Written by: Jay H.

Cybercrime continues to be a lucrative endeavor for criminals. The average cost of a data breach is only rising, according to IBM’s 17th-annual Cost of a Data Breach report.

Of the breaches impacting 537 organizations across 17 countries and industries, the average total cost of a data breach was $4.24 million. This is the highest cost in the survey’s history and a 10 percent increase from 2020. This means if attackers breach your organization, you can expect to pay more than ever!

Image: IBM

Researchers say that security incidents have become harder and more costly to contain due to COVID-19 forcing people to work from home. Many did not have cybersecurity protocols in place, like firewalls, VPNs, and antivirus. In fact, breaches cost on average over $1 million more when remote work was a factor in the data breach versus breaches where remote work wasn’t a factor.

Results By Industry

Healthcare had the highest average total cost of a data breach for the eleventh year in a row. The average cost also increased from $7.13 million in 2020 to $9.23 million in 2021, representing a whopping 29.5 percent increase!

The top industries for average total cost after healthcare included financial ($5.72 million), pharmaceuticals ($5.04 million). technology ($4.88 million), and energy ($4.65 million).

Image: IBM

Clearly, data breaches are extremely costly for any organization in any industry. So, businesses need a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy in place to prevent attackers from breaching their networks and wreaking havoc.

Canadian Results

Of the 26 Canadian organizations surveyed, the average total cost of a data breach was $5.35 million, making it the country with the third-highest cost. Moreover, the average number of exposed records per breach was 24,400.

“While it’s not a surprise that data breach costs rose to their highest level during the pandemic, it should be a stark reminder for businesses to not let security lag behind as they accelerate their digital transformation,” Ray Boisvert, an IBM Canada associate partner for security strategy, said in a statement.

“For Canadian financial and technology companies in particular, who are digitizing faster than others in the country and paying more per lost or stolen record, investment in data security, AI and encryption should go hand in hand with cloud migration.”

Recommendations

IBM provided numerous recommendations for businesses to minimize the cost of a data breach, including:

• Invest in security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) to help improve detection and response times.
• Adopt a zero-trust security model to help prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.
• Stress-test your incident response plan to increase cyber resilience.
• Use tools that help protect and monitor endpoints and remote employees.
• Invest in governance, risk management, and compliance programs.
• Embrace an open security architecture and minimize the complexity of IT and security environments.
• Protect sensitive data in cloud environments using policy and encryption.

Your organization can minimize its security risks by partnering with a managed IT service provider such as Design2Web IT. We can create and enact a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy for your business that ensures all endpoints, servers, and mobile devices are secure from viruses, malware, ransomware, and hackers. Contact us today to learn more.

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Written by: Jay H.

Scammers are increasing using pop-up messages with fake warnings of computer problems to scam remote employees, according to data gathered by Fortinet. Over one in four organizations detected these types of deceptive scare tactics, also known as “scareware”.

How Tech Support Scams Work

The scenarios typically play out like this: first, the user receives a fake pop-up claiming there is an issue with their computer. Then, the popup urges users to call (and pay) for tech support to help resolve the non-existent issue. Typically, the “tech support” team masquerades as a legitimate, trustworthy company, like Microsoft or Apple. This entire scenario is, of course, a scam designed to trick money out of unsuspecting victims.

Scammers may also ask victims to download software or go to a website or for sensitive information, such as government-issued identification numbers, according to Microsoft.

This tactic is nothing new. Scammers have relied on tech support scams for many years, and it has proven to be a lucrative business. Indeed, scammers have conned people out of billions of dollars over the last several years. However, experts have witnessed an unprecedented surge in tech support scams due to the abundance of employees working at home, away from the sophisticated protection of corporate cybersecurity.

Fake tech support scam. Image: BleepingComputer.com

How To Prevent Tech Support Scams

To prevent yourself from falling victim to a tech support scam, use the following tips:

• Microsoft and similar companies will never send unsolicited emails or make phone calls to request personal or financial information.
• Error messages from Microsoft or Apple will not include a phone number. If a phone number appears, do not call it.
• If you need to contact technical support, do so through official channels, i.e. https://www.microsoft.com or https://www.apple.com.
• Be aware Microsoft and Apple will never ask for payment in the form of gift cards or cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin.
• Follow proper computer security measures, including installing antivirus, using a firewall, and not clicking on suspicious links.
• Work alongside a trusted IT partner like Design2Web IT to secure your company’s network from attackers.

