When it comes to finding a good web hosting provider, there are certain qualities you should look for. Not all providers are created equal, and some will be a better fit for your business than others. This article will discuss the important factors you need to consider when choosing a web host. 

Tailored Services 

Nobody has the exact same needs when it comes to web hosting. The people working at JustHostMe® know how important it is for companies to have a website designed perfectly for their needs and the needs of their customers. Looking for a company that can deliver you exactly what you need must be the first step. 

Having the services designed specifically to meet your individual needs is an important factor in choosing the right web hosting provider. Look for tailored services that are tailored to suit the exact requirements of your website and business. 

A good hosting provider should offer packages tailored to match the size, scope, and complexity of your website, as well as tailored solutions for specific industries such as finance, health care, and e-commerce. When you opt for tailored services, you can be sure that the provider is willing to customize their offering to ensure it meets your exact needs. 

Speed 

Speed is essential for retaining your website visitors. A slow website speed will cause your visitors to become frustrated and leave the site, leading to fewer conversions. When selecting a web hosting provider, ensure speed is one of the critical factors you take into account.

Look for providers that use high-performance SSD hard drives, which allow for faster loading times compared to traditional spinning disks. Additionally, check to see if they offer a content delivery network (CDN) that can speed up loading times for visitors around the world. A good web hosting providers will also utilize caching technologies and optimized server configurations to improve speed and performance. When selecting a web hosting provider, ensure speed is one of the critical factors you take into account.

Different Types Offered

There are different types of web hosting available nowadays. These are the following:

• Shared Hosting 
• Dedicated hosting
• VPS hosting
• Cloud hosting
• Managed WordPress hosting 
• Reseller hosting

Shared hosting is a web hosting solution where different websites share the same server, which results in cost savings. Dedicated hosting provides complete control over your own dedicated server and is an ideal choice for businesses that need more resources than shared hosting allows. You might also consider cloud hosting as this option can offer more availability and scalability than traditional hosting. Plus, with data spread across several virtual servers, you needn’t fear the failure of a given piece of hardware.

Space 

Storage is another factor to consider when choosing a web hosting provider. How much space do you need for your website? Most websites require at least 1GB of space, but if you plan to host large media files, such as videos or images, then you may require more space. 

Reputable web hosting providers will offer packages with different space options so that you can match the size of your website and its requirements. Make sure to ask about space before signing up for any web hosting package. This will ensure that you get enough space for all of your needs without paying extra for something you don’t need.  

Good Bandwidth 

Bandwidth is needed for web hosting because it allows larger amounts of data to be transferred from the web server to a user’s computer. A good hosting provider should provide good bandwidth, which allows for faster speeds when loading websites or downloading files. 

The higher the speed, the better your website will perform and feel for your users. Good bandwidth also helps reduce latency issues that can arise with slow connection speeds. When choosing a web hosting provider, it is important to look for one that offers good bandwidth so you can ensure good performance for your website and visitors. 

Customer Support 

You need to be able to reach out to your web hosting providers at any time with. Good customer support should be available 24/7 so that any issue you might have can be resolved quickly and efficiently. It’s important not only to look for customer support when choosing a web hosting provider but also customer service reviews to get an idea of what kind of customer experience other users have had. 

Secure Location, 

Of course, data security is of utmost importance when choosing a web hosting provider. Considering the secure location is an important quality to look for in a host. As this can help ensure your data is secure from any natural disasters, power outages, and other potential threats.

When looking for secure locations, it’s best to look for providers that have servers housed in reliable facilities with secure access control systems. A good host will also invest in the latest technology such as firewalls, intrusion prevention systems, and secure encryption protocols for their clients. 

Web hosting is essential for a business to stay afloat in the modern market, so make sure you find someone offering tailored services. Speed is always of the essence and so are the types of services offered. Make sure they have enough space and bandwidth in their system for your needs and that you can reach out to them for help at any time. Finally, make sure they’re hosting from a secure location!

Hackers often tend to use psychological manipulation via social engineering attacks to trick users to give away sensitive information or make security mistakes. There are different types of social engineering attacks used by hackers, such as phishing, baiting, scareware, pretexting, etc. However, there is another emerging social engineering tactic that is becoming a favorite choice of many hackers, i.e., “MFA Fatigue”, which compromises the multi-factor authentication (MFA) process.

When hackers conduct corporate breaches, they target to access insider’s (employee) log in credentials. To do that, they use different tricks, such as phishing attacks, malware, buying data from the dark web, accessing the leaked credentials due to data breaches, etc. Corporations need a strong defense including advanced encryption and key management systems to ensure security. One common defense is in the form of multi-factor authentication (MFA).

As the name implies, multi-factor authentication is an extra verification step that is intended to make sure that only the right user is accessing the account. Mostly, a one-time password via a call/SMS or a prompt notification is sent to the user’s smartphone to confirm the login attempt. To bypass this security defense, hackers are seen actively using the MFA fatigue attack that even let them succeed in doing data breaches of high-profile companies, such as Cisco and Uber. In this article, we will discuss everything you need to know about MFA fatigue, including the best tips to protect from such attacks.

What is MFA Fatigue

If a company has set up a notification-based MFA, then employees will receive a pop-up or prompt message that asks them to either approve or reject the sign-in location. Some prompt message also provides the location from where the sign-in request is made. So, in an MFA fatigue attack, the hackers use the stolen ID credentials of employee(s) and keep sending them push notifications to eventually make them approve the request to stop the never-ending stream of approval notifications.

There are also chances that users might keep rejecting the push notification or become doubtful about the hacking attempt, so hackers sometimes also use fraudulent email or call tactics to convince users to accept the sign-in request. In this email/call tactic, they pretend to be from the IT team and ask the employee to approve the request.

MFA fatigue is not just confined to non-stop push notifications, any other MFA approach, such as SMS or voice MFAs can also be compromised. In short, any tactic from hackers that can make the user bypass the MFA check intentionally comes under the MFA fatigue attack.

MFA Fatigue Attacks Are on the Rise

MFA fatigue attacks are on an aggressive rise for the past few years. As per Microsoft, from December 2021 to August 2022, the number of MFA attacks has increased significantly. For example, there were 22,850 Azure AD Identity Protection sessions with multiple failed MFA attempts in December 2021, while the number rose to 40,942 in August 2022.

Hackers have managed to successfully use MFA fatigue attacks to breach the security defenses of high-profile corporate names. Cisco and Uber are two prime cases of MFA scams this year. Let’s quickly look at the attack approach behind both of these high-profile attacks:

• Cisco: One of the Cisco employees was targeted by Yanluowang threat actors that hijacked the employee’s personal Google account synced with the browser and stole the login credentials. Once done, the hackers then started the MFA fatigue attack along with voice phishing attacks, which eventually made the employee accept the log-in approval request.
• Uber: One of the Uber employees was tricked into a social engineering attack that gave hackers access to Uber’s intranet. Once done, they started the MFA fatigue attack by presenting themselves from Uber IT support, eventually convincing the employee to approve the log-in request.

It is evident from the above two attack approaches that MFA fatigue is a serious security concern for companies no matter what level of MFA authentication they have set up.

Constant Sign-in Requests are Turned into Habitual Approval Clicks

It is acceptable that when you do something continuously, it becomes a habit. So, if users continuously receive a sign-in approval request, then they become habitual in accepting those requests. So, there is a very high chance that they will unintentionally accept the sign-in request right away even if it’s not made by them. So, sometimes hackers just have to do is access the login credentials, send the sign-in request, and instantly get access to the account/system. Therefore, habitual approval clicks are giving more support to hackers to deploy MFA fatigue attacks.

Best Tips to Protect from MFA Fatigue Attacks

MFA fatigue attacks have the potential to even compromise a highly secure network. However, there are multiple ways to minimize the chances of becoming a victim of MFA fatigue attacks. Some of the main ones are as follows:

• Don’t always click “Approve”: Employees have to stop the habit of immediately approving any sign-in request. First, ensure that it is either you or an authorized person that is requesting the login, only then approve the request.
• Use Number Matching MFA: Other than the popular MFA techniques like push notification, voice, or SMS, the number matching MFA technique provides more protection. In this technique, the person who is intending to log in receives a combination of numbers that he/she puts in the authentication pop-up message on the smartphone. If the number matches, only then the request is approved. This way, hackers can no longer trick user to approve MFA request.
• Contact IT Admin: If you keep receiving MFA request either via push notification, call, or SMS, then get in touch with the IT team to discuss the matter and verify if they are the ones requesting the access.
• Change Password: Continuous MFA requests give indication that something is wrong and that most likely your login credentials are compromised. So, you should immediately change the password to take the hackers out of the cycle.
• Awareness Training: It is likely that most employees are not well-aware of MFA fatigue attacks. Therefore, a company should conduct awareness training so that employees can instantly detect such malicious activities.

In addition to the above tips, your cybersecurity team can find more protective measures depending on your cybersecurity posture and minimize the chances of MFA breaches significantly.

Wrapping Up

Cybercriminals are working tirelessly to find new tricks to compromise the security of companies. MFA fatigue attacks are an emerging and serious threat, especially for big corporate names that involve thousands of employees. However, if we look closely at MFA fatigue, then the attack is only successful if the victim is unaware of such scams. Therefore, it is a preventable attack, and the above tips can help a lot with it. So, implement preventative measures and protect your company from this emerging and concerning cyberattack.

Malware is the disease of computers, smartphones, and other digital technologies. Often used and distributed by hackers and cybercriminals, different kinds of malicious software manage to infect the information systems we enjoy, to damage and exploit them in a preferred way.

The key to battling trojans, worms, and infamous viruses lies in a basic understanding of how these tools function. While malware is not as rampant as it was at the beginning of the XXI century, viruses that manage to infiltrate our digital devices are far more complex and secretive than in the past.

In this article, you will learn about malware: its types, what damage it can do, and what are the ways, tools, and preventive measures you can take to stop the potential mayhem, sabotage, and destruction. For example, to stop viruses from entering your computer or network in the first place, you can buy HTTP proxy from reliable providers in the growing cybersecurity market. To learn more about these powerful tools and their use cases click here. Even while the use of intermediary servers is effective and stops malware, there are many reasons to buy an HTTP proxy and customize your browsing experience.

Malware Identification

Most internet users refer to all malware as viruses, but it is only one of the types that can infect your electronic device. Malware is a collection of harmful software, usually distributed over the web unless a cybercriminal manages to reach your devices and servers for a physical injection

In reality, computer malware should be synonymous with a biological weapon, but for computers, instead of a natural disease. Here you will learn about the most popular versions of malware, with some being present on many devices around the world without the owner’s knowledge.

Adware and CryptoJacking

Let’s start with sneaky little parasites that sneak into our devices to syphon away our attention and resources but avoid any noticeable damage. The goal of adware is not destruction but the functionality of a parasite that infects and alters the system to transfer a part of its value to malicious distributors.

