Ransomware & Tips To Prevent It | IT Services Gold Coast | Netlogyx IT
The concept behind ransomware, the most widely used form of malicious software, is simple – Lock and encrypt the victim’s data, then demand a ransom to restore access. Often there is a time limit set to make payment or the data will be destroyed. Paying the ransom doesn’t guarantee restoration of your software either, it’s a catch 22. They can hold your personal files hostage, withholding your documents, photos, and financial information. Those files are still on your computer, but the encryption makes them completely unreadable. In 2017, the average ransom demand was $5221 — a high price to pay for getting your own property back. TYPES OF RANSOMWARE Ransomware types vary with some being more harmful than others, the common denominator being the ransom. The five types of ransomware are: • Crypto malware. This is a widely known form of ransomware and can cause a lot of damage. One example is the 2017 WannaCry ransomware attack, which targeted thousands of computers around the world and spread itself within corporate networks globally. • Lockers. This ransomware infects your operating system and completely locks you out of your computer, making access of any of your files or applications impossible. • Scareware. This is a fake software that appears to be an antivirus tool. Scareware often claims to have found issues on your computer then will demand money to fix the problem. Some types of scareware lock your computer, while others flood your screen with alerts and pop-up messages. • Doxware. Usually referred to as leakware, doxware threatens to publish your stolen information online if you fail to pay up. As many people have stored sensitive files and personal photos on their computers, it is not things you want leaked which is why so many will panic and fork out the ransom. RaaS. Also known as “Ransomware as a Service,” RaaS is malware that is hosted anonymously by a hacker. The hackers manage everything from distributing the ransomware and collecting the payments received to managing decryptors — which is software that restores data access WHAT TO DO AND WHAT NOT TO DO Ransomware is such a profitable market for cybercriminals and is unlikely to stop anytime soon. Prevention is the best defence in protecting your personal data. To stop cybercriminals and protect yourself from a ransomware attack, think about implementing the following dos and don’ts: • Use a security software. This will help protect your data. Make sure you choose a trusted security suite that does more than just antivirus protection. • Ensure your security software up to date. New ransomware is appearing all the time and ensuring your internet security software is current will help protect you against cyberattacks. • Regularly update your operating system and other software. Software updates include patches for newly discovered security black spots that left unprotected can be exploited by ransomware attackers. • Don’t ever automatically open email attachments. Email is one of the main ways cybercriminals deliver ransomware. Just don’t ever open emails and attachments from unfamiliar or untrusted sources. • Don’t open email attachments that request you to enable macros to view its content. Once it’s enabled, macro malware can infect multiple files. If you aren’t 100% sure the email is genuine, and from a trusted source, delete the email. • Back up important data to an external hard drive. Attackers gain leverage by encrypting valuable files and making them inaccessible to you. Having a back up of your important files takes away their power and will allow you to restore your files after the infection has been cleaned up. • Utilise cloud services. This can be immensely helpful in preventing a ransomware infection since many cloud services keep previous versions of files, which means you can “rollback” to the unencrypted form. • Don’t pay the ransom. Paying the money won’t guarantee your access being restored.
Read MoreNetlogyx Monitoring Service
Detect any issues early on and keep your system and server functionality running at the highest level. Let us monitor your computers, servers and network devices and identify and troubleshoot the areas of potential failure. This will minimize the risk to your business and avoid the hassle of system failure and downtime. For more information watch our video and contact the Netlogyx team! https://youtu.be/I40UZrT7Yng
Read MoreThe Essential Eight – Strategies To Help Your Business Avoid Being A Victim Of Cyber Crime.
