Datalyst Blog

Last week we went through some of the issues that Facebook is dealing with in regards to its security and data privacy. Today, we thought it would be helpful to give you the tools you need to protect your privacy on Facebook.

Facebook remains one of the most visited places on the Internet. Meta (the parent company to Facebook) also features WhatsApp and Instagram on their roster and has faced numerous security and privacy failings over the years. In this week’s blog, we’ll take a brief look at some of the most noteworthy.

Windows Defender is Microsoft’s own antivirus solution, and it comes bundled with Windows, so it’s confusing to think that a business would need to pay for it, right? Well, there are actually two separate products called Defender, with a big difference between them.

A popular automotive dealership software platform has recently become the target of a cyberattack, resulting in the solution going down for several days. Any business that has a solution it relies on can sympathize with the situation. After all, if you lose access to your critical business apps for several days, would your operations be able to recover?

All businesses use email to communicate, but too many organizations haven’t jumped on the encrypted email bandwagon yet. Encryption is incredibly helpful to keep networks and infrastructure secure, and it can do the same for your email solution. In fact, it is likely required to ensure the secure transfer of critical and sensitive information.

Encryption is a powerful weapon against hackers that can prevent them from stealing your data and leveraging it against you. Encryption, in its most basic textbook definition, converts your readable data into an indecipherable jumble that can only be reassembled through the use of an encryption key. Small businesses absolutely must utilize encryption to protect customer information, financial records, and other important or sensitive business data. This ensures that it is as protected as possible against those that might do you harm.

Scammers look to take advantage of someone else for their own gain, but there are some scammers out there who are trying to scam the scammers to teach them a lesson. One such individual is “Kitboga,” a content creator who calls themselves a “scam baiter.”

There was a time when malicious computer viruses and other online threats were more or less just a nuisance. There were a handful of dangerous threats 15-20 years ago, but the majority of online threats mostly just bogged down your computer or got in your way. 

Fast forward to today, and things are a lot different. Cybercrime is a lucrative industry, and cybercriminals (and scammers in general) treat their work like a business. The average person experiences about one scam every waking hour, whether at work or at home, so it’s more important than ever to understand what you are up against.

Hackers are always on the lookout for personally identifiable information, or PII, as it’s an immensely lucrative resource. You’ll need to protect it if you want your business to continue operating safely and efficiently. Let’s go over what PII entails and what kinds of data you might find under this term.

Safeguarding your online accounts is an important part of maintaining network security. With the increasing number of cyber threats, relying on strong, unique passwords is no longer optional—it's a necessity. Remembering complex passwords for numerous accounts can be challenging, however. This is where password managers come in handy, offering a secure and convenient solution to managing your credentials.

It’s practically impossible to deny just how big of a concern cybersecurity should be for a business. The threats are worse than ever, the stakes are higher than ever before, and no organization wants to be responsible for the loss of dozens or hundreds of stolen identities. That’s why small and medium-sized businesses, especially those throughout New England, need to take cybersecurity seriously.

The following guide is designed for both business owners and employees, explaining complex concepts and prioritizing several critical cybersecurity habits.

Phishing is a pervasive threat nowadays, with businesses of any size or industry serving as prime targets. Understanding phishing and implementing effective prevention strategies is crucial for your entire team.

Let's explore how to reduce the effectiveness of phishing schemes against your business—in other words, how to prevent phishing from having an impact.

…And We’re Not Even Halfway Through It Yet

In 2022, cybercriminals reportedly stole $300 million from citizens and entities throughout New England. When I first read that number, which the FBI provided, I honestly thought it felt low. Then I reread the sentence. That’s just how much money the criminals made off with—not the cost of the damages they caused, or the estimated value of the collective information that was stolen, the loss of productivity, the cost of scrambling to get back to normal, and everything else that comes with a cyberattack.

Small and medium-sized businesses NEED to take cybersecurity seriously.

This article aims to shed light on the impending cybercrime wave. We'll delve into the statistics, the key threats, and the preventative measures that can be taken.

While the word “audit” can easily be a scary thought for businesses, there are certain cases where an audit serves an organization’s direct benefit. Take, for instance, the ones that occur internally to identify and correct security issues and vulnerabilities. These audits are not only a positive endeavor for businesses; they’re extremely important to carry out.

Let’s talk about why this is and review a few standard practices you should prioritize as you go about this process.

Like many of the past few years, this year has witnessed a significant surge in high-profile ransomware attacks. If you haven't already strategized how to safeguard your business from these threats, now is the time to act. Fortunately, you can take several proactive measures to mitigate the impact of ransomware attacks, and it all starts with preparation.

Since it was first documented in 1989, ransomware has only become far more severe, ruthless, and, most of all, prevalent. Let’s review some important statistics to remember if you are to understand ransomware and, even more importantly, avoid its impact on your business.

Believe it or not, if you were to rank your business’ greatest threats, risk factors, and vulnerabilities, your users would most likely belong somewhere toward the top. Human error is a big challenge to your security simply because cybercriminals understand that your employees are, in fact, human and will, in fact, make mistakes.

Let’s explore how cyberattacks exploit this tendency and how you can better protect your business from the ramifications.

Cybersecurity is crucial for everyone to focus on, both in the professional environment and in their personal lives. That’s why I wanted to put together a list of cybersecurity practices you should encourage your team to follow when they aren’t in the office or working remotely, when their time is theirs. 

Nowadays, it is crucial that you make security a top priority. With the right approach, it not only saves you massive headaches, but also a considerable amount of capital—particularly if you leverage the appropriate solutions for SMBs. As a managed service provider, we can ensure that you implement the appropriate IT solutions to maximize the return on your security investment.

When you drive your car to work every day, it’s pretty easy to forget just how potentially dangerous your commute can be. Obviously, thanks to rules and laws and years of driving experience, most of us can be pretty safe drivers, and we don’t consider that the morning commute puts us at any sort of risk. 

In a similar way, we all use email just about every day, which makes it easy to become lax about security, despite the fact that there are huge underlying risks of having poor cybersecurity hygiene when it comes to your inbox.