During 2011, cyber security incidents included theft of intellectual property and government data, hacktivism, malware targeting mobile devices and a resurgence of the Zeus Trojan, which targets financial information. Protecting against these attacks was a key challenge for organizations of all sizes in both the public and private sectors. What is in store for 2012?…
From the Desk of Chad M. Barr, CISSP, CISA, PCI QSA There have been a number of recent “phishing” campaigns, which are attempts by individuals or groups to solicit personal information from unsuspecting users by employing social engineering techniques. This month’s newsletter will focus on some of recent campaigns and provide guidance for protecting yourself…
A vulnerability has been reported in the e-commerce software called osCommerce. osCommerce is an open source e-commerce solution for running an online store front with minimal effort and cost. The attack takes advantage of multiple vulnerabilities and insecure configuration settings with osCommerce installations. As a result, an attacker is able to take complete control and/or plant…
We’ve all seen the pop-up windows telling us that our PC is infected with a virus or other malware. But the real malware can be that free software and the free offer to fix your PC. Those ads and warnings can be fake, and you’ll do more damage to your PC and the security of…
If you encrypt a wireless network, there will be a reduced risk of someone monitoring your communications or hacking into the network. Wireless networks are not as secure as the traditional “wired” networks, but you can minimize the risk on your wireless network (at home or at work) by following the tips below: Change your…
These scams continue to proliferate at alarming rates and are becoming more and more difficult to detect. It’s important for you to understand how to recognize a phishing attempt and what you can do to protect yourself. What Can I Do? Be cautious about all communications you receive. If it appears to be a phishing…
Safeguarding your business and personal data has never been more difficult or important. How do you safeguard sensitive/confidential data? The manner of protection often depends on what kind of data you are safeguarding, how important or sensitive it is to you, to your organization or your customers. The following tips will help you become aware…
It’s important to verify the sites you visit on the Internet. A certain amount of information (such as your IP address and domain name) is automatically sent when you connect. Web sites can also track the pages you visit, determine the version of your browser and operating system, and even compromise files and passwords. Below…
Once you have installed an anti-virus and/or anti-spyware package, you should scan your entire computer periodically. If your anti-virus package has the ability to automatically scan specific files or directories and prompt you at set intervals to perform complete scans, enable this feature. What can I do to protect my computer? Don’t click on pop-up…
It is important to make sure you secure your portable devices to protect both the device and the information contained on the device. The following outlines steps you can take to protect your mobile communication device. Some of the steps are dependent upon the functionality of your device. Use a password to access your device….
