Network Solutions Unlimited Blog

People’s exposure to cybercrime has been increasing for some time. Today, people with very little coding experience can infiltrate systems and steal data. There is demand for data, and now there is a supply of low-cost--or even free--hacking tools available on the dark web that allows people to get closer to that data. In fact, according to a report by Deloitte entitled Black Market Ecosystem: Estimating the Cost of “Pwnership”, there is a complete economy built around these readily-available hacking tools that are relatively easy to use.

If you were a cybercriminal, what would be your preferred method of launching a ransomware attack? Would you rather create a catch-all threat that could capture as many potential victims as possible, or a calculated approach to land a big one? Despite the proven results of larger ransomware initiatives, most cybercriminals have made the shift to smaller, more targeted attacks against specific companies, and in some cases, individuals.

By now, everyone knows that businesses can be defined on how they approach cybersecurity. Unfortunately, even if your business makes a comprehensive effort to protect your network and data from data breaches, all it takes is one seemingly minor vulnerability to be exploited to make things really hard on your business. Let’s take a look at the major data breaches that have happened since the calendar turned to 2021. 

With the given pandemic, a lot of people have had a bit more time on their hands, so it makes sense that many are turning to streaming services and the like for their entertainment. Unfortunately, this has not gone unnoticed by cybercriminals.

Let’s take a few moments and examine the practice of credential stuffing.

Sherlock Holmes is one of the most famous detectives in fiction, but without his dear Dr. Watson, he would have been stumped on occasion. There’s a good reason why IBM named its super-intelligent computer, Watson, after the famous character. True to its namesake, Watson is now being used to safeguard 40 organizations from cyber security threats.

In February of 2016, President Barack Obama passed a Cybersecurity National Action Plan. The plan implemented near-term actions and developed a long-term strategy to enhance cybersecurity awareness and protections, protect privacy, and maintain public safety. Taking action against cybersecurity now will assist with ensuring economic and national security, as well as empowering Americans to take better control of their digital security.

There are dozens of surveys and reports produced each year that evaluate digital threats and cybercrime. Not every publication applies to every business - but many of them do have some important take aways about the best practices of handling IT. Here’s few highlights from the 2017 Cyberthreat Defense Report that offer important insight for SMBs and their use of technology.

This Christmas, technology is everywhere. Traditionally, the holidays were a time when things slowed down for businesses and people spent time with their families and put their work on the back burner. Those days are over. Today’s professional is lucky to get a day off for Christmas; and, because of the way business works today, may be asked to do more than ever around the holidays.

When so much of what we write is about the threats and attacks that exist (and are carried out) in cyberspace, it is particularly refreshing when we can discuss those responsible for these attacks in the context of their legal proceedings. For example, today we are able to discuss how actors in some of the biggest recent cybersecurity events have entered guilty pleas.

As invaluable as the security solutions that protect a network are, they can be effectively rendered useless if a cybercriminal is skilled in social engineering. Social engineering is the practice of using manipulation to access protected resources, as we will review later. If your business and its team are vulnerable to a social engineering attempt, you are missing a critical piece of your data security strategy.

As a technology-using business owner, it’s your responsibility to take the security of your organization’s data seriously. This entails knowing the finer details of the many security threats that are out and about on the Internet. Here is a list that includes many of the major threats that you’ll want to keep a lookout for in the business world, and what you can do to stop them.

Viruses
It’s not uncommon for a computer to get infected with a virus after some use. All it takes to get one is clicking on the wrong link or downloading an infected file. Viruses often cause both major and minor problems, with the least of your worries being a major slowdown. In many cases, viruses are the simplest of threats, and could be symptoms of much worse problems. If you suspect that your computer has been infected by a virus, make sure that you check for other problems as well.

Malware
Another major contender for most popular threat is malware, simply because of how incredibly varied the term is. “Malicious software,” is designed to perform a specific task, and as such, there are practically infinite types of malware out there. Some variants try to steal data, while others just want to destroy it. Regardless, you should do everything you can to keep malware out of your system. Antivirus and antimalware programs are great ways to eliminate threats that have made it into your infrastructure.

Trojans
Trojans, like their namesake (the Greek Trojan Horse), install backdoors on your device to allow for remote access. This is mainly so hackers can have a way into your device for a future hacking campaign or otherwise. In fact, trojans are often installed on a device during other, less serious hacking attacks, using a distraction that takes the focus away from the trojan being installed. If you want to ensure that you catch trojans on your network, you want only the most powerful antivirus solutions.

