Macro Systems Blog

Cyberattacks will only continue in the weeks, months, and years to come, making it increasingly essential that businesses have access to cybersecurity expertise. Even more unfortunately, professionals with this level of expertise are becoming harder to find. Globally, we’re short almost four million people, and those we have are prone to make mistakes in their first few years. This comes from a report by Kaspersky, entitled “The Portrait of Modern Information Security Professional,” Let’s review what the cybersecurity developer found and what we can take away from these findings.

It was very recently revealed that a global law enforcement effort took down a massive botnet that was in action for almost a decade. In light of this, we wanted to review what a botnet is and how it works, drawing from these events for some context.

The last few weeks have been spent discussing ransomware's impacts on different subsets. First, we discussed how a ransomware attack impacts the customers of the infected business, and then we touched on the infected business itself. To conclude, we want to take a look at ransomware's impacts on society, specifically regarding economic health and geopolitical security, known as third-order harms.

Data is extremely imperative in the way that most businesses conduct themselves. This results in other people wanting that information, too. Listed below is a look at how seemingly everyone online is out for your data. 

Have you heard of the “man-in-the-middle” attack or MitM? It’s a situation where your data is stolen by an onlooker who situates themselves in the right place at the right time. Data interception is a very real thing that your organization should be prepared to fight against. Listed below are some strategies you can use to counter these sneaky attacks.

We recently discussed the many impacts your business being hit by ransomware has on “second-order harm,” downstream businesses, and average, ordinary people. This time, we wanted to return to “first-order harms”… those the impacted business has to deal with itself.

It can be too easy to look at ransomware as a business problem; it does attack businesses, locking down their data for ransom, usually selling it or spreading it, and sometimes altering it for the business if returning it at all. It can be too easy to overlook another impacted target in all the mess.

What happens to the people whose data a business has collected and uses?

Phishing is one of the most prevalent issues individuals and businesses must confront when operating online. This is because there are literally billions of these scam attempts sent each day. That’s right, billions. With over a hundred billion scam attempts sent every year, your business is already getting phished, it’s just a matter of time before someone falls for it.

There are many parts of running a business where you can't be too careful, one of which is the realm of cybersecurity. Many of the preventative measures you can implement aim to keep issues from making their way to your infrastructure in the first place, which makes sense from an operational standpoint. With an endpoint detection and response solution—or EDR—you’ll take an important step toward keeping most threats off your infrastructure.

Encryption stands as a formidable shield for businesses, fortifying their security architecture. While often discussed in VPN contexts, its significance in securing email solutions cannot be overstated. Why is email encryption indispensable for businesses of all sizes? 

On Wednesday, April 10, 2024, Apple deemed it necessary to send a rare alert to certain users via email, spread out across 92 nations. As Apple’s website states, these threat notifications “are designed to inform and assist users who may have been individually targeted by mercenary spyware attacks.” Listed below is a review of these attacks so we all comprehend this threat better.

Small businesses are presented with the challenging prospect of monitoring and policing various IT-related policies that you might have for your network infrastructure and workplace technology use. The difficulty of this notion does little to lessen its importance. You need to take action to protect your assets, data, and reputation from the countless threats out there, and ensuring that your employees are properly using technology is paramount to this endeavor.

When considering your organization’s cybersecurity, it is imperative not to lose sight of the forest for the trees… or, in other words, not to forget the basics around which the rest of your protections are built.

Securing your accounts against unauthorized access begins with the implementation of a strong password. It's imperative to recognize that not all passwords offer the same level of protection. Listed below are five essential guidelines to ensure the security of your accounts.

Safeguarding your business' infrastructure from various threats is a well-known imperative. In discussions about network security, the term "endpoint" frequently arises. Exploring the significance of securing all endpoints is the focus of today's article.

Mobile malware isn’t common, but it’s growing increasingly more so. You may have heard of a malware called XLoader, which has been utilized to victimize people in over seven countries. This mobile threat has seen various iterations over the past several years, but you should be especially concerned these days.

The effectiveness of your business' IT security heavily relies on the functionality of your IT operations. Making sure that your staff comprehends their role in safeguarding your business assets is critical. Let’s delve into the essential priorities for establishing a robust security training platform, an indispensable element in fortifying your business' IT defenses.

For the IT administrator and the small business owner, it can be a bewildering experience when your organization comes under siege from employee-induced cyberthreats; especially if you, like many other organizations, have started prioritizing security training. Even if the threat is thwarted early and the effect on the business is negligible, it is critical that you trust the people who have access to your organization’s digital resources. Listed below are some of the reasons some of your staff take cybersecurity initiatives worse than others. 

It’s an unfortunate fact that all businesses will inherently face some type of threats during their operations; that’s inevitable. From cyberattacks to natural disasters to good, old-fashioned accidents, you’re liable to face no small risk. This risk makes a process known as risk mitigation so imperative for all businesses to undergo with some regularity.

Listed below are the aspects of creating and maintaining a dependable risk mitigation strategy.

You might have noticed that business insurance companies are starting to show an interest in how you are protecting your technology and data. If your org has been in touch with your insurance provider regarding modifying or renewing your business insurance, you were likely handed a lengthy questionnaire about your cybersecurity. Let’s take a look together to help you make informed decisions on how to handle your IT and how to prevent your insurance costs from skyrocketing.