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About Highlands, NJ
Highlands is a part of the Monmouth County region/metro area of New Jersey. Major attractions include Twin Lights State Historic Site and Gateway National Recreation. Each year in the fall season there is the Annual Highlands Clam Festival. Among the biggest companies in Highlands are Bluestone Marketing and Guaranteed Marine LLC. The biggest schools here are Highlands High School and Highlands Middle School. One of the best places to visit when you are in Highlands is Schupp's Landing. Famous persons include Kevin Smith.
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Healthcare… Dealing with the Biggest Cybersecurity Challenge
Cybercrime has grown by 600% since the start of the worldwide COVID-19 outbreak. It should come as no surprise that the healthcare industry was one of the most vulnerable to cyberattacks in 2020 and 2021. In reality, the entire scenario with the pandemic has thoroughly highlighted the healthcare industry's fragility. What caused this to occur? The explanation is simple: personal data is now one of the most valuable assets. Millions of medical records are stolen and sold on the dark web by hackers. Let us examine how much cybercrime damaged the healthcare industry in 2020: According to Verizon, data breaches in the healthcare industry would grow by 58% in 2020. The National Health Service (NHS) suffered a loss of more than $100 million because of the WannaCry ransomware assault. By 2020, the healthcare industry would have seen at least one breach every day because of ransomware attacks. Consequently, hackers sold over 27 million patient records. The FBI stated that cybercrime in the healthcare business in the United States increased by 2,473 in 2020, resulting in a $30 million loss. According to Check Point Research, healthcare cyberattacks rose by 45 percent between November and December 2020. In terms of countries, by the end of 2020, Canada had seen a 250 percent increase in cyberattacks on the healthcare sector; while Germany had seen a 220 percent increase. Hackers have always been tempted to the prospect of stealing and selling valuable data, therefore cyberattacks on the health sector are nothing new. Why was the healthcare industry so badly impacted in 2020? Patients' Private Data and Healthcare System Overload - As previously stated, the primary cause for cyber-attacks is private data. Addresses and phone numbers, social security numbers, and even information on health behaviors are included in the health records. Cybercriminals can sell and resell personal data several times.Furthermore, the healthcare industry was considerably overburdened as a result of the COVID-19 crisis. Any delay or failure may well be catastrophic. As a result, in the event of a ransomware attack, hospitals would be more forced to pay a large ransom in order to restore the system as quickly as possible and continue delivering emergency medical aid uninterrupted. Weak Networks and Weak Cybersecurity - The healthcare industry is less secure than other industries in terms of cybersecurity due to a lack of cyber-awareness among personnel, obsolete software, and vulnerable laws. Simultaneously, hackers exploit vulnerabilities in hospital cybersecurity. For example: - cybercriminals gain access to unprotected or poorly secured networks; - when healthcare workers use personal devices to connect to the hospital network, it becomes even more vulnerable to hackers; - multiple IoT devices, which are increasingly being used in healthcare organizations, provide easier access to criminals. The spread of virtual healthcare, the usage of IoT, and the ability to use technology is an incredible means of obtaining important information, delivering rapid and effective treatment, and tracking progress in real-time. On the other side, each connection represents a possible entry point for hackers to gain access to susceptible devices and networks. COVID-19 does not appear to be going away in 2021, nor do cybersecurity risks. Constant cyberattacks against healthcare and medical establishments are expected to increase this year: - According to Check Point research, ransomware assaults surged by 102 percent in the first half of 2021 compared to the same time in 2020. - The latest waves of ransomware now target backup data, and this trend will continue in 2021. - Compound cyberattacks are expected to increase significantly in 2021: hackers often collect data before encrypting it in order to blackmail the hospital