Category: Social Media

The infamous Xenomorph Android malware, known for targeting 56 European banks in 2022, is back and in full force targeting US banks, financial institutions and cryptocurrency wallets.  

The cyber security and fraud detection company ThreatFabric has called this one of the most advanced and dangerous Android malware variants they’ve seen. 

This malware is being spread mostly by posing as a Chrome browser or Google Play Store update. When a user clicks on the “update,” it installs the malware designed to automate the process of accessing your online accounts and extracting and transferring funds.  

Besides being alert to this scam (and you should let your spouse, partners and family know as well), you should be aware of a few ways to protect yourself: 

• Avoid links and attachments in any unsolicited e-mail. Simply previewing a document could infect your device, so never open or click on anything suspicious. 
• To update your browser, simply close it and reopen. You don’t have to download an application to update it. Furthermore, the Google Play Store app will not ask you for an update, so don’t fall for any website alert or text stating you need to download an update.  

But remember, bank fraud can manifest itself in several forms, including:  

1. Phishing Scams: Cybercriminals send deceptive e-mails or messages, often impersonating trusted entities like banks or government agencies, to trick you or your employees into revealing sensitive information like login credentials. Sometimes these are facilitated by phone calls, so make sure your team is fully aware of this. The latest MGM hack happened when a hacker called the company’s IT department requesting a password reset.
    
2. Check Fraud: Criminals may forge or alter your business’s checks to siphon funds from your account, making it essential for you to secure your checkbook and be careful about sharing or e-mailing your account information. You might consider going checkless to cut down on the chances of your account being hacked.
    
3. Unauthorized Wire Transfers: Hackers may compromise your online banking credentials to initiate unauthorized transfers, diverting funds to their accounts.
    
4. Account Takeover: Criminals may gain control of your business’s online banking accounts by exploiting weak passwords, reused passwords or security gaps, such as e-mailing your passwords to others or storing your bank password in your browser, allowing them to make unauthorized transactions.
    
5. Employee Fraud: Sometimes, even employees may engage in fraudulent activities, such as embezzlement or manipulating financial records.  

To protect yourself, use strong, unique passwords for your online banking accounts and never store them in your browser. Also, update your passwords monthly with significant changes to them, using uppercase and lowercase, symbols and numbers that are at least 14 to 16 characters.  

Second, always turn on multifactor authentication (MFA) so you’re notified if anyone tries to log into your accounts without your knowledge. 

Third, set up alerts for large withdrawals. You can ask your bank to require a physical signature for wire transfers to protect you from someone taking money from your account without your signature.  

Fourth, get fraud insurance that specifically covers employee and online theft so you are protected in the event a cybercriminal steals money from your account. 

And, as always, make sure you have strong cyberprotections in place for ANY device that logs into a bank account or critical application. Far too many businesses think that if their data is “in the cloud,” they are safe. Remember, your bank account is “in the cloud,” and the bank likely has a secure portal, but that doesn’t mean YOU can’t be hacked. 

If you want to ensure your organization is truly secure, click here to request a free Cyber Security Risk Assessment to see just how protected your organization is against known predators. If you haven’t had an independent third party conduct this audit in the last 6 months, you’re `due.  

It’s completely free and confidential, without obligation. Voice scams are just the latest in a tsunami of threats aimed at small business owners, with the most susceptible being the ones who never “check the locks” to ensure their current IT company is doing what they should. Claim your complimentary Risk Assessment today. 

Have you started business planning for 2024? The last few months of the year can get hectic, between trying to close out the end of the quarter strong and mapping out your plan to ramp things up in the new year. One area that small business owners often skip over when creating their new year strategy is cyber security planning. Cyber security is NOT an IT decision, it’s a business decision. Your company hinges on your ability to keep your data – and your clients’ – safe from cybercriminals.

To create a reliable plan for the next year, there are a few cyber security basics that every business owner needs to be aware of to avoid being the next victim of a data breach. Cyber issues are becoming such a regular occurrence that it’s easy to become desensitized to the effects of data breaches, which can leave you vulnerable to an attack.

 

Here are 10 BIG takeaways about cyber security that you should keep in mind. Your security depends on it!

 

1. No business is too small.

Hackers love that small business owners think this way because it makes them an easy target. If you have money or data of any size or amount, you are at risk.

Takeaway – Protect your business and consult a cyber security expert on what you need.

