Each day it’s in the headlines: another cyberattack. And it’s happening faster than ever. Businesses cross the United States are hit with more than seven ransomware attacks every hour. That added up to 65,000 attacks last year alone, cybersecurity company Recorded Future told NPR. And it will likely get worse. Already this summer, dozens of businesses have been held hostage and forced to pay millions. Companies from the meat packer JBS to Colonial Pipeline, FujiFilm and even Congress have had to pay off hackers to retrieve their own information and get back to work. That’s one reason why we at Red Maple™ have developed new software to protect businesses and customers from breaches, theft and fraud.
We are preparing to launch Clever Division™ in August of 2021. This groundbreaking solution keeps security simple. It utilizes two-factor authentication to verify credit card information when customers buy goods and services but takes it to the next level. Clever Division then divides up the information and stores it in separate, secure vaults. That means the business will never have to store credit card numbers again. No matter how hard thieves try, they can’t steal what you don’t have.
News reports say the surge in recent ransomware attacks is now a national security risk as shortages in gas and beef have sparked panic buying and hoarding. Security companies partially blame businesses that have long neglected their IT systems and security. The cost of lost business and recovery is a staggering $1.5 million on average, according to IBM.
Global losses from cybercrime skyrocketed to nearly $1 trillion last year which is a record. There is also lasting damage to reputations and brands. Experts say the pandemic opened the door for criminals to target consumers and businesses in new ways, from attacking unsecure laptops at home to phishing and social engineering. Even worse, so-called ransom attacks for hire are on the rise, according to CBS News. Before the pandemic, criminals had to invest time and resources into investigating targets. Now cybercriminals can hire ransomware services on the dark web.
It has never been more important to protect yourself. Here are some tips:
- Enable two-factor authentication on every device possible.
- Never use the same password. Create complex unique passwords.
- Keep your computer updated with the newest version so that criminals can’t exploit holes or flaws to break into your system.
- Especially if you’re working from home, use a virtual private network with a strong password so that thieves can’t intercept data.
- Lock down your social media settings to private and “friends only” so that criminals can’t surf your content and find birthdays and other private information. Also, don’t post your travel plans on social media which could inform burglars that no one is home.
- Train your employees to take security measures at home on work and personal computers.
- Frequently scan computers for viruses and malware and keep security software updated.sis of
While there is no one measure to stop cybercrime, experts agree consumers and companies should take steps to defend themselves or remain vulnerable to attacks that could ruin credit, cost a fortune, and close down business.
524 recent breaches across 17 geographies