The post Fake Tech Support Scams On The Rise Targeting Remote Workers appeared first on Design2Web IT, Inc..

Written by: Jay H.

A joint security advisory issued by the top cybersecurity agencies reveals the most targeted vulnerabilities by cybercriminals over the past two years.

The USA’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the USA’s Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Australian Cyber Security Centre (ACSC), and the United Kingdom’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) also shared details on these security flaws and how organizations can mitigate their risk.

Remote Work, VPNs, and Cloud-Based Technology Targeted

Based on data available to the U.S. government, most of the top vulnerabilities had been disclosed during the past two years. Moreover, cybercriminals focused their efforts on remote work options including VPNs and cloud-based technology as a result of COVID-19.

The rapid shift and increased use of remote work options, such as virtual private networks (VPNs) and cloud-based environments, likely placed an additional burden on cyber defenders struggling to maintain and keep pace with routine software patching,” said CISA.

The list includes the top thirty vulnerabilities, primarily Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVEs). Many of these are publicly known and dated software vulnerabilities that have available security patches.

Four of the most targeted vulnerabilities affected remote work, VPNs, or cloud-based technology. These exploits highlight the importance of rigorous patch management.

Businesses Urged To Patch Their Systems

Attackers will continue to exploit these vulnerabilities since many businesses are not applying their security patches.

“Organizations are encouraged to remediate or mitigate vulnerabilities as quickly as possible to reduce the risk of exploitation,” said CISA. “Most can be remediated by patching and updating systems.”

The agencies also provided the following tips for organizations performing patch management:

• Update software versions once patches are available and as soon as is practicable. If this is not possible, consider applying temporary workarounds or other mitigations.
• If an organization is unable to update all software shortly after a patch is released, prioritize implementing patches for CVEs that are already known to be exploited or that would be accessible to the largest number of potential attackers (such as internet-facing systems).
• Automatic software updates should be enabled whenever possible.
• Attackers commonly exploit weak authentication processes, particularly in external-facing devices. Organizations should require multi-factor authentication to remotely access networks from external sources, especially for administrator or privileged accounts.

Patch Management For Your Organization

Most organizations do not have the resources or personnel to assign to patch management. This leaves them susceptible to data breaches, malware, and ransomware. However, businesses can work alongside a managed IT service provider (MSP) such as Design2Web IT to perform patch management for them. Contact us today to learn more about how we can keep your business safe from security vulnerabilities.

The post Cybersecurity Agencies Reveal Top Targeted Vulnerabilities appeared first on Design2Web IT, Inc..

Written by: Jay H.

The coronavirus pandemic uprooted the workplace as we knew it. Seemingly overnight, organizations relocated entire workforces into remote environments. However, with vaccinations steadily rolling out, long-forgotten pre-pandemic activities are resuming, including attending concerts, dining in at restaurants, traveling and office work. However, a recent survey from Leger and the Association for Canadian Studies suggests that few Canadians want to return to the office full-time.

In a poll of 1,624 Canadians, 82 percent who worked from home during the pandemic say their experience was positive. In addition, only 20 percent want to stop working from home and go back to the office entirely. Almost 60 percent reported that they would prefer to return to the office part-time or occasionally, while 19 percent said they never want to return.

Not only do many Canadians not want to return to the office, but they are also demanding accommodation for remote work. Thirty-five percent of Canadians surveyed agreed that if their superiors ordered them to return to the office, they would start to look for another job where they can work from home.

The top three reasons for working from home were convenience, saving money, and increased productivity.

What Does This Mean For My Business?

As a business owner, you likely migrated at least part of your workforce into a remote environment during the pandemic. However, just as you may consider bringing your team back into the office, you may want to survey your staff. Find out how your employees would like to work, whether full-time at home, full-time at the office, or a hybrid setup. Then, see whether you will be able to accommodate their preferences.

The degree of home-based work varies significantly by your industry. For instance, restaurants, hotels, construction, airports, healthcare, and manufacturing are all jobs that require high percentages of in-person work. Therefore, the ability to permit workers to work from home in a hybrid or permanent setup depends on your industry.

