Hackers Take the Law Into Their Own Hands, Is This a Good Thing?

In 2015, we saw countless hacking attacks against major corporations, from health insurance providers like Blue Cross Blue Shield and Anthem, to government offices, like the United States Office of Personnel. Due to the stigma associated with hacking, we often forget that there are a lot of hackers out there who try to use their skills for good--or, at least, less awful purposes.

Vigilantism is a frowned-upon and dangerous practice. Even though it’s been immortalized and glorified by various superheroes, like Batman and the Green Arrow, it’s a slap in the face to the laws that govern the land. However, there are situations where it takes criminals to defeat criminals. Hackers who use their skills to take down other criminals might seem admirable, but it’s important to consider why society may benefit from their actions.

Authorities are having a hard time protecting people from the surge of questionable online activity, and the fact that the world has let the Internet become a place where the message of hatred, bigotry, and fear-mongering can reach the world’s population in unprecedented ways. On the other hand, whether or not the actions of hacktivists like Anonymous are right is up for debate. While they might not be attacking users for the sake of attacking them, they’re still performing illegal activity. This fact can’t be ignored. However, if their cyber attacks on terrorist groups and other dangerous entities can help to make the world a safer, less hate-filled place, we think that’s something that even the authorities can agree with.

Whether or not your business is the target of vigilante hacking groups like Anonymous might not be apparent, but we can assure you that there are plenty of bad hackers out there who would do anything to get ahold of your business’s private and sensitive information. Regardless of what type of hacker is targeting you, you need to be prepared with a Unified Threat Management (UTM) solution designed to keep your business safe from all manners of threats. A UTM is a comprehensive security tool that combines enterprise-level firewalls and antivirus solutions with preventative measures, like spam-blocking and content-filtering solutions. The goal of a UTM is to limit your organization’s exposure to online threats as much as possible, reducing your chances of being targeted.

It should be mentioned, though, that no solution is perfect. Just like the world will always contain cruel and unusual entities, the Internet will spawn some vile threat that may one day seep between the cracks of your defenses. When that time comes, at least you’ll be ready.

What are your thoughts on the increased hacktivist activity? Do you think that what they’re doing is right, or should they be punished for breaking the law? Let us know in the comments. If you’d like any more information about UTMs and other security solutions, reach out to us at (732) 360-2999.

Tip of the Week: What to Do When Passwords aren’t Strong Enough to Secure Your Data

More often than not, it’s always recommended that you use a solid password to optimize your online accounts. However, just because passwords are critical, doesn’t mean that you should put all your eggs in one basket. Passwords should only be the start of a comprehensive online account security setup.

First, we’ll explain why passwords have lost their edge in recent times, and some of the great ways to overcome their shortcomings that are available.

Why Passwords Are Insufficient
The use of passwords has come to be known as single-factor authentication, which grows less secure as time goes on. This is because the tools that hackers use to infiltrate accounts have grown increasingly advanced over the past few years, which also means that the damage that they can inflict has also increased substantially. Passwords are an impossible situation either way; either you make them so complex that you can’t remember them, or you make them simple enough to remember, but they’re not very secure. Hackers have all sorts of tactics available to them, including stealing passwords from databases, coercing credentials through spear phishing tactics, or even brute-force attacks where the hacker tries as many passwords as it takes to crack your security.

What Your Alternatives Are
The best way to approach account security and access control, in general is to take a two-pronged approach. On one hand, you’re going to need some form of two-factor authentication, which requires extra credentials and makes logging into accounts much more difficult for hackers. The idea is that these secondary credentials are sent to a device currently in the possession of the employee using the credentials, like in the form of an SMS message or phone call. This means that hackers will need access to both the password and the physical device to take advantage of an account. These criminals often find the extra effort unappealing and will move on to different targets.

An additional part of two-factor authentication is keeping an eye on your account access logs. You want to make sure that nobody is accessing your network or online accounts without prior permission. More importantly, monitoring your access logs helps to make sure that hackers haven’t obtained your credentials and aren’t using them to infiltrate your network. The most common case is hackers using legitimate credentials to access an account, and the security solution sees it as normal activity. If you’re monitoring your access logs, you can dodge problems like this.

In addition to two-factor authentication practices, we also like to recommend that your business use an enterprise-level password management system. By storing all of your passwords in a secure application, you can effectively utilize complex passwords for all accounts, pushing your password security through the roof.

For more information about two-factor authentication and password managers, give Net It On a call at (732) 360-2999.

Are Mobile Devices in the Workplace Worth the Risks?

