8 Ways to Prevent Phishing Attacks  

by Felicien | Aug 31, 2017 | Education

Phishing attacks are deadlier than ever. Here’s how to train your employees to watch out for them. 
Phishing schemes send duplicitous emails to businesses in an attempt to infect computers with malware. They’re successful when an employee clicks a suspect link/attachment, or gets tricked into giving up financial information.
When it comes to data security, phishing threats get less attention than more “active” malware attacks—And that’s too bad, because today’s phishing schemes are deadlier than ever.

Gone is the broken grammar from Nigerian princes. It’s been replaced with professional, detailed messages containing legitimate-looking logos and intelligent language.
They’re so good that even tech experts get fooled.

A successful phishing attack could cost your company anywhere from thousands to millions of dollars. Protect your business—Here are eight tactics to put in place.     

Encourage Suspicion.
Studies reveal that employees fall for phishing scams because they’re trained to always be “nice.”   As a result, they comply with email requests from “clients” without any question. Experts advise taking a suspicious approach to all emails. If an email message “feels wrong, listen to your gut.” Train your employees to follow their instincts when it comes to suspect emails.
Scrutinize URLs and Addresses.
You should always carefully examine all email addresses and URLs. With phishing emails, they tend to be a bit “off.” The URL won’t match the directions given in the message, or it won’t be the real web address, rather a similar one. The same is true of email addresses, and company logos, watermarks, and signoffs. If you simply glance at this information, you may be fooled.  If you take closer look, you’ll realize it’s a counterfeit. Train employees what to look for if they come across an unexpected email, and to always pay attention to the details.
Think About the Message and Logo.
Phishing scams can be very subtle. Advanced phishing attempts may take over email clients to send messages from what appear to be very reputable sources. This is why it’s essential to stop and think before taking action—especially when money or sensitive information is involved.
Train your employees to examine the message. Is it unusual? Is it unexpected given what they know about the project or client? If they get a message that says, “Wire $5,000 right away for patent rights or we will lose this market,” this should raise warning bells—Why didn’t this person make a call or explain this in person? Any emails that focus on a disaster or emergency like this should be immediately suspected.
If You Don’t Know the Person, Stay Away from the Email.
Don’t recognize who the email is from? Then don’t do anything. This policy protects employees from phishing emails that get through your spam filters. If the email is from an address they don’t recognize, they should ignore the message. If necessary, they should forward it to the appropriate account manager and ask if it’s legitimate. It’s always worth taking a little extra time to confirm messages, rather than falling for a phishing scheme.
Call for Confirmation.
It’s amazing how many people don’t do this, even with extraordinary requests. Successful phishing emails depend on you not calling the sender and asking what’s going on. Calling the sender can destroy the most careful phishing attempts. (At the highest level, phishing may include fake phone numbers or rerouting, but this is quite rare.)
To get around this, phishers may include a message that says, “I will be out of the office today, but this request requires your immediate attention. Please don’t try to contact me, just download/click link/send money/ or (do some other stupid thing).”  If you see a message like this, the first thing you and your employees should do is pick up the phone and call, especially when important data is involved.
Stay on Top of the Latest Phishing Schemes in Your Industry.
Phishing schemes vary between industries (based on how much money can be conned out of particular businesses). Research the phishing schemes trending in your industry, and what warning signs to look for. A variety of services offer intelligence reports for this very purpose.  You can also visit security zines and forums that focus on your industry. These are typically updated with the latest cyberattacks.
Block Access.
Eventually, companies reach a size where trusting employees to avoid phishing attacks becomes very difficult. It’s important to use strong firewalls and updated security filters to block access to any dangerous or illegitimate sites (the same goes for downloads, etc.). This is essential to mitigate damage once phishing emails are opened. Phishing scams can’t hurt your business if they can’t upload malware.
Adopt Email Authentication Standards.
Email authentication standards are improving all the time. They provide an excellent way for companies to stop spoofing attempts both to and from your organization. Basically, it authenticates senders and makes sure that an email really did come from that sender.  This tactic also makes it more difficult to spoof emails from your company. The current standard is DMARC (Domain-based Message Authentication, Report and Conformance). So, if your business is a target of phishing scams, look into adopting this standard for added protection.
An issue worth noting is that DMARC is relatively new and underused.   It may not be compatible with all software and services. So, this is the time for a serious consultation with your IT experts to discuss implementing authentication. The process is highly effective, and worth your time.
Need help protecting your business in {city} from phishing attacks? {company} is ready to help. We specialize in data services and security, and can find the right approach for your business. Contact us at {email} or call us at {phone} for a no-obligation, complimentary consult.

