Security

The Dark Web isn’t just a rumor: it’s real and is the reason why protecting your data and your identity online is more vital than ever. ThrottleNet’s latest video takes you on a quick tour of the dark web and exposes some of the illicit and problematic aspects of this dangerous side of the internet.

Please note: our tour of the dark web is for educational purposes only. Dustin, who hosts the tour, is a certified ethical hacker and cybersecurity manager, and he uses virtual machines and a VPN to access the dark web. This is not safe for you to try at home.

Navigating the Dark Web

Several search engines can work to search the darknet. There are also sites within the hacking community that offer services such as hacking computers, websites, or even smartphones.
Dustin talks a bit about the Tor browser and the secure method of “onion linking.” Watch the video to learn more about these aspects of the dark web.

Hackers share resources via hacking forums like Fatality Hacking Sets and Master Hack Packs. There are even beginners’ guides. This might be the type of place that young hackers get their information from. Forums like these are also a source of leaked data.

During the video, Dustin highlights a source who states that they have access to 75,000 leaked email addresses and passwords. Large-scale hacking like this can occur if you’re using the same credentials across multiple websites, especially if you use similar passwords in your personal and business logins.

Hackers try that password and email address combination across various platforms, leaving your data accessible. It’s crucial to practice good data hygiene and have separate passwords for all your accounts.

Hacking for Sale on the Dark Web

Online marketplaces offer a range of hacking services, including paying to knock someone’s website offline for a few hours. These actions are completely illegal, which is why they’re only openly offered on the darknet. Are you experiencing a concerning amount of downtime? Learn how hackers achieve website downtime by watching the video.

Custom ransomware is another tool offered to lower-level hackers. If they don’t have the programming skills to create their own ransomware, they can outsource the task via online marketplaces.

Beyond the intangible purchases of data and hacking services, other illegal products are available through dark web sources. Criminals can purchase a range of fraudulent documents such as drivers’ licenses and passports–check the video to see how much these are sold for. You may be shocked!

Other problematic services on the dark web include the ability to buy a gun without background checks and making purchases using cryptocurrency like Bitcoin to avoid paper trails.

Protecting Businesses from the Dark Web

If you’ve been hit with ransomware in the past, you might’ve had thorough backups so you could move on unaffected. Now, cybercriminals have pivoted to extorting companies. If you don’t pay them, they start uploading your sensitive data to the internet. Our video highlights several websites that list data stolen from various companies. Data includes bank details and information that could be damaging if sent to competitors.

Dustin also shows how easily data breaches can occur for organizations that don’t keep their cybersecurity up to date and instead rely on older machines, servers, and software, not realizing the risks these pose for breaches in data security.

Learn more about the dark web and how to protect your information online with our insightful webinar. Sign up for the dark web tour today!

Business cybersecurity is essential in this day and age. Hackers often need only one weak password or software vulnerability to create a cyberattack that will send you reeling.

Fortunately, the cybersecurity world is in a new age of improvement, which gives you the ability to protect yourself—so long as you know which tools to use. Keep reading to learn about the key components of any good business cybersecurity strategy.

Ransomware

Ransomware is a pesky form of malware that attacks files within a system. The attacker encrypts the victim’s data, then demands a ransom to restore access to the files.

How Does Ransomware Work?

Ransomware can work in several different ways, but the most common tactic occurs through a phishing scam, which sends special attachments to email users. When the victim downloads the attachment, the attacker seizes control of the victim’s computer.

How to Fight Ransomware Attacks

Because ransomware is continually evolving, it requires more than a one-time quick fix. The best ransomware solution includes a few things:

• Employee training
• Patch management
• Firewalls
• Random phishing drills

Risk Management

Risk management allows you to understand the common IT risks out there, including the type of protection your business needs. At ThrottleNet, we use a time-tested and trusted process for understanding cybersecurity risks. We follow these steps:

1. Analyze the risk
2. Rank the risk
3. Treat the risk
4. Monitor and review the risk

Don’t give into the temptation to skip a step. Each is vital to your business cybersecurity plan, and your company will thank you for giving it the protection it deserves.

IT Compliance

IT compliance is a stressful topic for many businesses. If you’ve been charged with hefty IT compliance fines before, you know just how costly they can be. But compliance is about more than just your wallet—a non-compliant strategy also means your company is more susceptible to a cyberattack.

To ensure your business cybersecurity strategy is compliant, hire an expert who has experience in your industry. Healthcare, after all, requires different solutions than real estate. When it comes to IT compliance, a specialist will beat a generalist every time. 

IT Consulting

A quality IT consulting service will help your team learn more about cybersecurity threats, whether it’s preventing breaches or dealing with cyberattacks as they happen.

