Blockchain.com, Luno, and Cardano are the top-most phished crypto projects
CIO Once Again Adds Cobalt Iron to Its List of 10 Best Cyber Security Companies
Almost 70% of email scammers leave the 'subject' line empty
Apple pays 5x more per exposed vulnerability than Samsung
Over 70% of organizations suffered two or more ransomware attacks in the past 12 months
MSAB - a Major Player in IDC report on Digital Forensics
Americans lost a record $68 million to job & business opportunities scams in 2022 Q1
Cobalt Iron Patents Its Techniques for Optimizing Backup Infrastructure and Operations for Health Remediation
Sumo Logic Introduces Threat Labs Unit for Advanced Detection and Expanded Security Community Contribution
Online fraud complaints in the US could reach a record high of 1 million in 2022
-
Goodway Group Wins Skyhigh Security Business, Building on Previous Client Wins from Trellix and McAfee
Goodway Group, a leading data and tech-enabled brand-performance digital marketing services firm, has signed on as the agency of record for Skyhigh Security, a newly launched cybersecurity subset of Musarubra, building on their success with leading security brands Trellix and McAfee Enterprise. Goodway Group will drive Skyhigh Security’s brand awareness with cross-channel media ad planning and execution within the complex B2B technology landscape. Skyhigh Security selected Goodway Group for its digital media expertise and proven track record of successfully leveraging and integrating critical paid media B2B strategies, including brand/awareness building, demand generation, and account-based marketing. With industry-leading security service edge solutions, the modern and innovative cloud security brand aims to further elevate its presence in the market. Goodway Group is charged with building awareness and executing a holistic, multi-market, multi-disciplined campaign strategy. “The B2B technology sector has become an increasingly crowded environment. Goodway Group’s vast media knowledge and reputation for delivering successful results for leading business-focused brands was a prime selling point for our team,” said Diana Massaro, Chief Marketing Officer, Skyhigh Security. “ We look forward to partnering with the agency to amplify our presence in the market.” Skyhigh Security’s partnership with Goodway Group will prioritize the optimization of brand reach and frequency to create an unparalleled omnipresence for key decision-makers in the Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) industry. Goodway Group will closely monitor campaign performance and refine its comprehensive digital media strategy using real-time audience, account, and brand lift metrics to drive efficiency, understand how the campaign performs with key target audiences and accounts, and test real business outcomes. “We are thrilled to partner with Skyhigh Security on its brand launch initiatives. Skyhigh Security’s trust in our ability to produce results that advance their business objectives speaks directly to our successful tenure with category leaders,” said Adam Herman, SVP of Business Development and Client Solutions at Goodway Group. “We are eager to kick off our new partnership and be an invaluable strategic advisor as we work to elevate their brand in the marketplace.”
-
Apple’s Safari browser now has more than 1 billion users
Browsers can connect you to any place on the internet. Nowadays, you can choose from an extensive range of programs. However, some browsers can be better for your privacy and security. According to the findings by the Atlas VPN team, 1,006,232,879 internet users (19.16% of all internet users) now use the Safari browser, making it the second browser with over a billion users. Nevertheless, Google Chrome firmly remains at the top as the most popular browser. Safari browser now has more than 1 billion users. Apple developed browser is automatically installed on every iPhone and Mac computer. Safari has implemented several privacy features to ensure its users' security. Google Chrome is the most popular browser worldwide, with over 3.3 billion users. Application driven design of Chrome attracted more and more people to try out the browser. Web applications including YouTube, Drive, Calendar, Docs, Earth, Maps, and others became a gateway into Google’s ecosystem of online services. Compared to last year’s statistics, Microsoft Edge overtook Firefox for the third most popular browser with over 212 million users. Since the release of Windows 11, Microsoft set it as the default browser on all devices and made it difficult for users to change to their preferred option. Firefox browser ranks fourth with 179 million internet users. Firefox is oriented towards more privacy-concerned users as it offers quite a few features for their protection. Samsung Internet browser found on the companies’ smartphones and tablets is used by more than 149 million users. At the same time, over 108 million users are utilizing the Opera browser for their everyday tasks. Cybersecurity writer at Atlas VPN Vilius Kardelis shares his thoughts on browsing safely online: “Ultimately, user cybersecurity education is the most essential for browser security. Many cyberattacks use social engineering techniques to trick users into downloading malware. Users can protect themselves from threats by adopting safe practices such as keeping browsers up to date, blocking pop-ups, and ensuring the sites they enter use HTTPS.” To read the full article, head over to: https://atlasvpn.com/blog/apples-safari-browser-now-has-more-than-1-billion-users
-
Comodo and AquaOrange Software Partner to Deliver Zero Trust Endpoint Protection to Thailand
