Think it can’t happen to you?
Many individuals simply operate on the assumption that no one is interested in what they have or their company is too small for criminals to bother with. This is called security through obscurity. If you operate under this assumption—you are wrong.
You are vulnerable if you:
- Keep logins (user names & passwords), documents, emails, personal financial information, etc. on your PC.
- Have access to company data such as corporate financial information, client data, credit cards, health records, etc.
Did you know that the average price for stolen credit and debit cards in the U.S. ranges from $5 to $30 each? Or that the credentials for an online payment service account, such as PayPal, with a balance between $5K and $8K can be sold for as much as $300?
Many times a simple hack of a victim’s email credentials can lead to great financial loss because all criminals know that most people use the same login credentials for multiple accounts (i.e. email, bank, credit card, payment services account, etc.). Now do you understand the ramifications of the Yahoo! email data breach where over 1 billion credentials were stolen?
Most of the time, cyber-criminals send mass SPAM emails to anyone they have a valid email address for. This is called phishing, and these emails sometimes number in the millions. They don’t care who they ensnare or whether you could afford to take a hit to your wallet or pocketbook. For criminals, it is just a pay day.
Another way is spear-phishing in which you are specifically targeted by a hacker, usually because of where you work. In these cases, criminals are looking for a way into a corporate network.
That’s why it is very unwise to click on links or open attachments in unsolicited emails from people you don’t know.
If you are the type of person that clicks first and worries about the consequences later, it is only a matter of time before you (and by extension—where you work) become a victim. In fact, your PC or company network could already be breached without you even knowing it.
For your online safety and that of your company, resist the urge to click!
The best approach to security is a layered defense: having a strong, managed firewall (hardware and software); keeping your anti-virus, operating system and 3rd party programs updated; having your network monitored, maintained and managed by a responsive Managed Services Provider (MSP); employee training; and finally employing a Hybrid-cloud Business Continuity solution.
XSolutions is an Elite Partner of Datto, the world leader in Hybrid-Cloud Business Continuity solutions whose systems protect 250+ Petabytes of data with over 800 employees around the globe. Call (845) 362-9675 and let us introduce you to the ultimate defense against data loss—whatever the cause.