That are likely to pose the biggest threat to them. While no one strategy can guarantee to prevent cybersecurity incidents,organisations are recommended to implement eight main strategies as a framework. This framework (referred to as The Essential Eight), tightens overall security and makes system compromise more difficult. If your business decides to actively implement the Essential Eight it will ultimately be more cost-effective in regards to money, time and effort than if you have to respond to a larger scale security attack. Before starting to implement these strategies, organisations need to review the following: a. identify which systems require protection (i.e. which systems store, process or communicate sensitive information or other information with a high availability requirement) b. identify which adversaries are most likely to target their systems (e.g. cybercriminals, nation-states or malicious insiders) c. identify the level of protection your business requires (i.e. selecting mitigation strategies to implement based on the risks to business activities from specific cyber threats). There is a recommended order to implement for each cyber threat that will help your organisation build a strong cybersecurity network for your systems. Once organisations have begun implementing strategies, they need to focus energy on increasing the maturity of their implementation such that they eventually reach full alignment with the intent of each mitigation strategy in the following table. STRATEGIES TO PREVENT MALWARE ATTACKS Application whitelisting of approved/trusted programs to stop the execution of unapproved/malicious programs including .exe, DLL, scripts (e.g. Windows Script Host, PowerShell and HTA) and installers. Why: All non-approved applications (including malicious code) are prevented from executing. Patch applications e.g. Flash, web browsers, Microsoft Office, Java and PDF viewers. Patch/mitigate computers with ‘extreme risk’ vulnerabilities within 48 hours. Use the latest version of applications. Why: Security vulnerabilities in applications can be used to execute malicious code on systems. Configure Microsoft Office macro settings to block macros from the Internet, and only allow vetted macros either in ‘trusted locations’ with limited write access or digitally signed with a trusted certificate. Why: Microsoft Office macros can be used to deliver and execute malicious code on systems. User application hardening. Configure web browsers to block Flash (ideally uninstall it), ads and Java on the Internet. Disable unneeded features in Microsoft Office (e.g. OLE), web browsers and PDF viewers. Why: Flash, ads and Java are popular ways to deliver and execute malicious code on systems. MITIGATION STRATEGIES TO LIMIT THE EXTENT OF CYBERSECURITY INCIDENTS Restrict administrative privileges to operating systems and applications based on user duties. Regularly revalidate the need for privileges. Don’t use privileged accounts for reading email and web browsing. Why: Admin accounts are the ‘keys to the kingdom’. Adversaries use these accounts to gain full access to information and systems. Patch operating systems. Patch/mitigate computers (including network devices) with ‘extreme risk’ vulnerabilities within 48 hours. Use the latest operating system version. Don’t use unsupported versions. Why: Security vulnerabilities in operating systems can be used to further the compromise of systems. Multi-factor authentication including for VPNs, RDP, SSH and other remote access, and for all users when they perform a privileged action or access an important (sensitive/high-availability) data repository. Why: Stronger user authentication makes it harder for adversaries to access sensitive information and systems. MITIGATION STRATEGIES TO RECOVER DATA AND SYSTEM AVAILABILITY Daily backups of important new/changed data, software and configuration settings, stored disconnected, retained for at least three months. Test restoration initially, annually and when IT infrastructure changes. Why: To ensure information can be accessed again following a cybersecurity incident (e.g. after a successful ransomware incident). For more information on implementing these strategies within your business contact Netlogyx today.
Read MoreTop 10 Cyber Crime Facts You Need To Know In 2018
HERE ARE 10 OF THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW WHEN IT COMES TO CYBERCRIME. • 2.51 was the average cost of a data breach in Australia in 2017. This was based on a study of 25 breaches by the Ponemon Institute. The breaches ranged from $0.89 Million for a breach of less than 10,000 records and up to 6.65 million for a breach up to 50,000 records with the average cost per record being $139. • 47,000 cyber-attacks were recorded by the Australian Cyber Security Centre in 2016-2017.More than half of these were malicious or fraud attacks affecting 7283 businesses and 734 notable private sector organisations. • Business losses from malicious emails doubled in the 2016-17 period with losses of more than 20 million dollars reported to the ACSC. • 90% of businesses have been exposed to a data breach or threat and 58% have been compromised at least once. • 24% of companies experience ransomware attacks each month taking an average of 5 hours to resolve not to mention the costs related to downtime. • Symantec report Australia is in the top 10 targeted countries for ransomware attacks which means you need to be extra vigilant about preventing and avoiding your business being targeted. • Cybercriminals are getting savvy – Phishing emails are evolving and becoming more sophisticated, intercepting and replicating invoices for existing services and payment arrangements. This can make it tricky for employees to pick up. • Cybersecurity jobs are tripling in response to the surge of attacks with an expected number of 3.5 million jobs in the field by 2021. All IT positions now require a certain level of security expertise. • New data breach laws were introduced to Australia in February this year in order to improve protection for personal and sensitive information and to create greater transparency. • It is predicted cybercrime will cost US $6 Trillion dollars worldwide by 2021, according to Cyber Security Ventures. This is based on the projected increase in organised cybercrime and foreign government activities. To find out more on how you can safeguard your business against cybercrime contact the team at Netlogyx.
