Tag Archive for: IT Support

Mobile Industry Teams Up to Deny #COVID19 Smishers

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The UK’s mobile and finance industries have teamed up with GCHQ’s National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) to better detect and block SMS phishing attempts designed to capitalize on the COVID-19 crisis.

Known as smishing, these attacks use similar social engineering and spoofing techniques as phishing emails but arrive as texts, tricking users into clicking on malicious links and/or divulging personal and financial information.

The current initiative is part of an ongoing NCSC-backed project by the Mobile Ecosystem Forum (MEF), Mobile UK and UK Finance centered around the MEF-developed SMS SenderID Protection Registry.

Organizations that sign up to the registry can protect their text message headers, making it difficult for fraudsters to impersonate their brand in fake SMS phishing attempts. The system will check to see if a message is being sent by a genuine organization and block it if not.

According to Mike Fell, head of cyber-operations at HM Revenue and Customs (HMRC), the current project builds on an HMRC trial which resulted in a 90% reduction in reports of the most convincing HMRC-branded SMS scams.

Some 50 banks and government organizations have signed up to have their text messages protected, with 172 SenderIDs registered to date. Over 400 unauthorized text variants are being blocked thus far, but the blacklist is growing all the time.

All of the UK’s major operators — BT/EE, O2, Three and Vodafone — have signed up, as have leading messaging providers including BT’s Smart Messaging Business, Commify, Firetext, Fonix Interactive, HGC Global Communications Limited, IMImobile, mGage, OpenMarket, SAP Digital Interconnect, Sinch, TeleSign, Twilio and Vonage.

“We are pleased to be supporting this experiment which is yielding promising results,” said NCSC technical director, Ian Levy. “The UK government’s recent mass-text campaign on COVID-19 has demonstrated the need for such industry collaboration in order to protect consumers from these kinds of scams.”

The news comes as the NCSC claimed an early win in its suspicious email reporting service which was officially launched this week.

It said more than 80 malicious web campaigns were taken down in a day after 5000 suspicious emails were flagged to the automated service for investigation.

 

We’re Cloudscape.

We believe you should have the best backup solutions for your business.

We’ll get to know your business and determine the most appropriate solution to meet your technical requirements while being commercially sensible in cost and productive with time.

If you feel that your data isn’t being backed up correctly, please get in touch.

 

News Source: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/mobile-industry-teams-up-deny/

Most Remote Workers Have Received No Security Training for a Year

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Two-thirds of remote workers in the UK haven’t received cybersecurity training over the past year, raising fears that they may be more susceptible to attacks as hackers adapt their tactics during the current crisis.

Norwegian app security firm Promon polled 2000 remote workers to better assess where organizations may be exposed during the pandemic.

It found that, as well as the majority not having received training over the previous year, 77% said they aren’t worried about security while working from home. Over-confidence can often lead to users making mistakes which land them in trouble.

What’s more, over three-fifths (61%) said they were using personal rather than corporate-issued devices to work remotely, increasing the chances that they aren’t properly protected, configured or aligned with corporate security policies.

“Lack of cybersecurity awareness training combined with distributed business software and applications that run within untrusted environments are some of the biggest issues organizations of all sizes are facing,” Promon co-founder, Tom Lysemose Hansen, told Infosecurity.

“This is particularly prevalent in SMBs, often due to insufficient funding. Organizations must ensure that they run business-critical apps in trusted and protected environments. There are many inexpensive cybersecurity awareness platforms on the market, which are specifically designed to help SMBs remain safe from attacks and, very crucially, protect endpoint devices.”

Reports have been flooding in from multiple vendors of a sharp increase in COVID-19-themed phishing emails. Google claimed it blocks 18 million malicious and phishing emails every day for its users.

Such threats can be used to deliver ransomware, BEC, credential-harvesting phishing, VPN malware and more.

Cyber-criminals are looking to capitalize on the widespread appetite for more information about the pandemic, as well as urgent communications between bosses, partners and employees, to trick users into clicking through.