 

2. Your employees are putting you at risk.

They are not likely doing it on purpose, but human error is the #1 issue with cybercrime. Whether it’s a bad link that is clicked or a malicious attachment that is downloaded, these small “accidents” can create huge problems for your business.

Takeaway – Invest some of your budget in cyber security training for your team.

 

3. Software needs to be updated when you’re notified about it.

This is true for your web browsers too. If you get a notification about an available update, it often means that a bug or a vulnerability needs to be patched. If you don’t patch it, that’s a little hole in your network that hackers can and will find.

Takeaway – Have your IT team run automatic updates and always manually update if prompted.

 

4. Back up your data.

Disasters happen, whether natural, like a tornado or flood wiping out your office, or a cybercriminal locking down your network and ransoming you to return it. Having a backup will allow you to reduce downtime and further damage to your business.

Takeaway – Have an off-site backup and test it regularly to ensure it works properly.

 

5. Use a VPN when working outside of the office.

If you’re on vacation, working while traveling or even working at the local coffee shop, connecting to public WiFi can put you at risk. Hackers can break into unsecured WiFi or set up fake ones, hoping you will connect to them.

Takeaway – Use a VPN, or virtual private network, to keep your network safe from hackers while on the go.

 

6. Data breaches are expensive.

The cost of data breaches puts most small companies that get hacked out of business within six months. These can range from hundreds of thousands to millions of dollars, depending on the damage done.

Takeaway – Invest in cyber security. Don’t play around and risk everything you worked hard to build.

 

7. Having cyber insurance doesn’t mean you’re covered if you’re hacked.

If you’re hacked, cyber insurance doesn’t automatically cover you. Insurance agents will check to make sure you’ve done everything in your power to prevent the attack. If you haven’t, your claim can be denied.

Takeaway – Read the fine print on cyber insurance policies and make sure you’re following all requirements.

 

8. Compliance doesn’t mean you’re secure.

Being compliant means you are fulfilling all the requirements that the government has issued. This does not mean you are 100% secure; it means you have implemented the basics.

Takeaway – Consult with a cyber security professional who deals with clients in your industry to make sure that you’re not only compliant but that you have the proper security systems in place to protect your organization.

 

9. Basic antivirus and firewalls are not enough.

These are helpful, but they aren’t enough to keep you secure. Hackers are routinely finding ways to break through this software, so if you’re not implementing other security measures, you’re at risk.

Takeaway – Consult with a cyber security professional to find out what you need. It’s often not as expensive as people think and will cost you WAY less if you ever become a victim of a data breach.

 

10. You’ll be the one who people hold accountable if you’re hacked.

When it comes to data breaches, whether you’re at fault or not, you’ll be the one to catch the blame from your customers, employees, attorneys, the media and more, and it will be ugly.

Takeaway – You can prevent this by taking a proactive approach to cyber security.

Take your security seriously in 2024. We offer a FREE, no-obligation Security Assessment. Even if you already have a cyber security company you work with, it can’t hurt to have a second expert opinion to assess if and where you’re vulnerable to an attack.

We have limited spots available and expect to fill up before the holiday break, so if you’re interested, click here to book your assessment with our team now.

The holiday season is in full swing, which means so are the cybercriminals! While you’re making holiday gift lists, they’re plotting and scheming new ways to take advantage of unsuspecting online shoppers. Holiday phishing scams have become an all-too-common threat, targeting customers to steal personal information, financial data and even identities. 

To help reduce the chances that a cybercriminal will ruin your much-deserved holiday fun, we’ve outlined a few of the most common and dangerous scams that you should be on the lookout for, how they work and tips to help you avoid becoming their next victim. 

Understanding Holiday Phishing Scams: 

Phishing is a deceptive technique cybercriminals use to trick individuals into sharing sensitive information such as passwords, credit card details or Social Security numbers. During the holiday season, these scams often take on a festive disguise, tricking victims with holiday-themed e-mails, messages and websites. Whether you’re ordering gifts for clients or friends and family, here are some common tactics used by holiday phishing scammers to be aware of: 

