Payment Skimming is on the Rise!

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UK Businesses Endured an Attack Every Minute in 2019

For companies around the world, 2019 was a terrible year for data security. This is especially true for UK businesses, which endured a deluge of cybersecurity episodes equal to an attack every minute. Individually, it’s estimated that each business experienced 576,575 attempts to compromise company data in 2019, a 152% year-over-year increase. 

The report, compiled by Beaming, a Hastings-based ISP, identified China as the origin for nearly ⅕ of the attacks. Hackers commonly pursued domain admin tools and IoT endpoints to gain access to company networks. In total, the report concluded that 2019 was the worst year on record for UK data breaches. Moreover, the report cautioned SMBs to take cybersecurity issues more seriously by recognizing the profound risk and implementing basic protection plans, including adopting two-factor authentication to secure web platforms. 

https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/cyberattacks-uk-firms-once-per/

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If you do not already have privacy regulations, they are coming. .

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In Other News: New Ransomware Strain Targets Healthcare Sector

Each week, our newsletter has examples of companies devastated by ransomware attacks that carry an incredible cost and inflict reputational damage. Unfortunately, these attacks have become more pervasive this year, and hackers are not content to rest on their laurels. 

Instead, a new variant of ransomware called Zeppelin is being deployed throughout the US, Canada, and Europe to target healthcare companies and IT organizations. In addition, the ransomware is using MSPs to further infect companies via their management software. Notably, the ransomware is being deployed through remote desktop servers that are publicly exposed to the internet. 

The incident is a reminder that SMBs can’t afford to leave cybersecurity up to chance. These attacks can have devastating financial consequences for any organizations, which means that a robust defensive posture is a bottom line issue that will continue to become more critical in the year ahead.

https://cyware.com/news/new-vegalocker-ransomware-variant-targets-healthcare-and-it-sectors-57131ade

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Healthcare is a leading target for Cyber Attacks

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Be Aware. Be Vigilant. Be Safe. - UPS provides great safety advise to its clients.

This applies to all th big name companies out there Apple, Microsoft, Fidelity etc..  Each has a fraud reporting address..  We want to help you avoid being a victim of fraud Fraudulent communications adopt many different forms and are the unauthorized actions of third parties. These messages, sometimes referred to as "phishing" or "spoofing", are becoming more common and may appear legitimate by incorporating company brands, colors, or other legal disclaimers. We take fraud and the protection of our customers' information seriously. We want to help make sure you don’t fall victim to phishing or other types of fraudulent activity whether it’s through email, text, phone, or social media. Here are some tips to keep in mind: • UPS will not request personal information, financial information, account numbers, IDs, passwords or copies of invoices in an unsolicited manner through email, mail, text, phone or fax, especially in exchange for the transportation of goods and services. • If you receive a message that appears to be from UPS that you believe is fraudulent, send a screenshot of the message or forward it to fraud@ups.com for investigation. • Learn more about how to avoid phishing scams in this article from the U.S. Federal Trade Commission: https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/how-recognize-and-avoid-phishing-scams

© 2020 United Parcel Service of America, Inc. UPS, the UPS brandmark and the color brown are trademarks of United Parcel Service of America, Inc. All rights reserved. For information on UPS's privacy practices, refer to the UPS Privacy Notice. UPS, 55 Glenlake Parkway, NE, Atlanta, GA 30328; ATTN: Customer Communications Dept.

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Cyber Security tip#5

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Cyber Security tip#4

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Cyber Security tip #3

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Cyber Security tip#2

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What motivates a hacker?

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Cyber Security tip #1

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Dark Web Trends

ransomware disrupts the holidays, a nonprofit organization has its donor list compromised, and “password” remains a stubbornly popular password. 

Dark Web ID Trends:

Top Source Hits: ID Theft Forums 
Top Compromise Type: Domain 
Top Industry: Education & Research
Top Employee Count: 250 - 500 Employees 

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5831

Too Many Employees Don’t Change Their Passwords

Data breaches are a constant threat for any company, and a new survey by YouGov research found that many employees aren’t taking even the most basic steps to secure their accounts. According to the survey, which was specific to Ireland but likely represents a globally commonplace approach to password security, 39% of employees haven’t updated their passwords in more than a year. In part, the study found that convenience is a significant factor when determining standards, as many respondents expressed annoyances with security features like Captcha random image or one-time passcodes sent via text or email. 

However, with the number of compromised email accounts growing every day, strong password standards coupled with additional security features like two-factor authentication can significantly decrease the risk of a data breach. It’s an obvious and proactive step that everyone can take to protect their personal and professional data from falling into the wrong hands. 
https://www.independent.ie/business/technology/almost-two-in-five-irish-people-dont-change-online-passwords-and-are-vulnerable-to-being-hacked-poll-38752329.html

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PRESS RELEASE

Bit by Bit Partners with Arctic Wolf Networks to Tackle Cyberattacks with Managed Threat Detection & Response Service

New York, NY, January 13, 2020 Bit by Bit has teamed with Arctic Wolf Networks, a leading security operations center (SOC)-as-a-service company to provide threat detection and response as well as vulnerability assessment capabilities to protect against today’s advanced cyberattacks. Arctic Wolf’s SOC-as-a-service provides an enterprise-class SOC, the most essential element of any modern cybersecurity strategy. The service includes experienced security engineers that manage all security matters using a full spectrum of advanced cyber defense mechanisms for asset identification, vulnerability assessment, network monitoring, and threat detection and response. "With organizations facing ever-increasing threats to their IT ecosystems, it is essential to have a cybersecurity plan in place,” says Bruce Steinfeld, Bit by Bit Founder and CEO.  “As an IT solutions provider, we take a holistic approach to meeting all our client’s IT needs. By partnering with Arctic Wolf, we are able to enhance our offerings and provide protection against a wider array of threats throughout the entire cybersecurity life cycle.”   “Arctic Wolf is excited for the opportunity to support Bit by Bit efforts to expand their product portfolio by offering a critical service that many of their customers are specifically requesting,” said Nick Schneider, Chief Revenue Officer at Arctic Wolf. “Cyberattacks threaten companies of every size, and organizations are increasingly seeing the value and protection of a SOC-as-a-service, especially when they don’t have the in-house cyber talent to lead and monitor on-going security needs.” The Arctic Wolf SOC-as-a-service is anchored by Concierge Security™ teams who provide custom threat hunting, alerting, and reporting. It's purpose-built, cloud-based service offers 24x7 monitoring, vulnerability assessment, compliance reporting, and threat detection and response with fewer false positives. Don't get left out in the cold in the cybersecurity threat landscape, contact us at info@bitxbit.com to learn more about how our new partnership can protect your organization!

About Arctic Wolf Networks Arctic Wolf Networks delivers industry-leading security operations center (SOC)-as-a-service that redefines the economics of cybersecurity. Its Managed Detection and Response and Managed Risk services are anchored by the Arctic Wolf Concierge Security Team who provide custom threat hunting, alerting, and reporting. The Arctic Wolf purpose-built, cloud-based SOC-as-a-service offers 24x7 monitoring, risk management, threat detection, and response.

Bit by Bit, 115 West 29th Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10001

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5831

Important Notice for Account Edge users

IMPORTANT NOTICE

I have some disappointing news to share with you, AccountEdge is not and will not be Catalina-compliant. This was not a decision we made easily, but after working on this for multiple years, our old codebase proved to be too outdated to complete the project. We understand that this will be an inconvenience to some of you, and for that, we apologize. We will be sending out this email to Mac users at 10 am Eastern today to notify them. Not all links have been made live yet, so some will not work until 10 am today. The email has a few options listed to help customers continue to work with AccountEdge - AccountEdge Hosted, using parallels, and switching to AccountEdge for Windows at no cost. We will continue to update AccountEdge for Mac with new features going forward and have an upgrade available today for AccountEdge 2020 for Windows and Mac in the US (Canada will be this summer). To see the new features available, check out the emails that we are sending out to Windowsand Mac users today. The Mac email has a notice and a link to the options page regarding the Catalina news. Sincerely, Lauren Kasper Regional Marketing Manager - Priority US 973.586.2200 x5515

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Third-Party Breaches Present a Serious Risk

While everyone is well aware of the comprehensive threat landscape facing today’s companies, many forget that this threat is amplified when third-party partnerships are involved. As this week’s newsletter reminds us, these often necessary associations can place your company’s data at risk in a major way, and it’s a risk factor that every business should consider when exploring new collaborative opportunities. 

For instance, many vendors are so overwhelmed by data breaches that they struggle to bring their services back online, if they survive at all. In either case, your company’s data may not be their top priority, which puts your business at risk. 

Naturally, third-parties have a vested interest in pursuing what’s best for themselves, an inherent liability that every business should evaluate when making decisions. In today’s regulatory environment, organizations face intense scrutiny when a data breach occurs, even if it doesn’t originate at your company. That threat should give every company working with third parties a reason to carefully consider cybersecurity implications before signing the contract.

https://securityboulevard.com/2019/12/the-hidden-cost-of-a-third-party-data-breach/

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas

DArkweb Trends

hackers gain front door access to company IT infrastructure, ransomware cripples social services, and lax employee password security continues to present severe financial risk. 

Dark Web ID Trends:

Top Source Hits: ID Theft Forums 
Top Compromise Type: Domain 
Top Industry: Finance & Insurance
Top Employee Count: 101 - 250 Employees 

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas

The SHIELD Act Webinar | Are You Prepared for the New Cybersecurity Law?

https://info.bitxbit.com/?hs_preview=pBYofWuW-23922774427

New York SHIELD Act:   What It Is & How It Applies to You Be Prepared as New Data Security Requirements Take Effect March 21, 2020 Wednesday, January 29th  | 11:30 AM - 12:15 PM EST Save My Seat! Join Bit by Bit and Arctic Wolf for a webinar to learn how to navigate the waters of SHIELD (Stop Hacks and Improve ELectronic Data,) the recently-passed New York state cybersecurity law with new requirements effective March 21, 2020. If you store or license any New York state resident information, this webinar is for you. You’d be surprised what is now considered private information and the new definition of a breach. And, you'll need to adopt safeguards for information security, confidentiality, and integrity while implementing a data security program encompassing risk assessments, employee training, vendor contracts, and timely data disposal. Bit by Bit and Arctic Wolf are teaming up to provide the education and solutions to help you comply with SHIELD and avoid steep penalties that could cost your organization valuable time and money.  We've been helping companies throughout New York and beyond comply with HIPAA, PCI, NYS DFS, and other regulations and it's time for us to help you get up-to-speed and compliant with SHIELD.  In this informative session, you will learn: What is the SHIELD Act What information does it cover How you can comply with the March 21, 2020 requirements Penalties for non-compliance Save My Seat! Our Presenters Jeff Miller Channel Account Manager Arctic Wolf Networks Jeff Miller is a unique blend of engineer, teacher and evangelist for all things cybersecurity. His roots in cybersecurity stem from his engineering degree and tenure at the nation's second largest law firm where he regularly defended against ransomware, the hacktivist group Anonymous, distributed denial of service attacks, and other threats. Jeff educates organizations on how to adhere to security regulations and best practices around cybersecurity. He lives, breathes, and bleeds it. It's not just what he does; it's who he is. Alex Lane Systems Engineer Bit by Bit Alex Lane has worked with Bit by Bit for four years. As Security Engineer, he brings his expertise in defensive security to build and enhance the security programs of internal and client environments. Alex participates in many prominent security conferences and community events. He spends much of his free time studying offensive and defensive techniques and attacking capture the flag (CTF) challenges. Bit by Bit, 115 West 29th Street, 4th floor, New York, NY 10001

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5831