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Human Behavior Impacts Cyber Security

[Updated for 2020] – “The Russians Have Hacked into Our Computer…” – Human Behavior and Cyber Security

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Anderson Technologies reports on a wide variety of topics to help keep you and your business’s technology safe from harm. But sometimes preventing trouble isn’t about the hardware or software you deploy—it’s about the people you employ.

The year 2020 has been host to worldwide climate disasters, a global pandemic, and political and social upheaval. Bad actors take advantage of chaotic times and prey on those most vulnerable. Whether you consider yourself tech-savvy or not, it’s more important than ever to be vigilant about your digital communications.

We all know someone who has fallen victim to a phone or email scam. Some of us might have received a desperate call from a friend or family member trying to undo an unknowingly self-inflicted intrusion on their personal or financial information. Members of the Anderson Technologies team have received such calls, one of the more memorable being, “The Russians have hacked into our computer, and we’ve been on the phone for a half an hour or so with India. The guy’s helped me reestablish my password, but he thinks we should do some further work and maybe take the modem to the Apple store.”

This is so common that it’s become part of our cultural understanding, and it’s likely that you have even joked about “Nigerian princes” or romance scams that target people just looking to connect with others. Why would the Russian government want to hack your personal home computer? Why would a Nigerian prince choose you to receive their inheritance? Thankfully, in many cases, experts are involved before permanent damage is done.

What you might not know, however, is that even the corniest scam could have a network of planned, patient individuals behind it. Scammers target unsuspecting users and gather data publicly available on the web or sold in data breaches to build trust and elicit the missing pieces needed to access private account information. But how do these choreographed schemes apply to your business?

It’ll Never Happen to Me

Who do you picture when you hear the words “scam victim”? Several stereotypes may come to mind: blue collar workers, bored housewives, or older folks, to name a few. But if you don’t fall into those categories, it’s too soon to consider yourself safe! Thinking scammers won’t attack because you’re an improbable target leaves you exposed and off guard.

For this, we can blame optimism bias, which is the tendency for individuals to believe they are less likely than others to be vulnerable to negative events. Even when the Better Business Bureau (BBB) or the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) releases accounts and warnings about the thousands of scams reported each day, in-the-know readers might react by thinking these threats don’t apply to them. Aren’t you too smart to be fooled? What would you have that a hacker would want anyway?

Money and data are the driving forces behind nearly every cyber scam. Whether that scam affects an individual or an entire business, any instance of a bad actor getting past cyber security safeguards runs the risk of damaging your business. And when you consider the inaccurate stigmas surrounding scam victims that is pervasive in our culture, it’s even more difficult to stop the problem at its source.

“We often don’t want to acknowledge to ourselves that we’ve been conned. It’s crazy how often you have people who, even when you present them with evidence that they’ve been the victim of a scam, refuse to believe it. The other thing is even if we do realize we’ve been scammed, we often don’t want to let other people know, because we’re embarrassed.” – Maria Konnikova, author of The Confidence Game: Why We Fall for It … Every Time, in an interview with The Cut

But We Have a Firewall!

Personal consumer or romance scams may not seem like they’re much of a threat to your business. Like any physical crime, cyber criminals can’t gain access to your business unless there is a vulnerability or breach of some sort, such as when someone opens an email or answers the phone. Who your employees share information with on their own time may not seem to be your concern as a business owner, but good personal practice translates into a stronger, safer business.

Phishing and spear-phishing campaigns are some of the most commonly-encountered scams, and they’re now more dangerous than ever. Business email compromise (BEC) has consistently been one of the leading dangers to cyber security infrastructure in nearly every sector. No business, large or small, is safe.

Hacking into your business’s hardware systems or networks is only one way to gain unauthorized information. Dedicated spear-phishing tactics use data mined from public accounts and web activity to target specific departments or employees. The only thing that separates personal consumer scams from business scams are the lies the criminal uses to try to break down your barriers.

Scammers often take advantage of brand familiarity and emotional response. Unexpected messages from a random email address or blocked phone number are much easier to ignore than a seemingly safe communication from Microsoft or UPS.

One scam that aims directly at businesses is the “Directory Scam.” Employees receive a call from a well-known or non-existent agency requesting business information to update their directory. When your employee provides them with your business’s address and contact information, they send a fake invoice for the “service” and, if questioned, often fire back with edited audio from their previous call that “proves” your employee accepted the charges.

Another targeted hustle that’s gained steam over the last couple of years is known as the “Grandparent Scam.” In the linked case study, the victim receives a call from a scammer who claims to be his grandson needing bail money. This scam may seem ridiculous, but many have fallen victim to it because the caller knows the names of the grandparent and child as well as other personal information that would encourage one to believe they’re telling the truth. The scariest part about this scam is that the scammer called this victim at his place of work, further illustrating that public data on the web is available to anyone with the knowledge to find it.

The “Nigerian prince” scams that often get joked about really did happen in the 90s, but this grift now encompasses a more extensive network than traditional romance scams of the past. Previously, organized groups known as Yahoo Boys would target susceptible victims and forge an online “relationship” with an individual. The fraudsters, named after the popular search engine, spend weeks or months keeping these scams going, until the scammer creates a convincing story about needing money from their online partner.

Now, COVID-19 has blurred the line between BEC and individual-targeted scams like those from the Yahoo Boys. Many people currently feel lonely, isolated, and desperate to make connections during what may be one of the scariest and most stressful periods of their lives. Higher numbers than ever have transitioned to permanent or semi-permanent remote work situations. This means that your business networks are now at risk in new ways, such as if an employee accesses a business connection from their home office and uses it to check their personal email. A bad actor can potentially find a weakness in the remote work environment that leads them right into your business.

“People who are going through times of extreme life change, for instance, are very vulnerable to con artists because you lose your equilibrium.” – Maria Konnikova

Scammers who’ve spent time learning about their target may have information that allows them to guess passwords or use public data available to anyone with the knowledge to find it. A simple personal scam can become the first step in a BEC attack that affects your entire business.

What Steps Can I Take to Protect My Business?

Bolstering the human side of your cyber security strategy is your business’s best shot at breach prevention. BBB is one of many organizations to provide a checklist of ways to educate yourself against common scams. While most of the lists aren’t geared towards business owners, many of the habits suggested can perform double-duty in both your professional and personal life. Anderson Technologies has a few tips for applying that knowledge specifically to your business networks:

  • Keep an open dialogue with your employees and vendors about cyber security practices. Educating employees protects their well-being as well as your business’s. Anderson Technologies has covered employee cyber security education in the past and takes it very seriously.
  • Educate yourself about what kinds of scams you or your business might encounter. The BBB has compiled a thorough list here.
  • Be wary of email attachments. If you didn’t request it, you probably shouldn’t open it.
  • Use technology to your best advantage. Know how firewalls, anti-malware software, secure browsing, and network safety can benefit your business.
  • Secure your remote connections. Make sure all employees understand and follow best practice guidelines while working from home. Provide company-owned and -protected devices for remote work.
  • Ask your IT provider about resources that can keep you safe. There are many programs that do some of the background work for you: NoMoRobo, LastPass, HTTPS Everywhere, Proofpoint, and so many more! Some of them are even free. Talk to a professional to determine the best investment for your business.
  • Question everything. Zero-trust practices can be employed over time, making universal authentication easier for everyone involved.
  • Any accounts with access to sensitive data need to be protected with MFA. Multi-factor authentication is a key method for stopping criminals in their tracks.
  • Never grant users administrative access. Only qualified IT professionals should have administrative powers and these should be used only when required.