Read MoreImproving Productivity In The Workplace – The Ultimate 8 Step Guide
What does a productive day look like? Maintaining a routine and planning ahead will save you time and help manage stress. • Despite common belief, multi-tasking is not a more efficient way to work. Pick one task and work until it is completed then move on to the next item on your agenda. This will help you focus better and keep the quality of your work high. • Take regular breaks, stand up stretch, go make a cup of tea or step outside for some fresh air this will clear your mind and help you re-energize and focus. • Use time management software to help you stay on track. • Expect the unexpected. Despite the most diligent planning, there will always be unexpected tasks that crop up. The key is to be able to know how to prioritize your tasks well and be able to go with the flow. SCHEDULING AND TO-DO LISTS FIGURING OUT HOW TO FIT YOUR WORK IN AROUND MEETINGS, PHONE CALLS AND CONSTANT INTERRUPTIONS CAN SEEM LIKE MISSION IMPOSSIBLE. • Stay focused on one thing at a time • Tackle the biggest task first • Clear your emails at least once per day PROJECT AND TEAM MANAGEMENT • Make the brief clear • Keep meeting short and to the point • Have a daily team check-in • Evaluate your progress INCLUDE DEEP WORK TIME IN YOUR DAY • Make time to hyper-focus • Embrace boredom • Focus on the important stuff MAINTAIN A WORK/LIFE BALANCE BOOK IN DOWNTIME • Get active • Get enough sleep • Find your zen – try meditation or yoga • Utilize Visualization and mood boards IMPLEMENT SOFTWARE TO HELP YOU WORK MORE EFFICIENTLY • Launch apps on startup • Create templates for as many tasks as possible • Utilize tools like grammar checkers and email plugins to help you work smarter not harder. HARDWARE TIPS AND TRICKS • Add a second monitor • Get a headset • Get a good quality mouse and mousepad WORKFLOW AND BUSINESS PROCESS MANAGEMENT • Organize your data • Train your staff • Whenever possible automate • Regularly review and improve your processes For a more in-depth info download our Ultimate 8 step productivity guide here
Read MoreOffice 365 For Business – Gold Coast IT Solutions
OUTLOOK The email service, task management, calendar application, and contacts manager included with business Office 365 subscriptions are under the Outlook branch of the web brand. It includes Outlook Mail, Outlook Calendar, Outlook People, and Outlook Tasks. Microsoft also introduced an email feature called Clutter with Office 365. Clutter memorises user’s preferences regarding relevance and importance of their emails. It analyses the user’s pattern of behaviour about email subjects, if user keeps ignoring emails from a certain sender or subject, Clutter files those emails to a folder with the same name in Outlook. HOSTED SERVICES The business plans for Office 365 offer access to cloud-hosted versions of Office’s server platforms on a software as a service basis, which include Exchange, Skype for Business, SharePoint, and the browser-based Office Web Apps suite. The SharePoint’s OneDrive for Business program provides each user with 15 GB of online storage. OFFICE APPLICATIONS Some plans for Office 365 do also include access to current versions of the Office desktop applications for both Windows and OS X for the duration of their subscription. For Office 2016 on Windows, it is installed using a “click-to-run” system which allows users to begin using the applications almost immediately while files are streamed in the background. All updates to the software are installed automatically, this includes both security updates and major new versions of Office. If an Office 365 subscription lapses, the applications become read-only and the editing functionality is disabled. Full functionality is restored when the new subscription is purchased and activated. COLLABORATION TOOLS Office 365 includes several productivity applications that are designed to cover collaboration needs at the organizational, departmental and team levels. Currently, the list of collaboration tools includes OneDrive for Business, SharePoint Online, Microsoft Teams, Yammer, Skype, Outlook Online and Delve boards. There are several approaches to defining the role of Office 365 collaboration tools in an organization. The main considerations that influence the choice of a certain tool depend on communication needs, team size, project specifics, and keeping in mind the employees’ personal preferences. Depending on what you need to do, each collaboration tool suits a work situation. SharePoint Online is often used as a platform for corporate intranets and portals, much the same way as SharePoint On-Premises does. At the same time, SharePoint Online comes not only with team sites but also with communication sites and hub sites. Microsoft Teams allow collaboration channels for public and private communication, as well as voice and video conferences. Outlook Online hosts email-based collaboration. Yammer is used for communication with business users outside of the organization and enables forum style team communication. Skype for Business supports instant messaging, VoIP, audio, video and web conferencing. As for Delve boards, they allow creating boards to group together and share related documents. Additionally, there are Office 365 Groups that represent rather a technological capability within the suite than a tool apart. Office 365 Groups allow creating separate collaboration spaces in other Office 365 tools. An Office 365 Group can be organized in Outlook, SharePoint Online, Yammer, Microsoft Teams and other collaboration tools to diversify the native collaboration capabilities of these applications. For example, if a team collaborates in a Group in Yammer, its members automatically get a team calendar, a shared Outlook inbox, a SharePoint library, a SharePoint team site, a shared OneNote notebook and Planner. UPDATES The Office 365 platform have implemented a rolling release model; updates to the online aspects of the service are provided once every quarter.
