Security – TechRado https://www.techrado.com Tech News Around The Globe Mon, 28 Feb 2022 22:19:45 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=5.2.19 https://www.techrado.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/11/techrado_favicon_FBj_icon.ico Security – TechRado https://www.techrado.com 32 32 Using Technology to Secure Your Home https://www.techrado.com/using-technology-to-secure-your-home/ Mon, 28 Feb 2022 22:19:45 +0000 https://www.techrado.com/?p=7941 The security and safety of the home are becoming more and more important to homeowners across the world. With massive increases in technology across a wide range of sectors – there’s no surprise that there have been massive enhancements in terms of the ways that you can secure your home and increase your security. It’s highly important that you take your security into consideration so read on to find out more about the awesome and innovative products that can massively increase your overall security.

This article is written by A.P.E Fire & Security. We are one of the leading installers of fire alarms in Bristol and have installed a large number of advanced security systems using the latest technology.

Why It’s Important to Increase Your Security

There are a number of reasons as to why you will want to increase your home security and some reasons may not be as obvious as you might think! Expect to enjoy the following when you install an advanced system or make the decision to install your first security system.

  • Expect to save money on bills when looking at home insurance when you invest in a security system. The more advanced the system – the more potential savings can be made.

  • Systems such as fire detection systems and CCTV systems are highly advanced and completely increase your security. Remote monitoring, 24/7 operation and even just having a clear system installed will defend your home.

  • The safety of your family is likely high on your agenda. Investing in security systems improves their safety – especially while you may not be present at your property. If you go away on holiday and you again aren’t at your property – you will have the peace of mind that you can monitor your home wherever you are

Installing Fire Monitoring Systems

Although fire alarm systems are often attributed to larger buildings such as schools, business premises, factories or other large scale areas – your home can benefit immensely from the installation of a fire monitoring or fire alarm system. You can also expect to see reductions in your home insurance costs and premiums because of the fact that you have taken fire safety and security into account and installed systems to mitigate the risk of fire. You can also install items such as carbon monoxide alarms near gas appliances to further your defences and detection systems.

CCTV Monitoring of Your Property

CCTV systems have become a staple in terms of public and private surveillance. Being widely utilised in shops, business premises and other areas – your home can also expect to benefit from installing a CCTV system. These systems have now become highly advanced and can provide superior picture quality and other benefits. You can choose to opt for exterior surveillance so that the front or vulnerable areas of your property are protected as well as monitored. Internal CCTV systems can be used to monitor the security of your property when you are not there and should intruders gain access – you will have evidence collected to pass onto law enforcement.

Intruder Alarms & Other Security Systems

CCTV can be used in court as evidence so you may also want to think about installing intruder alarms. An intruder alarm is one of the most effective ways of protecting your property. You are also able to install systems that are directly linked to law enforcement or a security company – to ensure rapid response should a burglary or robbery occur in your home. This is one of if not the most effective deterrents for securing your home and ensuring that you have the utmost in intruder detection and protection.

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5 Things to Know About Computer Network Security https://www.techrado.com/5-things-to-know-about-computer-network-security/ Fri, 15 Oct 2021 02:44:53 +0000 https://www.techrado.com/?p=7733 In computer science, security refers to any protection of devices, either offline or on the internet. We are now in advanced technology, numerous computers have ended up associated with public networks, and security has become a concern. Network Security Technology also plays an essential role in different industries.

Whether we are working on the computer desk, technology has entered all processes and functions across the workplace. Most companies across industries have embraced technology, and they aim to improve the technological landscape of their associations consistently.

With advanced technology, computers change in many aspects of business and labor. It is a tool that the employer of the company uses at all levels in most industries. Computers became a means of communication, a device where information is stored, used for research, calculations, and entertainment.

Let’s talk about the security of our computers. As a user of computers, here are the five things you need to know.

Use a PIN to your Computer 

The Basic step to secure data on our desktop is setting a password. It can help to keep those people from opening your phone and stealing data files. One of the reasons for passwords is that we don’t want someone to open some or confidential things that we keep.

Never share a password. 

