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Know and Protect Your Network From These Malware Threats

Every day, new malware is discovered that threatens U.S. business and individual security. Continue reading to learn about six of the most recent named and dangerous malware threats.  

Back in 2018, U.S. Cyber Command was restructured to become an officially unified combatant command–meaning that it now acts as its unit organized under its commander who reports directly to the Defense Secretary. This critical change became necessary following an increasing amount of sophisticated cyber attacks. Hackers are constantly evolving, constantly upping the ante, and the U.S. Cyber Command is now one of our frontline defenses against those attacks. One way they have assisted the entire country is by diagnosing and alerting the general public of new malware. This is critical information that every business owner and the tech-savvy individual should keep up-to-date on to protect their assets and data.

Know Digital Threats: 6 Dangerous Malware & How to Stop Them

The Basics of Malware

The word malware is a mash-up of malicious software. It is thereby defined as any software that is malevolently used to steal data, compromise computer functionalities, bypass admin controls, or otherwise cause an issue with another person or organization’s computer. As you might expect, malware is a broad umbrella term that encompasses different types of attacks, such as viruses, adware, and Trojan horses.

The 6 New Dangerous Malware Named by the U.S. Cyber Company

There are always new types of malware being created and deployed by malevolent forces. The six new dangerous types of malware announced by the U.S. Cyber Company are ones discovered to have been used by a government-backed North Korean hacking group. These six types of malware have been unleashed against various U.S. targets, but it is yet unknown the scale of those attacks, or all who were targeted. This is why all businesses and professionals need to keep abreast of the latest digital security news.,

The six new dangerous malware named were as follows:

• Bistromath. This is a variety of trojan horse that features full remote access to allow the hacker to perform file uploads and downloads, system surveys, process and command executions, and, very worryingly, monitor microphones, screens, and clipboards.
• Slickshoes. This is a form of dropper malware that can load information onto a computer but cannot execute.
• Hotcroissant. This is a full-featured becoming implant that, once it finds its way into a host computer network, will perform many of the same functions as the Bistromath.
• Artfulpie. This is another implant malware that will download into a host network and then load its memory to execute dangerous DLL files.
• Buttetline. Another implant, this one utilizes a faux HTTPS scheme that makes it incredibly hard for many malware-detection security systems to detect.
• Crowdedflouder. This type of malware executes via Windows to unpack and enable a remote access trojan within the computer’s memory system.

Essential Tips for Preventing Malware Infection From Impacting You & Your Business

The hackers may be getting more sophisticated every year, but so are the good guys. Your browsers, plugins, applications, and software all have teams of tech gurus working on them to make them safer and more resilient to outside attacks continually. The following is a look at a few tips and ways to leverage those assets and be smart to prevent a malware infection:

• Update all of your browsers, operating system, plugins, applications regularly, and whenever prompted. Ask for a schedule by your tech team if applicable.
• Never click on any email links or download attachments from unknown or untrusted sources. If you manage a business, make this a company-wide policy. Be wary of any phishing emails from firms you might otherwise trust (such as your financial institution). Always use a separate tab to log into such sources.
• Practice creating strong passwords and change them at least once every four months.

Contact Our Team for More Information

Subscribe to our blog to stay up-to-date on the latest tech and digital security news and contact us if you have any questions about staying safe from malware.

Metadata Gives You Control of Disorganized Online Filing Systems

SharePoint gives you a simple solution to keep your online files organized, using metadata to create customized ways to sort and find the information you need.

It’s an all-too-common occurrence. You need to send a business file to a colleague or client. You hesitantly open your file manager window and shudder. Soon, you’re navigating through generations of file folder structures, organizational schemes, and naming conventions that have long been abandoned. An hour later, having spent far too long hunting for the file in question, you find the desired info and can attach it to your email.

Keeping business information organized is not easy. Files, folders, names, and systems come and go, often discarded in a digital graveyard.

Fortunately, there’s a standard Microsoft tool to help you keep information organized.

Can I Use SharePoint to Organize Data?

SharePoint is a popular app included in Office 365 and other enterprise versions of the popular productivity suite. In SharePoint, which is essentially a digital document library, you can file documents, create folders, and share with internal and external teammates. It also can use key organizing features to help reduce the chaos in your filing.

The key is metadata. Nearly every file you use has metadata associated with it. Think about some of the common attributes you know about files — file name, creation date, file size, and file type are just a few.

Whenever you change the name of a file, for example, you change its metadata.

The beauty with SharePoint is that you can easily create new metadata categories and use tools to add details. Once the details are entered, you can search and filter on the new metadata to quickly find what you need.

How Can I Use SharePoint Metadata to Organize Work Files?

Here is a step-by-step guide to using SharePoint metadata for file organization. For the purposes of this example, let’s pretend we’re trying to organize social media messages for a marketing campaign. We are going to launch the campaign on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter and use video, text, and image files.

Step 1: Find the Files

Start by navigating within SharePoint to the library or document list that contains the files you want to organize. Be sure that you are the site owner to access the tools that allow for customized metadata.

Step 2: Build the Categories

Each new category of metadata will become another column within the document list. Select “Add Column” and give it a name. In our example, our first new column will be “Platform.”

When you create a new column, you can select its type. Among the options are Single line of text, Multiple lines of text, Number, Yes/No, Person, Date, Choice, Hyperlink, and Picture. For our example, we’d probably select Choice and add in the social media platforms.

We can add a second new column for “Media Type” and again choose Choice and enter in Video, Text, and Image as options. If we wanted, we could add a third new column, call it “Completed” and make it a Yes/No type.

Step 3: Apply the Metadata

In our list of social media posts, we can now apply new metadata tags for Platform, Media Type, and Completed. SharePoint has a great feature called Quick Edit that lets you apply metadata to all the documents in a list. You can run through each library option and apply, for example, which items are video entries, which are for Facebook and which are still in progress.

While it can be a bit tedious to go through an existing list of documents, in the long run, the work will pay off handsomely.

Step 4: Filter to Find

The metadata tags allow you to filter on any of the columns (just like a click on the Name column can give you an alphabetized list). Want to see what creatives are ready for each platform? Click on that column heading to see a sortable list. The same goes for looking at posts by type or completion status.

SharePoint is a powerful way to keep your documents organized and searchable in different ways.

The 7 PC Myths Draining Your Business Technology Budget

Evaluating your business technology budget? These 7 PC myths could be costing you a lot of money. From slow computers to hacker vulnerability, see how to fix it.  

Think you’re saving money by keeping those old PCs running in the office? Think again. An Intel study found that using a business PC that’s older than five years costs the business nearly $700 a year in repair and maintenance costs alone. What other costly PC myths are draining your technology budget?

Myth #1: A Slow Computer Has a Virus

Slow computers are productivity killers. If you have slow PCs, studies show that the average employee loses 40 min/day due to downtime.

That’s on top of 29% reduced productivity due to slower processing.

For many years, office workers have proclaimed, “it’s got a virus”. But the truth is there are many reasons that computers slow down over time. And your technology solutions partner will have many troubleshooting techniques in their tool belt to speed up slow work stations.

So if the virus scanner turns up nothing, know that you have options. Here are just a few things you can try:

• Clearing caches and history
• Rebooting if you haven’t rebooted for a few days
• Closing programs and re-opening (not a good long-term solution)
• Reducing the number of start-up programs
• Checking for conflicting malware protectors

Myth #2: Macs Don’t Get Viruses

Who knows where this one started? Probably Apple or Apple enthusiasts trying to get a foothold in the business computer market. Truth, Macs are just as susceptible to malware. Whether you’re a Mac business or a PC business, you need a comprehensive cybersecurity strategy.

Myth #3: Letting Your Battery Run Down Before Charging to Extend Battery Life

This was true on older devices. Leaving a laptop docked on a charger would kill the battery life.

But if you have business laptops, tablets and phones that are less than five years old, this is no longer the case. Devices with lithium-ion batteries do not suffer this fate. On top of that, Microsoft, Apple and Android now use machine learning to track your charging habits and avoid straining the battery.

Myth #4: Our Business Is Too Small to Be Targeted by Hackers

Actually, over 50% of cyberattacks happen to small businesses. They’re often less prepared. And they may be complacent, thinking what are the chances they’d attack us?