Internet users that lack technical knowledge take the dip in device performance as an aging, a consequence of prior damage, or rarely pay attention at all. The truth is adware and cryptojacking take over your browsing experience: websites start to show more ads than intended, searches redirect to unauthorized search engines, and the program itself consumes more resources, usually a consequence of added BitCoin or other cryptocurrency miners.

While these types of malware do not yield instant, powerful games, the distributors choose to play the long game – prey on new inexperienced users or seniors that struggle to adapt to frequent use of technology in the first place.

Digital Trojan Horses

Malware with arguably the best name, trojans were named after the infamous trojan horse that was used to sneak in soldiers that sacked the city of Troy. Trojans have no way of sneaking into the devices by themselves, but when a gullible internet user falls for the bait, usually in the form of a free application on the internet, chaos ensues – all the information stored on a device can be duplicated to crash the system, stolen, or deleted.

Keyloggers

Finally, something that feels like straight out of a spy movie! When keyloggers find themselves on your device, the power only depends on the software. Great hackers can create keyloggers that record your every keystroke, mouse movement, audio, and video recording, location tracking, and more! Make sure to avoid suspicious downloads on the web, or you may give up crucial private information to a cybercriminal through a keylogger.

Computer Viruses

The goal of a digital virus is the spread of deletion, falsification, and replication. When a digital virus comes in contact with the devices, it infects the surrounding information and causes mayhem on the device.

Ransomware

The big guns, only designed and used by most experienced hackers, ransomware can sabotage, disrupt, destroy, and even lock out the owners of their devices until a ransom is paid. Modern businesses that have local area networks and many digital devices have to take care of company cybersecurity and close any vulnerabilities to prevent ransomware attacks and data leaks.

Tools and Solutions to Stop Malware

Most digital security problems are a consequence of closed-code software. When hackers find an operating system vulnerability, all the users are at the mercy of cybercriminals until a fix is implemented. You can eliminate most malware threats by running the safest Linux distributions on your devices. Not only are the structure of filesystems and privileges very secure, but any threat that opens up can also be fixed extremely fast by dedicated teams of developers. When the code of a system is open, anyone can contribute to making sure no stone is left unturned.

As for external tools, we recommend choosing HTTP proxies. They will act as powerful, flexible, and accurate performance filters that stop viruses from entering your network. Use a secure system and get your IPs from reliable proxy providers and malware will never bother you or your device.

Phones can be both equally secure and equally vulnerable, especially if you own a business. The fear that our phone calls are being monitored or the data that we are sending to people can be hacked, can be very worrying as a business owner.

In order to overcome this, most people are looking at a VoIP (Voice Over Internet Protocol) which allows you to make phone calls using a broadband internet connection instead of a normal phone.

It converts your voice to a digital signal that goes over the internet, and it allows you to make calls from your personal computer or even a traditional phone that is connected to the internet. But are they more secure than a normal small business phone system? Well, this article is going to answer that question!

How Secure Is VoIP?

This is a very interesting tool that you can use, for fast, cost-effective, and yes secure to help make sure you can talk to anyone you want. Now, you do need to do some things to keep yourself safe, because VoIP is something that is done over the internet and that can be hacked. You are transferring data over the internet and that can be risky, so you need to make sure to take the steps to keep your call safe.

These include encryption, multi-factor authentication, and using VPNs to keep your calls secure so people won’t get into your data. VoIPs aren’t as secure on their own, so you need to supplement them with common sense and protection. But even with all this security, how secure are they when compared to traditional phones?

VoIP vs Traditional Phones

VoIPs are very secure on internal systems for a business. If you are using VoIP for a business and have a small business phone system like OpenPhone, then you will find that your OpenPhone guide will tell you that your internal calls to others in your same system are secure. If you have calls coming from outside your system, then you need to upgrade your security because that is when VoIP is vulnerable.

But the main benefit of VoIP is that it overcomes the problems of traditional phones.

For example, traditional phones can be wiretapped by both third party users and even the government.

VoIP can’t be wiretapped and their calls can’t be intercepted as easily, especially if your business is keeping security in mind. Text Messaging For Businesses makes it easy to message your customers, whilst keeping your own mobile number private. 

Make Sure To Find A Good Provider

Internet based hacking and other dangers to your VoIP service can be mitigated by finding the best provider as well. Many providers have incorporated security features such as encryption and extra security, so you need to look for the providers that will give you these features and will also give you high voice quality as well.

One of the things that you might find with smaller providers is that they might have a lot of encryption, but that encryption can impact and negatively interfere with your call quality. Make sure to find providers that will share both high voice quality and dedicated encryption as well.

Keep Security In Mind No Matter What

Even though VoIP is much more secure than a traditional phone system, you still need to make sure that you are finding a provider that will keep your security in mind. A great provider with security at the forefront is going to make sure that all the calls that you do in your small business are going to be 100% secure.

With no problems with your calls, you can make more of them, and what are more calls going to do for your business?

While you may think your phone number is private and secure, it’s not as simple as that. There are many ways your phone number can be tracked by people who want to do so—and not continuously for good reasons. Knowing this is possible is essential to avoid falling victim to an attack or being harassed by scammers.

Spoofing is a common crime in which a caller falsifies the information sent to the caller ID to hide the true call origination

It can include changing the number of incoming calls or making it appear like an outgoing call was placed from another area code, city, or country.

