by admin | Apr 11, 2022 | Uncategorized
VPN 101: Remote access and safety As we know, the Coronavirus pandemic has brought about a paradigm shift in the way businesses function. Home is now, ‘The Office’. With WFH taking root, companies and employees alike are experiencing so many benefits that it looks like it is here to stay. This has given a boost to various technologies that enable businesses to operate smoothly in the WFH environment. Examples include video conferencing applications such as Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, Cloud data storage options, VoIP, etc., In this blog, we discuss one such technology, Virtual Private Networks, more commonly known as VPN. A VPN or virtual private network is a mechanism to connect to private IT networks using the internet. This gives you the ability to access private networks remotely, yet safely. Thus VPNs play a key role in the remote operations model. Using remote access VPN, employees can access their ‘work computers’ using the remote desktop mechanism. Plus, using VPNs to access data adds an additional layer of security. Here’s how- VPNs don’t allow third parties to track the user’s IP, location from which they are accessing or their online activity Unlike the regular browsers, VPNs don’t store browsing history, recent activity logs, log-in credentials, etc., If there is a glitch in the secure connection offered by the VPN, the connection is automatically cut instantly, instead of allowing the user to browse unsafely VPNs need not be limited for work purposes alone. As you can see, considering the various benefits discussed above, it makes sense to use a VPN when online for personal purposes. Especially if you are...
by admin | Apr 4, 2022 | Uncategorized
System & software updates: Why you shouldn’t be skipping them for later We all know how annoying it can be when you get a pop-up asking if you’d like to update it or worse still, your system starts to update itself. The general tendency is to put it off until the next time you log onto your device, when you put it off again. We have all experienced it at some point or another, when we are on that important call or have to reply to an urgent email and decide a system update is just not worth the time. But, did you know that it is important to update your computer’s operating system in a timely manner? And that’s not just for your computer, the same applies to your mobile phones, iPads and other tablets too. In fact, there are updates for various software programs and apps that should be installed too. System and application vendors such as Microsoft, Apple, Adobe, etc., release security updates and patches almost every month, and sometimes, several times during a month. What are the benefits of installing these patches/system updates? Safety and security of your dataCybercriminals are constantly on the lookout to exploit any weakness that software programs may have, to gain entry into your IT network or system. Vendors, on the other hand, have teams that are constantly on the lookout for such weaknesses and work on developing security patches that plug these gaps, so your device/network remains safe and secure. Skipping system/software updates can make you vulnerable to cyber attacks and compromise on the safety and security of your data....
by admin | Mar 28, 2022 | Uncategorized
A “Free” Covid Vaccine can give you a virus (and infect your IT network) With the pandemic still raging in most parts of the world, cybercriminals have come up with yet another novel technique to lure unsuspecting victims and steal their data–the free Covid-19Vaccine scam. This is how it typically works. You get an email or a text message that says you are eligible to receive the vaccine for Covid-19 free of cost. The message will have a link which will take you to a form, where you may be asked for your personal information. Once you fill that in and hit submit, cybercriminals have access to your PII (Personally identifiable information) and can virtually wreck havoc now. There have been some variations of this message, one being a rebate offer, where you are asked to “book” or “preorder” your vaccine by paying for it online, with a promise of credit/rebate/refund in a week. Not only will your card be charged for the “cost of the vaccine”, your card details may also be stolen using secret key loggers, and the damage to your credit may be much more than the amount you were actually billed for. Why should you be wary of this, as a business? So, if the scam seems to target individuals, why is it important for businesses to be aware of this? Well, for the simple reason that you need to alert your employees to this. With the pandemic having almost completely changed the typical office set up and more and more people working remotely, using their own devices for work purposes, there’s a chance that...
by admin | Mar 21, 2022 | Uncategorized
Cyber Security training basics: Password best practices & phishing identification As a business you know the importance of ensuring that your data is safe from the prying eyes of cyber criminals. While anti malware software programs and firewalls are essential to doing this, another important element is, training your employees to identify the traps laid by cyber criminals. This blog offers a list of what you should cover in cybersecurity awareness training. Password best practices This should be number one on your list. The easiest way to steal your data is by stealing your password. Hence you should educate your employees on password best practices. They should know Not to share passwords How to share passwords safely (if at all it has to be done) How to set strong passwords The importance of changing passwords often Your organization’s rules regarding passwords, i.e. your password policy and associated penalties/actions that will be taken if they fail to adhere to it You could also invest in a password tool as it will help you enforce your password policy better. Phishing Train your employees to identify phishing attempts. Phishing is when cyber criminals pose as someone trustworthy and attempt to steal data. Studies show that the number one reason businesses become victims of cybercrime is because their employees fail to recognize a phishing attempt. For example an email may be disguised to look as though it came from a coworker or vendor, or even a government agency such as the IRS, and may contain a request for sensitive information. Some may have attachments that the receiver may open unknowingly and end up...
by admin | Mar 14, 2022 | Uncategorized
What does cyber insurance typically cover? Pandemic or no pandemic–cyber insurance is a must-have. And, not just that, some of your clients may insist that you have cyber insurance coverage before they trust you with their data–especially if you are operating in the B2B market. Cyber insurance can break the fall in case you become the victim of a cyber attack or some gross malfunction that causes data loss. Here’s a list of things cyber insurance policies typically cover. Forensic analysis After a cybersecurity attack, you need to conduct a root cause analysis to identify what went wrong and where, so you can take corrective action to prevent the possibility of it repeating. Notification expenses, penalties & lawsuits Along with data breaches come a lot of liabilities including timely notification, fines, penalties, and perhaps even lawsuits for which you will need legal representation. Revenue loss–direct and indirect If your business is a victim of cybercrime, you will likely have to shut down your IT infrastructure for some time even as the issue is being resolved or contained. This downtime can cost you quite a bit in terms of lost sales and also employee productivity. Not to mention the damage to your business’s brand name which will have some effect on your sales revenue for at least a few months to come–and add to that the costs of employing a good PR agency to create some positive buzz around your brand to overcome the bitter taste left by the data breach incident. Apart from the items covered above, which is more like a consequence of data loss, there are two...