Ransomware
This is perhaps the most dreaded threat that there is in today’s business world. Ransomware is malware designed to encrypt your files using high-end encryption protocol, which then demands that you pay a fee for the decryption key. The only surefire way to get your data out of this situation safely is to restore a backup, but some organizations don’t even have this contingency available to them. Additionally, most ransomware moves around via spam, so it’s important that you make sure you have protection against it. This includes malicious links and attachments, as well as educating your team on what to look for.

Phishing and Spear Phishing
Phishing and advanced spear-phishing are designed to take advantage of the human aspect of your organization. Through technologies like email or phone calls, hackers will try to steal sensitive information or coax passwords or credentials out of unsuspecting users. Spam messages are often personalized to make them appear to be the real deal, even though they’re just messages designed to trick the user. Phishing messages often come in the form of threats from fake law enforcement or government agencies, which take advantage of the fear factor. These messages can be prevented with a spam filter that keeps them out of your inbox in the first place.

If you have concerns about the security of your organization’s infrastructure, reach out to us at (217) 428-6449.

The Internet is a fascinating and wonderful place full of great, informative resources and websites, but it’s also home to online markets for illegal and unethical practices. These hotbeds of criminal activity are a danger not only to your business, but to everyone who uses the Internet.

Modern ransomware is exceptionally dangerous, even by malware standards. Ransomware is capable of locking down important files on a victim’s computer, displaying a massive threat to both business professionals and their networks, as well as the average PC user. While other types of ransomware like CryptoLocker and CryptoWall are somewhat manageable, a new variant called CryptoJoker makes it borderline impossible to recover your files.

Similar to other types of ransomware, CryptoJoker locks down the victim’s files through encryption, and will only decrypt the files once the ransom has been paid to the hacker in full. The ransom is generally paid in Bitcoin to preserve the anonymity of the crook holding your data. The idea is to strike fear into the hearts of their victims, and play on this fear to extort money from them for the safe return of their files. Ransomware like CryptoJoker is typically spread through email phishing scams, but in this case, CryptoJoker infects users through a phony PDF file.

After the user has been infected by CryptoJoker and the ransomware has installed, it will scan all drives connected to the infected device. This includes all network drives connected to it. CryptoJoker then proceeds to encrypt specific file extensions, most of which are absolutely critical to your business’s continued functionality:

• .txt
• .doc
• .docx
• .xls
• .xlsx
• .ppt
• .pptx
• .odt
• .jpg
• .png
• .csv
• .sql
• .mdb
• .sln
• .php
• .asp
• .aspx
• .html
• .xml
• .psd
• .java
• .jpeg
• .pptm
• .pptx
• .xlsb
• .xlsm
• .db
• .docm
• .sql
• .pdf

CryptoJoker isn’t widely distributed, so you can breathe easy knowing that you probably won’t run into it anytime soon. Still, what would happen if you were to get infected? CryptoJoker isn’t something to laugh at; the quality of its encryption is military-grade AES-256 encryption, which makes it impossible, in most cases, to crack. Users are often left with no choice but to pay the ransom to CryptoJoker’s developers. Thus, the key to preventing ransomware from destroying your data is to prevent it from infiltrating your computer in the first place. If you do get infected by CryptoJoker, you better hope that you have a data backup solution that’s ready to work overtime.

If you don’t have a backup of your data available, you’re out of luck. Even in the worst case, though, you shouldn’t be paying criminals for the decryption key if you can help it. Just because they claim that they’ll give you the key in exchange for payment, doesn’t mean that they’ll stick to their word. There’s nothing stopping them from taking your money and leaving you high and dry. Other ransomware is notorious for taking payments and not decrypting your files, so it’s safe to say that you shouldn’t trust CryptoJoker either.

If you aren’t sure whether or not your security solution has what it takes to protect your organization from CryptoJoker, Network Solutions Unlimited can help. We can arm your business with solutions that are designed to protect your systems from CryptoJoker and other ransomware before you get infected. In most cases, this is the best thing we can do for you; recovering your encrypted files is often borderline impossible.

For more information about cybersecurity best practices and how to protect your organization from ransomware, give Network Solutions Unlimited a call at (217) 428-6449.