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Online Security

Malware And Ransomware: What You Need To Know

Bad software comes in many forms, but two of the most serious threats businesses face today are malware and ransomware. These types of malicious programs can damage your computers, steal sensitive data, and cause serious downtime. Understanding the difference between malware and ransomware — and how they operate — is essential to protecting your business.

Malware is the general term used to describe any “malicious software” designed to cause harm. It includes a wide variety of programs that can corrupt your files, steal your personal information, or even use your computer to attack other systems.

Some common types of malware include viruses, which spread from one computer to another; worms, which can replicate themselves without any action from you; trojans, which disguise themselves as legitimate programs to trick you; and spyware, which secretly monitors your activity.

The damage malware causes can vary widely. It may slow down your system, delete important files, steal your private information, or give control of your computer to cybercriminals. Some malware quietly operates behind the scenes without you ever knowing, while others cause immediate and noticeable problems.

Ransomware, on the other hand, is a specific type of malware that takes your data hostage. It works by locking your files — or sometimes your entire computer — and demanding payment to unlock them.

Think of it as a digital form of kidnapping. Ransomware usually finds its way into your system through infected emails, suspicious downloads, or compromised websites. Once inside, it encrypts your files and displays a message demanding payment for the decryption key.

Sometimes, even paying the ransom doesn’t guarantee that you’ll get your files back, as some attackers simply take the money and disappear.

There are two main types of ransomware. Locker ransomware locks you out of your entire computer, making it unusable. Crypto ransomware specifically targets your files, encrypting them while leaving the system itself accessible. Both types are disruptive and can severely impact business operations.

While malware and ransomware share some similarities, their goals and behaviors differ. Malware is often designed to operate silently, focusing on stealing data or causing long-term harm without immediate detection.

Ransomware, however, is loud and upfront. It wants you to know it’s there because the demand for payment is the whole point.

Unfortunately, malware and ransomware have many ways of sneaking into your business. They often arrive through infected email attachments, fake websites, compromised USB drives, or outdated software with security holes.

Staying protected means keeping your systems updated, using strong passwords, being cautious with links and attachments, and regularly backing up your data.

Knowing the difference between malware and ransomware isn’t just technical trivia — it can make a big difference. The better you understand these threats, the more prepared you’ll be to prevent them.

And if you ever do fall victim to an attack, identifying what you’re up against will help you respond more effectively and minimize the damage.

If you’re unsure whether your business is fully protected or need help strengthening your defenses, get in touch.

We’re here to help you stay secure.

Fake Software Ads Used To Distribute Malware

Google is most people’s first port of call for help or information online – something cyber criminals are using to their advantage.

Specifically, they are targeting Google ads, impersonating campaigns for popular software such as Grammarly, Slack, Ring, and many others. This is nothing to do with those companies, but to the untrained eye they look like the real deal… which is how they’re tricking people into clicking the ads.

If you’re not using an ad blocker, you’ll see promoted pages at the top of your Google search results. These look almost identical to the non-promoted, down page organic search results, so you or your people could easily be tempted to click.

It’s a complicated scam. Criminals clone the official software websites, but instead of distributing the genuine product, when you click download they install ‘trojanized’ versions. That’s geek speak for malware that disguises itself as real software.

Google is working to protect us by blocking campaigns it’s able to identify as malicious. But criminals have tricky ways around that too.

Ads first take you to a benign-looking website – which the crooks have created. This then redirects you to a malicious site that convincingly impersonates a genuine page. That’s where the malware lurks waiting for a click, beyond Google’s reach.

Worse, in many cases, you’ll still get the software you’re trying to download, along with a hidden payload of malware. That makes it harder to tell that your device or network has been infected and may give the malware longer to do its job.

To stay protected, train your team about the dangers and make sure everyone is on the lookout for anything that doesn’t seem quite right.

Encourage people to scroll down the Google results until they find the official domain of the company they’re looking for, and make it a policy that people seek permission before downloading any software – no matter how innocent it may seem.