Read MoreHow To Grow Your Business Using Big Data And Analytics
Data, particularly big data is a big thing in business circles. It will help your business make smarter decisions based off solid evidence. What data is relevant to your business Choosing a source and type of data to use can be overwhelming for many business owners. The first thing is to work out what insights your business needs and asking the right questions. Do you want to improve your customer service or get feedback on a new product? Do you have a clear understanding of how your customer interacts on your website? The next step is to decide how you want to collect this data. Where will you source your data from? You may not think your small business generates much data but you would be surprised! Have a think about your business activities, common places to source your data are in-store sales figures, your social media platforms, newsletter subscriptions and traffic to your website. These figures will give you a benchmark and put you in a position to do something with the results. This is when we bring in the analytics software and tools to assist you with interpreting your customers’ decisions and movements. Big data tools If your customers are interacting with your product or service via your website you want to understand their movements. Google Analytics is a free tool that will give you data on a range of things from website performance to user behaviors. CRM tools are a great way to track, generate and manage your incoming leads effectively. Majority of social media platforms have inbuilt data analytics capabilities so you can easily track how your social media activities are performing. You will also need a safe place to store this data. Dedicated cloud and hosting services will not only store it securely, but they can also analyze multiple data sources simultaneously. Usually, this is done via a customisable dashboard using simple graphs and charts. This could help you determine the pricing of your inventory, identify new customers and even pinpoint what content your audience takes notice of. The insights you get from big data can help you make smarter decisions that will ultimately grow your small business.
Read MoreWhat Is The Real Cost Of An Ineffective IT System?
Here in Australia, IT issues cost business roughly $3,456 every year for each employee. So if you are a small business with 10 employees, that’s $34,560 annually in lost productivity. Servers that randomly disconnect; software updates that take your computer hostage and demand money for its release; files that cant open on the out of date XP OS you’re using… Its time to upgrade your IT system. Ineffective IT Systems create stress for your employees who become frustrated with fighting against the computer to complete their work. Managing the systems that run your business is a big (and time-consuming task) and it only gets more involved as your business grows. HERE ARE 10 SIGNS YOU NEED TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT YOUR CURRENT IT: YOUR SYSTEMS AREN’T IN LINE WITH THE BUSINESS NEEDS. Constantly trying out new technologies is not always the best plan of attack. If what you are currently using works, then stick with it. Provided it’s flexible enough to adapt to your growing needs, there is no cause for concern. If you are worried about the current technology or technologies you are using are preventing you from growing your business, then it’s time to change your strategy. COMPLAINTS FROM CLIENTS. Receiving multiple complaints is something you can’t ignore. It could be because your data is not being handled correctly, is not being forwarded onto the right departments or your reporting systems aren’t efficient. Or, the technologies that run your business are no longer supporting the demands of your customers. Either way, these problems can be prevented if you invest in the right technology and have the right systems in place to handle the demands. YOU ARE UP AGAINST UNEXPECTED IT EXPENSES. Inadequate IT planning results in poor understanding of your businesses requirements which results in wrong tech investments and lack of foresight and forward planning. Although unplanned IT-related expenses are not totally avoidable, they can be considerably minimised if IT costs are accurately estimated and effectively managed. For this, you need the high-level knowledge of IT experts. DATA IS LOST. 99% of data loss is directly related to the way you save, share, and handle your data. Do you have a system that encrypts your data before it is sent to a backup storage? Do you have adequate spam, anti-virus, and malware protection? Are you controlling user access to data? If you are losing data, chances are you don’t have correct safety measures in place, or they are failing. SLOW IT SUPPORT. Your IT staff need to be fast and responsive in attending to your IT issues to avoid problems falling through the cracks. LOSS OF PRODUCTIVITY. Poor productivity in the workplace is often a result of poor/slow computer systems, it could be your slow Internet connectivity, applications constantly crashing, outdated systems or a combination of IT-related issues that chew up employees time and ultimately cost YOU money. If these issues remain unresolved, it can affect your business growth and you may lose your