Is AI Getting Too Powerful?

by Felicien | Aug 31, 2017 | Education

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is at the forefront of new developments in computer science. But is it safe?  According to experts, it could be “the best, or the worst, thing that to ever happen to humanity.”
Devastating battles are depicted in the scenes of dystopian, sci-fi movies, where computer-controlled armies defeat human-led forces. Luckily, for our sake, it’s all just a game. At The International, Valve’s largest Dota 2 tournament, an OpenAI bot defeated the top, professional Dota 2 players—And with only two weeks of practice.

If you don’t know about Dota 2, it’s of the most popular multi-player online war games played by professional gamers worldwide. The game’s popularity is due to Dota 2’s complexity which requires mastering multiple strategies, and a deep level of understanding and skill.
AI experts believe that OpenAI’s performance at The International was significant because it displayed the true power of AI today. And, even more so than when the AlphaGo bot won against a South Korean Go champion earlier this year. Unlike Go, which is categorized as the perfect information game where all players have access to the same information, Dota 2 has lots of hidden information which forces players to react quickly and adapt their own strategies.
So, what does all this game playing have to do with you and your business? As evidenced in these games, computers are now smart enough to beat out humans.  The IT experts at Intivix believe this is important. Not only is technology becoming an integral and essential part of modern life, but it’s becoming more powerful every day—And, this is scaring some very intelligent people.
Should you be worried?
It’s true. AI is rapidly improving, and the technology behind it is being incorporated into every part of our lives. From book recommendations on Amazon, to Siri and other virtual assistants, AI assists us with many daily tasks.
Although AI is in its infancy, the technology can reproduce much of what we thought was only possible in the science-fiction movies of 40 or 50 years ago. In another 40 years, will AI advance far enough to turn one of these fictional nightmare scenarios into reality?
People are already questioning whether building better AI is such a good idea. Elon Musk expressed his concern to the National Governors Association when he told attendees that despite warning people about the dangers of unchecked AI development, authorities do little to protect against its misuse. Musk called AI the “biggest risk we face as a civilization,” and called for preemptive regulations for the industry.
Musk isn’t the only scientist who predicts AI may lead to a disaster.  Prominent theoretical physicist, Stephen Hawking, fears that once singularity in achieved, (the point where machines are more intelligent than humans) we won’t be able to prevent AI from acting independently. Hawking shares Musk’s view that if lawmakers don’t put regulations into place, advanced AI will become “either the best, or the worst, thing that ever to happen to humanity.”
Others claim the AI doomsayers are watching too many movies, and claim that the idea of AI overtaking humans ludicrous. The vice-provost of research at Imperial College London, Professor Nick Jennings, is one of them. He states that while it’s possible to develop AI that excels in a singular task, creating AI that’s capable of human-like intelligence across multiple subjects isn’t within the ability of today’s scientists. And, he doesn’t foresee technology advancing that far for a long time.
What worries more people than the “rise of the machines” nightmare becoming reality, is the continuation and acceleration of a trend that began in the 1980s. Andrew McAfee, an economist from MIT, describes a massive decline in the number of middle-class jobs in the US. He believes that the coming AI revolution will greatly speed up the rate of decline in the number of jobs, not only for middle-class workers, but for all workers.
Others disagree. Many economists believe history is a way to predict how new technology will affect the economy. They point to the effect of technology during the Industrial Revolution—That when machines displaced workers from factory jobs, they could find new and better jobs created by the introduction of the machines, like mechanics. These views are supported by a 2011 study from the International Federation of Robotics, which shows for every one-million robots added to the work force, there were three-million new jobs.
What are people doing to prevent a horror scenario from unfolding?
So, what are we doing to ensure AI is being developed in a moral and safe manner? The quick answer is, not enough. Most of the people who work in the AI field disagree with those who are currently looking for ways to regulate the industry—And at present, there aren’t any AI regulatory legislations being worked on in congress. However, some are actively trying to address the problem. DeepMind, which Google acquired several years ago, conducted a study on how to develop a ‘big red button’ that has the ability to shut down rogue AI in the future.
Whether you believe in AI has the possibility to be dangerous or not, there’s no denying that AI is a powerful technology that will change the world. It’s important to be part of the discussion about how companies develop AI, and how it’s regulated. We all have the responsibility to learn more and stay educated.

