As businesses become more and more connected to the internet, the threat of a data breach only increases. A study conducting by the University of Maryland in 2017 discovered that, on average, computers with internet access are attacked every 39 seconds. While this figure may be worrisome, this should come as no surprise to most. As technology continues to progress, becoming more and more a part of not only businesses but individual’s lives as well, criminals will try harder and faster to obtain access to confidential information. These attacks are not cheap either. A study conducted by IBM found that on average, a cyberattack can cost $3.86 million. This number does not just reflect the damage the breach cost, but it also factors in loss of business, time spent on recovering, and damage to reputation. Taking steps to prevent an attack from happening is imperative. One must have the proper equipment and policies set in place in order to counter cyberattacks. However, attackers are becoming smarter, more resourceful, faster, more aggressive. Many of them are also playing the long game as well. Lying dormant in a companies, or individual’s computers or server, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. While cyber security specialists are doing there best to stay 1-step ahead of criminals, there is only so much that can be done. Therefore, instead of playing a game of cat and mouse with attackers, cyber security specialists should be turning their attention towards using machine learning and AI to aid them in this constantly evolving battle. Why Machine Learning and AI Should Be Recruited Cybersecurity usually relies on methods of created static rules and policies that act as barriers to attackers. These barriers, regardless of how strongly built, are susceptible to cracks and leaks, allowing for unwanted guests to enter. This creates a constant game of catch up, rather than enforcing constant protection. This is especially true since cyber criminals are constantly evolving their viruses, making them stronger and harder to detect. If rules are not kept up to date, and scheduled maintenance is not regularly done, disaster can strike at any moment. Machine learning and AI can help level the playing field. Even though cyber security specialists will remain as the last line of defense against attacks, AI and machine learning can be used as the first line of defense. AI and machine learning are constantly updating and learning, feeding off information from databases about cybersecurity and networking, as well as information from its experiences while deployed. AI and machine learning add automation to your cybersecurity team, aiding them in evolving and keeping your data safe from criminals. Hammett Technologies is specialized in cybersecurity, using only the latest cybersecurity software and hardware to keep your data safe. When you partner with Hammett Technologies, you hire a partner who learns your employees, your business, and your process.
A new malware strain has begun to attack IoT devices, wiping their firmware and rendering them useless. As of the writing of the article the malware has been live for a day and has already claimed a confirmed 2,000 victims in about 3 hours. Reports state that, Silex, the name of this malware, will continue to grow in scale and destructive nature. How Does Silex Work Reports state that Silex operates by destroying an IoT’s devices storage, removing the devices network config, dropping firewall rules, and ultimately ending by halting the device’s ability to operate. It does this by logging into the system using know default login credentials. In terms of destructive capabilities, this strain of malware is extremely threatening. If infected by the malware, the only option is to reinstall the device’s firmware, an operation many users will find to difficult to do. Experts believe this malware will lead to infected users throwing their devices away, thinking they were malfunctioning, rather than suspecting malware to be the case. For now, Silex appears to only be targeting Unix-like systems with default login credentials, but the malware also has a Bash shell version as well, meaning it could also be used to target systems running Unix like operating systems. This could spell disaster for Linux servers that have unsecured Telnet ports and poor admin or user credentials. At the time, the malware uses Iranian hosting services to operate, which has already been blacklisted by URLhaus. However, it is still recommended that you make sure your passwords are up to date and are anything but the default.
Clearing your cache and history on your favorite browser can greatly improve performance while you browse the web! However, many popular browsers hide the function within the settings, making it sometimes difficult to find. Don’t panic, I am here to help! Below you will find in-depth individual guides on clearing history and cache for some of the most popular desktop browsers used today. Google Chrome Step 1: Click on the found in the upper right-hand corner of the browser window Step 2: Click on History Step 3: In the sub-menu, click on History Step 4: Locate Clear browsing data on the left-hand side of the browser window Step 5: Chrome will allow you to select a time range, as well as specify which data you wish you delete. 1. Time Range: Allows you to select the amount of browser history you will delete, ranging from 1 hour – All 2. Clear data: Once you have selected your time range, and have chosen what you would like to delete (Browsing history, Cookies and other site data, Cached images and files), click Clear data Mozilla Firefox Step 1: Click on the located in the upper right-hand corner of the browser window Step 2: Located and click on Options Step 3: Locate Privacy & Security on the left-hand side of the bowser window and select it Step 4: Scroll Down until you locate History and select Clear History… Step 5: Similar to Google Chrome, Firefox will allow you to select a time range, as well as specify which data you wish you delete. 1. Time Range: Allows you to select the amount of browser history you will delete, ranging from 1 hour – All 2. Clear data: Once you have selected your time range, and have chosen what you would like to delete (Browsing & Download History, Active Logins, Form & Search History, Cookies, and Cache), click Clear data Opera Step 1: Locate the in the upper left-hand corner of the browser window Step 2: Locate and select History Step 3: Locate and Select Clear browsing data in the sub-menu Step 4: Similar to the previous two browsers, Opera gives the user similar options when wanting to delete history, including: Time range, and options to delete browsing history, download history, news usage data, cookies and other site data, caches images and files 1. Time Range: Allows you to select the amount of browser history you will delete, ranging from 1 hour – All 2. Clear data: Once you have selected your time range, and have chosen what you would like to delete (Browsing & Download History, Active Logins, Form & Search History, Cookies, and Cache), click Clear data