1. Holiday-Themed E-mails: Scammers send e-mails that appear to be from trusted sources like your favorite retailers or even beloved charities. These e-mails look legit and usually offer fake exclusive holiday deals, order confirmations or requests for donations. Inside the e-mail, there is usually a link that leads to a fake website designed to steal your information or your money, or even install dangerous malware on your computer.
2. Fake Promotions: Cybercriminals create fake holiday promotions and discounts that seem too good to be true. Unsuspecting victims see a great deal from a spoof e-mail account and are enticed to click on links or download attachments that can contain malware or lead to phishing websites.
   Sometimes cybercriminals aren’t looking to install malware but instead hoping to steal your money. They’ll duplicate popular retailer websites or set up their own, so when you make a purchase, they’ll collect the money, but you’ll never receive your order. These sites are often difficult to track, making it hard to get your money back.
3. Delivery Notifications: With the increase in online shopping during the holidays, scammers send fake delivery notifications, claiming that a package is on its way or that there’s a problem with an order. These e-mails may prompt recipients to click on links or download attachments containing malicious software.
4. Social Engineering: Scammers may impersonate friends or family members via e-mail or social media, asking for money or personal information under the guise of a holiday emergency or gift exchange. This is a common scam against seniors – who might not realize that the profile requesting money from them that was made “three days ago” isn’t actually their granddaughter – and young teenagers who don’t know fake profiles are an issue.  

 

Recognizing and Avoiding Holiday Phishing Scams: 

 Now that we understand how holiday phishing scams operate, it’s essential to know how to recognize and avoid falling victim to them. 

1. Verify The Sender: Always check the sender’s e-mail address or domain. Be cautious of misspelled or suspicious e-mail addresses. Legitimate companies and organizations use official domains for their communication.
   

2. Don’t Click On Suspicious Links: Hover your mouse over links to see the actual URL they lead to. Be wary of shortened links or URLs that don’t match the sender’s domain. If in doubt, visit the website directly by typing the URL into your browser.

3. Beware Of Urgency And Pressure: Scammers often create a sense of urgency, claiming limited-time offers or imminent problems. Take your time to verify the authenticity of any claims before taking action.
   

4. Double-Check Websites: Before entering personal or financial information on a website, ensure it’s secure. Look for “https://” in the URL, a padlock icon in the address bar and a valid SSL certificate.
   

5. Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA): Enable 2FA wherever possible, especially for online shopping and banking accounts. This provides an extra layer of security, even if your password is compromised.
   

6. Educate Yourself And Others: Stay informed about current phishing tactics and share this knowledge with friends and family. The more people are aware, the harder it becomes for scammers to succeed.
   

7. Protect Personal Information: Avoid sharing sensitive information via e-mail or text messages, even if the request seems legitimate. Use secure channels for such communication.

While the holiday season is a time for celebration and togetherness, it’s crucial to remain vigilant against holiday phishing scams. Cybercriminals prey on the festive spirit and increased online activity during this time. By recognizing the signs of phishing attempts and following best practices for online security, you can protect yourself and ensure a safe and joyous holiday season for you and your loved ones. 

Business owners: If your staff will be ordering gifts online for clients, make sure they know how to spot a phishing attack and that your network is properly secured in case something slips through the cracks. You don’t want your organization to be negatively impacted by extending holiday goodwill. If you aren’t sure if you’re protected, please give us a call or schedule a 10-minute discovery session with our team. We can help give you peace of mind this holiday season. Click here to book now, and happy holidays! 

One of the most commons questions we get from new prospective clients calling our office is “What do you guys charge for your IT services?” 

While price certainly needs to be one consideration, it’s extremely important you make an informed decision and choose the right IT services company instead of using price as the main deciding factor. 

This seems obvious, but the reality is that most <<CEOs/CFOs/etc.>> don’t really know what questions to ask or what to look for when choosing one IT company over another and therefore put too much weight on the quote. 

What you want to avoid is getting lured into a lowball quote from an IT company that is in financial trouble, cutting corners to lower their fees to get you as a client, but then unable to afford to hire experienced, knowledgeable techs, dedicated account managers and the security tools they need to ensure YOU are actually getting the security, stability and service you need. 

So, how much is “too much” and what are the signs that someone is underpriced? 

Recently, an industry report from Service Leadership, the leading financial benchmarking organization in the IT services industry, revealed that a whopping 28% of MSPs (managed services providers, or IT services companies) were unprofitable, and nearly half of all MSPs were under 10% net profit. 

While everyone likes a “bargain,” here are the reasons why “cheaper” is not the advantage you think it is when you choose an underpriced IT company: 

1. They are woefully short-staffed because the biggest expense in any IT company is the technical staff. THAT means if one of their techs quits, they’re quickly overwhelmed and unable to support your account, and response time suffers, not to mention critical security and backup maintenance of your network.
    