With so many great mobile devices at your team’s disposal, it’d be a shame to not allow them to use their devices in the workplace. This trend, known as Bring Your Own Device (BYOD), has been taking the workplace by storm, and offers a great way to enhance productivity both in and out of the office. BYOD, while a great asset, should only be approached with caution, as the slightest oversight could expose sensitive information to the world.

The Security Risks
We’re talking, of course, about the security of data. Businesses that use mobile devices for work purposes will undoubtedly be taking their information on the road, which in itself presents several unique problems that need to be addressed. In order to effectively leverage your organization’s mobile devices for maximum productivity, be sure to address the primary issue that stems from BYOD: the control of data stored on mobile devices.

For example, let’s say that an employee stores sensitive client information on their personal mobile device. This device isn’t regulated or controlled by company policy, so what would happen if the device were to become corrupted or attacked by viruses or malware? The employee might have thought it a great idea to be even more productive outside of the office, but now, you have a data leakage disaster on your hands.

The most common way of addressing BYOD concerns over data leakage is integrating a mobile device management (MDM) solution. An MDM is often a software solution that helps businesses restrict what’s capable of accessing data stored on applicable devices. Apps can be restricted or allowed access to data depending on their uses.

The Benefits
Security risks shouldn’t be enough to dissuade you from taking full advantage of BYOD. By taking a careful and thought-out approach to BYOD, there are countless benefits that can be reaped. As reported by ITProPortal, here are three major benefits of BYOD for small businesses:

• More productivity: Letting employees use their own devices for work allows them to be more productive, simply due to the fact that they’re more familiar with their own devices than those provided by the company. This also tends to improve morale, which can be a powerful motivator in itself. If employees are carrying around a productivity machine in their pockets, they might even be willing to work from home, too!
• Cost-efficiency: Why bother spending money on mobile devices for your team, if they all have devices that they can use themselves? By allowing employees to bring their own devices, or at least pay a portion of the cost for desired services and devices, you’ll be lessening the amount of overall expenses that you’re spending on your company’s tech needs. This money can be better used on other initiatives, like projects that are designed to increase your profitability.
• Consistent updates: Employees that manage and maintain their own devices are more likely to make sure their devices are up-to-date with the latest patches and updates. Doing so is important for the same reason that updating desktop software is important. It shores up device vulnerabilities in operating systems and applications, allowing for a more secure experience.

If you’re ready to take full advantage of mobile devices, reach out to Net It On to discuss your specific mobile device policy needs. We’ll help you determine the best approach to BYOD. To learn more, give us a call at (732) 360-2999.

6.4 Billion Devices to Be Connected to the Internet By Year’s End!

The Internet of Things is a trend that has been a long-time coming. Some of the devices it brings are great for productivity and efficiency, but others are still relatively useless. Regardless, it’s estimated by the IDC that global Internet of Things (IoT) spending will exceed $1.3 trillion by 2020. With such a large amount of capital being invested in IoT devices, your organization will need to know all there is to know about the Internet of Things.

The Internet of Things is a collective term for the horde of wireless devices that connect to the Internet. This includes your workstation, laptop, or smartphone, along with more minor devices that you wouldn’t ordinarily consider Internet-connected. These devices are usually consumer-based, but can include any of the following:

• Smart watches
• Digital cameras
• Fitness tracking technology
• Household appliances, like blenders, coffee makers, etc.
• Baby monitors
• Home and building automation, like security cameras, thermostats, door locks, etc.
• Smart cars

This list barely scratches the surface, too. Gartner’s IT glossary is even more liberal with its definition, stating that the Internet of Things is:

[...] the network of physical objects that contain embedded technology to communicate and sense or interact with their internal states or the external environment.

Basically, these devices communicate with each other, and they’re designed to make life easier through the use of smart technology. Even though most of these devices are for the average consumer, this hasn’t stopped the Internet of Things from making its way to the business environment. Gartner predicts that by the end of 2016, there will be over 6.4 billion devices that connect to the Internet, with 5.5 million new devices being added every day.

While the IoT is especially helpful for the manufacturing and transportation industries, many of these consumer-targeted devices will likely fall into the hands of your employees, which brings about an entirely new problem in the form of security. The numerous Internet-connected devices attached to the IoT could potentially access sensitive information that they shouldn’t be privy too. There’s also the ever-present threat of these devices being infected by viruses, malware, and other threats. If the infection spreads throughout your infrastructure, dealing with IoT devices can quickly become more trouble than they're worth.

Therefore, the clear resolution to this problem is to integrate a comprehensive plan outlining the role that IoT devices and BYOD play in your organization, as well as the potential threats of allowing them access to your network. Users who plan on bringing in their devices from home should need to register these devices with IT, or at least verify that they’re not a threat to any sensitive information on the network. If you start adding devices to a network haphazardly, it could drastically affect operations. Not only does it present a security risk, but unexpected network traffic from the new devices could present a bandwidth concern, which could lead to downtime and unnecessary expenses.

