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July 22, 2019 By OSR

How Hackers Steal Your Data (Part 2 Of 2)

How Hackers Steal Your Data (Part 2 Of 2)

In Part 1 of our data hacking article, we explored two of the most common methods cybercriminals are using to attempt to access your data. In Part 2, we’ll look at three slightly more sophisticated attacks that you should be aware of to properly steel yourself against data breach attempts.

Social Engineering

A catch-all term that can include phishing (discussed in Part 1 of this article), social engineering uses your real-world instincts against you to get you to divulge information you usually would be hesitant to reveal. Typically speaking, hackers use technological vulnerabilities to exploit holes in your cybersecurity, but in social engineering attacks, hackers lean on your personal weaknesses.

Some examples of this might be:

  • A hacker calling and posing as a client who’s locked out of their account and needs you to give them access.
  • A hacker calling or emailing pretending to be a local charity asking for financial information to make a donation.
  • A hacker texting you posing as a friend, boss, or coworker who needs urgent help.

Relying on psychological manipulation, these examples illustrate the importance of slowing down, staying skeptical, and carefully reviewing any “urgent” issues before taking action. Be wary of links or downloads even if they seem to be from a trusted source, set your email spam filters to the highest setting, and always be wary of anyone asking for credentials in a text, email, or phone call if you want to avoid being misled by this form of emotional manipulation.

Man-In-The-Middle Attacks

In a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack, an adept hacker will use IP, ARP, or DNS spoofing to position themselves in the middle of a conversation between you and an application to intercept user traffic. After they’ve intercepted this traffic, the attacker will decrypt it using HTTP spoofing or SSL hijacking to avoid detection. This allows them to then monitor and control the session and steal account details, log-in credentials, banking info, etc. A MITM attack is hard to detect, but can be prevented with due diligence. Avoiding the use of free Wi-Fi hotspots, closing out secure connections when they are not in use, and steering clear of unsecured websites are key preventative measures you should be taking to avoid this scenario. If you’re also a web administrator, you’ll want to be proactive with these types of attacks by making sure you’re using SSL/TLS to secure each page of your website and not just log-in pages.

IoT Attacks

The wave of the future, The Internet of Things (IoT) is a term used to describe the increasing array of interconnected devices that interact with each other across your network. The more devices become “smart” and connect and share information, however, the more entry points hackers have to gain access to your systems. It might seem far-fetched, but hackers can actually install viruses or hack into your wireless routers, printers, and any new device you introduce that may connect to your network regularly. If you are investing in IoT devices to stay current, only buy them from reputable vendors with track records for reliable security. Many businesses are also guilty of sticking with the factory preset passwords that come out-of-the-box with new devices. These factory passwords are often not strong enough, are easily found in product manuals, or have been made public on databases stored in the dark web. So, make sure you create a unique set of new credentials for each IoT device as soon as you introduce them to your network.

Although using the preventative measures detailed for these five types of attacks can dramatically decrease your chances of data theft, there are endless ways that cybercriminals can target you. Therefore, the true key to making sure you avoid a data breach is to have a plan. This is where an MSP like Longleaf can help. By helping you formulate a comprehensive, structured approach to cybersecurity, we can streamline the time-consuming tasks of learning about new threats, keeping your systems up-to-date, and educating your team. Contact Longleaf today to put your cybersecurity plan in motion.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: cyber attack, cybersecurity, dark web, data breach, data hacking, data privacy, hackers, network security, passwords, security, smart devices, ssl certificate

January 8, 2019 By OSR

Preventing Data Breaches on Data Privacy Day

Preventing Data Breaches on Data Privacy Day

We’re often approached by clients and others at the start of each New Year to discuss their new business initiatives, which often include new technologies they’d like to integrate into their existing systems. Though new technologies can open doors for your business, they can also create new vulnerabilities and openings for hackers, thieves, and phishers.

That’s one of the reasons we’d like to promote Data Privacy Day. It is recognized on the 28th of January each year and is intended to educate users on data privacy to promote a safer, more secure, and more private internet for citizens all over the world.

It’s a good day for individuals to review their social media privacy settings, update old passwords, and take a look at the state of your digital data security. But the purpose and goals of Data Privacy Day are of particular importance to businesses. Each year, millions of businesses face attacks to their security as a result of totally preventable vulnerabilities within their IT infrastructure. While not all attacks turn into breaches, that doesn’t mean they’re not cause for concern.

As we initiate conversations about new technologies in particular, we want to promote the idea that technology selection, integration, and user training should place security at the forefront.

So, what can you do to protect yourself this Data Privacy Day? A good place to start is to increase your password security. This can be done by requiring more complex passwords from your employees, requiring they change them up regularly, and by instating two-factor authentication, which provides additional security to confirm the person logging into your network is legitimate.

If you haven’t already, setting up firewalls and using encryption to secure your network is also a best practice to keep out hackers. Additionally, limit access privileges to certain parts of your network only to those with a verified need to do so. This reduces the probability that sensitive or protected information will fall into the wrong hands.

Finally, having back-ups, either of your entire environment, or simply of vital data, is one of the best ways to ensure that, if you are attacked in a way that threatens to corrupt or steal your data, you can recover quickly, without having to pay a ransom.

Wherever you’re starting from, and whether it’s with your legacy systems or entirely new technologies, Longleaf takes the message of Data Privacy Day to heart. Work with us or your existing MSP to craft a customized security plan that will prevent attacks from happening and keep your business’ data safe and secure.

Make it your mission, as we do, to stay updated on all the latest possible threats to your industry and chosen technologies, and get educated on your options so that you can make informed decisions about how to protect your business. Lean on your IT provider for information, but also seek out your own sources. Have other businesses in your industry been attacked? Were they prepared? What was the result, and the ultimate cost?

Longleaf offers its clients an audit of their current security infrastructure to identify vulnerabilities and prevent them from being exploited. This is especially important for our financial services, medical practice, and legal firms where the stakes are high. We’d be happy to help your business as well. But whether you work with Longleaf or another MSP, please do take advantage of Data Privacy Day to take a close look at your cybersecurity. Your business’s future could depend on it.

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: cybersecurity, data breach, data privacy, hackers, phishing, Productivity, ransomware, two-factor authentication

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