No one else has to know your password, even your family, friends, and co-workers. If they need to sign in as you to reproduce an issue, they can change your secret phrase briefly, and you can reset it later. Directors ought to never ask clients for their passwords or keep arrangements of end client passwords, and it dodges potential for a review trail should it be required down the line. 

Sharing passwords in the workplace is common, such as putting sticky notes on the tables where e their passwords are written but, it somehow can be a fatal security threat in some businesses.

Don’t open emails you don’t know.

We often get messages from individuals and don’t have a clue about what we find troublesome. The best way to prevent your computer from hackers is don’t open those open links attached to those messages, especially if it looks suspicious. It is because some attachments and links might have viruses that can destroy your computers, scam money, or steal your personal information and data files.

Be cautious of Public Wifi.

We found public Wifi because it is free, but we also need to be cautious since it is the best trick to attract prey in terms of hacking. Logging into a free Wifi puts us under the threat of viruses, malware, and many other things that involve hacking attempts. As we connect to any Public Wifi they can track us and leak our credentials data to a hacker.

Report any Security Incidents

Regardless of whether you think you have committed an error and disregarded one of the standards above, report it to your director instead of overlooking it or expecting it to disappear. The whole association ought to know about any dynamic trick.

Now let’s talk about Computer Network Security.

What is Computer Network Security?

It is a broad topic to be discussed, and it also covers several advantages, gadgets, and cycles. It explains the rules and arrangements that ensure the integrity, privacy, and availability of computer networks. Both programming and equipment with each company and facility or industry require a high level of network security to protect it from cyber threats these days.

How does Network Security work?

As our organization creates a plan for network safety, we need to be alert and consider that threats might happen in our area. Therefore, we need to take into account the three levels of security controls, and these are:

Physical Network Security, Technical Network Security, and Administrative Network Security.

Now that we already know the controls of security, Now let’s talk about some ways to protect our computer networks: 

Network Access Control

We need to set the most secure level in the Network access control of our computers. Strict access control policies are necessary for our computers and other devices to ensure that potential hackers invade our network.

Firewall Protection

As we all know, we can find it in our computer settings. It acts as the identifier and blocker if they find some untrusted external networks.

Antivirus and Antimalware Software

We need to find software that can thoroughly scan and track files. We need to protect our computers from network invaders or threats such as malicious software includes viruses, malware, and trojans.

Formore, to avoids any cyber threats need to know what are the things that we need to do. If you encounter an uncontrollable situation, we need to seek help as long as possible from Computer Network Security Experts.

Are you looking for an expert in computer network security in Bangkok? Check out The Practical Solution (TPS) is here to help you! We are one of the best companies that offer leading computer security network services that will satisfy the needs of our clients

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Internet Security Tips You Should Remember https://www.techrado.com/internet-security-tips-you-should-remember/ Tue, 24 Aug 2021 14:22:59 +0000 https://www.techrado.com/?p=7573 Keeping on top of your internet security is one of the most important actions to take when you use the internet – especially if you run a business. 

While internet security tech has come a long way, cybercrime has become cleverer too, and is constantly adapting to outfox unwitting internet users. If you think you know all the ways that you can get scammed, then you are a prime target for hackers, because they thrive on taking their victims completely unawares.

However, if you follow a few basic principles, keep yourself educated about evolving cybercrime methods and remain vigilant online, then you stand a good chance of avoiding exploitation by these scams.

Here are internet security tips that you should remember:

Keep on top of your data security

A primary target for cyber criminals and viruses is your sensitive data, which they can threaten you with sharing, delete or steal for monetary gain. While it is arguably safer to store these files online rather than in paper form (to avoid the risk of theft or fire), it does not mean that your files are completely protected.

One of the safest ways of storing data is through cloud computing, which is why many businesses now use cloud-related services to store data, collaborate on work projects and run many daily work processes. However, this is not to say that cloud computing is fool-proof. 

You will still need to monitor the security of your sensitive information, without having to spend hours changing passwords every other day, or checking up on the health of your coding. This is why it could be useful to use a code security firm like Spectralops.io

It will help you keep your code and cloud protected, searching for weaknesses in your system on your behalf, leaving you to get on with other tasks.

Cyber-security threats are not identical – they demand different defenses

One of the most important points you need to remember about cybercrime is that it is not a one-size-fits-all threat. There are many different types of cybercrime, from ransomware viruses to phishing scams, and malware, to name a few. 