The Internet of Things and all of the problems it comes with can be a lot to take in, especially if you’re a business owner with a ton on your plate. Net It On would be happy to assist you with all of your technology concerns. To learn more, give us a call at (732) 360-2999.

Tip of the Week: When Was the Last Time You Cleaned Your PC?

A clean computer is one that you can rely on. Like all other kinds of technology, a computer needs regular maintenance and cleanup sessions that preserve its working ability and prolong its life. Since January is Clean Up Your Computer Month, there’s no time like the present to ensure that your PC is squeaky clean. Here’s how you can give your computer and its components a comprehensive cleaning.

Before you start cleaning your PC, you should be sure to power the PC down and unplug it from the power supply. Doing so makes sure that you don’t accidentally damage both yourself or the PC while cleaning it.

The Monitor
Believe it or not, you might not immediately realize that your monitor is in need of some serious cleaning. Just take a good, hard look at it. Dirt, dust, fingerprints, and other grime can accumulate, giving your monitor a very nasty look. If your monitor is in especially gross condition, it might even be difficult to read what’s on the screen. Hopefully it never gets that way, but you should know that cleaning your monitor once in awhile can go great lengths toward enhancing your user experience.

The process is easy enough, as long as you keep one imperative rule in mind: Absolutely do not spray any liquids directly on the screen. Spraying something at the screen makes it much more difficult to control, which means that the chances of chemicals or water seeping into the monitor are greater. In most cases, your best bet is to use a damp cloth to wipe the monitor down. Water should work fine, but for LCD displays you’ll want to consider using rubbing alcohol. As always, take a minimal risk when cleaning the monitor, and you shouldn’t have any trouble. Once the screen is clean, all you have to do is vacuum away any remaining dust, and make sure that any monitor vents aren’t obstructed.

The Keyboard
As you might guess, the keyboard is the grimiest part of your PC setup. In fact, keyboards are known to hold more bacteria and germs than the average toilet seat. This is why it’s so important to clean your keyboard from time to time, if not regularly. Before starting, it’s important that your PC is powered down when you unplug the keyboard from the computer. If you’re using an older keyboard and you don’t power your PC down first, it could cause some severe problems, but it’s more likely that you’re using a USB-connected keyboard. Either way, make sure you shut down the PC, just to be safe.

First, you’ll want to make sure that you have a surface nearby that’s easy to wipe off. You’ll be turning your keyboard upside down and shaking it. Just take a moment to appreciate all of the nasty particles that accumulate underneath the keys. All of that is dust, food, and dead skin. Next, you should use a can of compressed air to dislodge some of the more stubborn particles. Depending on how nasty they are, you might have to remove keys to get the best clean. To safely remove a key, press down on the key directly beneath it, and insert a flat object (like a butter knife or a flat-head screwdriver) under the key. Apply the proper leverage and it should pop off easily enough. From there, it’s as simple as blowing compressed air and carefully wiping down surfaces that need it. As long as you haven’t spilled soda or coffee on your keyboard, this process should be good enough to achieve a decent level of cleanliness.

The PC Itself
Cleaning the rest of your PC is mostly a matter of looking at the fans on the computer casing. These fans are responsible for cooling the system, but when they start to collect dust, a PC might be at risk of overheating. An overheating PC can lead to serious long-term damage, like hardware failure or data loss. The best way to take the fight to this inevitable issue is to use a can of compressed air. Blow the dust away from the fan, not into the computer casing.

It’s a pretty good idea to give your PC a once-over with compressed air. Dust can accumulate on a piece of machinery that remains stationary for too long, and a computer is no exception. As mentioned before, steer clear of spraying any liquid anywhere inside or outside a computer, unless you know exactly what you’re doing. You don’t want to ruin any internal components of your PC while trying to clean it.

It’s a best practice to clean out your PC hardware every 6-to-12 months, but this can vary depending on how dusty your working area is. You’ll most likely be cleaning only the computer case fans, but it’s also a good idea to clean the inner mechanisms of your PC on occasion. Doing so can be dangerous without the oversight of a professional IT technician though, so proceed at your own risk. If you’re ever unsure of whether or not you’re handling your tech correctly, give Net It On a call. We’d be happy to advise you on PC cleaning best practices.

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Bitcoin Use Reaches Record Levels, Despite Its 2014 Fiasco

Bitcoin, a cryptocurrency used for anonymity on the web, was once the hottest thing on the cyber market. Everyone thought it was a great innovation that allowed for improved online privacy for transactions. Thanks to some rather complicated matters, though, Bitcoin took a nosedive and has needed some time to get back on its feet. Now, it seems people are finally using Bitcoin again, and in a never before seen quantity.

