'Bitcoin fraud cost me £500,000' – BBC News
‘Bitcoin fraud cost me £500,000’ BBC News
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Using free antivirus? Here’s what it could cost you
If you aren’t using an antivirus tool, you’re behind the curve. The internet is dangerous and laden with threats that are invisible to the naked eye. Luckily, AV software can spot the lurking viruses that want nothing more than to take over your computer. Tap or click here to find out why you need antivirus software.
If you’re looking for an antivirus tool, you may wonder whether you should pick a free or paid version. There are a few solutions that won’t cost you a dime, which can be pretty appealing. But, as with all things, you get what you pay for.
In fact, there are a few potential dangers that come with downloading free antivirus apps. They may or may not even offer protection. Over the years, some have been caught stealing information from users like you.
The wrong choice of provider could compromise your privacy
The whole purpose of an antivirus program is to sniff out any malware you come into contact with. It also works as your device’s personal bodyguard, fighting against Trojans, botnets, ransomware and other threats that want to slip in. This war is waged in the background so you aren’t disturbed while you’re working.
Free antivirus programs often offer a limited scope of features. Many companies try to win you over through free offerings. If you want more protection, you’ll have to pay.
Even worse, some free AV programs can compromise your security
Free software provider Avast came under fire last year for reportedly selling users’ web browsing data. A January 2020 investigation said Avast tracked users’ clicks and actions around the web — including Google Searches and trips through porn websites.
Avast then repackaged and sold the data through Jumpshot, a subsidiary that shut down since the news broke.
Pay for actual protection with TotalAV
If you’re looking for an antivirus program that protects your data instead of exploiting it, we recommend our sponsor, TotalAV. It provides real-time protection that defends against all sorts of…
Ransomware attacks cost healthcare orgs $20.8B in 2020
Ransomware attacks skyrocketed amid the pandemic when hospitals increased their use of remote work and moved more hospital data online, according to a July 21 report by cybersecurity consulting firm CynergisTek.
Five things to know:
- In 2020, 560 healthcare organizations were victims of ransomware attacks, the report said.
- Ransomware attacks cost healthcare organizations $20.8 billion in downtime in 2020, double the amount it cost in 2019, according to a Comparitech report cited by CynergisTek.
- A separate IBM report found data breaches in the healthcare industry cost an average of $9.23 million.
- The cost of ransomware payments has put a strain on hospital budgets. Nonprofit hospitals and health systems have been especially affected by the costs of relentless cyberattacks.
- “Ransomware pay-outs and efforts to protect or ‘harden’ healthcare systems and cyber defenses are affecting hospital financial flexibility by increasing on-going operating expenses,” Fitch Ratings said July 22. “Attacks may also hinder revenue generation and the ability to recover costs in a timely manner, particularly if they affect a hospital’s ability to bill patients when financial records are compromised or systems become locked.”
The cost of cyber insurance increased 32% last year and shows no signs of easing • The Register
The cost of insurance to protect businesses and organisations against the ever-increasing threat of cybercrimes has soared by a third in the last year, according to international insurance brokers Howden.
It found that global cyber insurance pricing has increased by an average of 32 per cent in the year to June.
Not only are premiums going through the roof, insurers are also attaching more strings to their policies, demanding ever more assurances that firms taking out cover have the necessary systems and processes in place to prevent a cyber mishap.
According to Howden’s Cyber Insurance: A Hard Reset the upward squeeze on premiums shows no sign of easing, which, in turn, is putting more strain on the sector.
Shay Simkin, Global Head of Cyber at Howden, said: “The cyber insurance market is currently driven by a demand and supply imbalance which shows no sign of relenting any time soon. Claims are up, capacity is down, and underwriting profitability is, at best, under pressure.
“The impact on insurance buyers is stark; the importance of being prepared for a cyber attack has never been clearer.”
Last week, a report by the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI) – Cyber Insurance and the Cyber Security Challenge – warned that the spike in ransomware attacks had led to some insurers wondering if they should pull out of the market.
There are also concerns that firms are relying too heavily on their insurers to pay out in the event of an attack to get their data back – an approach that makes insurers nervous, adding to the current squeeze.
Jason Nurse, a senior Lecturer in cybersecurity at the University of Kent and co-author of the report, told The Register: “I think, based on what we’ve found, cyber insurance is not that silver bullet that maybe people were hoping or thought it was.”
It seems no one is immune from cyber villains…