The Ridgewood Blog Brings a Free Market Laissez-faire Point of View to Local, New Jersey State and National Issues.
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Ridgewood NJ, SEC Chair Gary Gensler made the following statement as to the hacking incident of the @SECGov account:
Continue reading SEC Chair Addresses Hack of SEC “X” Account
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Ridgewood NJ, The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) confirmed that its X account, responsible for deciding on the approval of bitcoin ETFs, experienced a compromise, as reported to CoinDesk by Nikhilesh De and Krisztian Sandor. The SEC clarified that it had not granted approval for bitcoin ETF applications, contradicting a brief statement posted on its compromised X (formerly Twitter) account.
Continue reading SEC “X” Account Hacked Briefly Before Bitcoin EFT Approval
In today’s digital age, the increasing reliance on technology in the business world is undeniable. However, this comes with its own set of risks, particularly in the realm of cybersecurity. Small businesses, with their often limited resources, are especially vulnerable. This article will guide you through essential cybersecurity measures that every small business should consider to protect their operations and reputation.
Continue reading Protecting Your Business: Essential Cybersecurity Measures for Small Businesses
A VPN is an ever-evolving network technology that hides your identity, location, and data on the web — protecting your security as you surf. But just what is a VPN? How does it work? And why do so many people use them today? This comprehensive blog post will explain everything about them.
Continue reading How Does A Virtual Private Network (VPN) Work? A Complete Explication
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Ridgewood NJ, during the holiday season, many individuals will be gifted a connected or Internet of Things (IoT) device – such as a smart TV, camera, home security system, gaming system, smartphone, tablet, or one of many household items that have become internet-capable in the last several years, such as doorbells, thermostats, coffee pots, refrigerators, toaster ovens, and even meat thermometers. Many of these devices lend a level of convenience to users by making controls available on the go via a smartphone app or website. While convenient, connected devices also transmit and store data and could be exploited by cyber threat actors to compromise networks, devices, or accounts. Compromised connected devices, combined with vulnerable home routers, increase the risk of cybercriminal activity and cyberattacks. Additionally, devices routinely connected to a home network can have further implications when subsequently connected to corporate networks and may introduce additional vulnerabilities and risks. Therefore, it is vital for users to employ cybersecurity best practices for the new gadgets they receive this holiday season and ensure devices and networks currently in use are properly secured.
Continue reading Stopping Your “Smart TV” From Spying on you
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Ridgewood NJ, Cyber criminals are launching a relentless tide of attacks on US internet users — hacking 1,966 Americans every minute, virtual private network provider NordVPN can reveal1.
With the festive season offering cyber criminals a host of opportunities to cash in, the average US adult suffers a cyber attack of some kind four times a year, Nord’s latest research shows.
Continue reading ’TIS THE SEASON TO BE WARY: NEARLY 2,000 AMERICANS ARE HACKED EVERY MINUTE
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Ridgewood NJ, according NJ OFFICE OF HOMELAND SECURITY AND PREPAREDNESS , Job seekers are urged to exercise caution during their job search, as they could be targeted with fraudulent offers via phishing emails, social media, or SMS text messaging, according to NJCCIC. Threat actors entice their victims with promises of opportunities that are “too good to be true” to deliver malware, steal funds or collect personally identifiable information. These schemes may cost victims thousands of dollars and negatively impact their credit scores, according to the FBI. Job seekers are encouraged to research potential employers before providing sensitive information to unknown senders. The NJCCIC also recommends reviewing its Identity Theft and Compromised PII product for additional guidance.
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Ridgewood NJ, Cybersecurity researchers investigating the recent Lapsus$ attacks have identified seven accounts associated with the hacking group. A 16-year-old living with his mother in England is believed to be the mastermind of the group. Rival hackers had posted his details online. The attacks were believed to be motivated in part by the desire for notoriety as the group didn’t try to cover its tracks and made public announcements.
Continue reading English Teenager Mastermind of International Hacking Group
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Ridgewood NJ, according to a new report from mobile security firm Lookout, which recently published a list of the 20 passwords most commonly found in leaked account information on the dark web. The list ranges from simple number and letter sequences like “123456” and “Qwerty” to easily typed phrases like “Iloveyou.”
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Ridgewood NJ, according to the New Jersey Cybersecurity and Communications Integration Cell , Cyber Monday 2020 set a record for e-commerce spending in one day, totaling $10.8 billion. With the pandemic raging on, many customers took to online stores to do their holiday shopping. While NJ COVID-19 cases have declined in recent weeks and vaccinations continue, we can still expect many customers to choose to conduct their shopping online and potentially start shopping earlier than usual given concerns for supply chain issues and shipping delays. Adobe predicts that online shopping spending will total over $200 billion for the first time ever by the end of the holiday season. Given the volume of e-commerce shopping, cybercriminals will continue their efforts to target online shoppers and marketplaces for financial gain. Therefore, it is vital to maintain awareness of the many cyber threats posed by these individuals and groups. Threat actors may target victims through a variety of methods, including compromised or spoofed websites, phishing emails, social media ads and messages, or unsecured Wi-Fi networks. Reviewing the following list of common attack vectors, along with tips and best practices, will help to combat the threats posed by cybercriminals this holiday season.
Continue reading Be Safe Online Shopping this Holiday Season
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Ridgewood NJ, as part of the American Rescue Plan Act, the IRS began to distribute the first iteration of the child tax credit payments, which are automatically disbursed and do not require signing up for benefits, similar to past stimulus payments. Threat actors are quick to exploit public interests in order to carry out cyberattacks as reported by DomainTools researchers who discovered approximately 41 credential harvesting websites claiming to be American Rescue Plan Act sign-up sites. Researchers were able to trace the websites to a Nigerian web development firm, GoldenWaves Innovations. A spokesperson from GoldenWaves states their web hosting account was compromised and denies any involvement with these claims. They further stated that the sites are unable to be deleted due to illegal activity and have been forwarded to the Legal and Abuse department. DomainTools researchers assess that this activity is, in fact, linked to GoldenWaves and have reported the list of sites to Google Safe Browsing for blocking, further emphasizing the usefulness of historical WHOIS data.
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Ridgewood NJ, a hacking group demanding $70 million infected the systems of a US information technology firm with ransomware over the Fourth of July weekend, impacting around 1,500 companies in at least 17 countries. REvil, the Russia-linked group behind another cyber attack on meat supplier JBS over Memorial Day weekend, took advantage of a software vulnerability to deploy this attack against Miami-based firm Kaseya. That software is sold to large managed service providers (MSPs), which assist small and midsize businesses, as well as local and state governments and agencies, in monitoring and controlling their computer networks.
Continue reading Sophisticated Ransomware Attack on US Tech Firm Affects 1,500 Organizations
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Ridgewood NJ, many people travel for business or leisure purposes year-round to local destinations or around the globe. As people travel and access public networks, they are exposed to various cyber risks. The NJCCIC reminds users to be aware of the cyber risks associated with traveling and to employ best practices to stay safe while they are away. Users are encouraged to review the recommendations for the security of devices, accounts, networks, vehicles, and international travel.
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Ridgewood NJ, Peloton be warned a new security threat relating to the touchscreen on their Bike+ that could potentially be controlled by hackers.
Continue reading New Security Threat Issued on Peloton Bikes
