What Should You Do AFTER a Data Breach?

Data Breach, data recovery, Data Security, Hackers, Hacking, Ophtek, , ,
04
May 2021

One of IT security’s main aims is to avoid data breaches. However, breaches are inevitable in the modern age. Therefore, you need to know how to recover.

The impact of a data breach can be huge and catastrophic for all involved; organizations and their clients can be equally affected when data is stolen. And, in many cases, the clients are the ones who have the most to lose e.g financial and personal data being leaked and spread by hackers. Accordingly, if your organization finds itself in the unenvious position of experiencing a data breach, there is a lot of work to do.

A data breach is a stressful event and cleaning up afterwards can be a real struggle. But, with our tips on what you need to do after a data breach, you should find it a little easier.

Coping with a Data Breach

Once a data breach is confirmed then it’s crucial that you carry out the following:

  • Identify the Stolen Data: Understanding exactly what has been breached is vital when it comes to evaluating the extent of the attack. As long as you have a suitable set of defenses in place, you should have access to intrusion detection systems. These tools will provide an insight into which files were accessed and what the hackers did with them e.g. deleted or copied them. Putting this picture together will allow you to determine your next steps.
  • Prepare a Fix and Test It: A data breach indicates that there is a hole in your defenses, so you should act quickly to plug this. It may involve installing a security patch or it may require a more in-depth response from your IT team. Whatever the solution, you need to put it in to place as soon as possible. This will protect your data and limit any further damage. But you need to make sure this fix works. Test the solution several times to guarantee that the attacker cannot launch the same attack again.
  • Advise All Your Customers: It’s essential that, once your fix has been established, you inform your customers of what has happened. Naturally, they will be anxious as the phrase “data breach” carry a certain amount of dread. Honesty, therefore, is the best policy. Advise your customers of the data that has been breached and how it could affect them. This may be as simple as asking them to change their passwords, but could also extend to contacting their financial providers if the relevant information has been compromised.
  • Evaluate and Build Stronger Defenses: The one benefit (and we’re using that verb lightly) of a data breach is that it prompts you to strengthen your IT defenses. Your organization will need to carry out a full investigation to understand exactly what happened. Was, for example, the breach able to succeed due to out-of-date software? Or was it down to a lack of staff training on the dangers of social engineering? Regardless of the cause, the solution will need to be determined and put in place to prevent future breaches.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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The Danger of Supply Chain Attacks

Hackers, Hacking, Ophtek, Shylock, SolarWInds, Supply Chain, , , , ,
16
Feb 2021

The supply chain is a crucial element in the business world and, accordingly, this makes it the perfect target for hackers to attack.

When a finished product ends up with a consumer it’s the culmination of a lengthy business process. The supply chain is the succession of activities which are involved in sourcing materials, processing materials and delivering products. Naturally, this process can involve numerous different processes and the involvement of many different organizations. Therefore, the number of opportunities to discover a backdoor or a vulnerability are attractive to a hacker. By infiltrating just one stage of a supply chain, a hacker is granted the chance to attack a large number of individuals.

Supply chain attacks have received a number of headlines over the last few years, so it’s important to arm yourself against them with knowledge.

How Does a Supply Chain Attack Work?

Hackers tend to focus on specific supply chains and carry our research on which part of the process is weakest. This gives the hacker the best opportunity of exploiting the entire supply chain. Typically, these attacks concentrate on smaller firms but, as we will see later, larger firms are also susceptible. The attack will generally be focused upon a target company and hackers will seek to disrupt their operations by infiltrating a third-party supplier e.g. a company which supplies bespoke parts to a manufacturer. The main strategy for a supply chain attack involves disabling IT systems with malware.

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Examples of Supply Chain Attacks

There has been an increase in supply chain attacks in the last few years and some of the most notable ones are:

  • SolarWinds: In late 2020 it was discovered that IT infranstructure company SolarWinds had been the victim of a supply chain attack. Having gained access to SolarWinds’ network, hackers were able to insert malware into SolarWinds’ software. Due to the stealth employed, SolarWinds were unaware that they were distributing this malware. The malware involved allowed hackers to disable system services, transfer files and reboot infected PCs.
  • Shylock: A banking trojan which emerged in 2014, Shylock targeted websites based in the creative and digital industries. The authors of the Shylock trojan used a redirect script that sent victims to a malicious website. However, the team behind Shylock did not directly target these victims. Instead, they infiltrated a creative agency that designed website templates. This allowed the hackers to conceal their malicious script within legitimate website templates.

How to Protect Against Supply Chain Attacks

Defending against a supply chain attack is difficult due to the number of third parties involved. Each one that your organization works with has the potential to create a supply chain breach. However, by implementing the following measures you should enhance your protection:

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Online COVID-19 Scams to Be Aware of

Covid Scams, Hacking, malware, Ophtek, Security, Security Threats, , , ,
19
Jan 2021

 

COVID-19 has changed the way we live our lives and, not surprisingly, hackers are trying to take advantage of the fear factor behind the virus.

No aspect of life is off-limits to a hacker; if they can turn a situation to their advantage then they will. And this means that all sense of morals and ethics go out of the window. COVID-19, of course, has caused great fear and panic since it emerged, so it’s a subject people take very seriously. And it’s this investment in fear that hackers are looking to exploit. As with most online scams, if it sounds too good to be true then it usually is. But some people are willing to take a risk when COVID-19 is mentioned.

COVID-19 Scams to Look Out For

You should be aware of the usual online threats to look out for, but here are the specific COVID-19 scams you should be aware of at the moment:

  • COVID-19 Vaccine on the Dark Web: Now that vaccines have been approved in the fight against COVID-19, hackers have decided to exploit this demand. And that’s why it’s now possible to find listings for the vaccine on the dark web. Naturally, you should never buy medicine online unless this has been approved by your healthcare professional and the site is genuine. Very little on the Dark Web – an encrypted form of the internet – is genuine, so any marketplace listings that promise a COVID-19 vaccine should be dismissed. 
  • Fake COVID-19 Mapper: Everyone has been intrigued as to the behavior of COVID-19 and its spread, so the opportunity to monitor its spread is appealing. However, hackers have used this curiosity to help spread their malware. Researchers have discovered a PHP malware dropper which disguises itself as a piece of COVID-19 mapping software. Using a compromised website, hackers encourage visitors to download and install the mapping software. But all that is installed is software which downloads further malware. 

How to Combat COVID-19 Scams

The urge to click on sensational news and promises regarding COVID-19 is strong, but it’s crucial that you think long and hard before clicking. There are numerous COVID-19 scams in the digital wild and they are only going to get more sophisticated. As with all online scams and malware, make sure you practice the following:

  • Install all Updates: Malware often takes advantage of outdated software, so make sure that all your software is up to date. All you need to do is install all updates and upgrades as soon as they become available – your PC should automatically prompt you to install these when available.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Beware of Online Tax Scams

Hacking, Ophtek, Phishing, Phishing Email, Security, Security Threats, Tax Scams, , , ,
05
Jan 2021

Many of us will have started preparing our tax returns and hackers are well aware of this. Therefore, it pays to be aware of the numerous online tax scams.

Nobody likes completing tax returns due to the vast amount of data involved. However, they’re essential for organizations to remain operating. And that’s why we spend hours and hours collecting receipts and details for transactions; this is where all the data builds up. Hackers, of course, like nothing more than getting their hands on huge amounts of data. This data can be used for both financial gain and damaging an organization. Accordingly, tax season is their hunting season.

Tax Scams to Look Out For

Countless tax scams are currently circulating in the digital wild, but these are the most common ones you will encounter:

  • Automatic Tax Payment Deduction: A number of emails have been discovered which claim to originate from the Income Tax Department. These emails falsely claim, in order to generate anxiety, that a tax payment has automatically been deducted from their bank account. An attachment is included which masquerades as a receipt for this transaction. Hackers hope that the recipient’s anxiety and confusion will cause them to open this receipt. Unfortunately, contained within this ‘receipt’ is a slice of malware named W32.Golroted. 
  • Fake Government Websites: A popular method for scamming victims out of money is by designing Government websites which look authentic, but are fake. Using information which has usually been stolen through malicious files or social engineering, these fake websites inform victims that they have received a tax fine. The only way to pay this fine is by wiring payment or purchasing general purchase reloadable cards. However, there is no fine to pay and all the victim will be doing is bankrolling the hackers. 
  • IRS Tax Return is Locked: The last few years have seen the emergence of a phishing email which claims that access to the recipient’s tax return has been restricted. The email is designed to look as though it has been sent by the IRS or, sometimes, the manufactures of the popular TurboTax software. The truth is that the email is fake and has been sent by hackers. The email will urge recipients to click on a link which will take them to a malicious website where their personal information will be stolen.

Staying Safe During the Tax Season

Despite the number of online tax scams it’s easy to stay safe during the tax season. All you have to do is follow these best practices:

  • Remember that the IRS will never contact you by email to discuss the nature of your tax return or your personal details.
  • Verify the true identity of any suspicious links by hovering your mouse cursor over the link. A popup will then display where the link will send you.
  • Never send personal documents to unsolicited email requests as it is likely that a hacker is trying to harvest your details
  • Emails that claim to be from official organizations, but do not use your name are to be treated as highly suspicious and should be deleted.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Five Signs That You’ve Been Hacked

Hacking, malware, Ophtek, Security, Security Threats, , , ,
29
Dec 2020

Having your organization’s network breached is a major cyber disaster, so identifying a breach quickly is crucial. But how do you know you’ve been hacked?

Protecting your organizations networks and data is essential, but with the huge number of hacks taking place it’s not easy. And if a breach occurs this can cause multiple problems for your business such as data theft, ransomware demands and damaged networks. When it comes to these attacks then there’s one factor which is essential: speed. The sooner you realize you have been hacked, the sooner you can set about cleansing your system. Hackers may be evolving their methods to become even stealthier, but there are still certain tell-tale signs that you’ve been hacked.

You may not be aware of these indicators, so we’re going to share five signs that you’ve been hacked.

What Are the Signs of Being Hacked?

The most obvious indicators of your PC being hacked are the following:

  1. Password Not Working: One of the simplest signs of falling victim to a hack is when your password isn’t working. Sure, there’s a chance that you’ve mistyped it or simply forgotten it, but alarm bells should start ringing if you’re convinced you’ve got it right. And, if you have activated two-factor authentication and this is also not working, it’s likely your login credentials have been breached. 
  1. Your Browser Keeps Redirecting: If you discover that your internet browser is behaving strangely then this is a sign you have been hacked. Your browser should, for example, open up with either your company home page or Google, but a hacked browser is likely to take you straight to a malicious website. Such a website will prompt you to download files in an attempt to infect your PC with malware. If this happens then you need to close the browser as soon as possible and advise an IT professional. 
  1. Your Anti-malware is Disabled: It’s unlikely that you will ever need to disable your anti-malware software, so any indication of this being disabled could signal a hack. After all, hackers want to make their life as easy as possible. Therefore, if they take control of your PC, the simplest way to download malware undetected is to disable your defenses. Make a point of regularly checking the status of your anti-malware software to stay safe. 
  1. A Mouse Cursor With a Mind of Its Own: Your mouse cursor should, if you’re not moving the mouse, stay still. You may occasionally get a small amount of movement from hardware issues, but any significant movement indicates a hack. If your PCs defenses have been breached then hackers can easily take control of your PC. And this can be evident from unauthorized activity taking place on the screen. So, if you find that applications are being launched without your permission, power off your PC and immediately get it investigated. 
  1. Your PC is Slowing Down: A PC can slow down when it’s processing multiple tasks at once, but one which is slowing down for no particular reason is one to be suspicious of. It could be, for example, that your PC has fallen victim to a botnet and your PCs processing power is being harnessed for attacks elsewhere. If, after restarting your PC, it continues to lag then it’s critical that you take the necessary measures to isolate that PC before looking deeper.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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