You could also consider using an ad blocker in your browser. That will filter out any promoted results from your Google search for some extra peace of mind.

For help and advice with training, software policies and network security give us a call.

Is Your Online Shopping App Invading Your Privacy?

Online shopping has become a common activity for many people. It’s convenient, easy, and allows us to buy items from the comfort of our homes. But with the rise of online shopping, there are concerns about privacy and security.

Not all shopping apps are created equally. Often people get excited and install an app without checking privacy practices. Apps can collect more data from your smartphone than you realize. Whether you use your phone for personal use, business use, or both, your data can be at risk. So can your privacy.

Recently, security experts found a popular shopping app spying on users’ copy-and-paste activity. This app was tracking users’ keystrokes, screenshots, and even their GPS location. This raises the question: Is your online shopping app invading your privacy?

SHEIN is the app in question, and it’s a popular shopping app with millions of users. According to reports, researchers found the app collecting data from users’ clipboards. This included any text that users copied and pasted. This means that if the user copied and pasted sensitive information, the app would have access to it.

Including things like passwords or credit card numbers.

Not only that but the app was also found to be tracking users’ GPS location. SHEIN was also collecting data from device sensors, including the accelerometer and gyroscope. This means that the app was able to track users’ movements. As well as collecting information about how they were using their device.

The app’s developers claimed that the data collection was for “optimizing user experience.” A very vague explanation that’s used by other app developers as well.

The developers stated that the collected data was only used for internal purposes. But this explanation wasn’t enough to please privacy experts. Those experts raised concerns about the app’s data collection practices.

This isn’t the first time people caught an app grabbing data without users’ knowledge. Many popular apps collect data from their users, often for targeted advertising purposes.

The popularity of the shopping app Temu has been exploding recently. Since the app appeared in a Superbowl Ad in 2023, people have been flocking to it.

But Temu is another shopping app with questionable data collection practices. Some of the data that Temu collects includes:

  • Your name, address, phone number
  • Details you enter, like birthday, photo, and social profiles
  • Your phone’s operating system and version
  • Your IPS address and GPS location (if enabled)
  • Your browsing data

Here are some tips to protect your privacy when using shopping apps.

Know what you’re getting into (read the privacy policy)

Yes, it’s hard to stop and read a long privacy policy. But, if you don’t, you could end up sharing a lot more than you realize.

Turn off sharing features

Turn off any data-sharing features you don’t need in your phone’s settings, such as location services. Most smartphones allow you to choose which apps you want to use it with.

Remove apps you don’t use

If you’re not using the app regularly, remove it from your phone. Having unused apps on your phone is a big risk.

Research apps before you download

It’s easy to get caught up in a fad. You hear your friend talk about an app, and you want to check it out. But it pays to research before you download.

Shop on a website instead

You can limit the dangerous data collection of shopping apps by using a website instead. Most legitimate companies have an official website.

What Is Push Bombing And How Can You Prevent It?

In the fast-paced digital landscape, businesses both big and small face a multitude of challenges. One such emerging threat that has garnered significant attention is “push bombing.”

This practice involves bombarding a company’s push notification system with fraudulent or malicious requests, causing disruptions, overwhelming server capacities, and undermining user experiences.

Small companies, in particular, are vulnerable to the detrimental effects of push bombing as they often lack the resources and expertise to swiftly counteract such attacks.

Understanding push bombing

Push bombing refers to the deliberate act of flooding a company’s push notification system with an excessive number of requests, typically generated by automated scripts or bots.

These requests are intended to exhaust server resources, disrupt normal operations, and degrade the performance of legitimate notifications.

Push bombing can lead to a series of detrimental consequences for targeted businesses, including increased server costs, diminished user experience, loss of customer trust, and even reputational damage.

Small companies often face a unique set of challenges when dealing with push bombing attacks.

Limited budgets, scarce technological resources, and a lack of dedicated security personnel make it difficult for these businesses to respond effectively. Unlike larger enterprises, small companies may not have the financial means to invest in robust security systems or hire specialized personnel to address such threats.

