MSP

Feb

2022

DDoS Attacks on the Rise

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks are getting smarter and increasing in every available vector in 2022. This style of attack was up 434% in 2021 over the previous year. Additionally, targeted smart attacks were up 31% and multi-vector attacks were up 73%. US Banks were targeted the most, but the healthcare industry, remote learning and education, and technology companies also ranked high on the list of targeted demographics. The United States also tops the list of targeted countries at 54% followed by India and Europe.

Microsoft released details over the weekend of a new record-breaking DDoS attack they fended off. The attack peaked at 3.47 Tbps and came from 10,000 sources across 10 countries. DDoS attacks occur when hackers use compromised devices connected to the internet to overload a targeted server, website, or network. IoT devices are one category of devices that can be weaponized. Read our recent blog post on IoT security here.

Criminals are also using compromised servers to amplify attack numbers causing new attacks to still break records. Hackers use open DNS resolvers to filter the data through and increase the size of the attack hundreds of times the original size.

While a DDoS attack is not a data breach, it can act as a diversion for a ransomware attack. The attacks are becoming more targeted, so criminals could use a DDoS attack to divert IT resources to give hackers more time in the network to steal and encrypt data. Typically, DDoS attacks intend to deface company or government websites, create financial hardship, or disrupt web traffic. Lately, hackers have been targeting online gaming servers because a disruption of just a couple of seconds can have a detrimental outcome in an online multi-player game.

No business is too small to be attacked. It’s important to understand the threats of a DDoS attack and discuss options with your MSP to keep from becoming an easy target. Some best practices include up-to-date firewalls, understanding your bandwidth need, and monitoring tools to alert you of an attack.

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.

Oct

2021

Where Cybersecurity Breaks Down

We already know Phishing accounts for more than half of ransomware attacks. A new study from Bitdefender reveals poor online habits prevail after a year of cybersecurity in the news. The first topic the study explores are passwords. They found over half of users memorized their passwords, and only 24% used a password manager. This data point can be tied to another later in the report on password reuse. The study found 22% of respondents use a single password for all online accounts. Less than half of users reported they use a different password for each account.

The study cited mobile threats as the new leading threat vector. Almost a quarter of users access a personal account with a work device. A mobile phone is the primary means of using the internet for half of users. We know smishing is up 300% over last year, and users are reporting the uptick. The study shows 61% of users reported scam messages or phishing over the past year. To add to the mobile threat, 30% of users are using a simple password like “1234” or are not locking their device at all.

Users were also asked about the kind of access children in their home had on internet devices. In the US almost half of children have full access to browse and install apps on mobile and desktop devices. The youngest demographic surveyed (18-24) were more likely to share information online and were generally less worried about online threats.

Criminals are exploiting the trust we had in text messages for two-step verification and appointment confirmations. The increase in SMS Phishing or Smishing makes business tools more vulnerable and hinders legitimate businesses from using text messaging as an advertising tool. Businesses need to understand how their corporate tools are being used outside the office in order to protect customer data.

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.

Jan

2020

Feature Newsletter

This week we are featuring our current newsletter. This newsletter has a security checklist on the back page, which is a great checklist for your business. It also has some tips on security awareness training, indicators of a hack on your infrastructure, and a simplified explanation of our layered security system.

Click here for the Newsletter

You can also subscribe to our email list and receive the newsletters when they are published. Read previous Newsletters and subscribe to our email list by clicking here.

Quanexus IT 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.

Sep

2018

The Benefits of Migrating to Office 365

Prior to Microsoft launching Office 365, updating to the newest version of a program was often costly and time consuming; Office 365 has vastly improved the process by offering a variety of benefits.

If you are thinking about migrating to Office 365 we have put together a short list of some of the major benefits of switching.

Work anytime, anywhere. Office 365 provides web-enabled access to email, documents, and calendars and more on almost any device. Have the flexibility to work where and when you need to.
Predictable monthly costs. Rather than spending a hefty, up-front amount for the latest version of a program, Office 365 utilizes a monthly fee structure that keeps you working on the most up-to-date programs at an affordable monthly fee.
Built in security and compliance. For small businesses, staying secure and in compliance can take a large chunk of their resources, Office 365 has built-in features that can take care of this for you. All of your data can be stored securely on the cloud and available for you wherever you need it.
Stay organized. Everything synchronizes for you; if you update a contact on your phone, or save a document on a PC, it will automatically update across all of your devices, including Macs, iPhones and Android devices.
Licensing simplified. Rather than keeping track of who is using what version of a program with which license, you will now have the ease of having all users accessing the same version of each program and receiving updates at the same time.

Office 365 has plenty of bells and whistles but determining the right plan for your organization can take time. We have taken each of the options and broken them down into as easy to understand chart which we would be happy to go over with you.

Related: Office 365: Too Many Options

When deciding to migrate many companies consider working with a Managed Services Provider (MSP) to ensure that the transition goes smoothly and is as cost effective as possible.

There are many different options to consider and questions to answer if you are considering moving to Microsoft Office 365, we have several, experienced technicians on hand who can assist you.

Related: Managed IT Services in Dayton

Are you thinking about migrating? Would you like more information on how to get started? Contact us here or call 937.885.7272.

MSP

Feature Newsletter

The Benefits of Migrating to Office 365

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