What do cybercriminals do with stolen data?

What do cybercriminals do with stolen data?

You’ve likely heard the stories of major data breaches that expose the personal information of millions of people. Perhaps you’ve even been a victim of this. But what actually happens to exposed data? How do cybercriminals actually use the data?

They sell it on the dark web. Credit card numbers, national ID numbers, email addresses, and passwords all fetch certain prices on the underground economy.

They launch spear phishing campaigns. With enough information, cybercriminals increase their chances of successful phishing attacks because they’re able to target specific individuals or organizations while sounding legitimate.

They pretend to be you. Identity theft is a top concern. If attackers gain access to your personal info, they can open accounts in your name, attempt to claim tax refunds, and file insurance claims, etc.

They attack even more accounts. In the case of stolen usernames and passwords, criminals use “credential stuffing,” which is an automated attack using those same usernames and passwords to gain access to other accounts.

Buying a Fur Lined Bathtub?

SPAM! Most of the time we don’t really fall for it, but sometimes an email looks interesting enough to open and read.  This morning I received this email that said it could deliver 5 phone system quotes to me in CORVALLIS  - OR, which is where our main office is located. So, my curiosity peaks and I check it out. (See the Note)

It’s probably not an email that interests you, unless you are looking for a new phone system. What you may not know is the same organization that collects your request for a phone system quote in “CORVALLIS - OR” will call me later this month and offer to sell me a list of businesses that want phone systems in “CORVALLIS - OR”

The same thing happens for other products. An email arrives that says they have a great price on something you have been looking to buy, it gets your attention and you think “Sure, I’d like to get 5 quotes for fur lining my bathtub” and you respond with the affirmative to the sender.  Who then calls a local bathtub fur liner and offers to sell your contact info along with “hundreds more.”  It’s a reasonably legitimate business model in that the spammer has offered you something, “5 quotes” and us something, “contact requested a quote,” but in reality, they have been deceitful on both ends.  They are building a list of contacts but can't really quote you a new phone system and then they are selling that list of contacts to companies under false pretense.  

As a note: 10D Tech does not buy these lists.

We feel your pain

Unsolicited emails, also called Spam, works because of the high volume the spammers send results in a tiny amount of success There are different kinds of spam, but in every case, sending spam is so cheap that it doesn’t take much for a spammer to pronounce that a spam campaign a big success.

For example, say a spammer sends 15 million emails pushing a knock-off of the latest wonder gizmo. If only a tiny percent, perhaps even just one person out of fifteen million, purchases the gizmo through him, the spammer has made a profit. It doesn’t matter if it’s fake purses, body-part enhancement aids, knock-off watches or discounted computer software. If even the tiniest percentage of spam emails produce a sale, then that spam was successful, they will continue.

Tired of Spam? Tired of sifting through a hundred emails a day that has nothing to do with your work? Call us and we can help 10D Tech 541.243.4103

Simplify your life

#1 Priority: Passwords!  

Password Manager: This is the most important of all priorities in securing your network. When we do security talks to groups, nearly everybody raises their hand when asked if they use the same password or a similar password for more than 1 account or website. By using a password manager, you only need to remember a single Master password. We can show you how to make a password that is very difficult to break but easy to remember. A password manager remembers and encrypts the other 587 passwords to your accounts, websites and portals and inputs them securely when you log in. We use LastPass www.lastpass.com  

We don’t sell it but we use #LastPass because it works and it does simplify our lives.  If you are already using a password manager, Thank you. The basic #LastPass version is free, but you can upgrade to Premium #LastPass for a couple dollars a month. The free versions work great, we have upgraded to premium for some convenience features.

Reminder: Never use the same password for multiple sites.

From #Sophos here is a 30 second smile, who can relate?

It's hard to think up passwords that you can remember.

Who are the Bad Guys?

Who are the bad guys?

Globally the primary bad guys are in 1 of 4 nations, - China, Iran, Russia, North Korea. They are supporting the worst of the bad guys trying to wreak havoc on the rest of the world.  They are on an industrial espionage mission to gather secrets and harm other nations.

Conventional Cybercriminals are very active as well but, for them, monetary gain is their primary motivation. Unfortunately, the lines between cybercriminals and the transgressing nations are blurring as many of the nationally supported bad guys are moonlighting to fatten their own bank accounts. In short, the threats are wide-ranging and are coming from many sources. They are not picky, they’ll crash through any unlocked door. You have information to share that will further their efforts. We here at 10D encourage you to protect yourself, which in turn protects us … your neighbor.

If you don’t have a plan, call us, we can help. 541.243.4103

Launched Today - Business grade firewall 2.0 for your home.

Priority: FIREWALLS! – Launched today, the new version of Sophos Home brings business-grade cybersecurity to your home. REALLY important! Your internet service provider can only generically protect you. For your home here is a FREE Sophos software based firewall for each of your computers. For your business, contact 10D Tech for information on our chosen Next-Gen active firewall. The Sophos website with some fun, entertaining videos and serious information. See the future of cybersecurity with the new version of Sophos Home. hashtag#business hashtag#networking hashtag#software hashtag#protection hashtag#networksecurity hashtag#sophos hashtag#firewalls

Is it time to make a change?

PHONE SYSTEM REFRESH

If you ever wanted to make the jump to a hosted phone system, this is the time to do it. 

Avaya 9608G IP Phone

10D Tech has a HOT deal on a hosted phone system that we probably won't see ever again.  

The 10D Cloud Phone System – Powered by Avaya IP Office has a special deal from the manufacturer offering free phones with all new hosted systems. Kick off the new year with a technology refresh.  It's been 20 years since the last great technology refresh and technology has advanced.  There is no limit to how many free phones. If the phone system you bought for Y2K has yellowed with age, time to refresh to the 21st Century. These are not “last years model” or “We can't sell these” or even the “We’re gonna try and upsell you” version of phones.  The Avaya 9608G is the exact same model that sits on all of our desks here at 10D Tech and we use them every day. Call 10D and tell us you want a "Technology Refresh" and we will get it started. Along with the refresh, your phone service is included in the deal. 

Details: 36-month service agreement, IP phones only, installed on an inspected IP Network.

Call us: 541.243.4103
email us: advisors@10dtech.com
Goto our website: www.10dtech.com