They can do this via hacking into the phone system or spoofing apps freely available for download. Spoofing is often used by scammers seeking financial gain—or even revenge. There have been instances where callers pretend to be your spouse to get you off guard and steal money from your accounts.

As you can imagine, this type of manipulation can be dangerous: recipients may believe they’re receiving an important message from an authority figure—like their bank or credit card company—and provide sensitive personal information that they can use for identity theft. For example, suppose you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be your bank’s fraud department and claiming that you’ve been involved in illegal activity (such as writing bad checks). In that case, it’s easy for them to use spoofing technology.

Spoofing also allows scammers who want more personal information about victims’ financial lives by making it appear like they’re calling from familiar entities such as credit card companies or tax agencies. Fraudsters often use this technique during “phishing” attempts: sending emails asking users to submit sensitive data via email attachments or other deceptive means. Suppose these emails come from someone who appears legitimate enough by using spoofed numbers on their behalf (e.g., something like 1-800-555-1212). In that case, many people will feel inclined toward giving away sensitive details about themselves over email or chat apps, such as WhatsApp, because there’s no reason not to trust them.

VoIP lines can be called from anywhere and for a fraction of what it would cost on a traditional landline phone, thus making them ideal for all types of business settings

VoIP lines are an excellent option for those who want to give clients or customers a number separate from their phone number. For example, if you own a small business and want to give your customers or clients an option for calling you on weekends (or even nights), this can be done quickly with a VoIP line.

Additionally, in an office setting, when employees have limited access to phones throughout the day due to being at different locations within the building, it’s common practice for companies to purchase multiple landline phone numbers so that each employee has one set aside specifically for themself. With IP phones, however, you don’t have to worry about giving out multiple numbers because they aren’t tied down by geographical region like landlines are—you can place calls from anywhere! It means you and your employees will only have one number between them instead of several different ones scattered across offices on other floors or buildings nearby.

If you own a smartphone, you’ve probably used it to make calls or send text messages. A surprising number of people use smartphones for both business and personal use. It means that the number of people who need temporary phone numbers has increased exponentially in recent years.

It’s straightforward to set up a temporary phone number by creating an account at any of trustworthy VoIP providers.

Once you’ve done that, you can get one or more temporary phone numbers, which will be assigned to your account and accessible through the website. This means you can have as many different temporary numbers as you need at any time.

If you want to make sure none of your conversations are tracked, then you should avoid using temporary phone numbers.

You should also avoid using your phone number, as this is the most likely way third parties will monitor your conversations. A better solution would be to use a VoIP line instead. With VoIP lines being so cheap and easy to set up nowadays, there’s no excuse not to use them!

Conclusion

Using temporary phone numbers is not merely a trend that is just getting started. You may find that temporary phone numbers are helpful in both your personal life and your professional life.

We sincerely hope that your exploration of the world of temporary numbers was enjoyable. It’s an intriguing subject that, in this modern world, can assist you in maintaining your privacy, safety, and anonymity. If you are interested in learning more about this topic, take a look at the post that we made on our blog about spoofing, or get in touch with us directly here at Telnum, your dependable VoIP service provider. We have extensive experience when it comes to virtual numbers. Don’t hesitate to contact us!

Cybersecurity is one of the most important elements of owning a device. Unfortunately, though, it’s also one of the most overlooked aspects of owning a device! Millions of internet users put themselves and their devices at risk every single day because they’re not using proper cybersecurity measures on their devices that will ensure their privacy, security, and safety while they’re online. 

To make things worse, cybercrime is on the rise. The Covid-19 pandemic has led to a massive spike in cybercrime due to the increase in screen time all around the world. From working remotely to keeping yourself entertained, everyone is spending more time on their devices, and that’s creating more and more opportunities for cybercriminals to take advantage of unsuspecting victims. From malicious software to selling personal data on the dark web, cybercrime can be devastating. Hackers have destroyed the lives of millions of innocent people over the years, and you could be next.

Cybersecurity tools might be pricey, but now is the best time to get your devices secured for the year ahead. There are some incredible Cyber Monday deals for cybersecurity tools, which will give you access to the best premium cybersecurity tools at a fraction of their usual price. Keep reading to find out more about where top three cybersecurity tools you need to invest in this Cyber Monday. 

VPNs 

The first cybersecurity tool you should consider investing in is a virtual private network. They’re more commonly known as VPNs, but the main purpose of this handy tool is to encrypt your internet connection. 

As long as your internet connection is encrypted, no one can snoop through your data or monitor your internet traffic — as the government and your internet service provider do. This makes a VPN the perfect cybersecurity tool if you’re after privacy and security online. 

VPNs are especially important if you’re a frequent flyer or a remote employee that enjoys getting some work done at your local coffee shop. Airports, hotels, and restaurants often have unsecured networks that can put your device at risk. If you’re using a public WiFi hotspot, hackers can listen in on your device as it sends and receives data through the internet — this allows them to steal your personal information, login credentials, and banking details. 

VPNs also allow you to connect to secure global servers in other cities or countries around the world. When you connect to one of these servers, your real IP address will be hidden and your device will adopt the IP address of the server that you have connected to. Websites use your IP address to determine your physical location, so changing this unique identifier will trick websites into thinking that you’re accessing them from elsewhere. Changing your IP address allows you to bypass geo-blocking, unblock censored websites, and find cheaper deals on flights and accommodation. 

Antivirus Software

Malicious software, also known as malware, poses a genuine threat to our devices. Malware manifests in many different forms, but the most common types that you might come across are viruses, spyware, and ransomware. All forms of malware are extremely dangerous and should be taken seriously. 