Phishing scams, for example, prey on the ignorant and unsuspecting, working in much the same way as a ‘real-life’ con. Phishing spammers will pose as a respectable institution like a bank or government, as a way of luring you into handing over sensitive information.

Although phishing scams usually offload a form of virus onto your device, you are more likely to pick up malware or ransomware by taking a wrong turn online and visiting a virus-ridden web page or clicking on the wrong link.

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Six Tips To Keep Your Data Safe From Digital Theft https://www.techrado.com/keep-your-data-safe-from-digital-theft/ Thu, 06 May 2021 09:03:27 +0000 https://www.techrado.com/?p=7086 Cybersecurity has become the need of the hour. As we spend more time online, we’re often sharing some of our personal information in one way or another. And if this information falls into the wrong hands, our money and identity/reputation could be at risk. So, for individuals and businesses alike, safeguarding sensitive data is mandatory!

These days, cybercriminals can intercept every bit of computer-based information from an unsuspecting victim. Therefore, data security should be amongst the essential protocols for any business/individual.

So, how do you keep your data safe from thieves on the internet? There are many ways to prevent data theft and interception. If you follow these data security measures, you will successfully diminish the chances of a breach in your digital defenses.

 

  • Organize all of your sensitive data

 

Identifying sensitive data is the foremost step in preventing it from being stolen. Some might call it “data discovery” since this process will enable you to determine sensitive data and how to protect it. You don’t have to do it manually; there are plenty of valuable tools available for data classification and discovery. Therefore, you can streamline this process and segment the sensitive data within your environment.

After mapping all of your sensitive data, you can start identifying the items that could potentially put your data at risk. For instance, if multiple employees have access to your network, you should ensure those employees follow security protocols. In the end, you’ll be able to filter out the number of systems and individuals that come in contact with sensitive data to minimize the risk of someone handling it unfittingly.

Furthermore, if you don’t want to be caught off-guard by improved technologies in data theft, expanding your knowledge in this field may be the best option. Earning a masters in cyber security online can help you improve your skills and learn new things to advance your career. That way, you can gain the upper hand on digital forensics and risk management.

 

  • Password-protect everything

 

Demanding passwords for individuals to access your systems – and ensuring those passwords are not easy to crack – is another excellent security tip. The best way to set strong passwords is to add different characters (numbers, symbols, and letters) where necessary. You can also set a series of words or phrases that take a lot of brainstorming to figure out.

Other than that, it is also essential to avoid using the same password for more than one system/account, as credential stuffing is yet another form of cyberattack. These types of attacks use stolen login information and gain access to multiple servers. To prevent this from happening, you can use a trustworthy password manager, such as Keeper, to generate and adequately store unique passwords.

 

  • Be cautious of links

 

Show off hands if you’ve been here before: clicking on a suspicious, never been seen before, link, to see where it leads. That’s probably the fastest way of losing confidential information!

Links in emails are a standard move used by hackers to trick individuals into giving up their personal information. This is often in the form of flight reservations, banking statements, password recovery emails, and many more forms of malware.

If any user clicks on these links, they are redirected to a phony website that looks eerily similar to its original counterpart. The website will ask them to log in with their details. Once a hacker has their hands on such data, they can access the user’s accounts and information. Therefore, if something looks suspicious, don’t even think of touching it with a 10-feet pole.

 

  • Use Two-factor authentication

 

Two-factor authentication is one of the best and most effective ways of adding a robust layer of security to multiple platforms. It often leverages knowledge factors (something only a user knows), biological factors (something a user is), or possession factors (something a user owns) to verify a user’s identity. These can be top-secret questions, biometric data, and security tokens. However, it is still susceptible to certain types of Trojan horse attacks and phishing. So you might still want to ensure using a trustee antivirus.

 

  • Keep all of your systems up-to-date

 

Your operating system, browser, and software should always be up-to-date. If your business uses a firewall, regularly update your firmware and firewall software. The older a server, system, or software is, the more vulnerable it is to being hacked by the latest tools and most intelligent people. By updating your systems, you will prevent backers or malware from exploiting those security backdrops.

So, next time you notice that “genuine” system update pop-up, don’t let it slide!