When you choose our IT consulting service, we’ll supply you with a trusted vCIO, or Virtual Chief Information Officer, who will help you: 

• Learn more about your IT infrastructure
• Understand how your business goals and IT strategy work together
• Significantly reduce network inefficiencies and maintenance costs

IT Hardware

Tackling the toughest business cybersecurity problems doesn’t only take experienced professionals—you also need the right IT hardware.

Find a certified reseller to keep your costs low without sacrificing quality. The best resellers have long-standing relationships with their IT hardware manufacturers, which allows them to offer you affordable prices. 

ThrottleNet provides the following IT hardware solutions:

• Servers
• Backup appliances
• Desktops
• Laptops
• Printers
• Network equipment
• Anti-virus deployment

We like to be our clients’ one-stop shop for all their business needs because we know it can be time-consuming and stressful to shop with separate vendors. That being said, some companies prefer multiple IT hardware vendors instead of just one. Try the strategy that works best for you.

Detailed Business Cybersecurity Strategies

A high-quality security strategy involves a detailed plan, one that accounts for both current and future challenges. 

It takes a keen, experienced eye to recognize a successful business cybersecurity plan. Here at ThrottleNet, we believe that the best security policies are both proactive and preventative. That’s why we include the following security strategy items in our outsourced IT support services:

• Anti-virus/malware protection
• External vulnerability scans
• Windows updates
• Cyber disaster prevention
• Third-party updates
• Security checklist
• DNS filtering
• Backup management

We’re rated as one of the best cybersecurity services in St. Louis because we leave no stone unturned. When you partner with us, you can rest assured that your business cybersecurity is in good hands. If you’re ready for a free security strategy consultation, give us a call today.

We’ve all heard the phrase, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” That philosophy might apply to the occasional home improvement project, but when it comes to data protection, you should probably adopt a different motto.

Today, we’re going to show you why “Fix it before it breaks” is the best way to address cybersecurity—and how you can protect your data today. 

Your Data Protection Quick Fix: Vulnerability Audits

There’s only one way to prevent cyberattacks, and it’s knowing where they’re likely to occur. That’s where a vulnerability audit comes in.

For those who are unfamiliar, vulnerability audits are assessments that identify and prioritize your system’s vulnerabilities. They uncover your company’s most pressing threats, allowing you to address the weaknesses before they cause harm.

Why Vulnerability Audits Are a “Must” and not a “Should”

We know what you’re about to say. “Sure ThrottleNet, I bet a vulnerability audit would help me with data protection. But I have so much going on. It doesn’t have to be a priority, right?”

Can you guess our answer?

Vulnerability audits need to be your first priority. Your business depends on your data’s security, and you’ll never feel truly secure until you know what you’re facing.

Besides, there’s a whole slew of other benefits, too:

Save time and money 

When you reduce the odds of a data breach, you save your future-self the time and trouble it takes to deal with one. A simple virus will slow your employees’ work speeds and increase downtime. A full-blown attack will force you to spend time and money on rebuilding your reputation for months. 

A vulnerability audit won’t take more than one workweek.

Determine your level of risk for each type of breach

Vulnerability audits don’t just prevent cyberattacks; they show you which attacks you’re most susceptible to.

Let’s say you’ve spent most of your data protection budget on securing your hardware, only to perform an audit and discover that your cloud is the system that needs the most attention. Now you can allocate resources to the appropriate firewalls and in-depth employee training.

Simplify your data protection strategies

There’s a reason everyone makes fun of the business world for overusing phrases like “core competency,” “leverage,” and “utilize.” They’re needlessly complicated.

Given the choice, most of us would sacrifice the flashy-but-useless processes for ones that are simple and easy to comprehend. It’s the difference between sounding smart and being smart.

That’s true for data protection, too. A vulnerability audit simplifies your security measures and policies. After finishing an audit, you know where to focus your energies—and where not to. That will streamline your processes quicker than you could believe.

Need Help with Data Protection?

Preventative maintenance is one of the most important aspects of cybersecurity. Once you establish a habit of fixing your problem areas before they break, you’ll run a much smoother company.

But even preventative care can be overwhelming, especially if you don’t know where to start.

We want every business to feel secure, so here at ThrottleNet, we offer free vulnerability audits to any company with over 10 employees or computers. Our IT consultants in St. Louis will uncover your domain vulnerabilities, website weaknesses, email threats, and other network security issues. Contact us today to learn more about our free audits and commitment-free IT services.

Today, many business threats take place online, and that’s why it’s so important to put the strongest possible security measures in place, especially for passwords. Security for key aspects such as passwords and authentication, can’t be overlooked by any business looking to protect itself and its most sensitive data.