Hurricane Harvey: Another Brutal Reminder

by Felicien | Aug 30, 2017 | Education

Want Your Business to Succeed?

by Felicien | Aug 28, 2017 | Education

Promote Collaboration.
Collaboration is and will always be one of the cornerstones of a business’ success. Despite this, many workers believe their organization doesn’t promote collaboration.
Do you?
As a small business owner, one of the most powerful tools you have is your workforce. This has less to do with individuals and more to do with how everyone comes together to form something that’s much more than any one person could be. Collaboration is the only true way to make this happen. It’s also something that’s worth your time and effort to do for a number of important reasons.

Collaboration Provides Inspiration.
In an environment where people are free to meet and communicate, you’ll have more than a range of different voices—You’ll have a situation where employees inspire one another, share better ways of doing things, offer new strategies, and so much more.
When inspired, employees are more productive, feel free to think outside the box, and push themselves and others to do better. It also provides a sharing of ideas that have the potential to save time and money.
It’s the linchpin for your ongoing success—Which is why empowering your workforce with the tools necessary to make collaboration as easy as possible is, and will always be a step worth taking.
Collaboration Fosters Networking.
To build alliances, it’s important to seek out others with common interests.  This is paramount for an entrepreneur, and critical to make a business dream a reality.
While it’s true that every new person you meet might not result in a collaborative effort, you never know what the future might hold. Networking is less a sprint and more a marathon to help sustain you for the long haul.
Collaboration Encourages Education.
Anyone who says they “know it all” or “they’ve learned all they can” is sadly overlooking an opportunity for self-improvement.  Every interaction that you and your employees have with those outside your business is an opportunity to broaden your horizons. Just as collaboration within your workforce is essential, so too is the willingness to consider differing opinions about “how things can be done.”
Simply put, you never know who might be able to teach you something new, or provide you with a valuable insight you wouldn’t have arrived at on your own. Even people with vastly different skillsets or perspectives are invaluable, because of the differing strengths they bring to the table.
Collaboration Is Cost Effective.
There’s a reason why businesses with two or more founders are far more likely to succeed than those that are the product of a sole proprietor—Collaboration really is that important.
Collaboration can help to save costs when starting a business. As part of a team, you can share development and marketing expenses, and rely on others to fill knowledge and experience gaps.  In this way, you can approach new situations from a stronger footing.
Collaboration Enables Problem Solving.
The old saying, “two heads are better than one” is definitely relevant in the world of business, particularly when it comes to problem solving. So much of your day is spent making decisions and trying to overcome obstacles.  And, it seems that no sooner are you finished solving one problem, then a new one crops up.
With the strength of numbers on your side, and a team of trusted collaborators, all of this will be much easier. At this point, it’s just common sense—If you can’t get something solved on your own, why not bring in another for some assistance.
Most of you probably do this already. If you have a situation that you just can’t get a handle, or a question that’s left you stumped, what do you do? You probably turn to a trusted friend, partner or mentor for advice. They can act as a sounding board, give you someone to talk to, and help you unlock a different part of your brain so you can tackle the problem from another angle.
When Collaborating, Step Outside Your Inner Circle.
If you’re willing to collaborate outside of your immediate circle the positive effects will be amplified. By bringing in new viewpoints and experiences, you’re likely to accomplish something even greater. The importance of this is something that can’t be overstated.
Your business may have been created in a vacuum, but it certainly can’t stay that way – at least not if you want to grow and evolve into the type of organization that you always hoped to be.
{company} can provide the IT tools you need to promote collaborative efforts in a secure fashion. If you’re in {city} and would like to learn more, don’t delay – Contact us by phone at {phone} or by sending an email to {email}.

Dangers Lurking That Can Impact Your Business Today

by Felicien | Aug 28, 2017 | Education

What are Malware Variants and Why Are They So Dangerous?    
Malware variants pose new threats to your data security. Find out how they work and why they’re on the rise.
A variant is an improvement on old malware. It combines something old and something new. Variants are a growing threat to business security.