 

  • Be overly guarded

 

Although many things online are protected, it’s better to be safe than sorry. Therefore, be aware of any software you are downloading, links you are clicking, and websites you are visiting. Being slightly paranoid about social media, email, and the internet can help you create a strong line of defense to protect data that could slip away.

Conclusion 

These data security guidelines are essential for your business to follow. None is too complex for any company or individual to execute. So, what are you waiting for? Start implementing these cybersecurity tips right away and save your data from being touched by unwanted users!

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How to Create a Cybersecurity Attack Plan https://www.techrado.com/how-to-create-a-cybersecurity-attack-plan/ Sun, 10 Jan 2021 17:12:03 +0000 https://www.techrado.com/?p=6536 Whether you run or work for a business, or do your business at home, you are going to want to make sure that you are as protected as possible from any and all forms of cyberattacks. You might think that it is really rare that you’d actually become the victim of an attack, but it is actually quite possible.

Believe it or not, one American falls victim to a cyberattack every 39 seconds. That alone should give you a decent idea about just how truly possible this horrible even really is. For that reason, you have to know what to do in order to protect yourself and you also have to have a security event and incident management plan so that if it does happen, you will be prepared. Let’s get started.

Developing a plan

Develop a security plan and supporting policies so that anyone within your company knows the steps and knows who to contact for necessary guidance when an attack is detected. In fact, you should have a checklist put in place that is ready for anyone to access in the event of an attack. Beyond that, make sure that the security incident management plan is being constantly upgraded and updated if any changes to your cybersecurity strategy are made.

Have a team ready to go

As they say, a good defense is a good offense and that is absolutely true in the case of mitigating the damage of a cyberattack. For that reason, it is important to either have a group of in-house IT experts and cybersecurity wizzes who can help you in your time of need or an out of house group who can do the same tasks.When working out of house, ensure the group has completed cyber security leadership training.It is similarly important that everyone who works for your company knows exactly who to call and how to reach them in the event of an incident. 

When a cyberattack is identified, time is absolute of the essence so you do not want to worry about whether or not your employees know who they need to contact at this very important time. 

Post-incident analysis

If an attack has occurred, you are going to want to assess the damage and figure out what you can learn from the mistakes that were made. Performing a post-incident analysis with professionals who know precisely what to look for is key to making sure that you will be better prepared the next time. Learning from your failures and successes as a crucial aspect of many kinds of business, and the same can absolutely be said for cybersecurity. 

The reason why collecting information is so crucial is because it offers insight into the following factors:

  • The ability to employ forensics as needed for analysis, reporting and investigation
  • Gather evidence so that you can use it in court if necessary
  • Identifying team members who are experienced with information gathering and analysis

Overall, a cyberattack is a horrible thing to go through. However, having a plan in place for how to deal with it can make a major difference in helping you rebound as quickly as possible.

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How to Choose the Right Security Camera Installation Company https://www.techrado.com/how-to-choose-the-right-security-camera-installation-company/ Tue, 17 Nov 2020 20:04:34 +0000 https://www.techrado.com/?p=6272 If you are thinking about installing security cameras around your business or home, chances are good you are interested in learning about some of the top security camera installation companies in your area. With that being said, just like you want to make sure that you are hiring the very best for any kind of work that you are having done around your business or home, you want to make sure that you are hiring a top security camera installation outfit. 

Luckily, there are some very straightforward ways for you to make sure that you are hiring one of the very best. Read more below to figure out how to choose the right security camera installation companies for you!

Start with Some Questions

When you are calling different security camera installation companies in your area or reaching out to them online, there are a large number of questions that you will want to have ready to get a good idea of how professional and experienced they are. 

Here are some key questions to have ready when you reach out to different companies you are thinking about working with:

  • What type of security cameras should I use?
  • How will I be able to connect my security camera to my video management system?
  • What is the best type of video management system that I should purchase?
  • What type of storage should I use?

Keep in mind that the answers to these questions are important, but you can also use the questions themselves as a litmus test. Make sure that the person you are speaking with sounds confident, highly educated and experienced with many different kinds of cameras and security systems.

If they sound as though they do not really know what they are talking about, or are only seeming to push one or two different products rather than a wide array of different options, you will want to seriously consider looking at different options. 

Narrow the Field 

Once you have found a handful of companies that you are confident in, make sure to do some online research about them to find out what kinds of reviews they have from previous clients. You may even want to ask the company directly to get a list of former clients and their contact information so that you can reach out to them directly. 

From there, you will want to ask a few more questions just to help make your final decision that much easier. 

Those questions include:

  • Is your company licensed, bonded and insured?
  • Can you provide proof of documentation if needed?
  • How many video surveillance system installations have you installed and have there been any issues with them?
  • Can you provide pictures of what the cabling, mounting and camera placement looks like in any of your previous installation jobs?
  • What additional certifications do you have, if any?
  • What sort of warranty or guarantee do you offer?

Once you get the answer to all these important questions, you should know precisely which company you want to work with.

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$100K Bounty on Hacker Who Stole $24 Million from Harvest Finance https://www.techrado.com/100k-bounty-on-hacker-who-stole-24-million-from-harvest-finance/ Mon, 02 Nov 2020 19:05:17 +0000 https://www.techrado.com/?p=6217 Harvest Finance, a well known decentralized finance (DeFi) service, was hacked on Monday, with the attacker stealing roughly $24 million. Platform administrators almost immediately confirmed the attack via messages posted on the company’s Twitter account and Discord channel. The web portal, which allows users to invest in cryptocurrencies and farm the price variations for small profit yields, also put out a $100,000 bounty for anyone who can reach out to the attacker.

According to the finance service, the hacker carried out the attack using a large flash loan. They exploited prices on one money lego to drain another several times, converted the funds to renBTC (rBTC), and exited to Bitcoin. In total, the cybercriminal got away with $13 million worth of USD coin (USDC) and $11 million in Tether (USDT). However, for unknown reasons, they returned around $2.5 million to Harvest Finance in USDC and USDT. The company announced that it would distribute that amount to the affected depositors.

Furthermore, the company claims that it now has enough personally identifiable information to identify the attacker, who is “well-known in the crypto community.” And with the help of Ren Protocol, it also provided ten Bitcoin addresses of the hacker, where it believes the stolen funds were transferred. Subsequently, Harvest Finance asked major exchanges like Binance and Coinbase to freeze the funds in question.

As a consequence of the attack, Harvest Finance’s native token, FARM, fell by almost 60% in the last 24 hours. The total amount of money that the protocol boasts also took a massive tumble, dropping from over $1 billion on October 25 (one day before the attack) to approximately $570 million, according to data from DeFi Pulse.

TheVPN.Guru is a source of information on the latest cybersecurity news while also offering tips and tricks on safeguarding your online privacy and anonymity. 

 

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How To Protect Yourself From Cyber Attacks https://www.techrado.com/how-to-protect-yourself-from-cyber-attacks/ Fri, 24 Jul 2020 09:14:55 +0000 https://www.techrado.com/?p=5748 Protecting yourself from cybercriminals is not an easy task. Everyone day the hackers are getting more organized and they’re exploiting the information in a much more sophisticated way. In the past, hackers used to target big companies. But things have changed a lot over the past years. As big companies are spending a huge amount of money on securing the data server, hackers are focusing on normal people. Though it might seem terrible news, we can protect yourself from the cyber-attacks by using some of the most basic principles. In this article, we will learn some amazing tips that will allow us to protect our data from hackers. Follow the tips of this article, if you truly want to stay safe in the internet world.

Avoid the spam emails

The new users always love to see the contents of the lucrative emails. The lucrative emails make us think that we are going to get some amazing prize but in reality, these are the traps set by the hackers. Even if you click a blank space of such emails, malicious software might get installed that will secretly send the sophisticated data to the hackers. So, avoid checking the emails that are not known to you. In most cases, the hackers use unusual email names that are easy to track by using the domain extension. However, you should be careful about the most legit type of emails which has become one the leading technique for the new hackers. Be cautious about the emails as it can cause a massive data breach.