That’s why there’s antivirus software — another excellent cybersecurity tool you need to install on your device. Antivirus software will constantly scan your device for any viruses or other forms of malware using a built-in library of known malware. If any malware or other harmful software has been detected on your device, the antivirus software can remove it before it does any further damage. 

Password Managers

We all know that it’s crucial to keep our accounts secure at all times. To ensure no one can gain access to your accounts, you need to use strong and unique passwords. 

Strong passwords are made up of letters, numbers, and symbols that do not relate to any of your personal information. Many internet users use their personal information such as their names or date of birth to create passwords, but hackers can easily uncover this information and break into your account. 

The only problem with strong and unique passwords is that they are difficult to remember. If you invest in a premium password manager though, you have access to a virtual vault that can only be accessed using a randomly generated master key. This will ensure that all of your login credentials are always securely stored away.

Why Go Premium?

You might be wondering why you need to spend money on premium cybersecurity tools when there are plenty of free options available on the internet. 

Unfortunately, this is an area where you can’t be taking any shortcuts. With free cybersecurity tools, you’ll run into tons of drawbacks. Just as an example, if you’re using a free VPN, you can expect slower connection speeds, more ads, less security, daily data limits, and fewer global servers to choose from. 

You won’t run into any of these problems if you’re using a premium VPN. So, make sure to get your Cyber Monday specials while they’re still available!

A study by Kaspersky Lab reveals that security breaches cost small businesses an average of $38,000. The cost is broken down into lost sales opportunities, downtime costs, and hiring security experts to mitigate attacks. They are often easy targets because 47% of small businesses lack a strict online security budget. 

Study reports show that 60% of microenterprises that experience cyberattacks close permanently in less than six months after the attack. Verizon reports that malware attacks account for 70% of all attacks recorded by microenterprises. This makes it crucial for small business entrepreneurs to understand how malware attacks happen, their effects, and their survival strategies. 

How Malware Attacks Affect Small Businesses

JBS Foods, Accenture, and Acer are major companies in their segments, yet in 2021, they experienced major malware attacks. They stayed several days without business, their sensitive data was stolen, and they had to pay up to $50 million in ransom. This shows how serious malware attacks are and the level of risk small businesses face. 

Microenterprise managers should do their best to equip themselves with knowledge about how to prevent malware attacks and stay safe. It is critical to understand what malware attacks can do to your small business and be prepared to deal with the challenge. 

Attackers can demand a hefty ransom payment: Governments around the world discourage organizations from giving in to ransom demands by attackers. However, owners who experience attacks are torn along a thin line on whether to close the business or give in and save it. The amount they demand depends on the business type and field. A report by CEO World Biz shows the average ransom demand in 2021 was $2.04 million for manufacturers. 

Fines from regulators: Regulators require every business to have placed strong online security measures. Malware attacks compromise sensitive data, and customers could sue your company. According to Forbes, 6 in every seven small businesses are not ready to prevent cyberattacks. They lack protection tools, training, and planning. 

Loss of business: A ransomware attack may encrypt all critical business documents and thus bring operations to a standstill for several days or weeks. Colonial Pipeline is a major gas company that experienced a malware attack in 2021. Its systems were crippled and went without business for weeks. The average ransom demand for small businesses in 2022 is $139,000. 

Damaged reputation: News about the attack could leak out and negatively impact your business. Your customers will lose trust in your business due to the safety of their data. Many clients could shift to your competitors. 

Strategies to Survive Malware Attacks

Microbusinesses require an elaborate structure for controlling malware attacks and damage. They require strong cybersecurity measures and recovery strategies. If the entrepreneur is preparing to sync a phone to a PC, the first action should be to install strong attack-prevention measures. The main reasons why microenterprises are more vulnerable to malware attacks are as follows:

• Many of them use unsupported or outdated computer networks.
• They think only larger companies can become targets of malware attacks.
• Software that can run on old devices does not have support.
• They set aside minimum online security budgets.
• Their workers lack proper training to prevent and deal with malware attacks – 60% of the businesses lack proper cybersecurity policy.

If your small business experiences malware attacks, consider following these survival steps. 

Know the Attack Source and Contain It

When a malware incident occurs, the first sign is slowing the computer system. In some cases, all operations may come to a standstill. The attackers might begin to demand ransom at this point. The first action should be to identify where the attack is coming from. 

The attack can happen due to a clicked link, a push notification to update software or an ill-minded employee who leaks out passwords. The next step should be taking measures to block the attack from spreading. Recovery processes can only start after blocking further spread.

Contact Law Enforcers or Attorneys

After a malware attack, you cannot rule out legal cases. Keeping your attorneys informed is a good strategy to help you survive legal hurdles. Law enforcers like the FBI Cyber Crime Complaint Center have technologies that can help track the attackers. Cybercrime is a serious offense and should be reported to the relevant authorities. 

Decide What to Do With Their Demands

After successfully launching a malware attack, the attackers will most likely demand ransom. Authorities often discourage payment of ransoms. The small business owner might be forced by circumstances to pay. 

• The cost of recovery might be higher than paying the ransom.
• Business reputation might be damaged permanently.
• The entire system might stand at a standstill for weeks, and the business could lose millions daily.

These issues might force an entrepreneur to consider paying the money. You should, however, consult with your team and weigh all options first. 

Alert Other Stakeholders

You might not go public to protect your business reputation. However, you are obligated to alert certain interested stakeholders. Top on the list are workers, clients, insurers, legal teams, and partners. Before involving the media, consult with the legal team first. 

