When we think of Ransomware, we don’t think of all the costs of this rapidly growing plague. The global cost of Ransomware payments is in the BILLIONS, an FBI report says that in 2023 approximately $12.5 billion was paid out, and that is just what victims had to pay who reported it! The number is predicted to grow by double digit percentages year over year. What is the actual cost …
It seems basic common sense but even for seasoned pros sometimes it’s not! Email spoofing is a hackers easiest way to grab a handful of money and be gone! They do this by intercepting a legitimate emailed invoice as an example, and now they have the information they need to begin. They’ll open a new bank account, claim it’s your new account and they are in play, here is how. …
We all go about our day working, or on our downtime surfing the web. Whether we’re doing research for work, booking our next vacation, shopping, looking for funny videos, or making a few bets with latest online gambling craze, we’re online a lot. And the worst part is we don’t even think of who’s behind us looking??!! Many of us think we are safe because we downloaded antivirus software, or …
I know people who tell me they do not use any social media, well except LinkedIn or maybe Pinterest or Facebook to stay in touch with old friends, I always laugh. Without knowing it, they all seem to use some form of Social Media, even apps like WhatsApp for a group discussion before heading out to dinner or a movie. Recently 2 giants in the world of Social Media, Twitter …
We all have a friend or family member who is a doctor, lawyer, dentist, electrician, etc., and we always call them up asking for advice. Well it’s no different when you are in the IT business no matter what it is you do, inevitably you get ‘THAT CALL’! The ‘how do I call’, how do I make a picture bigger, how come my WiFi doesn’t work, why won’t my computer …
Even before I started working with a main focus on Cybersecurity, it was always my practice and policy to not allow free email services on any work related computers. Gmail, Hotmail, etc. While these are part of our everyday life they have no place in or on our corporate devices. While some companies like Google offer business class services, it’s the personal email side that always concerned me. And now …
I remember when we lived in a world before computers and the internet, which meant hackers were heavy smokers…! Now we live in an age where everyone has a computer everywhere they go. From your cell phone to your computer at work or home, your gaming system, you are tied to technology! As all our technology advances so does the software that runs it and runs on it. All software …
As we’ve become more and more reliant on our mobile devices, we’ve become more starved for power to keep them running! Whether its in the airport, mall or wherever, we see that battery percentage drop and we start to panic!!!! I was at an outdoor mall this weekend and saw people plugging in their phones without a second thought, I wondered to myself who or what is on the other …
Sorry for my absence but there is a good and true reason for it, and you’ll find out why here. Recently I contracted a certain virus we have all become very aware of and at the same time tired of hearing about, Covid 19. As we have all spent the last couple of years learning more and more about this virus and how it morphs and spreads in different ways, …
By now we all know about Crypto Currency and its value, especially in ransomware attacks. But there is a business within the business of Crypto Currency. Cryptomining, below is a definition for those who are not familiar with it, And the blog for this week is below that! ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ What Does Cryptomining Mean? By: Jennifer Seaton | Reviewed by Kuntal Chakraborty | Last updated: December 9, 2021 Cryptomining is the process of validating a cryptocurrency transaction. Cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin use …
When you think of ransomware attacks and data breaches you don’t think of how fast your files can be gone! Knowing the facts can help you think about how to be smarter if you can’t be faster. In the article attached you’ll see how fast hackers can steal you data. How much of your valuable data can be in 100,000 files? Now ask yourself the same question but increase that …
We all see the dreaded “There is a software update waiting” and hesitate as long as possible to do it, or in a lot of cases just don’t do it at all. We also don’t have automatic updates turned on or manually check for software updates because it’s just a hassle! It takes time to download, then install, then reboot… But trust me it is worth the time! The reality …
This is a very serious matter and I am speaking from a recent personal experience. Last week I received multiple messages from my MFA/2FA that someone had tried to change the password on one of my Social Media accounts! What does that mean?? We live in a very connected world these days via Social Media, for personal use, business, interests, dating etc. Some people have so many Social Media apps …
This week I was helping a friend with some issues they had on their personal computer. We needed to log in to a number of their accounts to fix some issues. I was blown away at how a friend of mine could use the same password for every one of their accounts, email, social media, work… Now this is not an unusual occurrence to be sure! I decided to look …
I read this article and was amazed at the time and dedication this hacker took to get his revenge. After he was hacked by a government he sat and lay in wait for the right moment then WHAM he took down a whole country’s internet!! I am not saying that I condone this in any way, but it proves that it doesn’t necessarily take a team of sophisticated, well funded …