The Yahoo Boys example mentioned earlier in this article is only one of hundreds of scams permeating every demographic, consumers and businesses alike. This is only one part of a concerning trend in 2020, in which cyber criminals and organized groups are taking advantage of global turmoil to target new vulnerabilities. Countless COVID-19 scams continue to emerge and threaten businesses, so it’s more important than ever to stay on top of every potential vulnerability, including employees you may not see every day.

 

For more information on avoiding scams in the time of COVID-19, download our free Work From Home Checklist or contact our team today.

 

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MFA – An Extra Layer of Digital Protection [Updated for 2020]

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What do logging into Netflix from a new device, updating your PayPal account information, answering questions about your first car before accessing your iTunes account, and withdrawing money at an ATM all have in common? Authentication!

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) creates guidelines for passwords and the software that requires them, which Anderson Technologies has previously discussed. Technology is still changing to adopt these standards, so it is up to us to take cyber security into our own hands—and that includes business security practices. The most commonly used and overlooked of these measures is password safety and authentication.

Hackers are great at keeping up with technology, so as consumers and business owners, we must keep up with it as well to stay safe. Multi-factor authentication (or MFA) has been around for years, and it’s so common that we take advantage of it more than we might realize. MFA remains one of the strongest defenses surrounding our digital lives.

What Does MFA Look Like?

You’ve probably already encountered MFA without realizing it. Any website that utilizes verification codes or emails is using a form of MFA. A task as simple as changing your Apple ID requires MFA to confirm the new information. With the prevalence of data breaches across the globe, MFA can protect your account even if your password is compromised.

MFA as it applies to your business’ safety most often takes the form of software that requires a user to provide two forms of evidence proving they are authorized to access the system. This includes security codes, verification emails, security questions, and biometric software. Physical security keys, such as Yubikey, can be used as an identifier and ensure only the person with the device can access the accounts.

Applications like Google Authenticator or Authy can also be attached to countless logins by connecting your account information. Validated access to your account (your email, for example) is established with a unique QR code or numerical key that securely connects your mobile device. From that point forward, logging into the site requires not just your standard user name and password but also a randomized six-digit code available only on your device. This code refreshes every 30 seconds for even greater security.

Some sites and servers have their own internal methods of verification, and other MFA methods may require special hardware, such as badge readers. These are useful for businesses and organizations that use specialized systems to access confidential databases. This includes cashiers logging into their retail system or technicians scanning an ID card to pull up your file during a dentist visit.

What Are the Benefits of MFA?

If hackers get their hands on your login credentials, it’s easy to mine data from your other accounts. MFA acts as a barrier to the hacker by confirming the identity of the user attempting to login through secondary security measures. In this way, even if your password was compromised, it would be useless without physical access to your authentication device or account.

MFA is beneficial for companies who have employees on the go or working remotely. Using multiple layers of authentication allow remote employees to securely access encrypted data from unfamiliar networks and devices.

What Are Some Challenges to Integrating MFA?

Resistance to change is one of the tallest hurdles when integrating MFA into your business networks. Though MFA usually uses devices your employees already have (like their smartphones), some see MFA as inconvenient or time consuming. This is rarely the case when using simple applications.

MFA goes hand-in-hand with the Zero Trust security model, a tool that requires authentication at every step of the login process. New security concepts can be challenging to introduce in the workplace but, like all new plans of action, the multiple verifications will become second nature. Your company will greatly benefit knowing your data is secure.

You may find it valuable to coordinate with a managed services provider when integrating MFA to internal networks, especially if your needs require special enterprise-grade hardware. An IT support team can provide training to ease the transition for your employees, some of whom may be hesitant or feel they don’t have the time to properly implement MFA across all their accounts.

With a little practice and an IT team behind your business’s transition, MFA doesn’t have to be intimidating or bothersome—and the benefits are invaluable. For more information on how to keep your business safe using MFA, contact Anderson Technologies today at 314.394.3001.

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The Murky World of Cyber Insurance

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Anderson Technologies often reports on the rising dangers of ransomware or other forms of cyber attack and how to defend against them, but even the most diligent business can still fall prey to determined cyber criminals. A robust business continuity and disaster recovery plan can get you back in business without as much downtime, but the cost of the intrusion may continue to rise if personally identifiable information (PII) or electronic protected health information (ePHI) is exposed in the breach. Small business owners need to seriously consider adding a cyber insurance plan to their existing insurance coverage or they may find themselves without any financial support when they need it.

Why Is Cyber Insurance Necessary?

When cyber crime was just becoming a major financial problem, policies often did not explicitly include or exclude cyber attacks and damages. If the insured party claims that the damages incurred by a cyber attack fit the definitions of the policy’s terms and the insurer pays out, this is considered “silent cyber” coverage.

Some insurance companies refuse to pay for damages from cyber attacks, though, and many insurers have begun explicitly excluding cyber damages from general business insurance policies in favor of separate cyber insurance policies. Insurance companies have been taken to court for failing to pay this “silent cyber” coverage, and some policyholders have successfully won, but this is not always the case. That lack of guaranteed coverage should concern small business owners who do not have a dedicated cyber insurance policy.

What Types of Cyber Insurance Are Available?

When choosing cyber insurance policies, there are two main types of insurance coverage available: first-party coverage and third-party coverage. It is essential that buyers know the differences between these two types of coverage and carefully examine the necessity of both for their own company.

For a quick overview on what cyber insurance policies should include, the Federal Trade Commission provides a helpful checklist for small businesses.

First-Party Coverage

First-party coverage involves the costs incurred directly by the insured company as a result of a cyber attack. The types of expenses or damages first-party cyber insurance can cover include:

  • the cost to restore or replace data and software destroyed or stolen in a breach
  • the cost of investigating a data breach or cyber attack
  • income lost during downtime or spent to restore the business to working order
  • the price of a ransom demand, if paid
  • the cost of notifying all necessary parties, including customers, if PII or ePHI is compromised
  • the cost of crisis management to deal with the media/public fallout from a security breach

Third-Party Coverage

Third-party coverage involves the expense of legal action taken against you as a result of a breach. This could be by customers or by other businesses whose data is compromised. Third-party cyber insurance can cover:

  • claims of negligence that resulted in the cyber attack and breached data
  • claims for failure to fulfill a contract due to system downtime or lost data
  • claims of defamation, invasion of privacy, or copyright infringement as a result of exposed data
  • settlements or damages owed to injured parties
  • fines imposed by regulatory or state agencies

For businesses at risk of breaching client or customer data, both types of cyber insurance may be necessary to cover all possible expenses. A thorough risk assessment of the business can help determine the best course of action.

