In 2020, 61% of organizations experienced malware activity. That percentage has grown to 75% since then. This begs the question: “how do I handle malware?”.

What is Destructive Malware?

Destructive malware is a malicious code that destroys data. As you can guess, having your assets and data destroyed can be detrimental for your company’s daily operations.

Typically, malware will target a vast array of systems executing across multiple systems in a network. It uses various communications tools to spread itself which includes:

• Worms sent through email and instant messenger
• Trojan horses
• Virus infected files 

Since malware has the capability to execute in a myriad of ways, it is important for organizations to assess their environment for atypical channels for malware delivery throughout their systems.

Some systems that should be assessed include Enterprise applications – specifically those that directly interface with and impact the different hosts and endpoints. Common examples include:

• Patch management systems
• Asset management systems
• Remote assistance software 
• Antivirus (AV) software
• Systems assigned to system and network administrative personnel
• Centralized backup servers
• Centralized file shares

Additionally, while these are not specifically applicable to malware, threat actors could compromise additional resources to affect the availability of important data and applications such as:

• Centralized storage devices
• Network devices

How do I prevent Destructive Malware?

As mentioned earlier in the article, 75% of malware attacks come from person-to-person communication. Ultimately, this shows that there needs to be an emphasis on company policy and procedures for proper communication amongst workers.  

Best Practices

For starters, you should make sure that your network is segmented. In addition to your network being segmented, you should make sure your access control lists are configured to permit server-to-host and host-to-host connectivity via the minimum scope of ports and protocols.

For enterprise systems that directly work with different endpoints, make multi-factor authentication a requirement for interactive logons. Furthermore, ensure that authorized users are mapped to a specific subset of enterprise personnel.

Be sure to audit and review security logs for anomalous references to enterprise-level admin and service accounts. And be sure to review network flow data for signs of abnormal activity, including:

• Connections using ports that do not correlate to the standard communications flow associated with an application,
• Activity correlating to port scanning or enumeration, and
• Repeated connections using ports that can be used for command and control purposes.

In terms of file distribution, when deploying patches and signatures in an enterprise be sure to stage the distributions to certain grouping of systems. Additionally, monitor the patches and signatures that are distributed out.

Ultimately, destructive malware can destroy valuable assets that your company needs for it’s daily operation. Understanding how malware operates is the first step in defending against it. 

Please contact us today if you would like to further discuss malware and let’s talk about how Wowrack can help enhance your security. 

The post How to Handle Destructive Malware appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Have you seen a similar message or pop-up as you browse through the internet? These kinds of pop-up messages are fake virus warnings, and clicking on one of these links may result in your computer getting infected for real.  

This begs the question “How is that possible?”. Because those suspicious pop-up messages are designed with the intent of getting its audiences to install malware on their devices. 

So, What is Malware?  

Malware, or malicious software, refers to any kind of software designed by cybercriminals to infect a device (laptop, PC, and mobile devices) and steal data from it.  

Aside from data loss, getting infected by malware can also result in the device systems getting destroyed. Research by AV-Test Institute has found that as of now, there is more than 1 billion malware out there and that around 560,000 new malware are detected everyday. This makes it even more urgent for every user to know why protecting their devices against malware is crucial and how to do so. 

Types of Malware 

Understanding the types of malware that exist today is one way to protect yourself from it. These are the types of malware out there: 

• Ransomware 

Ransomware is a type of malware that is designed to lock a computer’s systems, files, or applications. To regain access, or to prevent their data from being leaked to the internet, the user will be asked to pay some specific amount of money, or a ransom, to the attacker. 

• Spyware 

As the name suggests, spyware is software that can monitor all the activities and information on a person’s devices This information will then be sent to a third party. 

• Adware 

Adware is a type of malware that keeps on displaying advertisements or pop-ups whenever the victim goes online. Users often install adware on their PCs unconsciously when they download paid software for free or when they click on pop-up links on websites that offer paid content for free.  

• Scareware 

As mentioned in the example earlier, scareware is malicious software that is designed to scare its targets into thinking that their device has been infected by a virus. This is being done so that their victims will be tricked to click on suspicious links and download fake “antivirus software” that may end up being dangerous.  

• Viruses 

A virus is a type of software that is designed to perform malicious actions on the target’s device or network. Viruses can come in the form of an e-mail attachment, or an attachment found on a suspicious website, and once the file is downloaded and/or opened, the victim’s device will get infected.  

• Trojans 

Trojan, or Trojan horse, is malicious software that often appears to be harmless and legit but is dangerous. Due to their deceiving appearance, many install them accidently. Trojans are usually designed to steal sensitive data and/or spy on their victims and can come in the form of e-mail attachments or files on a website.  

• Worms 

A computer worm is a type of malware that can replicate itself from computer to computer, without the need for human intervention, and also without the need of attaching itself to software/programs.  

• Fileless Malware 

Fileless Malware is malware that hides in the user’s computer systems. It is called ‘fileless’ because it does not require the user to install malicious files on their desktop. This makes it hard for traditional antivirus software to detect because they usually only focus on scanning files.  

Why Malware is Dangerous? 

From knowing the types of malware available out there, we can conclude that malware can be very dangerous as it can: 

• Slow down your computer 
• Give cybercriminals access to sensitive information 
• Lead to data loss and breach 
• Disrupt business operations 

How to Protect Yourself

Now that we know the types of malware and how harmful they can be, what should we do to protect ourselves against them? Can we prevent them from infecting our devices? 

The good news is, yes. These are some of the things you can do to you to protect yourself against malware: 

1. Protect your endpoints 

The moment when cybercriminals gain access to your endpoints is also the moment when they gain access to your company’s networks. This makes protecting your endpoints very important and we recommend you invest in high-quality endpoint protection software that can detect threats automatically without the need for human intervention, or the need to connect to the internet.  