Consequently, they become attractive targets for push bombing perpetrators seeking vulnerabilities to exploit.

Preventive measures for small businesses

While it may be challenging for small companies to completely eradicate the risk of push bombing, there are several key, low-cost preventive measures they can take to minimize the impact of such attacks:

Implement rate limiting: By setting thresholds for the number of push notifications allowed per second, small companies can regulate the flow of requests and prevent overwhelming their systems.

Rate limiting helps distinguish legitimate user requests from automated ones and ensures a more balanced distribution of server resources.

CAPTCHA implementation: Employing CAPTCHAs (Completely Automated Public Turing tests to tell Computers and Humans Apart) in push notification sign-up forms can effectively deter automated bots from inundating the system with fake requests.

CAPTCHAs require users to complete a challenge, thus confirming their human presence and preventing malicious activities.

Monitor traffic patterns: Vigilant monitoring of network traffic can help small companies identify abnormal patterns indicative of a push bombing attack.
Employing security tools that provide real-time alerts and anomaly detection capabilities can enable proactive response and mitigation.

Two-factor authentication (2FA): Implementing 2FA for push notification subscriptions can add an extra layer of security. By requiring users to verify their identities through a secondary authentication method, such as SMS codes or email confirmations, small companies can significantly reduce the risk of unauthorized subscriptions by bots.

Collaborate with security experts: Small companies can benefit from partnering with reputable cybersecurity firms or consultants.

These experts can assist in conducting security assessments, implementing protective measures, and providing guidance on responding to push bombing attacks, thus augmenting the company’s overall security posture.

As digital threats continue to evolve, it is crucial for small companies to remain proactive in safeguarding their push notification systems against push bombing attacks.

By implementing preventative measures such as rate limiting, CAPTCHAs, traffic monitoring, 2FA, and seeking professional guidance, small businesses can fortify their defenses and mitigate the risks associated with push bombing.

As technology advances, it is essential for companies of all sizes to prioritize cybersecurity to maintain the trust and confidence of their customers, ensuring smooth operations and sustained growth in an increasingly digital world.

Why Should You Use Different Passwords For Different Accounts?

It’s common to have multiple online accounts for social media, online shopping, banking, and more. While having different accounts makes our lives more convenient, it also presents a security risk if we use the same password for all of them.

This is because if a hacker gains access to one of our accounts, they can potentially gain access to all of them if we use the same password. This is why it’s crucial to have different passwords on different accounts.

Having different passwords on different accounts is one of the most basic but important steps you can take to protect your online security.

By using unique passwords, you reduce the risk of a hacker gaining access to all of your accounts if they manage to crack one password. This is particularly important for accounts that contain sensitive information, such as online banking or medical records.

One reason why people tend to use the same password for multiple accounts is because it’s easier to remember.

However, there are ways to create strong and unique passwords without having to remember them all. One option is to use a password manager.

A password manager is a tool that generates and stores unique passwords for each of your accounts. All you have to do is remember one master password to access the password manager. Some popular password managers include BitWarden, Dashlane, and 1Password.

Another way to create strong and unique passwords is to use a passphrase instead of a single word. A passphrase is a combination of several words that are easy for you to remember, but difficult for others to guess. For example, instead of using the password “password123” you could use a passphrase like “MyDogate2BonesToday!”

It’s important to note that having different passwords is not enough to ensure complete security. It’s also important to use strong passwords that are difficult to guess or crack.

This means avoiding common words, phrases, or personal information that could be easily guessed.
Instead, use a combination of upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.

In addition to having different and strong passwords, it’s also important to update them regularly. This is because if a hacker gains access to an old password that you no longer use, they can still potentially use it to gain access to other accounts if you’ve used the same password for multiple accounts. It’s recommended to update your passwords every six months to a year.

One thing to keep in mind is that while having different passwords on different accounts is important, it’s not the only step you should take to protect your online security. It’s also important to enable two-factor authentication whenever possible.
Two-factor authentication adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of authentication, such as a code sent to your phone or an app.

