People Pay Ransomware Attackers In Large Numbers In 2020

 Hackers have increasingly gravitated to ransomware attacks in 2020, as being one of the best and most reliable paths to a payday.

That brings to mind an interesting question though. Naturally, the viability of this type of attack comes down to what percentage of victims are willing to actually pay the ransom, and what is that number as of right now?

Crowdstrike recently took a deep dive into the best available data to find out. They discovered that slightly more than one in four (27 percent) of companies that fall victim to a ransomware attack wind up paying the toll, rather than restoring from backup, and the average ransom demanded is now slightly higher than $1 million USD.

Given the steady rise in popularity of this type of attack, and how easy it is to avoid paying the ransom, one might wonder why such a high percentage of business owners opt to pay up. There are two parts to the explanation.

 

 

First, although it does seem that on the surface of things, it's easy to set the conditions that would make it easy to recover from such an attack (have regular backups). However, unfortunately in practice, that's easier said than done. Few companies back up their entire network from end to end, so even if they've got current backups, there's going to be lost data and it's going to take quite some time to restore full functionality, figure out what's missing, try and recreate that data, etc. Always remember, you can always hire IT services Fayetteville NC for expert assistance.

The other issue is that in a surprising number of cases, a company's backup and recovery plan isn't as robust or as complete as they imagined it was. We've seen instances where the company's CEO thought they were doing backups on a weekly basis, only to discover that the last good backup they had available was from six months before.

When you suffer from a ransomware attack and then find out your last backup is six months old, you don't really have any other moves to make. You pay up and hope the hackers deliver on their promise to unlock your files.

Given the prevalence of ransomware attacks, if you're not preparing for one, you should be. When was your company's last backup taken? How sure about that are you?

 

SpartanTec Inc’s IT Services in Fayetteville NC can help to prevent your company’s data from being the victim of a ransomware attacked. Call us today for a free analysis of your current network firewall and backup procedures.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

SpartanTec, Inc.
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910) 745-7776
http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Tips For Improving SD-WAN Security

Today’s workforce has become increasingly mobile and companies have branched out as they grow their business, SD-WAN or software defined wide area networks are now very popular when it comes to networking’s evolution. By including the benefits of SDN to conventional networks that are hardware based and router centric, SD-WAN provides companies with improved agility, performance, scalability, and flexibility.

But, with all of the benefits SD-WAN can provide, it also paves the way for another list of security problems. Here you’ll learn how to avoid those threats and how to make the most out of your SD-WAN.

SD-WAN Security Issues

SD-WAN allows users who are in branch offices to connect to the network of the company remotely using a large web of devices that are connected online, which adds another level of complexity to the network security. Even if just one entry point is left unsecured, this could lead to a security breach.

 

 

Although most SD-WAN Fayetteville NC services are offered with unique security features, they must not be used as a single solution for network security. To know what security features should be added to your network, you have to know what’s included in the SD-WAN solution you got. If you don’t what safe and what’s not, it’ll be very easy to leave your network and your security exposed.

SD-WAN Security Features

The majority of SD-WAN only provide a few features that could give a base for your network security. Although they do not account for an in-depth comprehensive security, they are important when it comes to mitigating risks.

VPNs and Traffic Encryption

With so many users and devices connected in a company network, the possible attack surface of a certain data that is being transmitted is increased. A lot of software defined network solutions are integrated with a 128 and 256 bit AES encryption as well as an IPsec or Internet Protocol Safety VPN. These prevent any unauthorized access to your network and guarantee compliance.

Microsegmentation

SD-WAN microsegmentation lets admins segment traffic based on application characteristics as well as network policies. Segmenting virtual networks within the overlay of the SD-WAN will prevent traffic coming from a less safe location from compromising segments that have more confidential information.

Threat Intelligence

A lot of SD-WAN service providers provide access to services such as threat intelligence that could immediately identify and get rid of a few security threats. A few of these services have now added artificial intelligence in their products in order to tell possible breaches to security by pinpointing suspicious patterns in the network traffic.

How Improve SD-WAN Security?

Basic SD-WAN security offers protection however companies have to take extra precaution to make sure that the threats could be identified and eliminated properly. When you know what security solutions come with your SD-WAN product, the next thing you need to do is determine what security tools you need to cover the gaps. A few of the solutions you require to optimize the security of your network that’s software defined. These include SSL inspection, next generation firewall, regular patches and system updates.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now to know more about SD-WAN and our managed IT services.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC 29577
(843) 420-9760
https://www.spartantec.com/

SpartanTec, Inc.
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910) 745-7776
http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

What are the Benefits Of Outsourcing IT Through Managed Services?

Here are the benefits of IT outsourcing.

1. Control your IT costs.

Outsourcing IT through managed services helps you budget effectively since your fixed IT costs will be converted into variable costs. This mean you only have to pay for the services you use whenever required.