1. The staff they hire are at the lower end of the pay scale, which means you’re not getting the most competent people working on backing up your data, keeping your network secure and handling the critical operations and data your business needs.
    

1. They are very unlikely to have a dedicated account manager and team to work on your account because they can’t afford to hire them.
    

1. They are one or two bad months away from going out of business because they have no buffer. That means you could wake up one morning and find yourself without an IT company, scrambling to find a new one.
    

1. They are not “operationally mature.” Operational maturity means their business has the people and professional processes aligned to provide the highest level of QUALITY services to the end client (you).  

In general, according to Service Leadership, the average “per user” fee for managed IT services is $205.07 to $249.73. Those IT firms with an operational maturity level of below average is $146.08 to $157.49 per “user” (or employee using a computer or device they are supporting).  

As you can see, if someone quotes you $120 a user for managing your network, it might feel like a good deal, but you have to ask yourself how they are able to charge nearly 50% less than IT firms that are operationally mature. The answer is obvious – they’re cutting corners, hiring cheap labor and leaving out critical security and compliance services. 

If you want to know what types of questions you should be asking your IT firm (managed services provider), then click here to download our executive guide, “19 Questions You Should Ask Any IT Company Before Signing A Contract Or Letting Them Touch Your IT.” 

This report discusses in detail exactly what to look for to get exactly what you need without unnecessary extras, hidden fees and bloated contracts. But most importantly, it will show you how to get the right support you want in order to lower your risk and eliminate the frustration of dealing with a less than competent IT company. 

“That won’t happen to me” is something many business owners say when discussing cyber-scams and the need for adequate protections for their business, but these days it’s getting to be a really, really stupid statement that you definitely don’t want your clients, employees and banker to hear.  

Generative AI (artificial intelligence) tools are allowing scammers to produce deep fakes to defraud their targets. Earlier this year, Clive Kabatznik, an investor in Florida, called his local Bank of America representative to discuss a big money transfer he was planning to make.  

Immediately after this legitimate call, a scammer called the bank back using an AI-generated deepfake voice of “Clive” to convince the banker to transfer the money to another account. Fortunately, the banker was suspicious enough that no money was transferred, but not everyone is as lucky. 

According to a report titled The Artificial Imposter by McAfee, a well-established cyber security firm, 77% of AI voice scams were successful in securing money from their target. Even scarier, AI tools can clone a voice from just three seconds of audio.  

A UK-based energy firm’s CEO was the victim of a voice scam when he thought he was talking to his boss, the CEO of the parent company based in Germany. The voice on the other end of the line instructed him to send the equivalent of $233,000 to a Hungarian supplier. The voice was so convincing, down to the slight German accent, that the CEO complied without hesitation. By the time they realized what had happened, the money had already been transferred to Mexico and distributed to other locations that weren’t traceable.   

But big businesses aren’t the only ones targeted.  

Jennifer DeStefano, a mother of a 15-year-old daughter, recounted during a US Senate hearing her terrifying encounter with an AI scammer who used the voice of her daughter to attempt to convince her that the girl had been kidnapped. Fortunately, her daughter was in her bed sleeping at the time, and Jennifer was able to realize it was a scam. Many others aren’t as lucky as Jennifer and are getting scammed by AI voices of grandchildren, children and other loved ones who “urgently need money.” 

This approach is still so new that there’s no comprehensive accounting of how often it’s happening, but the CEO of Pindrop, a security company that monitors audio traffic for many of the largest US banks, said he had seen a jump in its prevalence this year – and in the sophistication of scammers’ voice-fraud attempts. Another large voice-authentication vendor, Nuance, saw its first successful deepfake attack on a financial services client late last year. 

With the rapid advancement of AI technology and its wider availability as costs come down, coupled with the broad availability of recordings of people’s voices on TikTok, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube, the perfect conditions have been created for voice-related AI scams. 

What do you need to do to protect yourself?  

For starters, share this article to make sure your staff is aware of these types of scams. Next, instruct them to ALWAYS check with you via a text message or other means BEFORE transferring money. If you’re not a business owner, you can do the same with your family, using a code word or other means of verifying the caller’s legitimacy.  

Also, check the caller ID. If it’s something you don’t recognize, or it’s a blocked number, that’s a BIG red flag that it’s a scam. Even if it sounds like them on the other end of the line, hang up and call their phone direct or the place they’re supposed to be (school, office, etc.).  

If the person calling has on-fire urgency and wants money wire-transferred or a Bitcoin payment, that’s another huge red flag. Real emergencies don’t come with highly skeptical payment demands.   

In business, you’ve clawed and climbed your way to the top, dodging all sorts of pitfalls and predators that have tried to make you their meal. Such threats are everywhere, and the higher you climb, the more you’ll find hiding behind every tree, every rock and every step. No matter how small and insignificant you might think you are, you ARE a target for someone, and being casual about cyber security and the threats they pose is an absolute surefire way to be robbed. 

If you don’t want this to happen to you, click here to request a free Cyber Security Risk Assessment to see just how protected your organization is against known predators. If you haven’t had an independent third party conduct this audit in the last 6 months, you’re due.  

It’s completely free and confidential, without obligation. Voice scams are just the latest in a tsunami of threats aimed at small business owners, with the most susceptible being the ones who never “check the locks” to ensure their current IT company is doing what they should. Claim your complimentary Risk Assessment today. 

There is one extremely common threat to our security that nearly everyone has witnessed but hardly anyone talks about – bad bots. These silent attackers are often thought of as annoying spam accounts posting computer-generated comments online. They are so common that most of us tend to scroll by them without noticing, but in reality, bad bots are much more dangerous, particularly for business owners.

What Are Bad Bots?

Bad bots are software applications that are programmed to run automated tasks with malicious intent, such as brute force attacks, data mining, ad fraud and more. These stealthy assailants are the tireless, automated “employees” of cybercriminals that help them wreak havoc at scale. And they are everywhere. A study by Imperva revealed that of all Internet traffic in 2022, 47.4% was made up of these automated bots.

The activities of these bad bots can range from annoying to outright malicious. The most common ones we see that can affect any business are:

Reputation Attacks: Bots can be configured to leave comments on your social media or website with malicious codes and links, post provocative or spammy comments, leave scathing reviews and so on, all of which affect consumer trust.

Web Scraping: Bad bots can scrape your website for valuable data, such as pricing information or customer reviews, which they might use for various purposes, including undercutting your prices or selling your data to competitors. They could also use it to duplicate your website and set up phishing scams to trick visitors.

This can be particularly dangerous for industries with sensitive data, like health care. Bots can scrape sensitive health information, such as patient records, medical history and insurance information, which is often later sold on the dark web for profit.

Brute Force Attacks: These bots attempt to gain unauthorized access to your systems by repeatedly guessing passwords, making your accounts vulnerable to breaches. This is a popular tactic against financial services companies. If cybercriminals get access to accounts that contain sensitive financial information, they can open up new credit card accounts.

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) Attacks: Bad bots can be used to launch DDoS attacks, overwhelming your website or online services with traffic and causing downtime.

Ad Fraud: Some bots engage in click fraud, repeatedly clicking on online ads to deplete your advertising budget without delivering real human engagement. This will skew analytics and often lead to poor decision-making for the marketing department.

 

Detecting bad bots can be challenging since they often mimic human behavior. The hardest ones to identify are evasive bots, which get their name from their ability to sidestep security by cycling through random IPs, rapidly changing their identities, mimicking human behavior and defeating CAPTCHA challenges. However, there are a few methods to help you identify bad bot attacks:

Watch Traffic Patterns: Monitor website traffic patterns for irregularities, such as high traffic from a single IP address or a single region.

Monitor All Comments Sections: Check in regularly on social media sites for spam comments or fake bad reviews and delete them.

Use CAPTCHA Challenges: Implement CAPTCHA challenges or bot detection tools to filter out automated traffic automatically.

Implement Anomaly Detection: Use anomaly detection algorithms to spot unusual behavior, like rapid data scraping or suspicious login attempts.

Track Bot Signatures: Maintain a list of known bot signatures and compare incoming traffic against it.

 

If you notice repeated issues, there are a few actions you can take, such as:

Educate Your Team: Train your employees to recognize and report suspicious activities, as humans are often the first line of defense. Create a process that includes who to notify and what steps to take when each issue is noticed.

Use Bot Detection Solutions: Invest in bot detection software or services that can help identify and block bad bot traffic.

Maintain Regular Updates: Keep your software and security systems updated to patch vulnerabilities that bots may exploit.

Implement Rate Limiting: Limit the number of requests an IP address can make in a given time frame to thwart scraping attempts.

Hire An IT Professional: Bots are tricky. IT companies deal with them regularly and have advanced solutions that can help eliminate these annoying and dangerous issues for you.

