Tag Archive for: Post

Security experts reveal the 10 things to never post online


Connecting to the internet, for that matter, is also important for work, socialising and keeping up to date with general goings on.

Although the internet can be a force for good, you don’t need us to tell you how dangerous it can also be.

Scammers are relentless online and will look to take advantage of any opportunity to rip you off in some way. 

So with that in mind, here are some suggestions for keeping safe online.

10 things you should never post online:

James Milin-Ashmore at Independent Advisor VPN said: “With 97.8% of the UK using the internet and 84.4% using social media, the digital world has become a hotspot for criminals to obtain personal information.

“Your online presence can make you vulnerable to identity theft, hacking and other security threats, meaning you should always be mindful and deliberate when you are posting and sharing information online.”

Your phone number

Cybercriminals can use your phone number to gather additional details about you potentially leading to identity theft and unauthorised access to your online accounts.

Posting your phone number also increases the risk of being targeted by phishing attacks, where scammers send you disingenuous messages or calls that try to trick you into providing sensitive information.

Your location

Sharing where you live or are currently staying not only puts you at risk of theft and stalking but also malicious online activity and identity theft. If a cybercriminal knows where you live, they can personalise their phishing attempts, making them much more convincing.

In terms of identity theft, if scammers have your address they will be able to build a more detailed profile about you posing a real danger to your personal information.

Even if you don’t share or post your address online, scammers may be able to breach your IP address. While your IP address won’t reveal your exact location, it does show the city or region where the device is…

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Hackers Remove Threat to Post Stolen Fulton County Data


(TNS) — The countdown clock on a website containing screenshots of information stolen from Fulton County servers two weeks ago hit zero at 12:47 a.m. Friday, and then disappeared.

On a list of nearly 1,000 government and corporate victims of the LockBit hacking group, the status of the Fulton County data release was “published” but no download link appeared.

By 1:15 a.m., the Fulton County data post had vanished from the site.


It’s unclear if a ransom was paid or if the hacking group was updating the site with the stolen data. The county first announced a breach of its servers on January 29.

Earlier this week, the group posted two dozen screenshots of seemingly legitimate county documents as well as information about servers maintained by the county. On the same page, in bold red type, was a deadline: “16 Feb, 2024 05:47:29 UTC” — or 12:47 a.m. Eastern time on Friday.

In their initial post claiming responsibility for the hack, the group wrote that the data would “reveal lists of individuals responsible for confidentiality” and “show documents related to access to the state citizens’ personal data.”

On Wednesday, County Commission Chairman Rob Pitts said that personal information may have been compromised in the ransomware attack.

The website, accessible only through a browser capable of decrypting content on the dark web, lists nearly 1,000 other governments, companies and websites that are alleged victims of LockBit’s ransomware attacks.

The website also provides visitors with information on how to contact the hackers, as well as a link with instructions on how to purchase Bitcoin. No ransom amount was listed for the Fulton County data, but at least one company’s data is available for purchase or deletion for $800,000.

State and federal law enforcement agencies are involved in the investigation, and county officials have cited that process in limiting details released about the cyberattack that took took down many county systems the weekend of Jan. 27.

All county offices have reopened but many continue to use work-arounds to compensate for computer systems that are still down. The attack took…

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Revealing Malware Secrets in a Digital World #POST 47 | by Monty Excel | Dec, 2023


Have you ever wondered about the invisible dangers that exist in the digital world, waiting to compromise your device and personal information?

Malware, a portmanteau of malicious software, is a broad term encompassing various types of harmful programs designed to infiltrate, damage, or disrupt computer systems. In this article, we’ll delve into different malware types, demystifying these digital threats with real-world examples.

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What CIOs should do post a ransomware attack


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The world is grappling with an increased number of cyberattacks as industries continue to undergo digital transformations and advancements. The repercussions of these cyberattacks can be devastating, causing disruption, financial loss and reputational damage.

According to a report by Think Teal, 74% of Indian CIO’s stated that cyberattacks were the main cause of business disruption in today’s digitised business world. The report revealed that 80% of ransomware attacks specifically target an organisation’s backup infrastructure and 70% of Indian CISOs agreed that the non-alignment of IT and Backup teams was the primary reason for increased ransomware attacks. 

While cyberattacks will continue to proliferatie with the increasing uptake of new technologies such as generative AI, and the challenges and pressures on CIOs continue to rise, we suggest four crucial steps for an efficient response following a cyberattack.

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Observe

When experiencing a ransomware attack, our initial instinct from a security perspective is to eliminate the threat and resolve the issue. However, this isn’t the best approach.

Instead, a CIO should first focus on isolating the bad actors within the environment. Sequestering them without removal is helpful because you can observe and understand the bad actor’s actions while preventing further harm to other parts of the business. Immediately removing or resolving the threat is tempting, but it often removes the ability to analyse the threat actor’s behaviour, which can reveal insights about their intent, target and strategy, in addition to the company’s own vulnerabilities. It is also important to understand the extent of the compromise both from a systems and data perspective.

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Critical observation will provide CIOs with a better understanding of the threat actor’s approach. This knowledge can then be leveraged to help develop an improved, proactive strategy to defend against the next ransomware attack.

Correct

After taking the necessary steps to collate valuable data on the attacker, the business can implement corrective measures.

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‘Corrective measures entail removing the threat, patching the attack vector, recovering systems and…

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