Of course, remote work comes with more variables than meets the eye. You have to figure out the complex mix of costs, innovation, accommodation of needs and skills, and work discipline required. However, as we look into the post-pandemic future, accommodating remote work may be one way for you to recruit top talent–and get your current team to stay.

Managing Your Remote And In-House Teams

No matter your work setup, you need to ensure your business and your teams are safe and secure. That’s why many organizations turn to managed IT service providers (MSP) like Design2Web IT to manage all of their IT needs. When you partner with a MSP, you receive many essential services, including remote management and monitoring of your networks, daily backups of your invaluable data, network security and cybersecurity, and remote tech support. Contact us today to learn more about how we can help your organization.

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Written by: Jay H.

Phishing campaigns are fraudulent attempts to gain sensitive information such as passwords, usernames, and credit card information from victims. These scam attempts are a lucrative business for cybercriminals and the most popular way to distribute malware. In fact, phishing attempts impacted 75 percent of organizations in 2020.

Given this, businesses recognize the importance of security awareness training to keep staff up to date on current tactics. However, a recent report from software vendor Webroot highlights the sophistication of cybercriminals’ new phishing tactics and demonstrates that cybersecurity awareness training must be an ongoing effort.

Phishing and COVID-19

COVID-19 has dominated headlights for over a year, so it’s no surprise attackers are incorporating the topic into their schemes. In fact, the pandemic has been lucrative for criminals looking to capitalize on peoples’ uncertainties and fears. Most of the malicious emails Webroot analyzed used COVID-related phishing lures. Common topics included guidelines on protecting yourself from COVID-19, details on pandemic stimulus money, and vaccines while impersonating reputable organizations.

Most of the malicious spam urged victims to download a Microsoft Word document. Once downloaded and opened, Word would ask the user to ‘Enable Content,’ allowing macros. Essentially, this would enable the execution of malware such as Emotet.

“Just one click can be the catalyst that starts the infection process, eventually leading to ransomware or other forms of malware,” said Brianna Butler, senior technical project manager at Webroot. “If the user doesn’t open the Word document or doesn’t enable macros, the malicious spam poses no threat. This is why it’s so important for users to be educated on the latest trends in phishing tactics.”

Phishing URLs Using HTTPS

Another emerging trend amongst phishing campaigns is the use of HTTPS versus HTTP.

HTTPS and HTTP are communication protocols used to send and receive webpages on the Internet and are displayed in URLs. However, only HTTPS is secure for encrypting information sent and received. Users are learning to expect websites to use HTTPS to protect communications and are more likely to trust a website using this protocol.

Unfortunately, attackers are well aware of this and increasingly use the HTTPS protocol to lull victims into a fall sense of security. Although switching to HTTPS requires more effort and expense on the attackers’ parts, it is worth it since victims trust HTTPS. Throughout 2020, 32 percent of phishing attempts used HTTPS. However, in December alone, over half (54%) of phishing sites used HTTPS.

Image: Webroot

While we can expect most phishing attempts to use HTTPS, the numbers vary by the targeted industry. Attackers primarily use HTTPS in phishing campaigns spoofing cryptocurrency exchanges (70% of the time), Internet service providers (65%), and gaming (62%). Meanwhile, other industries like delivery services and social media saw rates just over 30 percent. Education was the lowest industry at 26 percent.

Image: Webroot

Lessons Learned

Attackers are constantly evolving their tactics to trick unsuspecting users into handing over sensitive information. Because of this, organizations and individuals must stay current with cybercriminals’ tactics and should implement the following suggestions:

• Conduct regular security awareness training, including phishing awareness.
• Follow our scam-email-spotting tips.
• Enable multi-factor authentication on all accounts.
• Use strong, unique passwords for each account.
• Use strong internal policies to combat fraud, including requiring in-person or telephone confirmation and/or approval from multiple people for all financial transactions.
• Leverage artificial intelligence and machine learning.
• Work alongside a reputable managed IT service provider such as Design2Web IT to develop and implement a multi-layered security solution for your organization.

The post The Phishing Tactic Cybercriminals Are Using To Trick You appeared first on Design2Web IT, Inc..

Written by: Jay H.

One of the biggest cybersecurity mistakes organizations make is thinking they are “too small” to be targeted by hackers. Every business is at risk of data breaches, malware, ransomware, or other cybercriminal attackers.

