What is Hacking?

Hackers, Hacking, Hijacks, Ophtek, Security, Viruses, , , , , ,
02
Jul 2019

We all know that hacking goes on. And it certainly goes on in business. But how much do we know about it? The truth is we don’t know as much as we should.

The general consensus is that most people know what a hacker is and how they go about their business. This is why there are so many anti-hacking products available. However, using these products on their own isn’t enough to guarantee safety. In fact there is no guarantee. But you can enhance your protection significantly with an understanding of the basics of hacking. It’s important to know what a hacker is attempting to do. With this in mind you have a much better chance of preventing or resolving the hack.

What is Hacking?

Hacking causes chaos. Lots of chaos. And that’s not an understatement. But what exactly is it? It can be many things, but the basic core of hacking is to compromise devices. These can include PCs, networks and smart devices. Regardless of the device a hacker wants to gain unauthorized access to it. Sometimes this access can be used to steal data and sometimes it can be to cause sabotage. There are a wide range of techniques involved and we’ll take a look at them later.

Who are the Hackers?

The traditional image of a hacker that most people have in their minds isn’t entirely accurate. The pimply nosed, teenage hacker of cartoons may well exist in one form or another, but they’re not the only hacker out there. Due to the financial gain on offer from hacking, a number of criminal gangs are now developing sophisticated hacking methods to earn a nice income. And then there are the political gains that can be provided by hacking. There are a wide range of hackers out there, but identifying them is very difficult as they’re notoriously good at covering their tracks.

What Type of Hacks Are There?

The complexities of IT software and hardware mean that there is the potential for a variety of hacking techniques. Some of the most common methods are:

  • Ransomware: This is every organization’s worst nightmare. A relatively new form of malware, ransomware is spread through malicious emails that encourage recipients to click a link. If these links are clicked then a series of processes are executed that leave the victim’s hard drive encrypted. And the only way to decrypt the files is by paying a cryptocurrency ransom. 

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

Read More

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.

Read More

What is the Difference Between Malware, Ransomware and a Virus?

Cyber Attack, Cyber Security, email security, Hackers, Hacking, malicious code, Ophtek, Ransomware, Security, Security Threats, , , , ,
26
Mar 2019

The terminology used to describe various hacks and security threats usually includes the terms malware, ransomware and virus, but what exactly are these?

It can get a little confusing when discussing the various security concerns that are floating around and this confusion can lead to a lapse in security. After all, if you’re reading about malware, but don’t know exactly what it is you’re reading about, then you’re going to be unable to act against it. And that’s why we’re going to take the time today to explore each particular category in a little more detail.

What is Malware?

Malware is very much an all-encompassing term for any form of malicious software, so this can include ransomware and viruses. However, we’re going to cover those two categories in depth later, so for now we’ll look at some other types of malware:

  • Spyware: Installed on a user’s PC without their knowledge, spyware is software that can be used to track user activity and then transmit this to a remote server e.g. keystrokes can be recorded to determine and steal login details.
  • Bots: Capable of bringing entire networks to a halt, bots are a particularly troubling form of malware that can easily harness the power of an infected PC to carry out spam email campaigns or DDoS attacks.
  • Rootkits: Highly conspicuous and deceptive, rootkits allow hackers to take control of infected PCs from a remote location. Usually installed at a root level, hence the name, rootkits provide privileged access to the victim’s PC.

What is a Virus?

Much like the common cold, a computer virus is an infection which can spread quickly and effectively. Exposure to a computer virus usually occurs when the PC encounters an infected website or file. Following this exposure, the virus is downloaded to the PC and executed. And this can generate the following results:

  • The PC startup process can become corrupted and leave users unable to log on to their workstation.
  • Performance levels can suddenly drop as your PCs processing power is handed over to the virus’ tasks.
  • PCs can find themselves spammed by numerous popup adverts which, if they’re particularly virulent, can soon crash the computer or slow it down significantly.

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware has grabbed countless headlines over the last few years and it remains a pressing concern for any business. Most commonly spread through phishing emails, ransomware’s main objective is to extort a ransom in exchange for the release of files it has encrypted.

Once the ransom has been paid then the hackers should, in theory, supply a key to decrypt the files. However, it’s becoming increasingly common for hackers to take the ransom, which is usually demanded in untraceable cryptocurrency, and leave the compromised files encrypted.

Final Thoughts

Whether you find your PCs affected by malware, a virus or ransomware, it’s clear that they spell danger for your organization. It may sound a little clichéd, but when it comes to malicious software then prevention is the best cure. And one of the best ways to prevent your PCs from falling foul of infection is by educating yourself on exactly what you’re up against.

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

Read More

Vidar and GandCrab Combine for a Double Attack

Ophtek, Security, Security Threats, vidar, , , , ,
05
Feb 2019

One set of malware is bad enough for most organizations to deal with, but what should they do when they’re hit with two sets at once?