SentinelOne is endpoint protection software that we can recommend for you as it is software that can also detect and stop fileless malware from infecting your systems, which is not something that traditional antivirus software can do.  

2. Be careful when you surf the internet 

Never click on pop-ups or unknown links, no matter how convincing they may sound as they may be a trap that intends to lure you into downloading unwanted files or software. Cisco Umbrella is software that can help you with this, as deploying it will prevent not just you, but all the people in your house, or your company from clicking on suspicious links.  

It is also important to only purchase or download applications from the official website or app store instead of relying on ‘free’ websites that may be misleading.  

3. Regularly update your software 

A lot of malware tries to take advantage of software vulnerabilities. Therefore, keeping your applications always up to date is one way you can protect yourself from malware infection, as software updates usually also include the latest security patches and keep you away from potential threats. 

4. Only connect to secure (encrypted) networks 

Cybercriminals may exploit unsecured network connections as a way to distribute malware. They can put malware and files on your device if you allow file-sharing across a network. They can also cause a pop-up window to appear as you connect to the network, and clicking on them will install malware on your device. This is why it is very important to always only connect to secure networks, and when you want to use public Wi-Fi, make sure to utilize your company’s VPN to stay safe.  

Having your own company’s VPN for your employees to utilize is very important in keeping everyone safe. This is a best practice that we use ourselves.  

5. Stay educated 

Malware attacks these days often try to take advantage of a company’s employees. Research by Kaspersky and B2B International found that the major contributing factor to malware and targeted attacks are employee carelessness and phishing. Thus, it is very crucial to continually stay educated, and educate the people around you, regarding the current trends in cybersecurity, how to avoid clicking on unwanted files or links, and the best practices on how to stay safe as we use today’s technologies.  

The Latest Trend in Malware 

As mentioned previously, keeping up with the trends on cybersecurity-related issues is one way you can protect yourself against them.  

The current trend in malware suggests that attackers are targeting gamers. Ever since the pandemic, the number of people who play video games has been on the rise, and so is the number of cybercriminals targeting those gamers.  

Kaspersky found that there were over 384,000 users affected by almost 92,000 malware or unwanted files between July 1st 2021 and June 30th 2022. Unbeknowist to the gamer, attackers disguse these malicious files as video games. Furthermore, the research also found that the attackers often target gamers who download games from untrustworthy sources (or third-party websites) for free. 

The malicious software can spy on any data entered on the keyboard, take screenshots, and steal sensitive information from the people who download them. This includes information on the victim’s login credentials, crypto wallet, and other banking details.  

This reminds us that we also need to educate our kids, or the younger generation about the importance of protecting ourselves against malware as now we learn that cybercriminals are not just targeting big corporations, but also small and medium ones, and they are also now targeting the younger generation.  

How Wowrack can Help 

Protecting yourself and your loved ones against malware and other security threats out there is very important, and it should not be a difficult process. Wowrack is committed to helping businesses to be able to grow in this era, where cybersecurity has become more important than ever.  

Wowrack Managed Service can help you deploy SentinelOne, software that can protect all your endpoints from malware and unwanted files autonomously so you don’t have to go through the process yourself. We can also help you deploy Cisco Umbrella which can prevent you, your employees, and your family from clicking on questionable links to prevent downloading unwanted files and getting infected with malware. Veeam is software that we can help you deploy for backup purposes so that you won’t have to worry about data loss.  

Moreover, Wowrack Security Operation can also help you prevent getting any malware from infecting your devices and systems by doing a regular checkup on your systems and networks for any suspicious activities.  

Let’s together build a safe and secure environment for your business and loved ones. Contact us now and let us know how we can help you.  

The post Everything you Need to Know about Malware appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Clicking on those links, downloading those files, and entering your details on those suspicious sites can result in not just your personal data being stolen, but sensitive data from your company can also be affected.

How is that possible? Because cybercriminals use those phishing messages to trick their targets into installing ransomware on their personal or company devices.

What is Ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware (malicious software) that is designed to lock systems, files, or applications, preventing its user from accessing them. To regain access and prevent sensitive data from being leaked to the internet, users will have to pay a specific amount of ‘ransom’. Cybercriminals who use ransomware to attack their targets usually accept payments through wire transfers, credit card payments, or cryptocurrency.

However, even though ransomware itself has been around since 1989, the shift in working patterns ever since the COVID-19 pandemic has contributed to why ransomware attacks have been on the rise since 2020, as the Working From Home (WFH) policy has made it harder for companies to keep track of their corporate and employee devices, networks, and systems. This also explains why we have been getting lots of phishing messages lately.

Research  also found that 3.4 billion phishing e-mails are sent daily. Data from Statista also revealed that 2 out of 3 ransomware attacks are being carried out through phishing e-mails, and other sources of ransomware attacks include malicious file downloads and/or online advertising that tricks people into getting infected by malware, or malvertising.

Nowadays, even people who don’t have the specific skills or resources needed to launch a ransomware attack can easily attack with the availability of Ransomware as a Service (RaaS) on the dark web. With RaaS, ransomware developers can sell ransomware variants to all kinds of buyers, making ransomware an even more urgent problem in society.

Ransomware Statistics and Trends

In 2020, the US FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) reported that based on the cases reported to them, approximately $30 billion is the total amount of combined losses due to ransomware attacks. The 2022 Data Protection Trends Report by Veeam also found that out of the surveyed individuals and businesses, only 24% were not attacked by ransomware — or they were unaware of an attack, and only 16% were attacked once in 2021, while 60% were attacked twice or more.

Another factor that contributes to the rise of ransomware, in addition to the shifting working patterns, is the lack of proper cyber security training that companies give to their employees. Research by Statista has found that in 33% of ransomware infection cases, the factor that contributed to the attack was the lack of training that the employees receive.

