Category: Blog

• Computerease Team
• August 21, 2024
• No Comments

Recent Cyber-Attacks Highlight The Urgency Of Strong Cybersecurity For All Businesses

If the software your organization used to close deals and pay employees unexpectedly went down and you had no idea when it would be fixed, what would you do? Could you continue doing business? How much money would you lose? Unfortunately, in June, this happened to over 15,000 US- and Canada-based car dealerships when two cyber-attacks occurred on the popular industry software provider, CDK Global. This software attack shut down the sales, financing and payroll systems for thousands of dealers, forcing them to either stop business or revert to the old-fashioned pen-and-paper method. This incident should be a wake-up call for all small business owners, highlighting the importance of robust cybersecurity measures. What Happened? The initial attack occurred on the evening of Tuesday, June 18. Once it was detected, CDK Global immediately took the correct action, bringing the entire system offline to investigate the issue. The system was up and running again the following day until a second incident occurred, which resulted in the company bringing the system back offline. It’s thought the system was brought back online prematurely, before all compromised areas were discovered, resulting in a second attack. Cybersecurity experts are saying it could be weeks before the system is back to being fully operational. While some businesses were able to revert to manual processes, this incident highlights the vulnerabilities that come with relying on digital systems. In our ever-advancing digital world, where most transactions are a couple of clicks away, significant issues arise when systems go offline. Critical parts of the business process, such as completing transactions, managing payroll and interacting with financial institutions, can come to a standstill. This means that until the systems are back online, many business operations cannot be fully completed, leading to delays and potential financial losses. Business owners know that there is no sale until the check clears the bank! So, What’s Next? CDK Global didn’t disclose the exact cause of the attack. Whether that was intentional or they are still unsure remains to be seen. Their security team will need to meticulously comb over every area of the business to determine exactly what was compromised. It’s often difficult for large companies to get the details about cyber-attacks 100% correct after the first review because they may not be able to determine the extent of an attack’s network penetration if there are multiple points of vulnerability. In the meantime, businesses need to take a hard look at their systems for selling and operational continuity. Will they be prepared to continue doing business if and when this happens again? This incident should serve as a wake-up call for all business leaders. If you don’t have a business recovery and continuity plan in place, you’re putting yourself at risk. And if you do, you need to ask yourself if it is high-quality, tested often and able to handle a large-scale attack where multiple operational systems are disabled. If the answer is no, it’s time to do something about it. We’ll do a FREE Security Risk Assessment that will achieve two important things: We’ll analyze your network for vulnerabilities. This will show you if and where an attack can occur, and we’ll offer solutions to patch it so you’re not actively setting yourself up to be the next cyber-attack victim. We’ll help you determine what continuity or recovery plan makes sense for your organization. Cybersecurity is an essential and necessary element of doing business, but even the most robust security solutions are not 100% foolproof. This means you must have a plan to bounce back and continue doing business if something should happen to your network or to a third-party piece of software you rely on, like CDK. To get started, call our office at 314-310-1566 or click here to book your FREE Security Risk Assessment now.

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• Computerease Team
• July 30, 2024
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Travel Smart: Essential Cybersecurity Practices For A Hack-Free Vacation

