Networking Dinner

Please come join me and the Arlington West Rotary for networking and dinner at the Old Arlington Steakhouse, Jambos BBQ. 

1724 West Division

You can sign up at the link below

https://calendly.com/robertblake/special-meeting

You don’t have to be a Rotarian to join us, just have the desire to meet new people and help one another grow their business. 

Jambos is letting us meet at his place at no charge, please plan on buying something while you are there.. 

Please plan on your 30-second commercial, 3 attendees will be asked to talk for 5 minutes about something related to their industry (not a sales pitch). This meeting the first 3 that request the time will get the spot, the future meetings will be drawn at random at the end of the meeting. 

6:30 to 645 - networking an meet and greet

5:45 to 7:00 - 5 min presentation

7:00 7:25  - networking

7:25 - 7:30 drawings

You are welcome to stay longer, however, please keep your commercials short, and limit your 5 minutes to 4 min snd 59 seconds..  Everyone's time is valuable, and we really want to be sure everyone gets something good out of it.. 

We also do collects a donation for local charities, 10.00 is suggested but not required. 

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

Ransomware Attacks Are Driving Up Cyber Insurance Rates

Ransomware attacks were one of the defining cybersecurity threats of 2019, and just one month into 2020, it’s clear that bad actors will continue to deploy this malware to capitalize on their criminality. As companies grapple with the implications of this new reality, many are turning to cybersecurity insurance as a way to offset the cost and consequences of an attack. Unfortunately, ransomware attacks have become so common that cyber insurance rates have soared in response.

According to some reports, cybersecurity insurance has increased by as much as 25% in the past year. At the same time, insurance companies are expanding their offerings, adapting their business model for a shifting data security and regulatory landscape. However, companies relying on cyber insurance will likely be disappointed as payouts rarely cover the cost of an attack, and increasingly high premiums make it an affordable option to begin with.

Instead, many organizations would be better off investing in a robust defense strategy that can defend against a ransomware attack before it happens. It’s the only way to truly avoid the escalating costs and consequences of a ransomware attack.
https://www.cpomagazine.com/cyber-security/ransomware-attacks-are-causing-cyber-insurance-rates-to-go-through-the-roof-premiums-up-as-much-as-25-percent/

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

IBM Threat Report Presents Risks for 2020

The latest IBM threat report examines the most prescient threats facing business in 2020, and its findings should alarm cybersecurity leaders. Notably, the report found that hackers are not turning to overly sophisticated techniques to access company IT. Rather, they are relying on the deluge of personal data already available to access an organization’s infrastructure. When those methods fail, many are deploying phishing scams as a cheap, relatively safe way to compromise employee credentials. 

According to IBM, phishing attacks and unauthorized credential use were two of the most prominent attack methodologies, with the exploitation of vulnerabilities completing a risk triumvirate for companies to address in the year ahead.

The report’s silver lining is that companies are not powerless against these threats. Employee awareness training can render these attacks useless, and integrated two-factor authentication can prevent unauthorized account access even when credentials are compromised. Together, they present a meaningful way for every company to protect itself against the most likely threats in the year ahead.

https://securityintelligence.com/posts/x-force-threat-intelligence-index-reveals-top-cybersecurity-risks-of-2020/

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

Dark-web Trends

companies are slow to stop phishing attacks, ransomware disrupts productivity, and IBM’s latest threat analysis outlines trends for 2020.  

Dark Web ID Trends:

Top Source Hits: ID Theft Forums 
Top Compromise Type: Domain 
Top Industry: High-Tech & IT
Top Employee Count: 501+ Employees 

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

Data Breach Lists by State:

There are a lot of U.S. state agencies that publish lists of reported data breaches in their respective states. We created a chart of published lists and will keep this updated:

STATE	BREACHES
California	1,806 (2012-present)
Delaware	47 (2018-present)
Hawaii	61 (2007-present)
Indiana	5,207 (2014-present)
Iowa	223 (2011-present)
Maine	2,653 (2010-present)
Maryland	4,487 (2015-present)
Massachusetts	14,298 (2007-present)
Montana	1,695 (2015-present)
New Hampshire	2,786 (2007-present)
New Jersey	152 (2017-present)
North Carolina	6,230 (2005-present)
North Dakota	56
Oregon	377 (2015-present)
South Carolina	568
Vermont	536 (2017-2020)
Virginia	3,244 (2012-2018)
Washington	342 (2015-2019)
Wisconsin	166 (2012-2019)

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

More than Half of British Consumers Endured a Data Breach in 2019

Globally, data breaches are increasing in both frequency and scope, a reality that is acutely felt by users in the United Kingdom. According to a new study, 58% of UK citizens experienced a data breach in the past twelve months. While today’s cyber threats are complicated and multifaceted, the study attributed the rise of increasingly complicated phishing attacks as a primary vector for data compromise. 

Not too long ago, we reported on four phishing attack trends that were impacting the data security landscape, and it’s clear that those methodologies were astonishingly effective at compromising user data in the past year.

However, the report didn’t just identify the troubling trend. It recommends that users ditch their redundant, simplistic, and overly-personal passwords for strong, unique passwords across all of their accounts. Also, it encouraged users to adopt two-factor authentication as an effective way to prevent cybercriminals from gaining account access.

While business email compromise is enabling data breaches with stunning frequency, companies and consumers are not powerless. Contact ID Agent today to learn about our industry-leading tools for repelling phishing scams and protecting account integrity with two-factor authentication.

https://www.techradar.com/news/over-half-of-british-consumers-faced-a-data-breach-last-year

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

Phishing Scam Invokes Executive to Trick Employees

An employee of Village Care Rehabilitation and Nursing Center (VCRN), a non-profit healthcare provider, fell for a complicated phishing scam that compromised patients’ protected health information. The fraudulent message was purportedly sent from a company executive, a scenario that inherently elicited the employee’s trust to provide authority for sharing data via email.

The episode is indicative of how phishing scams have evolved to become more personal and difficult to detect. With data breaches only becoming more expensive and consequential, every business should review and update its security awareness training to ensure that it accounts for the latest threats and trends.

In other words, identifying unsophisticated spear phishing emails with a spam filter won’t be enough to combat today’s phishing scam trends. However, comprehensive employee awareness training, like that offered by ID Agent, can ensure that your company is protecting against phishing scams.
https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/fake-exec-tricks-new-york-city/


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