Recent Ransomware Cases

Over the past 2 years, there have been a lot of cases where giant companies get infected by ransomware. These are some of the notable cases:

Nvidia

Nvidia, a manufacturer of Graphics Processing Units (GPUs), recently got their data stolen by ransomware group Lapsus$ on February 2022. The group claimed that they had stolen around 1TB of Nvidia’s sensitive data. Nvidia has also confirmed that it has been hacked and that the hacker has leaked employee credentials and other information on the internet. Have I Been Pwned (HIBP), a data leak monitoring website reported that 71,000 Nvidia employees’ credentials and passwords of their windows accounts have been stolen and shared on hacking forums.

University of California, San Fransisco

The University of California, San Fransisco’s School of Medicine’s IT environment got attacked by The Netwalker Ransomware operators in June 2020. The attackers obtained some of the university’s data and also made some of the School of Medicine servers inaccessible through malware that they launched. The university has confirmed that it paid approximately $1.14 million, to the attackers to unlock the encrypted data and get their data back.

Colonial Pipeline

Colonial Pipeline, a pipeline operator in the US, experienced an attack on May 2021. The ransomware program that attacked the company was created by DarkSide. The hackers gained access to the company’s shared internal drive, and the company has confirmed that it had paid the $5 million ransom to get the pipeline back up and running. The attack was caused by a breached employee password found on the dark web that was not protected by a Multi-Factor Authentication and not caused by a direct attack on the company’s systems.

Quanta

Quanta, Macbook’s supplier, was attacked on April 2021 by ransomware group REvil. The attacker claimed to have stolen the blueprints for Apple’s latest products at that time. REvil demanded $50 million ransom fee from both Quanta and Apple.

Accenture

Accenture, a global consulting firm, also became a victim of an attack carried out by ransomware group LockBit in August 2021. The group demanded $50 million for 6 TB of data from the company. According to VX Underground, which has a collection of malware source codes on the internet, stated that the attacker has released more than 2,000 files from Accenture to the dark web for some time. The files include case studies and presentations.

How You Can Protect Yourself from Ransomware?

There are several things you can do to protect yourself from ransomware, these are some of them:

Regular backups

We learned that ransomware attacks cause companies to lose access to their systems and data, so regularly backing up your data can help you ensure business continuity as you can always still restore your data. We recommend you invest in reliable backup software instead of relying on manual backups. Veeam is a backup software that can help you by providing 100% ransomware-proof backups, and we can help to deploy Veeam for your enterprise.

Access control

It’s important to only give users access to the data that they need for their work so that monitoring can be done easier. We also recommend you always require Multi-Factor Authentication for users who want to access the company’s systems or data, to prevent unwanted parties from gaining access.

Employee training

We have learned from Colonial Pipeline’s case that ransomware attacks can be carried out as a result of an employee’s mistake or lack of security awareness. Companies can prevent this by regularly providing security training for their employees, and why is it important to always connect to the company’s VPN, regularly check for software updates, use Multi-Factor Authentication, and beware of phishing messages.

Endpoint protection and monitoring

Protecting and monitoring all your organization’s endpoints is very important in preventing ransomware, but relying on manpower or having traditional Antivirus software may not be enough for this. We recommend you invest in endpoint protection software that can automatically detect and respond to threats before they infiltrate your corporate systems and networks. SentinelOne is an autonomous endpoint protection software that we offer and utilize here in Wowrack, and we can help you deploy it for your enterprise as well.

Read More: 3 IT Strategies to Combat Ransomware 

How Wowrack Can Help

Ransomware is a very urgent and crucial issue these days. Cybercriminals don’t only target big corporations for their next ransomware attack. They can also attack end-users and/or small and medium-sized companies.

However, protecting yourself and your company against ransomware doesn’t have to be a complicated process. Your data security matters and we want to help prepare you so your business can continue to move forward in this era where cybersecurity is a top priority for everyone.

Wowrack Security Operation can help you prevent data loss and data breaches from ransomware by regularly monitoring your systems and networks for any compromised user. Wowrack Managed Services can also help you deploy Veeam, a reliable backup software that can help you to recover all data quickly.

As mentioned previously, we also believe that protecting all your endpoints is important, and we can help you deploy SentinelOne for that. Moreover, with the growth of fake websites, we also think it is important for you and your employees to have a tool that can prevent you from clicking on suspicious links, and we can help you deploy Cisco Umbrella for that.

Ready to protect your business from Ransomware? Schedule a consultation with us now and let us know how we can help you.

The post What is Ransomware and How to Deal with It appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Having a secure network is something everyone needs for both personal or professional use. It prevents attackers from accessing important information and acquiring access to your system. 

What is a Secure Network? 

On a surface level, a secure network is any network that puts security measures in place to help protect your system from outside attackers. For this article we will focus on a secure network setup for a flat network. 

Flat Networks 

Flat networks are a type of network architecture notorious for their easy maintenance and simplicity. While simple and effective, they are not secure. When attackers break into a flat network, they can easily reach all of the systems. This level of access will allow an attacker to spread deeper in your environment.  

A way to mitigate and contain attackers is with VLAN segmentation.  

VLAN Segmentation 

A way to set up a secure system is through virtual local area network (VLAN) segmentation. This setup breaks up your server network so only certain systems can communicate with each other. A basic setup of this typically includes the following: 

• Office Network 
• DMZ (Internet facing Systems) 
• Core Server Network 
• Physical Server Network 
• Admin Network 

Those mentioned above are connected to the server network. However, only certain networks can talk to one another; or have one network communicate with another but the receiving network cannot talk back. 

