The constant fear of falling victim to scams has become a harsh reality and is far from ideal. That being said, the good news is that there is always time to acquire the skills needed to avoid such scams. Listed below are ways to enhance awareness regarding the challenges posed by scams, not only in a business context but also in everyday life.
Macro Systems Blog
If you are old enough to remember when, like most computer software, antivirus came in a large textbook-sized box at the store, then you probably remember a time when that was the only protection you really needed.
These days there are countless free versions of antivirus out there. How much protection do these actually provide, and when and where might they be a good fit?
We’re hoping that you are reading this post to prepare yourself in case your organization were to face a ransomware attack, but if you are suffering from one right now, we encourage you to reach out to us immediately, whether you are a client or not. Ransomware spreads quickly, and once it has infected a system, there really isn’t much you can do to stop it. That being said, there are steps you need to take to come back from this gracefully.
Unfortunately, some of the biggest retail days of the year are some of the biggest days for scams, the entire holiday season seeing an increase in threats toward retailers and, as a result, the consumers that are just looking for that perfect gift for their loved ones. Listed below are some statistics and trends to see what insights we can glean.
With ransomware becoming one of the most damaging threats out there for small businesses, it’s more critical than ever to know how to protect your organization from its influence. Fortunately, there are measures you can take, including some very powerful ones like zero-trust policies that can thwart attempted ransomware attacks.
You don’t need us to tell you that ransomware is a problem (or maybe you do–we mean, it’s a significant problem). It’s dangerous to both businesses and individuals, and it has become such a common threat that all organizations need to have a plan in place to address it with their staff. Listed below is a three-part strategy that you can use to approach ransomware in the most secure way possible.
With technology being a vital part of our lives and society, cyberthreats continue to evolve and pose significant risks. One such threat that is on the rise is browser hijacking attacks. Listed below are the dangers of these attacks, including the techniques employed by hackers, and how small and medium-sized businesses can protect themselves.
The Internet of Things, or IoT is everywhere. There’s a relatively good chance that a device that would be part of the IoT is within your reach right now, perhaps even on your person. Businesses of all kinds utilize the IoT for various purposes as well, but behind this usage lies significant risk from cyberthreats, and a shocking number of businesses seem to accept this risk without much concern… as in, the vast majority of surveyed businesses utilizing the IoT demonstrated a lack of protection but seemed not to be bothered by it.
One major nonprofit has become the victim of a disclosed major data breach, affecting 890 schools all across the US: the National Student Clearinghouse, or NSC. The organization has announced that they have experienced a significant data breach that has put their clients’ data at risk. What does this mean for affected organizations and their clientele?
Data privacy is absolutely imperative these days in both a business and individual context. In some locations, governments have introduced legislation to protect consumers, and in others, there is significant pushback in favor of fewer regulations on business. How does data privacy factor into your business’ operations?
You might see encryption as a major Advantage to your cybersecurity strategy, but it’s often utilized in a way that might have you guessing whether you really understand it. Listed below is a closer look into what encryption does to your data, as well as why it is essential for any business to ensure maximum privacy and security.
How often does your organization take it upon itself to ensure that those working for its success—your employees—are kept up to speed on cybersecurity? If your approach is to have your team sit in a room and watch a presentation once a year, it’s time to reconsider your training strategy. The impact that proper cybersecurity training can have, and who tends to have access to it, is discussed below.
We talk about phishing often here, and one method that usually flies under the radar is smishing, or phishing that is conducted via SMS messages. Although email phishing is perhaps the most common method of conducting these scams, you should also be prepared to take on smishing, as it comes with its own share of unique challenges and dangers.
Scams are everywhere in our highly digitized world, which makes it especially imperative that everyone is prepared to deal with them—both personally and professionally. The publication Consumer Reports’ cover feature for its August 2023 edition is dedicated to exactly this goal: helping its readers avoid the various scams and threats out there. Listed below is some of the advice shared in the article, and compare it to the best practices we recommend.
In 2004, a service called VirusTotal was launched and quickly became a popular antivirus and malware scanner to help detect threats in various files and URLs. It became popular enough that it was officially acquired by Google in 2012 and ultimately assimilated into Chronicle, a cloud-based security operations suite for enterprise businesses. However, despite this impressive pedigree, we find ourselves able to look to VirusTotal as a sobering reminder of how fickle cybersecurity can be, with the service being the source of some limited data exposure.


