The Setup
E-mail is a critical part of a business’s communications strategy and has been for several decades now. E-Mail addresses are often printed on business cards and published in directories. Additionally, we provide them to our customers, vendors, friends, and family so that we can keep in touch. Lastly, we sign up for a mailing list so that we can get good deals at our favorite stores. Since everyone has an e-mail address, they are used as part of authentication systems to provide identification. A second known fact is that we often use the same password for multiple platforms. An example of this would be using the same password to log into your computer and your Facebook account. As password requirements increase, we see people use the same password over and over again so that they don’t forget them. Strong passwords are recommended to prevent breaches, reuse defects the benefits they provide. For more info, check out this article from Kaspersky.
Along Comes a Data Breach
Far too often we see another company falling victim to a data breach. The list of how a breach happens is quite extensive. However, the cause of the breach takes a back seat to what was actually leaked. Adversaries will sell the information they acquired on the dark web. This allows other adversaries to also be able to use the information they gather from breaches to impersonate your employees. Once they have a username and password, they will find what internal tools you use and attempt to gain access using the stolen credentials. Once this happens, they work to gain access to other sensitive information and then start the process of taking your customer’s data.
How to fix this problem
Having a policy in your organization regarding passwords complexity and reuse is the first step to solving the problem. Training is another great practice to have in your organization to help your users understand how important good password hygiene is. Helping your team members to be aware is only a small part of the solution. Until it happens to your employees, they may not realize how important these processes are. In today’s world, you likely have already fallen victim to a breach. For a limited time, Warmar Technology Solutions will be providing one free dark web scan per customer. We will create a report that will show how many (if any) of your team members have been part of a breach and what steps you can do to ensure your customer’s data remains secure. We are doing this because we feel that knowledge is the first step to making the world more cyber secure. To sign up for a free dark web report, complete the form below or call our office at 405-237-1267. To learn more about our cyber security offerings, click here.
