Large Increase In Business Email Hacking Incidents

With the rapid increase in the number of incidents of hacking attacks, it was forecasted that 2018 would set new record highs. That came with the rising numbers of hack attacks as well as more successful attacks compared to what was recorded the previous year, 2017. Unfortunately, the prediction came true and the information security of several business has been breached.

What some individuals had anticipated, on the other hand, was how massive the increase was.

Although the number of hacking attacks went through the roof in 2018, there are certain areas that saw massive growth than Business Email Compromise or BEC attacks. These hacks were responsible for the staggering 476% increase between the last quarter of 2018 and the fourth quarter of 2018. To provide that figure with some context, in comparison, email fraud attempts against commercial businesses surged by 226% during the same time, which even though still staggering, is measly by comparison.

Business Email Compromise attacks rank first when it comes to the security risk that is growing rapidly on the existing threat matrix, and the most common kind of attack that companies will most likely experience. There is a great need for firms to improve their information security Myrtle Beach.

These are, to be more specific, social engineering attacks targeting certain staff members of a particular firm, usually in the finance division of a certain company. The main objective is to convince them that they are in contact with a vendor that the firm does business with on a regular basis and to persuade them to send out significant amounts of cash. This is usually through wire transfers to given accounts which look like the real vendor accounts at first look, but the truth is, they are being controlled by the hackers.

Even though less complicated attacks depend on infected URLs or files to do their damage, these particular attacks depend on psychology and trust. Because of that, they will be harder to spot, which is among the several reasons why they could be extremely devastating. When the time comes that the victim realizes what they have done and what happened, it is just way too late.

Vigilance is just the only want to fight this kind of attack, so just make sure that your staff members know the risk and should always be on their guard. Finally, heck any significant transfer of money personally. You may also seek out the help of a professional IT consultant. It is always better to be safe than sorry later on.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you want to know how to keep your company information secure at all times.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC  29577
843-418-4792
https://www.spartantec.com/

Download Your Data From Google Plus Before It Gets Deleted

Google never kept it a secret that it plans to discontinue their social media experiment, Google+. If you are not updated about the company’s announcement about this particular service, then you need to know that Google+ will no longer be available on April 2, 2019. Now that the deadline is drawing near, the company has released more details about how the shutdown will take place.

Just so you know, shutting down Google+ is more than just switching off access as well as freezing posts or preserving them for eternity. It will involve the deletion of everything related to Google Plus all throughout the internet. This means all your posts, even your comments to the posts of other people, as well as your Google+ comments on blogging sites like Blogger will all be deleted. If there are certain materials that you want to preserve, then you should begin archiving or find a way to backup your files. You still have time but you have to hurry. Depending on the volume of data you wish to save, you have move as fast as you can.

Google Plus is not as popular as Facebook and other mainstream social media sites. Its release was more of a panic reaction to Facebook’s meteoric rise in popularity, with the added fear that Facebook may kill search in case everybody just asked their friends for recommendations.

Nothing like that took place however, it was of great concern when the company rolled out the service and it was what forced them to include Google+ in all aspects of their product ecosystem, even if there were instances when it was no longer sensible.

Given that Google+ has been integrated deeply, shutting the service down will not be easy nor quick. But that won’t stop the company from terminating it. Please note that consumers will only be the ones affected by the showdown. Enterprise users that use Google+ will still have access to it using G Suite.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you want to know how you can keep a backup of your Google+ files.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC  29577
843-418-4792
https://www.spartantec.com/

Advantages of Outsourcing IT through Managed Services

There are many benefits to outsourcing IT through managed services.

Control IT Costs

By outsourcing, fixed IT costs become variable costs and lets you budget quite effectively. So that means, you only have to pay for the services you use whenever you need it.

Cut Labor Costs

Hiring and then training an IT staff could be quite costly, and temporary staff does not live up to your expectation. By outsourcing, you can focus more on human resources where you require them the most.

Experienced, Certified, Trained, and Qualified

If you are not trained in IT, how can you make sure that an employee is qualified for the task? Certifications such as MCSE or Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer are crucial but you should not overlook experience as well.

Qualified and Experienced Are Not The Same

Few issues are new for some leading IT service firms, which witness related problems several times. An in house IT employee, regardless of how much training they get, will lead an isolated existence. We would rather have an experienced doctor, and the same thing can be said about IT professionals.

