Tax Information Theft Is On The Rise This Year

It's tax season, and if you're like many people, you make use of one of the numerous e-file platforms offered by TurboTax, TaxAct, and similar companies. Unfortunately, tax season also presents a tremendous opportunity for hackers. So much that the IRS has issued a formal warning to accountants and taxpayers alike, urging them to enable two-factor authentication to minimize the risk of identity theft.

The IRS warning grew out of the fact that over the last few weeks, they received dozens of reports from accountants around the country about data theft.

If you use a third-party, online tax service like the ones we mentioned above, it pays to heed the IRS' warning and enable 2FA on your account. That is, in order to provide better security and minimize the risk that your tax account could be hacked. If it is hacked, it will give hackers access to everything they need to steal your identity and make your life miserable for months, and possibly years to come.

If you have an accountant who handles your taxes for you, then it pays to at least have the conversation and find out what they're doing and how they're filing your taxes for you. You should find out if/when/where e-filing enters into the equation to be sure they're using 2FA as well to better protect your data. If they're not, it's a serious enough issue that it may be worth considering switching to someone who takes security more seriously.

Since 2015, the IRS has been working with Security Summit Partners, which is a cooperative agency that includes state tax agencies, tax preparation firms, software developers, payroll processors and banks. The purpose of the collaboration with the group is to ensure that multi-factor authentication features are widely available to everyone in the tax and tax preparation business.

Unfortunately, availability does not always translate into adoption. Either way, kudos to the IRS for being proactive and doing all they can to help protect taxpayers from opportunists. Long story short: If you're filing your taxes digitally, or someone's doing that for you, make sure 2FA is enabled.

Take the proactive approach when it comes to keeping your business and client information safe and secure from thieves, hackers, scammers, and other types of online threats. Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team of IT experts help you. 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Greenville, SC 29601
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How Can You Secure Your Computer From Hackers?

Back in the 1990’s, computer users have started to notice the disadvantages of the internet and many of them didn’t like what they saw. Email accounts were bombarded with tons of spam while business networks were plagued with various computer viruses. A scary criminal component came about that widened the definition of robbery to a whole new level. It now includes infiltrating the computer, stealing personal details, duping you to revealing personal details, as well as using that information to extort and steal everything from your bank account, identity, and down to your business secrets.

Despite all that, small and large businesses depend on the internet to monitor their orders, financials, and their inventory as well as perform PR campaigns and marketing, connect with clients, participate in social media, and conduct other important business operations. However, there’s been a lot of reports about computer breaches in different companies including those that are already at the top of the ladder. Small companies are responsible when it comes to the prevention of such crimes so that company property is not harmed and consumer information is not stolen. A few steps to ensure computersecurity and protect your integrity are listed below.

Use a Firewall

Two of the biggest computer operating systems come with built in firewalls, software that were made to develop a barrier between the outside world and your information. They prevent unauthorized access to your company’s network and notify you of any attempt of intrusion.

Install Anti-Virus

Trojans, keyloggers, and computer viruses are all around. Anti-virus programs like Avast and Malwarebytes work by immunizing your computer against any software that will threaten the operating system or any unauthorized code. Viruses can have different effects that might be quite easy to identify. They may slow down your computer or in some cases delete or halt key files.

Install Anti-Spyware Package

Spyware is a specialized type of software that will collect and monitor your organizational or personal information secretly. It is designed to be difficult to detect and remove. It also tends to serve up undesired adverts or search results that will direct you to malicious websites.

Use Complex Passwords

One important way of preventing illegal intrusions onto your computer and your network is to use secure and complex passwords. It will be harder for a hacker to invade your computer if you use more secure passwords. It is not a good idea to use obvious combinations or words that will represent common things like your birthday or any basic information that could be easily connected to you.

Update Your OS, Browser, and Apps

You should always install updates to your computer’s operating system. The majority of updates include security patches that will stop hackers from gaining access and exploiting your personal or business information. This also applies to your favorite apps.

Ignore Spam

You should be careful of emails that come from unknown parties and don’t click on the links or even open attachments that on the email. Over the years, spam catchers have upped their game and have become extremely effective at catching spam. But you still need to be very careful.