until it decides to pay the ransom. - The healthcare and public health sectors are estimated to spend $18 billion on cybersecurity in 2021. Cyberattacks are getting harder to spot, prevent, and neutralize. Despite the fact that many healthcare companies realize the threats posed by cyber-attacks, cybersecurity remains underfunded. As a result, while hackers may frequently access unprotected networks in seconds, it can take weeks for some companies to discover the breach, mitigate the damage, and prevent it from happening again. In any case, as more and more health companies recognize the significant financial, reputational, and even life-threatening consequences of data breaches, they are focusing on cybersecurity. Here are some fundamental approaches to enhance it: Cybersecurity culture / education: First and foremost, each employee must realize that he is accountable for the data protection of patients: thieves frequently target personal devices to access company networks. This should be highlighted in any cybersecurity training. The most widespread and destructive type of cyber-attack is ransomware. One of the most essential stages toward corporate security is training staff to recognize and prevent fraudulent emails. Employees must be aware that even if such emails are not infected, they contain messages enticing users to click on dangerous links.Every medical institution must have a complete and effective cybersecurity plan in place, and all workers must follow it. Stay proactive and vigilant - backup: Want to restore your files quickly? Back up them regularly! It is usually advised to follow the “3-2-1” backup rule: store data in three separate locations, on two different types of storage, and maintain one copy offsite. Use secure passwords: According to different studies, most data breaches are caused by weak passwords. Healthcare organizations frequently strive to avoid employing complex, difficult-to-remember passwords. However, it is critical to not only choose strong passwords but also to keep them up to date on a regular basis.Using comprehensive password management solutions might also be an essential option. Remain proactive and watchful - backup: Back up your files on a regular basis and you will be able to recover them fast! Typically, the “3-2-1” backup guideline is followed: storing data in three separate locations, on two different types of storage, and storing one copy offsite. Secure the mobile devices: Using portable devices at work assists many medical personnel in providing rapid and quality medical treatment. On the other hand, keeping data on mobile devices and connecting them to the hospital network might pose a significant danger and raise the likelihood of malware infection. To begin, it is critical to recognize that hackers primarily target end-users; therefore, providing suitable trainings and strengthening core digital hygiene habits might help to rescue the situation. IT workers must continually monitor all networked devices, both permitted and illegal. Furthermore, data encryption is the most effective method of safeguarding data saved on wearables and mobile devices. Zero-trust approach (or "perimeterless security"): The transition to a zero-trust security infrastructure is a critical step toward data protection and breach prevention. According to the Zero-trust strategy Companies should not trust any individuals or devices outside or inside their networks, even if they have previously been certified. Before accessing the local network, any connection should be confirmed each time. Install anti-virus software: It is important to invest in reputable anti-virus software... However, in order to be safe against the most recent cybersecurity risks, you must keep it updated! As we are seeing above, enhancing computer security is more vital than ever. Simultaneously time, new studies demonstrate that hackers are able to circumvent even the most sophisticated firewalls and anti-virus software. Patient records are being stolen, sold, and utilized for a variety of purposes because of the most recent rampant ransomware assaults. Is there any way to protect data once it has been hacked, even if hospitals utilize all of the required procedures to avoid data breaches? Yes. You can improve your cybersecurity landscape and turn any data worthless to thieves with new revolutionary software called Fragglestorm™ (by Cybervore™)! Fragglestorm™ strengthens current security perimeters and encryption technologies to secure any data, regardless of storing location!
