Archive for category: Email Security

lessons from data breaches

Lessons from Data Breaches

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learning lessons from data breachesMore than 6 million Canadians were impacted by the Capital One data breach that happened this year – and that was not even the biggest breach by any stretch. The biggest data breach is still Yahoo, whose breach impacted more than 3 billion people. Big or small, however, each data breach is costly and damaging – to consumers, to businesses, and to the economy. We can – and should – learn everything we can from these incidents to avoid repeating them. In analyzing security breaches that have occurred over the last 10 years, experts found that the main reasons data breaches occur are:

  • Failure to patch
  • Human error
  • Insider attacks
  • Poor mobile device management

Failure to Patch

Too often, a breach occurs because an organization has delayed patching, leaving them vulnerable to hackers. This often happens because the organization does not have a dedicated IT staff, leaving one or more employees responsible for IT on top of their other duties. Those other duties – their “real” jobs – take priority and patching jobs get postponed.

Partnering with a managed services provider (MSP) can help solve this problem and extend the strength of your IT team, whether your team is a whole department, or one person assigned with additional responsibilities. An MSP ensures patches are installed in a timely manner, but they’re also there to monitor your network 24/7.

Human Error

Clicking links and opening attachments in emails that appear to come from within your organization or from a trusted vendor cause more data breaches than we can measure. It’s possible your organization has malware sitting on your network right now that has been introduced by an errant employee and has yet to have been detected.

While we can never completely remove human error from the equation, we can drastically reduce the number of email-related data breaches by:

  • Developing, implementing, and enforcing strict zero-trust policies
  • Providing ongoing training to employees to help them recognize potential phishing scams
  • Limiting the data to which employees have access
  • Requiring multi-layer authentication that includes complex passwords and other access barriers

Download The ITeam Email Security Guide; then discover how you can transform your employees from your weakest link to your first line of defense through security training.

Insider Attacks

Insider attacks don’t account for many data breaches, but they can be the most devastating simply because of the betrayal involved. According to the 2019 Verizon Data Breach Investigations Report, insider threats are on the rise, accounting for 34% of data breaches. In one case highlighted in the DBIR, a hacker admitted that when all other efforts failed, he bribed an employee to get him inside the network.

Preventing insider attacks can be difficult; they are often only discovered after the fact during forensic analysis– and often after the employee is long gone. But you can minimize the risk of insider threats by having multiple layers of security, strictly limiting employee and third-party access to data, and by conducting regular audits. Often, insider attacks come from former employees whose access to the network was not terminated; make it protocol to immediately revoke all access to employees who leave – whether they leave on good terms or not.

Poor Mobile Device Management

Mobile phones are being used to conduct business whether you authorize it or not, so your best bet for protecting your organization is to have a highly sophisticated MDM security plan in place that includes the following:

  • Strict usage requirements that include installing your security on the device being used and requiring the use of a secure network when conducting business
  • Remote wipe capabilities to disconnect the device from your network in the event that it is stolen, or the employee leaves the organization
  • A no-tolerance policy for any employee who refuses to comply with the security requirements

Data breaches are not going away, but you can minimize the risk to your organization with strong IT security and a comprehensive disaster recovery plan. You can’t just address one of these issues; you must have a comprehensive, proactive data security program that addresses all of these risks and more.

The ITeam understands the IT security issues facing businesses in Canada. We are committed to helping Calgary- and Alberta-based businesses develop proactive, cost-effective IT strategies that minimize risk and maximize efficiency. Contact us to learn more.

email security is essential to business continuity

Will Email Bring Down Your Organization?

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In the last few months, three cities in Florida have all paid extremely high ransoms to obtain decryption keys from their hackers. These ransoms ranged from USD 400,000-600,000.

In each case, the ransomware infection was preventable.

In each case, an employee clicked on a questionable link or downloaded a file in an email without verifying the origin.

U.S. Cities Aren’t the Only Targets for Ransomware

The University of Calgary paid a CAD 20,000 ransom after being attacked in 2016. In 2017 a major Canadian firm (that remained anonymous) paid over CAD 400,000 to decrypt files following a ransomware attack. Last year, two Ontario municipalities, Wasaga Beach and Midland, were victims of ransomware attacks. And just last month, the Mayor of Stratford, Ontario said, “Canadian municipalities are ‘sitting ducks’ for cyber terrorists,” after being targeted by an online ransomware attack.

No one is immune. But there is much that can be done to avoid falling victim to cybercrime.

STOP Clicking Links in Email

Email does not have to be the weak link in your security, but for many organizations – not just city governments – it is certainly the easiest point of access for hackers. All it takes is convincing one person to believe a message is real, move their mouse two inches, and click to release catastrophe. And even with so much more information available, so much urging from the cybersecurity community to employ zero trust, employees continue to click on links that are potentially deceitful.

STOP Downloading Files Sent by Email

In the case of one Florida city, an employee at the police department downloaded a file sent in an email that carried the Emotet trojan. It so crippled their systems that they were forced to issue paper citations for traffic violations; payroll direct deposit was impacted, and checks had to be issued on paper and handwritten.