ACL Rules 

Along with VLAN segmentation comes access control list (ACL) rules. ACLs are a list of rules that determine what resources each user can access. Additionally, each ACL has one or more access control entities (ACE) that consist of a name of a user or group- think of a security guard that allows people to come in and out of a VIP room. 

Having ACLs provide simplified user identification, performance advantages, and more granular control over traffic. 

Why does building a secure network matter? 

Building a secure network prevents a user from gaining access to information. Utilizing VLAN segmentation helps contain an attacker preventing them from spreading to different networks amongst your sever. 

In a  Q3 2019 report, the average time a ransomware incident lasts is about 12.1 days with the average ransom around $41,198- a 13.1% increase from Q2 of 2019. 

Ultimately, building a secure network is the best line of defense for protecting your company and its virtual assets. Cyber-attacks will continue to grow as time moves forward and technology advances. Having a secure network not only protects, it also ensures that your company’s daily operations run seamlessly saving you both time and money. 

Contact us today if you would like to discuss how Wowrack can enhance your security.

The post Building a Secure Network and Why it Matters appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

The growing number of companies opening opportunities for their employees to work remotely has seen an increase in malicious exploitations of vulnerabilities in their organizations. Access from unsecured networks, usage of personal devices, sharing of passwords, and lack of cybersecurity awareness are seemingly small actions that give opportunities for attackers to target sensitive information and critical systems.

Read More: Impact of Rising Cyber Attack on Businesses Operation

Wowrack

Wowrack has implemented a hybrid working policy, with some of our employees working fully remote until now. We know a thing or two about the difficulties of securing our infrastructures from these digital attacks. We are also developing advanced features and software for end-users to detect these digital attacks.

Here are the top 5 risks and tips on how to help you in the event a possible cybersecurity exploit might target you while working remotely and how you can prevent them from happening.

Cybersecurity risk #1: Passwords

Using the same password for every account

This increases the risk of getting all your accounts stolen once an attacker manages to log in to even one of your accounts. Getting your accounts stolen could also lead to giving the attacker access to sensitive information.

Using overly simple and obvious passwords

Never make easy-to-guess passwords. This includes your name, username, birthday,12345, qwerty, etc.

Password-sharing

Since remote workers often work at cafes, hotels, and public spaces, it is common to want to write down those passwords on post-it notes or loose paper. The problem arises when you happen to forget about it. People who stumble upon your post-it note would have access to your account could take advantage and steal your credentials.

How to tackle it:

• Use a password manager tool

Password manager tools like 1Password and LastPass can help you come up with complex and unique passwords for each of your accounts, and you do not have to write them all down as all you need to do is open their digital vault to view those passwords whenever you need them.

• Never share your password with anyone

This includes your family members, friends, and co-workers, as they might also login using your credentials on their unprotected devices, which as a result increases your account vulnerability to getting attacked by hackers.

• Update your passwords regularly

This reduces your risk of someone else gaining access to your accounts, as someone might find your old passwords when you change or sell your old devices.

• Use Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)

Setting up Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) means adding a verification step to sign into an account or make transactions. This makes having only your password inadequate for hackers or attackers to access your accounts. This requires you to enter a one-time password (OTP) in addition to your original password. The OTP can be sent to you via text message, or you can retrieve an OTP via MFA apps such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator, or Authy.

Cybersecurity risk #2: Unsecure Networks

Remote working gives workers the option to work from their homes, cafes, libraries— anywhere there is Wi-Fi. Employees access their company’s sensitive information while connecting to the unsecured network. This could result in their connection being vulnerable to what is referred to as a Man in the Middle attacks (MITM), as a lot of public Wi-Fi networks are poorly encrypted or not encrypted at all. This means a perpetrator is actively routing your data— essentially eavesdropping and interrupting your data when you surf the web.

How to protect yourself:

Connecting to a virtual private network (VPN) can help you prevent being the target of a MITM attack. The VPN encrypts your connection in a way that your data will go through the VPN servers instead of the internet service provider. In this process, your IP address is altered, hiding your true online identity from prying eyes.

Nowadays, companies provide VPNs for their employees to utilize. This can only be accessed by their employees as it requires them to insert their username, password, or OTP to be able to use it.

Want to set up or manage a VPN for your company to utilize? Check out Wowrack’s Managed Solutions

Cybersecurity risk #3: Inadequate Security Reviews

A common mistake that many companies still make is not considering their security posture. A company’s security posture is the overall readiness to tackle challenges related to cybersecurity. This includes loss of data due to cyber-attacks, ransomware, data breaches, and other cyber threats. Inadequate review of their security posturing could lead to unreadiness to face the ever-changing landscape of cybersecurity threats. This impacts not only the IT department but the organization as a whole.

How to solve it:

Start developing a habit of regularly reviewing your company’s cybersecurity posture. This way, you can know in which specific areas your company needs to improve to strengthen your cybersecurity posture. If these are implemented properly, it can reduce your cybersecurity risk.

Security services providers can also help provide you with cybersecurity metrics to help you with measuring your cybersecurity posture. They’ll assist in the reviewing process and can help give you insightful advice on how to improve your cybersecurity posture.

Read More: Security Operations: The Solution for Modern Cybersecurity Needs

Cybersecurity risk #4: Ransomware

According to the 2022 Cyber Threat Report by SonicWall, ransomware attacks worldwide have increased by 105% in 2021. Remote workers need to be aware of this trend to avoid falling trapped into phishing emails, as it is one of the easiest ways for attackers to infiltrate the company’s network. Once a company’s system is attacked by ransomware, the company might have to pay a hefty sum to get its data back or to prevent it from being leaked. There is also no guarantee that the company can ever get its data back post-attack.