The fall of Bitcoin, according to WIRED magazine, is directly linked to the falling through of a major Bitcoin exchange, Mt. Gox, as well as the sketchy activity associated with Silk Road, the online drug trafficking market that enjoyed the anonymity of Bitcoin. Based in Tokyo, Japan, Mt. Gox was responsible for handling nearly 70 percent of all Bitcoin transactions. However, following an immense hacking attack, which left over $450 million worth of Bitcoin missing or stolen, Mt. Gox was forced to declare bankruptcy in 2014. Authorities claim that the screw-up was caused by a relative lack of management, experience, and apathy.

As you can imagine, losing 850,000 Bitcoins is pretty shocking, especially since nobody knew where they went. The estimated worth of these Bitcoins at the time of the theft was greater than $450 million, making it a massive, crippling heist. By all logic, Bitcoin should be a thing of the past, used only by hackers and those with questionable motives; but here’s the kicker. Bitcoin is being used more than ever before. In fact, its usage per day peaked in late December 2015, perhaps in response to the holiday season.

Bitcoin’s main draw for investors is the technology behind it, known as the blockchain, which many believe can be used for stock exchanges and other purposes. As defined by WIRED:

The blockchain is essentially a database running across a vast array of independent machines. With Bitcoin, it oversees the exchange of money. But it can oversee the exchange of anything that holds value, including stocks, bonds, and futures as well as houses and car titles.

There are plenty of Bitcoin startups and veteran organizations alike who want to use the blockchain technology to make Bitcoin more usable, including Coinbase, a Bitcoin exchange company in San Francisco, California. Their most notable contribution is the development of a Bitcoin debit card, which allows users to spend Bitcoin anywhere that accepts a VISA card. The main draw of doing this is that organizations can avoid the processing fees associated with credit card transactions, so the idea is that businesses will start to accept Bitcoin as payment without the cards in the future. Wouldn’t that be something?

With all of these new developments in Bitcoin technology, perhaps we’ll see a world where Bitcoin is used by more than just people who have something to hide. Maybe we’ll even see an increase in use of other kinds of cryptocurrency, including everyone’s favorite, Dogecoin-- the adorable cryptocurrency based on the derpy charm of a goofy Shiba Inu dog.

What are your thoughts on the return of Bitcoin? Are you an avid user of the cryptocurrency? Let us know in the comments.

PC Users Share Some of the Blame For Falling Victim to Hack Attacks

Many computer users make use of security tools that limit their exposure to hackers, and they generally understand that hacks are something that can realistically happen to them. On the other hand, there are plenty of other folks out there who don’t worry enough. They might think their PC holds no value to the average hacker, but they’re wrong.

This should come as no surprise to any security-minded business owner, but some people think that they’re not important enough to be hacked. They believe that they’ve got an invisible shield between themselves and hackers, who want nothing more than to steal anything and everything they can get their grubby little hands on. Chances are that cybercriminals have found a way to monetize just about any form of data that can be harvested from a computer, be it simple and benign, or up close and personal.

Even the most civilianized PC holds valuable data to hackers, and all it takes is the infiltration of a virus or a piece of malware to end everything. Once a PC is infected, the possibilities are, quite literally, endless. Hackers can enslave your machine and use it against others by turning it into a botnet, or they can rig it with spyware and trojans to collect information over time. They can gain access to social media and email accounts, online shopping accounts, and bank accounts. They can even turn your PC into a spambot to spread threats to other systems.

To emphasize just how dangerous an infected PC can be, check out this infographic used by Brian Krebs on his security website:

As you can see, there are a plethora of options that a hacker has when infecting your computer. The unfortunate fact of the matter is that any PC or workstation is going to hold some sort of sensitive credentials, regardless of who’s using it, and for what purpose. Especially in the business environment, you need to be taking advantage of comprehensive security measures that limit your exposure to threats, and proactively eliminate those that you are exposed to. The goal of taking proactive measures to protect your organization is to catch small issues and correct them before they turn into crippling problems that are more difficult to resolve.

To this end, a Unified Threat Management (UTM) tool is a much-desired solution. The UTM takes powerful security tools, like an enterprise-level firewall and an antivirus solution, and combines them with preventative tools like web content filtering and spam blocking to make sure that your workstations, and the network they’re connected to, are minimally exposed to threats. While it’s still not a full guarantee that you’ll completely avoid hacks, the chance of you running into them is still negligible compared to those who simply “hope” to avoid hackers.

If your business is ready to start taking security seriously, give Net It On a call at (732) 360-2999. We can work with you to shore up any weak points in your company’s infrastructure, and advise your staff on security best practices.