What Is Your Data Worth?

penetration_test_436x270When you lose your login credentials to an online account, it can be devastating.  Depending on what was compromised and what was lost, you may have an expensive and time-consuming task on your hands.  So the bad guys took your user ID and password, or some other personal information.  Was it worth it?  There is an active resale market for this information, and some ...

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BEC – How Cyber-Attackers Can Rip Off Your Company

ic3We warned our readers about the FBI alert regarding the Business Email Compromise scam on July 6.  Cyber-criminals have successfully bilked US companies of over 3 billion dollars since January 2015.  Typically this exploit starts by the attacker gaining knowledge of the CEO’s or other highly placed executive’s user credentials to their email account.  This is most often done using a spearphishing email, but could also be ...

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Recovering from Ransomware

teslacryptYou have trained your staff and improved your defenses.  In spite of your best efforts, you have an active case of crypto-malware running on a system in your business.  How do you recover?

Here are the steps to recovery:

  • Disconnect the affected system from the network by removing the Ethernet network cable connection or turning off the Wi-Fi connection.
  • Determine if the encryption process has completed.
    • If so, leave the system running, but disconnected from the ...
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20 Questions For Preparing An IT Risk Assessment

risk-assessment-managementMany small businesses are being dragged into the arena of IT risk assessment by larger client companies, suppliers, or regulators.  Common scenarios include credit card (PCI) or HIPAA compliance.  Since the Target breach, smaller vendors and supplier companies who have a network connection into the IT operations of a larger company are being required to undergo the same sort of vulnerability and risk assessment ...

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Cybersecurity – Where Are We?

cybersecurity_436x270Sometimes in the maelstrom of cybersecurity battles, it is helpful to step back and see where we came from, where we are, and where we are going.  This year, in addition to studying for and passing the CISSP exam, I have been to a bunch of security conferences.  I’ve been to MISC.conf, Secure360, B-Sides, and the Tech Security Conference.  Here are some highlights and ...

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Setting Up TFA Without Authenticator

tfaMaybe you like the idea of two-factor authentication, but the Google Authenticator smartphone app seems too cumbersome.  Or maybe you are not a smartphone owner, because you don’t like the idea of a phone that can track your location to within a few feet, and keeps sharing all your personal data with the apps on your phone.  So you own a flip phone ...

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Removing TFA from an Account in Authenticator

google-authenticatorGoogle Authenticator is my favorite go-to app for setting up two-factor authentication.  But what if you want to remove an account from Google Authenticator?

I set up two-factor authentication for Facebook and the Authenticator app did not work.  So I tried again, and ended up with two accounts on the Authenticator list, neither of which worked.  This pushed other working accounts down far enough ...

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Personal Privacy Through Email Encryption

encrypted-emailOne of the easiest ways for an intruder to learn about you is through a compromised email account.  And since most email is transmitted in the clear or in plain text, it is a simple thing for a bad actor to read intercepted email traffic.  Encrypting your email makes it harder for criminals, competitors, law enforcement, and government spy agencies to read your email messages.

You can set up secure email yourself ...

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Smartphone and Tablet Security Solutions

smartphone-securityOn Wednesday we discussed the many, many ways your smartphone is vulnerable to attack.  Today we will look at solutions.  Smart mobile devices need to be secured just as you would a laptop or desktop computer  The small size and easy portability of smartphones and tablets make them easier to steal or lose.  Some of our recommendations:

  • Record the electronic serial number (ESN) of your phone or tablet. This is information you ...
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