Ransomware attacks how to prevent them in 2021
Even if you are not a cybersecurity expert or IT professional, you probably have heard about ransomware. News about ransomware attacks is emerging everywhere and 2020 was especially abundant in such news: “unprecedented rise of ransomware”, “ransomware is the biggest cybersecurity threat”, “top ransomware attacks”, “companies paralyzed by ransomware attacks”, etc. So what type of monster is that? Who can be affected? How to get rid of it…or maybe prevent it? What is ransomware? Ransomware is malware (a.k.a. malicious software) infecting your computer or any other devices with a code, locking your device, or encrypting your files (making them unreadable for you). After your device is infected, the cybercriminals will demand you pay a ransom (that’s why it is called “ransomware”) to give you access to your own data. Ransomware can affect a single file, a PC, an entire network, and even a server. Imagine what a headache it is to lose access to your data. Now, imagine the impact of having your businesses’ data locked up. A ransomware attack is a complete nightmare especially for companies dealing with large databases (for example in finance and healthcare industries) as hackers threaten to sell that data unless the ransom is paid. Will the cybercriminals keep their word? Not obvious at all: many companies asserted that the criminals have published the data, even after the “deal” was made. It’s not surprising that ransomware is considered one of the biggest cybersecurity threats. Any device can be infected, ransomware attacks can cause unexpected business downtime, and as a result, affect your company’s reputation. How does ransomware infect your devices? There are several ways to “catch” ransomware, and it is important to be aware of all of them. Ransomware is spread through: - Phishing e-mails— such e-mails contain malicious files (word, pdf) or links to malicious websites. This is the most popular method: researches show that 65% of ransomware is delivered via phishing e-mails. - Social media— similar to spam e-mails, encrypted files or malicious links can be sent through instant messaging apps. - Fake websites— often hackers misspell the address of the website to fool users. If you enter such a website, your computer can catch malware. How does it work? Cybercriminals usually change one or two letters, so the fake site name looks similar to the original one. For example, they can replace “g” with “q”, “i” with ”I”, the letter “o” with the number “0”, etc. - Drive-by downloading— it occurs when you visit a website infected by malware and it’s downloaded into your device automatically (even if you didn’t click anywhere) and infects the endpoint. Of course, this happens mostly on fake websites, but it’s not necessary at all: the hackers can insert the malware script on any website (for example, they often compromise video streaming portals). - Malvertising (a.k.a. malicious advertising) — as the name implies, it is malicious online advertising (online advertising infected with malware, mostly ransomware). Such advertising can appear on any reputable website and can infect your computer even without your interaction (drive-by-download). Even the sites with strict advertising criteria are at risk (the criminals can start with good ads, and then switch to ads delivering ransomware). - Dangerous Pop-Ups— there are different types of such pop-ups, for example, pop-up ads containing malware, fake pop-up messages “warning” you that your computer is infected with ransomware (in reality it is not, but they keep bombarding you), fake pop-ups inserted by criminals on reputable sites and requiring people to share their personal data (for example on banking sites). Ransomware in 2020; Covid-19 impact Ransomware dates back to the 1980s. It all started from an infected floppy disk: the first ransomware, AIDS Trojan (a.k.a. PC Cyborg) was spread among thousands of healthcare professionals. It was quite easy to beat, but it clearly became a catalyst for future events. During the next decades, ransomware developed massively (especially starting from the 2000s) creating havoc in hundreds of thousands of companies all over the world. 2020 was an unprecedented success for ransomware attackers. How did cyber-criminals take advantage of the Covid-19 pandemic? - With millions of employees forced to work from home because of lockdowns, cyber-criminals used the opportunity to attack vulnerable networks. - Cyber-criminals primarily targeted the industries dealing with large amounts of personal data (especially in the pandemic period): government, banking, manufacturing, healthcare, etc. - The criminals kept sending phishing e-mails with content related to Covid-19. Such e-mails are real-looking and include scams related to economic payments from the government, free downloads of conferencing platforms, any information related to Covid-19 (vaccines, sanitisers, masks, etc.). They were targeting mostly anxious users, who would click the malicious links or download malicious files. - Cyber-criminals aim to make you enter infected websites offering Covid-19 information. Either they build sites on “covid19” or “coronavirus” related domains, or hack such legitimate sites and infect them with ransomware. As a result, ransomware became especially nasty, and successful ransomware attacks have grown drastically in 2020. - In March 2020, ransomware attacks increased by 148% over February 2020, due to COVID-19. The financial sector was especially affected (52% of ransomware attacks). - In Q3 2020, global ransomware attacks have grown by 40% (199.7 million cases); the US saw a 139% ransomware growth (145.2 million cases). - Ryuk ransomware (5,123 attacks in Q3 2019), has grown to 67.3 million in Q3 2020. This is one of the most popular types of attacks (33.7% of global ransomware attacks in 2020). - In 2020, new organizations fell victim to ransomware attacks every 10 seconds. Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that in 2021 there will be ransomware attacks on businesses every 5 seconds. - In 2020, cybercriminals got approximately $370 million from known ransomware profits (which means a 336% increase compared to 2019). - Ransomware costs are predicted to be $20 billion in 2021 (57 times more than in 2015). How to prevent ransomware in 2021 As we can see, ransomware is definitely the fastest-growing type of cybercrime, and it’s not planning to go anywhere in 2021. Moreover, the more successful and profitable the ransomware “business” becomes, the more new ransomware criminals emerge (and they are using more and more sophisticated approaches). What to do if your device is already infected by ransomware? First of all, never pay the ransom! As announced by the FBI, paying a ransom is a bad idea, primarily because even if you pay, there’s no guarantee that criminals will unlock your device/files; or they may give you access to your files, but publish the data anyway. Getting rid of ransomware often requires serious technical skills, time, and money. According to cybersecurity experts, to protect from ransomware, you must… prevent it. - Back up your data regularly. You can use highly protected cloud storage or an external hard drive (disconnected from the computer after each backup). - Regularly update and patch your software/systems to close them to attackers. Enabling automatic updating is a good idea. - Use strong passwords, update them regularly, use two-factor authentication when possible. - Never click untrusted, suspicious links, e-mails, attachments, pop-ups. Stay vigilant while opening any site (carefully read the URLs). - Stay tuned, educate yourself (as well as your users), learn how to detect fake websites, phishing e-mails, etc. Make security your company’s second nature, organize cybersecurity awareness training sessions to fully cover the topic (investing in Cybersecurity Awareness is a must, especially if you have a big company dealing with lots of personal data). - Never disclose your personal data (contact details, banking information, etc.) without carefully verifying the sources asking for such information. - Use email protection systems to prevent ransomware attacks (this will reduce the criminals’ chances). - Invest in cybersecurity solutions blocking ransomware. With the sophisticated techniques used by cyber-criminals today, using perimeter cybersecurity products is not enough. Remember that the ransomware criminals aim to lock your data, this means you should always stay at least one step ahead of them: make your data unreadable and useless for the criminals…even if it’s breached! For example, with Fragglestorm™ you can protect your data no matter where it is stored. The patented technique called Smart Data Fragmentation™ is a secure solution: where your data is stored, encrypted, and fragmented into multiple Smart Fragments™, so only the authorized authenticated user can reassemble those fragments first, then decrypt the data, and use the data. Thereby, infected ransomware data can be identified and recoverable.
E-commerce Cybersecurity — Enhancing Data Protection in 2021
Cybersecurity for E-commerce E-commerce businesses have grown massively over the past years: many buyers all over the world tended to shop online more or less regularly. In 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic has completely changed the situation in the shopping industry…forever. Both e-commerce and brick-and-mortar were somehow affected, as the interest in online shopping has soared dramatically. E-commerce Gone Wild Let us have a look just at some of the drastic and unprecedented statistics for 2020: According to Adobe’s Digital Economy Index, U.S. online retail businesses have abruptly grown by 49% in April, compared to the pre-lockdown era at the beginning of March. Online grocery shopping has grown by 110% daily! According to Narvar, 56% of buyers have tried a new shop during the lockdown period According to e market, Amazon e-commerce sales increased by 39.1%, Best Buy by 105.5%, Target by 103.5%, and Kroger by 79.2%. Those were the biggest sales figures ever for the mentioned companies. Amazon affirmed that the 2020 holiday online shopping season was the biggest ever. This was confirmed by many other retailers As for 2021, e-commerce will obviously keep its glorious march, regardless of pandemic and vaccination developments. eMarketer predicts the US online shopping sales to grow to $843.15 billion (up from $794.5B in 2020). What About Security? The lockdowns and restrictions have forced most of the consumers to adjust their way of leaving choosing internet shopping from home, in a safe and familiar environment. But is it safe to shop online? Online retail was always accompanied by some risks: damaged or unexpectedly low-quality goods, dishonest sellers unwilling to refund, etc. However, we will concentrate on the most important problem faced by e-commerce business