Summer is a popular time for business owners and employees to step out of the office and take a well-deserved vacation. Even if their “out of office” e-mail responder is active, many people will periodically check in on work at least once while traveling. Unfortunately, studies show that working outside of the office – whether it’s a few simple check-ins on vacation, connecting to the Internet at a local coffee shop or even business travelers out on work trips – can lead to major cybersecurity issues. If you or your employees will be answering urgent e-mails from the airport or accessing network documents in the hotel lobby, it’s essential to maintain strong cybersecurity best practices to avoid exposing the company’s network to hackers preying nearby. In this blog post, we’ll cover what cybersecurity best practices are necessary for you to take before and during any trip to keep your network secure from hackers. Why Cybersecurity Matters While Traveling Cybersecurity might not be at the top of your vacation checklist, but ignoring it can turn your dream getaway into a horrible nightmare. Cybercriminals know summer is a prime time to attack because people are more likely to let their guard down while on vacation. For most vacationers, the focus is on enjoying time out of the office instead of ensuring they’re following cybersecurity best practices, making them an easy target for hackers. To minimize the risk of a cyberattack while traveling, here are a few best practices to cover with anyone on your team who might connect to the Internet while on vacation. Before you go: Back up your data – If your device gets lost or ruined, you’ll want a copy of your data available to be restored. Update your software – Make sure your operating system software, web browsers and apps have all been updated to the latest version. Outdated software can impact your device’s ability to defend against malware. Protect your devices – You should always lock your device using a PIN, passcode, fingerprint or facial recognition feature, but if you don’t already, set this up before traveling. If you leave your device unattended and someone attempts to access it, they will have full access to your private information if it’s not locked. Enable “Find My Phone” – This feature will allow you to locate your device if you lose it, but it also gives you the power to remotely wipe data or disable the device if it falls into the wrong hands. While traveling: Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN) – A VPN encrypts your Internet connection, ensuring your data is secure even when you use public WiFi networks. Before you leave, set up a VPN on your devices and use it whenever you access the Internet. Don’t connect to public WiFi – While public WiFi offers convenience, these networks can be a hotspot for cybercriminal activity. Avoid unprotected networks whenever possible. (Yes, that means no checking your e-mail on the beach unless you have a VPN!) Manage location services – Location tools are useful for navigating new places but can also expose your location to criminals. Turn off location services when you’re not actively using that feature, and consider limiting how you share your location on social media. Enable Multifactor Authentication (MFA) – MFA adds an extra layer of security to your accounts by requiring a second verification form, such as a text message code, authenticator code or fingerprint scan. This feature should be enabled for all accounts containing sensitive information before leaving your house. Disable auto-connect features – Some devices automatically seek and connect to available wireless networks. These features can give cybercriminals access to your devices if you connect to the wrong network. Disable this option so you only connect to wireless and Bluetooth networks you know and trust. You should be able to relax on vacation. Taking these simple precautions can help you keep your device secure so you can enjoy your time off and don’t have to worry about dealing with cyber issues when you get back to work. However, it’s important to know that these steps aren’t fail-proof. To truly ensure that your company’s cybersecurity measures are up to standard, it’s important to work with a professional IT team that can monitor your network 24/7, patch any vulnerabilities that pop up (which happens regularly) and alert you if something seems suspicious. To help you prepare for your vacation and have peace of mind knowing your business is secure while you or your employees are working remotely, call us at 314-310-1566 or click here to schedule a FREE IT Security Risk Assessment with our cybersecurity experts today. We’ll evaluate your current cybersecurity solutions, identify potential vulnerabilities and help you implement a strategic security plan to keep your company safe.

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• Computerease Team
• July 17, 2024
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Massive Layoffs In 2024 Create A Serious Threat To Your Cybersecurity

The massive wave of layoffs in 2024 brings a cybersecurity threat that most business owners aren’t focusing on – offboarding employees. Even big-time brands that you would expect to have top-of-the-line cybersecurity systems, processes and procedures in place fail to adequately protect themselves from insider threats. This August marks a year since two disgruntled Tesla employees went rogue after being let go and exposed the personal information – including names, addresses, phone numbers and even the Social Security numbers – of over 75,000 people, including employees. And, of course, the issue is expected to get worse. According to NerdWallet, as of May 24, 2024, 298 US-based tech companies have laid off 84,600 workers and counting. This includes major layoffs at big companies like Amazon, Google and Microsoft, as well as smaller tech start-ups. In total, around 257,254 jobs were eliminated in the first quarter of 2024 alone. Whether or not you’ll need to downsize your team this year, having a proper offboarding process in place is essential to every business, big or small, because it’s more than a routine administrative task – it’s a critical security precaution. Failing to revoke access for former employees can lead to serious business and legal implications later. Some of those issues include: Theft Of Intellectual Property – Employees can sneak away with YOUR company’s files, client data and confidential information stored on personal devices, as well as retain access to cloud-based applications like social media sites and file-sharing sites (Dropbox or OneDrive, for example) that your IT department doesn’t know about or forgets to change the password to. A study by Osterman Research revealed that 69% of businesses experience data loss due to employee turnover, and 87% of employees who leave take data with them. Most often, the information you worked hard to gather is sold to competitors, used by them when they’re hired by the competition or used by the former employee to BECOME a competitor. Any way you cut it, it screws YOU. Compliance Violations – Failing to revoke access privileges and remove employees from authorized user lists can register you as noncompliant in heavily regulated industries. This simple mistake can result in large fines, hefty penalties and, in some cases, legal consequences. They DELETE Everything – If an employee feels unfairly laid-off and retains access to their accounts, they could easily delete ALL of their e-mails and any critical files they can get their hands on. If that data isn’t backed up, you will lose it ALL. And for those thinking, “I’ll sue them!” Rightfully so, but even if you do sue them and win, the hard reality is that the legal costs, time wasted on the lawsuit and recovering the data, plus the aggravation and distraction of dealing with it all, are greater costs than what you might get awarded if you win the lawsuit and might collect in damages. Data Breach – This could be the most terrifying of all. Unhappy employees who feel they have been wronged can make you the star of the next devastating data breach headline and incur a costly lawsuit to go with it. It could be as simple as making one click and downloading, exposing or modifying your clients’ or employees’ private information, financial records or even trade secrets. Do you have an airtight offboarding process to curb these risks? Chances are you don’t. A 2024 study by Wing revealed that one out of five organizations has indications that some of their former users were not properly offboarded, and those are the people who were astute enough to detect it. How DO you properly offboard an employee? Implement The Principle Of Least Privilege – Successful offboarding starts with proper onboarding. New employees should ONLY be given access to the files and programs they need to do their jobs. This should be meticulously documented to make offboarding easier. Leverage Automation – Your IT team can help use automation to streamline revoking access to multiple software applications simultaneously, saving time and resources while reducing the likelihood of manual errors. Implement Continuous Monitoring – You can implement software that tracks who is doing what and where on the company network. This can help you identify suspicious behavior by an unauthorized user and help you determine if a former employee retains access to private accounts. These are only a few ways your IT team can help improve your offboarding process to make it more efficient and secure. Insider threats can be devastating, and if you think this can’t happen to you, think again. You have to be proactive in protecting your organization. To find out if any gaps in your offboarding process expose you to theft or a data breach, our team will do a free, in-depth risk assessment to help you resolve it. Call us at 314-310-1566 or click here to book now.

