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...

Cyber security awareness is an everyday job, and it’s easy to fall into a false sense of security once you have a solid plan in place. Every year, statistics are a reminder that hackers and scammers never sleep. New trends and attack types pop up daily, making it difficult to keep track. This list is a rundown of the most important statistics of the year, allowing you to get a good overview of...

Retail stores are one of the oldest ways humans exchange goods and services. As they evolve, one of the most significant shifts they have undergone is the dramatic increase in technology integration within their operations. From tools to check stock to staffing management and cash registers, retail stores rely heavily on technology for almost every aspect of their business. Unfortunately, all...

“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...

Cellphones have seen one of the most dramatic technological growths of any hardware in recent history. From simple portable phones a few decades ago, they’ve become fully-fledged computers with their own OS and applications used daily by most people worldwide. Smartphones have become such a fixture of life, and hackers and scammers have been working to exploit these devices for personal gain....

To prevent ransomware, companies need to focus on giving their employees actionable security awareness training that educates, empowers, and motivates. For this to happen, employees must understand the facts around ransomware and the profound, long-term impact it can have on the company. Once a ransomware attack is successfully executed, there are very few options for the affected company apart...

Employees come and go for a variety of reasons. If you’re lucky, they’ll be very cooperative with the offboarding process, but this isn’t always the case. And even if they are, you still have to take it with a grain of salt. Some say that calm and cooperative offboarding is often the most dangerous because people aren’t as diligent when the situation seems lax. If these moments have any...

The way we think about data protection is changing. Cyber culture is emerging as the new norm, and organizations must adapt their strategies to stay ahead of the curve. Data protection has traditionally focused on preventing breaches and protecting sensitive information. However, cyber culture goes beyond this by encompassing all aspects of online life. It includes everything from how we interact...

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...

In early July, IT solutions provider and remote management solution provider Kaseya announced that it had fallen victim to a supply chain ransomware attack. During the attack, hackers leveraged a vulnerability in Kaseya’s VSA platform to encrypt the data of hundreds of downstream MSPs and their clients. The Kaseya ransomware outbreak is one of the latest high-profile ransomware attacks targeting...

Actionable security awareness tips on how employees can prevent insider threats  A misplaced USB drive with confidential data. An opportunistic employee sharing confidential information with a competitor. An employee who accidentally clicks a phishing email. These are all examples of insider threats to your organization. Insider threats unfortunately are not simply the stuff of movies and crime...

How to Protect Against Ryuk Ransomware As countries worldwide struggle to come to grips with the Covid-19 pandemic, attackers have attempted to capitalize by launching a wave of ransomware attacks on hospitals across the U.S. and Canada. These attacks have taken place in locations ranging from New York, Nebraska, Ohio, Missouri, and Michigan, to Montreal, by using Ryuk ransomware. But what is...

(7 min read) Hint: It has everything to do with effective mobile learning. The past decade’s explosion of smartphone and tablet usage has magnified the importance of well-designed mobile responsive content as a vital part of any training program. Recent studies echo clear mobile learning preference statistics, including how: 70% of learners feel more motivated when training on a mobile device. ...

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...

You can have the most powerful, cutting-edge security technology in the world, but if a user clicks on the link in a malicious email, lets a stranger tailgate into your building or uses 1234 as their login password, they unwittingly open your organization up to a cyber security breach. The fact is that the human risk factor remains your greatest point of vulnerability when it comes to cyber...