A deadbolt used to protect you from intruders, similar to how passwords protect our computers and the files on them. However, with the advent of the “Internet of Things” (IoT) all your electronics that can connect to WiFi are open to being breached.

Malware and Phishing are Widespread

Breach and attack surfaces have increased ten-fold as the Internet has become more prolific and hackers have become smarter. And despite your malware-detection technologies, security breaches are occurring almost every day. Malware is software that is intended to damage or disable computers or computer systems allowing attackers to gain access to financial and personal information. The recent “J.P. Morgan Chase data breach that affected 70 million households and 7 million small businesses is an example of hackers targeting an employee’s Web habits,” according to The Challenge of Preventing Browser-Borne Malware report.

Additionally, as WiFi devices continue to grow there will be an increased attention on how to exploit them through any hackable surface. Similar to malware, phishing activities aim to defraud an online account holder of their financial information by posing as a legitimate company. Virgin Media, a UK-based telecom and Internet Service Provider (ISP) were targeted by an email phishing scam that tricked users into submitting financial and personal information to cybercriminals. This email redirected individuals to PayPal where they were directed to provide your credit card and bank to complete the account.

Some of the easiest ways to combat these breach and attack surfaces is to:

• Be wary of emails asking for confidential information
• Don’t get pressured into sharing sensitive information
• Familiarize yourself with Privacy Policies 
• Watch out for generic looking requests for information
• Never submit confidential information via forms embedded in an email
• Don’t click links in an email unless you know they are authentic
• Maintain effective software to combat phishing

Breach and attack surfaces are among some of the most prevalent forms of cybercrime. Although phishing and malware are widespread, most of the time, they are beatable or preventable.

Carson & SAINT Combats Cyber Threats

Don’t sacrifice your security for convenience. Carson Inc. has been helping its customers fight the battle against cyber threats for more than 22 years. Our team consists of Information Assurance (IA) experts with advanced degrees and technical certifications, including CISSP, CISA, LPT, GWASP, and ISO 27001. Our staff has in-depth knowledge of IT security statutory and regulatory guidance.