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Be on your A-game this holiday season

Small security leaks can take down even the biggest of companies

Ordering Christmas presents, online payment. Online shopping, internet banking, spending money, holidays, vacations concept

Cyber crime has been on the rise this year, with businesses anxious about cyberattacks during the holiday season.  Being extra diligent about protecting your data should be at the top of the to-do list.

Boston-based cybersecurity firm Cybereason conducted a survey utilizing over a thousand cybersecurity professionals from businesses that were victimized by ransomware attacks.  More than half of the businesses from the survey are worried about attacks during the holiday season.

An article from the House of Representatives addressed to Members of the Committee on Oversight and Reform discussed what they’ve learned from the 3 major infrastructures attacks this year and could be used to prevent future attacks.

Small lapses led to major breaches

  • Colonial pipeline, a password linked to an old user profile was stolen.
  • JBS, the attackers gained access to an old network administrator account that had not been deactivated. It was protected only by a weak password.
  • CNA’s attackers convinced an employee to accept a fake web browser update from a commercial website.

Ransomware attackers took advantage of a company’s first line of defense, which in 2 of 3 cases was a password issue, to launch their attacks. As this year has proven, even large organizations are not immune to cyberattacks. This has further highlighted the importance of taking proper security measures.

Companies faced pressure to pay the ransom

  • Uncertainty over how quickly data could be restored
  • Trusting criminals to follow through on promise

Being the victim of a ransomware attack is sort of like buying merchandise from a stranger on Craigslist. The consumer gives money for a product and then has to trust the word of the stranger that it works. The idea of bad reviews is in the back of their minds, the people to make it go away are standing there, plus the money to pay is available, so they hand it over.

We all can learn a bit from companies like JBS and Colonial Pipeline when it comes to our data. No matter how minuscule it may seem, having a strong password and a good cybersecurity team to protect you will save you a lot of heartache later.

How to protect yourself during this holiday rush

  • Change your password
  • Utilize two-factor authentication
  • Don’t fall for phishing attempts
  • Use good anti-malware and make sure your computer is up to date

If you are worried about potentially being the next target of a cyberattack, please give us a call today to learn more about how we can protect you!