Take help from Cybersecurity assessment

Cybersecurity is all about what you know. You can’t afford to assume that your cybersecurity measures and practices are keeping you safe. A Cybersecurity Assessment will help you know for sure.No matter how much you’ve invested in your cybersecurity, you can’t just assume it’s effective enough to protect you against cybercriminals. A key best practice for cybersecurity is to regularly test your measures to make sure they hold up in the event of an attack, and to identify any unseen vulnerabilities that are putting you at risk.

Always use updated software

Being an active internet user, you should always use the updated software. The reason we are asking you to use the updated software is to ensure the stability of security. The software updates contain critical updates for your device and it makes the job of the hacker tough. Most of us think the software updates contain bugs and it will slow down your smart devices. Though it might contain bugs the bugs are fixed within a few days or weeks. Make sure you are not using the cracked version of the software was you won’t be able to update the products. The hackers will use this weak spot to get into your system.

Start using the VPN

Professional internet users rely on VPN service provider. But you must know how the VPN for several devices works. Most of us gain access to the internet via multiple devices. So, if we secure the mobile or the desktop computer, the hackers might target our laptop to get the secured information. You must use VPN in all the devices so that the hackers fail to get the critical information most of the time. By using this technique, you will be able to secure your internet connection as the data will be sent in the encryption medium. You can use a trial version of the VPN and see how it changes the security layer of your personal computer. The best part of using the VPN is the cost. You don’t have to spend a huge amount of money to get a premium service while using the VPN. They are very affordable and can provide robust security.

Use the antivirus program

Many of us think the use of antivirus programs is no longer required. But if you deal with sophisticated information, you must use the antivirus. It’s not like the hackers will always steal the information to gain personal benefit. Some of the hackers will infect your personal computer and delete the important files just for nothing. They do so to test their skills. However, some of them will lock down the important files and ask for money. But if you use an antivirus program, chances are high, the hackers won’t be able to get pas your security system. While using the antivirus program make sure you are always using the latest version of the antivirus program or else it will be tough to manage the security of your device. Take smart steps and you won’t be harmed by the hackers.

Take Help from a Data Destruction Company

Within a small span of time, companies collect TBs worth of data in different areas. After the data has been used, most companies try to store them in not-so-safe environments. This is an area, which is often overlooked by companies. Data, which has been used is often not given the importance it deserves. However, this can result in severe losses for the company. Businesses should look to work with a secure data destruction company to help them eliminate all remnants of the data after it has been used, processed and analysed. This will ensure that the data, which you do not require does not hurt you. Data, which is not used often ends up in the wrong hands and causes monetary losses and credibility to a business.

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Top threats to G Suite security in 2020 https://www.techrado.com/top-threats-to-g-suite-security-in-2020/ Thu, 25 Jun 2020 13:35:39 +0000 https://www.techrado.com/?p=5603 2020 has been a year like no other and filled with many challenges.  Businesses have been forced to change how they carry out operations while empowering their end users to work remotely from home.  Many organizations, no doubt including your own, are now heavily leveraging the flexibility and capabilities afforded by cloud SaaS environments like G Suite.

In the midst of a global pandemic as well as challenging economic times, organizations can’t let their guard down when it comes to security.  In fact, the shift in how employees are working has served to introduce new security challenges.  How is this affecting cloud environments like G Suite?  Let’s take a look at the top threats to G Suite security in 2020.

Top threats to G Suite security in 2020


As your organization leverages G Suite for business-critical services as well as data storage, there are many security threats to be aware of.  In recent months, organizations have been required to shift how their employees carry out their job duties with the majority of employees working remotely.  What additional threats to G Suite security does this bring in 2020?  Let’s take a look at the following:

  • Distracted workers
  • Phishing emails
  • Ransomware
  • Data leak
  • Risky third-party applications

Distracted Workers 


The first threat to G Suite security in 2020 has to do with a social aspect of working remotely from home and other environments instead of on-premises in the office.  The current remote situation can affect the overall security of your G Suite environment.  How so?  

With current events, attackers are well aware that workers are more distracted than ever before and are paying less attention to work and more attention to news events and other issues going on around them.  Employees are much more distracted and more likely to fall victim to phishing attacks that offer information on such topics as COVID-19, coronavirus, and health information.

This leads to targeted attacks on remote workers.  Attackers play on the panic and fear regarding the current pandemic and capitalize on these with phishing emails, ransomware, data leak tactics, and malicious risky third-party applications.  