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is one of the most effective security measures you can put in place. We’re going to tell you more about this measure, how it works and why it’s effective at addressing the threats businesses are facing today more than ever before. 

Multi-Factor Authentication

The concept of multi-factor authentication is very straightforward; it involves using two or more steps of verification when logging into an account, the first of which will usually be the password. After the correct password has been entered, a next step is initiated, which usually comes in the form of a passcode that can be sent to a filed phone number, or email address. This ensures the person entering the password is the person in control of the account.

It’s also possible for that second, or even third level of authentication to take the form of a biometric. Fingerprints or face ID scans are now commonly used as part of security on mobile devices. All of this is good for keeping accounts secure and hackers at bay because anyone can guess, or gain access to a password, but those extra layers of security ensure it’s never as easy as that.

The Threats We Face and How MFA Can Mitigate Them

There are a number of hackers and cyber criminals using increasingly sophisticated means to breach the security systems of business both big and small. But it’s a relatively simple thing that they tend to target: human error. 

It’s so easy for an unsuspecting employee to click the wrong link in an email and hand their login details to cyber criminals. It happens all the time, and it’s why employee education regarding cyber threats is so important.

But no matter how many times an employee makes that kind of mistake, it won’t matter at all if there’s multi-factor authentication in place. Even if the hacker has the login details they need, they won’t be able to log in if they have to also go through further steps of verification involving passcodes sent to particular phone numbers and email addresses, or biometric verification steps.

The Rise in Remote Working Makes These Issues All the More Pressing

With employees working from home due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it’s even more important to ensure extra security measures are in place. When employees are less closely supervised, mistakes like the ones discussed above only become more common. Businesses are still adapting to the new realities of remote working, but one facet that no business can afford to ignore, is secure remote access, and cybersecurity.

If you want to make sure that your business is properly protected as you adapt to this new and unprecedented situation, multi-factor authentication offers a viable solution. Hackers are increasingly attempting and succeeding at targeting businesses with outdated security standards as a result of their need to adapt quickly to remote working, and to update their security system.

MFA Presents a Simple and Effective Solution

The great thing about MFA as a solution to the security threats and risks that your business faces today is that it’s very simple. Setting it up doesn’t necessitate any external hardware. And there are managed IT service providers that can assist you with setting up MFA in the correct and proper way. It’s a lot easier than most business owners and managers think, and it offers a tested solution to the problem.

Even Microsoft has made it clear that more people and businesses should make use of MFA in order to protect themselves. They believe that 99.9% of security breaches can be stopped in their tracks with this one simple change. It’s a low risk change resulting in potentially huge long-term savings for the business if it helps to avert a security breach.

There are so many cyber threats out there today, and being able to combat these issues effectively is something that you’ll need to address. Multi-factor authentication is definitely a tried and tested approach to security applicable to all devices, as well as working alongside a professional managed service provider to provide technical advice and support.

Communication & collaboration are proven to increase creativity and productivity, so some businesses now operating remotely are working to give their employees the capabilities to communicate effectively.

We’re going to discuss ways to improve your approach to remote communication which will better enable your business to adapt to permanent options for remote work. The sooner you implement these tips, the sooner you’ll find out what works best for your business, and you will achieve a more efficient remote working setup.

Select the Right Communication Platforms

Communication is going to be one of the most important things to plan out as you adapt to remote working. And it all starts with selecting the platforms you use. First of all, think about the methods of communication that are going to be most important to your team; whether they’ll need the ability to video call to facilitate face to face communication, or the versatility to communicate via instant messaging.

The rapid fire, back-and-forth nature of instant messaging speeds up communication and allows people to share ideas quickly. If you rely on email alone to communicate ideas between the team, it’s best to operate on a platform where messages can be sent and viewed much quicker. 

Microsoft Teams is one of the platforms that allows for communication for instant messaging and video calling, ensuring all options are covered. Whether or not you already have it, it’s a good place to start.

Boost That Network Connection

When you’re forced to communicate remotely as a team, one of the things you’ll be reliant on is the speed and connectivity of your internet. Each member of the team will need to make sure that their internet service provides a fast, secure, and reliable connection. If they are experiencing a weak signal, they might look into a better router, or use extenders.

It’s also a good idea to consider using a managed network service. This third party company will be able to oversee and maintain your network so connectivity issues don’t become a problem or any kind of drag on your business. 

Any network issue will bring your business to a halt when your team is working and communicating remotely. That’s why it’s better to have proactive maintenance in place to avoid those possibilities.

