by Anika D | Aug 5, 2022 | Cybersecurity, Emerging Technology, Information Technology
Emails are part of every business in today’s world, but it is also one of the biggest security risks. BEC (Business Email Compromise) is rising every year. In addition, it is becoming common for criminals to use different phishing and spoofing attacks to probe organizations. In recent years, Ransomware has been growing rapidly and poses a greater risk to companies. What you don’t know is that email is a common entry place for Ransomware.
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But no need to worry about this. There are some countermeasures to this issue. These email security practices can go a long way for organizations from several threats. Here are some best practices to avoid Business Email Compromise:
Use Strong Passwords
It would be best to use strong passwords that meet the following criteria:
- It must complete a minimum length requirement.
- It must contain letters and numbers.
- It must contain both lowercase and uppercase letters.
- It may not have full name data.
- It should not be a commonly guessed password like 123456 or abcdef.
Use 2FA (Two-Factor Authentication)
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Many people think that only professionals can do 2FA, but it is not a difficult task. It is more like adding another shield to the account. Thankfully, almost every platform offers 2FA, but you can use another email provider if your system doesn’t support it. Also, if a hacker guesses your password, 2FA will stop them from entering before they get a sneak peek of your emails. Usually, two-factor authentication codes are sent to you by email, SMS, voice calls, or OTPs.
Be Careful of Suspicious Attachments
Nowadays, file sharing in the workplace mostly happens via collaboration tools like OneDrive, Dropbox, or Sharepoint. Therefore you should treat every file attachment in the mail suspiciously, even if it is from your colleague. Be more careful about the attached file with unfamiliar extensions or one that commonly delivers malware payloads (.zip, .exe, .scr, etc.).
Never Access Your Emails from Public Wi-Fi
If you take the office devices home or open your work emails from personal devices, do not access emails on public Wi-Fi. It is because cybercriminals can easily discover data passing through publicly accessible Wi-Fi. So, your sensitive data and login credentials both are at risk. Accessing emails is best when you are confident about network security. Opt for a safer option using mobile data or internet dongles outside the office.
Change Password Regularly
Many people keep passwords for years. But it is one of the biggest cybersecurity mistakes. The simplest yet most effective email security practice is regularly changing passwords. You must ensure the following things:
- Have a new email password after every 2 to 4 months.
- Use devices or do it yourself instead of leaving it to other people to update credentials.
- Do not add one of two characters to the current password when creating a new one. Change the entire password.
- Do not use passwords that you already used in the past.
Wrapping Up
BEC is a criminal phenomenon that has potentially severe consequences. BEC criminals usually live outside the country, so it is difficult for law enforcement to prosecute them. Therefore, prevention and detection are crucial. So, all companies should educate their employees and create an environment encouraging compliance.
by Anika D | Apr 4, 2022 | Cybersecurity, General
Cyber attacks are the new age ” war” as the data is crucial. Whether you’re a common person, a startup, a bank, or any organization, you can always welcome attacks. In this new age era, everyone stores all the valuable information on the Cloud. The exchange of every detail is with the help of the internet; it’s crucial to protect it more than ever. So, to avoid all this; keep reading to know seven serious cybersecurity mistakes you’re probably making.
#1 Using a Single Password for all the Accounts
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It is probably the most common and ignored mistake people make. If you’re using a strong password for all the important accounts, all your accounts are at risk if one of them is compromised. In 2020 identity theft was up by 42%, compared to 2019. So, use different and strong passwords for all the crucial accounts.
#2 Skipping Updates
Skipping authorized necessary software updates on phones and laptops can prove dangerous. As US banks are getting ready for attacks from Russian hackers, the professionals have advised individuals to be alert too. If you’re not updating software regularly, your system becomes vulnerable and easy for breaching. So, update it timely.
#3 You Always Click on “Agree”
It’s obvious as one can’t read and go through everything and then click on “I Agree” on internet pages. But, it can be very dangerous and bring malicious viruses to your account. So, before clicking “I agree” next time, type:
- On a Windows PC, press Control + F.
- On a Mac, press Command + F.
Now, type in terms like “third party,” “GPS,” “tracking,” and “data.” You will find out if there is any data permission. With the US becoming a 6G power, it will welcome some great attacks, and you must take steps with alertness.