The threats to your computer, personal and business information are everywhere. Never let your guard down and always make sure that effective security measures are in place to protect your network and company in general. Call SpartanTec, Inc. now and let our team determine if your network is at risk and what measures can be taken to protect your company.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Greenville, SC  29601
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https://spartantec-greenville.business.site/

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Greenville, Spartansburg, Mauldin, East Park, Overbrook, West Greenville, Greer

Android Malware Can Replace Real Apps With Fake Apps

Security researchers at Check Point have discovered a disturbing new strain of Android malware that's as ingenious as it is disturbing. It is effective because it is designed to replace a rapidly expanding number of apps with poisoned copies.

The app copies still retain their core functionality, making the malware notoriously difficult to detect.

After all, if you downloaded JioTV, a photo editing app of some kind, or a game, and the app works as you expect it to, why would you even suspect that it was malware?  Unfortunately, that's exactly what this new malware strain does.

Dubbed 'Agent Smith,' the malware takes advantage of different android vulnerabilities and injects malicious code into the APK files of targeted apps defined by a list inside the code. They then automatically update and re-install them without the device owner's knowledge or consent.

The Check Point researchers had this to say about the new strain:

"It's not enough for this malware family to swap just one innocent application with an infected double.  It does so for each and every app on the device, as long as the package names are on its prey list.

Over time, this campaign will also infect the same device repeatedly, with the latest malicious patches.  This leads us to estimate there are to be over 2.8 billion infections in total, on around 25 million unique devices, meaning that on average, each victim would have suffered roughly 112 swaps of innocent applications."

Of course, the last thing the malware's creators want is for the app to be legitimately updated. So part of the strain's design is to disable that functionality from inside the app so the hackers can control the updates.

If there's a silver lining, it is that to date, the malware doesn't contain any data siphoning or data destroying code.  All it does is display ads.  Unfortunately, the malware strain's owners can easily shift gears any time they want to.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. for details on how to keep your information safe.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Greenville, SC  29601
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How To Protect the Data Of Your Clients and Company

Having sensitive information regarding customers and clients is crucial, however ensuring that private details stays secure may be just as important to the health of a small business. Several small businesses aren’t that ready for the tricks hackers use to get data from information units or to handle the fallout from such as event. As a matter of fact, hackers consider small businesses as attractive targets compared to bigger companies since they do not invest as many resources in their information security. This holds true for those companies that provide services to bigger firms. So how do you protect the data of your clients, employees, and company as well?

Data protection Tips For Better Information Security

In case you collect it, you should protect it.

You need set in place and adhere to security measures to make sure that the personal information of employees and customers are protection from unauthorized and inappropriate access.

Set up a strong privacy policy.

Clients have to know that you are doing your best to protect their information. Be sure that you have a privacy policy set in place so they have something to refer to if they want to know how you are keeping their personal details safe and secure. Don’t forget to be straightforward with clients regarding their consumer data that you collect and whatever it is that you are doing with their information. By being honest, you will be able to build trust and you will show your clients that their data is important to you and that you are doing all that you can to protect it.

You need to know what you are trying to protect.

You have to know what information you have, where it is stored, how it is used, and who can access it. Know the type of assets you may have and the reasons hackers may have to want to get them.

Never underestimate the threat.

Most small business owners think that only larger enterprises are at risk. But the truth is, there have been instances when small businesses lost thousands because of cyber criminals.

Don’t keep what you don’t need.

The more sensitive information you keep, the more at risk your company will be. Don’t use social security numbers as well as other crucial information to identify your clients. Instead of using these info, why don’t you go for log in identifications as well as passwords? You can prevent attackers from simulating users if you have several layers of identification. Delete any other information that you don’t need.

Keep your machine clean.

Be sure that you have installed the latest anti-virus program, web browser, as well as operating system. These are among the most effective defences against malware, viruses, and other kinds of online threats. Several software will connect and update automatically to protect your system against known risks. Switch on automatic updates if ever you have that option.

Install multiple security layers.

Spam filters and email protection can weed out phishing scams and malware, which are mostly aimed directly at companies, regardless of the size.

Do you want to know if your information, computers, and networks are at risk? Let our team at SpartanTec, Inc. help you. Call us now for more details. 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Greenville, SC  29601
(864) 326-5914

https://spartantec-greenville.business.site/

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Greenville, Spartansburg, Mauldin, East Park, Overbrook, West Greenville, Greer

Stop Ransomware Attacks With Network Segregation, Segmentation

There has been lots of ransomware attacks against organizations in the healthcare industry over the past years. In some cases, there have been devastating consequences. Fortunately, network segmentation and segregation can help.

