Silicon Prairie Cyber Services' Blog

Have you heard of WhisperGate yet? It’s ransomware. But it’s not. Let me explain. First off, ransomware is typically categorized by the fact the files on your computer get encrypted and you can’t get to them until you pay the ransom. You pay the ransom, and then you’re supposed to get the decryption key to unlock your files. WhisperGate is playing by a different set of rules. WhisperGate tells you they’ve corrupted your hard drive and if you want to recover your files, you need to pay $10,000 to a bitcoin wallet. Seems like ransomware, right? Unfortunately, they never send you a decryption key, and while you’re sitting and waiting, they’re overwriting all of your data, so you can’t recover. YOU CAN’T RECOVER. This is NOT ransomware; this is destructive malware. There are two cybersecurity awareness opportunities here. First, share information about this ransomware message and let them know how and where to report this when they see it. Second, get together with your IT and disaster rec...

Have you heard of mouse jigglers or mouse movers? They’ve become all the range since work from home has become more mainstream.   Back in my FBI days, we used mouse jigglers when we were on a search or at a crime scene to stop the computer from locking or going to sleep. If we didn’t have a mouse jiggler then the newest person would have to sit there and babysit the computer, constantly moving the mouse around to make sure we didn’t lose access to that computer, but I digress…   Today, people are using mouse jigglers to make sure they always appear active and don’t go to an away status on their computer while working remotely. They say it’s in the name of being paranoid about getting fired for being away from their desk too long to go to the bathroom or eat lunch. Yeah, let’s stick with that version of the story…   Now, before you jump on the Internet and start looking for your own mouse jiggler there is a dark side to all of this (besides your employer blocki...

When I say ‘FlyTrap’ what comes to mind? A venus fly trap? ‘The Little Shop of Horrors’? A bug zapper? A strip of sticky tape with a bunch of flies stuck to it? Malware?   I hope you were thinking about malware because there’s some FlyTrap malware taking over Facebook Accounts, and it's been around since March.   How are they doing it? Social Engineering .   The bad guys have placed malicious apps in Google Play and other Android stores to lure you in with offers for free Netflix coupon codes and voting for your favorite soccer player or team. These apps look legit. They are high quality, use great graphics, and are free from grammar and spelling errors.   To get the code or to vote, you have to log in with your Facebook username and password. You are actually using Facebook to login, but unknown to the victim, there is something nefarious going on in the background, and it’s stealing their sensitive info.   WHAT TO DO IF THIS HAS ...

  What do you think? Are the bad guys winning?   If you’ve been watching the news lately you might think, yes, the bad guys are prevailing over cybersecurity. In under a week over 1,500 businesses got hit with Ransomware thanks to a vulnerability in Kaseya VSA and the cyber gang REvil. Then there’s another cyber gang launching Trojan attacks against the Indian Military.   Sounds bad, right?   Let’s talk about some victories for the good guys . They arrested the suspected hacker Dr HeX for many cyber crimes, including financial fraud that affected thousands. Microsoft finally issues a patch to put an end to the PrintNightMare bug.   Don’t let the news overwhelm you . Businesses of any size can implement a successful cybersecurity strategy that can reduce your risk of cyber attack by 80%. But how...   FIVE TIPS TO PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS Beware of phishing emails Stop and think before you click Protect your accounts Secure your devices ...

I don't know about you, but to me, summer means fun in the sun, lazy days, and ice cream. Summer also means  it's ransomware season . It seems cybercriminals look forward to this season as much as I look forward to ice cream. Have you been keeping up with what ransomware has been up to this summer? If not, here's what you missed... RANSOMWARE ATTACKS SINCE MAY 2021 "DarkSide  ransomware being used to disrupt a major U.S. pipeline that transports almost half of all fuel consumed on the East Coast of the United States The claimed theft of 3 terabytes of sensitive data from part of the Asian operations of a global insurance subsidiary in attacks using  Avaddon  ransomware The shutting down of the IT systems of Ireland’s Health Service Executive — another victim of a  DarkSide  attack — disrupting patient care throughout the country The U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) alerting of a spate of  Conti  ransomware attacks targeting American hea...

Today was an exciting day for me because I had my first guest spot on a radio show. If you're following me on   Facebook  or you live in the Rochester, NY area you might have caught me on 98.9 The Buzz. I have to tell you it was a lot of fun, and I was honored to be brought in to talk about Amazon's new sidewalk project, ransomware, and what the average Jane can do to stay safe. If you missed it, you can watch it now. TOP 3 THINGS YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT AMAZON SIDEWALK Your Amazon devices automatically opted in. If you want out, you have to take action. You'll be sending even more data to Amazon if you're part of the Sidewalk. No, your neighbor can't see what’s happening on your network, nor can you see what's on theirs. Do you have any Amazon devices? Are you opting out of the Sidewalk? Drop your comments below. Are you ready to reduce the risk of Ransomware attacks? Let's chat.  Book a complementary discovery session today.

I don’t know about you, but it feels like summer is here. The weather is warm, the sky is blue, the days are finally longer, and ice cream would really hit the spot right about now. The other thing that announced the arrival of summer was the airports. I just got back from my first trip since COVID shut things down, and let me tell you the airports were packed. I saw full airport parking lots, long lines at check-in counters, and even longer lines to get through security - it seems people are ready to get out and about once again.   If you’re thinking about stretching your legs this summer, here are 3 tips for a cyber secure summer.   Skip the free Wi-Fi. Whether you’re hitting the coffee shop, the airport, or a hotel, stay safe and skip the free Wi-Fi. Here’s the thing about that free Wi-Fi - you really don’t know what or who is lurking around. They could look over your virtual shoulder, try to steal your passwords, or any number of other bad things. BUT… i...

The DarkSide takes down the Colonial Pipeline - could you be hit with Ransomware next? Yes. Yes, you could be. The DarkSide might not be coming for you, but another hacker is coming for you and your business. Especially if you're a small business. Here's the thing you need to know - hacking groups such as the DarkSide, REvil, and CLOP are opportunistic. That means they want to make an easy buck by attacking an easy target. Think of it as thieves looking for backdoors to houses that are unlocked and the residents are away. It's dark, no one's home, the door's unlocked, and the thief enters and snags everything valuable he can walk away with. All it takes is one click on one phishing emails and you could get a bad case of ransomware. Ransomware is more brutal than ever. Not only do you lose access to all your data because the bad guys encrypted it, they also stole a copy of all of your data. If you don’t pay up fast, they’ll leak your sensitive information. How ransom...