Hashing and Salting: Better Password Security
In this age of rampant and expensive ransomware attacks, many organizations find it necessary to revisit security procedures. The venerable username and password login doesn’t lend itself to good security (especially when 72% of workers admit to using the same password across four or more accounts), and while multi-factor authentication helps quite a bit, it’s […]
So … Who Got Hacked Today?
This year of 2024 has brought a seemingly endless series of cybersecurity incidents targeting some of the biggest brand names and the products in the most widespread use. The techniques and the amount and types of information compromised have varied, but it all adds up to one large and disturbing picture. Let’s take a look: […]
Dealerships Dealing with CDK Hack
By now you’ve probably heard about the ransomware attack on CDK Global, a software provider serving some 15,000 auto dealerships in the U.S. In the ongoing debate over whether victims should or should not pay ransom, it appears CDK did, and pretty quickly. But there was, and is, a lot to untangle. CDK provides software […]
The Buy Maryland Cybersecurity (BMC) Tax Credit
By now you know that cyber threats represent an existential threat to businesses of all sizes. You’ve seen countless stories about ransomware and phishing attempts, social engineering, and even deepfake videos, all designed to separate businesses from their money. So you know that you need strong cyber defenses in place. What you might not know […]
The Great Race: AI and Cybersecurity
It’s impossible to read about any industry without finding multiple opinions on the coming impact of artificial intelligence, but cybersecurity is surely in the top tier of disciplines being transformed by AI. Machine learning and AI are already taking on multiple roles in the battle against cyberattacks, the problem being that the bad guys are […]
The Year that Was: 2023 in Cybersecurity
There was good news, but as usual mostly bad news, on the global cybersecurity front this year. Here’s a brief look back at 2023. First off, the year saw more accolades for Hill Tech, as in July we were again named among the nation’s elite managed services providers, making the prestigious Channel Futures NextGen 101 […]
The Johnson Controls Cyberattack: Poster Child for CMMC?
Another week, another major cyberattack, and both the attack and the victim are massive. In case you missed it, the target this time was Johnson Controls, employer of some 100,000 people worldwide, and the ransom demand from the Dark Angels group is a staggering $51 million. They claim to have extracted more than 25 terabytes […]
Ransom Where? Changing Threats and the Current Landscape
The Dallas City Government. Colonial Oil. The UK’s Royal Mail Service. Denmark’s CloudNordic. Ransomware is a worldwide threat, and it’s rare that a week goes by without another high-profile attack being revealed. What you won’t find in the headlines, though, are the innumerable assaults on smaller organizations, businesses that don’t have the deep pockets often […]
Security Awareness Training: What’s Not Working?
If there’s one constant in the ever-changing cybersecurity landscape, it’s this: Your employees are typically the weakest link in your defenses. Regardless of the type of attempted attack, most will start with an effort to fool an employee into taking an undesired action, whether that’s clicking on a malicious link or transferring funds that will […]
CISA Updates the #StopRansomware Guide: Here’s What’s New
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and its partners recently released an update to their #StopRansomware guide, first issued in 2020. The revised version reflects the ever-shifting scene of tactics and malware that have made the battle against ransomware a moving target. Fun fact: The first ransomware attack was delivered via floppy disk […]
