Compliance

Sep

2023

Summer Security Trends

Security experts saw an uptick in malware in the first three summer months due to increased mobile device and computer activity. From May to July, malware claimed the spotlight, making up 58% of all reported cyber threats. The primary entry point for malware was phishing at almost 25%, followed by adware at 8%. Users tend to be online looking for sales, vacation opportunities, and back-to-school shopping, which all have potential phishing opportunities attached to them.

This research comes behind Q1 research showing criminals adapting their threats to the security landscape. The study shows information technology organizations overtook financial institutions for the number one targeted category of malicious emails. The change reflects the dedication of financial institutions to invest in cyber security to defend against phishing attacks and the talent shortage in information technology that has dominated security news.

Additionally, in Q2, the study found that 58% of the malicious emails relied on deceptive content, while 42% included harmful links. This emphasis on malicious content clarifies the prevalence of business email compromise (BEC) scams, comprising 48% of scam emails in the same quarter. BEC scams are notorious for favoring content-based deception over links or attachments in their fraudulent email schemes.

The report also highlighted a change in the type of attack vector criminals use. Malicious emails used QR codes as a primary attack method to link users to a phishing page. The use of QR codes is a response to users’ education on traditional phishing attack vectors and a trust of QR codes through restaurant and public use. QR codes also introduce a second device to the attack if users access the link with a mobile phone.

It’s essential to keep your employees updated on the most common attack vectors we are seeing in the wild. Your employees are your first line of defense against security threats. Continuous education on cybersecurity trends helps to keep those defenses strong.

Quanexus IT Support Services for Dayton and Cincinnati

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If you would like more information, contact us here or call 937.885.7272.

Aug

2023

Asset Management

Asset management is often the first step in understanding your business’s cybersecurity scope and potential vulnerabilities. Today on the blog, we are going back to basics to explore what asset management is in cybersecurity and how you should use it to make your business data more secure.

Often small businesses add technology quickly to fulfill a need, keep production moving, or ensure the customer experience remains at a high level. Sometimes cybersecurity is not considered when a new device or software is added, or the old technology remains online, unused, or unprotected on the internet. Asset management is about understanding all the devices, applications, SaaS, cloud storage, and third-party vendors that have access to your business data.

When a device vendor stops supporting a network device, it is referred to as end-of-life (EoL). Cybercriminals track EoL updates from manufacturers and look for these vulnerable devices on the internet. When a manufacturer EoLs a device, it throws a spotlight on that entry point because hackers know it will no longer receive security patches and updates. Criminals work quickly to break into the EoL device and use that vulnerability as an entry point into a target network.

Employees represent another variable of asset management. Employee access to data and applications should be limited to those needed to do their job. Additionally, businesses should have policies for data handling and remote work considerations. Asset management is critical when offboarding employees, especially if they are unhappy with the process. Finally, employees can bring IoT or other network devices to work, which could open up new vulnerabilities if they have access to the business network.

Asset management helps plug potential cybersecurity holes that criminals could exploit in your business. Devices left unaccounted for, unpatched software, and open or forgotten VPN access represent potential entry points for malicious actors. These three examples represent the entry points for significant, national newsworthy breaches over the past few years.

Quanexus IT Support Services for Dayton and Cincinnati

Request your free network assessment today. There is no hassle, or obligation.

If you would like more information, contact us here or call 937.885.7272.

Jul

2023

Cyber Trust Mark

The federal government continues to develop the program introduced in October of last year that will label Internet of Things (IoT) devices so consumers and business owners can make better security decisions. The program now has a name, the US Cyber Trust Mark, and is similar to Energy Star ratings on home appliances introduced by the EPA in the 90s. The program seeks to combat IoT vulnerabilities that many devices pose to consumers and businesses.

The program is a response to the yearly increase of IoT device attacks. IoT attacks are up 41% in 2023, and about half of organizations face an attempted cyberattack using IoT devices weekly. Every year more devices are made “smart” and connect to the internet, creating a larger attack surface for criminals. Refrigerators, medical sensors, vehicles, and security systems are all made with WIFI connectivity and must be secured online.

Many inexpensive or off-brand IoT devices use low-quality security practices like a preinstalled common password that can be found online. Criminals can easily gain control of devices and use them for their intended use in the case of a camera to look in on a home or business. They can also use unencrypted devices as a jumping-off point to access the home or business network to begin a malware attack, steal information, or access other devices. Lastly, criminals can coordinate unsecured IoT devices and use them in collaboration to create a botnet or distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.

The new Cyber Trust Mark aims to educate consumers and help them make more security-minded decisions when buying IoT devices. Participation by IoT device manufacturers will be voluntary, and many companies like Amazon, Best Buy, Google, LG, Logitech, and Samsung have already committed to participating in the program. The certification parameters will be based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) around passwords, data protection, and patching and updating.

Quanexus IT Support Services for Dayton and Cincinnati

Request your free network assessment today. There is no hassle, or obligation.

If you would like more information, contact us here or call 937.885.7272.

Jun

2023

SEO Poisoning

Search engine optimization (SEO) poisoning is a tactic criminals use to make fake websites appear highly in Google search results to increase the likelihood they are clicked on. The tactic takes advantage of the assumption that the first search results are the correct and authentic website. Criminals use these fake sites to collect personal information, credentials, install malware, or steal money from users. Most recently, this tactic has been seen targetting the US healthcare and public health sector to the extent that the Department of Health and Human Services cybersecurity division issued an alert on the issue. Read the full alert here.

The most common version of SEO poisoning is through the use of ads. Criminals can buy ads on Google or other social media or search engine platforms, and those ads will appear above the actual website in the search results. Criminals also use keyword stuffing in live text and meta tags to increase search engine rankings. Additionally, criminals use bots or human users to click on fake websites at a high rate to increase the ranking in the Google algorithm.

Another version of SEO poisoning is called typosquatting. Criminals register domains similar to popular websites and create convincing replica sites of the original page. If a user is typing too fast or makes a typo in the URL, they may land on a fake site and enter their credentials to log in.

These tactics are often combined with other familiar techniques like spear-phishing to target specific users. The healthcare industry remains at the top of many cybersecurity lists because of the sensitive data they store and the wide variation of cybersecurity standards across the healthcare sector.

Users should be aware of the increase in SEO poisoning, especially those in the healthcare sector, and be diligent about choosing the correct site before entering sensitive credentials.

Quanexus IT Support Services for Dayton and Cincinnati

Request your free network assessment today. There is no hassle, or obligation.

If you would like more information, contact us here or call 937.885.7272.

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