#4 Using Unprotected wifi
Using unprotected wifi to work on crucial information is dangerous. For example, suppose you’ve started a venture, and your startup needs a website. While accessing the website, you’re on public wifi. Hackers can easily decode your location with data and ruin your website. So, avoid using public wifi or using VPNs while doing it.
#5 Not Keeping Track of all Online Accounts
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Cybercrime is Up by 600% after COVID 19, and at this rate, you can’t think that you’re safe. So, keep track of all your social media accounts as they have your contact details, payment info, and other valuable data. So, having old unused accounts means someone can hack the information. So, take some time, track them all, and delete the unused ones.
#6 Don’t let every App run Your System
The computers and phones come with loads of pre-installed apps. You may never check them, thinking they are safe, and you can’t delete them. But, this puts your information at risk. Many professional hackers can attack these apps to attack your system. So, keep checking and delete them timely.
#7 Depending Solely on Antivirus
Businesses suffered 50% more cyberattack attempts per Week in 2021, and you may think that antivirus is enough. Well, it is not. It would help if you had a firewall, third-party solutions, and staff training. Also, your home computers must have robust firewalls.
by Anika D | Feb 12, 2022 | Cybersecurity, General
On Saturday, Microsoft warns Ukraine of destructive malware in their government and private systems. It was revealed as the Russian troops were massed at the borders of Ukraine and many government agencies had their websites defaced.
It is possible that the malware can copy and leak confidential information from the government systems in Ukraine. The mastermind behind the malware is not clear, but agencies point fingers towards Russia for this cyberattack. The reason for this is the tension across the Ukraine-Russia border these days.
According to New York Times, the code appear and deploy shortly after talks stalled among Russian diplomats, the U.S., and NATO. Further, Microsoft claims that the code looks similar to ransomware and designed to render targeted devices inoperable.
What is the Solution to Malware Detected on Ukraine Systems?
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Microsoft stated that all companies should investigate to know the origin of the malware. Also, every company should implement the defense through malware to protect data.
A Ukrainian security official told Reuters that the government believes the hackers are connected to Russia. They further stated that Russia’s intelligence services carried out the cyberattack on government websites in Ukraine. But, Moscow denied the involvement in cyberattacks against Ukraine.
How to Protect the System from Cyberattack?
According to Verizon’s 2019 Data Breach Report, about 28% of data breaches are connected to malware. It threatens every organization and is becoming more common every day. Countries and companies should both work hard to prevent their data from destructive malware.
Further, there is no solution to cyberattacks, but you can detect the malware and protect your system with smart moves. Here are some tips for you to save your computers or laptops from cyberattacks.
- Always choose a strong password for your private and confidential data files.
- Try to include at least eight characters with an uppercase letter, a lowercase letter, a number, and a symbol in the password.
- Enable multi-factor authentication on your system, such as a PIN or security questions in addition to a password.
- Do not save the password on your browser or your system. It is better to remember the password in mind.
Keep in mind that no software is completely safe against malware. But the software vendors regularly update their products to make them more defensive against viruses or cyberattacks. Install and update anti-virus software on your system to protect them from potentially destructive malware. Also, never share your password with anyone.
Conclusion
Malware infections can be devastating for organizations. By interrupting critical workflows and stealing or encrypting crucial data, it can cause serious financial and reputation damage. Protect yourself and your business from cyberattacks with effective cybersecurity. Also, perform regular backups to offline storage and keep changing your passwords to make sure your system is free from viruses.
by Anika D | Jan 26, 2022 | Cybersecurity, Emerging Technology, General, Industrial IoT, System Engineering
Software development is one of the highly paid career fields. The average salary of a software engineer is higher than the income of people for many other industries. So, the more experience a software engineer has, the higher their salary will be. But all software development careers are not the same.
There are several fields within software development with their own set of rules. The income range of software engineers varies across different domains. In addition, location also matters. For instance, software engineers in SanFrancisco, New York, or Seattle often earn more than people working in other areas of the United States.
The following are some most profitable software engineering roles:
Cybersecurity Engineers
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With the increase in digitalization, cybersecurity is becoming a highly-valued function. It is in demand by various tech companies and several other industries like financial services, banking, healthcare, etc. They prefer it to avoid different security threats. Because of their high demand, their average salary is also high.