Yet, data shows that some industries are some susceptible than others. Mainly, industries such as healthcare, finance, and education have been prime targets for attackers over the year. While these industries are still lucrative targets, new research from software vendor Webroot analyzes growing cybersecurity threats and suggests attackers are going after new ‘lowest-hanging fruits.’

Malware Decline

The coronavirus wasn’t the only surprise of 2020: Webroot reported an unprecedented overall decline in malware from the previous year. This decrease is likely due to several factors. First, the pandemic had the largest impact on the decline. Also, improvements in security technology prevented malware from executing attacks. Furthermore, more PCs upgraded to Windows 10, which is more secure than its predecessors. Then, a newer trend shows attackers using Living off the Land Binaries, which exploit default Windows applications and require fewer malware executables. Finally, the Microsoft-coordinated takedown on the TrickBot trojan also disrupted operations.

It’s too early to celebrate, though. Webroot affirms that the decline is only temporary and that numbers will begin increasing once again.

Decline in Infected Business and Consumer PCs

Similarly, Webroot also reported a decline in the infection rates of business and consumer PCs in 2020.

“While 2019 saw 12.6% of consumer PCs and 7.8% of business PCs experiencing a malware infection at some point, these numbers plummeted in 2020 to 8.5% and 4.7% respectively,” the report explained. “That’s a 33% drop year-to-year for consumer and a 40% drop for business devices.”

A pattern emerged amongst infected PCs. Of consumer PCs infected in 2020, 53 percent saw more than one infection, and 17 percent saw over five. Similarly, of infected business PCs, 48 percent experienced more than one, and 13 percent more than five.

“Due to the way COVID-19 has altered the notion of work vs. home devices, it can be difficult to clarify these differences,” the report stated. “For many, our homes have become our offices. We use business PCs on home networks and use consumer PCs to perform business tasks, blurring the boundary lines that, in years past, have helped delineate risk.”

Another notable fact uncovered by the report was that PCs running Windows 7 were more susceptible to infections than Windows 10 PCs.

‘Lowest-Hanging Fruit’

Perhaps surprisingly, 2020 saw a shift in targeted industries. Although industries such as healthcare, education, government, and finance are still lucrative targets for cybercriminals, data shows cybercriminals are shifting their focus.

According to reported data, the industries with the highest infection rates are as follow, where the percentages represent the deviation from the average number of attacks by industry:

• Wholesale trade (up 32.2%)
• Mining/oil/gas (up 32.0%)
• Manufacturing (up 25.9%)
• Public administration (up 25.0%)
• Information (up 22.1%)

On the other end of the spectrum, the industries with the lowest infection rates were:

• Healthcare and social assistance (down 41.4%)
• Non-profit (down 31.5%)
• Arts, entertainment, and recreation (down 20.7%)
• Educational services (down 20.2%)
• Finance and insurance (down 16.5%)

Image: Webroot

The shift can likely be explained by evolving security from the usual targets. Cybercriminals usually target organizations with the weakest defences, i.e. they pick the lowest hanging fruit. Since industries such as healthcare, education, finance, and non-profits have been big targets for years, these industries have tightened their defences. So, attackers have shifted their focus to other industries that may not have the same protections in place.

This is not to say that those industries with the lowest infection rates are not still major targets for cybercriminals, but other industries need to ensure they are not also vulnerable.

Ransomware Flourished

Where malware may have faltered, ransomware became more prevalent than ever. Ransomware, which involves attackers encrypting their victims’ files and demanding payment for their release, evolved a new threatening tactic. Should businesses refuse to pay, attackers would publically post or misuse it.

Organizations in this situation have very few options. Depending on the nature of the data, public disclosure could be devastating for the company. Consequences of the breach include fines for violating privacy regulations, costs of downtime and recovery, and damaged reputation and consumer trust.

Attackers know how devastating their attacks can be, and ransom costs skyrocketed in 2020. In 2018, the average ransom payment was $6,733. In 2019, this increased over 1100 percent to $84,116. By the end of September 2020, this amount peaked at $233,817. However, by the end of 2020, it had dropped to $154,108. Whether this decrease is temporary or long-term remains to be seen.

Other Findings

The report also uncovered several other findings.

First, there was an extraordinary increase in malicious URLs largely due to increased phishing activity and the pandemic. These URLs include botnets, keyloggers and monitoring, malware sites, phishing, proxy avoidance and anonymizers, spam, and spyware and adware. 81 percent of all high-risk URLs were for phishing campaigns.

Cryptojacking, where attackers inject malicious JavaScript code into unsecured websites and “mine” cryptocurrency for the cybercriminals, experienced a decrease. However, Webroot expects to see this return as cryptocurrency values fluctuate.

Phishing attacks are still one of the most popular ways for attackers to distribute ransomware and malware. And with COVID-19 dominating last year’s headlines, criminals saw an opportunity to exploit the situation. Most malicious spam emails used COVID-related phishing lures, usually impersonating reputable organizations such as WHO and government institutions.

Recommendations

Webroot offered several recommendations for organizations to strengthen their cybersecurity, including:

• Providing security awareness training for all users.
• Using a multi-layered security strategy.
• Performing regular backups of systems and files.
• Utilizing threat intelligence and machine learning to prevent malware and network-layer attacks.

MSPs: Your Trusted Security Partner

At Design2Web IT, we know what cybercriminals’ tactics are. To protect your organization, we offer managed IT services including network security and remote tech support. To learn about how we can develop a comprehensive cybersecurity plan for your organization, contact us today.

The post Is Your Industry One Of These Now Being Targeted By Cybercriminals? appeared first on Design2Web IT, Inc..

Written by: Jay H.

Apple released iOS and iPadOS 14.5.1 to the public on April 26. This update is particularly exciting for Apple users due to several new features focused on user privacy and experience.

New Privacy Features

The most significant feature in the new update is App Tracking Transparency (ATT), which shows which apps are tracking you as you use different apps and websites on your iPhone. Starting iOS 14.5, apps are required to notify you when they want to track you, and you will have to permit them to do so.

This feature is game-changing for privacy since many people are now able to opt-out of invasive tracking. Previously, advertisers relied on the identifier for advertisers (IDFA)–an anonymized ID assigned to each Apple user–to track how users interact with ad campaigns, for example.

Now, users will be able to see which apps track them and what data they collect.

Not Everyone Is Happy

Despite the crackdown on user privacy, not everyone is happy with the new changes. Notably, Facebook–and in turn, Instagram–has voiced its opposition, claiming that the privacy changes would hurt small businesses that rely on personalized ads to reach customers.

In a new pop-up on Facebook and Instagram’s iOS apps, Facebook urges users to permit tracking.

“This version of iOS requires us to ask for permission to track some data from this device to improve your ads,” the notice reads. “We use this information about your activity received from other apps and websites to: show you ads that are more personalized, help keep Facebook/Instagram free of charge, [and] support businesses that rely on ads to reach their customers.”

Unlock Your iPhone When Wearing A Mask

Another long-anticipated feature Apple added to iOS 14.5 can unlock your iPhone with your Apple Watch when wearing a face covering.

The Unlock with Apple Watch option allows users to use their Apple Watch as a secondary authentication method when Face ID cannot see their entire face due to a face covering.

This feature requires both an iPhone running iOS 14.5 and an Apple Watch running watchOS 7.4. Furthermore, your Apple Watch must be nearby, on your wrist, unlocked, and protected by a passcode. This option can be enabled in the Settings app by going to Face ID & Passcode and toggling on Unlock with Apple Watch.

Other iOS 14.5 Features

Apple introduced various other features in this update. AirTags are now trackable within the Find My app. Furthermore, on the iPhone 11 and iPhone 12, a Precision Finding feature guides users to a lost item using visual, audible, and haptic feedback.

Another notable feature allows crowdsourcing reports of accidents, hazards, and speed checks in areas in Apple Maps. This option will allow for earlier heads up at incidents that need to be avoided.

Moreover, the update introduced new emoji characters and skin tones to further diversify the selection.

Apple also added new voices to Siri, including two new English voices. By default, Siri no longer has a female voice.

Other new iOS 14.5 features include the following:

• ETA for walking/cycling directions
• AirPlay 2 for Fitness+
• Dual-SIM 5G support
• T-Mobile standalone 5G network support
• 5G data usage improvements
• Preferred music streaming service selection
• Game controller support
• iPhone 11 battery recalibration
• Apple Music changes
• Podcast app changes
• Reminders app changes
• News app changes
• Translate app changes
• Apple Watch iCloud toggle

To update your eligible Apple device, go to the Settings app, choose General, then select Software Update.

