Every organization stores sensitive information to conduct business. Some of that data belongs to business associates, customers, partners, contractors, etc. Most businesses, albeit small, medium, and large, are learning that having data, especially sensitive third-party information, makes them a target. The headlines remind us of it daily, and it’s only getting increasingly more frequent and severe.

Do you give it a second thought before you plug your mobile device into a public charging station? Here are some things you need to know before charging on the go.

So, you’re running low on battery and need a quick charge on your phone, tablet or laptop.

Large – medium – or small, when it comes to cybersecurity, size does not matter. All businesses need a cybersecurity strategy, especially small-to-medium-sized-businesses (SMBs). If a business has a digital footprint, they are a target. Because SMBs tend to think that because they are smaller than the big guys, they are less vulnerable to a cyberattack. Not so!

It’s no secret that scammers use peoples’ Social Security numbers for identity theft, and there are lots of ways they go about it. They have learned many lessons along the way that work only too well, like the ones shown here. Social Security scams are the most popular form of government officials’ imposter fraud, which is where criminals pose as government officials to get you to send money or give up personal and financial data for use in identity theft.

The Internet is for everyone, including young kids and teens. It’s a great avenue for them to play games, text, make videos, etc. and to stay connected with their friends online. In real life (IRL), it is easier to recognize when someone is up to a con.

People are on the move again. Vaccinations rates are up and COVID numbers are down, and a lot of people are traveling, especially now that pandemic restrictions are easing. Maybe you are planning a trip but haven’t scheduled your air travel, yet somehow flights are showing up on your Google calendar.

If you happen to stumble upon a USB drive of any kind, DO NOT USE IT. It could easily be a hacker baiting you for what is known as a Rubber Ducky USB attack. Don’t be fooled by its name. This attack is more serious than it sounds. This innocent looking thumb drive packs a powerful payload of malicious malware to infect any device it is plugged into and wreak havoc.

Online impersonation is growing more prevalent every day. When it comes to infiltrating an organization, cybercriminals have more tricks up their sleeves than just phishing attacks these days. Social media sites, including LinkedIn, have become the new and favored trend in cyberattacks.

Malware is a catch-all term for any software that is meaningfully designed to cause extensive damage to a network, server, single computer or any mobile device or to gain unauthorized access to a network. It comes in many forms, such as viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, spyware, adware, rogue software, etc.

Your business is like a machine. Every department is a cog, well-greased and moving toward a similar goal. Machines work well when all other variables are controlled, but they fail to operate if one cog falls out of line. Your IT infrastructure is the operator of your machine that oversees all of the cogs.