Security, Your Printers, and Your Data
A data breach will cost you. Market research firm Cybersecurity Ventures estimates the cost of cybercrime will rise to $6 trillion by 2021. Beyond the dollars and cents of restoring your data and the network, however, a data breach will leave a mark on your brand and weaken your reputation.
For the criminals, your data is at the core of a lucrative business model, which is why the threat landscape always changes. Information security is several things, but it is never a one-and-done thing. Here are some ideas that will help you think about your information security strategy.
IoT is so cool, even the hackers have noticed
Calendars, email, uploads, downloads and more are accessed by armies of devices. Collectively known as the Internet of Things (IoT), people who have a reason to access your network love them for their convenience. Cyber thieves know this, which is why they try to infiltrate your network through smartphones, tablets, smartwatches and more.
Common Criteria certification for security
Achieving Common Criteria Certification is not so common. That’s why vendors opt to go for the industry’s most stringent information security standard certification from the National Information Assurance Partnership (NIAP). With cyber security threats growing in both numbers and complexity, NIAP determined to tighten up its security standard for hardcopy devices.
What motivates cybercriminals?
The obvious answer is money, but cybersecurity company McAfee wanted to know if there is more to it. McAfee researchers examined recent examples of ransomware and the accompanying ransom notes that included email addresses where victims could send their payments or ask questions. The researchers sent emails asking the “actors” if they would answer a few questions.
Initially, the McAfee team received a few replies, but most of the actors did not want to cooperate. No surprise there. But their luck slowly changed over the next few weeks, and the researchers gathered a collection of conversations.
Their findings:
- Yes, it’s about money. Travel, cars, a house, and some were simply paying off debts.
- Almost all said they were willing to negotiate the ransom price if the victim cannot afford to pay.
- People become ransomers because they believe cybercrime is low-risk with high returns. This is increasingly untrue because law enforcement agencies have partnerships with academic institutions and cybersecurity companies.