How to Reduce Network Downtime in your Business

backup power, IT Network, network outages, Ophtek, Spare network connection, , , ,
15
Jun 2021

When your IT network goes down it’s usually associated with a sudden drop in productivity. But it doesn’t have to be this way. You can reduce your downtime.

A well-designed IT network should run smoothly and maintain your productivity. No IT network, however, is perfect. And this means that your network is always at risk of running into problems. It’s a scenario that no organization wants to face, but the reality is that it can and will happen. Planning for potential problems, though, is the perfect way to tackle them. If you can prepare for these bumps in the road, then you stand a better chance of avoiding them.

Let’s explore what you can do to maintain your IT network and keep your productivity high.

Maintaining Your IT Network

There are numerous strategies you can employ to safeguard the health of your network connection:

  • Install a Backup Power Solution: A sudden power outage is two things in business: unpredictable and disastrous. Losing power in the modern business world means an instant loss in IT capabilities. And this can seriously damage productivity. But by installing an uninterruptable power supply, you can achieve peace of mind that your IT infrastructure will remain online.
  • Evaluate Your Network Connection: It’s crucial that you don’t take your network connection for granted. A poorly maintained or outdated network can quickly and regularly cause your business numerous headaches. Therefore, at least once a year, take the time to evaluate your network to understand where its weaknesses lie. This could be outdated hardware or even a susceptibility to cyber-crime. Either way, understanding these problems will allow you to fix them before cause trouble.
  • Don’t Cut Costs: IT technology can be costly, but these costs often underline the quality and reliability of the product. Accordingly, it makes long term sense to invest in an IT network which can call upon quality hardware and internet connections. This type of setup may seem expensive at first, but it will ensure that your network is resilient. And, in turn, this allows you to minimize network downtime and keep your employees productive.

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

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Disk Wiping Malware Disguises itself as Ransomware

Apostle, Cyber Security, malware, Ophtek, Ransomware, Updates, , , ,
08
Jun 2021

Ransomware is a highly destructive form of malware, but it turns out that it can also provide the perfect cover for disk wiping malware.

The pitfalls of becoming a victim of ransomware are well documented. And, as such, the term ransomware is one that strikes fear into the heart of any PC user. But, at the very least, ransomware does give you an option of getting your files back. Naturally, you have to pay a ransom fee for the files to be decrypted, but you can get them back. However, a form of malware called Apostle has now been discovered which pretends to be ransomware when, in fact, it simply wipes your disk drive beyond retrieval.

Data is a crucial commodity in any organization, so it’s important you make it as secure as possible. And one of the perfect ways to do this is by understanding how Apostle works.

How Does Apostle Wipe Disks?

The Apostle malware is believed to originate from Iran and is related to a previous wiper malware called Deadwood. Apostle is not brand new as it has been in the digital wild for some time. But these initial versions of Apostle were flawed and failed to deliver their malicious payload. Since then, the designers of Apostle have tweaked its design to make it more effective. This contemporary version of Apostle presents itself as standard ransomware, but this is merely to throw the victims off guard; its true intent is to destroy data and cause disruption.

The hackers behind Apostle are particularly cunning and are also happy to take ransom payments while destroying the data in question. But this is not where the attack ends. There are signs that Apostle is being used in conjunction with a backdoor attack called IPSec Helper. This allows the hackers to download and execute additional malware and move, undetected, within infected networks. Again, the intention here is to cause disruption.

How Do You Stop Your Disk Being Wiped?

The focus of Apostle, so far, has been Israeli targets, but this does not mean it should be considered a low-level threat. The design of this disk wiper malware can easily be engineered into more virulent and dangerous forms. And this could easily strike at the heart of your business’ operations. Therefore, it’s crucial that you maintain the following practices:

  • Evaluate All Attachments Before Opening: It’s likely that you receive numerous email attachments through the day, but how often do you verify them before opening? Trusted email addresses can, very easily, be taken over or even replicated. And this provides the perfect route for infected files to be opened. So, if in doubt over whether an attachment is safe, always check with an IT professional before opening.
  • Keep Your Software Updated: Another sure-fire way for hackers to gain access to your network is through vulnerabilities caused by outdated software. The best way to counter this threat is by implementing software updates as soon as possible. This minimizes the presence of vulnerabilities and keeps hackers out.

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

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Hackers Use Microsoft Platform to Launch Malware Attacks

data harvest, Hackers, malware, MSBuild, Ophtek, redline stealer, , , ,
01
Jun 2021

Hackers are innovative and industrious individuals, a description which is best demonstrated by their recent leverage of MSBuild to deliver malware.

The Microsoft Build Engine (MSBuild) is an open-source platform which allows software developers to test and compile their source codes. Operational since 2003, the platform has proved to be highly popular with developers and, accordingly, supports a large number of users. And it’s this popularity which has made it so attractive to hackers. By targeting these source codes at a development stage, the hackers are able to piggyback their malicious software into genuine software.

While your organization may not be involved in software development, there’s always the risk that you could end up working with software which is pre-loaded with malware. Therefore, we’re going to take a look at this MSBuild hack.

How are Hackers Infecting MSBuild?

Project files housed within MSBuild can be integrated within executable files which allow the hackers to launch their malicious payloads. But, as ever, hackers have been keen to remain stealthy; the infected payload does not run as a file. Instead, the malicious code is loaded into the PCs memory and it is here that the attack is launched. So far, it has been established that at least three forms of malware have been injected into systems via this approach. Redline Stealer, Remcos and QuasarRAT are the most recognisable forms of malware and have the potential to cause great damage.

Redline Stealer is primarily used as a data harvester and, as such, is mostly employed to steal login credentials and sensitive data. Remote access and surveillance, meanwhile, is the heartbeat of Remcos and allows hackers to hijack PCs remotely. Finally, QuasarRAT is another remote access tool and one which grants hackers full control of infected PCs. Naturally, these three malware variants are the last things you want on your system. And, given that they run filelessly and in the memory of a PC, it’s a threat which is difficult to tackle.

Protecting Yourself Against Memory Based Malware

Malware which operates from within the memory of your PC is difficult to tackle, but not impossible. Start by making sure you carry out these best security practices:

  • Monitor Network Activity: Regardless of whether a malware attack is file-based or fileless, there will be noticeable changes in your network activity. Any unusual spikes in data transfer or transmissions to unusual destinations should be investigated immediately.

Unfortunately, not all antivirus software can detect fileless malware such as that involved with the MSBuild hack. Conventional, file-based malware leaves behind digital footprints which are easy to detect, but this is not the case with fileless variants. In order to fully protect yourself, check with vendors whether their software has the capability to combat fileless malware.

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

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Common Hard Drive Issues and How to Fix Them

corrupt hard drive, full hard drive, hard drive, Ophtek, overheated hard drive, unknown hard drive fault, , , , ,
25
May 2021

A healthy hard drive will keep your data safe and allow you to remain productive. But what happens when your hard drive fails?

It’s important that you know what to do when your hard drive fails. After all, you may be working to a tight deadline on a project. Or you may have data saved to your hard drive which hasn’t been backed up elsewhere. Whatever the scenario, the result is the same: you need that hard drive back. While many of these issues are technical and complex, there are also hard drive issues that you can remedy yourself.

Naturally, you won’t know what these are without a little education, so that’s where we step in. And, today, we’re going to look at common hard drive issues and how to fix them.

How to Save Your Hard Drive

If your hard drive has failed, then don’t panic. There’s a good chance that you can carry out a simple repair in the following scenarios:

  • Corrupted Hard Drive: You’ll know if you have a corrupted hard drive as your PC will tell you in the boot process. And it won’t let you go any further. A corrupted hard drive can occur for many reasons, such as malware attacks and files being deleted, but fixing this isn’t always rocket science. All you have to do is run a ‘system diagnostics’ check. Once your system starts trying to boot up you will need to press the F2 key (this can vary between different manufacturers) and then select the system diagnostics option. This will run a series of tests and try to fix any existing issues.
  • Full Hard Drive: PCs may have hard drives that can hold substantial amounts of data these days, but this doesn’t mean we don’t push them to their limit. And it’s very easy for a hard drive to quickly fill up. When this happens you’ll find that your PC runs slowly and will be unable to perform certain operations. In these instances you will need to either delete files you no longer need (or transfer them to a storage drive) and uninstall any unnecessary applications.
  • Overheated Hard Drive: If a PC is working too hard then it is going to generate heat. Usually, this can be controlled by the internal fan system. But, sometimes, this isn’t enough due to other factors. Blocked air vents, for example, prevent the internal fans from having air to cool and pass around the hard drive. And a build up of dust can also lead to components becoming insulated and generating excess heat. Therefore, always check that your PCs air vents are clear and that dust is not allowed to build up around the vents.

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

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The Benefits of Cyber Security Insurance for Your Business

Cyber Attack, Cyber Security, Cyber Security Insurance, Data Breach, Data Security, Ophtek, , ,
18
May 2021

We’re all used to dealing with insurance for both our personal and business needs, but did you know it was possible to arrange cyber security insurance?

2020 saw financial losses caused by cyber crime topping $1 trillion. Yes, you read that right, $1 trillion. This is a phenomenal figure and one which underlines the damage that cyber breaches can cause. Ransomware, as you would expect, is a major contributor to this figure of $1 trillion and confirms just how important cyber security is. However, no set of defenses are 100% perfect. Accordingly, it’s possible for any organization to suffer financial losses. And this is where cyber security insurance comes in.

To help you understand the benefits of cyber security insurance and how it works, we’re going to take a quick look at the subject.

What is Cyber Security Insurance?

The impact of a data breach can be catastrophic for a business. Not only is there the damage to your reputation, but there are also the financial effects. Ransomware, of course, can pose an immediate financial risk. And many organizations feel pressured into paying the ransom fees demanded by hackers. There’s also the major risk of hackers causing direct damage to your hardware which, in turn, may need replacing. Compounding the impact even further is the threat of legal action from customers who feel as though their data has not been protected effectively.

Clearly, a cyber attack can quickly become very costly for your business. And it won’t be covered by your general liability insurance. This is why cyber security insurance has been developed. It serves to protect your business by covering your organization’s liability for any cyber attacks. This insurance is available from a wide range of vendors and is similar to almost all other forms of insurance. Each policy, which can be tailored to your specific needs, is costed accordingly and then registered against your business.

The Benefits of Cyber Security

But what exactly are the benefits of cyber security? Let’s take a look:

  • Recover Ransomware Losses: The funds demanded by ransomware can be costly and, if paid, can put a serious dent in your finances. Thankfully, with cyber security insurance in place, you can recoup any ransom funds through your insurance vendor.
  • Help Notifying Customers: By law, an organization needs to contact all affected parties when a data breach occurs. The time and energy required to carry out such a communication can be expensive. But the cost behind this exercise can be negated when you have taken out cyber security insurance.

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

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