Comply With Regulatory Demands

There are local and international regulatory cybersecurity and attack guidelines that every business needs to understand and follow. Your legal team can help you understand these laws better and comply with them. 

Improve Your Cybersecurity Safety Measures

Taking preventive measures is the best way to prevent malware attacks instead of acting when the damage is already done. Follow ransom prevention best practices, and your online system will be safe from attacks. 

• Keep all software updated: Outdated software leaves numerous loopholes for attacks. Keep all software updated including security prevention applications. 
• Create data backups: The data recovery process after attacks is tedious and costly. Even after paying the ransom, you can never be sure you will recover all data. Keeping backups is a good practice.
• Train employees: Prepare cybersecurity training sessions to keep them aware of vulnerabilities and actions. 
• Stay informed: Stay alert and know what is happening around the world. Stay up to date with the latest malware attack trends and the latest mitigation technologies. 

Conclusion

Whether running a small or large business, you cannot ignore the importance of keeping your company secure. Attacks are increasing worldwide, and you could be the next target. Make sure you stay alert and take quick action whenever you notice any suspicious activities in your computer network. Improve your cybersecurity safety measures by updating all software, creating backups, and training emplo

Reports on major data breaches break the news once every few days. Regardless of the size, any company can be vulnerable to various cyberattacks, but the smallest businesses are the easiest targets. Find out what you can do to protect your organization.

The largest companies are usually the best protected when it comes to cyber threats. The reasoning is quite simple – the bigger the company, the more resources it can devote to its IT and cybersecurity departments.

It’s not that the big dogs are never attacked – even companies like Microsoft deal with their share of cybercriminals. However, smaller businesses are targeted more often.

Smaller Companies Are at Greater Risk

According to Tripwire, small businesses suffered 152% more data breaches in 2020 and 2021 compared to the previous two years. This comes as no surprise. 2020 and 2021 were overshadowed by a global pandemic that forced most companies to move online. While large organizations had the resources to adapt and overcome the new situation, SMBs had a more challenging time.

What does it mean if a company is well protected against cyber threats?

• It has a trained and experienced security team.
• Its employees are educated in cyber security.
• It has access to advanced software and tools.

As you can easily imagine, the takeaways listed above are not the cheapest. Large companies can afford entire departments dedicated to their security, but small and medium-sized businesses have to improvise.

Why Are Smbs Targeted More Frequently?

Money is not the only factor in protecting against cyber criminals. Large organizations take their security seriously because they are the most profitable targets.

Hackers are well aware of this. They know that breaching a big company requires resources and team effort, so some of them instead focus on smaller and weaker prey. Representatives of small and medium-sized companies often think cybercriminals won’t pay attention to them, which has proven untrue.

Another issue is that SMB owners often underestimate what it takes to recover from a data breach or attack. The truth is, when a company faces a ransomware attack, it doesn’t have to pay for the data recovery only. The costs of legal procedures or lost productivity can seriously cripple its funds.

Last but not least, publicity and trust are also important. While large companies can afford to lose some of their customers and contractors without going bankrupt, small businesses have to care about their reputation.

What Can Be Done to Protect a Company From Cyber Threats?

Both large and small companies can be vulnerable to cyber threats, but the latter have it more difficult. In the post-pandemic world, there is a growing demand for remote services and jobs. Organizations are expected to work online, but it is not that simple – especially regarding security.

So What Can You Do to Protect Your Business?

1. Limit your employees’ access to data. If every one of your workers has access to every portion of client and contractor data, you risk losing that information. It only takes one person to (willingly or not) leak sensitive data and generate huge losses.
2. Invest in security tools. Nowadays, almost every business operates online. Sending, storing, and receiving data comes with risks, so it’s worth investing in the right security tools. An additional firewall, a secure VPN, and a good antivirus can help you fight hackers trying to access your data.
3. Create data backups. Sometimes a backup can save your life after an attack or even a system malfunction. If you’re not already backing up your information, start immediately.
4. Educate people. Have you ever heard of phishing? If not, you should learn about it and teach your employees. Criminals use phishing to scam their victims by convincing them that they are contacting someone they trust – a coworker or a company CEO, for example. In recent years, phishing has become one of the most effective methods of stealing data from individuals and companies.
5. Keep your software up to date. Many cyber attacks occur because organizations fail to update their software. Hackers look for vulnerabilities and exploit them to get into corporate networks, steal data, or distribute malware. These vulnerabilities can be addressed. System updates exist because they patch holes so hackers can no longer exploit them.

Teach Yourself About Online Security

These days, every business should invest in online security. Thieves and criminals no longer operate only in dark alleys. When it comes to cyber threats, preparedness is the best protection.

Nowadays, most people take their smartphones with them anywhere they go. However, what many may not realize is that their trusty device is spying on them 24/7. The data it collects may then be leaked to the internet without you even knowing and there are malicious third-party actors who won’t think twice about putting it to good use.

Today, we are going to take a look at 3 ways data can leak from your phone and see what steps you can take to avoid falling victim to cyber threats. 

Leak 1: Internet browsing

Since it’s so handy to get things done straight from your phone’s browser, people use it for all sorts of purposes, including online shopping, reading news, socializing, and even online banking. Some of these activities may be harmless, but with others, you’re putting your sensitive info at stake and even your bank balance at the mercy of how well your device is configured for optimal security. In case you’re using an older operating system and don’t update your apps often, you’re inviting trouble.