Most cyber attackers don’t go for the big score. Instead, it’s more efficient to go for the least protected. Attacking 10 poorly protected small businesses versus one better protected medium-sized business will yield a higher ROI for the hackers.

That’s smart business!

Myth #5: Consumer PCs and Business PCs Are Interchangeable

This is especially untrue now. With so many people doing most of their computing on their phones, home computers haven’t needed to advance much beyond the technology of 10-15 years ago.

Instead, manufacturers have focused on the business market, where businesses demand faster processing and greater capabilities. For this reason, the fact is, if you’re buying PCs for business, make sure they can handle business computing.

Myth #6: RAM Is All That Matters

RAM, random access memory, is important for speed. More RAM means less buffering (traffic jams). But a computer is a lot more than RAM. It has an advanced CPU (processor) that uses that RAM most efficiently.

Otherwise, your computer is just a lot of muscle without the brains to use that muscle wisely.

Myth #7: No Need to Replace Computers that Still Work

We already mentioned how much time employees waste on slow computers. That payroll waste and downtime isn’t the only thing you need to worry about when trying to use computers beyond their shelf life of up to five years.

Older computers are also more susceptible to viruses. Eventually, they can’t support current operating systems. Microsoft stops supporting older OS after a while, leaving them open to attacks.

Newer operating systems often also have better productivity tools that streamline business operations. And they’ll work more effectively with new programs you want to install. A technology solutions professional can help you weigh the cost-benefits of getting new PCs.

And for more business technology management tips, follow our blog.

Cybersecurity education is essential in order to keep businesses one step ahead of this evolving space. Learn about types of attacks and preventative actions.

Cyber solutions are the future of business, with innovation such as the Internet of Things (IoT) gaining increasing popularity. Accordingly, focus on the protection and recovery of networks, devices and programs from cyberattacks is no longer a luxury, but a very basic necessity to remain competitive in today’s landscape. Here is a basic overview of cybersecurity:

Things to know

• Data breaches are intended to access proprietary information, usually for financial gain. These activities can result in damaged corporate reputations, significant downtime and even the cessation of business viability
• Hackers are becoming much more sophisticated, and traditional anti-virus software programs may not be sufficient to prevent attacks
• As more devices and gadgets are connected to networks via IoT, they provide backdoors for hackers to access proprietary data
• Despite the rising prevalence and notoriety of data breaches, they can be prevented. Cybersecurity often relies less on high-end technology than on common sense and solid security practices /protocols, such as:
  • Restricting employee access to sensitive data
  • Employing strong password controls
  • Educating employees on e-mail security
  • Encrypting data
  • Appropriately secure mobile devices – smartphones, tablets
  • Investing in IT professionals with current cybersecurity knowledge and skills

Types of Attacks

• Malware is any type of malicious software utilized to gain unauthorized access to a computer
• Ransomware is a form of malware that locks owners out of their devices/data until a ransom is paid
• Spyware is a form of malware that spies on users in order to acquire sensitive information
• Fileless malware attaches to existing programs running on the computer, thereby embedding inside the computer’s memory
• Viruses are malicious programs usually sent as attachments, and which infect devices once downloaded
• Watering holes are when a known website is hacked either directly or via a third-party service hosted on the site. In this way, anyone who visits the site is infected
• Phishing is the act of sending e-mails that trick people into revealing sensitive information
• Spearphishing is related to phishing but is more focused to prey on specific targets by including relevant details about the individual (usually obtained via research), thus luring them to click on the link
• Pharming is the act of directing users to illegitimate websites under the guise of a legitimate link
• Hacking is the act of accessing a network or device without appropriate authorization to do so

Types of Cyber Security

• Network Security: These are defenses implemented to prevent hackers from gaining access to organizational networks and systems. Examples would be password controls and two-factor authentication
• Application Security: This is when software and/or hardware is employed to protect against threats from malicious programs. An example would be antivirus programs
• Information Security: This is the protection of data via restricted access or encryption
• Cloud Security: These are tools utilized to monitor and protect corporate data stored in the cloud