Comodo Security Solutions, a leading provider of endpoint protection, today announced that they have partnered with AquaOrange Software, a large managed-service provider in Thailand, to boost presence and better support customers in Southeast Asia. The company will now deliver Comodo’s patented Auto-Containment technology to defeat zero-day attacks with no impact to their customer’s end-user experience. This partnership comes at a critical time as ransomware attacks are increasing exponentially. More than 300,000 new ransomware variants are released each day. While other cybersecurity solutions detect and report on threats, Comodo’s Advanced Endpoint Protection (AEP) is the only solution on the market that both protects and prevents 100% of ransomware and other malware before any damage occurs. "The costs of ransomware attacks are becoming astronomical, and can be absolutely devastating especially for smaller and mid-market enterprises,” said Ezra Correa, Vice President of Global Markets at Comodo Security Solutions. "We're thrilled to be partnering with AquaOrange Software to extend our reach and provide a comprehensive solution for endpoint protection to customers in Southeast Asia.” "We couldn’t be happier to enter into this partnership and provide our customers with the best in endpoint protection,” said Shanan Farid, CEO and Founder of AquaOrange Software. "This will significantly improve the threat landscape in our region during a most critical time. Where other vendors fall short, Comodo AEP defeats all zero-day attacks, keeping our customer’s infrastructure safe and malware free.” For more information, visit www.comodo.com or https://www.aquaorange.co.th/comodo
-
Google collects almost 40 data points per user - most out of top tech giants
Data analyzed by Atlas VPN reveals that Google collects the most information about its users out of five selected tech giants - Google, Facebook, Twitter, Amazon, and Apple. Barely anyone has the time or patience to read through dozens of pages of privacy policies for each website. Here, we will provide an overview of the number and type of data points the aforementioned enterprises collect about their users. The primary data was collected and made public by the Security.org team, which read through the privacy policies and extracted the data points. Atlas VPN summed up collected data points for each company to provide an easy-to-digest overview. Google takes the top spot in regards to the amount of data collected as they log 39 metrics about each user. In general, they collect every little detail that they can. There are a few exceptions, like your address, SSN, or driver’s license number, but besides that, not much else is left out of their databases. - Amazon For personal information, Amazon logs your name, username, password, phone number, payment information, shipping address, and email. Nothing out of the ordinary for the most part since it is an e-commerce website, but there is one caveat - they collect your social security number and driver's license information. Another interesting tidbit is that Amazon sources data about your credit history from credit bureaus. To read the full article, head over to: https://atlasvpn.com/blog/google-collects-almost-40-data-points-per-user-most-out-of-top-tech-giants
-
Americans have their sensitive online activity exposed over 700 times daily
Real-time bidding (RTB) runs in the background on websites and apps and tracks what you look at, no matter how private or sensitive it is. According to the data presented by the Atlas VPN team, Americans have their online activity and location exposed 747 times daily. On the other hand, Europeans have their data breached 376 times a day on average - almost twice less than the US figures. A person in Colorado will have their online activity and location exposed 987 times every day. In 2021, the state’s governor signed the Colorado Privacy Act (the “CPA”), making Colorado the third state (after California and Virginia) to pass a comprehensive privacy law. The CPA, which goes into effect on July 1, 2023, should give Colorado residents more privacy online. Michigan internet users have their personal data sent to companies 913 times daily. A person in Illinois has their online activity exposed 912 times a day. Now looking at the states with the least data broadcasts sent about a person, the District of Columbia emerges at the top. D.C internet users will have their online activity shared with advertisers 486 times a day. Cybersecurity writer at Atlas VPN Vilius Kardelis shares his thoughts on online privacy: “With each new data breach, customers are starting to realize that any time they disclose sensitive personal information to any company, that data may be exposed. As a result, people are increasingly demanding data privacy protection. Law enforcement is required to clamp down on data privacy violations.” - More privacy for Europeans Due to the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) implemented in the EU, many European citizens have more control over their personal data. A person in the United Kingdom will have their online activity and location exposed 462 times daily. Even after leaving the EU, the UK implemented its own variation of GDPR called UK-GDPR. Polish internet users have their sensitive information shared with advertisers 431 times daily. Third are Spanish users, whose data is broadcasted to companies 426 times a day. On the flip side, a person in Romania will have their data shared with advertisers the least amount of times in Europe - 149. Estonia is second to best, where users' sensitive information is exposed 184 times daily. To read the full article, head over to: https://atlasvpn.com/blog/americans-have-their-sensitive-online-activity-exposed-over-700-times-daily
-
54% of successful phishing attacks end in customers' data breach
While not all cyberattacks succeed, those that do usually have devastating consequences for both organizations and their clients. According to the data presented by the Atlas VPN team, more than half (54%) of successful phishing attacks end in a customer or client data breach, followed by credential and account compromise (48%). Overall, 83% of organizations reported they had experienced a successful phishing attack in 2021. The data is based on the Proofpoint's State of the Phish Report 2022. Other common consequences of phishing attacks include ransomware infections (46%), loss of data and intellectual property (44%), and infections with malware other than ransomware (27%). Cybersecurity writer and researcher at Atlas VPN Ruta Cizinauskaite shares her thoughts on the situation: "Social engineering attacks like phishing heavily rely on human factors, such as an employee clicking a malicious link in order to be successful. Therefore, the most effective way to safeguard against such attacks is to invest in employee training where employees would be educated on recognizing