Take a successful piece of Malware like WannaCry, which shut down government agencies and organizations around the world this year. The damage was caused by an old Windows vulnerability that had previously been fixed. However, inadequate company security practices left them open to an attack.
When a piece of malware successfully targets a vulnerability, two significant things occur:

Security experts race to pinpoint what vulnerabilities are being targeted and how they can be patched.
Hackers around the world take note of the success and start investigating the malware for their own use.

Because malware code is typically available from sources like the Dark Web, hackers can tweak it the original version so it will attack different types of data, protect itself more effectively, find new openings to exploit, and more. Each version that’s created and unleashed is a “variant” of the original attack.
Malware can be “patched” the same way it’s done with other forms of software—Weaknesses are removed and old mistakes are corrected. Hackers update viruses and worms so they can overcome new security, and stay a step ahead of white-hat programmers for as long as possible.
Malware doesn’t die when security provides patches to stop it. Variants continue to live on for years into the future, and some of those variants will be even more dangerous than the original attack.
Hacker Crowdsourcing
The original creators of a malware attack release variants over time (most malware is a mishmash of techniques formed over years, so “original creator” doesn’t mean much in this context). A malicious type of crowdsourcing quickly emerges where hackers use their own approaches and knowledge to create a variant, and sell it as a new and improved version of the older malware. That’s why we see a number of variants in the months following a famous hack—Multiple hackers work to improve it and capitalize on the improvements.
Variants Help Old Malware Re-Emerge
Another problem with variants is that they can lie dormant for some time and then spring back to life. This is an unpleasant surprise for security experts. Malware that they haven’t seen in years suddenly comes back, ready to wreak havoc again. This time it’s loaded with the latest tricks and updates. These variants allow for some very old malware to pose a new threat.
An example of this is Locky, an infamous ransomware that attacked in 2016. The attack was put down, and subsequent variants didn’t do much damage. However, in August 2017 security experts noticed a sudden surge in new Locky attacks. The latest software variant was utilizing a new method of infection via clever phishing emails that encouraged the spread of Locky via a suspect download.  Locky then got to work locking files and demanding a stupendous $4,000 payment for their release. It’s a good example of what a long-term headache malware can become.
There are a Lot of Variants
Variants aren’t like singular sequels – They are more like an ant queen giving birth to a new colony. Any small change is enough to create a new variant, and with hackers working around the world to enhance their attacks, the stream of variants is more or less unending.
According to AV-Test, there were 143 million new malware samples, and 12 million new variants per month (or 400,000 new variants every day!). Many of these variants are relatively harmless, however, some are much more dangerous. Security experts must find out which these are.
Variants are Increasingly Popular
The quantity of variants isn’t slowing down anytime soon. In the past few years, the number of variants has sharply risen, along with Internet access and enterprising hackers—

27% of all malware variants were created in 2015 alone, a number that’s likely to be surpassed as new data is revealed.
Around five new malware variants are discovered every second.

This isn’t a problem that’s going away anytime soon.
Variants Exploit New Vulnerabilities
The worst types of variants are those that develop new tricks to bypass the latest security measures. Remember the Locky ransomware resurgence we mentioned? It was retooled to show up as an “unknown file.” This wasn’t a problem for security filters that operated on a default-deny basis where any unrecognized file is blocked. However, many businesses didn’t have this stringent protection, so it posed a threat, even if though they were protected from the older version.
You Have to Stay on Top of This
Here’s the bottom line: Malware doesn’t die when security provides patches to stop it. Variants continue to live on for years into the future, and some of those variants will be even more dangerous than the original attack. However, there is good news. Today’s security efforts are more advanced than ever, and even small companies can receive reports about the latest attacks, with options like Microsoft’s Threat Intelligence for O365. It’s time to take use these new tools! Don’t delay.
Want to learn about the latest variants and how we can prevent them from infecting your IT? We can help. {company} provides data and security services to companies in {city}. Call us at {phone} or send us a message at {email}. We’ll get right back to you.

Do This On Your Business Website Right Now

by Felicien | Aug 28, 2017 | Education

If you don’t use HTTPS on your website, it will now be labeled “NOT SECURE” in Chrome.