2. Minimize Your Labor Costs

Hiring and training staff for your IT team can be costly and in many instances, these employees don’t meet your expectations. IT outsourcing Fayetteville NC allows you to concentrate your human resources in areas that need them most.

 

 

3. Certified, Qualified, Experienced, Trained

How do you know what an employee is qualified if you are not IT trained yourself? Experience is as important as certifications such as Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer.

4. Qualified Doesn’t Mean Experienced

There are only a few things that IT service companies aren’t familiar with. In most cases, they’re dealing with IT issues that they’ve already handled several times. Meanwhile, an in-house IT employee will continue to have an isolated existence regardless of how much they train.

5. Boost Efficiency and Effectiveness

Companies that try to come up with an in-house IT department that covers all IT services can be very costly. These expense will then be passed on the clients by increasing the price of the product or service you offer. You don’t have to deal with this if you outsource your IT services.

6. Implement New Technology Immediately

A reliable outsourced IT service company will have the needed resources to implement new projects immediately. Handling the same project with an in-house IT team may require you weeks or months before you can hire the right people. Plus, you have to train them and give them the support they need. This won’t be a problem with IT outsourcing. SpartanTec, Inc. already has a team of IT experts who are experienced, licensed, and certified, which means you’ll get to save money and time.

7. Focus On Your Core Business

Your company most likely have limited resources and each manager has limited resources and time. IT outsourcing will help your company concentrate on your core business. You can just leave complex IT decisions at the hands of experts.

8. Reduce Risks

Every investment comes with a certain level of risk. Government regulations, competition, markets, technologies, and financial conditions evolve fast. IT outsourcing companies assume as well as manage most of these risks for you, which certain industry knowledge, like compliance and security issues.

9. Level The Playing Field

Small businesses cannot afford to match their in-house support with the IT department of a larger company. IT outsourcing helps level the playing field when it comes to IT services. SpartanTec, Inc. can provide your business with the competitive advantage it needs.

10. Security and Compliance

Is your firewall updated? Did you install a DMZ? Do you conduct a regular audit of your servers and workstations? Has your business implemented the PCI security standards? IT outsourcing will take care of all these.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team of IT experts help minimize the risks of facing a cybersecurity breach linked with sensitive data, credit card numbers, and your business in general.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910) 745-7776
http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Cybersecurity Tips For Your Work From Home Employees

Nowadays, a growing number of people have started to work from home. Several studies have shown that employees that work from home, stay productive because they no longer have to commute and there are less distractions. Although the ability to let staff to telework when required offers better flexibility to businesses, working from home also has its own set of cybersecurity risks. Remote workers will not just risk their own privacy but also cause the cybersecurity breach in their company’s network.

Letting some of your staff to work remotely for a certain period is something many firms can take care of before these last few months. But when there’s a natural disaster, few enterprises are prepared to allow a large part of their workforce to work from home.

These companies don’t have the infrastructure to handle a lot of employees working remotely, and they also don’t have the security to protect their sensitive data. For many firms, their underlying support, software, and hardware structures can only support a small part of their employee population telecommuting.

 

 

Here are few things that your company needs to make sure that your employees are secured when they work from home.

1. VPN – your work from home employees have to use a VPN. A lot of people know that using a VPN would bypass geographic restriction when accessing location specific content like Netflix. Aside from that, a VPN functions by encrypting your internet traffic, which means it will be unreadable to anybody who tries to intercept it.
2. Wi-Fi Connections – the majority of Wi-Fi connections at residential properties these days are secure. But when you’re not at home, you should be careful about using public Wi-Fi networks. This goes the same for your employees whom you’ve allowed to work from home.
3. Home Routers – A lot of people do not change their router password at home after it was first installed. This leaves their home network vulnerable to cybercriminals. It is important to tell your employees to boost their cybersecurity at home by changing the password in their home router. This will help prevent cybercriminals from access their devices and confidential information.
4. Passwords – all of your accounts have to be protected by strong passwords. Using the same passwords for multiple accounts is not advisable. It will just take one hacker to take control of their accounts
5. Two Factor Authentication – There’s more you can do than just have strong passwords. It’s better to another layer of protection using two-factor authentication. This could be through a text message or email, or even a fingerprint scan or facial recognition.
6. Backups – your files have to be backed up on a regular basis. Your employees may fall victim to ransomware. And when that happens, you won’t have to worry about the files because you have a backup.
7. Firewalls – Firewalls serve as another line of defense to stop threats from getting access to the company’s system. They make a barrier between the internet and the devices of your employees by closing up the ports to communication.
8. Antivirus Software – Install an antivirus software in the computer of your employees. Even though a firewall can help, threats will eventually get through. An advanced and good antivirus software could serve as another layer of defense by identifying and blocking common malware. Even when malware gets access to the device of your employees, an antivirus software might be able to prevent it.
9. Encryption – When your employees have to communicate confidential information to your other staff, their devices must have an updated end to end encryption.
10. Locking Devices – remind your employees to secure their device when they work in a public space to avoid data breach.
11. Phishing – you should train your employees on how to identify and deal with phishing attacks as well as other types of social engineering that involves remote devices as well as remote access to the information systems of your company. Your staff should be cautious of any suspicious email from unfamiliar people, especially when they are being asked to open a file or click on a link.
12. Contact for Reporting Issues – you should provide a phone number or email address that employees can contact to get in touch with your firm’s Incident Response Team in case they encounter potential cybersecurity Fayetteville NC problems when they are working at home.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you need help in boosting your company’s cybersecurity especially for your employees who are working from home.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910) 745-7776
http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