Definition: Hacktivism is the misuse of a computer or the internet, primarily by way of hacking into unauthorized networks, to expose a believed injustice. And that’s the premise of hacktivism: carrying out hacking attacks as a form of activism. Hacktivism is usually directed at corporate or government targets. As if things weren’t bad enough in the world of hackers and ransomware, the hacktivists are now getting in the way of serious …
This week the Canadian Foreign Affairs Ministry was hacked. Which means, even though they have the money and access to technology, the cybercriminals are still winning the war. This leads to a big question of how are governments fighting this war, and are they really using all the possible assets available to them? With the political situation globally getting more tense, what will happen if the well funded hackers attack …
In the article attached it is clear that hackers are exploiting every possible avenue they can to gain access to your environment and lock you out! This is one of a few articles I’ve read lately about USB memory sticks as a means to get in. And they’re using the good old fashioned snail mail to deliver it! Other articles as well talk about the USB devices being sent out …
Let me start my first blog of the year by wishing everyone a Happy and Healthy New Year! As I read the article below a couple of things struck me, first is that this is an ongoing issue since December 12th, 2021, but more horrific is that 12 years of employee data was stolen! Furthermore I found it unsettling that the company feels in someway, better that no customer data …
It’s a sad thing to think that some people might not get gifts for the holidays or be able to have the typical family celebrations!! Not because they don’t have jobs, not because they haven’t earned their pay, but because hackers hit the company that provides the software to processes the payroll has been hit with Ransomware!! These hackers make Scrooge look like a nice guy! In the article they …
We all know that locking our door is important, but how do we lock our door so thieves move on to less secure doors. This is where MFA becomes the best way to getting them to move on! Which door is harder to break in to? The basics of MFA are simple, you create a password and then secure it with MFA. That means that when you go to log …
I recently read a great article about ransomware, and while it was extremely geared toward techies, I thought it would be great to simplify it for time’s sake. The first thing to understand before I go into detail is that hackers don’t wake up to find you and hit you with ransomware. It is a skilled and timed precise attack. These aren’t just kids sitting in the basement on their …
Ikea is fighting what seems to be a losing battle against hackers. The reason they’re losing is that their employees need to learn how to recognize and treat Phishing emails, Spam, etc. At the same time obviously tighten up security on servers quite a bit. When I speak to clients about our Training Programs, and that they have measurable results, they see the value. What is the real value? If …
If one of the top government agencies fighting Cybercrime in the world can get hacked, why can’t you? I’ve attached 2 article one is much shorter and to the point while the other has much more detail for those interested. But it comes down to a simple statement, WOW! The FBI is one of the top agencies worldwide fighting the war on Cybercrime and they got hit! Aside from the …
All I can think about when I read this article is, what could I do with even half of $240 million dollars???? Not a bad days pay for most of us working folks. If you are part of the elites, like certain people who now fly rockets maybe it’s not that big a deal? But for the rest of us it’s a great way to retire early! Now on the …
As the the continuing rash of Ransomware attacks plague us, one group has been delivered a hit that likely won’t stop them but it might slow them down! While there are still many other cybercriminal gangs out there, the group REvil was hit by a multinational task force as you can read in the article below. This might make the others realize the noose is tightening. But what does this …
Last Thursday October 28th hackers hit the Toronto Transit Commission (TTC) with a Ransomware attack. While the TTC claimed they were not affected terribly, the users of the system suffered some discomfort. But the people who really suffered were those who use the TTC Wheel-Trans service. This service is for disabled people, it helps them get to appointments, do their shopping, etc. Without this service many people who desperately rely …
In the very electronic world we live in, email has become how we communicate more than any other in business as well as our personal life. With that being said how often do we get an email from someone we believe we know, but in reality it’s not?! Just one minor variation in the email address, such as (John vs J0hn) that we don’t notice, or better yet a ‘spoofed’ …
We have all heard about recalls, when there is a food recall for example, I know in my house I likely won’t see that brand in my fridge or pantry for years to come. Their reputation has been scared and earning back trust is hard! Why is that, it’s because we as a society place a high value on reputation based on quality, security and performance! And if a product …
I can’t say I’m too surprised that in the last quarter phishing emails will be on the rise. As the article attached clearly states cyber criminals know when your guard is down! Holidays bring out the best and worst in people, Black Friday shoppers will trample each other for a big screen TV, but cyber criminals will just send you a “Coupon” for a discount on it, and when you …
