As we watch the war unfolding in the Ukraine, we would like to think it is a far-off war happening in a far-off land. The reality is there is a new front that is fought every day that transcends borders to reach anyone anywhere in the world.
Cyber warfare has been churning in the shadows for decades. It is a war that is never noticed in the news for its daily victories but always makes the front page with its occasional failures.
Unfortunately, cyber-attacks are the new front in a 21st century war. The primary target of a cyber-attack is to disrupt infrastructure, power, transportation, financial institutions, and economies. This allows the conventional war to be met with limited resistance.
President Biden is expected to implement additional severe sanctions on Russia this afternoon. It is believed that Russia will retaliate with a series of cyber-attacks on the United States and its Allies.
If you are not convinced of this, just remember, the Ukraine has been attacked by cyber security denial of Service and Malware prior to military action and cyber-attacks are still ongoing.
It is expected that some of the targets will be the power grid, banking, airports, and Internet Service Providers. We suspect a Denial-of-Service Attack will focus on Internet Service Providers to disrupt as many services as possible.
How can you ensure every measure is taken to protect yourself and your organization? Simple, verify you have a good offsite backup of your data, install the latest security patches, update your security software.
After all is said and done…you are an integral part of security. It only takes one click, one email, or one lost password to create a breach.
We are imploring everyone to stay vigilant on the cloud, internet, phones, personal devices, and home computers.
What to look for.
- Fake emails asking you to reset passwords- Do not reset passwords through an email
- Fake Zoom meeting requests. Unless it is scheduled by you or someone you know in advanced…do not accept it
- Phone calls from “Support” stating that you have a virus, and you need to let someone on the system. Just hang up.
- Do not open any unknown emails, just delete it
- Do not go to any “Free” websites for Coupons or Deals
- Do not download from any “Torrent” Sites
- Do not click on any pop ups that claim you “Have a virus! Click here to clean!”
- Do not use any Free Wi-Fi or try and use your neighbors
- Avoid Bank or financial Emails that request you reset your password
- Do not fall for the “Gift Card” scam
Remember- If the message is urgent, time sensitive, free, or asking for personal information…. It is fake!
If you are unsure…don’t click!