With the entire family forced to stay indoors, home workers may also be more distracted than they would normally be.

 

We’re Cloudscape.

We believe you should have the best backup solutions for your business.

We’ll get to know your business and determine the most appropriate solution to meet your technical requirements while being commercially sensible in cost and productive with time.

If you feel that your data isn’t being backed up correctly, please get in touch.

 

News Source: https://www.infosecurity-magazine.com/news/most-remote-workers-received-no/

Communication is Key

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Communication is Key.

 

For any business owner or manager, there is always the worry that employees aren’t as productive working from home as they would be if they were in the office.

With internal communication being such a critical aspect to any business; if you don’t know what’s going on things can start to get rather messy very quickly.

 

Introducing, Microsoft Teams.

With the ocean of tools available to us on our workstations, it’s particularly problematic to figure out what’s the best to use. Microsoft Teams can and will solve all of your internal communicational challenges.

Teams is Microsoft’s answer to a single-pane-of-glass application casing a full range of our day to day communication & collaboration requirements.

 

Introducing; Instant Messaging.

Instead of having over 200 emails floating in your mailbox, Teams allows you to chat instantly with your workforce within its single platform environment, across any device that you use. Whether you need to send a message, a file attachment or just a reminder. By uniting the conversation, Teams provides a seamless way to converse individually or as a group without the confusion of numerous emails and countless attachment versions.

 

Introducing; Real-time document editing.

With Teams you’ll no longer have to worry about misplacing or losing track of files; files won’t get lost and rewritten in the email wormhole.

To maximise your collaboration, Microsoft Office Web Apps are all supported within Teams, so you can have several team members working on the same document at the same time.

 

Introducing; Voice/video calls.

You may be thinking: ‘I haven’t got time for all this messaging, can I just make a phone call?’ The answer quite simply is yes.  The Teams app features voice and video conferencing.  It is built from the foundations of Skype and allows you to host calls between 2 or more users.

 

This could be a great opportunity to look at your current processes, with a view to improving them regardless of the Coronavirus emergency. If you are already part of the Office365 ecosystem there are plenty of other apps that you have at your disposal and could use to increase the efficiency of your business.

 

WE’RE CLOUDSCAPE.

 

It’s our belief that you should have the best solutions for your business.

We’ll get to know your business so that solutions can be tailored around your operation.   We are commercially savvy, so we will always aim to find the most cost-effective, time-efficient solutions that meet your technical/performance requirements.  If you feel that your data isn’t being backed up correctly, please get in touch.

Making sure your team can work safely & efficiently

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Let us guide your business to Remote Working!

 

Protect your business at all times.

Protecting your business from cyber-crime should always be your biggest priority. You’ve probably got security covered in your office already – all of your computers have anti-virus software; you use a secure VPN and your data is stored away safely.

 

But what exactly is a VPN?

A ‘Virtual Private Network’ gives you online privacy & anonymity by creating a private network from a public internet connection.

VPNs hide your IP address so your online actions are untraceable. Most importantly, VPN services establish secure and encrypted connections to provide greater privacy than even a secured Wi-Fi hotspot.

 

Why do you need to use a VPN you ask?

Browsing the web or transacting on an unsecured Wi-Fi network means you could potentially be exposing your personal information and browsing activities. Which is why a virtual private network, more commonly known as a VPN, should be a must for anyone concerned about their online security and privacy. Especially from a business point of view.

 

When preparing for a potential office shut down, you may need to provide your employees with equipment and infrastructure in order for them to complete their duties from home. When doing this, it’s best to take this approach: If it’s not secure, there’s no point in having it.

 

In addition to a virtual private network, you should also consider a range of other security precautions such as: multi-factor authentication for all accounts and business accounts to protect information;  ensuring that all employees are using approved devices; ensuring that strict rules are enforced relating to anti-virus software and downloading obscure files if they are using work devices.