Many things in our life work even though they may be old , cars, appliances, etc. But they don’t run off software. They are typically, if old enough just dumb devices. But you still change the oil in your old car to keep it running, I hope!? Even computers keep working for a long time after they are considered old, but you did all the updates over the years to …
Well it’s bitter sweet Labour Day is here, the end of summer, the beginning of school, and the time Cybercriminals LOVE!!! (see article below). While most of us will be enjoying a long weekend with family and friends, some people will be hard at work, HACKERS! They love these long weekends when most IT teams are off they make their attack. While they’ve been mining information about companies on the …
When I bought my home I asked my locksmith for the “best lock available”, his answer, “the better the lock the better the lockpick”! See the article below. It seems that is true in the world of Cybercrime. The more we try to combat hackers the smarter they get. That’s not to say leave yourself open, it means armour up and protect yourself and prepare for possible recovery. We put …
As I have been blogging mostly about Ransomware attacks on companies, I think we should all ask ourselves ‘What If”? What if and more likely when is the question, hackers attack for example, municipal water supplies, traffic systems, etc. Hacking into a city’s water system and playing around with the chemicals that make our water safe to drink! That is a big WHAT IF! Imagine the traffic lights all turning …
We all leave our home and instinctively lock the front door behind us, but did I leave the back door open??? Sounds simple and silly but this is how hackers get in most of the time. The front door may be locked up tight but the back door is wide opened!! What is a back door for a hacker, it could be your supplier who has weak security, could be …
Ransomware has overtaken as the worst act of cybercrime. The days of ‘simple’ hacking are still around, but compared to having your systems locked and inaccessible it’s nothing. There is a cost to all this that has gone mostly undiscussed. The cost of downtime, loss of business and the worst is loss of credibility with customers / clients. You’ve spent years building this trust and in one key stroke it’s …
While no company including Nuvollo can guarantee you 100%, you won’t have to pay a ransom to attackers, Nuvollo can certainly and confidently say we can give you a fighting chance. With our highly skilled team of Cybersecurity pros and secure back up routines, we can give you a better chance of avoiding the large financial drain of Ransomware! The best way to do so is contact us before so …
It’s not just the cost of the ransom or other financial costs, which will be exorbitant! Its the downtime of your business, the lost confidence of your clients, that’s where you suffer the biggest loss! Nuvollo can help with the industry Best in Practice security, back ups, and a complete host of IT services. Our goal is keeping you up and running! (click the image to read a great article)
91% OF CYBERATTACKS START WITH A SPEAR-PHISHING EMAIL Spear phishing is an email sent to you that appears to be from a person or company that you know. But it’s not. It’s from a criminal hacker who wants your credit card and bank account numbers, passwords, personal and financial information. Learn how to protect yourself and your company: Verify email addresses to be sure that it’s the real sender …
Passwords are essential. Indeed, it’s important to protect your network, all its data and your business and/or family. It should meet complex rules to avoid cyberattacks. DOs and DON’Ts to keep your data and accounts safe: DO NOT use a set of same characters/numbers or adjacent on your keyboard: hhhh, 4444, qwerty, 5678. DON’T get inspired by the top 10 passwords of all time (according to Symantec) are: 1. 123456 2. …
8 behaviors to avoid to stay safe from cyberattacks: Clicking a phishy email Clicking a “cute cats” link on social media that introduce malware Not updating your software and never get the latest security patches Uploading list of social security numbers to Dropbox Using an unmanaged personal device to access company cloud applications Keeping important data on your computer and not on server (servers are usually backed up daily and …
In the beginning of 2016, a ransomware attack locked computers’ data of the Ottawa’s hospital. To recover the data, the hospital was forced to pay $17.000 US in bitcoins. Not only big organizations are attacked by ransomwares. Indeed, for several years, beginner hackers can easily download virus packs like Trojan Horses, and target individuals, and small & medium sized organizations to infect. In the first quarter of 2016, victims paid more …
Since a long time, Disaster recovery was neglected but the situation today has changed. Everyone till date has experienced the data loss at least once. It is important to learn the importance of Disaster recovery in order to avoid losses that could have a negative impact on your business. 40% of businesses don’t reopen after a major disaster, such as a fire or a flood. But with a good disaster …
It is a well-known fact that the security of the cloud infrastructure is perceived as both an advantage and a challenge today. According to IT professionals marketing, in a survey of 300 companies which employee more than 100 employees – 64% of the companies consider cloud to be a more secure alternative to legacy systems. The level of enterprise who trust cloud security is encouraging but it is not that simple. The myth that the Cloud is less secure is rooted in …
