Taking down corporate networks for cash is quickly becoming a dangerous career. Just last week, the FBI elevated ransomware to a threat level equivalent to terrorism. While that might make some people think twice about joining a cybercrime ring like REvil or GandCrab, they’re still not having any trouble finding recruits. Ransomware is prevalent because…
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Who Pays All of These Ransoms, Anyway?
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A White House Request, Billions of Stolen Passwords and Another Infrastructure Attack
The first half of 2021 has been a dangerous time for business networks, and it’s not getting any better. In the last two weeks, 8.4 billion stolen passwords were posted online, a ransomware attack shut down 20% of US beef and pork slaughterhouses, and the White House reached out to the entire businesses community to…
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The Triple Extortion Threat: New Phishing Technique
Hackers have come up with some convincing new phishing attacks aimed at businesses, and they’ve moved from double to triple extortion by targeting individuals named in leak data. And just wait until you hear how long it takes them to target a vulnerability once it’s disclosed… When You Don’t Pay, Your Customers May After years…
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What is a Supply Chain Malware Attack?
If you manage a service business, you probably don’t spend much time thinking about your supply chain. But there’s one supply chain that every business needs to manage – data. Operations, sales, finance and HR departments all use different software to generate sensitive data. Once generated, that data must be stored, managed and backed up. …
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Risks From Old Data
We’ve all saved seemingly useless items only to later appreciate their value. In contrast, persistently retaining irrelevant things has limited impact. This tendency often delays decluttering, except for reality TV-level hoarding. However, the business data landscape differs significantly. Each piece of retained data adds to a company’s risk. Certain risks are unavoidable. Employee and customer…
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What’s Even More Annoying Than a Legal Threat?
This month’s cybersecurity news includes ransomware masquerading as a cease-and-desist letter, a hacked password manager, and the Department of Justice trying to slow down the unbridled growth of cybercrime. Legal Threats are the Latest Malware Ruse Microsoft detailed a recent malware attack that arrives via a legal threat submitted on a company website form. In…
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Am I At Risk If a Customer or Vendor’s Data Is Breached?
You may have read recently that federal officials are more worried than ever about the security of government contractors’ computer networks. That’s because government data and network security is at risk if contractors’ networks are breached. But why would your organization’s data be at risk if a vendor or customer was breached? What data can…
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WingSwept Acquires SolutionWorx, Expands Geographic Footprint and IT Capabilities
Big things are happening at WingSwept! We are excited to announce the acquisition of SolutionWorx, an IT services firm based in Chantilly, Virginia. The acquisition gives us the opportunity to add a top-notch team with deep expertise in security and compliance to our already very knowledgeable and well-respected group of IT experts. It also expands…
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What is a Zero Day Attack? How Do I Avoid One?
A few weeks ago, security experts revealed that a Chinese hacking group had compromised more than 30,000 US organizations since January by using a zero-day attack targeting on-site Exchange servers. The hackers also left behind an access portal allowing them to visit those companies’ networks in the future and steal any data they’d like. That…
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Three Places You May Be Storing Sensitive Data without Knowing It
In the past, we’ve emphasized the vital role of controlling data access. A single stolen password can grant cyber attackers entry to your network, underscoring the principle of least privilege. Additionally, neglecting to secure newly added network components is akin to only safeguarding half your home with a security system. The convergence of these concepts…