of Defense to interact anonymously. Overtime, however, the usage of this dark-side of the web has employed a technique known as “onion routing,” which shields all users from monitoring and tracking by taking them along a random route of encrypted servers. Users who access Tor websites have their information routed through thousands of relay points, hiding their browsing activity and making it nearly impossible to monitor them.

 

Dark Web Uses

The majority of the content on the dark web is used for illegal purposes. However, there have been a few legitimate uses for the dark web.

Let’s compare the two:

Legal Uses: Although utilizing the Dark Web may initially seem or feel illegal, there are many legitimate reasons to use Tor and anonymous browsing. The dark web, for instance, is usually a site for communication that escapes official control and inspection in nations where government surveillance may be used to spy on and oppress political dissidents. Users should exercise caution when visiting the dark web and take appropriate security precautions, such as regularly updating their security software, utilizing a solid VPN, and avoiding the usage of a conventional email address.

Illegal Uses: Due to its anonymity, the dark web is utilized for dubious and even illegal reasons. These include dealing in illegally obtained drugs, firearms, identities, and passwords, as well as illiciting pornography and other potentially hazardous goods. Government authorities have recently shut down several websites that hosted illegal content, such as Silk Road, AlphaBay, and Hansa. Over the past two decades, the anonymity of the dark web has also added to a rise in cybersecurity risks and several data breaches.

 

Dark Net: Address Today’s Biggest Cybersecurity Challenges

Cybercriminals are constantly evolving their attack vectors to find new ways in accessing your data to steal from you. The rise of malicious ransomware attacks in recent years, has been on the rise, with one group earning $50 million in one year alone! Fortunately, the government, law enforcement, and hundreds of information technology specialists are constantly thwarting the cybersecurity and global risks posed by the anonymity of the Dark Web.

Consider working with a knowledgeable cybersecurity partner like Protected Harbor if you’re serious about being at the forefront of defense against cyberattacks and internet threats to national security. We specialize in information technology, cyber protection, and cybersecurity management, plus, we can educate your staff on online safety.

Contact us now to learn more about our cybersecurity strategy and receive a free Cyber IT Audit!