For more informative articles, read our other blog posts.

The post Apple iOS 14.5: New Features Focused On Privacy appeared first on Design2Web IT, Inc..

Written by: Jay H.

The coronavirus pandemic abruptly forced employees from the office into their homes. Unfortunately, this unprecedented transition left employees exposed to numerous cybersecurity risks. A recent survey conducted by software vendor Lynx Software examines these threats and how to mitigate them.

In a survey of 1,000 working Americans, Lynx found that a cybersecurity attack has impacted 36% of respondents, or someone they know, since the start of the pandemic. As such, most respondents (69%) are more concerned about cybersecurity risks during COVID-19 than they were beforehand. For most (54%) employees, the most significant security concern is attackers compromising their personal data.

Despite the heightened security risks, only 49% said their organization’s cybersecurity has strengthened since the start of the pandemic. For example, organizations allow 76% of respondents to use personal devices for work at least sometimes and permit 65% to access personal services on their work computer. Furthermore, 60% say their company has not prohibited using applications that do not meet high security standards, and 58% say their organization has not implemented antivirus software.

“Organizations of all types need to prioritize finding ways to secure end-points for their employees’ devices, whether they are on laptops, edge servers, or anything between, especially in the remote, zero-trust environment we are living in. For IT teams this doesn’t have to mean prohibitive costs or compromising performance,” said Arun Subbarao, vice president of engineering and technology at Lynx Software.

Employees Unaware Of Cybersecurity Risks

Furthermore, not all employees are aware of the additional cybersecurity risks they are exposed to or what to do in a threatening situation. While almost all (95%) agreed that it is crucial to secure their work laptop, 30% were unaware that using company devices outside of the workplace puts them at greater cyber risk. Moreover, over half admitted they would not be able to recognize if attackers had compromised their device.

Once the workforce begins to return to the office, 70% of respondents expect they will work from home for some period of the workweek. When asked how organizations can mitigate cybersecurity risks, respondents had several ideas. First, 51% said their organizations can communicate how they are combatting cybersecurity risks by sharing policies. Also, 50% said they would like training sessions educating them on cybersecurity issues. Finally, 44% would like weekly newsletter updates on cybersecurity efforts from the organization.

To help your organization defend against cybersecurity risks, consider partnering with a managed IT services provider such as Design2Web IT. To learn more about how Design2Web can help keep your business safe, contact us today.

The post Is Your Organization Mitigating The Risks Of Remote Work? appeared first on Design2Web IT, Inc..

Written by: Jay H.

The rollout of coronavirus vaccines offers hope for many to resume normality soon. However, many people have questions regarding when, where, and how they will receive their first doses. Amongst the confusion, attackers have seized the opportunity to exploit the situation and launched waves of vaccine-related phishing scams.

Vaccine-Related Domains Registered

According to a recent blog post by Check Point Research, the number of domain registrations containing the word “vaccine” has significantly increased over the past four months. Since November last year, there have been 7,056 new vaccine-related domain registrations, of which 294 were deemed potentially dangerous.

To illustrate the spike in domain registrations, Check Point graphed below the number of weekly new vaccine-related domains between July 2020 and February 2021.

Image credit: Check Point

Spear-Phishing Attack Techniques

Furthermore, research conducted by Barracuda found an increase in targeted spear-phishing attacks using vaccine-related emails.

“After pharmaceutical companies like Pfizer and Moderna announced the availability of vaccines in November 2020, the number of vaccine-related spear-phishing attacks increased by 12%,” the author explained. “By the end of January, the average number of vaccine-related spear-phishing attacks was up 26% since October.”

Threat actors primarily use two spear-phishing techniques to carry out vaccine scams: brand impersonation and business email compromise.

Brand Impersonation

Vaccine-related phishing emails are impersonating well-known brands or organizations to swindle credentials from unsuspecting recipients. These emails link to websites promising early access to vaccines, offering vaccines for payments, or imitating health care professionals requesting personal information to confirm eligibility for a vaccine. Attackers then capture any personal data entered and sell or further exploit it.

Business Email Compromise

Attackers are utilizing business email compromise to impersonate individuals within an organization or their partners. Recently, vaccines have been the topic of many of these scam emails. For example, Barracuda found that scammers were impersonating HR specialists within a business, claiming that the organization had secured vaccines for their employees.