 

WE’RE CLOUDSCAPE.

 

It’s our belief that you should have the best solutions for your business.

We’ll get to know your business so that solutions can be tailored around your operation.   We are commercially savvy, so we will always aim to find the most cost-effective, time-efficient solutions that meet your technical/performance requirements.  If you feel that your data isn’t being backed up correctly, please get in touch.

The Fort of Cyber Security – What is a good Data Backup?

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Having a Data Backup is one thing, but a good one…

What exactly is a good Data Backup?

In this day and age, it’s essential to have backups of your entire IT system & infrastructure. With endless possibilities just around the corner, it’s only a matter of time before you lose everything.

The key to backing up your data is simple, just follow the 3-2-1 backup rule.

In other words, just make sure you’ve got more than 3 copies all in unique, separate locations.

You really want to make backing up data a part of your daily life cycle. If you happen to lose your data due to a hardware defect or ransomware attack, having a backup could save your business.

 

Where do you even start with a Data Backup?

There are lots of ways to back up your data. Each way has its own procedure. Still, here are some general guidelines when it comes to making a good backup:

 

Storage is cheap, so it makes the most sense to just back up everything.

Cloud storage offers some advantages over local storage.

The more places your data is backed up, the better.

Don’t underestimate the value of having physical copies of things

Identify what you need to back up.

Backing up isn’t an all-or-nothing proposition.

 

Never underestimate the importance of securing your data, having multiple, unique versions of your infrastructure or lastly, losing all your data to a malicious hacker.

 

What options of backup are available?

There are plenty of options to back up your data. It’s smart to understand the types of backup and get one that suits your requirements:

– External Hard Drives

– Cloud Backup

– Flash Drives

– Online Backup Services

 

A lot depends on the kind of data you’re protecting. Cybercriminals can use seemingly unimportant data and patch it together to commit identity theft. A strong backup strategy can make a big difference in your digital life and give you peace of mind.

 

** Get your FREE pinpoint guide on Data Backups below **

>Download the guide here<

We’re Cloudscape.

We believe you should have the best backup solutions for your business.

We’ll get to know your business and determine the most appropriate solution to meet your technical requirements while being commercially sensible in cost and productive with time.

If you feel that your data isn’t being backed up correctly, please get in touch.

The Fort of Cyber Security – What is Smishing?

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Pull up the drawbridge and protect your business from Smishing

But what exactly is Smishing?

The word ‘Smishing’ originates from both ‘SMS’ and ‘phishing’ combined. Phishing is the trickery of using imitation to get you to reveal personal, sensitive, or private information.

However, instead of using email, normal phone calls, hoax websites or VoIP, Smishing is carried out through text or SMS messages.

In similarity to both Phishing & Vishing, Smishing also uses a vast selection of scare tactics and emotional manipulation to trick you into giving up your information. The goal of is simple and exactly the same: To steal your money, your identity, or both.

 

Why is Smishing so perilous to my business?

Your private information needs to stay private, with a simple text message, that could all go up in flames.

Build a moat around your data and learn how to protect it, here are a few key tactics of Smishing:

 

The use of Social engineering – Leveraging your trust in order to obtain your private information

The threatening approach – “If you ignore this message you will be charged daily until you accept the terms”

Links & attachments (malicious) – Simple but effective, send 1000 texts with a single link, someone’s bound to click it

 

Along with various amounts of siege tools available, cybercriminals have an endless number of tricks to get your information.

 

How do you prevent Smishing attacks?

Everyone receives texts on a daily basis, most of the time they are from your friends, family or a legitimate source. But, every once in a while, you’ll be targeted by an anonymous number. To help you remain vigilant, below are some specific steps to prevent Smishing:

– Never reply to unknown numbers unless you are 100% confident it’s trustworthy

– Don’t reply to text messages riddled with errors & mistakes.

– Don’t click on any links or attachments within a text message.

