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Month: February 2020

Phishing Attacks on the Rise: How To Protect Your Business

February 20, 2020February 19, 2020 by Kevin Denee
Phishing Attacks on the Rise

An increasingly common cybercrime, phishing is the term for when criminals attempt to get users to provide them with sensitive information via the internet, or in the past, phone calls or letters. Phishers may send fake emails or construct bogus websites, hoping internet users will either make an online “transaction” or reply with personal details. Unfortunately, cyberattacks against businesses and individuals using phishing tactics have only increased over the years, and they show no sign of slowing down.

Phishing Statistics – Small Business at Risk

The 2019 Global State of Cybersecurity in Small and Medium-sized Businesses conducted by the Ponemon Institute LLC stated:

  • “In addition to tracking trends in cyberattacks and data breaches, this year’s study reveals how SMBs are unprepared to deal with risks created by third parties and the Internet of Things (IoT).”
  • “A key takeaway from this research is that over the past three years there has been a significant increase in SMBs experiencing a data breach as shown in Figure 1. In addition, 66 percent of respondents said their organization experienced a cyberattack in the past 12 months.”
  • “In the aftermath of these incidents, these companies spent an average of $1.2 million — an increase from $1.03 million in 2017 — because of damage or theft of IT assets and infrastructure. In addition, disruption to normal operations cost an average of $1.9 million, an increase from $1.21 million in 2017.”
  • “Phishing and web-based attacks are the top two cyberattacks. Seventy-two percent of respondents said that they have experienced at least one cyberattack.”

We highlight these findings, not to create unnecessary fear but to help educate. We hope we can help prevent this for all our clients! If you own a small business, here are some proven ways to protect yourself from phishers.

Never Provide Personal Information to an Untrustworthy Source

If you are like most people, you may be used to receiving important information and updates from your bank via email or text. There is nothing wrong with this, but unfortunately, phishers often pose as banks and other financial institutions to obtain personal information from consumers. Never send personal banking information to a “bank” via email or text. If you are unsure of a company’s website or email is authentic, don’t hesitate to contact them directly.

Be Wary of Emails from Unknown Parties

Emails from unfamiliar or unlisted addresses are often phishing lures capable of infecting your computer or phone with malware. Once you click the link to the email, the malware will install itself, usually without your knowledge, and may obtain any important information you enter into your computer or online.

Don’t Fall for Scare Tactics

Phishers often attempt to scare users into providing them with sensitive data by pretending to be government organizations or large companies. For example, a phisher may send a threatening email pretending to be the IRS or the CIA. Some phishers may even claim they already have access to your personal details or browsing history, which they will share with everyone else if you don’t provide the rest of your financial information. Do not respond to such threats.

How to Mitigate this Problem

Here at Palitto Consulting Services, we understand the importance of cyber security. There are three important steps you and your business should be taking:

  1. Two-factor authentication should be added to your email accounts
  2. Anti-spam and malware and anti-phishing filter software should be used
  3. Your team should receive some phish threat and security awareness training
If we haven’t had the discussion with you and your business, please contact us today to learn more about the services we can provide to protect your business.
Categories Technology and Business News Tags anti-phishing software, Cybersecurity, data security, phishing, security, two-factor authentication

PCS Developers Attend CodeMash Software Development Conference

February 13, 2020 by Kevin Denee

Several Palitto Consulting Services team members attended CodeMash, a software development conference that took place between January 7th and 10th, 2020. Our team members regularly find time to attend events like this to help them learn and improve their skills. At PCS, we believe that continual improvement is the best way to ensure that we meet and exceed the needs of our clients today and tomorrow.

CodeMash

Team members Jay Holliday, Erinn Lynn and Chris Stevens went to CodeMash in early January 2020. This conference is a wide-ranging software development and technology event. It was the perfect gathering for learning about the latest trends and ideas in our field. Our three team members came back with several important takeaways:

  • WEB UI/UX & Frameworks: JavaScript has been dominant in this area for years. However, Blazor, an open-source framework being developed by Microsoft, is a noteworthy new competitor. It allows developers to easily use C# and HTML for web apps.
  • Mobile Development: Unsurprisingly, mobile is still hot on many people’s minds. Cross-compiling for iOS and Android is probably one of the most important current trends.
  • Cloud: Current-day cloud computing is significantly maturing. Whereas previously it was a bit of a novelty, more advanced functionality is moving to the cloud.
  • DevOps: A major focus in this area is on tools that can push out new code “automagically.”
  • Architecture: Two major themes in this area are test-driven development and dependency injection and decoupling.
  • Security: As more and more systems become interconnected, this is only growing in importance.
  • Document DBs: Expect to see more as this type of database grows in importance this year.

Our Dedication to Learning

We are firmly committed to continual learning. It is the most robust way for us to ensure the continued success of our clients. Conferences like CodeMash help us stay ahead of trends.

Contact Us

Want to learn more about PCS development capabilities? Contact us today to discuss how we could help your organization.

Categories Technology and Business News Tags chris stevens, codemash, education, erinn lynn, jay holliday, Palitto Consulting Services, pcs staff, programming, web development Leave a comment

PCS Engineers Gain Additional Certifications

February 13, 2020 by Kevin Denee
Sophos Security

At Palitto Consulting Services, we are always working hard to ensure that we offer our clients the best possible value. Part of that is a commitment to continual education. Our engineers and consultants regularly seek out conferences, training sessions and other learning opportunities. Recently, four of our engineers earned new certifications. These certifications both reflect our efforts to advance and give our clients the added comfort of knowing their systems are being worked on by the best in the business.

XG Firewall Certification

Team members Dan Allen, Mike Brumfield and David Virkler acquired the status of Sophos Certified Engineer for XG Firewall. This world-class firewall offers superior visibility, protection and incident response. By getting certified in applying and maintaining this firewall, our team will be able to help our clients secure their networks with best-of-breed protection.

Sophos Central

Ben Zelei received the status of Sophos Certified Engineer and Architect for Sophos Central. This unified console helps businesses more effectively apply and manage Sophos security products. The entire Sophos suite can help organizations with everything from detecting and preventing breaches to encrypting data. Attaining this certification will help Ben better serve the needs of our clients for network and core infrastructure security.

Palitto Consulting Services’ Dedication to Security

In the modern business world, security is a paramount concern. Cybercriminals are getting more advanced and learning new tricks. We know that our clients rely on our engineers to apply the best practices and top-quality tools to ensure their security. Our most recent Sophos certifications and other continued learning efforts play a major role in how we work to protect our clients’ networks.

Count on PCS for Your Security Needs

Whether you need a Sophos XG Firewall implementation, a full network security audit or any other technology consulting service, Palitto Consulting Services is always ready to serve our clients. Contact us today to learn what we can do for your business.

Categories Technology and Business News Tags ben zelei, certification, dan allen, data protection, data security, david virkler, education, mike brumfield, security, sophos Leave a comment

Recent Posts

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  • Palitto Consulting in Top 20 IT Services Firms in Northeast Ohio

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    Recent News

    • “Aunt Kate” Retires after 17 Years at PCS
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    • Ben Zelei Speaks about Cyber Security on Podcast
    • Javan Miller Acquires Several Certifications
    • Palitto Consulting in Top 20 IT Services Firms in Northeast Ohio
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