Silicon Prairie Cyber Services' Blog

    The bad guys are licking their candy canes in sweet, sweet anticipation.   Anticipation of what?   They can't wait to steal your holiday joy (and cash, passwords, and personal information) through the many online scams, cons, fake websites, phishing emails, and tricks they've prepared just for you. You’ll these scams everywhere this month. Especially in your inbox.   Let’s talk holiday phishing emails.   The holiday phishing email often includes an unbelievable coupon, special shopping offer, or impossible-to-get item. Other lures include bogus gift card offers, giveaways, contests, and too-good-to-be-true deals. The scams will also try to create a sense of "act now" urgency, like putting time limits on the deals. So if you see this email in your inbox this holiday season, beware it's the holiday phish, and it's come for you.   M ake sure you and your friends have grabbed your guide to   safe and secure online holiday shopping.

December was a busy month for me. How about you? With all the busyness of the season, you might have missed my Phish or Friend Online Quiz Event. What’s this Phish or Friend Online Quiz Event you ask? It’s an online event that anyone can sign up for, and I’m sharing real life emails, and YOU have to decide if it’s a phish email from a bad guy, or legit. The faster you answer with the correct answer, the more points you get. It’s a great opportunity for you to get expert cybersecurity training that’s fun at an unbeatable price. What you get... 🎣 Practice catching phishing emails in a safe and controlled environment 📝 Test your knowledge ✔️ See how your phish detection skills up against others 😈 Learn how fraudsters lure you in 👉 Receive a bonus tip sheet to help you spot that phish Attend the Phish or Friend Quiz live on January 27 at 11 AM CT for only $12.99 per person. Register Today https://siliconprairiecyber.com/Quiz Some more notes for you: Phish or friend won’t be back until ...

Are you an entrepreneur, solopreneur, or a small business owner? Have you ever wanted to get in on some expert cybersecurity training, but never had room for it in your budget? Maybe you'd like to try you hand at one of those phishing email tests. Have you ever wanted to send a phishing email test to your employees' knowledge? You did some research but you found all the tech and expense put it out of your reach as a small business owner? I've been thinking about you, and how to get you the cybersecurity awareness training that you need, and you're why I've created a new service just for entrepreneurs, solopreneurs, and small businesses. And so a new Online Quiz Event called  Phish or Friend  was born. During Phish or Friend you will... 📝 Test your knowledge 🎣 Practice catching phishing emails in a safe and controlled environment ✔️ See how your phish detection skills up against others 😈 Learn how fraudsters lure you in 👉 Receive a bonus tip sheet to help you spo...

Have you seen the Black Friday and Cyber Monday ads that started Nov 1 st ? The black Friday shopping that started Nov 4 th ? Clearly, businesses want you to spend your money shopping with them. And that means cyber criminals are just a few steps behind, and ready to snag your cash instead. In order to help you keep your money safe and receive the gifts you want this holiday season, I’m sharing… 10 TIPS FOR A SAFE AND SECURE HOLIDAY SHOPPING SEASON 1.  Turn on MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION Add that extra layer of security to all of your accounts by adding an extra step to your login-procedure. This is a code you enter after you submit your username and password. The code can arrive via an app (such as Google Authenticator), text, or email. It may also called to as dual-factor or two-factor and is abbreviated as MFA or 2FA. Enable it everywhere possible -especially on password keepers, email, and financial accounts. 2.  Avoid FREE WIFI That FREE WiFi you're using might ...

Phishing emails, they’re a big deal. That’s probably because ~91% of data breaches start with a phishing email. In response to the sheer volume of phishing emails out there, many companies include sending simulated phishing emails to their employees as part of their cybersecurity awareness program. The frequency, content, and punishment for failure can run the gambit. A few bad phishers have made headlines, and now the question ‘to phish or not to phish’ your employees is a hot topic. What did they do? They sent simulated phishing emails to their employees promising big bonuses (up to $10,000) as a thank you for all their hard work during COVID. They said their company had been receiving similar phishing emails IRL, and it made sense to simulate these types of emails. The worst phisher of all didn’t even tell employees for TWO DAYS that they failed the test. Many of those employees spent their ‘bonus money’ during those two days. What happened next? The employees got pissed. The employ...