Attackers used a COVID-19 map from John’s Hopkins University to drop malware 

Phishing emails


It is one of the oldest types of attacks in the book – phishing.  Phishing emails are a type of social engineering attack where an attacker sends an email that masquerades as a legitimate email from a reputable entity.  Often, the phishing email will have an embedded malicious hyperlink or email attachment.  

The end user is persuaded to open the attachment or click the hyperlink.  Often, these types of attachments or links contain a ransomware payload.  However, they can also be used to simply steal information from the end user such as usernames, passwords, and other personally identifiable information (PII) which is then used for malicious purposes. 

In 2020, attackers are continuing to use phishing campaigns with fake information claiming to be from legitimate organizations with information about the coronavirus and other related topics.  As mentioned, phishing emails often lead to ransomware.  What threat does ransomware pose to your G Suite environment in 2020?

Ransomware


Ransomware is perhaps one of the most alarming threats that faces businesses today.  This includes not only on-premises but also cloud environments.  One only has to read news headlines of massive ransomware attacks to understand the threat that ransomware poses to your business.  It remains a top threat to G Suite security in 2020. 

Attackers can drop ransomware payloads on your G Suite end user’s devices by means of phishing emails, malicious websites, website drive-by attacks, and even new “fileless” ransomware attacks.   Ransomware can easily infect cloud environments due to file synchronization.  

In G Suite, data can be synchronized from a local workstation using Google Drive Sync.  If ransomware encrypts files locally, the files are then synchronized to the G Suite cloud environment.  This means the data in the cloud becomes encrypted and unreadable by all employees.

New types of ransomware attacks that specifically target cloud environments have shown the capability to encrypt cloud services such as email.  The “Ransomcloud” attack has been shown to be able to encrypt business critical services by persuading a cloud end user to grant permissions to a malicious application which can then assume all the rights and permissions granted to that end user in the cloud.

This is possible by a special type of authentication used in the cloud called OAuth.  OAuth allows using a token to grant permissions for third-party applications instead of granting them access to the user password combination.  With a simple permissions request dialog box, an end user can grant dangerous permissions to an application.  Once granted, the application assumes all the permissions of the user.  

If it is a ransomware application, it can now encrypt and hold hostage all data that is accessible by that particular user, including cloud email and others.  This can lead to not only the personal data of the user being encrypted, but all other data the user has been granted permissions to in the G Suite cloud environment.

Data Leak


The leaking of data from your G Suite organization continues to be a security threat for your organization in 2020.  Data leak can lead to disastrous consequences for your business as shown in recent data detailing the impact of a data leak event for your organization.  

Data leak can cause major monetary loss for your business as a result of a number of factors including: fines and penalties, lost revenue, tarnished business reputation, and disrupted operations.  Data leak itself can come from a number of different sources including:

  1. End users – end users can either accidentally or intentionally leak data outside your G Suite organization
  2. Data breach carried out by an attacker – targeted attacks by cybercriminals or eve nation/state attacks can target certain types of data held by various organizations.  By compromising the security of the environment, an attacker can gain access to sensitive and other types of data.
  3. Ransomware – new ransomware variants are using the threat of data leak to persuade victims to pay the ransom.  So, it combines ransom threats with blackmail!  There is a string of examples of this type of ransomware coming on the scene.  The first was Maze ransomware.  Many variants have been seen since then including DoppelPaymer, Sodinokibi, and now Nemty.  

Risky third-party applications


Another major threat to your G Suite environment in 2020 is risky or outright malicious third-party applications.  While there are many beneficial and useful apps in the marketplace, your organization needs to be on the lookout for dangerous apps.  These can be found in the G Suite marketplace as well as by way of browser extensions.  

Again, with the cloud OAuth permissions model, all an end user has to do is accept the permissions requested by the application.  Once granted these permissions, the third-party application or browser extension assumes all the rights and permissions assigned to the granting user.  

This means that an end user can easily expose your business-critical or sensitive data to the outside world via a third-party application by installing an app on their mobile device or browser extension in their browser.  Additionally, a malicious application drop ransomware into your environment.  Both are extremely dangerous!  

There are any number of threats that can come from third-party applications.  Your organization in 2020 must control which applications have access to your G Suite environment.  