Leak 2: Malware

Malware is lurking around every corner, and on rare occasions, it even manages to slip under the radar and finds itself in Google’s official Play Store. In fact, malware could be lurking on your device at this very moment. While running regular antivirus scans is a good idea, it won’t cover you 100% since not every scanner can detect everything. Worse yet, every malware is a complete wildcard in terms of what it can do. Some of them spy on your online activities and forward them to third-party advertisers while others can potentially even read what you type, otherwise known as keyloggers.

Leak 3: Google Services

If you’re an Android user, your phone is virtually tied to Google Services in one way or another. Gmail, Google Play, Google Maps, Google Translate, and the list goes on. Did you know that Google tracks every physical step you make? It’s quite transparent about it too. You can go to Google Maps Timeline which shows you which parts of the map you’ve visited at what times and even draws a line that represents your travels. Now imagine what hackers could do with this data if it ever lands in their hands. 

Your Smartphone Could Be Leaking Your Personal Data

If at some point your personal data ever finds itself on the internet without your permission, you could be in a whole lot of nasty surprises. Not only could you suddenly find yourself targeted by ads that know a surprising lot about you, there’s also a chance someone could blackmail you or steal your identity to commit banking fraud and other sorts of mischief.

To protect yourself from similar scenarios, your best bet is to take certain preventative measures such as tweaking the privacy setting on your phone and never entering any sensitive information through public WiFis and other networks of questionable origin.

However, your smartphone can still leak some of your personal data despite your best effort to contain it. If this happens to you, manually removing it is an option, but it won’t be easy. These third-party brokers and online data aggregators often deliberately design the removal forms as difficult as possible to make your job harder.

The solution is to use services like Incogni to have your personal data removed with the use of smart automation that auto-fills these needlessly complex and time-wasting forms and makes sure your data stays off of them for good. This is possible through automatic monitoring – as soon as any of it resurfaces, the removal procedure will be re-triggered without you having to lift a finger.

Conclusion

Your smartphone can be a leaky faucet so do what’s necessary to minimize the risk of losing control of your personal data. Preventative measures are the best thing you can do, but there’s always an option even in the bleakest of scenarios.

When you shut down your Mac, you receive a pop-up message saying that “Are you sure you want to shut down your computer now?” In the pop-up message, there is a checkbox that says if you want to reopen currently opened windows when you open your machine later. Thijs Alkemade, a security researcher at cybersecurity firm Computest in the Netherlands was able to find a vulnerability in that “saved state” feature that can be used to break through macOS security easily.

MacOS Vulnerability in the “Saved State” Feature

The vulnerability triggered by a process injection attack can easily exploit macOS security and let attackers access all files on a Mac and also acquire control of the webcam. As per Alkemade research, the attack is not restricted to the saved state feature. Once Alkemade successfully deployed the initial attack on that feature, he was able to move easily through other elements of the Apple ecosystem. He escaped through the macOS sandbox, which is meant to restrict successful hacks on a single app. Moreover, he was also able to escape the System Integrity Protection (SIP), which is meant to prohibit authorized code from gaining access to sensitive files on a Mac.

The attack can be launched in multiple steps, but the most fundamental approach is the initial process injection vulnerability. Through process injection attacks, hackers are able to inject code into the system and then execute code differently than it was originally intended. Alkemade says that process injection vulnerability in an app is not uncommon. Still, the one detected in the saved state feature is so universally applicable that is not seen commonly.

The flaw detected by Alkemade is in the “serialized” object involved in the saved state system, which is meant to save windows/apps that you have opened while shutting down the Mac. Moreover, you can also run the saved state system while using the Mac through a process called App Nap.

Alkemade says that when the application is launched, it reads some files and then loads them through the serialized object insecure version. Serialized objects are used in many places in Apple’s operating system, frequently for inter-process data exchange. According to Alkemade, the attack works by creating those files in places where other applications will load them. So, a malicious “serialized object” is created that makes the system respond in ways it is not expected to.

Afterward, Alkemade managed to use the vulnerability to bypass the Mac app sandbox, which was the first flaw fixed by Apple. So, by injecting code into another application, it is easy to expand the scale and damage of the vulnerability. Lastly, Alkemade managed to escape the System Integrity Protection, which is meant to prohibit unauthorized code from accessing or modifying sensitive files. Eventually, Alkemade was able to access all the files on the Mac and was also able to change a few system files.

Apple’s Response to the Vulnerability

Alkemade detected the vulnerability in December 2020 and used Apple’s bug bounty scheme to report the vulnerability. Apple acknowledged the existence of the vulnerability and paid a significant amount to Alkemade for this research. Afterward, Apple issued a major update to address this vulnerability in October 2021.

Apple didn’t have any idea of the vulnerability before Alkemade’s research. Moreover, the security update Apple issued against the vulnerability comes with very few details. However, they do say that this issue might empower malicious apps to leak sensitive data of the user and might also allow privileges to the attacker to move within the system easily.

We can also see changes made by Apple in Xcode, which is Apple’s development workspace meant for app creators. The October 2021 fix of the vulnerability was for Macs that are running the Monterey OS version, which means that the older versions of macOS might still be vulnerable to this attack.

Wrapping Up

The vulnerability detected by Alkemade has the potential to cause severe damage, especially to older versions of macOS that didn’t receive the upgrade. Moreover, the flaw can even sometimes allow attackers to easily access the entire operating system, which means more access to data. Alkemade suggests a need to reexamine different parts of the system because the macOS local security is gradually moving towards an iOS model. Till today, there are no reports on whether the vulnerability has been used by attackers in the real world.

