Technology Advisor Blog

Cybersecurity and AI have become inseparable forces that create immediate risks to local businesses, regardless of size. Small organizations are now prime targets for criminals who use artificial intelligence to automate attacks, making every business vulnerable.

Major corporate breaches grab headlines, yet the silent wave of cyber attacks on local companies goes unreported, leaving many business owners with a dangerous false sense of safety. Your organization needs basic protective steps that could prevent most attacks, along with cost-effective solutions to shield your business from financial losses and reputation damage. The stakes are high - companies that fall victim to these attacks often struggle to keep their doors open.

As we embrace the Spring season and the promise of April showers bringing May flowers, we also enter the busy and often stressful time of tax season. This period sees a high volume of sensitive financial information being exchanged as individuals file their taxes in hopes of securing refunds. Unfortunately, it’s also a time when scammers are at their most active, tirelessly seeking ways to deceive taxpayers and exploit their financial situations.

If you frequently travel for work around the Massachusetts area (or even beyond), you may have noticed an alarming rise in text scams known as smishing pretending to be from E-ZPass. These fraudulent messages claim that you owe unpaid tolls from recent travel, and they often pressure you to make an immediate payment on unpaid toll bills. E-ZPass recently has issued a mass email warning of its customers. These scams are not just isolated to New England, they have spread as far as California, where their toll system is known as FastTrak.

Cybersecurity threats create unique challenges for small businesses. With smaller budgets and potentially weaker defenses, these companies often struggle to protect themselves against widespread attacks.  October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and this is a great time to step up your cybersecurity awareness training with your team!

Ransomware threats are on the rise in recent years, and new threats are accelerating.  This type of malware is extremely destructive as it encrypts the files of infected users and locks you out of your own data unless you pay the ransom, typically in the form of Bitcoin cryptocurrency, which enables criminals to hide.  Its a big money maker for criminals, and as long as victims continue to pay the ransom, the threats will continue. 

Cyber criminals are working overtime to take advantage of the disruption and confusion caused by the pandemic.  The FBI reports a four fold increase in cyber threats recently and its more important than ever to stay alert, and talk to your team about cybersecurity.  The most common attack vector these days is eMail, and an unknowing employee may click on the wrong link thinking they're getting important safety information.  Think before you click!

It's the holiday season and people are busy, and it's also a season to beware of scams.  There are many different scams related to gift cards, and here's a new one we just saw locally. 

This past week a Massachusetts school district paid $10,000 ransom to unlock its files after a cyber attack.  The Police Chief commented that there is no further investigation of this crime because solving this crime is "impossible". This is unfortunately a sign of the times.

The US Department of Health and Human Services Office for Civil Rights July #Cybersecurity update reminds you to train your workforce so they don't get caught by a phish!  This statement is specifically targeted to healthcare "covered entities" but really applies to all businesses and computer users.

Buying or selling a home can be a very stressful event, but with scammers on the sidelines, things can go to a whole new level.  This past year, Jon and Dorothy Little were all set to close on their new $200,000 home in North Carolina when their Realtor sent an email to the closing attorney asking for wiring instructions to send money to the escrow account prior to closing.  They received detailed instructions in reply, and promptly wired the funds.  At the closing, they were shocked to find that the money was missing.