The Importance Of Cybersecurity Awareness Training

Studies have revealed that human error is the primary cause for over 90% of data breaches. It’s a scary statistic for both large and small businesses. No company is immune to cyberattacks. In order to be successful, a social engineering scam only needs to deceive one employee. It’s a fact that a single mistake by one of your staff members is the only thing that is needed to compromise a whole network. If your employees are left unaware or unprepared for social engineering cyberattacks, then your company will be vulnerable. That's why cybersecurity awareness training is important.

 

 

Tips For Training Employees For Cybersecurity

The approach matters when it comes to implementing cybersecurity awareness training effectively. The objective here is to alter the way your staff do their daily tasks by informing them on the different types of cyberattacks and making sure they follow best practices so they can keep themselves and your business protected. An average of two months is required to form a habit and that means a one time training sessions where guests are swamped with information during the discussion and sent on their way afterwards. This approach isn’t effective.

Ongoing training programs that are updated on a regular basis is required in order to keep up with the continuous transformation of the threat landscape along with the addition of new protocols. Many people learn better with hands-on method. So, incorporating simulations to theoretical training lets employees perform safe online behaviour. This will help in reinforcing the training and in improving its effectiveness.

An overview of the various kinds of cyberscams as well as how they work should be explained well to employees so they would know how to identify if there’s an existing security threat. An in-depth training program must cover the different kinds of online security threats and how they are presented. This may include phishing, spear phishing, and other social engineering scams. It must also cover smishing, vishing, baiting, and malware. BEC or business email compromise as well as water holing attacks.

Phishing and Spear Phishing

It’s better to present examples of phishing scams to show what a fabricated text or email message may appear like, and explain what approaches are used in order to lure someone in. This may be an email needing immediate action, tricking users to clicking an infected link, or a much more targeted spear phishing attack wherein the cybercriminals tries to impersonates the company’s IT manager and gets in touch with a certain person asking for a password update.

Malware

Trojans are sent through email but they could also be downloaded by visiting an infected website that lures victims to take action for it to take effect. A well known Trojan is one that pretends as an anti-virus program. It attacks, damages the device, and steals information once it’s run. Signs that your device may be infected by a virus include slow startup and performance, missing files, error messages, low storage space, and crashes.

Ransomware

A malware program, generally a Trojan, infects a system or device by visiting a compromised website, or through a phishing email. Users won’t be able to access their data or system through encryption. Cybercriminals can use this to their advantage and against the affected individual or business.

Baiting

It is a popular method when it comes to the successful installation of malware through an infected physical media like a flash drive.

Vishing and Smishing

These are types of social engineering fraud wherein the attacker uses a phone call or SMS messaging to try to get access to financial or personal information. These strategies also depend on triggering a sense of urgency in the victim so personal data can be obtained.

Business Email Compromise

A cybercriminal pretends to come from a trusted company to trick one of your staff, client, or vendor into providing personal information or transferring money to the fraudster.

Water Hole Attack

This type of cybersecurity attack aims to compromise a user by infecting the websites that they frequently visit. The primary goal of a water hole attack is to compromise a legitimate website so they could use it get access to a much bigger network through the workstation of employees.

Benefits of Cybersecurity Awareness Training

1. Employees will feel empowered and confident through training.
2. Established rules and protocols lowers the risks of a data breach.
3. Security protocols must be proactive and adaptive.
4. Prevention is better than cure. Having a workforce that is security aware can help your company save money and time, as well as prevent lost of revenue and downtime by following a proactive approach when it comes to security training.

 

SpartanTec Inc. provides cybersecurity training for your employees. This training can be live or virtual. Contact us today to schedule a consultation to discuss this important training opportunity.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910) 745-7776
http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Cybersecurity Awareness Month: Securing Devices

 A lot of changes have happened in 2020 and the year isn’t even over yet. How people socialize, learn, and work has changed dramatically. An increasing number of people are now working from home and that means their professional and personal lives have become more intertwined. This has led to the introduction of new cybersecurity vulnerabilities.