cyberattack attempts and how to act when they do." - Bulk phishing attacks were most frequently faced by organizations While cybercriminals tried various phishing methods to lure in the victims, some attack types were more common than others. Out of all, bulk phishing was the most frequently used attack. In total, 86% of companies experienced bulk phishing attacks last year. In bulk phishing attacks, cybercriminals send out generic phishing emails to a vast number of targets in hopes that at least some will fall for the attack. The second most common type of phishing attacks organizations faced was spear phishing and whaling. Such targeted attacks hit 79% of companies worldwide. In contrast to bulk phishing, spear phishing is a targeted attack where cybercriminals have researched their victim beforehand and use personal information they have found to make their message more believable. Meanwhile, whaling phishing attacks are particularly targeted at high-profile people to maximize gain. Email-based ransomware attacks occupy the third spot on the list. They affected 78% of organizations. In the meantime, business email compromise (BEC) attacks were encountered by 77% of companies. However, email was not the only medium where criminals tried to phish victims. Other types of phishing attacks that plagued organizations last year include smishing (74%), social media attacks (74%), vishing (69%), and malicious USB drops (64%). To read the full article, head over to: https://atlasvpn.com/blog/54-of-successful-phishing-attacks-end-in-customers-data-breach
-
Cobalt Iron Awarded European Patent for Dynamic Authorization Control That Automatically Responds to Threats
Cobalt Iron Inc., a leading provider of SaaS-based enterprise data protection, today announced that it has been granted a European patent on its technology for dynamic authorization control based on conditions and events. Issued on April 27, European Patent Office patent 3617917 describes capabilities for Cobalt Iron Compass®, an enterprise SaaS backup platform, that enable the use of analytics to adjust user authentication and access to IT resources dynamically based on a variety of environmental and operational considerations. The technology meets an unfilled need in the industry for authorization control that responds to cyberthreats and other changes in the IT ecosystem. Authorization controls are defined as the processes by which individuals or entities are validated to have proper security authentication and permissions to execute some action against some resource, such as accessing an operations center or moving and deleting data. In most environments today, authentication roles and associated permissions often remain in place for long periods of time, sometimes years, without further validation or adjustment. Existing techniques are typically static and two-dimensional in nature, only providing control over 1) functional permissions and 2) the domain, or scope, of those permissions. As job responsibilities, projects, applications, architectures, and business needs change, these old roles and permission assignments often expose the enterprise to security risks. Furthermore, IT administrators often have many roles, some of which are transient in nature, and some of which may be partially or completely overlapping or even conflicting. In addition, roles may change in different environments (e.g., in different clouds, data centers, projects, stages of a project, etc.) and under evolving conditions and events. Roles may also change for a specified duration under certain conditions. Cobalt Iron's newly patented techniques introduce new dimensions of authorization control, such as conditional roles that are contingent on environment status, location, and/or duration. This patent also discloses techniques that automatically adjust these authentication roles and privileges based on varying conditions, events, project status, access activities, etc. In doing so, the techniques eliminate the pervasive security exposures of outdated, obsolete, and unresponsive authorization controls. This eases the minds of security administrators, backup administrators, systems administrators, and other IT professionals who are responsible for maintaining security, authentication, and access control in their environments. (1) The techniques disclosed in this patent establish new standards of security controls and automated, analytics-based responsiveness when authorizing control of IT resources. These techniques: (2) Monitor for various conditions and events, such as a change in the state of a project, a change in a security alert level, a change in the location of data or IT resources, a change in business state analysis, and such. (3) Dynamically modify user authorization control, level, or duration based on the condition or event. (4) Determine that a user has been inactive for a period of time and automatically modify an authorization control for that user. Leverage a cloud security profile to determine any user authorization modifications. For example, these techniques can automatically recognize the following events and dynamically adjust authorization control to the IT resources associated with them: (1) A project status changes to "defunded" or to "production." (2) There are indications of a physical or electronic security breach. (3) An application moves to a different location or cloud provider. "Existing features for controlling access to IT resources are typically static in nature and are based on functional permissions and a domain those permissions apply to. These are insufficient to meet the security needs of modern enterprises with ever-changing environments," said Rob Marett, chief technology officer at Cobalt Iron. "The authentication techniques disclosed in this patent respond dynamically to changing business conditions, events, and threats. In addition, this patent discloses new dimensions to authorization control including conditional roles based on environment status, locality-specific roles, and time duration roles. These roles may be automatically adjusted based on varying conditions." Cobalt Iron continues to strengthen companies' security preparedness with innovations in analytics-based authorization controls that are responsive to changing environments.