Denial of Coverage

Just because a business has purchased cyber insurance doesn’t mean the insurance company will pay a claim in the event of a breach. Many policies require businesses to maintain a certain level of cyber security infrastructure for a claim to be paid out or have exclusions for certain situations. The language in the policy can be broad, depending on the insurer or policy, so small business owners should thoroughly discuss what is expected and how the insurer defines the terms of all requirements and exclusions.

Some insurance companies provide a risk self-assessment to businesses before agreeing to sell the policy. If the business doesn’t maintain the standards laid out in the risk self-assessment, or if the answers provided are false or misleading—even by accident—then the insurance company can void the policy.

These exclusions have already been upheld in many cases of data breach. In 2014, Cottage Health System in California settled a class action lawsuit against them for a data breach of more than thirty thousand medical records. Their insurance company paid the $4.1 million settlement, only to later sue Cottage Health System for the money back, citing the organization’s failure to meet minimum cyber security standards and inaccurate information given on the risk self-assessment. This case is still in process.

An exclusions clause in P. F. Chang’s cyber insurance policy cost the popular Chinese restaurant chain $1.9 million after its breach of customer data, which included credit card numbers. The policy excluded any “contractual obligations” that P. F. Chang entered into with third parties. In this case the court agreed that P. F. Chang’s contract with Mastercard to pay fines in the event of a breach fell under this exclusion.

In order to ensure their policies provide the financial insurance they’re supposed to, businesses should:

  • carefully read all requirements and exclusions listed in the policy and make sure all vocabulary is clearly defined to avoid ambiguity
  • answer all risk self-assessments accurately and thoroughly, avoiding or explaining absolute questions (yes or no) whenever possible
  • invest in the level of cyber security required by the insurance company, or better
  • make sure the policy covers all the cyber attacks the business is at risk for
  • have both first- and third-party coverage, if applicable

The last thing a business needs after a cyber attack or data breach is to find out their insurance won’t help pay for the damages.

The Growing Need for Cyber Insurance

The necessity of explicit cyber insurance coverage is only becoming more prevalent. Fines issued by the Department of Health and Human Services for HIPAA Privacy and Security violations range from the tens of thousands to millions. At the same time, state and international privacy laws, like the California Consumer Privacy Act and the EU’s GDPR, are stricter and impose increased fines that raise the cost of a data breach.

No matter how secure your IT infrastructure is or how diligent your IT department or MSP is, it only takes one employee clicking on the wrong link or visiting an infected webpage for cyber criminals to invade your systems. When that happens, small businesses need the financial support cyber insurance provides to investigate the breach, recover the business, and manage the public damage. Without aid, the cost of a breach may prove too expensive for small businesses.

 

Don’t let your insurance company leave you high and dry in a crisis. Contact Anderson Technologies today to shore up your cyber security infrastructure. Call us at 314.394.3001 or email us at info@andersontech.com.

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The Ultimate Guide to Secure Remote Work [Updated for 2020]

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With the coronavirus in the news, more businesses than ever are considering whether telework is a viable option for their company and employees. But with new cyber threats and data breaches constantly reported, business owners have to ask themselves,

How do I maintain my cyber security when my employees work remotely?

Whether you have one employee working on a mobile device while on a business trip or your entire staff telecommuting from home, your cyber security shouldn’t be sacrificed for convenience. By understanding your options and working with a quality IT services provider, you can safely navigate the cyber world and keep your business protected.

Get Our Free Work From Home Checklist!

Cyber Security and Telework

Maintaining your cyber security while allowing your employees to work remotely can be a challenge, but it can be accomplished with minimal risk if you plan ahead and choose the right options for your business. If you don’t expect someone to infiltrate your network, you won’t be protected when someone tries. Always prepare for the worst-case scenario.

Assume that communications on external networks, which are outside the organization’s control, are susceptible to eavesdropping, interception, and modification.”—Guide to Enterprise Telework, Remote Access, and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Security (NIST 800-46r2)

How Do You Prepare for Telework?

Start by choosing the best telework option for your business’s needs and budget. There are four basic ways to secure your network while allowing remote access to employees.

  1. VPN Gateway:  Virtual Private Network (VPN) gateways create secure access from the employee device to the VPN gateway and onward to your internal network. In this way, your enterprise-level cyber security measures are extended to the VPN, which acts as a secure tunnel for employees to work through. Some VPN gateways can even extend your business’s firewall rules to the employee computer no matter where they are working through the use of a portable device—a great advantage when travelling on business.VPN gateways offer several great telework features, but while communication is protected through a VPN gateway, the employee’s computer could still be at risk of transmitting infected data if the computer itself is compromised. VPN gateways should only be used in conjunction with properly configured, company-owned hardware to maintain high security standards and minimize the risk to the internal network.
  2. Portals:  In this method, telework employees access company data and applications through a browser-based webpage or virtual desktop. All applications and data are stored on the portal’s server and cannot be downloaded or saved on an employee’s device without permission. This is a good way to keep control over who is accessing your data and how it is used.The danger with portals depends on what permissions the employee has while accessing the portal. If the portal allows an employee to access other areas of the internet while connected, it could provide an unintended avenue for criminals to access your network. It’s safer to restrict employees’ access to other programs while the portal is in use. The more access an employee has, the less secure the connection becomes.
  3. Remote Computer Access Service:  Remote computer access services allow an employee to remotely control a computer physically located at your business via an intermediate server or third-party software. When the two computers are connected, applications and data remain on your office computer, and your network’s cyber security measures are enforced. Your remote device acts as a display for the work performed on your office machine.Due to the direct access, remote desktop connection is considered high risk in cyber security terms. Proper configuration is critical. When set up correctly, communication between the two computers is encrypted for the data’s protection, but it is also encrypted from the organization’s firewalls and threat detection. No matter how good your cyber security measures are, if the employee’s home computer doesn’t have the same protections as the office workstations, malicious data can slip into your network unnoticed during a remote desktop connection.
  4. Direct Application Access:  Direct application access is probably the lowest risk to your cyber security measures out of all the remote access methods because it is best used only with low-risk applications. In this method, employees can remote into a single application, usually located on the perimeter of your network, such as webmail. The employee doesn’t have access to the entire network, allowing them to work on select applications without exposing your internal network to danger.Though there is much less danger posed by direct application access, it generally doesn’t allow for extensive work to be done. There is very little connection to data on your network, and little ability to take data to another application if needed. It is best used when traveling or on a mobile device where complete access to the network is not necessary.