Even if you haven’t considered using HTTPS (HyperText Transfer Protocol “Secure”) for your business website, you’ve probably seen it before. The history of this security protocol goes back many years to the beginnings of the commercialized Internet – And it’s about to get a big emphasis, thanks to upcoming changes from Google. If you haven’t thought about transitioning your website to HTTPS, now is an excellent time to start making plans. Here’s why.
HTTPS: The Security Format Ahead of Its Time
The HTTPS protocol was developed in the mid-1990s thanks to efforts by companies like Netscape and Spyglass (remember them?). The problem was, at that time, the Internet wasn’t very secure, and exchanging data for commercial transactions (payment and contact info) was a risky business.  As a result, organizations developed SSL (secure sockets layer) security, encryption that could be used to verify their website’s authenticity and protect consumer information.
This quickly became a go-to security measure for large online retailers, especially once Microsoft officially adopted HTTPS. Rival protocols battled for a few years, but as SSL continued to evolve, global standards took hold. By the 2000s, HTTPS had become the universal way to protect data and assure individuals that a site was secure.
A Quick History of Google and HTTPS
As the Internet grew in the 2000s, HTTPS slowly expanded beyond commercial sites into other types of websites, including news and service organizations. It moved slowly because internet security was still relatively new. HTTPS was primarily relegated to website data behind logins, or data managed by particularly large organizations.
Google was surprisingly ambivalent about HTTPS for many years. It even refused to index HTTPS pages up through 2013.  It didn’t see those pages as an appreciable, easily measured part of the Internet. But this soon changed as Google realized the role it played by encouraging internet security through page rankings, and how it assigned value to online content.
Google algorithm updates focused on improving the quality and safety of the Internet. They added a new algorithm in 2014 designed to factor in secure sites of all kinds. And, for the benefit of users, they started labeling secured sites more prominently in Chrome.
This new algorithm had one primary purpose: It improved rankings for sites that invested in HTTPS security, in real time. This meant that companies could basically get a ranking boost just by switching to the HTTPS protocol.  However, there were difficulties in this approach. For one thing, while Google boosted HTTPS rankings, the company (probably unintentionally) made it difficult to change over to HTTPS with Google Webmaster Tools. Plus, the SEO boost that HTTPS provided was minuscule. This led companies to ask, “Well, why bother?” As a result, Google didn’t see the intended growth of HTTPS sites.
Google’s Latest HTTPS Change.
Fast-forward to the end of 2016: Data security has become more important than ever as security threats rise at an alarming rate. Today, Google has decided to take its HTTPS encouragement up several notches with a big upcoming change:

Companies that adopt HTTPS will be designated as “SECURE” on Chrome browsers.
Companies that don’t use HTTPS will now be labeled “NOT SECURE” when users open the site in Chrome. This will apply to all websites without HTTPS, no matter what other security measures they employ.
This change will go into effect in October 2017 – a swiftly approaching deadline.

Google didn’t mention whether or not it would add more weight to HTTPS in its ranking algorithm. They’re under no obligation to tell anyone if they’re changing the algorithm, so this move could easily be followed by harsher SEO penalties for HTTP-only sites.
What Should You Do About HTTPS?
Fortunately, Google is good about giving companies advice on what to do to improve their sites. If you’re worried, the company breaks down the solution into two different steps.
First: Make sure that all forms associated with passwords and credit fields of any kind are provided via the HTTPS protocol. That means the entire page at the top-level must be HTTPS, as well as any iframe inputs. Don’t make the mistake of simply searching for, and converting all your iframes: Google specifically says this won’t work – you need to make the entire page HTTPS to avoid the “Not Secure” warning.
Second: The first step is simply a patch to treat immediate symptoms. Your long-term solution should be to convert your entire site, in all its various forms, to HTTPS. The “Not Secure” warning will still show up on other pages without HTTPS. Customers may be less likely to notice it on, say, content-only pages, but it will be there, and you need to get rid of it.
Remember, October 2017 is the cutoff date, so it’s important to make the change to HTTPS if you want to prevent the Chrome warning label from showing on your site. If your site is hosted, look at the services and packages provided by your host. Most will offer an upgrade to HTTPS that allows for a quick site conversion. Check to see if you have room in the budget for this upgrade.
{company} helps businesses in {city} with security updates and data services. Contact us at {phone} or {email} for this, or other IT issues.