Hackers are constantly trying to breach the defenses of PC users, but it’s not easy for them to succeed. Defenses are constantly improving and PC users are becoming more technically minded when it comes to hacking. Attacks, therefore, need to be cleverer and more aggressive for hackers to succeed. And one of the newest threats to PC defenses is a combined attack which teams up multiple forms of malware to pack a devastating punch.

In particular, reports are coming in that hackers are combining the data miner Vidar alongside the GandCrab ransomware to maximize their chances of success. And it’s proving to bear fruit for the hackers, so it’s crucial that you understand the risk.

The Double Whammy of Vidar and GandCrab

The combined attack of Vidar and GandCrab was identified by Malwarebytes Labs who observed that the hack first installs Vidar and then proceeds to strengthen the attack with GandCrab. Using malicious advertising software, the hackers expose users to an exploit kit (usually Fallout) which targets vulnerabilities in specific apps. Once this exploit kit has been executed, Vidar is installed on the infected PC and proceeds to mine user data such as communications, digital wallet info and login details.

This attack is bad enough, but the victim things are about to get worse as Vidar is capable of downloading additional malware. Using a command and control center to receive and transmit data, Vidar will, after a minute of its own installation, download and execute the GandCrab ransomware. It’s true that Ransomware has, to a degree, fallen out of favor with hackers over the last year, but it still has the potential to cause severe disruption for organizations. Encrypting files and then demanding a ransom will stifle the productivity of any organization effected, even if backup copies are available.

Protecting Your Organization from Vidar and GandCrab

It’s clear to see that the two headed attack of Vidar and GandCrab is particularly nasty and one to watch out for. In order to understand how to protect your organization from this threat, you need to understand how this attack is able to take place. As ever, that age old favorite of unpatched software is squarely to blame and, on this occasion, it’s Adobe’s Flash Player and Microsoft’s Internet Explorer.

Anti-malware software is now capable of detecting Vidar when it’s found within your PC, but the easiest option for any organization is to avoid allowing it access in the first place. One of the keenest security practices to adhere to is the installation of software patches as soon as they become available. Sadly, this task is often superseded by more immediate, pressing matters and this grants hackers more time to detect and exploit these vulnerabilities. However, with what is usually just a few clicks of a mouse, protection from potential security threats can be implemented by immediately installing patches.

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

Read More

Cybersecurity in 2018: A Review

cyber attacks, Cyber Security, Security, Security Threats, , , ,
08
Jan 2019

2018, just like 2017 before it, was a year packed full of cyber-security threats that our network defenses constantly tried to keep at bay.

However, the sheer number of attacks that were launched throughout 2018 meant that it was inevitable that breaches would take place. Perhaps your organization was one of the lucky ones, perhaps you were just too late to get on board with good security practices and found yourself hacked. Either way, it’s almost certain that you encountered at least one form of hacking during the year. And, hopefully, your organization managed to, at the very least, learn from the situation and improve your defenses.

With 2018 coming to a close, I decided it was a good time to take a look back over the major threats we experienced to see what we could learn and how we can prepare for 2019.

Ransomware

2017 is known by many security insiders as ‘The Year of Ransomware’ as it appeared to be in the headlines constantly. However, in 2018 there was a sharp drop in ransomware activity. By the end of Q2 2018, Malwarebytes reported that ransomware had fallen out of favor with hackers and was now only ranked as the sixth most popular form of malware. It’s suspected that this drop in activity can be put down to a rise in user awareness of ransomware scams and, perhaps most importantly, the fact that organizations rarely paid any ransom fees. The threat of ransomware, of course, still remains albeit much reduced and vigilance remains key to avoid disruption.

Cryptomining

One of the main reasons for ransomware’s fall in popularity during 2018 is down to the increase in popularity of cryptomining malware. Kaspersky revealed that while ransomware infections have dropped by 30%, cryptomining infections rose by 44.5% over the same 12 month period. And this change in fortunes shouldn’t come as a big surprise. All ransomware guarantees is that a ransom demand will be issued, no incoming funds are guaranteed as organizations often refuse to pay due to having backups. With cryptomining, however, once the infection is in place, the hackers can begin to reap small financial benefits fairly soon.

Phishing Emails

Despite the crude appearance and execution of phishing emails, they remain one of the most deceptive threats out there to organizations. Capable of extracting highly sensitive data, phishing emails have continued to enjoy popularity with scammers and hackers. Data from Kaspersky demonstrates that the proportion of spam in email traffic reached 53.49% in September 2018 – up from 47.7% in April 2018. And, through Kaspersky’s defenses alone, just over 137 million attempts to direct users to scam websites were carried out through phishing methods.

Preparing for 2019

There’s never time to rest on your laurels in cyber-security and the data above clearly underlines this fact. While the recent horror stories of ransomware may, to a degree, be muted, this method of hacking has very quickly been replaced with the more discreet techniques of cryptomining. And this is all without mentioning the gargantuan risk posed from phishing emails which remain as popular as ever. Going into 2019, it’s crucial that your organization is aware of the signs, symptoms and ramifications of all the major hacking techniques they may encounter while at work. Only then will you stand your best chance of being protected.

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

Read More
1 … 3 4 5 6 7 … 9