Protect G Suite against threats in 2020 with SpinOne


To properly protect your environment from the threats to your G Suite environment in 2020 and beyond, you need to have both visibility and control.  Also, you need the proper tools to protect and secure your data.  SpinOne provides an all-inclusive solution to both protect and secure your G Suite environment.  What is SpinOne?

SpinOne is a next-generation CASB solution that incorporates artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) to protect your G Suite environment from sophisticated attacks that target your cloud environment.  What does it provide?

  • Ransomware protection – World class ransomware protection that automatically detects, blocks, identifies damage, and restores your data
  • Third-party apps control – Whitelist and blacklist over 60,000 applications including both G Suite marketplace apps as well as browser plugins with SpinAudit
  • Backups – Ransomcloud infection is extremely dangerous.  With native tools in G Suite, the process of how to recover deleted emails in Outlook would be cumbersome.  SpinOne’s SpinBackup tool allows easily restoring your data and setting a G Suite backup policy for automatic backups throughout the day.
  • Insider threats protection – Protect against threats that come from your own employees.  These can be either accidental or intentional actions that can put your data at risk. With SpinOne, you know what your employees are doing and you are alerted to malicious behavior.
  • Data leak protection – With SpinSecurity, you know where your data is shared and who it is shared with.

SpinOne is the “best of the best” protection for your G Suite environment.  Take a look at SpinOne for G Suite and see the full list of capabilities it provides for your environment.

 

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5 Tips to Prepare Yourself for Ransomware https://www.techrado.com/5-tips-to-prepare-yourself-for-ransomware/ Wed, 17 Jun 2020 02:11:54 +0000 https://www.techrado.com/?p=5553 Technology and digitization have changed the world as we know it. Almost all the businesses around the world have an online presence because it has become an essential part of any business. However, there is a very worrisome side of the online world and that is the cybersecurity threat. 

Almost every other day, there is news about a cybersecurity breach. Therefore, it is crucial that you must be prepared for any such situation. The most common method used by the criminals to hack into your systems is by sending the ransomware. Once you fall prey to the bait, your system security is compromised, and you can’t access any of your company’s data. It is called a ransomware attack where you have to pay the criminals to get your access back. 

The question here is what you can do to prevent all of this chaos to happen. Here, in this blog, I’ve narrowed down some of the very critical strategic steps that will help you to prepare in advance for a ransomware attack.

Here you go: 

Make Your Network Layered Security Strong 

The criminals out there are coming with new and different methods to penetrate your security firewalls. Therefore, you need to make sure that network layered security is compatible to deal with new and latest threats. One way to make sure that your security firewalls are strong enough is to implement the latest tools and strategies that promise to provide real-time end-point solutions with the latest behavior-based analysis tools. 

Fortify Your Existing Email Security 

Your email security is of the utmost importance when it comes to ransomware attacks. It is because all kinds of malware sent by the criminals is mostly through the emails. So make sure that your current email gateway is capable of performing real-time inspection and detection of every email content that you receive. You need to make sure that all potential malware and hidden triggers don’t go undetected through your email security plan. 

Prepare a Contingency Plan 

It is perhaps the most important strategy when it comes to being prepared for a ransomware attack. You need to make sure that you have a solid contingency plan just in case you are under attack of ransomware. You must take advice from professionals like Cytelligence when you are under attack. Even when you are not under attack, you must have a good ransomware fighting company in your contacts so that your business doesn’t get affected.  

Update Your Current Backup Strategy 

Your best defense against any kind of ransomware attack is to have a complete backup of your data. The only blackmailing point that criminals use against you is that they rob you off from access to your company’s data. When you have a recent backup, you’ll not have to be blackmailed by them. This way, you can carry on your business even after getting attacked. So, make sure that you update your backup strategy by keeping the possibility of a ransomware attack to happen in your mind. 

Enhance Your Patch Management Strategy 

It is impossible to make software or a system that is one hundred percent error or bug-free. It is the reason that your service providers keep sending you different security patches to apply to your software to make your system secure. You need to make sure that you apply these security patches as soon as you receive them from your provider. Your negligence in applying these patches can cost your business a lot of money and reputation. 

 

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