Hacked Networks And Credentials Being Sold At Alarming Rates

 

Selling network access is big business on underground hacking websites. Even worse, the business is growing at an alarming rate, according to a report recently published by cybersecurity firm KELA.

According to their report, the number of ads found on hacking forums advertising 'Network Access' tripled between August and September, 2020.

The value of the login credentials sold during the most recent month was valued at more than half a million dollars.

Ads like these have been a staple of hacking forums for years, but they gained a tremendous amount of popularity in mid 2019, when a number of vulnerabilities in major networks around the world were disclosed.

 

 

Hackers around the world were quick to pounce, often attacking vulnerable networks. Once a network had been breached, the next logical step from the perspective of the hackers, was to figure out how to monetize the access they had gained.

That, of course, led to a surge in ads, which allowed hackers who lacked the 'street cred' and reputation in the cloistered hacking community increased access to compromised systems around the world. This, in turn, led to yet more attacks against vulnerable systems, which is at least part of the reason we're seeing so many attacks today.

The price a hacker can get for access to a compromised network obviously varies from one to the next. KELA found some network access being sold for as little as $25. At the top end, access to a major network with a global footprint can go for more than $100,000, with the average being just shy of $5000.

This is why hackers do what they do. There's big money, not just in accessing your data, but also in selling future access to it. Stay vigilant, this is a problem that's not going to go away.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now if you want to make sure that your business is protected from hackers and other online threats. Our team will set up the most effective cybersecurity Wilmington NC measures to make sure that your personal and business credentials are safeguarded at all times.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Surge In Ransomware Continues In 2020, Targeting Healthcare

The year 2020 could well be described as the Year of Ransomware.

Security researchers around the globe who monitor such things have noted a sharp uptick in the use of ransomware this year, with well known threats like REvil, Ryuk, and Maze being the most common variants deployed by hackers.

That's bad enough by itself, but it gets worse. In recent months, much of the ransomware Wilmington NC attack activity has been aimed squarely at the healthcare sector, which is grim news indeed, given that we are relying on that very sector to help put the still-raging global pandemic behind us.

Based on data collected by Check Point, Ryuk ransomware alone was responsible for more than twenty attacks on corporate networks a week, on average, which is a huge spike. In fact, in the US, ransomware activity has nearly doubled, increasing by 98.1 percent this quarter, compared with the same period from last year.

 

 

While that's far and away the largest increase, globally, ransomware attacks are up nearly 50 percent, with several countries reporting incredible surges in ransomware activity, including:

• India, with a 39.2 percent increase
• Russia, with a 57.9 percent increase
• Turkey, with a 32.5 percent increase

None of these, however, can hold a candle to the buffeting that poor Sri Lanka is currently enduring, with a staggering 436 percent increase in ransomware activity reported.

From the perspective of the hackers, it's easy to see the attraction. Most companies are terrified of such attacks because they can bring corporate operations to a screeching halt in the blink of an eye, and can be notoriously difficult to recover from.

Given that, hackers have had a great deal of success in extorting large sums of money from companies of all shapes and sizes, and now we know they're also in the habit of making copies of sensitive data for themselves before they encrypt all your files. Keep your guard up, it's probably going to get worse as the year rolls on.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let us help protect your company against ransomware attacks and other online threats.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Scams Rise During A Pandemic Era

Scammers are having a field day during the COVID-19 era. The pandemic era has created a lot of opportunities for cybercriminals to exploit financial strain, stress, and fear of people.

There’s no approved treatment and vaccine yet for COVID-19, but scammers have already managed to sell unauthorized test and cure for the disease. They have even offered fake jobs, which people have to pay in order to get. They have also altered their swindles in order to match the scarcity in essential goods and an increase in online shopping. Some hackers even pretended to be the IRS and created fake companies just so they could claim government stimulus money. These scammers have sought out all possible avenues to take advantage of the desperation of people during this economic and public health crisis.

 

 

The strategies used by scammers have evolved during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Federal Trade Commission got over 113,000 fraud reports that are related to stimulus or COVID-19, supposedly more than $150 million worth of financial losses. Based on the complaints made to the FTC, the most common source of the COVID-19 related fraud is online shopping. The other sources are travel or vacations, health care, mobile text messages, internet information services, telemarketing practices, and government imposters.

When it comes to the number of overall fraud complaint, pandemic related fraud accounts for 10% of the overall reports through the first six months of the year. This goes to show how quickly cybercriminals can change their methods just so they could take advantage of a certain situation.

Scam phone calls declined and there were more online scams after COVID-19 hit. Phone calls generally account for about 75% of all fraudulent attempts. But during the second quarter of this year, the number dropped to 48%. Meanwhile, email attempts saw an increase to 8% in 2019 to 23% in 2020. Furthermore, scams through website increased from 9% last year to 17% this year.