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• Computerease Team
• April 24, 2024
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Suspect Your Computer Has Been Hacked? Do These 5 Things Now!

The initial reaction when you suspect your computer or network has been compromised is to panic. However, if your network has been breached, what you do next can make the difference between the incident being a minor inconvenience and being a devastating disaster that brings legal trouble and huge fines, and halts your ability to do business. In today’s article, we’ve consulted our cyber security experts on the top signs of an affected computer and the five steps you need to take as soon as you notice your network has been compromised to prevent as much irreversible damage as possible. Signs Of An Issue According to IBM’s latest cyber security report, the average data breach goes 277 days before it’s noticed and reported. This time frame sounds crazy considering that attacks using malware, viruses, keylogging tools and more can cause a considerable amount of damage very quickly, but most users miss the warning signs and don’t realize they’re under attack until irreversible damage has occurred. Several of the biggest indicators of an issue can be mistaken for a slow or outdated computer or operating system. If you experience any of these issues, it’s a good idea to contact your IT team. If it’s an attack, they’ll know the proper steps to take, and if it’s not, they’ll be able to update your system or replace your device to improve performance. Here are a few key signs your computer could be infected: Slow computer or network performance Frequent freezes or sudden crashes Rapid pop-ups Locked user accounts Sudden and unexpected file changes Abnormal system behavior, such as the device continuing to run after a shutdown Unusual account activity What To Do Next If you’re experiencing any of these issues, the next steps you take are important. Here is what our team of experts recommends: 1. Take the network offline to isolate the incident, but DO NOT turn off the device or reboot it. When a device isn’t working the way it should, the go-to move is to hit Restart. In many scenarios, that maneuver can work; however, if malware is involved, this simple act can make the situation worse. In some circumstances, rebooting your device can set in motion a crashed file-encryption process that can cause unrecoverable data loss. Disconnect your device from the network but allow it to remain on as you move through the next steps. 2. Call your IT team IMMEDIATELY. It’s important to contain the breach before it infects the rest of your network or causes any more damage. Your IT team will be able to investigate the issue to determine what went wrong and what the impact was, and mitigate the breach quickly. Do not try to fix this on your own. Attempting to run a “system cleanup” or your antivirus software will waste time and could cause more damage. Call in the experts. 3. Call your attorney. There are several reasons to call your attorney. Depending on the size of the breach, your attorney may refer you to outside legal counsel with privacy and data security expertise who can advise you on the federal and state laws that may be implicated by the data breach. 4. Change passwords and secure all accounts. As the IT team is working on containing the breach, you’ll want to change your passwords to protect any of your other accounts that may not have been affected yet. Hopefully you have multifactor authentication enabled and will be notified if someone tries to access your account, but if not, begin working through your accounts to secure them, starting with ones that contain financial information like credit card numbers, Social Security numbers and more. 5. Check your bank accounts. Nearly all cyber-attacks are financially motivated, making bank accounts the primary target. As the breach is being mitigated, check your bank accounts and payment processing tools, including third-party merchant accounts and employee payroll systems, for any anomalies or sudden changes. If you’re hit by a cyber-attack, there will be a list of other steps to take, like implementing a PR communications plan, notifying appropriate parties such as law enforcement and more. The most important thing you can do if a data breach occurs is to isolate the incident and hand it over to a qualified cyber security professional as soon as possible. Time matters in these situations. If you need a reliable, trustworthy cyber security team monitoring your business, start with a FREE Cyber Security Risk Assessment. These assessments are designed to thoroughly examine your network to pinpoint any vulnerabilities and map out a plan to fix them. It is much more cost-effective to prevent a cyber-attack than to fix one, so book your assessment today by going to Cybersecurity Risk Assessment or calling 314-432-1661.

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