ATECH MSP Blog

While reading our blog and newsletters, you might come across the word “encrypted” quite a lot. Sometimes it’s in the form of ransomware encrypting data, while other times it might be regarding the encryption of passwords within a password manager. Regardless, one thing is certain: encryption is an important part of the modern workplace.

For twenty years, hackers have tried to breach organizational networks by finding or breaking holes in the network’s perimeter, or in exposed servers. This led to the cybersecurity industry creating software designed specifically to stop these threat actors in the act. This, in essence, created a situation where the perimeter of an organization’s network was extremely hard to breach. The problem was that as soon as something was able to get through the outer defenses, there was no end to the devastation a hacker could cause inside a network.

When it comes to your business, what do you prioritize? Do you focus more on security, or do you focus more on the business continuity side of things? The reality here is that both are of critical importance. Unfortunately, however, it seems that many executives feel like the current circumstances surrounding the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic have led them to prioritize one over the other.

There are a lot of threats out on the Internet, and many of them have absolutely a slim chance to threaten your business. Unfortunately, there are plenty that can and it only takes one to set your business back. Many IT professionals currently working for enterprise businesses deal with threats day-in and day-out, so they are experienced and knowledgeable. Small business owners, who for all intents and purposes are the lead IT decision-makers, don’t always consider these risks; they just need to keep their business running effectively. 

Before this week, you probably never heard about Log4j. Right now, though, it’s the biggest topic in cybersecurity due to a massive vulnerability that is estimated to affect millions of devices. Your business needs to take this seriously.

When we think about security and hackers, it’s easy to think of them all as the bad guys. However, this is far from the truth. Just like with other areas of life, there is a shade of gray involved with hacking, and there are good guys that use these skills to benefit others while the bad guys try to exploit them for their gain.

The past couple of years have been difficult for businesses, regardless of if they are large organizations or small businesses. Likewise, cybersecurity has been a challenge. Let’s take a look at what 2022 could pose for cybersecurity, especially considering recent trends.

As modern warfare has evolved, so too has cyberwarfare. There is always a war occurring in cyberspace, where hackers attempt to outdo security researchers. One such example of hackers—often sponsored by government agencies—attempting to engage in cyberwarfare can be seen in the United States and Israeli technology sectors, which have become the target of password spraying.

Earlier this year, there was a string of high-profile ransomware attacks leveraged against major companies. Now, the United States has issued an order that dictates guidelines for how to patch various vulnerabilities in affected systems within federal agencies and organizations. It’s a huge move in an effort to stop hackers and other cyberthreats from becoming more serious problems in the future.

You see the headlines every single day while browsing the Internet: “So-and-So Suffers Massive Data Breach” or “Huge Data Breach Leaves Thousands of Credentials Exposed to Hackers.” Maybe you don’t see these specific headlines, but you get the idea; cybersecurity is a big deal these days, and you need to take it seriously before your business encounters problems that it cannot recover from.

Artificial intelligence, or AI, is a technology that many industries have found themselves benefiting greatly from, especially in the domains of cybersecurity and automation. Unfortunately, for every one great use of something, hackers will find two bad uses for it. AI has dramatically changed the landscape of cybersecurity and, more interestingly, cybercrime. Let’s take a look at why these threats are so concerning.

Businesses need all of the advantages they can get against threats, especially considering the fact that many of them adapt and evolve in response to advances in security measures. Some security researchers are seeing great success with artificial intelligence measures, a concept that could eventually become the future of network security in the business world.

Dealing with a hacked computer can be scary, but depending on the severity of the hack, you might not even know your infrastructure has been breached until it’s too late to stop it, putting you in a reactionary position. Let’s go over some of the telltale signs of a computer hack and what you should do about it.

Today’s cybersecurity landscape is dangerous, to say the least, prompting many organizations to adopt what is called a zero-trust policy for their security standards. Is a zero-trust policy the best solution for your company’s cybersecurity woes, and how effective is it toward preventing security issues? Let’s take a look.

A recent trend even amongst ransomware threats is that the FBI is issuing warnings regarding how dangerous it is or how difficult certain variants are. This particular threat—the OnePercent ransomware gang—is no exception. Let’s break down what you need to know about the OnePercent Group and how you can prepare to handle attacks not just from this threat, but most ransomware threats.

One of the most difficult things to do in business is to imagine a scenario in which someone you trust puts your organization at risk. We focus so much on the external threats that the internal ones often go unnoticed. How can you make sure that your organization does not fall victim to the several different types of insider threats out there? Let’s take a look.

You’d think that cybercriminals would use ransomware to target high-profile businesses with loads of money to extort, but this is not always the case. Even a small business can fall victim to these particularly devastating threats. Ransomware, just like other threats out there, has continued to evolve and adjust its approaches based on the current cybersecurity climate, so what are some of the latest developments in ransomware?

Technology has always been ingrained in the operations of businesses to an extent, but it was only recently (in the grand scheme of things) that standard business technology such as desktops, server units, and other computing hardware really started to take off. That said, it’s now a staple, so your organization should be making informed decisions regarding any new hardware that you implement.

To be adept at a task is to say that the one doing the task is a professional, or someone with substantial knowledge that can be used to effectively complete the task. Cybersecurity is one such area where having a considerable amount of knowledge is of particular importance to help navigate the complex environment surrounding it. How can your organization achieve this level of mindfulness and expertise?

The Kaseya ransomware attack targeting VSA servers for approximately 1,500 organizations was another notable attack in a recent string of high-profile ransomware attacks, and while most organizations did what most security professionals recommend and did not pay the ransom, others did not listen. Now those who did pay the ransom are having trouble decrypting their data, and REvil is nowhere to be found to help them in this effort.