Protect Your Organization

To protect your organization against vaccine-related fraud, Barracuda offered the following tips:

1. Take advantage of artificial intelligence. Scammers are adapting email tactics to bypass gateways and spam filters, so it’s critical to have a solution that detects and protects against spear-phishing attacks, including brand impersonation, business email compromise, and email account takeover. Deploy purpose-built technology that doesn’t rely solely on looking for malicious links or attachments. Using machine learning to analyze normal communication patterns within your organization allows the solution to spot anomalies that may indicate an attack.

2. Deploy account-takeover protection. Don’t just focus on external email messages. Some of the most devastating and successful spear-phishing attacks originate from compromised internal accounts. Be sure scammers aren’t using your organization as a base camp to launch these attacks. Deploy technology that uses artificial intelligence to recognize when accounts have been compromised, and that remediates in real-time by alerting users and removing malicious emails sent from compromised accounts.

3. Train staffers to recognize and report attacks. Educate your users about spear-phishing attacks. Provide employees with up-to-date user awareness training about vaccine-related phishing, seasonal scams, and other potential threats. Ensure staffers can recognize the latest attacks and know how to report them to IT right away. Also, use phishing simulation for email, voicemail, and SMS to train users to identify cyberattacks, test the effectiveness of your training, and evaluate the most vulnerable users.

4. Set up strong internal policies to prevent fraud. All companies should establish and regularly review existing policies, to ensure that personal and financial information is handled properly. Help employees avoid making costly mistakes by creating guidelines and putting procedures in place to confirm all email requests for wire transfers and payment changes. Moreover, require in-person or telephone confirmation and/or approval from multiple people for all financial transactions.

Partner With An MSP

In addition to the above tips, working with a credible managed service provider such as Design2Web IT gives your organization the defences it needs against attackers. Contact us today and see how we can help protect your firm.

The post How Vaccine-Related Phishing Attacks Are Threatening Your Organization appeared first on Design2Web IT, Inc..

Written by: Jay H.

We’re approaching one year since the start of lockdowns that forced most of the workforce into a remote environment. Now, many organizations are looking to adopt remote working long-term even after the pandemic subsides. If you’re one of many full-time or part-time remote workers, you may want to make some improvements to your work area. Here are some ways you can improve your work from home space.

1. Establish A Dedicated Work Area

Having a dedicated work area helps you focus and creates a work/life balance. If you have a spare room that you can work in, that is the best option for maximum privacy. However, setting up an area in your kitchen or living room will suffice if that isn’t an option. Choose somewhere with ample natural lighting that offers some degree of privacy, and make sure your family knows not to disturb you during working hours.

2. Buy An Ergonomic Office Chair

Does your back start to hurt from long hours at work in an uncomfortable chair? If so, you need an upgrade. Look for an ergonomic office chair that is comfortable to sit on for hours on end. Your back will thank you for it.

3. Invest In A Desk

Are you using your kitchen island as your work desk? You may want to invest in a proper desk. Desks come in many forms, some bare, some with shelves, and some even designed for standing. So, no matter your preferences, there is a desk for you.

4. Set Up Dual Monitors

Did you know that using multiple monitors can improve your productivity by up to 42%? With dual monitors, you can have multiple windows open, letting you, for instance, keep your email open on one screen and work on the other. Most computers have graphics cards that can support dual monitors, and installing another monitor is simple. For an easy way to massively improve your work-from-home space, consider adding an extra monitor to your setup.

5. Add Some Greenery

Plants not only add a dash of colour to your space but have also been proven to increase productivity by 15 percent, boost your mental wellbeing, and improve the air quality. Some easy-to-care-for plants that can improve your workspace include succulents, aloe vera, snake plants, and spider plants.

6. Improve Your Internet

While working from home, you depend on your home internet connection. That’s why it’s essential to have an internet plan that can handle Zoom calls and file transferring without issues. If you’re experiencing any problems related to your internet, you may want to consult your internet service provider (ISP) about upgrading your plan. You could find that you can drastically improve your internet quality for only a few extra dollars a month.

Alternatively, your internet plan may not hold you back; instead, your router could be the culprit. Be sure to invest in a high-quality modem that boosts excellent speeds. We recommend the ASUS RT-AC68U for its high speeds and wide coverage.

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