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Safety tips for watering hole attacks

Bad news, internet users: Cybercriminals have developed more advanced tricks to compromise your systems. While you may be familiar with attacks involving suspicious emails, the new kid on the block known as watering hole attacks are far more nefarious and effective.

The post Safety tips for watering hole attacks appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Safety tips for watering hole attacks

Bad news, internet users: Cybercriminals have developed more advanced tricks to compromise your systems. While you may be familiar with attacks involving suspicious emails, the new kid on the block known as watering hole attacks are far more nefarious and effective. Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to keep yourself safe.

What are watering hole attacks?
Much like phishing, a watering hole attack is used to distribute malware onto victims’ computers. Cybercriminals infect popular websites with malware. If anyone visits the site, their computers will automatically be loaded with malware.

The malware used in these attacks usually collects the target’s personal information and sends it back to the hacker’s server. Sometimes the malware can even give hackers full access to their victims’ computers.

But how does a hacker choose which websites to hack? With internet tracking tools, hackers find out which websites companies and individual users visit the most. They then attempt to find vulnerabilities in those websites and embed them with malicious software.

Any website can fall victim to a watering hole attack. In fact, even high-profile websites like Twitter, Microsoft, Facebook, and Apple were compromised in 2013.

You can protect yourself by following these tips.

Update your software
Watering hole attacks often exploit bugs and vulnerabilities to infiltrate your computer, so by updating your software and browsers regularly, you can significantly reduce the risk of an attack. Make it a habit to check the software developer’s website for any security patches. Or better yet, hire a managed IT services provider to keep your system up to date.

Watch your network closely
To detect watering hole attacks, you must use network security tools. For example, intrusion prevention systems allow you to detect suspicious and malicious network activities. Meanwhile, bandwidth management software will enable you to observe user behavior and detect abnormalities that could indicate an attack, such as large transfers of information or a high number of downloads.

Hide your online activities
Cybercriminals can create more effective watering hole attacks if they compromise websites only you and your employees frequent. As such, you should hide your online activities with a VPN and your browser’s private browsing feature.

At the end of the day, the best protection is staying informed. As cyberthreats continue to evolve, you must always be vigilant and aware of the newest threats. Tune in to our blog to find out about the latest developments in security and to get more tips on how to keep your business safe.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post Safety tips for watering hole attacks appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

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Blockchain is much more than Bitcoin

Blockchain technology is very complex. So instead of diving in to what makes it work, we want to first showcase what it’s capable of. The primary purpose of blockchain is faster and more secure information exchanges, which has led to some incredible advances in small-business technology.

The post Blockchain is much more than Bitcoin appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Blockchain is much more than Bitcoin

Blockchain technology is very complex. So instead of diving in to what makes it work, we want to first showcase what it’s capable of. The primary purpose of blockchain is faster and more secure information exchanges, which has led to some incredible advances in small-business technology. Read on to see what you might be missing out on.

What is blockchain?

Blockchain, like the cloud, is more of a concept than a specific piece of software or hardware. It’s the idea that if you store a spreadsheet or ledger on a hundred different computers -- each of which receive automatic and encrypted updates -- it’s nearly impossible to create a fraudulent entry. If someone adds a line of false information to one spreadsheet, 99 others can confirm it is not in their copy and is therefore inaccurate.

In the Bitcoin ledger, each line represents the transfer of funds from one account to another. So if John wants to transfer money to Jane, he sends a request to Bitcoin’s blockchain and thousands of computers confirm his account information is correct and he has sufficient funds. The money is transferred, both account balances are updated, and the whole process takes less than an hour with almost no human interaction. Much faster than the 5-7 business days of most banks.

There are countless applications for decentralized, real-time record keeping beyond financial transactions, though. And very soon, blockchain won’t be synonymous with Bitcoin.

Blockchain’s potential

Although this technology has been around since the ’90s, it lacked the popularity and computing power necessary to become a mainstream solution...until now. With the rise of cryptocurrencies in 2017, blockchain started seeping into other industries, such as:

  • Law - “Smart contracts” create agreements that automatically execute when their terms are met. For example, an attorney could agree to pay a courier $100 after the delivery of documents to the defendant in a case. The contract and the payment sit in the blockchain until the courier uploads a GPS-tagged photo of services rendered, at which point the money is transferred and the contract archived.
  • Agriculture - Supply chain blockchains can track every ingredient throughout the production process. If several people get sick from the same food item, ingredients could be traced back to their source and products that share the same ingredients could be recalled preemptively.
  • Real estate - Blockchain is being used to automate escrow account transactions, property title transfers, and insurance claims, so they aren’t reliant on slow and error-prone humans. Buying a home could eventually be as easy as finding the one you want, signing a contract, transferring your down payment, and receiving the title -- no middleman necessary.

Most blockchain-based solutions are too new to trust with sensitive information. But you can do a few things to get out in front of your competitors. You can work with us to invest in business intelligence software that helps you collect more data, and start experimenting with risk-free blockchain solutions.

As long as you have certified technicians like ours at your disposal, you’ll be sure to see gains in no time -- give us a call today!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post Blockchain is much more than Bitcoin appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Read More

Blockchain is much more than Bitcoin

Blockchain technology is very complex. So instead of diving in to what makes it work, we want to first showcase what it’s capable of. The primary purpose of blockchain is faster and more secure information exchanges, which has led to some incredible advances in small-business technology.