How to prevent it:

Aside from providing their employees with proper training about how to avoid phishing scams, businesses need to also invest in backup software that can quickly and reliably backup and restore all their data whenever needed. Veeam is an example of backup software that we utilize and offer at Wowrack. Aside from backup software, we also recommend businesses invest in security software that can prevent their employees from clicking on suspicious links or websites before they reach the company’s network or any endpoints even when the employees are not connected to the company’s network, such as using the Cisco Umbrella.

Read More: 4 Steps to Protect Backup from Ransomware

Cybersecurity risk #5: Lack of Cybersecurity Awareness

According to a survey by Unisys in 2021, 61% of hybrid and remote workers claimed that they are cautious about clicking links in text messages, emails, or social applications. However, only 44% are aware of SMS phishing. This shows that there are a lot of remote workers who still lack awareness about cybersecurity.

Parallel to that, in a 2021 survey held by TalentLMS and Kenna Security, it was reported that 31% of companies do not provide cybersecurity training to their employees. Moreover, among those employees who had joined the training, only 39% passed the basic cybersecurity quiz.

How to stay educated:

Companies should regularly provide insightful cybersecurity training sessions for their employees. Employees should also routinely attend and pay attention to those sessions, as this is beneficial not just for the company but also for general knowledge.

In the session, aside from explaining how to avoid phishing messages or links, companies can also explain further how to access the company’s network securely when the employees are working remotely, as well as the do’s and don’ts while working remote to increase the employee’s awareness of the cybersecurity challenges they might face while working remotely.

How Wowrack Can Help You

Need assistance in making sure that your remote workers are accessing your corporate networks safely? We are here to help you in assessing and increasing your company’s security posture. Contact us now for a free consultation with our team. Our team of experts is ready to help you 24/7.

The post Remote Working: Top 5 Cyber Security Risks and Tips appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Provided by KirkpatrickPrice, this audit is a third-party validation and follows Trust Services Criteria stipulated by AICPA. In order to complete the audit, a company has to pass a series of security, availability, confidentiality, and system privacy tests. Wowrack has been proven to meet these criteria.

However, what does it mean to complete a SOC 2 audit for Wowrack? And, more importantly, why does it matter for the customers in the first place?

Why Wowrack SOC 2 Type II/SSAE 18 Matters for Your Business

Completing SOC 2 audit means a lot to Wowrack as it manifests a serious commitment to uptime, security and customer’s data privacy. Those three aspects are integral to Wowrack as it is part of the company’s mission to continuously improve services to its customers—to you.

Additionally, this attestation does not stop at benefitting Wowrack for it also benefits its customers. There are, at the very least, four benefits that you can get.

Guaranteed Security Practices

In times when digital adaption in business continuity practices accelerates faster than ever, cyberthreats are also becoming a bigger problem. However, one of the newest trends provides an interesting fact about the issue.

A 2021 study by Accenture reports that 35% of security breaches are now dominated by ransomware, targeting weak links in the supply chain or business ecosystem. In other words, even the slightest unsafe security practices potentially result in bigger problems than the cause.

By choosing a certified vendor that does not take security for granted, you are making one huge leap towards safer practices. This also mitigates the risks of receiving indirect as well as indirect cyberattacks.

Improved Trust from Clients

Growing concerns regarding collection, protection, and the use of personal information become a major issue for business. That, accordingly, does not only cover the practices, but also the infrastructure, used vendors, products, and services.

Based on a 2019 survey of 2,200 US adults by Morning Consult, 73% of the respondents agree that protecting personal data is the top deciding factor to trust a business. This scores higher than product usability (71%), product safety (70%), and customer service (68%). Ergo, the more a company conducts safe information practices, the more it likely to get customers’ trust.

One way to let your customers know that you care about trust, security, and privacy is by letting them know that you do the same thing. The easiest way to do so is by choosing a reliable service provider. In so doing, certification provides evidence to the reliability of a service provider.

Above-standard Service Quality

Standards play a significant role in determining the quality of a service. They work as a basis for mutual understanding and guarantee of how a company will deliver a service.

For instance, take a look at AICPA-standardized SOC 2 audit. This audit sets the bar for how a company must conduct the best information security practices, internally or externally. Consequentially, it is pertaining to how a company delivers and maintains a service quality.

Once a company passes the assessment, this means that it has followed all the criteria of a good service delivery and practice. A result of an audit also works as a warranty of the best version of services that you will get.

Peaceful and Secure Digital Collaboration

A lot of companies—and probably yours as well—relies on digital collaboration to run their business. Especially, during the pandemic, we have seen that digital collaboration has skyrocketed exponentially. The same goes for cyberthreats.

Following PwC’s 2020 Digital Trust Insights Pulse Survey, cybercriminals are expected to be the most dangerous digital threats for business. It is especially true with the current business condition that relies heavily on digitalization. In addition, these threats do not solely target people who are working from home. They, however, also target the very IT infrastructure of a company in many ways possible.

For that reason, by choosing a safe and reliable IT service provider, you are indirectly helping yourself mitigate these cyber risks. A proven-to-be reliable provider conducts every security practice securely to get rid of your pain points worrying of not being able to enjoy your digital collaboration.

In conclusion, security is not something any businesses should wager. Trusting your IT security to a reliable service provider, such as Wowrack, helps you work more securely and painlessly.

To learn more on how Wowrack can help you, you can directly consult with our expert team. Schedule a call now.

The post SOC 2 Type II/SSAE 18 Audit Completion – Our Dedication to Customer’s Data appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

World Economic Forum assessed in 2021 that cyber-attack is within the top 5 of risk business will face and continue to be so in the foreseeable future. Worse is that only 0.05 percent of companies can detect incoming attacks.

A thorough understanding of the impact of a cyber attack on businesses is essential for today’s business owners. This article will provide you with information regarding how it works, its impact, and what you can do to mitigate it.

How Cyber Attack Targeted Business

Today cyber attack on businesses is primarily conducted in three phases. By understanding these phases, businesses can create reliable mitigation plan in case such an attack happen.