Traditionally, ransomware attacks are seen to hit local drives (endpoints), but the trend might get shifted now. Cloud storage is long termed as a safe storage drive from ransomware attacks, but the research by Proofpoint is ringing the threat bell.

Researchers from Proofpoint have discovered a feature in the Microsoft 365 suite that could be misused to encrypt files stored on OneDrive and SharePoint. In fact, the ransomware attack would be so strong that you will not be able to recover files without dedicated backups or decryption keys from the attackers. So, let’s explore more about this ransomware attack on OneDrive and SharePoint files. But first, let’s take a brief look at ransomware.

Ransomware – Quick Overview

Ransomware is one of the malware types that takes the control of the victim’s system or account to block access and also encrypt the data. There are many ways for ransomware attackers to penetrate the victim’s system. The most popular way is the phishing approach in which the victim is tricked to share login details or click a malicious link/file that then installs the malware in the system. Alternative, system loopholes can also be used to penetrate the user’s system/account.

Once ransomware attackers are successful in penetrating the system, they can do a lot of activities, i.e., block access, encrypt data, mine cryptocurrencies, etc. In most cases, attackers encrypt the data and then ask for a ransom fee to decrypt the data. Moreover, many attackers even offer a discount for early payments so that the victim doesn’t think much and pays the ransom quickly. In addition, attackers also provide a complete step-by-step guide on how the victim can complete the transaction.

New Vector – Now your Files in OneDrive and SharePoint can be Locked

Proofpoint has identified a dangerous feature in Microsoft 365 that empowers ransomware attackers to encrypt the OneDrive and SharePoint files in the compromised users’ accounts. Afterward, the files could only be accessed back by paying for the decryption key or recovering the dedicated backup made beforehand.

The research by Proofpoint indicates the “AutoSave” feature of Microsoft 365 as a potential threat. This feature is meant to make copies of older versions of files stored on OneDrive/SharePoint. The attack chain as pointed out by Proofpoint could go as follows:

Initial Access

Attackers start by first gaining access to the user(s) OneDrive or SharePoint account(s) through compromising login credentials, tricking the victim to allow third-party OAuth apps, or hijacking the web session of a logged-in user.

Account Takeover

After successful penetration of the user account, attackers have access to all the files stored by the user in OneDrive or SharePoint.

Collection and Exfiltration

Reduce the version limit of files to a low number, like “1” and then encrypt the file more times than the version limit, i.e., encrypt the file twice if the version limit is set to 1. Besides that, attackers can also do a double extortion tactic by exfiltrating the encrypted files.

Monetization

Once the original versions of the files are lost and the encrypted versions are left in the user account, the attackers can then ask for a ransom to decrypt the files.

All the above steps can be automated using Microsoft APIs, PowerShell scripts, and command line interface scripts.

The document library in OneDrive and SharePoint is based on multiple attributes, where one attribute is the number of saved versions that the user can change. When a user reduces the document library version limit, it means that new changes in the file will make older versions quite difficult to restore.

So, what attackers can do is they can either create so many file versions or change the limit of the version to just “1” and then encrypt every file more times than the version limit. For example, the default version limit in most OneDrive accounts is 500. So, attackers can edit document library files 501 times. This way, the original version of every file is the 501st version file, which is no longer accessible. Alternatively, they can set the version limit to 1 and then encrypt the file twice.

What to Do if You Get Hacked and They Ask for Ransom?

From the above research work of Proofpoint and the vulnerable “AutoSave” feature of Microsoft 365, there are clear signs that ransomware attacks can occur in your cloud storage. When this vulnerability was discussed with Microsoft by Proofpoint, Microsoft stated that the older versions of files can be recovered by an additional 14 days through the help of Microsoft Support. However, Proofpoint did follow that but failed to restore older versions.

So, if you get a victim of a ransomware attack and your data is encrypted in your cloud account or local drive, then the one quick option is to pay the ransom and get the decryption key. But this approach is not recommended because you never know if the decryption key would work, you will get back the data, or the attacker might demand more money. Moreover, it also encourages attackers to do more such attacks.

The recommended steps you should immediately perform after the ransomware attack are as follows:

• Disconnect and isolate the infected device.
• Contact your local authorities.
• Reach out to a cybersecurity expert to try to remove malware.
• Look for the data backup you might have created beforehand or try to restore data from others if you have shared it with them.

In short, you should try every possible measure that you can take to retrieve data without paying the ransom.

Ways to Store Files Securely (on your PC)

Ransomware and other cyberattacks are a serious concern today. As per Cybersecurity Ventures, cybercrimes will cost the world $10.5 trillion annually by 2025. So, it is important more than ever that we store our data and files securely. Below are some of the effective ways to store files securely on your PC:

1. Encrypt files/folders in Windows. To do that, right-click the file/folder and then click Properties > Advanced > Encrypt contents to secure data > OK.
2. Control the access to your files/folders in Windows. To do that, right-click the file/folder and then click Properties > Security > Edit. Afterward, select the user’s name or group and then click “Deny Access”. This way, the user/group will have to enter an administrative password to access that file/folder in the future.
3. Use third-party tools to encrypt sensitive files/folders.
4. Make regular backup of your files in the cloud or external hard drive.
5. Use antivirus software.
6. Keep your operating system and software up-to-date and patched.
7. Avoid giving administrative access to all software.

To sum up, you should deploy every possible measure you could take to secure your files on your PC. These measures do not guarantee complete protection from cyberattacks, but they can minimize the chances greatly.