– Never install applications that come through a text message, verify things first but always stick to the app store.

– If the preview looks dodgy, don’t even open it, just delete it.

 

Also, in order to maximise security for your mobile phone, we recommend a VPN. A Virtual Private Network will secure and encrypt any communication taking place between your mobile and the Internet on the other end. Therefore, giving you an extra layer of protection.

 

** Get your FREE pinpoint guide on Smishing below **

>Download the guide here<

We’re Cloudscape.

We believe you should have the best backup solutions for your business.

We’ll get to know your business and determine the most appropriate solution to meet your technical requirements while being commercially sensible in cost and productive with time.

If you feel that your data isn’t being backed up correctly, please get in touch.

The Fort of Cyber Security – What is Vishing?

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Protect your business from the realms of Vishing

But what exactly is Vishing?

The word ‘Vishing’ is a mixture of ‘voice’ and ‘phishing.’ In which Phishing is the method of using imitation to get you to reveal personal, sensitive, or private information.

However, instead of using email, normal phone calls, or hoax websites, Vishers use an internet telephone service (VoIP).

Using a vast selection of scare tactics and emotional manipulation, the aim is to trick you into giving up your information. These Vishers even create fake Caller ID profiles which make the phone numbers seem trustworthy & legit. The goal of Vishing is simple: steal your money, your identity, or both.

 

Why do I need to know about Vishing?

Alike anyone else, your identity is everything. Vishing can come in a variety of forms, you need to be ready to catch out what’s real & trustworthy, compared to what’s fraud and will steal everything from you.

The most common form arrives in the voice of your Bank or your Credit card company.

 

“Your personal account has been breached. Please call this number to reset your account.”

 

The method of approach here is to inflict anxiety and panic, the fear of losing everything you’ve worked so hard for.

You might also see Vishing in the form of excitement and freebies.

 

“Congratulations! You’ve just won our grand prize of a 2-week holiday to the Maldives.”

 

From this point of view that seems fantastic, however, you’ll soon be asked to pay a ‘returnable fee’ to claim the prize, you won’t get that back.

As you can tell, there are hundreds of different methods to trick you into paying money or sharing your details.

 

How do you prevent Vishing attacks?

Everyone receives phone calls on a daily basis, 100% of the time they are completely legitimate, however you’ll always get an unknown number pop up when you least expect it. To help you remain vigilant, below are some specific steps to prevent Vishing:

 

– Be aware

– Don’t give into pressure

– Ignore phone calls from unknown numbers (If they’re important they’ll leave a message that’ll give you an idea if they’re trustworthy)

– Stay calm, if you’re unsure just hang up

– Always be cautious, certain people can be very convincing

 

** Get your FREE pinpoint guide on Vishing below **

>Download the guide here<

We’re Cloudscape.

We believe you should have the best backup solutions for your business.

We’ll get to know your business and determine the most appropriate solution to meet your technical requirements while being commercially sensible in cost and productive with time.

If you feel that your data isn’t being backed up correctly, please get in touch.

Let us guide your business to Remote Working

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Let us guide your business to Remote Working!

 

If your employees have to work from home because of the Coronavirus emergency, the obvious question to ask is: Does your team have the equipment they need to work remotely?

 

With the majority of office devices being desktop, it’s important to consider sooner rather than later whether you need to buy laptops, should they need to access shared networks and if your business uses a Virtual private network.  It is advisable to provide your employees with safe and secure work laptops.

 

Due to increased demand, supply restrictions and shipping constraints, the availability of the required devices may be affected.  It is therefore essential that decisions are made with a degree of urgency.

 

You should also consider Telephony systems.  Could you utilise Office 365 to minimise costs (particularly if you are already using it)?  Or, should you instead consider other systems and online work phones such as VoIP?

 

Some of your employees may find working from home difficult. This is why every effort should be made to ensure your employees have an appropriate workspace at home. We do not suggest that you go out and buy everyone a desk and a chair. But we do advise that you clarify with your employees what their home working environment is, and offer support where it is possible and appropriate.

