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Cyber Security Awareness Month: 7 Simple Steps to keep You Cyber Safe

cyber securityHooray! October is here and that means it’s National Cyber Security Awareness Month. You may not be as excited as us, but you should still do your part and be aware of how you interact online. The more interconnected we become online, the more windows of opportunity created for cybercriminals. So let’s do our part to stop them by following some simple security steps when working online.

From Stop.Think.Connect.:

  1. Lock down your login: Your usernames and passwords are not enough to protect key accounts like email, banking and social media. Strengthen online accounts and use strong authentication tools – like biometrics, security keys or a unique, one-time code through an app on your mobile device – whenever offered.
  2. Keep a clean machine: Keep all software on internet-connected devices – including personal computers, smartphones and tablets – current to reduce risk of infection from ransomware and malware.
  3. When in doubt, throw it out: Links in email, tweets, posts and online advertising are often how cybercriminals try to compromise your information. If it looks suspicious, even if you know the source, it’s best to delete or, if appropriate, mark as junk.
  4. Back it up: Protect your valuable work, music, photos and other digital information by making an electronic copy and storing it safely. If you have a copy of your data and your device falls victim to ransomware or other cyber threats, you will be able to restore the data from a backup.
  5. Own your online presence: Set the privacy and security settings on websites to your comfort level for information sharing. It is OK to limit how and with whom you share information.
  6. Share with care: Think before posting about yourself and others online. Consider what a post reveals, who might see it and how it might affect you or others.
  7. Personal information is like money. Value it. Protect it.: Information about you, such as purchase history or location, has value – just like money. Be thoughtful about who gets that information and how it is collected by apps, websites and all connected devices.

If you are concerned that your valuable business data is not as protected as it should be, contact us at Great Lakes Computer Corporation in Northeast Ohio. We have been serving the IT needs of businesses locally and nationwide for over 30 years. We offer a range of data security related services, from antivirus to backup and recovery to cloud computing. We can find a solution that works for you.

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Hackers Build Backdoor into CCleaner App

cybersecurityA new hack has been announced and it’s affecting over 2 million users. The infected application is called CCleaner and it’s one that even we have mentioned in the past because it’s free and works well to run file clean up to remove clutter from your hard drive. But, as with so many other breaches, when you’re dealing with free software, sometimes you get what you paid for.

From a Forbes article:

It has 2 billion downloads and claims to be getting 5 million extra a week, making the threat particularly severe, researchers at Cisco Talos warned. Comparing it to the NotPetya ransomware outbreak, which spread after a Ukrainian accounting app was infected, the researchers discovered the threat on September 13 after CCleaner 5.33 caused Talos systems to flag malicious activity.

Further investigation found the CCleaner download server was hosting the backdoored app as far back as September 11. Talos warned in a blog Monday that the affected version was released on August 15, but on September 12 an untainted version 5.34 was released. For weeks then, the malware was spreading inside supposedly-legitimate security software.

The malware would send encrypted information about the infected computer – the name of the computer, installed software and running processes – back to the hackers’ server. The hackers also used what’s known as a domain generation algorithm (DGA); whenever the crooks’ server went down, the DGA could create new domains to receive and send stolen data. Use of DGAs shows some sophistication on the part of the attackers.

The Chief Technology Officer at the parent company, Avast, says there is no reason to fear. They launched an automatic update to users that downloaded the infected version of the software in the last couple of weeks. This should also serve as a warning for users that have disabled automatic updates that you should take a moment to install your immediately. 

They also believe that they stopped the attack before any significant data was stolen, believing that the hackers intended a second phaase of attack that was thwarted by quick detection and remediation.

If you’re uncertain about how effective your current cybersecurity solution is, contact us. We offer a range of antivirus and monitoring services, as well as backup and recovery (which may be the best solution to cybercrime there is).

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What to Do in the Wake of the Equifax Security Breach

data securityThe Equifax breach is a big one. The company holds the credit reports of over 143 million US consumers, and those reports have all our most valuable information. They are suggesting that you should not wait to determine if your information was breached to take action to prevent identity fraud. You should start with the assumption that you are a victim.

Now what?

Backstory

The breach lasted from mid-May through July. The hackers accessed people’s names, Social Security numbers, birth dates, addresses and, in some instances, driver’s license numbers. They also stole credit card numbers for about 209,000 people and dispute documents with personal identifying information for about 182,000 people. And they grabbed personal information of people in the UK and Canada too.

What Do I Do Now?

Here are some steps from the Federal Trade Commission to take to help protect yourself after a data breach:

    • Check your credit reports from Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion — for free — by visiting annualcreditreport.com. Accounts or activity that you don’t recognize could indicate identity theft. Visit IdentityTheft.gov to find out what to do.
    • Consider placing a credit freeze on your files. A credit freeze makes it harder for someone to open a new account in your name. Keep in mind that a credit freeze won’t prevent a thief from making charges to your existing accounts.
      Monitor your existing credit card and bank accounts closely for charges you don’t recognize.
    • If you decide against a credit freeze, consider placing a fraud alert on your files. A fraud alert warns creditors that you may be an identity theft victim and that they should verify that anyone seeking credit in your name really is you.
    • File your taxes early — as soon as you have the tax information you need, before a scammer can. Tax identity theft happens when someone uses your Social Security number to get a tax refund or a job. Respond right away to letters from the IRS.
    • Visit Identitytheft.gov/databreach to learn more about protecting yourself after a data breach.

The key to catching an identity thief is vigilance. Paying attention to your credit reports and unusual financial activity can help you minimize the potential damage a thief can do.

Data Security is Critical

As providers of IT related services, we know that data is the most valuable asset a business can have. Security breaches are becoming a common state of affairs, between ransomware, malware, and phishing attacks. You, and your staff, must follow best practices for data security to ensure your company and client data is protected.

Great Lakes Computer can help you get the protection you need. We offer a wide range of security products from antivirus to HIPAA compliance assessments. Contact us today to ensure your data has best-in-class protection.

Learn more about our Data Security Product Suite

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