 

The impact of bad bots on business owners can be significant and lead to financial losses, reputational damage and legal complications. If you’re worried about bad bots causing a problem for your organization, schedule a FREE 10-Minute Discovery Call and we’ll help figure out where your company is vulnerable and how you can protect yourself and your business today. Click here to book now.

When you run your own business, it feels like there are never enough hours in the day. Even when you start early and end late, there’s always something else, another e-mail or task, nagging for your attention. If you want to be productive, and ultimately successful, it’s important to prioritize what tasks you’ll allow to fill your schedule. Not everything needs to be or should be done by you.  

Easier said than done. One of the issues we frequently see business owners struggle with is to delegate the tasks they don’t need to be doing. “It’s faster if I just do it” and “They won’t do it like I do” are two statements we often hear. For some tasks, that’s probably true, and those should stay on your plate, but when it comes to IT and technology, there are always several tasks business owners are doing themselves that they could and should hand off to someone else.  

Some are obvious, like security. Quality cyber security requires 24/7 monitoring, and it’s unrealistic for busy business owners to be able to handle that effectively. They simply have too much to do! Another mistake is when they hand it off to an employee, family member or friend to do for them. These people are typically not qualified to protect you correctly.  

However, there are dozens of other to-dos that you might not realize you can hand off to your IT team Here are 10 tasks you can delegate to your IT team so you can focus on running your business. 

1. Fix or Optimize Wi-Fi – Whether your Wi-Fi is down, you need to extend coverage area or something else, you don’t have to crawl around unplugging and plugging your router. Your IT team can handle it. 
2. Install and Set Up Microsoft Teams – If you’re using tools like Zoom, Slack and project management software, moving to Microsoft Teams can enhance productivity. It facilitates direct communication, project management and collaboration and has over 1,900 applications you can use. IT professionals can set all this up for you and train your team how to use it properly.
3. Manage User Access Permissions and Credentials – Your IT team can handle getting new employees their correct user access, immediately revoking access for fired employees or those who quit and everything in between. 
4. Procuring and Provisioning Devices – If you need laptops, desktops, tablets, mobile devices, etc., sourced for the best price and configured for use, that’s a tech team task. 
5. Providing Tech Support To Employees – No more troubleshooting questions for you! Your team can submit tech tickets for a quick, efficient response from support. 
6. Set Up Dual Monitors – Want to increase productivity and efficiency? IT can set up dual monitors, correctly hooking everything up, so your team can come in and start working instead of trying to DIY it. 
7. Speed Up Computers To Run Efficiently – If your computer is running slow, don’t go to Google looking for tips. Call your IT team. They can help you improve your computer speed.
8. Install E-mail/Spam Protection – No more filtering out dangerous or annoying spam e-mails; IT will do it for you. 
9. Configure Office Equipment – New printer? No problem. IT can help set it up.
10. Employee Screen Monitoring – Are your employees working when they say they are? We can help you find out by setting up software to track activity.   

And the list goes on. IT providers can also aid with HIPAA, CMMC and PCI compliance, file sharing for external/remote access users, data loss recovery plans, office relocation, cabling and so much more. Most business owners we consult with are surprised by the number of responsibilities a tech team can take on beyond cyber security. 

The best thing to do is book a FREE Network Assessment. During this assessment, our team will look at your entire system for areas of opportunity and improvement. We’ll conduct a full audit, provide you with a plan of action to optimize your business for productivity, efficiency and security, and answer any questions you have. Click here to book your Assessment now.

The Norton LifeLock Email Scam Unveiled

In today’s digital age, our personal information is more vulnerable than ever. Cybercriminals are constantly devising new and sophisticated methods to exploit unsuspecting individuals. One such threat is the Norton LifeLock email scam, a deceptive scheme that targets its victims with the promise of renewing your security while actually compromising information and safety. See sample image below.

 

The Norton LifeLock email scam operates under the guise of a you as a user renewing your subscription to their service, leveraging the trusted reputation of the Norton brand. Victims receive emails claiming to be from Norton LifeLock, stating that your Norton Internet Security has been successful renewed for a certain amount.

The scam normally preys on the account holders fear that their account had already been charged. Yes, these emails often contain urgent language, playing on fears of a large chunk of money has been charged on their account thus coercing recipients into taking immediate action. If you got really got charged with $353, you would certainly have it disputed with Norton as who they claim to be. Whoever you end up talking on the phone with you, they would try their best to get as much information from you to try to get the money for real.

