In 1971, Ray Tomlison developed the first email service while working at The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). This development changed how we communicated. However, even though this was an exceptional tool, it was not very user-friendly, requiring users to have specific software installed on their computers. In 1996, Sabeer Bhatia...

Cyber criminals are constantly evolving their methods, but their biggest leverage for growth will always be exploiting the human factor. Software and physical measures against cyber attacks have become so advanced that tricking workers is the only remaining attack vector criminals can reliably use. According to Verizon’s 2023 Data Breach Report, 74% of...

QR codes have come a long way since being invented in 1994 by a subsidiary of Toyota. Initially introduced to address some limitations of barcodes during the car manufacturing process, QR codes have since become staples in people’s day-to-day lives. The introduction of high-powered cameras to most modern smartphones is what allowed these codes to gain new uses. QR codes, easily generated and cost...

The rise of cloud storage has enabled much of the rapid digital transformation people have experienced since the onset of the pandemic. Forecasts project that today’s $83.41 billion global market will explode to $376.37 billion by 2029. While cloud storage opens many opportunities to streamline processes and productivity, let’s keep in mind the arduous risks it poses. Skyhigh Security found that...

“On the internet, nobody knows you’re a dog.”     Cartoon by Peter Steiner There’s a reason this cartoon gained popularity in 1993 and has now become an iconic representation of how the internet works. The internet provides a way for people to hide their real identities, which can unfortunately lead to dishonest activities. Nowadays, scammers take advantage of this to deceive people who...

This year is seeing more phishing attacks in more places, having more detrimental impacts. One security messaging provider noted a 61% increase in phishing attacks between April and October 2022 compared to the same period the previous year. Another report observed that when phishing attacks were successful in 2022, financial losses from those incidents increased by 76%. In another trend,...

Cloud storage has revolutionized how organizations collaborate internally, allowing them to store data conveniently and cheaper than ever. According to a recent survey of technology leaders, 93% of respondents said their company was “mostly cloud,” reflecting the hold that this technology has on all industries. The auto industry has recently integrated cloud storage at all levels of their...

March is Fraud Prevention Month, and Terranova Security wants to take this opportunity to emphasize the importance of raising awareness on information security best practices. Let’s stop online fraud in its tracks. As security professionals focused on Information Security Awareness (ISA), much of what we do is fraud prevention. Our aims and actions have a direct link to Fraud Prevention Month,...

Spoofing refers to an attack where hackers use various ways to disguise their identity so that their victims think they are talking to their coworker, boss, or business. The methods used to achieve this are the typical phishing tropes such as fake websites, links, and social engineering. When spoofing is involved, it’s often more helpful to focus on detecting the facade rather than looking at the...

Phishing threats are everywhere, and if your employees don’t know how to spot them, you’re putting your information at risk. Knowing how to build a successful phishing simulation is vital for identifying how well employees can spot the latest threats and ensuring they know how to spot them independently. Unfortunately, many organizations fail to offer adequate security awareness training, with...

Imagine waking up one day and the organizations you deal with – your bank, your workplace, the tax office, your educational institution – don’t recognize you as you. Sounds like science fiction, right? In its extreme version, it is. But versions of this story are playing out for people and organizations daily as incidences of identity theft occur more frequently around the world. In 2022, the...

(7 min read) Using online security awareness training to lower your click rate Recognizing a potential phishing email is the first step in avoiding falling victim to a cyber attack. The next and most important step is knowing what to do with this email. Ideally, you want your employees to report the phishing email to you and then delete the message. However, curiosity is extremely powerful....

Know how to identify and prevent a spoofing attack Spoofing attacks are the ultimate form of cybercriminal trickery and deception. Cybercriminals disguise themselves and rely on trust to steal confidential information, install ransomware, and commit other cybercrimes. Spoofing comes down to trust. Cybercriminals hide behind trusted people, domains, URLs, and the technical elements that make up a...