Each week we scour the web to discover the latest developments, news and tips that will help you keep your technology (and your business) safe and secure.
Here are the most interesting articles we’ve found this week that could be helpful to you:
Ransomware threat highlights why backing up data is essential
A stark reminder that a good backup is the only thing that can save your data. Please – back up your data regularly.
Among other things, one the key message emanating from this particularly painful case was in the undisputable importance of backing up data. As the journalist noted in a follow up article – in which he detailed how much effort and cost is required to reclaim back some of his digital life – he now swears by it. It is way of life for him:
“When you control your data locally, and have it stored redundantly, no one can take it from you. Not permanently, at least. I’ve now got a local and online backup solution, and I’m about to add a second off-site backup into that mix. That means I’ll have four copies of everything important to me. Overkill? Probably. But I’m once bitten.”
Cybercrime: A Black Market Price List From The Dark Web
Sometimes, attackers can’t use the machines they’ve hacked themselves. So – they’ll sell access to it to the highest bidder on the black market. Have you ever wondered how much a much a hacked machine rents for these days? The guys over at Dark Reading found out.
For years now, security researchers have observed the evolution of the cybercrime economy, as malware authors, identity thieves and fraudsters have peddled their wares in a marketplace that has grown increasingly specialized in its division of labor.
Today, the menu of options is staggering, with many widely available items and services becoming quickly commoditized. Social security numbers, stolen credit card numbers and full identity information run for as cheap as a few bucks each.
5 things you should know about two-factor authentication
Two-Factor Authentication and Two-Step Verification are essential methods to protect the access to your systems. Here are some useful things to know about these methods.
One of the best pieces of security advice any computer expert can give you is to enable two-factor authentication for websites that support it. With password breaches so common nowadays, it could be the one thing that keeps hackers from stealing your identity online. Here are five points to help you understand this technology.
Petya ransomware eats your hard drives
Another week, another piece of ransomware.
This nasty version starts with a HR related phishing message with a Dropbox link to land the dropper. Once you do, your data is held hostage. Same old tricks but, still highly effective.
It looks like 2016 should be declared a year of ransomware, as new families and new versions are popping up every now and then like mushrooms after the rain.
Ransomware is evolving — fast.
The new versions of ransomware use strong asymmetrical encryption with long keys so that files cannot be decrypted without the key. The bad guys have started using TOR and payments in bitcoins for the sake of staying totally anonymous. And now there is Petya ransomware which in a certain sense encrypts the whole hard drive all at once instead of encrypting files one by one.
Lessons Learned While Protecting Gmail
Google’s Abuse Team deals with a plethora of online threats every single day. Here’s a great great video about the lengths they go through to keep Gmail and Google Apps safe, and the lessons they’ve learned while doing it.