Computer Security Basics

Computer Security Basics

There are a number of simple and low-cost ways to improve your cybersecurity right now — check out the recording of this webinar to find out what they are.

2020 was a banner year for cybercriminals. The number of phishing emails and social engineering scams that use the COVID-19 pandemic as a topic represents the single largest thematic series of cybercrime attacks ever.

From credential phishing and malicious attachments to business email compromise and fake landing pages, the coronavirus has been a veritable gold rush for cybercriminals. That’s in addition to the many unrelated cybercrime attacks that took place, including when the US Government and numerous corporations around the world were hit by a devastating supply chain attack.

The point is that you can’t afford to overlook your cybersecurity. Depending on the current state of your digital defenses, improving your security may not be all that complicated or expensive.

Discover a few simple tips for boosting your cybersecurity in our latest webinar:

3 Types Of Cyber Attacks You Need To Be Aware Of

Phishing

Phishing is a type of email scam. The cybercriminal drafts an email that appears to be from someone familiar to the target – a coworker, a manager, their bank, etc.

The email is written to be urgent so that the target acts quickly without giving it much thought. It’s also very vague, so that they can use the email on thousands of targets without having to change much about it.

What’s the end goal? The cybercriminal wants the target to click a link or download an attachment — either will infect their systems with malware. In fewer instances, the cybercriminal may expect the target to divulge information, like a password or SSN.

Make sure that you and your staff are on the lookout for suspicious emails, as they are likely part of a phishing scam — but how can you know for sure?

• Watch For Overly Generic Content And Greetings: Cybercriminals will send a large batch of emails.  Look for examples like “Dear valued customer.”
• Examine The Entire From Email Address: The first part of the email address may be legitimate, but the last part might be off by a letter or may include a number in the usual domain.
• Look For Urgency Or Demanding Actions: “You’ve won! Click here to redeem a prize,” or “We have your browser history pay now or we are telling your boss.”
• Carefully Check All Links: Mouse over the link and see if the link’s destination matches where the email implies you will be taken.
• Notice Misspellings, Incorrect Grammar, & Odd Phrasing: This might be a deliberate attempt to try and bypass spam filters.
• Don’t Click On Attachments Right Away: Virus-containing attachments might have an intriguing message encouraging you to open them such as “Here is the Schedule I promised.”

Malicious Websites

These seemingly safe websites are set up by cybercriminals to look like online banking or tech support sites. However, their URL is usually one or two letters different from the real thing. This tricks users into visiting these sites and inputting their login info, financial data, or other information, which is then logged and given to the cybercriminal. These sites may also be used to infect the user’s computer with viruses or malware.

This is why it’s so important to make sure you’re actually visiting the right website. Carefully check the URL, and make sure it begins with “https” (the “s” stands for secure).

Ransomware

In a ransomware attack, an unsuspecting user clicks on a seemingly safe link or an emailed attachment that appears to be a bill or other official document.

Instead, the attachment installs a malicious software program (malware) onto the computer system that encrypts the data and holds it at ransom. The user is then stuck without access to their data, and faced with paying the attacker a huge sum.

The best way to keep your data safe is to simply have it backed up, to a separate location, on a regular basis. By storing a complete and up-to-date copy of your data that’s separate from your local systems, it doesn’t matter if your onsite data gets encrypted by ransomware. You can simply wipe it all and recover your data from the backup.

What’s The Key To Cybersecurity In 2021?

Invest in a little expert protection – OneSource Technology. We can put our big business cybersecurity expertise to work for you, implementing best practices, identifying vulnerabilities, and protecting you against the more common and dangerous cybercrime scams.

Get in touch with our team for a complimentary cybersecurity consultation.