-
LinkedIn users targeted in 52% of all phishing attacks globally in Q1 2022
Data presented by Atlas VPN reveals that LinkedIn was related to over 52% of all phishing scams globally in the first quarter of 2022. Interestingly, it’s the first time that social media network was leveraged much more often than any tech giant brand name like Apple, Google, and Microsoft. Criminals reach out to the victims via email, instant messages, or telephone, pretending to be from reputable companies, in this case - LinkedIn, to lure out sensitive information. Many people tend to re-use their passwords, which means that losing your LinkedIn credentials can also lead to a break-in to your primary email account, which is often a gold mine for hackers. The primary data for this report was courtesy of Check Point, a leading provider of cyber security solutions. LinkedIn only appeared in 8% of all phishing attempts globally in the previous quarter. The LinkedIn brand name saw a 44% upshift in phishing scams in a relatively short period. DHL dropped down from the first position to the second, with 14% of phishing attempts impersonating the well-known shipping company. There is one other shipping corporation on the list - FedEx. FedEx brand name was used in 6% of phishing attacks in Q1. The usual cybercriminal favorites - Google and Microsoft were used in 7% and 6% of attacks, respectively. WhatsApp (4%), Amazon (2%), Maersk (1%), AliExpress (0.8%), and Apple (0.8%) close out the top 10 list of brands that appear in phishing threats most often. To read the full article, head over to: https://atlasvpn.com/blog/linkedin-users-targeted-in-52-of-all-phishing-attacks-globally-in-q1-2022
-
7 out of 10 consumers would give up personal details for a discount code
According to the recent findings by the Atlas VPN team, 73% of consumers would provide at least one personal detail to an app or a website in exchange for a $20 discount code. Furthermore, 52% of people believe there is no such thing as online privacy. Nearly two-thirds (64%) of consumers would willingly share their email address to an app or website to get a $20 coupon code. If the email address does not contain your personal information, providing it to a website might not corrupt your privacy. About one in three (31%) customers would voluntarily submit their full name to get a discount code. If the website were to be hacked, people who entered their names would leak their sensitive information to cybercriminals. Almost one out of four (23%) consumers would exchange their phone number for a $20 coupon code. Cybercriminals could target the person’s leaked phone number with smishing attacks and scam calls. On the other hand, 27% would not provide any of their personal details for the $20 coupon. Cybersecurity writer at Atlas VPN Vilius Kardelis shares his thoughts on online privacy: “While online privacy depends a lot on big tech companies’ approach to it, people can take action to control privacy in their own hands. Using a VPN and ad blockers can help reduce your digital footprint significantly. Being mindful of where you give out your personal information and its handling is essential when protecting your online privacy.” - Online privacy does not exist Consumers believe the government should go beyond crime prevention to regulate digital advertising. One out of five (20%) consumers believes that they have control of their digital data. At the same time, 29% of people like it when the digital ads they see are relevant to them. However, more than half, 52%, of customers think there is no such thing as online privacy. Many people believe that other institutions should do more to protect their online privacy. For example, 43% of consumers feel that government should step up to ensure more digital privacy, while 55% wish private companies would do more for their anonymity. Interestingly enough, 38% of customers think their mobile phone listens to their conversations and suggests buying products based on what it hears. To read the full article, head over to: https://atlasvpn.com/blog/7-out-of-10-consumers-would-give-up-personal-details-for-a-discount-code
-
Privacy laws in the US are on the same level as in third-world countries, data shows
According to the data presented by the Atlas VPN team, only 4 out of the 50 US states have enacted consumer data protection laws. Furthermore, the United States is falling behind third-world countries in establishing privacy laws that would protect its citizens. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) implemented by the European Union (EU) in 2018 was a groundbreaking change for consumer data protection. GDPR set the standard for privacy regulations worldwide. Companies based in the US were required to comply with GDPR as they serve millions of EU citizens. Facebook, Google, Apple, and other tech giants had to revise their privacy policies and create tools for customers to give them more control over their data. The substantial increase in internet adoption across the globe has prompted several countries to enact data protection laws. The establishment of privacy acts in Africa, South America, and Asia has helped countries to align with the best global practices on data protection and privacy. So why and how have American consumer data protection laws fallen behind and are in the same category as countries like Iraq or Ethiopia? One of the reasons is that there is no agency in the US to enact privacy laws. In addition, big tech giants in the US have been opposing data protection regulations for years. Cybersecurity writer at Atlas VPN Vilius Kardelis shares his thoughts on consumer data protection laws in the US: “Congress could establish a consumer data protection legislation that proactively