From patient data that have been compromised to EHR downtime, such cyberattacks could disrupt the facility’s operation significantly. Network segmentation and network segregation are measures that can assist in mitigating the risks from such typical attacks. The separation of important networks from internal network, less sensitive networks, or from the internet is referred to as network segregation. Meanwhile, network segmentation, involves dividing the bigger network to smaller ones. This can be achieved through virtual local area networks, firewalls, as well as other separation methods.

Both of these approaches can stop ransomware attacks that will encrypt files on your network, restrict access to those files, and bring the victim to a web page and given instructions on how they can pay a ransom using bitcoin so they can unlock their files. How can healthcare firms and organizations create and implement such measures to protect their data and infrastructure from such attacks?

Network Segregation and Network Segregation

One effective way of prevent ransomware attacks is air gapping, which involves separating the network from internal networks that may be unsecured and from the internet. This measure could create usability problems within the firm.

Network segmentation is another solution that is network based. It involves dividing bigger networks into smaller segments using separation techniques such as VLANs or virtual local area networks. Function can be used as a basis when segmenting networks like splitting human resources from finance. It can also be done by data like separating non regulated data from PHI. Segmentation will lay down the ground work for controls that offer protection from lateral movement on the network by hackers or ransomware, thus preventing compromise or infection from being spread across your organization’s network.

Organizations have to make sure that they perform patches to lessen their vulnerability, install antivirus software, and follow only the best practices when it comes to cybersecurity hygiene. They should also train their workforce, use email protection, and updated antivirus software. Ransomware will continue to be a threat to the healthcare industry into the near future. There are things organizations can take to prevent ransomware from infecting their network and decrease the damage in case a ransomware attack succeeds at first. Network segmentation and network segregation are two methods that healthcare organizations can take to mitigate the risk of encountering ransomware. They may be costly or complex but they can save organizations from the damage in their system, finances, and reputation as well as patient risk that a ransomware attack will result in.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you need help in making sure that your organization and network is safe against ransomware attacks.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Greenville, SC  29601
(864) 326-5914

https://spartantec-greenville.business.site/

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Greenville, Spartansburg, Mauldin, East Park, Overbrook, West Greenville, Greer

Tips To Avoid The Most Common Computer Security Threats

Computer security threats constantly evolve. These threats are masters of manipulation and disguise will always try to find brand new methods not just to annoy online users but also to steal and even harm them. You should arm yourself with resources and information for protection against the growing and complex computer security threats and improve your computer security as well as information security.

Common Cybersecurity Threats

Computer Viruses

Maybe the most popular computer security threat is a computer virus. It is a program that is written to change how a computer works, without the knowledge or permission of the user. A virus will replicate and execute itself, which leads to computer damage during the process. Be sure to evaluate free software carefully, download that come from peer to peer file sharing websites, as well as emails from unknown sources. All these re crucial in avoiding computer viruses. The majority of web browsers these days have security settings that can be improved for the best defence against various online threats. However, the single most efficient method of avoiding viruses is to install and keep your anti-virus software updated.

Spyware Threats

Another serious security threat is spyware. It is a program that will monitor your online activities. It can also install programs without your permission either to get personal information or for profit. Today, there are several ways to help you fight spyware threats and stay safe online. Although several users don’t want to hear about it, reading terms and conditions is important and a good practice as it will give you the knowledge you need to understand how your online activities are being tracked. Of course, when a firm that you don’t recognize is advertising a deal that is too good to be true then it probably is. You need to have an internet security solution set up right away and be careful when go online.

Hackers and Predators

People create these malware and computer threats. Predators and hackers are programmers who victimize others for their personal interest by breaking into computers to change, steal, or destroy pertinent details as a kind of cyber terrorism. These online predators will compromise your credit cart information, steal your identity, and won’t let you use your data. As you may have known, online security tools that comes with identity theft protection are among the best methods to protect yourself from this kind of cybercriminal.

Phishing

Phishers pretend as trustworthy business or person so they can steal personal or sensitive details through instant messages or fraudulent emails. Phishing attacks are among the most successful ways for cybercriminals to conduct a data breach Anti-virus programs with identity theft protection could be taught to identify phishing threats.

Do you want to know if your computer or network is at risk? Call SpartanTec, Inc. now.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Greenville, SC  29601
(864) 326-5914

https://spartantec-greenville.business.site/

Cities Served
Greenville, Spartansburg, Mauldin, East Park, Overbrook, West Greenville, Greer

New Security Vulnerabilities Found In Intel Processors

Remember the Spectre and Meltdown CPU vulnerabilities discovered early last year?  Well, hold onto your hat, because they've got company.