Phase I: Reconnaissance

Phase one aims to determine how weak the target IT security is and how the bad actors can exploit those weak points. This phase allows bad actors to piece any information they can gather, thus revealing the critical weak points they can attack.

This phase itself is divided into two categories: active and passive reconnaissance.

• Active Reconnaissance: In this type of reconnaissance, bad actors will proactively try to collect target information. Ping or traceroute are among the tools used to conduct this reconnaissance.
• Passive Reconnaissance: Also called footprinting, this type of reconnaissance is conducted to less alert the subject of reconnaissance. The typical operation of passive recon is to visit the target website or look up any information in public records.

Both active and passive reconnaissance have their advantages and disadvantages. Active allows bad actors to gather more critical data at the risk of being detected. Meanwhile, Passive will result in less alert but also less reliable information.

Phase II: Infiltration

The next step, infiltration, is when bad actors take over the target’s network by exploiting known weaknesses from previous reconnaissance. Through this weakness, bad actors will gain access through remote access to the system administrator.

Phase III: Conclusion

Lastly, the third phase of the attack, the conclusion, will be the most known result of a cyber attack on businesses. Bad actors can now attack the target through remote access in the system administrator.

Most attacks will target data or credentials that then can be repurposed for further gains, such as monetary. Lastly, bad actors will either terminate the connection or create backdoors for future access.

Impact of Cyber Attack on Businesses

Cyber attacks on businesses will significantly impact both the company and its customers in today’s environment. IBM report that the average cost of a data breach in 2021 reached $4.24 million, up to a 10% increase from the previous year.

While pandemics play a significant role in shifting towards a digital environment for businesses, it also shows the readiness against cyber attack.

However, the cost is not the only impact cyber attack have on businesses. Here are some ways a cyber attack can hamper business.

• Operational Disruption

Operational disruption can be one of the intended or unintended results of a cyber attack operation. For example, bad actors can hamper business operations by installing malicious code or malware to destroy any critical data needed to perform its activity.

• Reputational Damage

Brand reputation is one of the things that businesses are trying hard to keep in a good light, and falling victim to cyber-attack may not be the best way to keep it. Both customer and business partner may see the business as less reliable and no longer trustworthy to work with or use.

• Stolen Intelectual Property

Intellectual property can also be one of the objectives that bad actors aim for when conducting cyber-attack on businesses. Company product design, technologies, and go-to-market strategies are some of the assets that bad actors are looking for.

Measure to Reduce Risk

With the increasing risk of bad actors stealing over operation-critical data, creating and implementing proper measures against security breaches become necessities.

While a dedicated expert is always preferable, businesses can take steps to reduce the risk of being a victim of a cyber attack.

• Reduce Data Transfer

Businesses can reduce data transfer between environments in and out of the IT system as the first step. As bad actors will try to find as many vulnerabilities as possible, access through data transfer can be the easiest way for bad actors to gain entry.

Businesses should keep crucial information in a separate business device, thus reducing the chance of access.

• Use Better Passwords

A complex password is the first defensive line against any force entry attempt into an IT system. By using a combination of words, symbols, and numbers with substantial length, it will make it more difficult for programs to force open the passwords.

Furthermore, the use of two factors authentication can help significantly in reducing the chance of unwanted access from stolen credentials.

• Update to the Latest Software

Software providers continuously provide better service and more secure versions of their applications. Updating their application to the latest version will allow businesses to avoid previously known vulnerabilities.

• Develop Response Plan

Lastly, developing a response plan to manage the response and recovery from cyberattacks will allow businesses to reduce the potential damage it may cause.

Do you know that cyber-attacks can happen even to the most careful and disciplined businesses. It is why it is essential to have a dedicated cybersecurity plan within today’s business environment.

Prepare Now

While in-house mitigation measures can slightly reduce the chance of data breach, it would be much better for businesses to have a dedicated cybersecurity team. Not only can it respond to the breach much faster, but it can also prevent such breaches from ever happening in the first place.

Therefore, Wowrack offers managed security solutions for businesses that need a dedicated cybersecurity team in their environment. With our service, you can:

• Expand existing IT security teams with our experts or let us fully manage your data 24/7,
• Receive information from our automated security detection and response, and
• Easily adjusted to your needs and standards.

To sum up, it is clear to see that businesses will be under constant threat of cybercrime in the future. Do not wait until it is too late! Let us help you secure your data and mitigate any vulnerabilities in the future. Let Wowrack helps you.

The post Impact of Rising Cyber Attack on Businesses Operation appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

Simply put, vulnerability is a weakness that actors can use to infiltrate or access computer systems. Today, we are reminded of this vulnerability with the rise of the Log4j vulnerability.

This article will provide you with information regarding the log4j vulnerability. In addition, we also provide information in reducing or avoiding this vulnerability’s danger as a private or corporate entity.

What is the Log4j Vulnerability

Cybersecurity is a critical field to understand, especially in the digital age. While there are many glaring cybersecurity threats, such as viruses, ransomware, or phishing attacks, we often forget about the danger that arises from our own devices.

The National Institute of Standards and Technology defines vulnerability as a weakness or flaw within the security procedure, design, implementation, or internal controls that could accidentally trigger or exploit, resulting in a security breach.

The log4j is a Java-based logging utility used by billions of electronic devices to provide background information. It means, both private and business sectors who use Java-based programing language are running a risk of vulnerability in their systems. Several examples of these are websites, work applications, and even games.

CIO Dive reported that the log4j vulnerability works in a way that allows bad actors to gain access to IT systems without the use of authentication. The danger of this vulnerability doubles with how easily bad actors can exploit this vulnerability. Just a simple line of code is sufficient to access your system. Currently, Bitdefender has found out that bad actors are attempting to steal data or planting “Khonsari,” ransomware installed through backdoors and remote shells. It shows the possibility of a more dangerous attack from this vulnerability.

