As Students Go Back To School Virtually, Cybercriminals Are Logging In Too

As Students Go Back To School Virtually, Cybercriminals Are Logging In Too

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Many school districts in the US and other countries are pursuing distance education this fall as the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact in-person gatherings. As school systems rely on technology like email and video conferencing to teach classes, cybercriminals are making the most of this opportunity to score paydays and information from a sector that isn’t ready for them – considering the dismal state of cybersecurity education in the US, it stands to reason that schools’ cybersecurity isn’t much better. 

Traditionally, schools and universities aren’t major targets for cybercrime. Public school systems, individual private or religious schools, community colleges, and universities haven’t traditionally been worth the trouble, since few schools could offer a rich ransomware payoff or valuable research and development data to make it worth a cybercriminal’s time. 

That’s all changed in the new era of distance learning. Cybercriminals are regularly targeting school systems of every size and stripe to deploy ransomware and collect payments quickly as they disrupt distance learning. Incidents are popping up everywhere including: 

• For colleges, fundraising and alumni services have been impacted by the epic BlackBaud breach.
• Rialto Unified School District in California suffered a ransomware incident just two days into the new school year, stopping classes for  25,000 students.
• Lake Elsinore Unified School District in California also had significant disruptions through Zoom bombing and DDoS incidents. 
• Selma Unified School District experienced periodic disruptions in student email service.
• The University of Utah was recently the victim of a ransomware attack.
• Michigan State was impacted by Magecart skimming.

And the list goes on. An influx in cyberattacks on schools isn’t just bad news for school systems either. Businesses can be impacted by these incidents as well when parents and students share the same WiFi networks and devices. 

Add Protection to Prevent Intrusion

The fastest, easiest way for any business to immediately add a strong layer of protection between crucial systems and data and bad actors is to add a strong, fast-deploying secure identity and access management solution like Passly. 

The combined power of Multifactor Authentication and Single Sign-On with simple remote management means that IT staffers can more easily guard and control the gateways that give access to information – letting the right people have access to the right things, anytime, anywhere, and keeping cybercriminals out.

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5863

The Stakes Are Rising As Breach Penalties Expand

The former CSO of Uber was charged with obstruction of justice and misprision of a felony this week for his role in an alleged coverup of the notorious 2016 data breach which impacted an estimated 57 million individuals. What does that mean for companies that suffer a breach now, and what can you do to reduce your breach risk?

Breach penalties have been steadily increasing worldwide as regulators and lawmakers respond to public pressure to hold executives and companies to account that play fast and loose with data protection or attempt to cover up incidents. and the penalties aren’t just monetary – legal implications for executives and companies are becoming more common, especially if companies are uncooperative in investigations. 

So what can you do right now to prevent a costly data breach? Add a secure identity and access management solution. A solution like Passly that combines multifactor authentication, secure shared password vaults, single sign-on, and simple remote management increases your company’s compliance with data safety best practices and protocols while also protecting your systems from cybercrime.

Adding better protection against hackers is essential for protecting not only your data, but it’s also essential for protecting your business. Between the exorbitant cost of recovery and the regulatory nightmares that can follow a senstive data breach, investing in a secure identity and access management solution now to guard your gateways is a small price to pay for greater peace of mind.

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5863

Why Your Business Needs IT Security Assessments

Focusing on cybersecurity is essential in keeping your data safe against cybercriminals. Cyber attacks continue to evolve and become more complex on an almost daily basis. Understanding how to avoid these threats in the workplace is essential in staying proactive and giving your business the best protection. Scheduling IT security assessments on a routine basis with a managed IT service provider is an excellent way to keep your company secure by identifying potential areas of weakness within your IT infrastructure.

Here are a few of the ways an IT security assessment can keep your business well-protected against cybercriminals.

Create Risk Profiles

Understanding the risk of a cybersecurity incident in the workplace is critical for a small business owner. An IT security assessment gives your business a great opportunity to learn about specific areas of weakness with your company and the best way to solve these concerns. A managed IT service provider will create risk profiles for each asset in your organization, such as your network, applications, tools, data centers, and servers.

Maintain Compliance

Keeping up with the most recent regulations is essential to data security. An IT security assessment is an excellent way to keep you in compliance by helping your business stay proactive against all types of cybersecurity threats. Every industry is different, as it is critical for your business to understand the various laws and regulations related to your business.

Access to the Best IT Security Software

Cybercriminals are always developing new strategies to target small businesses, whether it is social engineering attacks, malware schemes, or ransomware. However, an IT security assessment can quickly identify areas of weakness within your IT infrastructure. One of the best ways to improve your IT security is to download the newest updates and train your employees on the latest cybersecurity threats.

Stay One Step Ahead of Cybercriminals

Cybersecurity is always evolving, as your business cannot afford to remain complacent. Scheduling IT security assessments is a great way to stay proactive and limit the chance of a successful cyber attack against your business. Understanding areas of weakness within your company and developing an action plan to improve is a critical aspect of an IT security assessment.

Keep Up With Changes in the Workplace

The workplace is always changing, as businesses grow by gaining new customers or scale back during slower times. Developing an IT security policy that best meets the needs of your company is critical in maximizing cybersecurity. On the other hand, failure to adapt to these changes creates significant risks that expose your business to downtime or data breaches.

IT security assessments play a vital role in keeping your business safe against cybercriminals. These proactive services can quickly identify weaknesses within your organization and help you create an action plan to maximize IT security for your business. Cybersecurity will always remain a top concern in the workplace, but a managed IT service provider can help your company stay much safer by regularly conducting IT security assessments.

Call us and we can schedule a time to scan and provide you with a detailed assessment of your network.. 

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5863

The Stakes Are Rising As Breach Penalties Expand

The Stakes Are Rising As Breach Penalties Expand

The former CSO of Uber was charged with obstruction of justice and misprision of a felony this week for his role in an alleged coverup of the notorious 2016 data breach which impacted an estimated 57 million individuals. What does that mean for companies that suffer a breach now, and what can you do to reduce your breach risk?

Breach penalties have been steadily increasing worldwide as regulators and lawmakers respond to public pressure to hold executives and companies to account that play fast and loose with data protection or attempt to cover up incidents. and the penalties aren’t just monetary – legal implications for executives and companies are becoming more common, especially if companies are uncooperative in investigations. 

So what can you do right now to prevent a costly data breach? Add a secure identity and access management solution. A solution like Passly that combines multifactor authentication, secure shared password vaults, single sign-on, and simple remote management increases your company’s compliance with data safety best practices and protocols while also protecting your systems from cybercrime.

Adding better protection against hackers is essential for protecting not only your data, but it’s also essential for protecting your business. Between the exorbitant cost of recovery and the regulatory nightmares that can follow a senstive data breach, investing in a secure identity and access management solution now to guard your gateways is a small price to pay for greater peace of mind.

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5863

IoT and Home Router Vulnerabilities Can Spell Trouble For Businesses

IoT and Home Router Vulnerabilities Can Spell Trouble For Businesses

As kids start heading back to class, colleges begin another year, and parents work to find a new home/life balance, things have changed a bit from the usual back-to-school routine. Unlike in past years, most everyone is doing their thing by logging in from home – and that can create an unexpected danger for your business.

While we’ve been at home during the pandemic, many people realized that their homes could use a little sprucing up. Maybe they had time that they didn’t usually have to research new devices, or they decided to treat themselves at a dark time. For many folks, that translated into fun conveniences like smart plugs, a digital assistant, or a robot vacuum that can be controlled by an app. 

Internet of Things (IoT) devices have never been more popular – 5.8 billion home and auto IoT devices are expected to connect to the internet this year. While these small creature comforts may not seem like a source of harm for your business, they can be – 57% of IoT devices are vulnerable to medium or high severity attacks. 

That means that if a cybercriminal hacks into your employee’s smart plug, then uses that opening to get into their smartphone, then slips through another opening to get into their business email account – you’ve been hacked, and the resulting danger to your systems and data is no different than it would be if the same thing happened from a hacker penetrating your enterprise security directly. 

So how can companies combat this danger? The fastest way is to add a secure identity and access management solution like Passly. Multifactor Authentication (MFA) provides a crucial extra layer of security between hazards like this and your data. Adding MFA means that you can rest a little easier knowing that no matter how a cybercriminal manages to sneak past your security, they won’t be able to affect your business severely – helping alleviate one source of stress in uncertain times.

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5863

IoT and Home Router Vulnerabilities Can Spell Trouble For Businesses

As kids start heading back to class, colleges begin another year, and parents work to find a new home/life balance, things have changed a bit from the usual back-to-school routine. Unlike in past years, most everyone is doing their thing by logging in from home – and that can create an unexpected danger for your business.

While we’ve been at home during the pandemic, many people realized that their homes could use a little sprucing up. Maybe they had time that they didn’t usually have to research new devices, or they decided to treat themselves at a dark time. For many folks, that translated into fun conveniences like smart plugs, a digital assistant, or a robot vacuum that can be controlled by an app. 

Internet of Things (IoT) devices have never been more popular – 5.8 billion home and auto IoT devices are expected to connect to the internet this year. While these small creature comforts may not seem like a source of harm for your business, they can be – 57% of IoT devices are vulnerable to medium or high severity attacks. 

That means that if a cybercriminal hacks into your employee’s smart plug, then uses that opening to get into their smartphone, then slips through another opening to get into their business email account – you’ve been hacked, and the resulting danger to your systems and data is no different than it would be if the same thing happened from a hacker penetrating your enterprise security directly. 

So how can companies combat this danger? The fastest way is to add a secure identity and access management solution like Passly. Multifactor Authentication (MFA) provides a crucial extra layer of security between hazards like this and your data. Adding MFA means that you can rest a little easier knowing that no matter how a cybercriminal manages to sneak past your security, they won’t be able to affect your business severely – helping alleviate one source of stress in uncertain times.

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5863

Why should businesses be concerned with the state of cybersecurity education?

Because it brings unexpected risks to the table. 

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As the world continues to evolve in the wake of the global pandemic, every aspect of life has changed. Students are headed back to school and most will be attending virtually at least some of the time. With many parents still working from home, that means that everyone is sharing a network – and the underwhelming state of cybersecurity education for kids creates unexpected cybersecurity risks for businesses.

Cybersecurity isn’t a priority in most K – 12 curriculums. But cybercriminals have learned that kids are easy targets for social engineering attacks, and schools are generally way behind the curve in internal cybersecurity, creating openings for them to strike. 

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The Hard Facts About Cybersecurity & Education

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Very few resources are expended on cybersecurity education in US schools. Before the pandemic, most school systems had no system in place for distance learning, and cybersecurity education wasn’t a priority – even schools that had adequate funding for technology were more likely to use it for coding or robotics. 

• 70% of US K-12 students are participating in part to fulltime distance learning.
• Less than 10% of K – 12 educators surveyed in one study were well versed in cybersecurity.
• Less than 45 percent of  K – 12 students receive regular cybersecurity and security awareness education. 
• Less than 50% of all of the teachers surveyed say that their or districts offer any cybersecurity education at all. 
• About 20% of schools offer no cybersecurity education at all. 
• On average, about 40% of schools teach basic digital literacy. 
• Cyberbullying is the most frequently taught cybersecurity topic.
• Student knowledge about cybersecurity is lower in public schools, especially in economically challenged areas.
• 100% of surveyed school districts use a firewall and a web content filter but only 3% use cloud security technology to monitor and secure their G Suite and Microsoft 365 environments.
• Less than 10 percent of educators say their students have learned about systems engineering, artificial intelligence, or cyberlaw in the past year. 
• Microsoft reported that 61 percent of the nearly 7.7 million enterprise malware encounters reported in June 2020 came from sources in the education sector. 

How Can You Protect Your Business From Unanticipated Risk?

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Unfortunately the neglected state of cybersecurity education like phishing resistance and security awareness training in schools means that children aren’t likely to be as cautious about cybercrime risks as they should be – and with parents and children sharing networks and devices, that can put a company’s cybersecurity at risk too. 

What’s the fastest, easiest, and simplest way to immediately protect company systems and data from danger in this situation? Passly. Our state-of-the-art solution provides 7 essential components to immediately secure your gateways and manage identity and access like:

• Multifactor authentication, with tokens delivered through apps, messaging, text, and more.
• Single Sign-on Launchpads to allow for access to be quickly adjusted or removed in case of compromise
• Dark Web alerts if your protected credentials are exposed
• Full-featured functionality in one cost-effective solution
• Seamless integration with more than 1,000 applications
• Secure identity and access management that goes to work on Day 1
• Protection that rolls out in days, not weeks.

Bit by bit helps client networks run smooth and secure.. visit our website at www.bitxbit.com/texas 877.860.5863