Recently, researchers discovered a new class of side-channel vulnerabilities in Intel processors that impact every modern chipset the company makes, including those used in Apple devices.

The new vulnerabilities exploit weaknesses in something called 'speculative execution' which is a core design feature of modern processors. This feature allows them to speculatively execute instructions based on conditions the system has 'learned' are likely to be true.  If those assumptions are proved to be valid, then the execution continues.  If not, it is discarded. The net effect of this design is to increase overall system performance speed, but it also opens up the door for additional risk.

The researchers had this to say about their latest discoveries:

"The new vulnerabilities can be used by motivated hackers to lead privileged information data from an area of the memory that hardware safeguards deem off-limits.  It can be weaponized in highly targeted attacks that would normally require system-wide privileges or deep subversion of the operating system."

Collectively, these new vulnerabilities are being referred to as 'MDS speculative execution' flaws, and have been identified as follows:

• CVE-2019-11091 - Microarchitectural Data Sampling Uncacheable Memory (MDSUM), part of the RIDL class of attacks.
• CVE-2018-12127 - Microarchitectural Load Port Data Sampling (MLPDS), also part of the RIDL class of attacks.
• CVE-2018-12130 - Microarchitectural Fill Buffer Data Sampling (MFBDS), also called 'Zombieload' or RIDL (Rogue In-Flight Data Load).
• CVE-2018-12126 - Microarchitectural Store Buffer Data Sampling (MSBDS), also known as a Fallout

Of these, the ZombieLoad attacks seem to be the most worrisome of the lot.  They impact the largest number of chips, encompassing everything Intel has produced from 2011 onwards, but all of these are considered serious security flaws.  Worse, there are no fixes yet, and no word yet on when a fix might be forthcoming.

Safeguard your network and information by working only with the best IT consultants. Call SpartanTec, Inc. now

SpartanTec, Inc.
Greenville, SC 29601
(864) 326-5914
https://spartantec-greenville.business.site/

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Greenville, Spartansburg, Mauldin, East Park, Overbrook, West Greenville, Greer

Criminals Are Also Tapping Into Social Media

Just over a few years ago, establishing global presence was a very hard thing to do especially if you’re a small startup company. Getting known meant shelling out a lot of money on advertising. However, the times have changed and a new mainstream means of advertisement is now ruling the internet, social media. Businesses and your everyday person can make it big in social media. Unfortunately, they are not the only ones who are taking advantage of social media. Criminals also want to make it big on social media and they’re getting good at it by the day. That is why businesses must have managed IT services in place to protect their presence online.

The reason why cybercriminals are turning to social media is the limitless amount of money it can generate. Attacks on social media alone can generate up to $3.25 billion each year and this figure keeps on rising. Since 2013, the number of attacks on social media rose 400%. The malicious incidents vary in form, but follow a pattern of abusing the social media ecosystem.

Bromium CEO Gregory Webb highlighted the dangers that await business owners. Webb said that hackers are using social media to infiltrate corporate networks through employees of a particular business who are on social media. Hackers could gain access to a backdoor that leads to valuable company assets. This is the reason why many major businesses nowadays have managed IT services Greenville set in place. Malicious attacks evolve rapidly, which is why businesses must also have update protection.

Information security is a major factor that businesses must focus on. In the end, social media is a powerful tool that can generate income for businesses and private individuals alike. However, hackers are also making their way into social media, making safety a priority. This is why businesses must take precaution, telling employees to limit the workplace information they share on social media.

Is your business in need of a complete technology solution provider? Call SpartanTec, Inc. today!

SpartanTec, Inc.
Greenville, SC 29601
(864) 326-5914
https://spartantec-greenville.business.site/

Cities Served
Greenville, Spartansburg, Mauldin, East Park, Overbrook, West Greenville, Greer

Identity Theft A New Norm For Americans According To New Survey

America is quickly becoming a commonplace for hacking and identity theft. But how problematic is identity theft in America? Based on the findings of a recent survey done by nCipher, 17.6% of the respondents claimed that they had been victims of identity theft. Although it may not be that huge of a number, a big part of the community is still affected which is still reason for alarm. Businesses are also at risk. Employees could have their identities stolen which could not only endanger their personal lives, but other aspects like their business as well. That is why businesses must have managed ITservices for complete protection online.

17.6 percent may sound a little small, but considering it is the United States, it’s still a big deal. Overall, around 58,080,000 would have been affected by identity theft if the survey results would speak for the entire country. However, it is still a dilemma due to the number of people involved in such cases. After all, identity theft can change lived in an entirely negative way.

