News: The $10 Cost of Cyber-crime and More
You may have heard the cost of cyber-crime is pretty low, but did you know it the price is little as $10? Our articles for this week’s Cyber Security news are here to keep you ahead of the game. Read on to learn about these threats and how to avoid becoming the next victim!
1. Security Week: “You Can DDoS an Organization for Just $10 an Hour.”
Have you ever wondered how much it costs to launch cyber-attacks on organizations? It might be a lower than you’d expect. $10 for cyber-crime is all that you may owe, and you can cause an organization some serious headaches.
The cyber security firm Armor recently released research into the costs of cyber-crime. Because so many criminals offer their tools as a service, the cost of cyber-crime is often low. DDoS attacks cost as little as $10 per hour, while exploit kits to break into computers cost $80 per day.
Cyber criminals are also happy to sell data for low costs. Credit card numbers sell for around $15 if the information is good, and PayPal accounts are also up for grabs. Even social media isn’t immune, with one seller offering 1000 Instagram accounts for only $15.
So what is the big takeaway? Seeing it is so easy to commit these crimes, it is clear that investing in security is a must. While many people believe hacking is hard, many attacks are now easy and inexpensive to perform. And criminals look for the easiest targets to attack— so don’t be that easy target! Make security a priority in your business.
2. CSO Online: “Atlanta Officials Still Working to Resolve Ransomware Attack.”
Last week, cyber criminals hit the city of Atlanta, Georgia with a ransomware attack that halted many services. While it is unclear how many of Atlanta’s computers were infected, residents had trouble accessing the 311 website, HR Applications were suspended, inmates had to be processed manually, and the airport WiFi was shut down.
It’s also unclear whether the city paid any ransom demands. The mayor is working with federal authorities on the matter, who likely informed her of the risks of meeting their demands. The bulk of ransomware victims who pay the demands never have their files unlocked.
Whatever the method may be, the city appears to be recovering. In a statement on 3/27, city officials encouraged their employees to turn their computers back on. While they acknowledge that the ransomware may still affect some computers, they state that this is part of their assessment.
Ransomware such as this causes serious problems for many organizations, but often you can prevent it. Firewalls, proper antivirus, and email scanning can keep it from ever reaching systems. Proper Disaster Recovery planning should also account for ransomware. If you need help defending your business, Astria has solutions for you.
3. Malwarebytes: “The State of Mac Malware.”
Many people choose Mac computers because they have heard they don’t get viruses. While this is technically true, Malwarebytes explains in their article that Macs do get malware. The malware that runs on Macs simply doesn’t quite fit the term “virus.”
If you haven’t heard of malware on Macs, then this article may be eye opining. In fact, researchers found four new types of malware made specifically for Mac computers in the first months of 2018. And Mac malware increased in 2017 by 270% from 2016. One exploit discovered last year was in use for over 13 years!
The research Malwarebytes mentions does not account for adware and scam programs either. Many of these types of software can be a real nuisance or even lead to true malware or data theft. All of these can happen on a Mac when a user is careless.
So what should Mac owners do? Treat your Mac much the same way you would a PC. Anti-malware protection is still important on Macs, as is other security such as firewalls. And use the same amount of caution browsing the web with a Mac as you would with a PC. Phishing schemes can still cause people problems no matter what kind of computer you use, and it’s important to realize that Macs are not impervious to threats.
Thanks for reading this week’s cyber security news! Remember, although the cost of cyber-crime is low, you don’t have to be the next victim— learn more about how our cyber security experts can assist you by visiting this page or contacting us.