high-performers. THERE’S NO PLAN IN PLACE FOR GROWTH. Your IT supports your business goals and your growth. If your IT strategy is not adequate or not aligned with your goals, you are just wasting your money. THERE’S NO SAFETY NET, DISASTER RECOVERY OR BACKUP STRATEGY SHOULD DISASTER STRIKE. Do not underestimate the need for every business to prepare for worst-case scenarios. Being a small business is no excuse not to have a plan in place as anyone, anywhere could be a target. Your disaster recovery plan should be created and implemented by experts with a thorough understanding of your business operations – consider all the possible aspects that could go wrong and identify all the viable solutions to the problems being considered. YOUR IT TEAM ISN’T IN TOUCH WITH THE LATEST TECHNOLOGY AND SYSTEMS. Hiring an IT team is only one element. Unless you are on top of training with key vendors and have a system to keep track of new innovations and how to use them, you could be missing important developments that could improve your business. Similarly, you may also not be aware of new security threats and bugs and how they can be prevented from impacting your business. YOU ARE ALWAYS BRINGING IN IT SUPPORT FOR ISSUES THAT COULD BE PREVENTED WITH MANAGED IT. Your IT support might be mostly centered on ad hoc issue resolution, instead of preventive maintenance. So, by the time a problem blows up, you have no other choice but to get outside help to fix the problem. This can be a costly exercise and a mean a blowout for your budget.
Read MoreRemote IT Support
WHAT IS REMOTE SUPPORT? • Remote support is a secure service, which allows representatives to help the client to solve their computer problems remotely. This can be done either by displaying the steps to take through screen sharing or the alternative that involves taking control of desktops to perform tasks remotely. Most times, remote support is used in conjunction with a phone call to provide support. • This allows the technician to diagnose the problem and play with several potential steps to provide a resolution to the issue and verifies the resolution that has been implemented. Remote support is always done via the Internet. This allows the technician to work from their workstation and eliminates the need to move the computer which can be a big hassle for the client. A desktop sharing software is what is used to feed the remote support trouble-shooter with rapid-fire screenshots from the screen of the problematic computer. Also, mouse clicks and keystrokes are captured by the remote support trouble-shooter and sent to the technician which allows them to view what is happening on their client’s computer and work out what action to take to resolve the issue. REMOTE SUPPORT BENEFITS Now that you understand what remote support is let us explain the benefits of the service for your business. • EfficiencyThis is one of remote support’s biggest benefits. This is because it cuts out the time that would have been used on travel to see a client, getting the job done more efficiently. The only downtime involved in remote support is connecting the remote support software online. • Multi-taskingThis is a worthwhile benefit for those who keep asking why to use remote support. It allows the technician to successfully complete several jobs. This allows the technician to have a number of billable hours taken care of in a shorter time period. • After HoursRemote support is perfect for after-hours jobs that may occur. This generally applies to issues such as Windows updates and server errors. It is the perfect solution for situations where clients have an issue but don’t have the time for the technician to work on the problem.
Read MoreHow To Give Your Business A Digital Transformation
The process of digitally transforming your business requires strategies and should be treated more as an ongoing process rather than a one-off overhaul. A well-executed transformation will get you the business rewards and achieve digital excellence. KNOW YOUR GOALS Before you even start to consider putting any changes in place, it is essential for you to evaluate and assess the objective of your business. If you’re a sales team that relies on cloud computing, then your needs are going to be very different to a company with factories to produce. When you know your long term business goals you can identify the key areas where applying digital systems will make your business run more smoothly. HIRE AN EXPERT Utilizing a professional with ensuring your transformation is a smooth one.Sit down and have a chat about your goals so they can work out a plan around your needs. You need someone who can thoroughly asses your business and engage technology that fulfills those business goals and expectations.Every business is different, and their digital needs will alter depending on the sector. What is essential for one company may not be useful for another, which is why you need to continue to implement new technologies. Once you have begun to move over to digital tools and services, you’ll start to see your business is able to run more efficiently, saving you both money, time and resources. By failing to adapt to the changing tech landscape, you are seriously undermining your potential to thrive.
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