Lo and behold, the alleged Refund Team is not Norton’s phone number. It is the number of the people scamming you.

 

Recognizing the signs of a email scam is crucial for protecting yourself and your personal information:

• Unsolicited Emails: Be wary of emails you didn’t expect or didn’t sign up for, especially those requesting personal information, payments, refunds or immediate action.
• Spelling and Grammar Errors: Scammers often make mistakes in language that a legitimate company would not. Pay attention to typos, awkward phrasing, or inconsistent formatting.
• Urgency and Pressure Tactics: Scammers often create a sense of urgency to pressure victims into making hasty decisions. Be cautious of emails that demand immediate action.
• Suspicious Links or Attachments: Avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unfamiliar sources. Hover over links to view the actual URL before clicking. (some scam campaigns variants do not include website links or attachments)
• Check the Sender’s Email Address: Verify that the email address matches the official domain of Norton LifeLock. Scammers often use slightly altered domain names to deceive recipients.

 

Always be Cautious with Personal Information: Avoid sharing sensitive information via phone, email or on unsecured websites. Legitimate companies typically request such information through secure channels.

These email scams get recycled and updated to suit the scammers needs, today it is Norton, tomorrow they might pretend to be Bank of America, Chase, FedEx, DHL, PayPal or something else.

College has changed since many of us were students. Years ago, we’d be shuffling from class to class, holding a single notebook and a pencil for scribbling down notes. There wasn’t as big a risk of photos or data being stolen online. 

That’s no longer the case. Students today have at least one – usually two or three – devices readily available. The scary part is, most college-age students think of themselves as tech-savvy “digital natives”; however, a study by Atlas VPN showed that Gen-Zers and millennials are the age groups most likely to fall for phishing scams. 

In fact, according to the National Cybersecurity Alliance, 20% of Gen-Zers have had their identity stolen at least once. 

Here are just a few of the terrifying ways cybercriminals attack this young crowd: 

• Unpaid tuition notifications – scammers will send fake e-mails to students claiming they owe a certain amount of money or it’ll affect their enrollment.
   
• Fake financial aid, grant or scholarship websites that, when clicked, either steal their information or install malware on their computer.
   
• Fake Wi-Fi accounts set up by hackers in public places to steal passwords and private data when their device connects.
   
• Social media scams used to gather private information to either hack accounts or set up new ones.
  

• Hacking phones or social media accounts to steal photos and blackmail students into payment so they don’t release them publicly. 

Sadly, the list goes on and on! 

How can kids raised on technology fall for so many scams? Here are just a few of the big reasons why: 

• Hackers know most students aren’t properly educated on cyberthreats because they’ve always worked on computers that were secured by the school or their parents
• They grew up using social media and feel comfortable divulging private information about themselves (that thieves can harvest and later use to initiate an attack).
• This is a big one – they have no or very little credit, giving cyberscammers a smoother path to opening accounts in their name.
• They have multiple connected devices like phones, laptops, tablets and watches that give criminals more avenues to attack. 
  
• College kids are distracted. They’re focused on school and making friends, and NOT cyber security, making it easy to let a cybercriminal slip by undetected until it’s too late. 

  

What can you do? 

We have robust cyber security solutions and 24-hour monitoring to protect the businesses that we work with and can even recommend at-home security software, but what about when your kids go off to school, away from your watchful eye? 

You certainly can’t pack up and camp out at college to make sure they’re following cyber security best practices. But you can make sure they know what to look out for and give them the tools and resources to stay as safe as possible. 

Here are 14 actions your child can take to prevent being a victim of cybercrime when they’re off at college: 

1. Invest in strong, trusted virus and spyware protection and run scans once a week.
2. Never click “Remind Me Tomorrow” when a phone or computer wants to update. Turn on automatic updates when possible.
3. Keep all browsers, extensions and operating systems updated.
4. Back up the computer to the cloud regularly to avoid losing data if there is an attack.
5. Do not visit or enter credit card information on websites that aren’t secure (HTTPS:// only!).
6. Don’t connect to public Wi-Fi. Use a personal hotspot or VPN when on the go.
7. Beware of phishing scams. Do not click links or open attachments in e-mails, especially from unknown senders. Google websites and search instead of clicking links.
8. Use strong, unique passwords and use a password manager.
9. Regularly delete cookies. These can create “loopholes” for hackers to get into a network.
10. Only install software and apps from trusted sources.
11. Use multifactor authentication.
12. Lock all devices and don’t share passwords, even with your new best friend.
13. Cover all webcams – there are stickers for purchase online, but tape and paper will work.
14. Register devices with the school in the event they are stolen. 

