With each new world-wide phase, cybercriminals remain on the attack. They are very adaptive to every situation and lurk around every corner. Here are the latest offenses in cybercrime: 

• Deliveries – Cybercriminals have taken to the streets. It may seem like a neighbor or an independent package delivery service sitting in a vehicle but anyone in proximity to your home or business may be looking for an “open” or public wifi to hack. In many cases, they do not even need to be sitting as close as your driveway to gain access, all depending on the perimeter of your wifi. It is crucial that you secure your routers. 

• Latest Phishing Scams – “More than 90% of successful attacks against businesses originate from phishing.” (KnowBe4). Pandemic-related scams may still trick some of the people some of the time; especially, those that look as if they come from charities looking for financial aid or are regarding mask shortages. Now, however, they also tend to appear as: 
  • A subscription service you have joined, such as Netflix or Amazon, that needs you to reset your password. 
  • Financial support for a candidate, including local candidates, for the upcoming election. 
  • An internal email coming from someone in the company regarding potential job loss.    

• Lack of Updates and Patches – Avast Press reports that “55% of PC software around the world is outdated”. Naturally, it is critically important to keep your antivirus software up to date; but it is just as important to keep your other applications updated as well. Companies that create these applications, update them for new features but more frequently to fix bugs and close backdoors that can otherwise be hacked. “A recent study conducted by Avast found that Skype, VLC Player, and Adobe Shockwave are the least-often updated apps, with over 90% of computers still using the outdated versions.” (DataProt). 

• “Smart” Home or Office Devices – They’re cool, they’re helpful, they can be hacked. Also known as the Internet of Things (IoT), they can include your appliances, home monitors, even your thermostat. They are anything you can check on, or interact with, over the network or via an application through a browser or Smart Phone. Then, through them, cybercriminals can gain access to your network and your private information. 

• Unprotected Smart Phones and Tablets – The typical computer user is aware that they need antivirus and security software installed on their desktop and laptop computers. What they don’t realize is that they also need to protect all their electronic devices. These devices are just as susceptible to being hacked and malware being implanted as a computer. In addition, malware is frequently being downloaded via messaging apps. Smart Phones and tablets are as vulnerable to phishing and other cybercrimes as email and computers. 

For more information about how to protect your employees, see our blog Remote IT Checklist, also, as a business owner, you need to purchase Cyber Insurance in case of a breach and to employ a Managed IT Service Provider. 

A trusted managed IT services provider keeps your cybersecurity measures in place. They monitor and maintain your networks and devices, do vulnerability scans to ensure up-to-date protection, and support your employees whether they are on-premise or working from home. 

At Concensus, our team of experienced IT experts remain vigilant and current to the activities of today’s cybercriminal. Contact us to remain up-to-the-minute with your cybersecurity.