International events and news have a only a slight influence on our daily life. We don’t alter our routines based on the headlines of the day or some errant tweet from the White House. However, there’s mounting reason to be concerned that our digital lives are under attack. Hours after the attack in Baghdad on Iran’s Major General Suleimani, the first signs of Iran’s retaliation became apparent. The Federal Depository Library Program website was “Hacked by Iran Cyber Security Group Hackers” according to a Forbes article.
Prior the attack, the Department of Homeland Security’s Chris Krebs at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) warned that government and private industry should revisit their security practice and be prepared for backlash.
For small business, this means looking closer at the information we are storing. Here’s a quick list of things that should be done to evaluate your security position:
- Use a password manager – that password you had from your college email account was rad, but seriously… it’s already been exposed in any number or recent breaches. Every password you have should be unique and complex (more than 8 characters).
- MFA all day! – Multi factor authentication is key to securing your email, your bank, even your social accounts. It provides you with a greater level of security with relatively minimal effort.
- Secure your email – If your aren’t sending encrypted messages, then you’re putting yourself at risk. Credit cards, phone numbers, birthdates and even addresses are all considered Personally Identifiable Information (PII). California’s CCP is very clear about the risks and costs of letting PII out of your hands.
- Update + Patch – Software is a living thing. It’s created, it grows and it has bugs. Over time, these bugs are fixed and vulnerabilities patched. But if you never run software updates then you’re likely leaving the door open to be exploited. Ransomware and malware all prey upon the un-updated unpatched computer to cause harm.
Fort Point IT provides comprehensive security audits for its clients to strengthen their security position and fend off threats, whether they are local or from across the globe.
