Chances are that you lock your doors as you leave your house to prevent any unwanted visitors from entering while you’re gone. Although it isn’t foolproof, locking your doors presents a challenge for strangers without authorized access to enter. As a result of your efforts, an unwanted visitor—such as a burglar—would need to jump through a few hoops to enter your house.

We often discuss the proactive approach you should take when it comes to cybersecurity. Ongoing training will help strengthen the human risk factor, and sending fake “phishing” emails will keep your organization engaged. However, the fact is, you can’t eliminate all the risks when it comes to experiencing a data breach. That means that having an incident response plan (IR) should be on your list of “must-haves” when it comes to intelligent cybersecurity.

As a child, how often did we hear from our parents, "How many times do I have to tell you..." We teach kids when they are younger by repetition. Lessons become so ingrained in our head that we can all recite "Look both ways!" "Don't touch that!" "Wash your hands" – and countless others. Why is it that as adults, we decide to stop learning things that are for our own good; rules that help protect us? 

It’s holiday blockbuster season! The time of year when the big screens are full of movie releases that are expected to pull in the crowds that want to watch Marvel and DC Comic heroes unite to save the world. They come from all realms to fight the dark forces that threaten humanity. Together, they will save the planet. It usually happens while the human race is blissfully unaware of the dangers that lurk in unknown territories. They work silently and slowly to initiate our demise and take over the planet. These stories are engaging, thrilling, and by the way, who makes up this stuff? That would never happen ‘in the real world, ’ right?

The holiday season has officially started for most of us, and thus the shopping has also begun. In addition to our increased shopping habits, those looking to take advantage of you are also kicking their season into high gear with scams that target shoppers, travelers, and just about everyone else. With last year being a record $9 billion Black Friday, a lot of money moving is as tempting to hackers as is that extra piece of pumpkin pie.

Last week we spotlighted the Dark Web. We focused on what it is and why it is dangerous. The Dark Web is where credentials end up if your data is compromised. If your data was compromised - even one account, your credentials need to be attended to immediately. The first thing you should do is change your passwords for all accounts you may have used that same password. Passwords should be complex and a combination of at least 8-10 letters and characters. It would be best to consider making your strong password a passphrase, a sequence of words meshed together. In addition to the primary step of changing your password, let’s take a look at what you should be doing continuously to keep your data as safe as possible.

The Dark Web is only accessible via unique browsers or software that allow the users to remain anonymous. Imagine the Dark Web as an unlit, hidden alley. You can’t see the face of anyone when you peek inside; transactions are happening between people that aren’t being seen, and individuals are moving freely, anonymously, and without a trace. Search engines like Google or Bing track nothing. Encryption hides identities, and to get into these secret areas, you need to have special software. Like that "dark alley," this is where dishonest behavior can thrive. If your information and identity are being exchanged on the Dark Web, you need to know so you can remedy things quickly.