The type of telework you offer may also depend on governmental regulations requiring a certain level of security. Those working in the healthcare sector should consult with their HIPAA Security Officer to make sure any telework is performed according to HIPAA guidelines.

Using company-owned and maintained hardware is the best option when working from home or on the go. Properly-maintained company laptops reduce the risk of unpatched or out-of-date software connecting to your network and often have more robust anti-virus/anti-malware protections than personal computers.

For many small and medium businesses (SMB) though, providing all employees company devices is not financially feasible or practical, especially if the need for remote work is temporary. The best choice for SMBs is either establishing a site-to-site VPN connection or using a secure remote desktop service to connect to their office computer. SMB should be aware of and willing to accept the added cyber security risks of using personal devices before implementing this type of work-from-home policy.

Are you looking for a partner in implementing work from home for your small business or organization? Contact Anderson Technologies today for a free cyber security audit or to start the consultation process!

Mobile Devices

Telework isn’t the only way employees access your network. Mobile devices have become ubiquitous for work on-the-go, but if you fail to protect these devices, your business and clients may suffer. There are basic security recommendations for securing any mobile device, including thorough employee training in cyber security, strong encryption, keeping software up-to-date, and supplementing your security with third-party anti-malware/anti-virus software. While these fundamental methods keep the average device secure, if you’re dealing with sensitive or confidential data on your network you may need additional safeguards.

Given the similarity between the functions of mobile devices, particularly as they become more advanced, and PCs, organizations should strongly consider treating them similar to, or the same as, PCs.”—Guide to Enterprise Telework, Remote Access, and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Security (NIST 800-46r2)

NIST’s Guide to Enterprise Telework offers detailed suggestions for protecting any business when it comes to mobile and telework access, including:

  • Turning off networking capabilities (such as Bluetooth) when not necessary for work.
  • Turning on personal firewalls, if available.
  • Requiring multi-factor authorization before accessing your business’s network.
  • Restricting other applications allowed on the device.

Since loss or theft of hardware is far more likely with mobile devices, it is beneficial to use a mobile device management (MDM) solution to maintain control of a mobile device in case of theft or accidental loss. With an MDM, you can locate, lock, or remotely destroy any data on the mobile device. This way your sensitive information won’t fall into the wrong hands, even if the device itself can’t be recovered.

Best Practices for Maintaining Cyber Security

Regardless of the type of remote access you decide on, there are a number of opportunities to shore up your cyber security defenses:

  • Establish a separate, external network dedicated solely to remote access. If something does infect the server, it won’t spread to other parts of your network.
  • Establish a site-to-site VPN connection or use a secure remote service.
  • Use encryption, multi-factor authentication, and session locking to protect your data.
  • Keep your hardware and software patched and updated, including your employees’ remote computers.
  • Enforce strong password policies and have employees use a password manager.
  • Set up session time out on all teleworking connections and automatic screen locks on all computers.
  • Manually configure employee computer firewalls and anti-malware/anti-virus software.
  • Add additional security authentication layers to company data on mobile devices.
  • Set up restrictions to keep unknown or unnecessary browser extensions from being installed. Many have tracking codes the user doesn’t know about, while others are used to spread malware. Stick with trusted and needed browser extensions only.
  • If possible, physically secure computers with locking cables in any untrustworthy place, such as hotels or conference areas.
  • Consider providing company-owned devices for employees to use that can be maintained and secured by in-house IT-staff or your MSP.
  • Consider end-point detection and response or remote access logging to monitor what is happening on your IT systems.

Regardless of how many security protections are used, it is simply impossible to provide 100 percent protection against attacks because of the complexity of computing. A more realistic goal is to use security protections to give attackers as few opportunities as feasible to gain access to a device or to damage the device’s software or information.”—User’s Guide to Telework and Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) Security (NIST 800-114r1)

Privileges, Privileges, Privileges!

No telework operation should ignore the danger of not setting the correct privileges on employees working from home. This step is essential to maintaining a secure, partitioned IT environment.

Implementing accurate and reasonable privileges provides two major benefits to your company.

  1. It keeps employees from accessing data or programs that they shouldn’t have access to.
  2. It keeps cyber criminals from infiltrating your entire network through a single compromised machine or account.

There is no reason a sales rep needs the same access to your company data as the CEO, so why would you give them unrestricted access? Job-specific privileges keep company data safe from insider infiltration while providing each employee with the tools and data necessary to complete their work. The Zero Trust IT model utilizes segmented permissions as the core tenet of its security architecture.

When creating user privileges, keep in mind:

  • Never allow users admin access. The only people who should have admin access to your systems are the IT personnel who maintain them, and even then, they should use an admin account only when performing work requiring it. All users should have a standard, limited user account that cannot alter system settings or privileges.This is especially important when employees work from home on their personal computers. Without the security of an enterprise hardware firewall and business-grade cyber security protections, employees’ personal computers are at a higher risk of being compromised. If their computer is infected and they have admin level access, cyber criminals can use that unrestricted access to infiltrate your entire system, change permissions, and steal or encrypt data for ransom.
  • Need-to-know access only. It takes a bit of technical know-how to set up appropriate user access privileges, but it’s worth the effort. Besides keeping data secure within the company, segmentation of privileges also means that if a computer is infected with malware or an employee account is compromised, the access cyber criminals have to your company and its data remains limited.
  • Use multi-factor authentication. It’s not enough to limit permissions, you need to verify the person signing in is who they say they are. A quick visit to Have I Been Pwned will show how many accounts are already compromised. Multi-factor authentication prevents a compromised account from being used by cyber criminals to access your systems. While security tokens and third-party authenticator apps like Yubikey or Google Authenticate are preferred, any type of multi-factor authentication (email, SMS) is better than no authentication.

Training

Employees need to know more than just how to use the telework programs. Train your employees on cyber security before they go home to work. This is especially crucial if they use their personal computers to telecommute.

Employees should know how to spot and respond to unusual computer activity, which can be an indicator that malware is present. They should also be prepared for phishing and social engineering attempts to gain user account access. Train them on who to contact for IT support and how to verify the person asking for access to their computer is the correct person.

Your employees’ home computers will be the weakest link in your cyber security, so verify they know how to keep their computer safe and how to securely access your systems. Doing so protects them and your business from malicious actors.

 

Telework comes with risks, but with strong security policies and the right cyber security in place, it is worth the investment. A good managed IT services partner can walk you through the process and make sure your business is safe and productive anywhere. For help setting up a telework network, contact the experts at Anderson Technologies by email at info@andersontech.com or by phone at 314.394.3001.

Looking for more guidance on how to keep your work from home systems secure? We’ve got some essential tips on a new blog post, “Working from Home Due to COVID-19: Keep Your Company Data Protected.”