Mitigation of the Log4j Vulnerability

Vulnerable does not mean unfixable. With the world’s best IT practitioner and cybersecurity professional currently putting its attention to the log4j vulnerability, there is a big chance that a fix is on the way.

However, while we are waiting for fixes to be available, cyberattack threats will continue to linger around our IT systems. Therefore, while we are waiting for the patch that fixes this vulnerability, private and corporate can take preventative action to mitigate the vulnerability.

1. Use the Most Up-to-Date Version of Application

Firstly, the log4j vulnerability almost exists for all software based on the Java programming language. However, you can rest assured that most companies that develop software are already aware of the situation and the severity of the vulnerability.

It is crucial for both private and business to immediately patch up their software to the most up-to-date version. A temporary patch or hotfix can help mitigate the possibility of damage caused by the vulnerability.

2. Ensure Firewall is Active

Secondly, an attempt to access your IT systems through the log4j exploit will primarily use the internet connection as the medium. You will find malicious traffics attempting to break into your system. It may employ “spray and pray” or constant targeting techniques from the bad actors.

Ensuring your firewall protocol is active is one way to deter and reduce such attempts at your systems. Furthermore, if you already use additional firewall protection such as web application firewall (WAF), check if there is any new information, policy, or patch update regarding the exploit.

3. Constantly Backup Your Data

Then, as the vulnerability affects software applications and servers, ensuring your data backup is ready to use is essential. It ensures continuity if the data within your primary database is inaccessible. The biggest reason it might happen is primarily due to patch updates of the server.

4. Identifying Vulnerable Systems

The last step private and enterprises can take are identifying which systems are vulnerable to the exploit. Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency has already compiled all of the currently known software liable to the log4j exploit. In other word, it contains recommended actions that an entity can take if such software is used in the system.

Preventing Future Vulnerabilities

It is now generally accepted that the cost and effort required in creating preventative measures are significantly less than the cost of dealing with the fallout of a cybersecurity breach. In fact, business benefit $4 for every $1 it spend on cybersecurity effort.

While the current vulnerability is so massive in scope and may affect most IT users, properly investing in cybersecurity effort is worth doing. Especially for the protection and reduction in cost post-attack in the future.

In Wowrack, we can provide enterprises with a dedicated cybersecurity team available 24/7. We develop our in-house system to detect and respond to threats before they appear and disturb business workflow. We understand that a particular enterprise may have compliances that need to be followed. In this, we are confident that we can adjust our security service to follow the standards and compliances of your business.

Discover how Wowrack can be your best partner in protecting and safekeeping your data from today’s cybersecurity threats. Reach out to us now!

The post The Log4j Vulnerability: What You Should Know appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

As academic institutions adopt new technologies to sustain hybrid and remote learning they are constantly targeted by threat actor, leaders in education must stay one step ahead by taking proactive approaches to managing the risks to their k-12 cybersecurity networks and data. 

While online learning provides so many positive opportunities for learners and teachers alike, it is more important than ever to strengthen cybersecurity defenses to deal with new and emerging attacks. This article is designed to help provide teachers, parents, and students with the information they need to identify common cyber threats, as well as tips on cybersecurity best practices to help you safely ease into the new school year.

Cybersecurity is a critical and rapidly growing field in which the demand for jobs is increasingly outpacing the supply of qualified employees. 

K-12 education has a key role in addressing this shortage, both by raising awareness and interest in cybersecurity and by providing students with the fundamental knowledge they need in this field.

The EdWeek Research Center examines the prevalence, forms, and perceptions of cybersecurity education, according to more than 900 K-12 teachers, principals, and district leaders. The results suggest that students and educators alike have limited knowledge of cybersecurity. Less than half of respondents report that their districts or schools offer cybersecurity education. Access is uneven, with cybersecurity education less likely to be provided in small and high-poverty districts or in cybersecurity deserts that lack cybersecurity companies or universities that study or offer coursework on the subject. When cybersecurity education is offered in K-12, it is typically infused into the existing, broader curriculum rather than taught as a standalone course.

In addition, providing cybersecurity education through extracurriculars such as clubs, competitions, or camps may also spark a deeper interest in pursuing cybersecurity as a career. Many key topics, including cryptography, systems engineering, artificial intelligence, and electricity, are rarely taught in schools. Likely as a result of this infrequent and uneven access, educators say most students are not well-informed about the educational and career requirements associated with cybersecurity jobs.

The Biggest Cybersecurity Threats to Education Cybersecurity

As 2021 sees a continuation of remote and hybrid learning environments, as well as transitions between these learning modes, security is paramount. Bad actors continue to search for exploits, and cybersecurity professionals in the educational sector must act swiftly to stay ahead.

According to K12 Six, the most frequently experienced cybersecurity threats K-12 schools face and should particularly be aware of in the coming year are:

IoT and CMS threats

With nine of the top 10 exploits targeting Internet of Things (IoT) devices and content management systems (CMS), institutions should look out for vulnerabilities in these categories. Vulnerable learning content management systems can make soft targets for easy access into enterprise environments. Attackers are also seeking to subvert the less-than-enterprise-grade security inherent to many IoT devices used on home networks. 

Phishing attacks

Malware-laden phishing attacks that inject code or redirect users to malicious sites have become particularly prevalent due to the remote learning and working from home trend.

Ransomware: 

The continued evolution of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) means academic institutions must guard against demands made by cyber criminals who threaten to disclose sensitive student data. Ransomware activity jumped 7x in the last half of 2020 alone.