Increase Competitiveness and Efficiency

Companies that attempt to do all IT Services in-house are most likely to have higher time for research, development, and execution, which can boost costs and are then passed on to clients.

Implement New Tech Right Away

A reliable outsourced IT support company have the required resources to begin new projects immediately. Dealing with the same project in-house may involve weeks or even months to hire the best people for the job. Train them and offer the help they need. For most executions, top quality IT firms will bring several years of experience at the start, saving a lot of time and money.

Concentrate On Your Core Business

Firms have restricted resources, and each manager has restricted time and attention as well. Outsourcing can assist business remain focused on your core business instead of bothering themselves with complicated IT decisions.

Lower Risk

Each business investment has a certain level of risk. Competition, markets, financial conditions, government regulations, and technologies all change very quickly. Outsourcing providers take on much of this risk for you, with certain industry knowledge, especially problems with compliance and security. They are good at determining how to avoid risks in their areas of specialization.

Level The Playing Field

The majority of small businesses do not have the budget to hire in-house support services, much less maintain it compared to bigger companies. By outsourcing can assist small firms to act big by providing them access to the expertise and technology that big companies enjoy. Cost structure, as well as the economy of scale that is managed by an independent third party group, can provide your from a competitive advantage.

Compliance and Security

Do you have an updated firewall? Did you install DMZ? Are you auditing your Servers and Workstations? Did your company put in place PCI security standards and work hard to retain those standards? For instance, business has several ways to become successful by receiving forms of payments like Debit and Credit Cards, E-Checks, Gift Certificates, and Wire Transfers. However, these kinds of transacting will ask you to perform due diligence as well. Your company can minimize the risks associated with the maintenance of credit card numbers, client data, and more by hiring a qualified firm offering managed IT services.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you are interested in getting managed IT services for your business.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC  29577
843-418-4792
https://www.spartantec.com/

Chrome And Firefox Should Be Updated To Stay Secure

The first update for browsers for the year 2019 has been rolled out. With that, Mozilla’s Firefoxand Google’s Chrome have received a variety of security fixes that will make users of Windows, Linux, and Mac feel more secure and safer.

The most recent build of Chrome deals with almost 60 CVE-level problems, out of which, 17 have been given a “high” severity level, and one as “critical” level.

Apart from just boosting the security, however, this recent Chrome build is offering a brand new experimental feature.

Users have to enable the said feature if they want to test it out but Google is currently experimenting with a new feature that will provide users with a visual warning in case a URL is mistyped. Hackers are fond of purchasing popular misspellings of common URLs , creating replicas of legitimate websites that are loaded with malware. Therefore, the brand new feature is considered as a good thing.

This experimental feature is bound to become one of Google Chrome’s permanent feature but for now, it is still opt-in. In case you allow it to run and you type a web address incorrectly, you will receive a dropdown box that shows different possibilities that you might have meant instead, which will allow you to fix it right away.

When it comes to Mozilla, the most recent Firefox build fixes seven CVEs. Out of 7, three were given a “critical” level and two were listed as “high.”

Although software security is important, the latest updates for two of the most popular internet browsers patches some of the most critical issues. Although you will be waiting for some time to install, you should prioritize these especially if you use Chrome, Firefox, or both in your company. Testing out the new redirect feature is well worth it. The feature will surely blow you away.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. for more information about keeping your browsers up to date and secure.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC  29577
843-418-4792
https://www.spartantec.com/

There is a new and very nasty strain of ransomware that is wreaking havoc online. The latest ransomware that appeared in December 2018 is called Phobos. So far we know that the new threat is grim but the details as of now are still a bit sketchy.

CoveWare researchers have been sifting and dissecting the code and what they have got so far is that Phobos share some similarities with a certain strain of ransomware called Dharma, which has caused nothing but problems in businesses all over the globe throughout the years.

However, you cannot refer to it as a Dharma clone either. Phobos is made of some components found in the CrySis ransomware. Although CrySis is in fact a relative of the Dharma strain, Phobos

Whatever it is, it’s still the same. Phobos is bad news for commercial firms. Any company that finds their system infected with this malware will have nothing but encrypted files, with extensions converted to .phobos. They will also get popup messages telling them that if they want to get their files back, they would have to pay in Bitcoin.

Dharma has been acclaimed as among the most damaging and threatening strain of ransomware in 2018. This simply means Phobos has to be taken very seriously.