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2020 Cyber Security Essentials Checklist

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The start of a new decade brings a sense of changing times and new beginnings. For your cyber security, it marks a good time to review how the state of cyber threats has changed since the time of Y2K or the 2013 Yahoo data breach. With the evolving threats and methods deployed in cyber crime, basic security standards have also progressed to keep your network safe. Do you know the basic security measures you should take to protect your business in 2020?

Download your copy of Anderson Technologies’ Cyber Security Essentials Checklist for 2020!

Verify everything!

We’ve talked before about the Zero Trust model for IT security. Even if you aren’t ready to bring your entire IT architecture up to Zero Trust standards, several of its security measures are now common-sense protections against modern cyber threats.

MFA

Multifactor Authentication (MFA) is quickly becoming the gold standard for preventing unauthorized access to your systems. In an age of Have I Been Pwned’s free credential checking and the all-too-often reuse of passwords, the question is no longer if your usernames and passwords have been stolen, but when and which ones.

MFA is the most basic way to prevent someone with stolen credentials from accessing your systems, and comes in various iterations, from an email or text code to authentication apps and security dongles like or RSA SecurID tokens. It’s a simple measure that ensures the bad actor needs more than a stolen credential to compromise your systems.

Access Controls: Minimum Necessary Use (Need to Know)

The days of free access within an organization are over. Clearly defining user roles and necessary access permissions is essential. There’s no reason for an intern to have the same access to your systems as the office manager or IT staff. Segmenting user access to the minimum necessary for their job performance means that if one employee is compromised, the bad actor won’t be able to reach every part of your business.

Stop Viruses and Malware in Their Tracks!

It’s common knowledge that anti-virus and anti-malware are required in this day and age, but remember that if your software firewall or anti-virus program catches an intrusion, the threat has already made it into your systems.

Know Your Hardware

Businesses need to understand the difference between a hardware firewall and a software firewall. You need to have the best protection against cyber threats, but many business owners don’t realize they are missing the necessary hardware firewall. Go to your IT closet and take a close look. Can you identify your modem, router, and hardware firewall? They are three different pieces of equipment, and if you aren’t sure which is which, talk to your IT staff or MSP to make sure all three are in place and properly configured for maximum protection and minimum interference.

Training and Filters

Firewalls and anti-virus programs won’t be of much use if an employee clicks a link in a phishing email and lets the bad actors in. Blacklisting certain websites and installing email filters like Proofpoint are great first steps for keeping malicious links and emails from getting through, but the biggest way to prevent phishing is training your employees how to recognize it. These tactics are too prevalent not to invest in comprehensive employee training.

Update! Update! Update!

Nothing invites bad actors into your systems like an unpatched computer, such as Windows 7 which stops receiving updates after January 14, 2020. Security updates are not just slight improvements; they often fix known bugs and zero-day threats that bad actors can use to infiltrate or bypass the implemented security safeguards. Without keeping up to date with your security updates, criminals can exploit unpatched vulnerabilities to breach your security and either install malware on or extract valuable and private information from your systems. So, when an update appears, make sure it gets installed right away and upgrade un-supported software as soon as possible.

Be Prepared for a Breach

The era of small businesses being too little to be profitable to hackers is long gone. Small, medium, and large business are all targets for cyber criminals and it’s essential to think not in terms of if you are breached, but when you are breached. How can you mitigate the risk or minimize the damage a breach could do to your business?

Backups

No business in 2020 should be without comprehensive and secure daily backups of their IT systems. Properly configured and tested backups are your insurance against ransomware and natural disasters. If you know you can restore all your data effectively and quickly from backups, there’s no need to pay a ransom for the hope you can get all your data back.

But don’t just grab the first out-of-the-box backup solution you find. Make sure your backup provider doesn’t keep only one iteration, meaning if your backup gets infected, you have no other options. Configure the solution correctly to back up all the information you need.

Encryption

If you are in a HIPAA-regulated industry, encryption is not optional. It’s the best way to prevent unauthorized breaches when mobile devices and laptops are lost or stolen. A properly encrypted laptop lost on a business trip isn’t a breach even if ePHI is on it, since the encryption prevents anyone who finds the machine from accessing the data.

Encryption is a good idea for any business that uses laptop and mobile devices for work purposes. The last thing you need is someone finding a lost phone or laptop and suddenly having access to sensitive business information or programs.

The Daily Routine

Sometimes it’s the little things that end up being the source of a cyber intrusion. These security measures may seem like common sense, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a clear policy for them. Failure to follow basic procedures everyday can open the door for cyber criminals.

Passwords and Password Managers

Reusing or only making minor alterations to passwords across applications is a major problem. Too many passwords are hard to keep straight, but people struggle even more to remember secure randomized passwords. This can lead to the worst-case scenario of employees writing down passwords that anyone could find. Having a long phrase or sentence the employee can remember is best practice, but if you have a lot of programs that require passwords, you don’t want employees using only one across the board.

Password managers like Myki or LastPass are a great solution to this problem. Employees can create the long, randomized alpha-numeric passwords, which are considered most secure, without the need to write them down or repeat the same password over and over. These services also provide apps for mobile phones so employees don’t need to be at the desk to access their passwords.

Screenlocks

Not every company institutes a screenlock timeout procedure for their business, but it’s a simple and effective security measure, especially if parts of your business are open to the public (HIPAA requires it). Even if you don’t have any public areas, screenlock policies can prevent insider threats from gaining access to an employee’s computer or information simply because they forgot to lock the computer before they left their desk. Make sure the screenlock requires a password and isn’t delayed to the point it’s useless to protect your information.

If you don’t have these basic policies and procedures in place, it may be time to re-evaluate the security measures you are using. Were they created for a different time and threat landscape? Can they continue to protect you against modern cyber crime? If not, it’s time to step up your basic security measures and stop criminals before they sneak into your business.

 

If you need help determining if your current security measures are adequate to protect your business, contact us today for a free consultation!

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Robots? Working with Me? It’s More Likely Than You Think

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Remember Roomba? Maybe you have one, zipping around your home, getting caught under furniture and amidst wires. That seemingly simple machine, armed with programming and dust-sucking, became seamlessly integrated in the lives of millions. But even at the height of the Roomba revolution, there wasn’t a lot of talk about smart vacuums stealing our jobs or taking over our homes.

Everyone is fascinated with artificial intelligence right now. It is hard to deny the buzzword power of the term. Tinged with fear or awe, AI often feels like the answer to everything—or our impending downfall.

The reality is far from either. As it stands now, AI like the programming in Roomba, or Roomba’s grown-up relatives found at Walmart and Giant Foods, is a powerful tool. Limited to specific tasks or deep learning, AI may just be the best coworker you’ve ever had.

Is AI Coming for Our Jobs?

Here’s the truth: For employees whose primary job function may easily be replaced by single-task AI, the job hunt may be on. Computer-screen ordering interfaces and shipment-sorters may in fact reduce hours for the humans who previously held those positions and others like them. Fortunately, many businesses are utilizing AI as an opportunity to free their employees for more complex and customer-facing tasks.

For every job that might be eliminated or reduced, there are many more that just don’t work without human hands and minds.

And because thankless tasks are becoming automated, human workers can now spend their time and energy immersed in the more creative aspects of their jobs.

AI and IT: Working Together for You

It may not surprise you to learn that IT is currently the field most welcoming to our AI coworkers. For IT managed services firms that balance the cutting edge with enhanced security, a cautious approach still finds that within specific, defined roles, AI provides valuable services.

Tools like firewalls, antivirus, and remote monitoring, among others, are IT staples that frequently employ AI. There is a firewall AI, for example, that can be programmed to track traffic patterns (volume, uploads and downloads, behavior on websites), and if something appears contrary to what has been deemed “normal” patterns, the associated software can automatically isolate a user’s workstation and alert a human team member that there has been a potential compromise.

Deployed on a larger scale, this type of monitoring and pattern-detecting AI frees IT professionals from manually watching the same traffic. This means billing hours go to solving problems and providing meaningful solutions instead of wondering if a large file download is suspicious.

AI also has the potential to detect patterns and flag issues that human experts can’t identify themselves. Given data sets and known problems, machine-learning AI may move the IT industry into truly predictive safeguards. If used widely, this could mean no more frantic break-fix calls after hours because AI team members have long since identified the developing issue, and human counterparts have already fixed it.

AI as part of a managed services offering doesn’t have to feel inhuman. As a tool utilized by humans in order to provide an enhanced, fuller package of IT services, AI improves experiences.

 

Do you have questions about AI and what it could do to improve your business’s IT systems and cyber security? Call Anderson Technologies today at 314.394.3001 or send us an email at info@andersontech.com.

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5 Fraud Trends and How to Beat Them: Top Tips to Implement for Cyber Security Awareness Month

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Every October, Cyber Security Awareness Month is a time to learn, assess, and make changes to protect yourself and your business from the latest, most sophisticated dangers. Beyond damages to reputation and production, monetary costs from cyber crime add up in the billions of dollars.

Stay safe and aware this October. Here are five fraud trends that you’ll want to know:

Fabrication

Synthetic identity fraud is a cyber crime long game. First, a hacker procures a social security number by theft or purchase on the Dark Web, and then fabricates an associated name, DOB, email account, or phone number. From there, the fake identity is legitimized and nurtured.

Once a fraudster is able to become an authorized user for lines of credit, a process that typically takes 5 months, the “bust-out” is ready to be executed. This leaves creditors and businesses with dummy accounts filled with credit card maximums, loans, and cell phone/utility plans.

Ransomware

Ransomware can send chills down the spine of any business owner, and for good reason.

Two cities in Florida were forced to pay over a million dollars in aggregate bitcoin ransom after losing access to phone and email systems for multiple weeks. A quick glance at data breach headlines on any given week will reveal SMB attacks as well. Ultimately, ransomware boils down to economics, and it will require a concerted effort by organizations to shift the paradigm, refuse to pay criminals, and protect data before attacks.

Business Email Compromise (BEC)

A sophisticated scam, BEC targets anyone who regularly processes requests for electronic fund transfers. The scammer compromises an email account through phishing or intrusion tactics and requests that transfers of funds or personal information such as W2 forms be sent immediately.

Because the request comes from a familiar face, and may even be routine, this scam is highly effective—and very expensive. As of July 2019, total dollar loss has exceeded $26 billion.

Account Takeover (ATO)

The commoditization of crimeware and “spray-and-pray” techniques have led to a higher frequency in breaches, many of which are executed by non-sophisticated hackers. Solving ATO fraud at the small and medium business level in today’s world requires purpose-driven teams and technologies that can protect your business in a smarter, more efficient way.

Dark Web

Security researchers estimate that in the first half of this year alone, over 23 million credit and debit card details were being sold in underground forums. What’s worse, nearly two out of every three originated in the United States (64%), followed by the UK (7%) and India (4%). Once such data dumps hit the Dark Web, cyber criminals will exchange stolen information and credentials in order to orchestrate damaging fraud schemes.

Now that you know some of the trends in cyber crime, here are several helpful solutions.

Guard yourself and your business against these threats. Here are our Top 12 Cyber Security Tips:

  1. Involve all stakeholders in raising cyber security awareness across your organization.
  2. Backup key data regularly and perform scheduled test restores to ensure their integrity.
  3. Enable multi-factor authentication company-wide and establish and enforce an appropriate password policy for all users.
  4. Install enterprise-grade anti-malware and spam-filtering solutions with anti-phishing capabilities across your network.
  5. Leverage internet content filtering to block phishy websites.
  6. Prepare for cryptojacking attacks.
  7. Purchase SMB security suites that include Dark Web monitoring.
  8. Assess your organization’s cyber security policies and procedures and review annually.
  9. Ensure that all third-party partners have cyber security protocols and policies in place.
  10. Build a cyber security incident response plan and democratize key information.
  11. Bind an appropriate level of cyber security insurance to cover your company in case of a breach
  12. Partner up with expert managed IT services providers to train your employees and implement the above.

Awareness and action go hand in hand. This Cyber Security Awareness Month, contact Anderson Technologies to protect your business from the newest threats, and enhance business functions every day.

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3 Easy Ways to Make the Most of Your Firewall

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Is the mess of cords and cables in your server room weighing heavy on your mind? Whether or not you rely on a managed services provider (MSP) to keep your IT systems organized and in check, you have a responsibility as a business owner to understand the hardware that keeps everything running.

Misinformation about firewalls is one of the most common issues we see at Anderson Technologies. When asked “Do you have a firewall?” most business owners will emphatically respond “Yes!” without realizing that they’re unfamiliar with the hardware that they think is safeguarding their company. That dusty router in the corner of the phone closet or server room probably isn’t doing much more than its job, which is definitely not to protect your network.

We’ve previously written about the differences between hardware and software firewalls, and Anderson Technologies always recommends an enterprise-grade hardware firewall for businesses under our care. But don’t let that be the extent of your knowledge!

Below we’ve compiled a quick guide to understanding the nuances of your firewall and related equipment. By using the tips below, you’ll have an extra level of familiarity when discussing your hardware options with your MSP or teaching your employees proper cyber security protocol, as when striving for HIPAA compliance.

  1. Get to Know Your ISP

You might be asking, “What does my internet service provider (ISP) have to do with my firewall?” The answer to this question varies greatly depending on your network setup. When asked about firewalls, many business owners automatically point to their internet modem or router, and misinformation from ISPs and previous MSPs are to blame.

Most home networks don’t have or require a separate hardware firewall, because the modem and/or router provided by your ISP may have a basic one built in—that is, if it’s configured correctly (more on configuration in #2). Businesses, on the other hand, almost certainly require a more robust level of protection in the form of a hardware firewall. Though HIPAA’s security standard §164.308(a)(5) doesn’t explicitly state the particular hardware necessary to protect against malicious software, having a trustworthy firewall can help and is well worth the investment beyond regulation compliance.

Your ISP factors into the firewall equation at a very basic level. After all, if you don’t have an internet connection, what is your firewall protecting? Your MSP can easily adjust things like wireless access points and device connections, but if there’s a problem with the internet itself there’s not much we can do. Whether you’re using your wireless router’s built-in firewall or an enterprise-grade Meraki, that stream of internet flowing into your business relies solely on your ISP.

Along with your IT services provider, your ISP is a partner and resource when it comes to the technical workings of your business. Always have your ISP’s contact information handy in case a security or performance problem is coming from the foundation of your network—the internet itself.

  1. Configure, Configure, Configure!

Configuration is a term that tends to scare those who don’t consider themselves “tech-savvy,” but at its root, configuration is nothing more than telling your devices how to work.

Think about it this way: when you bring your new smartphone home, it won’t have any of your personal settings or information. Maybe the menu text is too small to read, or the brightness and sound aren’t set to your liking right out of the box. Fixing these settings may take some general knowledge about how the phone works, and possibly some investigation and deduction. But once you’ve changed all the settings to fit your lifestyle, the phone will be working for you and not the other way around.

Configuring your firewall and other network equipment works pretty much the same way, but with nuances that might require outside IT services. Firewall configuration determines which user accounts can manage the firewall’s settings, which computers can access different layers of confidential data, and any other restrictions you need to implement. After this, your firewall will know exactly how to act in a way that meets your business’s individual needs. Guides on configuring your firewall on your own aren’t difficult to find, but when it comes to your business’s firewall, if you feel unsure about how to program it, consulting with a professional is recommended.

  1. Bolster Your Network—Inside and Out

Businesses are prey to targeted attacks more than ever, according to Symantec’s 2019 Internet Security Threat Report. Cyber criminals are stealthier in how they infiltrate networks and know how to take advantage of any weakness. Your firewall serves as your network’s dedicated bodyguard, but what is a bodyguard without backup when trouble arises? Supplement your firewall with both inside and outside reinforcements.

Network protections from the inside include intrusion prevention systems (IPS), robust antivirus/antimalware software, and protective buffers like Proofpoint or multi-factor authentication (MFA). If a cyber threat circumvents the firewall by entering your network from the inside—such as from unregulated permissions or compromised or unpatched software—security software can mitigate the damage. Inside protection also includes ransomware detection and data backups in case the worst happens.

What about protections outside your firewall? Those can be more difficult to implement, if only because they deal with the most vulnerable factor in any security network—humans. Email filtering tools (like Proofpoint) and internet content filtering software (CFS) can screen most of the potential threats that present themselves to your employees. But all it takes is one employee opening one spammy link from a spear phishing email, and your whole network becomes victim to a targeted attack. Everyone on your team needs to have the same awareness, goals and training because firewalls can only do so much on their own.

Firewalls are amazing investments that can save your business hundreds of thousands in the long run by preventing devastating cyber attacks. It’s important to know what’s going on beyond all those cables, circuit boards, and blinking lights. And when someone asks if you have a firewall, you’ll be able to confidently point out the device and know your network is protected.

Anderson Technologies is always here to answer any questions you may have, regarding firewalls or other cyber security topics. Contact us today here or by calling 314.394.3001.

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Hardware Firewalls Strengthen Cyber Security Protection [Updated for 2018]

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Does your organization or small business have a firewall?

The answer is “yes,” right? If you use the internet, you’ve got to have a firewall! Don’t computers come with them?

Our 2017 audit of St. Louis small businesses found that, while most of the businesses and organizations we surveyed did in fact have a hardware firewall, 100% were not operating optimally. According to a 2018 Sophos whitepaper, 84% of survey respondents agreed that lack of effective application of firewalls was a serious security concern.

A number of businesses think their answer to the firewall question is “yes,” but after investigation, the real answer is revealed to be “not at all” or “only a software firewall.”

Unfortunately, lack of firewall awareness is a trend that continues into 2019.

Firewalls, one of the most important facets of digital security, are often misunderstood and frequently taken for granted. In computing, a firewall is not a wall meant to confine fires within a building, but a digital wall meant to segment networks and protect sensitive information.

Are you beginning to wonder about the state of your firewall? The rest of this article will serve as a brief primer on firewalls, including six questions to ask your IT division or managed services provider to discover just how well that firewall is doing its job.

Hardware Firewall vs. Software Firewall

With hackers, viruses, ransomware and malware compromising computer systems worldwide, every small business needs a hardware firewall. Firewalls provide enhanced IT security to protect your technology from attack, blocking unauthorized access while still allowing legitimate users access to the systems and data necessary to perform their jobs. They are an essential part of any properly designed IT protection plan.

But why a hardware firewall?

The problem with software firewalls is that they exist on the same network where sensitive data is stored. A hacker hitting this firewall has already penetrated your network. Yes, the software firewall does offer limited protection for a single computer, but it is nowhere near enterprise-grade. A hardware firewall, on the other hand, is a completely separate piece of hardware that stands guard at the perimeter of the network and prevents access.

Once you can confidently answer “yes” to having both a hardware and software firewall in place, keep your business safe by asking the following six questions about your firewall.

Six Questions about Your Firewall

  1. Is my firewall really protecting me?

Anderson Technologies performs an infrastructure analysis at the start of every new client engagement, and we’re surprised by the number of businesses vulnerable to cyber security risks. This is often due to the lack of a firewall (when the business owner thinks they have one) or insufficient and/or out of date configuration of an existing firewall, which results in inadequate protection of systems and data.

  1. Can it handle the latest security threats?

Because new cyber security threats are developed and launched every day, your firewall’s firmware needs to be continuously updated. It should be tested on a regular schedule to ensure that security flaws are patched by the manufacturer and protected against the latest threats.

  1. Is my firewall monitored?

Firewalls are not a “set it and forget it” device. Ongoing monitoring of a security appliance like a firewall is vital to understanding what kind of threats your business is exposed to and how often intrusion attempts are made. Knowing if and when your system is under attack allows you to marshal the proper response. Monitoring provides this valuable insight.

  1. Does its configuration both protect my vital systems and allow my employees to do their work efficiently with minimal interference?

Many firewalls are installed with limited configuration and too often are set to the manufacturer’s defaults. This can lead to cyber security vulnerabilities, unnecessary exposure, and business risk. Firewalls must be configured for the particular business environment they are being installed within to provide maximum security with optimal functionality.