 

WE’RE CLOUDSCAPE.

 

It’s our belief that you should have the best solutions for your business.

We’ll get to know your business so that solutions can be tailored around your operation.   We are commercially savvy, so we will always aim to find the most cost-effective, time-efficient solutions that meet your technical/performance requirements.  If you feel that your data isn’t being backed up correctly, please get in touch.

The Fort of Cyber Security – What is Phishing?

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What exactly is Phishing?

Phishing is the attempt and procedure of trying to gather private information using fraudulent emails and websites.

It’s more so known as a cyberattack that uses disguised emails as a weapon. The aim of the cybercriminals is to trick the email recipient into believing that the message is something of high importance — a message from the bank, for instance, or a note from someone in their company. All in hope of getting them to click into the email and open up the attachments or worse, hit reply and send over there identity.

 

What are the different types of Phishing?

Phishing comes in all different shapes and sizes, with a mixture of attacks that all link together in the hope and goal to steal your information.

 

Deceptive Phishing – The most common type of attack, usually an email from a recognised sender, hoping to steal your information via the means of imitating a legitimate provider

Spear Phishing – More prominent on social media platforms, an email from a recognised sender with personalised information to gain your trust and hopefully your private information

CEO Fraud – Phishing aimed primarily at the big fish companies; specifically targeting executives. Used to authorise fraudulent financial transfers as well as key information all of the employees.

Pharming – The method in tricking the user onto a malicious website, by changing the IP address to a trusted name and gaining information via login forms that farm your details.

 

How do you prevent being targeted by phishing attacks?

Phishing attacks are easy to spot once you understand what they want from you and what they look like, whether they plan on stealing your identity, your money or just personal information, there are a few ways to tell if it’s real or attempted theft:

  • Always check the spelling of the URLs in email links before you click or enter sensitive information
  • Watch out for URL redirects, where you’re subtly sent to a different website with identical design
  • If you receive an email from a source you know but it seems suspicious, contact that source with a new email, rather than just hitting reply
  • Don’t post personal data, like your birthday, vacation plans, or your address or phone number, publicly on social media

 

** Get your FREE pinpoint guide on Phishing below **

>Download the guide here<

We’re Cloudscape.

We believe you should have the best backup solutions for your business.

We’ll get to know your business and determine the most appropriate solution to meet your technical requirements while being commercially sensible in cost and productive with time.

If you feel that your data isn’t being backed up correctly, please get in touch.

The Fort of Cyber Security – What is a VPN?

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But what exactly is a VPN?

A Virtual Private Network gives you online privacy & anonymity by creating a private network from a public internet connection.

VPNs hide your IP address so your online actions are untraceable. Most importantly, VPN services establish secure and encrypted connections to provide greater privacy than even a secured Wi-Fi hotspot.

 

Why do you need to use a VPN you ask?

Browsing the web or transacting on an unsecured Wi-Fi network means you could be potentially exposing your personal information and browsing endeavours. Which is why a virtual private network, more commonly known as a VPN, should be a must for anyone concerned about their online security and privacy. Especially from a business point of view.

 

How do you go about choosing a VPN?

What’s the best way to choose a virtual private network you’re probably thinking? Here are some questions to ask when you’re choosing a VPN provider:

– Do they respect your privacy?  (You’ll be surprised that not all providers will have a no-log policy…)

– Do they run the most current protocol?

– Do they set data limits?

– Where are the servers located?

– Will you be able to set up VPN access on multiple devices?

– How much will it cost?

 

** Get your FREE pinpoint guide on Virtual Private Networks below **

>Download the guide here<

We’re Cloudscape.

We believe you should have the best backup solutions for your business.

We’ll get to know your business and determine the most appropriate solution to meet your technical requirements while being commercially sensible in cost and productive with time.

If you feel that your data isn’t being backed up correctly, please get in touch.