reacts to the digital age challenges to create a broader vision of human well-being. The US can not wait forever and will need to implement privacy laws sooner or later. The regulations they choose will have global consequences for data privacy.” - Privacy laws in the US California, Utah, Colorado, and Virginia are the only states with enacted consumer data protection laws. However, California is the only state with an effective Consumer Privacy Act. Data protection laws in the other states are set to take effect just in 2023. Alaska, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont data protection bills are moving through committees in their chambers of origin. In all other states, the consumer privacy bills are inactive, or no comprehensive bills were introduced at all. The internet has been around for a quarter-century, yet the United States has yet to implement legislation forcing its businesses to comply with meaningful data-privacy regulations. To read the full article, head over to: https://atlasvpn.com/blog/only-4-of-the-50-us-states-have-enacted-consumer-data-protection-laws
-
MSAB part of new European standard for mobile forensics
MSAB, a global leader in forensic technology for mobile device investigations, has for three years been a part of the EU financed project, ForMobile. ForMobile is a consortium of partners, working in collaboration to create an end-to-end mobile forensic investigation chain, striving to improve digital safety, and security in the EU while respecting fundamental rights. “We are very proud to be the only vendor of digital forensic solutions in the project. MSAB has been a vital part in developing the tools, standard, and training to law enforcement agencies all over EU”, says Joel Bollö, CEO of MSAB. The ForMobile project kicked off on the 8th of May 2019 in Mittweida, Germany. The consortium includes nineteen institutions, from thirteen European states and two associated countries, representing law enforcement agencies, universities, research institution, standardization institution, and other EU agencies, like Interpol. ForMobile is a research and innovation project under the Horizon 2020 framework programme funding research, technological development, and innovation. The reason for the project is that mobile phones pose a unique challenge for law enforcement agencies, due to the volume and variants in circulation. Over 85% of all crime investigations include evidence from mobile phones. - ForMobile´s three major objectives The overarching goal of the ForMobile project has been to establish a complete end-to-end forensic investigation chain for mobile devices through three major objectives: Tools, Standard and Training. (1) Tools - To develop advanced, innovative tools and software for the successful acquisition, recovery, analysis, and visualization of data. (2) Standard - A best practice, standardized process for the mobile phone forensic chain, “from mobile phones to court”. (3) Training - To give law enforcement agencies the necessary training to effectively use the new tools and successfully follow the standardized procedures. The work has been divided into 10 Work Packages that reflect the analysis chain used by security practitioners that examine mobile evidence. “The aim in this project has been to improve digital safety and security in the EU while respecting fundamental rights. MSAB has been instrumental in supporting and funding research into these efforts to ensure that close attention is paid to the right to privacy as well as to the right to a fair trial. This is also reflected in the development of a new EU Standards document specifically written to guide law enforcement on mobile forensics covering people, processes, tools, and ethical considerations”, says Joel Bollö, CEO MSAB. The EU is a connected society. Mobile phones are used to continuously share information, files, and images. Much of this is innocent, but criminals and terrorists use the same channels to communicate. ForMobile tackles this risk and will benefit three key groups; The new tools, standard and training will make the work easier for security practitioners. Research groups will benefit from it through gaining access and insight into the latest information and techniques in the mobile forensic industry. EU Citizens will feel safer and consider Europe a safer and enjoyable place to live. “The introduction of the tools, supported by the standardized processes and relevant training, means that law enforcement agencies will improve investigative capabilities. Using solutions and methods that did not previously exist, will be feasible for them to recover evidence from encrypted mobile phones, and data stored in cloud services. In addition to incorporating knowledge about cloned phones and anti-forensic methods into the forensic investigation process. Criminals are using mobile phones to communicate, coordinate, organize and execute illegal activities. It is imperative that law enforcement agencies have ways to; access, decode and use the data as evidence - in a safe, trustworthy, and reliable manner”, says Dirk Pawlaszczyk, Project Manager of ForMobile. - End of project As the 3-year ForMobile project concludes in June 2022, the project team has met with external stakeholders during a two-day event at the Netherlands Forensic Institute in The Hague on the 28th and 29th of April for presentation of the project results. The final work packages results, the submission of the technical report will be delivered by mid-May and the final review meeting takes place in June. When the project ends the objectives in the project have been reached - the standard has been published, prototypes of tools are ready for exploitation and the pilot training was a success.