Run through this list with your children! When students leave for college, cyber security is not a priority for them, but unfortunately, if they’re targeted it could negatively impact their lives at a time when they’re just getting started. 

Cyber security takes just a few minutes of conscious effort but is a critical lesson to learn in this age when nearly everything we do involves technology. The risks of cybercrime will only continue to grow. 

If your organization could benefit from cyber security training similar to this but more in-depth for employees, so they know the risks and best practices of cyber security, we can help. Start with a completely FREE Cybersecurity Risk Assessment by clicking here.

Cybercriminals know the easiest way to sneak under your radar is to pretend to be a brand you know and trust. These large companies have spent years on marketing, customer service, branding and consistency to build a trustworthy reputation, and hackers leverage this to go after you. 

 The most common method is to use phishing attacks. These thieves set up URLs that look scarily similar to the real company’s website. To slip by your watchful eye, here are some of the simple switches hackers make that can go unnoticed: 

1. Switching out a zero for the letter “O” or a capital “i” for a lowercase “L.” If you’re quickly reading an e-mail, it might look legit.
2. Adding in a word that seems like it could be a subdomain of the real company, like “info@googleservice.com.”
3. Using a different domain extension, like “info@google.io.” 

Some criminals will take it a step further and set up a web page that looks identical to that of the real website. When you click the link – via e-mail, SMS or even through social media – several dangerous results can occur. 

The first is that malware can be installed on your computer. Clicking a bad link can set off an automatic malware download that contains malicious files with the ability to collect personally identifiable information from your device, like usernames, credit card or bank account numbers and more. 

The second is the fake website will have a form to harvest your information. This could be login credentials, passwords and, in some cases, your credit or bank information. 

The third most common issue is an open redirect. The link might look legit, but when you click on it, you’re redirected to a malicious website where the intent is to steal your information. 

What brand impersonations do you need to look out for? Well, all of them, but according to Check Point’s latest Brand Phishing Report, there are 10 companies that top the chart in overall appearance in brand phishing attempts. 

Here Are The Top 10 Most Frequently Impersonated Brands In Phishing Attempts In Q2 Of 2023: 

1. Microsoft (29%) 
2. Google (19.5%) 
3. Apple (5.2%) 
4. Wells Fargo (4.2%) 
5. Amazon (4%) 
6. Walmart (3.9%) 
7. Roblox (3.8%) 
8. LinkedIn (3%) 
9. Home Depot (2.5%) 
10. Facebook (2.1%) 

Take a minute and ask yourself how many of the companies on this list send you regular e-mail communications. Even just one puts you at risk. 

Cybercriminals go the full mile with these scams. They know what types of messages work best for each company to get your attention. 

Here are three common phishing attacks cybercriminals have used under these brands’ good names to gain access to your private information. 

1. Unusual Activity – These types of e-mails will suggest that someone gained access to your account and you need to change your password quickly. They leverage fear so people will click without thinking, hurrying to change their password before they’re a victim of the attack.They usually have buttons that say, “Review Recent Activity” or “Click Here To Change Your Password.”

   These e-mails can go as far as to show fake login information detailing the region, IP address, time of sign-in and more, like real messages from the companies do to convince you to click.
     

2. Fake Gift Cards – These e-mails suggest that someone sent you an e-gift card. When you open the e-mail, they either redirect you to a website to “claim your gift card” or have a button to “redeem now.”
    
3. Account Verification Required – These e-mails suggest that your account has been disconnected, and they need you to verify your information. As soon as you enter your login credentials, the hacker has access.

These scams are happening every single day. You’re a target, but so are the unsuspecting employees in your company. Without proper training, they might not know what to look for, panic and try to resolve these “issues” under the radar, ultimately causing the problem. 

There are multiple steps to making sure your network is secure. One would be getting e-mail monitoring to help reduce the likelihood of these phishing e-mails ending up in your inbox. It’s also important to make sure employees know what to look for so that if an e-mail does get by the phishing detection system, they can still keep your company safe. 

The best thing to do is to start here with your FREE Cybersecurity Risk Assessment. We’ll evaluate your network and provide a full report on areas where you are vulnerable and what to do to fix them. There’s no obligation, but you should know where you’re at risk. Click here to schedule your assessment now.