While it may seem daunting to remember multiple passwords, password managers can help significantly.

By taking these basic steps, you can greatly reduce the risk of a security breach and protect your sensitive information online.

Do You Know Exactly What Services Your Staff Are Signing Up For?

Thomas Fox is president of Tech Experts, southeast Michigan’s leading small business computer support company.

Whatever problem, need, or want you have… there’s a cloud application out there that can help you.

We’ve never lived in a such a rich time for problem solving. Every day, hundreds of new services launch to make our lives easier and help us be more productive.

These applications all live in the cloud. They’re known as Software as a Service – or SaaS – because you don’t load any software onto your device. You use them in your browser.

We would argue this SaaS revolution over the last 15 to 20 years has played a critical part in shaping the way we work today.

However, there’s an issue. Many businesses aren’t 100% aware of what new services their staff have signed up for. And this problem isn’t a financial one; it’s a security one. [Read more…] about Do You Know Exactly What Services Your Staff Are Signing Up For?

How To Protect Your Online Accounts From Being Breached

Stolen login credentials are a hot commodity on the Dark Web. There’s a price for every type of account from online banking to social media. For example, hacked social media accounts will go for between $30 to $80 each.

The rise in reliance on cloud services has caused a big increase in breached cloud accounts. Compromised login credentials are now the #1 cause of data breaches globally, according to IBM Security’s latest Cost of a Data Breach Report.

Having either a personal or business cloud account compromised can be very costly. It can lead to a ransomware infection, compliance breach, identity theft, and more.

To make matters more challenging, users are still adopting bad password habits that make it all too easy for criminals. For example:

  • 34% of people admit to sharing passwords with colleagues
  • 44% of people reuse passwords across work and personal accounts
  • 49% of people store passwords in unprotected plain text documents

Cloud accounts are more at risk of a breach than ever, but there are several things you can do to reduce the chance of having your online accounts compromised.

Use multi-factor authentication (MFA)

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is the best method there is to protect cloud accounts. While not a failsafe, it is proven to prevent approximately 99.9% of fraudulent sign-in attempts, according to a study cited by Microsoft.

When you add the second requirement to a login, which is generally to input a code that is sent to your phone, you significantly increase account security. In most cases, a hacker is not going to have access to your phone or another device that receives the MFA code, thus they won’t be able to get past this step.

The brief inconvenience of using that additional step when you log into your accounts is more than worth it for the bump in security.

Use a password manager for secure storage

One way that criminals get their hands on user passwords easily is when users store them in unsecured ways, such as in an unprotected Word or Excel document or the contact application on their PC or phone.

Using a password manager provides you with a convenient place to store all your passwords that is also encrypted and secured. Plus, you only need to remember one strong master password to access all the others.

Password managers can also autofill all your passwords in many different types of browsers, making it a convenient way to access your passwords securely across devices.

Review your privacy settings

Have you taken time to look at the security settings in your cloud tools? One of the common causes of cloud account breaches is misconfiguration. This is when security settings are not properly set to protect an account.

You don’t want to just leave SaaS security settings at defaults, as these may not be protective enough. Review and adjust cloud application security settings to ensure your account is properly safeguarded.

Don’t enter passwords when on public Wi-Fi

Whenever you’re on public Wi-Fi, you should assume that your traffic is being monitored. Hackers like to hang out on public hot spots in airports, restaurants, coffee shops, and other places so they can gather sensitive data, such as login passwords.

You should never enter a password, credit card number, or other sensitive information when you are connected to public Wi-Fi. You should either switch off Wi-Fi and use your phone’s wireless carrier connection or use a virtual private network (VPN) app, which encrypts the connection.

Use good device security

If an attacker manages to breach your device using malware, they can often breach your accounts without a password needed. Just think about how many apps on your devices you can open and already be logged in to.