Make Security a Priority

Your communication systems must be kept secure if you are to avoid security breaches and data theft. Some rival businesses have been known to target companies, and their communication methods in order to intercept sensitive information. At the start of the pandemic, the phenomenon of Zoom call bombing was making headlines and it really highlighted how important security is when communicating across distances.

Some platforms are better than others when it comes to offering security and encryption. Be sure to check out the security measures in place before deciding a platform. There are security precautions that you’ll want to take when it comes to making sure that logins and passwords are secure, such as using multi-factor authentication.

Get a Remote Desktop Connection

Remote desktop access allows employees to retrieve data and files from their office computers, even when they’re at home. It’s a way of making it possible to be at the desk, even when that’s not physically possible because of restrictions either encouraging or enforcing employees to work at home for the time being. It’s a tool that no business should be without as they adapt to remote work. 

Setting up a remote desktop connection doesn’t have to be difficult. There are service providers who can set it up for you, and from there your team will be free to access their vital files and documentation as needed. It makes completing projects and staying on track far easier than it otherwise would be. When set up correctly, it’s fully secure and reliable, so you won’t need to worry about any unforeseen issues arising.

Remote communication is vitally important, and it’s not something that your business is going to be able to overlook anytime soon. The trend towards remote working is long standing and the global COVID-19 pandemic has only accelerated that trend, so be sure to make the most of the suggestions discussed above.

Over the years, we’ve heard stories of all kinds of businesses being attacked in terms of digital systems. Malware, phishing, and ransomware are factors in the IT world, unfortunately.

In much more recent times, however, we’ve had to deal with cybercriminals taking over the data from hospitals and healthcare centers and demanding money in return. This morally reprehensible act should seemingly not even exist as we’d all assume that it just shouldn’t happen. It does, though, and it’s becoming increasingly regular.

Hospitals all over the country—and all over the world—are having to deal with this more frequently than ever. It could be a petty criminal looking to take a few hundred dollars, or it could be a mastermind hoping to steal upwards of ten million. While they’re both just as awful, you can’t ignore the significance and the horror of the latter.

Many patients have had to be transferred due to the loss of data, and one patient even lost their life due to particular methods and medicines not being listed anymore. We’re going to discuss just how important security in hospitals is and what can be done to combat ransomware, but first, let’s go into a little more detail about the issue itself.

What Is Ransomware Exactly?

Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts a victim’s files. The ransom is demanded after victims are shown a list of instructions. Once the ransom has been paid, reportedly they’ll receive a decryption key that unlocks everything and gives it all back to them.

Hackers often use Bitcoin as a payment method. Hospitals are a lot more vulnerable than most kinds of organizations and establishments (we’ll get into this a little later) and have been under a lot more fire since the start of the global pandemic—for obvious reasons.

How Does It Work?

Hackers can get into a system through multiple channels. One of the most popular ways is through email. Files are sent under the guise of a contact or firm that looks legitimate, and once the file is downloaded and opened, they take over the system pretty much entirely. Other traps are set, such as masquerading as law enforcement in order to stop attempts from being reported to the actual police.

Once the malware has taken over, there’s likely a type of encryption that takes over all of the victim’s files. The files can then only be decrypted using the key held by the hacker.

Why Is the Healthcare Industry Targeted?

Hospitals and healthcare centers are targeted especially by hackers at this juncture because it’s common knowledge that they’re currently weak defensively in terms of cyber-attacks. The vulnerability only makes criminals’ choices a lot narrower. If they feel as though they can get an easy job done due to the lack of security, then they’ll exploit the weaknesses currently situated there. If they choose to launch ransomware at a hospital such as those in Missouri, there will be no choice but to pay the ransom at this stage.

What Measures Need to Take Place?

It’s easy to simply hold off and not pay the fees, but with the lack of security already, hospitals have a little-to-no choice in the matter. Being stubborn won’t work too well when they’re thrust into such a position. There does need to be an array of preventive measures in order to stay safe.

Thankfully, there are plenty of options for hospitals looking to deal with this type of crime. First, and this should almost go without saying at this point, important information must be routinely and securely backed up.

There is sensitive information that hospitals need access to which inhibits their ability to service their patients when vital health information is held ransom. Protecting patient information is such an important part of a hospital’s, and healthcare center’s fundamentals.

Devices must be kept up-to-date; delaying updates could lead to issues as particular bugs may not have been fixed, or certain weak spots may be found in older versions of particular drives, and software.

Hospitals must also comply with the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act. There are many facets to this, but an important aspect is that every member of staff should complete security training.

This kind of training will cover all areas, including cybersecurity for SMBs. It is also highly recommended to be proactive, and to implement preventive measures, such as 24/7 monitoring from an MSP. With that kind of partnership and help, you’ll be able to detect issues far before they escalate.