Malware: 

One vector that bad actors targeted was Microsoft systems and applications used by students and educators. These include 32-bit Windows executables, MS Office products, Visual Basic, and the Microsoft Intermediate Language. Common document formats such as PDF and RTF are also prime targets, as are web browsers.

Edge environments that have grown considerably due to the transition to remote and hybrid learning are targets that remain ripe for exploitation. That said, this trend has also encouraged a move to in-depth security monitoring and enforcement of every edge device, perhaps spelling the end of inherent trust-based security as we know it.

Education Cybersecurity Challenges

It’s worth noting that the education sector faces more challenges than other sectors due to budget and resource limitations. Such resources may be even tighter in 2021, meaning these institutions must do more with less. Approaches to reducing attack surface and complexity, therefore, should be made from an efficiency standpoint. 

As educational organizations shore up weaknesses in their remote access solutions and work toward protecting endpoints, they should look to leverage cloud and SaaS solutions. Attempts to consolidate visibility and administration tasks across both cloud and on-premise environments can help create a security infrastructure better equipped for efficient management.

Fortification and Expansion of Current Cybersecurity Solutions 

Because the move to online and hybrid educational environments was rolled out so quickly, many initial security solutions put in place by academic institutions may be incomplete or contain holes resulting from cobbled-together strategies. At the same time, this new environment is prime for cyberattack, more so than previous on-premise environments that were better planned for and contained inherently fewer vulnerabilities.

Cyber criminals will only continue to attempt to exploit existing weaknesses. Therefore, educational institutions must take the time to better fortify and expand their current cybersecurity solutions now that the initial chaos caused by the transition has subsided. Best practices for securing expanded edge networks in the education sector include the following:

• Network Segmentation: All internet-facing applications should be segmented away from the rest of the network to minimize the impact of potential breaches.
• Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): This strategy helps protect users from the misuse of stolen credentials by requiring additional authentication during an attempted login. 
• Web Application Security: Implementation of web application firewalls (WAFs) protects against phishing attacks and DDoS attacks that can cause your site to become unavailable.
• Browser Security: A cloud-based web security gateway protects against web-based malware.
• Zero Trust Access (ZTA): Protection of networks and applications is best achieved through a zero-trust approach, providing only the necessary level of access privileges. 
• User Education: Often, the weakest link in network security is the human element. Advise students, faculty, and staff alike to utilize strong passwords, exercise caution when using public Wi-Fi, and teach them how to spot social engineering attacks.
• By expanding on the solutions put in place early in the pandemic, these institutions can ensure a robust digital infrastructure able to withstand new and evolving cyberthreats.

Prevention and Attack Mitigation in Education Cybersecurity

It’s common knowledge that the cost and effort associated with attack prevention tend to be significantly less than the cost associated with the fallout of a successful attack. Therefore, in education cybersecurity and beyond, investing in comprehensive cybersecurity strategies not only protects sensitive data and infrastructure, but can also help reduce costs down the line. 

Contact us today and discover how Wowrack enables secure remote access at scale to support students with a wide array of access requirements.

The post K-12 Cybersecurity in Education. Here’s What to Know? appeared first on Wowrack Blog.

To begin with, we can agree that “the good, the bad, and the ugly” are growing even faster in this digital era. Specifically, cybersecurity and cyberthreats. For instance, during this pandemic alone, FBI has reported a 300% increase of cybercrimes.

Accordingly, it’s true that cybersecurity tools have been evolving even quicker than we’ve ever witnessed before. However, the rising question is, if such tools are getting more sophisticated, how do cyberattacks keep on rapidly growing in numbers each day?

Sometimes, the problem does not lie within the tools. What most people don’t realize is that it happens due to lack of proper workflows, processes and experienced workers who understand remediation. In other words, it is an operational issue and operational issues require operational solutions.

That’s why you need Security-Operation-Center-as-a-Service.

What is Security Operation Center?

Security Operation Center (SOC) is a unit consisting of cybersecurity specialist and professionals that deal with high-quality IT security operations. On everyday basis, not only SOC monitors and manages all cybersecurity tools, but also responsible in conducting IT security tasks appropriately.

SOC works as the first line defense in an infrastructure to detect and prevent any cyber incident from happening. Besides that, SOC team will analyze, respond, report, and come up with solution on how to prevent or handle cyberattacks.

Why do we need Security Operation Center?

Company with SOC will more likely be able to proactively fight cyberthreats even before the company’s higher-ups know about the issue. For instance, here are several benefits that you can get for having SOC.

Maximum prevention with minimum cost

By continuously monitoring and analyzing the IT-related activities, the SOC team becomes greatly effective in preventing and responding incoming cyberattacks. This way, it will significantly reduce the risk of having financial loss caused by cyberattack with affordable recurring costs. Looking from a financial standpoint, it is more cost-friendly rather than having to invest a huge capital in building your very own team from the scratch.

Improved trust from employee and client

SOC teams offer a real-time and high data protection against any potential cyberattack. Therefore, by having them in your company, it will indubitably increase your company’s credibility to gain trust from your clients, business partners, and employees.

Enhanced Collaboration

SOC team is a group of IT security experts. They will continuously monitor your IT tools and ensure their upmost performance. Especially, during this pandemic, where most of people are working remotely, having a secure IT infrastructure will be an advantage. So, every department in your company will be able to collaborate without having any restless anxiety about any possible cyberattacks.

How Wowrack can help?

Wowrack’s value is to give a maximum support for our clients. Thus, we keep on providing the necessary services for our clients, so they can develop their business without having to worry about their IT needs.

Because of that, we are happy to announce that we will provide more cybersecurity services, including SOC. We are ready at your disposal.

To help us understand your IT needs better, let’s schedule a free consultation with our team, so we can figure out what your actual needs are and how we can help you.

The post Security Operations: The Solution for Modern Cybersecurity Needs appeared first on Wowrack Blog.