To prevent an online account breach that happens through one of your devices, make sure you have strong device security. Best practices include:

  • Antivirus/anti-malware
  • Up-to-date software and OS
  • Phishing protection (like email filtering and DNS filtering)

Should You Monitor Your Remote Workers?

At the end of last year, Microsoft announced it would be adding increased employee surveillance to Microsoft Edge.

The changes mean admins can access compliance monitoring through the browser, such as seeing which files have been printed or copied to USB devices.

Machine learning is being used to increase this visibility of what’s happening to sensitive files. But how will this impact employees? Will they feel that their privacy is being invaded? Will it cause trust issues? And do you think this is an appropriate level of monitoring when people have proved that remote work can be just as productive – if not more – than working from the office?

Our advice would be not to buy into this increased employee surveillance, unless you want to damage the delicate trust you’ve no doubt worked hard to build with your team.

There are other, more open ways to help your people get their work done. For example, there are plenty of tools that help limit distractions like notifications or temporarily block apps and websites to allow better focus. Your employees can choose to activate these to aid their productivity when they need a boost.

You’ll find some within your Microsoft 365 subscription – that means more tools at no extra cost.

If you want some suggestions personalized to your business, give us a call.

Online Shopping Tips From Stay Safe Online

The following tips have been taken from the Stay Safe Online group, which is dedicated to helping us all stay safe when using the Internet.

We thought they were very good tips to also keep in mind as you get back into the swing of things after the holiday break.

Think before you click

Beware of emails, texts or other promotions that seem “off” or encourage you to urgently click on links. If you receive an enticing offer, do not click on the link. Instead, go directly to the company’s website to verify the offer is legitimate. If you can’t find it on their website, report the scam to your email provider as a phishing attempt. Remember: if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.

Do your homework

Fraudsters are fond of setting up fake e-commerce sites. Prior to making a purchase, read reviews to hear what others say about the merchant. Check trusted sources, like the Better Business Bureau, as well.

In addition, look for a physical location and any customer service information. It’s also a good idea to call the merchant to confirm that they are legitimate.

Consider your payment options

Using a credit card is much better than using a debit card; there are more consumer protections for credit cards if something goes awry. Or, you can use a third party payment service instead of your credit card. There are many services you can use to pay for purchases – like Google Pay – without giving the merchant your credit card information directly.

Watch what you give away

Be alert to the kinds of information being collected to complete your transaction. If the merchant is requesting more data than you feel comfortable sharing, cancel the transaction.

You only need to fill out required fields at checkout and you should not save your payment information in your profile. If the account autosaves it, go in and delete the stored payment details after the purchase.

Keep tabs on your bank and credit card statements

Be sure to continuously check your accounts for any unauthorized activity. Good recordkeeping goes hand-in-hand with managing your cybersecurity.

Another tip for monitoring activity is to set up alerts so that if your credit card is used, you will receive an email or text message with the transaction details.

A Quick Refresher On How To Keep Your Business Safe

If you connect it, protect it

As more and more technology becomes a part of our personal and business lives, the line between our online and offline self has become increasingly blurred. Stay Safe Online reminds us that any device we connect to our home and business network needs to be protected and each has some amount of risk associated with the connection. So all of our smart thermostats, TVs, doorbells, alarm systems, and refrigerators need to have the appropriate protection policies in place.

Securing devices at home and at work

The global pandemic has removed the boundaries between “home” and “work” as much work was completed while at home. Remote work was already well on it’s way to becoming the new normal of work the adoption of the strategy was accelerated. With devices connecting from both our home and our physical workspace, this has opened the doors to a different kind of cybersecurity concern and how you can protect both.

Securing Internet-connected devices in healthcare

More and more healthcare facilities, from senior living to urgent care centers, are using Internet-connected devices in the day-to-day care of their patients. Tele-medicine has quickly emerged as a way for patients to receive care and doctors to give it as a result of COVID-19, but this opens both patients and providers to unique cybersecurity challenges. Strong passwords and encrypted Wi-fi will help to keep data secure.