The best way to protect your system from these types of attacks is vigilance. Ransomware commonly find its way into corporate systems because of a lack of awareness among the staff. Apart from awareness and education, IT managers should also take precautionary measures and secure their RDP ports. They should also make sure that every detail that is critical to your company are regularly backed up.

Finally, it is important that your IT staff regularly tests all the backups to make sure that your system is fully functional and is operating as fast as it could. Although none of the above will immediately stop any attack, if done collectively, they will help minimize the negative effect of an online attack against your firm.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you need help in securing your company's system against these online threats.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Myrtle Beach, SC  29577
843-418-4792
https://www.spartantec.com/

Windows 7 Support Ends In 2020, So Plan To Upgrade

If you are among the shocking number of people who are still using Windows 7, then there’s some bad news for you. Microsoft is offering only one year of full support for Window 7 users. They will no longer offer important security updates by January 14, 2020.
The support will end only for individual users. Businesses that use Window 7 will continue to receive support beyond the said date.
But, they need to register to the Windows 7 Extended Security Update program once the date listed above has passed. They also need to pay a fee, which increases annually.
Discounts will be offered to enterprise users that have volume licensing agreements. However, support will still be discontinued completely by January 2023. Microsoft will likewise provide ESU’s for free to clients who buy the Microsoft Windows Virtual Desktop service, letting users virtualize Windows 7 and Windows 10.
Additionally, Microsoft will also cease offering support for Office 365 ProPlus plugin for Windows 7. The company will also end offering support to several other products.
The news is no longer surprising since the tech giant has made public its support timeline long before this announcement. However, there are still a number of companies that are using legacy applications, which depend a lot on Windows 7 and most of them have not yet established any migration plans. If your company is among these firms, you still have time to make the necessary plans. But keep in mind that you have a limited time to do so. Disregarding this will cost you in the end and will have a huge impact on your bottom line.
Microsoft has drawn a hard line at this point, and it’s highly unlikely for the company to give in to the pleas of consumers for a longer extension. So, you better start planning to switch or upgrade now.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. for more information on how you can switch or upgrade to different operating system.

SpartanTec, Inc.

Myrtle Beach, SC  29577

843-418-4792

https://www.spartantec.com/

New Amazon Order Confirmation Emails Could Be Phishing Attempts

Amazon ranks as the fourth most frequented website in the United States and ranks eight in the world, according to the report released by Alexa. It is an understatement to say that it receives a lot of web traffic on a daily basis. Given the sheer number of internet users who visit this site, it very disturbing to know that there is a new phishing campaign that is pretending to be from Amazon.

Even though Amazon receives heavy traffic on a daily basis throughout the year, things become busier during the holidays when shoppers head over to the company’s website to purchase Christmas gifts for their loved ones. Scammers are well aware of all these and are eager to take advantage of unsuspecting customers, thus the launch of their newest campaign. IT support and Security firms like EdgeWave are on the look out for the campaign’s development.

Scammers are sending out sophisticated and well prepared emails that seem like it came from Amazon. It even comes with subject lines that are specifically made to attract the attention of online consumers like "Your Amazon Order (order number) or "Your Amazon Order (order number) has been shipped out.”

If you are like most online shoppers who bought something from the site, you will most likely open and read the email for more details. You will then be shown something that looks like a legitimate order confirmation, even though if you look at it closely, you will see that it does not include the specific details of the product you ordered.

Instead of the actual details of your order, scammers will instead provide you an “Order Details” located at the bottom part of the email, which will ask the user to click the button for more details. Unfortunately, when the user click on it, it triggers the download of a word document into the device of the user. In case the user opens the file, he or she will receive a message asking them to enable the content so that the message can be displayed properly.

What it actually does is to enable the macros, which are used by scammers and hackers to inject poisoned code into the PCs of their victims all over the world. According to EdgeWave, when the malicious document is opened, a file is downloaded called 'keyandsymbol.exe' and it comes with an embedded code that were linked to mergedboost.exe.

At this point, a lot of people know that they should not click links or even open files that might come from a legitimate source. It is important to be very careful. The latest campaign emphasizes how important it is to regularly educate and remind online shoppers about the most common and newly discovered online threats.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you want to know how you can protect your business from existing and newly discovered online threats.

SpartanTec, Inc.

Myrtle Beach, SC  29577

843-418-4792

https://www.spartantec.com/