STOP Paying Ransoms

Paying a ransom only motivates cybercriminals to continue because there is a payoff. The more that municipalities, colleges, and businesses give in to paying ransoms, the more likely it is that there will be more attacks – and the attacks are getting more sophisticated and complex. Hackers are taking more time to infiltrate systems, they are taking their time to launch attacks, and they use readily available information to more effectively trick email recipients into believing the emails are legitimate.

Train Your Employees

To thwart hackers and prevent ransomware from proliferating, we all need to change our tactics. We need to be more aggressive in training employees, more suspicious of every email, and less trusting that any link or attachment is safe. Ongoing training is essential to help employees recognize phishing attempts and email threats.

Heightened Vigilance Is Good but Not Enough

According to a report from StorageCraft, not all ransomware comes from email. Ransomware viruses can infect legitimate websites. Trend Micro reported that big sites such as msn.com, nytimes.com, aol.com, realtor.com, and newsweek.com were victims of attacks that attempted to download Cryptolocker ransomware and malware onto users’ computers. Even when your email security is at its best, there is still a risk.

Protect Your Data

If the worst happens and your IT infrastructure is infected with malware or ransomware and hackers demand a ransom, there is one way you can avoid paying: protect your data with regular, offsite backups, virtual machine backup and replication, and disaster recovery protection. Business continuity should not come with a $600,000 price tag in the form of a ransom. You can invest far less in comprehensive disaster recovery protection with your managed services provider and have peace of mind that even if a ransomware attack were to strike your organization, you could tell hackers NO when they demand a ransom.

Read Our Guide: How to Create an Effective Disaster Recovery Plan

Business continuity and disaster recovery planning is critical to all businesses, no matter their size. Every organization faces the real possibility of a catastrophic event that could compromise its data integrity and threaten its very existence. The ITeam provides essential IT support to businesses in Alberta. We provide fully managed and personalized services designed to meet the needs of virtually any business. Our team will work with you to customize a cost-effective solution and help you develop a comprehensive IT security strategy that will help you survive any threat, whether natural or human-caused. Get in touch.

4 Global Cybersecurity Risks Your Business Should Know in 2018

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The world is connected to a variety of diverse digital landscapes, ranging from app usage to credit cards, and this level of connectivity is such that it is unwise for any organization to ignore global cybersecurity risks.

Regardless of industry, every organization is at risk of malicious attempts to enter a private security network, and the location is irrelevant.

The Equifax breach is an excellent example: Although the cyber attack predominantly affected those in the US, millions in Canada were susceptible to the breach as well.

All businesses must prepare against the inevitability of malicious cyber attacks, particularly as technology continues to advance on a global scale.

  1. Organizations aren’t prepared for GDPR

4 International Cybersecurity Risks Your Business Should Know in 2018Despite advanced warnings regarding the implementation of new cybersecurity standards, many organizations are still unsure of how to manage changes that will ensure compliance with the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

The new regulation – scheduled to take effect on 25 May 2018 – demands that organizations handle personal data differently, but how those organizations ensure compliance is another matter entirely.

Resources are being pulled in different directions, and time will need to be set aside to educate stakeholders.

This primarily affects those businesses that engage in international trade, and an understanding of what is necessary to comply with the GDPR will help enhance cybersecurity when doing business with international clients.

  1. The Internet of Things (IoT) poses a threat

Concerns surrounding the level of security among IoT devices has been discussed many times, but there is little forward progress in addressing the problem.

Although such devices add a level of convenience, they could provide the opening that a hacker needs to gain access to sensitive information.

Organizations that utilize IoT devices without the proper security infrastructure are susceptible to unmanaged risks, as it will become harder to track what – and how –  information is transferrable.

IoT compromises security and no organization is immune.

  1. The supply chain remains a weakness

Many organizations have a firm grip on their own cybersecurity practices, but knowledge of the existing infrastructure of third-party vendors is not as common.

Hackers are capable of taking advantage of this weakness in the supply chain, thereby gaining access to your IT infrastructure.

Unfortunately, when it comes to global business, the supply chain is a critical component of a successful operation.

Organizations must address the security risks between their international suppliers and take proactive measures that will prevent or at least minimize breaches.

  1. The advance of breakthrough technology surpasses security spending

One of the most prominent concerns relating to international cybersecurity is the global tech war.

Individual countries are determined to produce the best in technological advances, without addressing security concerns applicable to those devices or systems.

Information security teams are expected to keep up with such developments, but the development of a robust cybersecurity strategy takes time.

Risks must be assessed holistically within the organization to close any gaps that hackers could leverage.

Stakeholders are demanding results, but they must understand that the best technology will pose a threat to the entire business if the end result is not secure.

International preparedness is the only way to mitigate international security risks. Individual organizations are only single elements of the global economy, and in a digital world, there are virtually no limits to the damage a single breach can cause. Malicious cyberattacks are an international concern, particularly as criminal organizations become more prominent. The international sharing of technology can boost the world economy, but the cybersecurity risks will grow as well.

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