Video Game Development
Many professionals are working in the high-paying video game development field. Usually, game developers manage the process of developing a custom video game. You will typically plan gaming concepts, generate storylines, and create custom visual graphics when you work in this field. Simultaneously, you will write a functional game code that involves coding the base engine.
If you want to opt for a career path, you need great critical thinking, storytelling, and time management skills. Simultaneously, you will need expertise in programming and multimedia development. Indeed, a video game development career is a high-paying opportunity.
Cloud Development
Cloud development is a new field of software engineering, but it is rapidly growing with many job opportunities. This is essentially involves designing, planning, and implementing the structural architecture with cloud delivery models.
If you want to follow career paths in cloud development, it is essential to be proficient in network management, database maintenance, and coding. Pursuing job opportunities in cloud development, you can get jobs with high-paying salaries.
No-Code or Low-Code Developer
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The no-code and low-code development tools opened up various opportunities for companies to quickly create software without hiring developers. These tools enable you to create a web or mobile app in hours rather than weeks. Therefore, more companies are embracing low-code or no-code apps.
No-code jobs are good career fields to start. You will find a variety of pay scales and required skills, yet your coding background undoubtedly proved to be an asset.
Database Administrator
Database administrators handle provisioning, scaling, security, and optimization of data storage systems. You do not need any knowledge about security best practices, SQL and NoSQL databases, and basic scripting skills. So, you will also worry about minute optimization issues like fixing caches and indexes.
If you are a beginner in software development, begin learning about databases. You will have to know about appropriate database applications and how to optimize them at scale. This profile is in high demand because of good salary packages.
Final Thoughts
Software engineering is a great field, but it is not suitable for everyone. However, even if you don’t work for it, the skills won’t get wasted. Instead, you can look for one of the career paths mentioned above and earn more.
by Anika D | May 4, 2021 | General
There are many businesses which are online and the pandemic has forced others to go on. With the passing year we will witness the evolution of technologies and the solutions that will boost the software development market.
People are investing in AI-assisted software, Robotic Process Automation, Progressive Web Applications, and more. It will be interesting to watch what changes will be made in software development. This article focuses on technologies and software development trends that will evolve in 2021.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) Powered Meetings
This pandemic has made online meetings necessary. Meetings can be of any type like standups, one-on-ones, brainstorm sessions, and others. Business owners are now showing up different and creative ways to monitor meetings.
In addition, some of them provide attractive backgrounds, slide share tools, whereas some offer facial recognition techniques to boost participants’ morale. Artificial Intelligence will improve our meeting experience and will see tremendous growth.
Progressive and Hybrid Development
Progressive web applications (PWA) is one of the latest app development approach in which applications can execute on all platforms. Only one team of software developers manage hybrid applications, on the other hand, native applications are handled by two separate teams: iOS and Android.
One of the best advantages of hybrid applications is they are lightweight, adaptable, and present on popular search engines’ radar.
Low-code to No-Code Development
Low-code platforms use drag-and-drop editors to allow non-developers to create applications in less time. In addition, low-code development has a lot of potential. However, with advancing technologies, we will see the age of no-code coding.
In addition, no-code coding is a development technique which involves developing apps without writing any code. Moreover, the no-code development helps new developers to create applications easily writing no codes.
Native Apps Overflow
Many enterprises believe that native apps are the future of e-commerce industry. Also, native applications offer several advantages by combining traditional websites and power of applications. One of the best advantages of native apps is that they are free from the obstructions which surround mobile applications. Progressive Web Apps are simple to use, lightweight, and native.
Human Augmentation
Human augmentation involves technologies that assist people imitate, increase, and surpass their natural skills. These technologies include devices that are built into the body. In addition, some of these technologies can convert sign language into speech, reinstate power of sight and hearing, develop tissues, and others. There are many other technologies which allows humans to perform things that are beyond their limits.
Cybersecurity
Cybersecurity has become one of the biggest requirements of businesses. As the technology evolves, the number of cyberattacks also increases. Many businesses suffered data breach which resulted in huge loss.
That is the reason why more and more companies are investing their money in cybersecurity. In addition, it prevents the cyber criminals from attacking company’s data. Also, machine learning algorithms help companies to detect fraud and protect their data using firewalls and other software. Read about the most common cyberattacks in 2021.
In this competitive world, advanced technologies play an important role in keeping your business ahead of competitors. Every business must be ready to adapt the changes made in technologies in upcoming years as it will decide your company’s future.