When compared to data in 2017 where around 16.7 million identity theft cases were recorded, the growth is quite alarming. What’s even more bothersome is that 16.5% of the respondents said they are uncertain whether their identity has already been compromised or not. Though it wouldn’t be fair to assume that these people did have their identities stolen without them knowing it. However, the mere fact that people are starting to be bothered about their information security is quite disturbing.

 With the rapid growth of identity theft in the country, companies need to step up their game and add more security measures like managed IT services Greenville for added protection. Hackers nowadays have become more sophisticated and more capable of stealing data from people online. This only means businesses and everyday people should find ways to protect themselves and their data online.

Want to secure your business online? Call SpartanTec, Inc. today!

SpartanTec, Inc.
Greenville, SC 29601
(864) 326-5914
https://spartantec-greenville.business.site/

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Greenville, Spartansburg, Mauldin, East Park, Overbrook, West Greenville, Greer

New Phishing Scheme Seemingly Looks Legitimate

According to researchers, a new pair of phishing scheme is out to steal Microsoft user’s Outlook credentials. The problem with it is that the phishing campaigns are seemingly innocent and legitimate. At first glance, one would think that the campaigns are indeed the real deal, but they actually aren’t. They are designed to fool people with their well-constructed landing pages that use SSL certificates as well as a windows.net domain. This makes it harder for the normal person or business to sniff them out without the help of an IT consultant.

With the fact that not everyone checks the URL of the page that their navigating is one major loophole that these phishing schemes take advantage. With the use of basic social engineering, users are led to the e-mail that carries the phishing URL. While most people who are tech savvy won’t really go beyond this, some who are not so into tech would think they are still on a legit site.

The body of the e-mail is designed to push users into “re-validating” their Microsoft Outlook account through the link provided. What’s alarming is that the website they are directed to is an exact copy of Microsoft’s legit site. This is the reason why all businesses should have an IT consultant Greenville so to make users aware of these scams online.

The second scheme is quite similar to the first one, although much less convincing. It leads users to revalidate their Facebook Workplace service account but the link redirects to a copy of Microsoft’s landing page instead. It is unclear if this was just a mistake on the side of the hackers or it is deliberate. Regardless, information security within a company should be on high priority. Businesses should always have some sort of protection for the data of its employees as well as for the entire business. IT service providers can make a huge different in terms of protecting your entire business online.

Get the right IT services for your company. Call SpartanTec,  Inc. today.

SpartanTec, Inc.
Greenville, SC 29601
(864) 326-5914
https://spartantec-greenville.business.site/

Cities Served
Greenville, Spartansburg, Mauldin, East Park, Overbrook, West Greenville, Greer

Twitter May Have Been Hit By Another Data Breach

2018 has not been a very good year for social media sites. Several mainstream platforms suffered several significant data breaches last year. Twitter, for one, has gone through several breaches including the major one that happened last May, which forced the company to ask over three million users to have their password changed. The data breach exposed the passwords of all Twitter users in plain text due to a glitch in the system.

Another glitch took place in September but this time, the direct messages of the users were exposed to third party app developers. But that was not the end of it. The company was hit by another problem. One of the support forums, where Twitter users reported problems in the platform was breached. The breach gave hackers limited access to the information of all user members.

In an official statement released by the company, Twitter said:

"...During our investigation, we noticed some unusual activity involving the affected customer support form API.  Specifically, we observed a large number of inquiries coming from individual IP addresses located in China and Saudi Arabia.  While we cannot confirm intent or attribution for certain, it is possible that some of these IP addresses may have ties to state-sponsored actors."

This is the most disturbing part. Digital terrorism that is sponsored by the state is a huge and growing concern, especially with the recent news that Russia had tried to meddle with the US elections.

In this case, Twitter tried their best to assure users that the exposed data was restricted only to the country code that is linked to each user, their account status, as well as partial phone numbers.

This problem has been resolved, and the company has called the small number of affected users directly, making sure that they do not need to do anything. However, it underscores the point that the social platforms that we use, on a daily basis for some, are always under threat. Even if you do everything you can to protect your data, that might not just be enough.

Call SpartanTec, Inc. if you want to know how you can protect your data from online threats. 

SpartanTec, Inc.
Greenville, SC 29601
(864) 326-5914
https://spartantec-greenville.business.site/

Cities Served
Greenville, Spartansburg, Mauldin, East Park, Overbrook, West Greenville, Greer