-
US data compromises affected over 20 million people in Q1 2022
From appointment scheduling and calendar service FlexBooker to CVS Pharmacy, data compromises are still a grim reality in 2022. According to the data presented by the Atlas VPN team, based on the Identity Theft Resource Center research, publicly reported data compromises in the United States affected 20,773,963 million victims (approximately 230,822 a day) in the first quarter of 2022. In total, there were 404 compromises reported from January through March. Compared to the first quarter of 2021, data compromises increased by 14%, from 354 to 404. However, the number of victims actually fell by 50%, from 41,254,479 to 20,773,963, indicating smaller but more targeted data breaches. Cyberattacks were responsible for 91% of US data compromises in Q1 2022. In total, 367 data breaches happened due to cyberattacks, claiming 13,525,762 victims. Most common cyberattacks include phishing, smishing, and business email compromise (110), ransomware (67), and malware (22). System and human errors were the reason for 32 or 8% of data compromises in the US within the first three months of the year, affecting 7,223,708 victims. The main reasons behind the errors were email and letter correspondence (12), misconfigured firewalls (5), and failure to configure cloud security (4). The remaining 1% of data compromises were due to physical attacks, such as document theft, device theft, and improper disposal. Such events took 21,601 victims. - The technology sector suffered the most Almost no major economic sectors were spared from data breaches in the first quarter of this year. However, some were affected more than others. The most impacted industry in terms of the number of victims was technology, with 10,832,588 million breached accounts. Data compromises affecting the sector were also the most prolific, with one breach on average involving nearly 677,037 accounts. In total, the sector faced 16 data compromise events in Q1 2022. The second most affected sector in terms of victims was financial services. It suffered from 68 compromises impacting 3,384,769 people. Meanwhile, the healthcare industry faced 73 compromises — more than any other sector and affected 2,560,465 people. Both financial and healthcare sectors are highly lucrative targets to cybercriminals due to valuable data stored by the companies working in the industry. To read the full article, head over to: https://atlasvpn.com/blog/us-data-compromises-affected-over-20-million-people-in-q1-2022
-
Black Box Introduces New Solutions & Services at Data Centre World
Black Box will be exhibiting at DCW Frankfurt May 11-12 in Stand A114 with a focus on its data centre practice and related solutions and services. The Black Box Data Centre Practice follows a "glocal" ethos: reach globally and execute locally, providing a modular, global program that offers centralized solutions development and strategic planning while maintaining local project management and a local technical workforce for scalable delivery. Black Box experts will be on hand to consult with DCW Frankfurt visitors about how the Black Box Data Centre Practice can work for them. [Black Box Highlights at DCW Frankfurt] - Black Box Data Centre Practice At DCW Frankfurt, Black Box will feature its global, end-to-end IT services for building and maintaining data centres that are efficient, consistent and secure. The Black Box Data Centre Practice builds and supports hyperscale, enterprise and colocation data centres through a comprehensive suite of services that includes hyperscale build and operation, custom planning and design, configuration, installation, deployment, and Day-2 and 24/7/365 RunOps support. With more than 45 years of experience in deploying in-building IT and communications technologies, a footprint that spans 120 countries, time-tested methodologies, certified technicians, and a proven track record, Black Box has all design, deploy and managed services needed to support its customers' digital transformation. Black Box has also developed a variety of strategic partnerships and alliances with leading technology vendors of network, security, wireless, cabling and IoT solutions. "We have invested heavily in building and developing the Black Box Data Centre Practice team, hiring data centre professionals throughout the world to ensure the practice has the right talent and capacity to meet customer demand," says, Adrian Jones, director of delivery & operations (EMEA) within the Data Centre Practice at Black Box. "The holistic practice provides a framework for end-to-end data centre services and management, comprising presales and solutions, PMO and BizOps, and delivery and mobilization teams." - Data Centre of the Future Showcase Black Box will participate in the "Data Centre der Zukunft" or Data Centre of the Future: the 6th Generation Data Centre, a unique and innovative data centre that will be built on the show floor. This mini data centre will feature multiple components (racks, servers, switching, cabling, cooling, security, power, alarms, etc.) from various partners. - Global Partnership with HPE Aruba For the first time live, the Black Box Data Centre Practice will showcase the high-performance, access layer/leaf data centre Aruba CX 10000 Series switch with Pensando. The Aruba CX 10000 represents a new category of data centre switches that combine best-of-breed data centre Aruba L2/3 switching with the industry's only fully programmable DPU (Pensando Elba) that delivers stateful software-defined services inline, at scale, with wire-rate performance and order-of-magnitude scale and performance improvements over traditional data centre L2/3 switches at a fraction of their TCO. Black Box will offer HPE Aruba switches to data centres along with its portfolio of data centre services. Visitors to the mini data centre will also find a select array of cabling solutions, including high-performance ribbon fibre-optic cabling solutions from AFL and Corning and a variety of Panduit copper cabling solutions. - Go Green with Black Box IoT: AlertWerks Wired and IoT Web During DCW Frankfurt, Black Box will also showcase its AlertWerks Wired solution, which simplifies control and management of communications infrastructure. In today's world, businesses rely on infrastructure to support their communication need; to enable energy and cost savings that allow for greener and more efficient operations; and to maintain readiness to respond to any unexpected threats. A state-of-the-art IoT solution, AlertWerks Wired actively monitors conditions in a server room, or any other room, to protect and ensure the stability of the business. Black Box will provide demos of AlertWerks IoT Web UI on its DCW Frankfurt Stand A114, showing visitors how the solutions help users to learn about communication failures before they impact their business.
-
Only 4 of the 50 US states have enacted consumer data protection laws
Consumer data protection laws establish consumers' rights around access, deletion, and portability of personal information. According to the data presented by the Atlas VPN team, only 4 out of the 50 US states have enacted consumer data protection laws. Furthermore, the United States is falling behind third-world countries in establishing privacy laws that would protect its citizens. California, Utah, Colorado, and Virginia are the only states with enacted consumer data protection laws. However, California is the only state with an effective Consumer Privacy Act. Data protection laws in the other states are set to take effect just in 2023. Alaska, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont data protection bills are moving through committees in their chambers of origin. In all other states, the consumer privacy bills are inactive, or no comprehensive bills were introduced at all. The internet has been around for a quarter-century, yet the United States has yet to implement legislation forcing its businesses to comply with meaningful data-privacy regulations. Cybersecurity writer at Atlas VPN Vilius Kardelis shares his thoughts on consumer data protection laws in the US: “Congress could establish a consumer data protection legislation that proactively reacts to the digital age challenges to create a broader vision of human well-being. The US can not wait forever and will need to implement privacy laws sooner or later. The regulations they choose will have global consequences for data privacy.” - Privacy laws worldwide General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) implemented by the European Union (EU) in 2018 was a groundbreaking change for consumer data protection. GDPR set the standard for privacy regulations worldwide. Companies based in the US were required to comply with GDPR as they serve millions of EU citizens. Facebook, Google, Apple, and other tech giants had to revise their privacy policies and create tools for customers to give them more control over their data. The substantial increase in internet adoption across the globe has prompted several countries to enact data protection laws. The establishment of privacy acts in Africa, South America, and Asia has helped countries to align with the best global practices on data protection and privacy. So why and how have American consumer data protection laws fallen behind and are in the same category as countries like Iraq or Ethiopia? One of the reasons is that there is no agency in the US to enact privacy laws. In addition, big tech giants in the US have been opposing data protection regulations for years. To read the full article, head over to: https://atlasvpn.com/blog/only-4-of-the-50-us-states-have-enacted-consumer-data-protection-laws
-
Comodo Named Top Performer in Managed Detection and Response Software by FeaturedCustomer