owners and their customers: cybersecurity. Online retail has always been and will always stay the hottest target for cybercriminals, and of course, the unprecedented success faced by e-commerce businesses in 2020 could not elude the hackers’ attention. Why? Simply because personal data is becoming one of the most valuable assets. The convenience of online shopping was particularly important during 2020 lockdowns, but the more people shop online, the more it attracts hackers. According to Cyberpion, 83% of the top 30 US retailers are vulnerable to cyber-attacks. Apparently, both the online stores and the customers are affected. To buy something online, the customers need to provide their personal data to the online store. They must entrust their credit card information, e-mails, usernames, passwords, etc. Cybercriminals can steal that information from the online store database to make money. At the same time, if the clients’ personal data is compromised, it can ruin completely the company’s reputation, as it will be held accountable both to the clients and to the entities regulating the industry. Cybersecurity is a big responsibility. E-commerce business owners need to be very serious about online safety. They just cannot afford to lose their customers’ data and their company’s reputation. Of course, many online retailers are aware of cybersecurity threats and are taking the necessary measures to guard against those. According to the VMWare Carbon Black 2020 Cybersecurity Outlook Report, 77% of eCommerce business owners have acquired new security tools, while and 69% of them have invested in the cybersecurity workforce. However, cybercriminals are on the constant quest for new vulnerabilities and are working harder on their skills. Thus, online retailers need to stay constantly ahead: keeping up with the newest e-commerce cybersecurity threats is a must. So which are the biggest security threats for e-commerce businesses? 1. DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) Attacks DDoS attackers send simultaneously a large amount of requests from hundreds or thousands of compromised IPs, to take your web resource down. When your online store is flooded with such a big amount of traffic, your customers are not able to make purchases. DDoS attacks disable your online store for several hours or even days, which is especially annoying during peak seasons. If your site is attacked during holidays, you lose a huge share of income (and sometimes customers), as your competitors…win. 2. Phishing. This is a type of fraud, aiming to access the buyers’ personal data (logins, passwords, bank card details). Phishing attackers often use mass mailing on behalf of popular companies with links to fake online stores that are outwardly indistinguishable from real ones (the site usually looks identical, but the URL may slightly differ from the original one). Naturally, after paying, the buyer receives nothing. 3. Malware (malicious software) Any software trying to infect a computer or mobile device is considered malicious. Cybercriminals insert the malware on victims’ websites for various purposes: obtaining personal data and passwords, stealing money, blocking the device owner. They can automatically redirect the website to another page or open multiple pop-up windows to mislead the consumers. 4. Ransomware Ransomware is one of the biggest cyber-disasters. It’s a specific type of malware locking the device from its user. To access his own data, the user needs a key, which can be provided only by the hacker. The user is blackmailed until he pays the ransom. The ransomware can be injected into your device through phishing e-mails, pop-ups, fake sites. 5. E-skimming You have probably heard about skimming devices used to hack ATMs. Now the cybercriminals use a more sophisticated technique called e-skimming: they insert a skimming code in your e-commerce site, right into the pages processing the payment cards. Thus, they steal the card data in real-time, while the user is paying. To shop or not to shop? E-commerce cybercrimes are not limited to the aforementioned list. Does this mean that shopping online is always dangerous, and you should avoid it? Of course not! Shopping online is very comfortable, practical, and sometimes inevitable. Good news: you can make it completely safe! Secure online shopping is a mutual responsibility. Both the organizations and the consumers must make some steps towards a safe environment. Here are some conclusions and steps a regular user can do to avoid cyber-dangers while shopping online: · Shop only on trusted sites · Update your computer OS and Antivirus · Use strong passwords, change them from time to time, don’t save them on pcs and websites and vary them from site to site · Don’t open suspicious e-mails (i.e. promising you an award), sites, pop-ups, payment pages What an online shop owner can do to avoid data breaches? · Invest in your employees’ education: everyone should be aware and responsible · Keep your e-commerce site, devices and systems updated · Take additional security steps during holiday shopping seasons, when cyber-criminals become especially active! · Secure your site with HTTPS · Back up your data · Buy only trusted computer security softwareto protect your company’s and consumers’ data at maximum. Buying cybersecurity software is not enough. Remember that today any site can be breached, any data can be stolen. Think about making your online data useless to cybercriminals!