During the National Cybersecurity in Fayetteville Awareness Month or NCSAM, businesses and consumers are encouraged to concentrate on the steps organizations and users can take in order to protect their interconnected equipment and devices for both professional and personal use.

There are many different steps to take to secure devices used at home or at work.

 

 

Tips To Improve Cybersecurity At Home or Office

1. Be careful what you click. Cybercriminals send phishing emails to the email account of businesses as they try to get access to the company’s network and system. You might unknowingly install spyware or malware in your system if you click on these links.

 

• You should ignore unsolicited social media messages, texts, calls, and emails especially when they trigger a sense of urgency and ask you to respond to a concern right away.
• Be careful if these requests involve your package delivery, taxes, bank account, or online account. A lot of scammers these days try to mimic the emails, texts, and even websites of legitimate companies.
• It’s better not to respond if you are not sure. This is one of the best network security practices you need to follow. If you are in doubt of the legitimacy of a certain message claiming to be from a contact at a government agency or business, call the organization involved right away using a legitimate channel. Do not use the number that’s provided in the unsolicited message. Don’t click on any links on a social media post or email.

 

2. Back up your data. Your hard drive can crash anytime. Not to mention, files can be deleted, stolen, or attacked by a malware. In order to protect yourself against data loss, you have to back up your data regularly. You should follow the policies set in place by your employer for work backups. This can be done using cloud storage or physical storage. It is a crucial part of computer security.

 

• Examples of physical storage include local backups like removable media such as external hard drives and USB flash drives. This allows for accessible and fast storage. However, it can also be costly and at risk to physical failure.
• Cloud backups allow data to be stored in online locations that are secured but can be accessed anywhere and by different devices. This method is considered to be the most secured. Plus, it can also be accessed anywhere. You can set the backups to happen real time. It is an efficient way of protecting your data but it generally requires regular internet access and subscription cost.

 

Once you’ve chosen which backup method to choose, here are the steps you need to do to complete the set up.

1. Prepare the files, documents, and folders that need to be saved. The most important files should be backed up first.
2. Come up with a backup schedule that suits your needs.
3. Check the backup by loading data from the storage back to your device.

 

DOWNLOAD WHITE PAPER: UNDER ATTACK: THE GLOBAL YEAR IN BREACH

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team of IT experts help secure your devices at home and work against potential online threats.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910) 745-7776
http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Is Cybersecurity Important In The Digital Age?

The way people see and experience the world has been changed significantly by the digital age. Although collectively the setting where the world works has become much smaller, it’s brought its own share of concerns. Connectivity has increased but the risk of cyberattacks also rose exponentially. So why is cybersecurity crucial in today’s digital age?

 

Understanding Cybersecurity

 

Nowadays, there exist different kinds of processes and technologies that are made to protect the sensitive data, which is continuously at risk. The data that’s being referred to here may include information that’s saved on programs, devices, software, etc. Any kind of unauthorized access to such data is a breach in cybersecurity and therefore, effective measures must be taken in order to prevent it.

Data breach is now a serious issue because of the rising cases in cyber threats. Any company that suffers a cyberattack will have a damaged reputation and credibility in the eyes of their clients. It will also place the customers at risk because their valuable data will be exposed and can even be used for different purposes. These setbacks can be prevented by hiring a provider of managed IT services.

 

 

 

Why Cybersecurity?

 

Information technology has closed the gap between nations. It can also be between individuals or organizations. Everybody is keeping their information on the cloud and that means digital footprint is growing rapidly and in a massive scale. Hackers know all these and they can misuse technology for their benefit.

 

Factors Associated With Cybersecurity

 

Data security – prevents unsanctioned access to the network and system of firms and organizations. It is a crucial aspect of IT security.

Mobile security – also referred to as wireless security. It helps protect portable computing devices such as smartphones and laptops from online threats.

Network security – hardware and software technologies are utilized to safeguard computer networks.

Application security – the security features are integrated into the application to ensure that they’re safe from cyberattack.

Endpoint security – protects wireless devices like phones and laptops because their connectivity also pose risks.

Identity management – a detailed and established procedure will check the accessibility to systems, networks, and applications.

Disaster recovery – Companies offering IT services will create a security plan that will help keep unplanned scenarios in check.

 

Does Your Company Need Cybersecurity

If you believe that governments and nations are the only ones that should be careful of cyberattacks. The corporate sector and even individuals are also at risk and they have to make sure that they are not vulnerable. That’s why it is crucial to take the right steps to setting up a good IT security. You can do this in house or you can also consider IT outsourcing.

 

Protecting your company against various online threats is not an easy pursuit. Fortunately, SpartanTec, Inc. is here to help you. Call us now and learn more.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Fayetteville, NC 28304
(910) 745-7776
http://manageditservicesfayetteville.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence