What are the Telltale Signs of a Phishing Email?

Ophtek, Phishing, Phishing Email, Security, Security Threats, , ,
21
May 2019

Email is an integral part of business communication for any organization with an IT structure, but there’s a significant danger posed by phishing emails.

When it comes to IT security, you want to make sure your defenses are as strong as possible in order to repel any hackers. However, human error will always play a factor in this and hackers are well aware of this vulnerability. Phishing emails are the latest evolution in the age old scenario of a confidence trick and present a major issue not just to individuals and businesses, but also political parties. Given the damage that phishing emails can cause to your data security and IT infrastructure, it’s important to understand the telltale signs of a fishing email, so let’s take a look.

Four Telltale Signs of a Phishing Email

If you know what you’re dealing with then a phishing email can be quickly identified and deleted from your server within a few seconds. However, understanding what does and doesn’t make a phishing email is a learning curve. In order to get up to speed on what constitutes a phishing email make sure you look out for the following:

  1. A Suspicious Email Address: Although it’s possible to mask the true identity of the original sender of a phishing email, the chances are that the hacker will instead use an email address that appears to be genuine but, upon investigation, is false. A good case in point is when the email address is clearly not official e.g. it’s common to find phishing emails pretending to be from Microsoft, but with a domain name which clearly isn’t Microsoft such as microsoft_support@yahoo.com 
  1. A Vague Greeting: Phishing emails are rarely sent to a single individual. Instead, hackers tend to send the same email to thousands upon thousands of different people. This approach ensures that there’s a higher chance of someone falling for the scam. However, addressing each email to each individual would be incredibly time consuming. Therefore, a sure sign of a phishing email is one that commences with a vague greeting such as “Dear Sir/Madam” or Dear Customer” 

  1. A Fake Link: Phishing emails almost always contain a link that takes users to either an infected website or downloads malicious software. And, often, these links will appear to be genuine. So, for example, there may be a phishing email that lands in your inbox from your bank that asks you to click a link to confirm some security details. However, while that link may read as bankofamerica.com it may be hiding a different destination. The only way to verify this without clicking is by hovering your mouse cursor over the link and verifying the address revealed in the popup box. 
  1. A Sense of Urgency: Hackers want you to click on the fake links contained within their phishing emails, so their approach tends to use fear to encourage clicking the link. Phishing emails, therefore, tend to carry some type of warning in order to trick you into thinking that it’s in your best interests to click the link. This can be as mundane as asking you to enter a survey to win a million dollars or more serious warnings such as the imminent closure of your bank account.

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

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Understanding the Basics of Ransomware

Ophtek, Phishing, Ransomware, Secure Database, Secure Flashdrive, Secure Website, Security, Updates, , , , ,
07
May 2019

Ransomware has been causing trouble for businesses for many years, so it’s clearly a form of hacking which needs greater understanding to avoid its wrath.

The name ransomware sounds a little threatening and, as with all hacks, it’s hardly the friendliest of exchanges. However, whilst most forms of malware – which ransomware is a strain of – tend to disrupt day to day operations of your IT equipment by either stealing data or putting a strain on your network through DDoS attacks, ransomware is different. Not only does it disrupt your IT operations, but it also delivers a financial threat to your organization.

Due to the double whammy contained within ransomware, it’s crucial that you understand the basics of ransomware, so let’s take a quick look.

What is Ransomware?

Believe it or not, but the very first recorded ransomware attack dates back to 1989 when a hacker was able to hide the files of an infected PC on its hard drive and encrypt the file names. And, to be honest, modern day ransomware still operates in a similar, if not more sophisticated, manner.

Ransomware is a form of malware which, when executed on a user’s PC, is able to take over the victim’s system and encrypt their files. Naturally, files are essential for any organization to operate efficiently and to their maximum productivity, so this is clearly a very debilitating attack. However, to add insult to injury, the hackers then demand a ransom fee to release a key which can decrypt the files and return them to a usable state.

How is Ransomware Executed?

The most common method employed by hackers to execute ransomware on a user’s PC is through phishing emails. These emails, which appear to be genuine, are highly deceptive methods of communication which convince the recipients that they need to open an attachment bundled with the email. However, these attachments are far from genuine and the most likely result of clicking them is that malicious software such as ransomware will be executed.

How Can You Combat Ransomware?

With the average ransom fee demanded by ransomware totaling around $12,000, it’s clearly an irritation that your organization can do without. Thankfully, there are a number of actions you can take to protect your business:

  • Regularly Backup Your Data: As long as your data is regularly backed up, there should be no need to pay the ransom fee. With a comprehensive backup route in place you will be able to easily retrieve your files from an earlier restore point when they weren’t encrypted. 
  • Work with Anti-Malware Software: Most ransomware can be detected by anti-malware software, so it stands to reason that installing this software should make a significant difference to your defenses. Updating this software as soon as any patches or upgrades become available, of course, should be made a priority as it could make a real difference to falling victim to newly released ransomware. 

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

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Why are Cloud Networks at Risk of Being Hacked in 2018?

Cloud, Cloud Backup, Cyber Attack, Hacking, IT Mistakes, Phishing, Secure Database, Security, , ,
06
Nov 2018

 

Cloud networks are the most important newcomers to storage and networking in a long, long time, but why are cloud networks at risk of being hacked in 2018?

With cloud network revenue set to hit $228 billion in 2019, it’s clear to see that cloud networks have become phenomenally successful and their popularity doesn’t appear to show any signs of slowing down. However, hackers are exceptionally interested in this new slice of digital real estate and, accordingly, are beginning to tailor attacks towards cloud providers. Naturally, new technology is prone to teething issues, but when there’s so much data at risk, it’s understandable that organizations may be a little concerned by the risk of cloud networks being hacked.

Let’s take a look at exactly why there’s a risk of your cloud network being hacked and having all its data compromised.

Hackers Like to Target Big and Sensitive Data

Cloud networks have been readily adopted by many organizations due to the vast benefits they offer, so it should come as no surprise that hackers have followed consumers to the cloud. Organizations are frequently storing entire databases packed full of confidential data which, to a hacker’s eyes, is the ultimate prize. Rather than embarking on time consuming hacking strategies which yield only one employee’s details, hackers are going to go straight to the cloud to obtain as much data as possible.

 

The Cloud Brings New Technology

While organizations are more than aware of firewalls and passwords, cloud networks bring a whole new range of technology that has shifted the goalposts of cyber-security. For example, the cloud is a virtual network rather than a physical network and, accordingly, can’t be treated in the same way as previous technology that organizations have used. New security tools are required to marshal data warehouses in the cloud and, at present, the level of knowledge is, even in many IT professionals, at a naive level.

Human Error is Always an Issue

Employees of any organization that accesses a cloud network are perhaps the biggest threat to cloud security. All it takes is one mistake for a hacker to gain access to your network and, if they access your cloud, this could have catastrophic effects for your organization’s data. As ever, the risk of falling for phishing scams puts the security of your cloud network at risk, but, as covered earlier, the new technology also brings a number of problems to the table such as configuration errors. Amazon, for example, exposed nearly 48 million data profiles earlier this year due to not configuring their cloud correctly.

The Danger of State Sponsored Attacks

Huge organizations that are integral to the running of the country have invested heavily in cloud networks to help store the vast amounts of data that they generate. The result of this is that hackers are continually searching for new and innovative ways to breach cloud security. While their main target may be major corporations, the knowledge that these hackers are gaining means that the ease with which cloud networks can be hacked is increasing. As this knowledge builds and builds, attacks on cloud networks will become easier to execute and more commonplace.

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

 

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Scottish Brewery Hit by the Dharma Ransomware

Dharma, email security, Phishing, Phishing Email, Ransomware, Security, , , ,
23
Oct 2018

Ransomware continues to cause chaos for organizations with the latest story to hit the news concerning a Scottish brewery infected by the Dharma ransomware.

While it has been reported that ransomware attacks have fallen by 30% in the last 12 months, the fact remains that they’re still capable of causing significant disruption. In the case of the Arran Brewery on the Isle of Arran, Scotland, the organization had to accept that they would lose around three months’ worth of sales data due to the effects of the attack. This, of course, is the last thing that any business wants and acts as a fine reminder that we need to be on guard against ransomware.

To help provide a little background and demonstrate how the attack unfolded, we’re going to take a closer look at what happened.

Attacking the Brewery

What’s most interesting about the attack on the Arran Brewery is that it would appear the attackers deliberately targeted the brewery. Instead of a scattershot approach which targeted multiple organizations, the hackers focus was clearly on the Arran Brewery. Just before the attack, multiple adverts for a job at the Arran Brewery (which had already been filled) appeared on recruitment sites all over the globe. Naturally, the brewery received a sharp increase in the number of CVs being emailed in but, unfortunately, one of the emails contained a malicious payload.

The payload was contained with a PDF attachment which, when opened, initiated the attack and infected the entire network. Following the encryption of the Arran Brewery’s files, a ransom demand was issued which advised that the encryption keys would only be released in exchange for 2 bitcoin (roughly $14,000). Thankfully, an IT consultant was able to retrieve a significant amount of the encrypted data from backups and rid the system of the infection. However, certain files couldn’t be restored and, due to it not being economically viable to pay the ransom, the Arran Brewery decided to write off three months’ worth of sales data.

What is Dharma?

Dharma is a strain of ransomware which was first released in 2016 and has regularly been updated ever since due to the emergence of Dharma decryptors. In September 2018, for example, three new variants emerged which are resistant to previous decryptors. When files are encrypted by Dharma they will automatically append a new file extension onto the existing file and these extensions can include:

  • .dharma
  • .cesar
  • .onion
  • .wallet
  • .zzzzz

Final Thoughts

If anything acts as a reminder that organizations need to be vigilant against ransomware then it’s a current and contemporary threat. Dharma could easily hit your organization next, so you need to ask yourself whether you can afford to lose three months’ worth of data. I’ll let you into a little secret: no one wants to lose three months’ worth of data. Therefore, it’s crucial that you reiterate the importance of email security to your employees in order to maintain access to all your data at all times.

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

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How Do You Reduce the Risk of Phishing Attacks?

email links, Password Security, Phishing, Phishing Email, Security, Security Threats, , ,
16
Oct 2018

Thanks to the power of social engineering, phishing remains a powerful method of hacking organizations. Reducing this risk, therefore, is crucial.

Phishing has been active since the early days of the internet and, unfortunately, it doesn’t appear to be going anywhere soon. Thankfully, you don’t have to fall victim to these deceptive attacks as there is plenty that any organization can do to protect its data. And, don’t worry, it doesn’t involve investing millions in state of the art technology. All it takes is a little bit of common sense and an understanding of how phishing attacks work.

To get you started we’re going to show you how to reduce the risk of phishing attacks.

Antivirus Software is Key

One of the best ways to reduce phishing emails is by working with antivirus software. Capable of scanning attachments and analyzing links contained within emails, a good antivirus software can easily target the two main ways that phishing attacks unleash their payload. However, as with all software, it’s important that you update it regularly and install updates immediately. Phishing attacks can spread round the world very quickly, so you need to stay one step ahead of them.

Keep Up to Date with Phishing Attacks

Hackers are constantly developing their techniques and tweaking their methods, so it’s vital that you keep an eye on what’s happening in the world of phishing. New attack methods can be launched very quickly and be in your inbox within a day, so make sure that you’re regularly monitoring IT news sources to prepare yourself for any incoming threats.

Educate Your Employees

The main targets of any phishing attack against your organization will be your employees, so they have to be educated in order to prevent any data breaches. The basics of phishing are relatively simple, so the training doesn’t need to be too in-depth. All you have to do is ensure that these basics are hammered home so that employees know how to spot a phishing email and how to deal with it.

Practice Phishing Attacks

A popular method for reducing the risk of phishing attacks is by running regular exercises to test your employees. For example, fake phishing emails can be randomly emailed to your employees that test whether they are susceptible to phishing scams or not. Usually, these emails will contain a fake link that urges them to complete something on behalf of the company – such as IT training – but the actual URL contained will be a ‘malicious’ one. Those employees that fail to spot the ‘malicious’ link can then be asked to take a refresher training course.

Combine All Your Preventative Methods

The key to reducing the risk of phishing attacks is by combining all of the above into one multi-faceted security approach. An amazing antivirus software solution, for example, isn’t effective enough on its own. Instead, you need a firm knowledge of the phishing landscape, amazing employee training and regular tests to guarantee that you can tackle phishing on all fronts.

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

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