Comodo Security Solutions, a leading provider of endpoint protection, is pleased to announce its inclusion as a Top Performer in the FeaturedCustomers Spring 2022 Managed Detection and Responses Software Customer Success Report. The evaluation is based on more than 3,500 pieces of verified customer reference content and recognizes vendors with significant market presence, a validated vision, and high customer ratings. Comodo Advanced Endpoint Protection (AEP) combines zero-trust security with an integrated endpoint management console and Comodo’s cloud-based malware analysis platform, Valkyrie, creating a security platform that is applicable to enterprises of any size. It is the only solution on the market that prevents 100% of ransomware and other malware attacks. “Our customer reviews speak for themselves. We’re proud to offer continually affordable and scalable security solutions to our mid-market and SMB enterprise customers to protect them against cyber threats,” said Ken Levine, CEO of Comodo. “As we continue to develop forward-thinking products, customer experience is always top of mind and we are committed to continuing to lead the way in endpoint protection.” For more information, visit www.comodo.com
-
Microsoft was the most impersonated brand in phishing attacks in 2021
Phishing actors frequently impersonate well-known brands, taking advantage of consumer trends to scam unsuspecting customers. According to the recent findings by the Atlas VPN team, Microsoft and illegal streaming sites were the most impersonated brands in phishing attacks in 2021. Furthermore, the retail and government sectors experienced the most significant growth in phishing attacks last year. Cybercriminals impersonated Microsoft product pages in 36.6% of phishing attacks in 2021. Microsoft has a wide range of products used by millions of users globally who could become potential victims of a phishing attack. Threat actors imitated illegal streaming websites in 13.6% of phishing attacks. Illegal streaming websites are generally dodgy, as they do not have decent security. However, when cybercriminals put their hands on them, it is a disaster waiting to happen. COVID-19-themed phishing attacks accounted for 7.2% of social engineering scams. COVID-related phishing websites can be exceptionally deceptive to internet users as they are relatively new. Cybercriminals impersonated Telegram in 6.5% of phishing attacks. At the same time, Amazon-related phishing attacks accounted for 5.8% of social engineering attacks. Cybersecurity writer at Atlas VPN Vilius Kardelis shares his thoughts on phishing attacks: “Phishing attacks require the user to recognize and evaluate the potential danger. However, people are prone to making mistakes, and a well social engineered attack could trick almost anyone. Therefore, being aware of how phishing attacks work is essential when mitigating threat risks.” - Phishing targets retail businesses and government Threat actors launch phishing attacks on industries that hold large amounts of sensitive customer information. The retail and wholesale industry suffered 436% more phishing attacks in 2021 than in 2020. When phishing attacks target retailers, the actual losses are consumer trust and brand reputation. Phishing attacks on the government sector increased by 110% in 2021. State-sponsored threat actors usually perform cyberattacks against the government. The finance and insurance industry experienced a 101% jump in phishing attacks in 2021. On the other hand, the phishing rate in the healthcare industry dropped by 59%. To read the full article, head over to: https://atlasvpn.com/blog/microsoft-was-the-most-impersonated-brand-in-phishing-attacks-in-2021
-
Tech support scam losses double causing nearly $350 million in damages in 2021
Atlas VPN analysis reveals that tech support scam losses increased by 137% in 2021 and caused $347.66 million in damages to unwitting individuals globally. Tech support fraud involves a criminal pretending to provide customer, security, technical support, or assistance to deceive unwary victims. Criminals may act as support or service agents, offering to resolve difficulties such as a hacked email account or bank account, a computer virus, or a software license renewal. The analysis is based on recently made public data by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The figures reflect inspection on a global scale, not only in the US. The year 2021 was record-breaking in terms of damages. Losses to tech support scams more than doubled, from $146.48 million in 2020 to $347.66 million in 2021. In other words, individuals lost close to 1$ million per day to these types of scams. Also, the majority of victims (almost 60%) were over 60 years old, and they accounted for 68% of the damages (nearly $238 million) in 2021. Yet, last year was not unusual in terms of growth in damages. Losses caused by tech support scams have been rising, on average, by 127% every year since 2017. The severity of the issue is clearly seen when contrasting losses in 2017 to 2021. Throughout 2017, fraudsters swindled over $14.81 million from victims globally. In 2021, it took criminals around 15 days to cause that much damage. To read the full article, head over to: https://atlasvpn.com/blog/tech-support-scam-losses-double-causing-nearly-350-million-in-damages-in-2021
