Business Solutions & Software Group Blog

Do you know anyone affected by recent ransomware activity? The tragedy of Cryptolocker/Cryptowall, where files are locked down and returned in exchange for a ransom fee, might still be fresh in your minds. Well, the FBI warns that the end of cyber extortion is still far off, and that the next hacking technique that will be used is likely the DDoS attack.

Hackers are always looking to take advantage of the latest technology in new and unexpected ways. The Internet of Things is making their job way easier by providing a plethora of Internet-connected devices. Among these devices is the automobile entertainment system, and, you guessed it; hackers can take control of that, too, if given the right circumstances.

With all of the inappropriate content festering in the gutters of the Internet, you need a solution that will protect you, your family, and your office. Implementing a content filtering solution is a great start, but it’s not going to shield you 100 percent from what’s out there. In addition to having a content filter, you need to take an active role in monitoring who’s doing what on the Internet.

For many businesses, few parts of a network’s infrastructure are as important as the email management system. It’s a pain point for most businesses, but so many of them don’t understand how best to protect their network from the threats that come through the email medium. What kind of threats should you expect to see, and how can you best protect your business from them?

The word “hack” is a most peculiar word. When we use it, it’s often in the context of discussing a data breach. But did you know that “hack” has been a part of the English language since before computers and even electricity were a thing? Read on to learn more about the fascinating meanings of hack!

As a business owner, you depend on your network security solution to protect your assets. You trust it to do its job without your intervention, but do you know how it works? One of the most basic parts of network security is a firewall. These are the first lines of defense against threats which can potentially steal information or destroy it completely. In order to get the most out of your network security solution, it’s your responsibility to understand how a firewall works.

The online world is full of threats that are waiting for you to let your system's guard down. Thanks to powerful security measures, you might not be worried enough to consider that hackers have found ways to get around your defenses. If you’ve grown complacent, you might be in for a rude awakening when a hacker’s phishing scam works on you.

When you see the results of a major hacking campaign on the news, you might tend to sympathize with the victim. While most hacks target individuals or high-profile businesses, hackers have, for the first time, intentionally targeted each other. The attack in question occurred between Naikon, a cyberespionage group, and another group called Hellsing.

You should never assume that your data is safe from a hacking attack. Just like how the technology industry is working toward new ways to protect the public from hacks, those who lurk in the gutters of the Internet are trying to undermine these developments by any means possible. Some security professionals believe that even radio signals can undermine network security.

Just like any other high-profile entity, a government should place great emphasis on its IT infrastructure. The U.S. government is moving through 2015 with an increased awareness of the state of cybersecurity, and with all of the huge security breaches that happen almost regularly, it qualifies cyber threats as important as other national security threats.

If a company neglects network security, they’ll quickly find their network inundated with threats. However, if you fail to protect your business from internal problems as well, you might have a whole other monster on your hands. Some businesses have encountered this problem when employees access certain documents and then accidentally misplace or delete them, causing damage that your organization was not particularly prepared for.

With spring arriving, “winter is coming” as the new season of the critically-acclaimed television series Game of Thrones returns to millions of viewers worldwide. Ironically, there’s also a type of malware gaining traction in the online community that matches its bark with its bite, aptly dubbed Dyre Wolf. This threat has the potential to cost businesses as much as $1.5 million per hack, and takes advantage of the ever-common spear phishing tactic.

Identity theft is commonplace on the Internet, and if you’re not careful with how you approach your browsing, you could potentially leak sensitive information to hackers. Unfortunately, some people are so concerned with protecting their other information, like Social Security numbers or dates of birth, that they forget that their PIN number is just as vulnerable to hacking as ever.

Normally, you can trust the software that comes preinstalled on a new computer. Unfortunately, this isn’t the case with the shopping-search app Superfish, which came installed on every Lenovo device sold between September and December 2014. If you’ve got the Superfish app on your computer, then you need to remove it before it does some superbad damages. Here’s how you do it.

This month saw one of the largest recorded data breaches ever, when healthcare-provider Anthem experienced a hack causing data belonging to more than 80 million of its patients to be exposed. This includes sensitive information like Social Security numbers, dates of birth, email addresses, and more. How can you protect yourself from a hack like this?

Humans are always striving to create the next big security measure against the massive wave of online threats. One topic consistently in discussion is biometrics as a security measure, which take advantage of unique biological aspects of users in order to maximize security. Now, the US military is seeing the value of this kind of technology, and they’re funding a campaign to make it available to users.

Online dating has been around long enough that it no longer carries a negative social stigma. In fact, you may know of some success stories from online dating--or you may have even successfully used online dating yourself. When looking for online love, remember to use protection from scammers.

As the Internet of Things and BYOD make headlines in the technology world, more and more devices are connecting to wireless networks. While this means that technology continues to grow more mobile, it also means that threats are given new avenues to access countless devices, many of which might contain information of a personal nature.

We’re all hooked on our email. It has revolutionized the way businesses communicate, and in many cases, it can be a major distraction. If you’re a small business trying to manage your own Exchange server, you’re probably aware of how much a headache email can be. Do you really have time to host and manage your own email solution?

Despite cloud computing being commonplace, there are still some businesses holding out when it comes to migrating their data to the cloud. In most scenarios like this, a company has objections to the cloud that are preventing them from taking advantage of its many benefits. Are these objections valid? Let’s find out by addressing two of the most common objections to the cloud.