The post Blockchain is much more than Bitcoin appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

Blockchain is much more than Bitcoin

Blockchain technology is very complex. So instead of diving in to what makes it work, we want to first showcase what it’s capable of. The primary purpose of blockchain is faster and more secure information exchanges, which has led to some incredible advances in small-business technology. Read on to see what you might be missing out on.

What is blockchain?

Blockchain, like the cloud, is more of a concept than a specific piece of software or hardware. It’s the idea that if you store a spreadsheet or ledger on a hundred different computers -- each of which receive automatic and encrypted updates -- it’s nearly impossible to create a fraudulent entry. If someone adds a line of false information to one spreadsheet, 99 others can confirm it is not in their copy and is therefore inaccurate.

In the Bitcoin ledger, each line represents the transfer of funds from one account to another. So if John wants to transfer money to Jane, he sends a request to Bitcoin’s blockchain and thousands of computers confirm his account information is correct and he has sufficient funds. The money is transferred, both account balances are updated, and the whole process takes less than an hour with almost no human interaction. Much faster than the 5-7 business days of most banks.

There are countless applications for decentralized, real-time record keeping beyond financial transactions, though. And very soon, blockchain won’t be synonymous with Bitcoin.

Blockchain’s potential

Although this technology has been around since the ’90s, it lacked the popularity and computing power necessary to become a mainstream solution...until now. With the rise of cryptocurrencies in 2017, blockchain started seeping into other industries, such as:

  • Law - “Smart contracts” create agreements that automatically execute when their terms are met. For example, an attorney could agree to pay a courier $100 after the delivery of documents to the defendant in a case. The contract and the payment sit in the blockchain until the courier uploads a GPS-tagged photo of services rendered, at which point the money is transferred and the contract archived.
  • Agriculture - Supply chain blockchains can track every ingredient throughout the production process. If several people get sick from the same food item, ingredients could be traced back to their source and products that share the same ingredients could be recalled preemptively.
  • Real estate - Blockchain is being used to automate escrow account transactions, property title transfers, and insurance claims, so they aren’t reliant on slow and error-prone humans. Buying a home could eventually be as easy as finding the one you want, signing a contract, transferring your down payment, and receiving the title -- no middleman necessary.

Most blockchain-based solutions are too new to trust with sensitive information. But you can do a few things to get out in front of your competitors. You can work with us to invest in business intelligence software that helps you collect more data, and start experimenting with risk-free blockchain solutions.

As long as you have certified technicians like ours at your disposal, you’ll be sure to see gains in no time -- give us a call today!

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post Blockchain is much more than Bitcoin appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

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3 tips to maintain a secure Facebook account

In March 2018, disturbing reports circulated on the web that revealed a company named Cambridge Analytica harvested confidential details of 50 million Facebook accounts. If you’re concerned that your private details are being passed around by private companies, consider the following 3 tips to maintain a confidential Facebook profile.

The post 3 tips to maintain a secure Facebook account appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

3 tips to maintain a secure Facebook account

In March 2018, disturbing reports circulated on the web that revealed a company named Cambridge Analytica harvested confidential details of 50 million Facebook accounts. If you’re concerned that your private details are being passed around by private companies, consider the following 3 tips to maintain a confidential Facebook profile.

Download your Facebook data

The thought of a complete stranger going through your account is pretty disturbing. Yet, you’re probably curious about the amount of information you uploaded to your social media sites over the years. Fortunately, Facebook allows you to download a copy of all your data. You simply have to log in to its web version and…

  • On the site’s main navigation, click on the down button right next to the Quick Help icon
  • A menu will pop up and you’ll find Settings right above the Log Out option
  • Click on Settings and you’ll automatically be redirected to General
  • Within the General page, press Download a copy of your Facebook Data
  • It will redirect you to a different page where you’ll need to press Start My Archive button to proceed with the download process

Once that’s done, you’ll be able to see an archive of all your Facebook activity, such as the statuses you’ve posted, messages you’ve sent, and ads you’ve clicked on.

Change your privacy settings

After going through all your data, you might realize that everything you shared is harmless. But, that doesn’t mean it won’t end up in the hands of cybercriminals who can use it against you.

We suggest going back to the Settings page and clicking on Privacy. That’s where you can modify whether you want your posts to be seen by the public or only by your friends. You can even control who’s allowed to send you friend requests, view your friends list, and most importantly, decide whether search engines are allowed to link to your profile.

Check or delete apps

You know those personality quizzes that you and your friends always had a ball answering? Apparently, Cambridge Analytica gathered all the responses from one of those app developers. Luckily, you can stop them from further accessing your profile. In Settings, click on Apps to see all the apps linked to your profile. Beside each one, you can choose Edit Settings to review its authorizations or click Remove to completely get rid of it.

Your recent love-hate relationship with Facebook has you second-guessing. If you want to take data security up a notch, we can always provide more tips and tools, and even assess your current level of security. Just give us a call and we’ll take care of your privacy so you don’t wind up breaking up with your favorite social media site.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

The post 3 tips to maintain a secure Facebook account appeared first on Complete Technology Resources, Inc..

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