Cybersecurity
Compliance Audits: Lessons from the SEC Lawsuit of SolarWinds
A Brief History On October 30, 2023, The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filed a lawsuit against SolarWinds, the information technology firm that fell victim to a Russian-backed hacking group in a major cyber-espionage incident in 2019. The SEC alleges that SolarWinds committed fraud and failed to maintain adequate internal controls for several years leading…
Read MoreTen Tips for Parents to Foster Safe Online Practices in Children
Every generation of parents faces unique challenges in parenting as society advances and evolves. The upbringing in the 70s differed significantly from the 90s, and both seem vastly different from the present era. Listening to my father’s tales of his childhood feels like stepping into a different world altogether. In today’s digital age, with the…
Read MoreHow to Create a Business Continuity Plan
In the wake of the recent ransomware breach at Rackspace, many of their customers lost all access to their email accounts, calendars, and other critical information. The company responded by initiating emergency protocols. User accounts were migrated from Rackspace’s hosted Exchange to Microsoft’s O365 platform. Despite restoring services, users lost all their data due to…
Read MoreInformation Access: Avoiding Lax Controls in Your Business Environment
The Need for Management Information Systems Our Information Age appears to be entering a midlife crisis with many of us suffering from TMI… Yes, “too much information.” No, we’re not addressing that awkward issue of #peopletalktoomuch. As a technology company, we try to stay in our lane. Our focus is dealing with the vast amounts…
Read MoreHow Scammers Steal Information. What You Need to Know about Social Engineering.
Article Summary: The phrase “social engineering” is used to describe a wide variety of scamming tactics that hackers use when interacting with their potential victims. Often times, unsuspecting people are duped into divulging critical information or committing security blunders. Scammer attacks generally fall into one of these five categories: baiting, scareware, pretexting, phishing, and spear…
Read MoreCisco Umbrella Pulls Out of Russia and Belarus
On August 1st, 2022, Cisco Umbrella began blocking all traffic originating out of Russia and Belarus (source). This move was first announced by the company on March 3rd to show support for their customers and employees in Ukraine and to condemn Russia’s aggression against their country. What implications does this have for your business? Here…
Read MorePassword Managers For Business
Once upon a time in a galaxy far far away, people used one password across a handful of logins. This worked fine for a time due to the average person’s ignorance of all things technology; however, times have changed and breaches are commonplace. Businesses must prepare for a different post-COVID workplace where cybersecurity needs, compliance,…
Read MoreRussian Cyberwar Against the US
As tension rise during the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, there is a growing concern regarding the United States response. After all, we are the world’s superpower. Our response as a nation could spark a Russian cyberwar, world war, or leave a country to fall to a dictator. Bad men need nothing more to compass…
Read MoreTax Refund Scams
Protect Your Clients, Protect Yourself! Tax professionals are increasingly targeted by cybercriminals because of the sensitive financial information they obtain from their clients. If they fall victim to a data breach and that information is compromised, social security numbers and bank account records will most definitely fall into the hands of thieves. Unwinding the damage…
Read MoreCybersecurity Insurance Trends
Escalating Risks for American Businesses: IBM defines cybersecurity as “the practice of protecting critical systems and sensitive information from digital attacks.” In reality, the average cost of a data breach in the United States in 2020 was $8.64 million (source). Here’s a common scenario, and how it plays out for an unfortunate business owner on…
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