  1. Is my firewall running effectively?

Blocking malicious attacks requires a firewall to perform many system-intensive background tasks. It needs enough processing power to not only handle the internet provider’s speeds but also efficiently run necessary protection processes while maintaining optimal performance. If your firewall is older, it could actually be causing a “bottleneck” on your network and slowing down your business’s productivity.

  1. Is my firewall equipment up to the task?

Not all hardware firewalls are created equally! Some manufacturers garner industry recognitions and awards for their security technology and constant innovations while others do the bare minimum. The latter companies lack enterprise-level support and fail to update their hardware to protect against the latest evolving threats. Make sure you have the right equipment to protect your business.

If you can answer these six questions positively, your firewall is likely performing well and protecting your systems and data from attack. If not, we’d love to help. If you suspect your business is vulnerable to attack and would like assistance analyzing options and developing a secure firewall solution, schedule a consultation by contacting us or calling 314.394.3001.

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Don’t Hold the Door Open for Cyber Criminals

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Here in St. Louis, you’re likely to hear people saying they’re heading to Bread Co. for lunch, even if Panera is the sign above the restaurant. That’s because to St. Louisans, Panera will always be Saint Louis Bread Company. But recently, residents were relieved the St. Louis name wasn’t attached to Panera’s recent cyber security blunder.

On April 2, Brian Krebs of security news website KrebsOnSecurity broke the story that customer data from Panera’s loyalty program—including names, email and physical addresses, birthdays, and the last four digits of credit card numbers—was available through an insecure API on their website. Worse yet, Panera had been notified about the defect eight months prior in August 2017 and did nothing to resolve the problem.

Cyber security researcher Dylan Houlihan found the flaw in Panera’s API and, after confirming the extent of the problem, contacted Panera’s cyber security team. He notes that reaching out to Panera was difficult as there was no information available for who to contact if security holes were found. Panera’s response was less than stellar. In Houlihan’s detailed account of their communication, Panera’s director of information security, Mike Gustavison, was suspicious of him, and after receiving proof of the problem, took several days to reply that they would work to resolve it.

Except they didn’t.

Every month, Houlihan checked to see if the flaw was fixed, only to see that customer data was still unprotected. Finally, in April 2018, he contacted Krebs to make the matter public and force Panera to respond. They did. Within two hours Panera claimed they patched the problem.

Except they hadn’t.

Krebs continued to monitor the website and found that, while the information was no longer accessible to the public, if a member logged into their free Panera account, they could still exploit the flaw. He also discovered that it extended to other parts of Panera’s business, such as the catering website.

After the negative media coverage, Panera took down its website and patched the problem properly. In a tweet following the incident, Krebs estimates that up to 37 million accounts could have been made public because of this flaw. While there is no evidence yet that malicious agents accessed the data, this was still a terrible security breach.

How Often Does This Really Happen?

It’s easy to lose the details in light of Panera’s poor response and subsequent inaction, but accidental data breaches from misconfigured hardware or software happen far more often than you might imagine.

  • March 6, 2017: River City Media left more than a billion email accounts exposed to the public, some with personal information. Also exposed were detailed records of their own illegal spamming activities. The problem—no password protection on the backups.
  • June 19, 2017: Deep Root Analytics left millions of Americans’ addresses, birthdays, phone numbers, and political views on a variety of topics open to the public. The problem—misconfigured user permission settings.
  • October 3, 2017: A National Credit Federation cloud storage bucket was found to be open to public access, revealing personal, credit, and financial information of tens of thousands of its customers. The problem—misconfigured user permission settings.
  • October 6, 2017: An Alteryx cloud storage bucket was found to be accessible to anyone with a free Amazon Web Services account. It exposed personal data, Experian marketing data, and US Census data for more than 123 million American households. The problem—misconfigured user permission settings.
  • April 9, 2018: A flaw similar to Panera’s was discovered in P. F. Chang’s rewards website. The problem—an insecure API.
  • April 23, 2018: After rebuilding their website following a ransomware attack, MEDantex’s new customer portal contained abilities intended only for employees, including accessing confidential patient records without authentication. The problem—a bug on the website.
  • May 17, 2018: LocationSmart’s demo feature is found to be able to track the location of almost any cell phone without the user’s consent. The problem—an insecure API.

What Does This Mean for a Small Business Owner?

These examples of private, financial, and personal information leaked unintentionally serve as a warning to all business owners. While there’s a sense of poetic justice that River City Media revealed their own criminal activities by forgetting to add a password, the truth is, not all data you could reveal belongs to other people. You can be a cyber threat to your own business.

Few businesses can run day to day without some amount of personal, customer, or vendor data stored either on their network or in cloud storage. The technicalities of properly configuring security for these electronic databases can be daunting, but even when things appear to be simplified for you, all it takes is one open port, one missing password, or one unsecured application for the door to your data to be left wide open.

This is why it’s vital for businesses to have their systems set up by IT professionals and to perform network security audits routinely to ensure both the hardware and the software are configured correctly. It’s not enough to simply hire an IT consultant once and assume your system is secure. Files get moved, employees are hired, and new hardware is installed—all leaving room for new settings to supersede old ones, or worse, be forgotten all together. A network security audit performed at least annually gives you peace of mind that your cyber doors are tightly closed and locked.

What Should You Do to Protect Your Business?

While it’s crucial to know how to avoid opening the door to criminals, knowing how to respond to a breach is just as important. Here are a few simple steps you can take to avoid or address an accidental data breach.

  1. Hire IT professionals to set up all hardware and software. Your customers trust you to be the expert in your field, so trust the IT professionals to be the experts in theirs. Make sure all your hardware and software have been properly configured from the start.
  2. Perform annual network security audits. Just because you configured everything correctly, doesn’t mean it will stay that way. Your business changes all the time, so it’s best to check the doors and windows before someone else notices they’re open.
  3. Know your hardware. Many business owners don’t realize what’s in their hardware closet. Can you point to your hardware firewall with confidence? Are you certain it’s the correct type for your business? Ask an IT professional to review your hardware with you so you understand what you need and how it works. Doing so will improve your ability to spot potential problems.
  4. Have a way people can contact you about problems they find. One lesson learned from the Panera breach is how important it is that people can contact you with problems they’ve noticed. Many security researchers who find flaws due to misconfiguration just want you to know about the issue so it can be resolved. Make sure they can get in touch. Larger companies should have separate contact information specifically for security issues to keep them from being lost with other routine technical issues customers might have.
  5. Respond quickly to any problems found. Don’t wait eight months or for public embarrassment to sound the alarm before responding to an accidental data breach. If you act swiftly, your data may still be kept safe. In many accidental breaches, the problem was found not by criminals but cyber researchers.

No company wants to find themselves in a situation like Panera’s, so make sure your network security is done right. If you’d like to learn more about configuring your systems or to schedule a network security audit, contact Anderson Technologies by phone at 314.394.3001 or by email at info@andersontech.com.

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