Managed IT services experts say that con artists targeted unemployed workers by posting fake job ads. Their primary objective is to get unsuspecting applicants to pay for supplies, equipment, and training. Text messages have become prevalent as well. One example is a fraudulent text claiming to be from Netflix and offering the recipient of the message five months of free service.

Avoiding Common COVID-19 Scams

1. Don’t fall for any product claiming to be the cure for COVID-19.
2. Before purchasing from an unfamiliar online shop, check the company first by doing a quick search online using its name and the words complaint or scam.
3. Filter out robocalls by screening the calls you receive.
4. Scammers may also pretend that they’re contact tracers. A real contact tracer will ask for your health information but fake ones only want to get our financial information.
5. You should also be careful of people who call you claiming that they are from IRS. Legitimate IRS employees will not call you regarding stimulus money.
6. If you have been a victim of a scam, do not be afraid or ashamed to report it.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our IT team help your company keep these scammers at bay while keeping your business safe from various online threats.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence

Post COVID-19 Era's Effects On The Cybersecurity Landscape

COVID-19 has changed the lives of people across the globe and individuals as well as organizations have to protect their confidential data. Although some changes are temporary, there are others that have long lasting impact. The pandemic forced employees to work from home, schools to close, and gave rise to different online scams. These rapid and drastic changes have emphasized the need for improved individual and organizational cybersecurity practices.

As the world becomes increasingly dependent on computer networks, there’s an immense need to improve virtual security and privacy rights protection. The unforeseen transition to a work from home setting has brought about vulnerable points on which cybercriminals will focus on. Employers now need to depend on communication technologies that are not as secure as expected. Additionally, there has been an increase in malicious activities in the cyberworld like phishing emails and online scams. In order to decrease the liability and vulnerabilities, individuals and companies must reconsider their security policies and practices, and their privacy.

Although security measures need investment upfront, the cost of the data breach in the U.S. reached about $8.19 million back in 2019. Apart from the expenses to responding to data breaches, there’s also a trend involving recovery from lawsuits. If you wish to avoid the risks as well as the liabilities, employers and companies have to take precautionary measures.

 

 

Concerns Involving Remote Work

Companies that have moved part or all of their employees to remote work should think about how they will accomplish reasonable security. For many firms, this implies IT services that include the use of multifactor authentication and virtual private networks along with firewall and anti-virus software. Apart from these tools, companies should also think about other security controls like training and policies. As COVID-19 forces more workers to work from home, these trainings and policies must take into account this new reality, from taking into account the physical privacy and physical security of home offices to using third party protection devices. Whether you have a small or big company, you have to take into account your capabilities and what you can ask of your employees.

There’s no single policy or tool that will be enough for all the settings. A perfect security isn’t a practical goal either. Companies have to adopt a defense in depth strategy against the possibility of a data breach or cyberattack. Any cybersecurity strategy will need a thorough understanding of the conditions under which your staff are working. Remote work arrangements must use technical controls to secure and encrypt data, prevent unintentional mistakes as well as malicious attacks, and determine the need to use both technical and physical security controls.

In developing cybersecurity practices that are more effective, companies have to recheck the kind of data they keep, send, and otherwise possess or with their 3rd party partners. Companies that handle sensitive data, which must be broadly understood as the total sum of the controlled data, must use stronger and more efficient security measures. Aside from that, IT consulting experts say companies need to minimize the data they collect and save so they won’t look attractive to cybercriminals.

Cloud Computing

The pandemic has also driven companies to rely more on cloud computing. It involves the utilization of remote services to save, manage, and process data. Cloud computing could offer a lot of advantages to companies through lower IT services costs and easier collaboration on remote work. As companies have closed their doors or moved to remote work, cloud computing has become more valuable.

However, cloud computing also comes with its own risks that concerns the integrity, confidentiality, as well as the availability of information. Companies, like those in jurisdictions and industries that are well regulated, that utilize cloud computing services should know the security practices of their service providers. Newer regulations and laws have started to hold companies in a wider range of business sectors that are responsible for the cybersecurity practices of their business associates.

Online Fraud and Cyber Extortion

The COVID-19 pandemic has also caused malicious actors to become more responsive. Cyberthreats are on the rise including ransomware attacks and phishing campaigns. Cybercriminals have made the most out of the confusion, inaction, and uncertainty brought on by the pandemic. The work of cybersecurity teams and professionals were made more complicated by the pandemic as well. Even though some work can be done remotely, there are others that need to be performed hardwired or face to face.

 

Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team of IT experts develop the most effective cybersecurity strategy to keep your business afloat and safe from potential online attacks, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.

 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Wilmington, NC 28412
(910) 218-9255
http://manageditserviceswilmington.com

Serving: Myrtle Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Columbia, Wilmington, Fayetteville, Florence