Another day, another cyber attack 😬 We're seeing them everywhere now from the news to your very own inbox (Does 'Your CEO needs a gift card ...' look familiar? Yeah, never open that). And the consequences are devastating because a single breach can mean financial loss, stolen data, and reputational damage just for starters.
Luckily, you're primed to be the cyber hero of this story by knowing the threats ahead of time to help protect your company, your colleagues, and especially yourself. So today, we'll walk you through some security basics to stay safe online and offline.
Phishing is a favorite social engineering attack among hackers, who will pretend to be from a legitimate source, try to trick you into clicking on a malicious link/attachment, then steal your personal info or other sensitive data. These scammers are often after your passwords, identity, money, and access to your work. ANYONE is a target and can get a phishing attack through email, text, call, and even social media.
Spam filters can only catch so much and hackers are getting better at disguising themselves. Here are some ways and an example email to spot phishing:
❓ Beware if the message is unsolicited and asks for personal or sensitive information 🖱️ Hover to discover the real sender address before you click on links or attachments 📝 Look for spelling and grammar errors 🤔 Gut check if it sounds off or too good to be true
"Company Paid Hackers $4.4 Million in Ransomware Attack"
FYI that's a real headline about the cyber attack that shut down an essential service to 50+ million people this year. But if you were thinking of something else, that's probably because this kind of attack happens A LOT – as in, every 11 seconds accumulating up to 304 million ransomware attacks in a year 😱 Today, it's one of the most devastating attacks on startups and small businesses.
Ransomware is malware ('malicious software') that locks your computer or encrypts your files to prevent you from accessing your data until ransom is paid, usually in Bitcoin:
Why it matters 💸: The stakes are higher than ever. The average cost of ransom is now up to $200,000 and data loss can be worth even more. Everyone can be a target, especially companies like RiseRx to hospitals to utility companies.
How it gets onto your computer 🐟: Usually phishing via email and social media messages. 'Drive-by downloads' are also common, where ransomware automatically downloads if you click on a compromised website.
What YOU can do to help 🦸🏻♂️: