Fresno, Calif. – Just when you thought it was safe, cyber scams are everywhere including apps that trick you into believing they’re actually a legit retail application in the Apple App Store. Not.
Here at Datatech we get information on scams all the time from various sources and you can be sure we’ll pass the consumer alerts on to you for your safety. In recent weeks we’ve heard of a scam that IPhone users need to be aware of when downloading retail apps in the App Store, as well as phishing scams in your email. Another aspect to this issue is just how aware are
persons in your company to being ‘cyber-safe?’ The fact is according to the Harvard Business Review, “The reality is that no matter the size or the scope of a breach, usually it’s caused by an action, or failure, of someone inside the company. The role that insiders play in the vulnerability of all sizes of corporations is massive and growing. In the 2016 Cyber Security Intelligence Index, IBM found that 60% of all attacks were carried out by insiders. Of these attacks, three-quarters involved malicious intent, and one-quarter involved inadvertent actors. IBM Security research also found that health care, manufacturing, and financial services are the top three industries under attack, due to their personal data, intellectual property and physical inventory, and massive financial assets, respectively.”
From human error to leaking passwords to insider phishing attacks, cyber threats are lurking in your business, say experts. The key is proactive measures to head off sources at the pass. Cyber security experts say companies should focus their security on protecting their ‘crown jewels’ first, their most important assets. Then, apply analytics to monitor in-house usage, know your people and do the basics in enforcing strong security measures in passwords, solid cyber security training of employees and make sure you patch any windows of cyber weakness found.
Oh, and did we say, have a secure daily offsite Cloud backup of your data if the unthinkable happens. Datatech IT Solutions can help you with that…click here to learn more.
Phone and Phishing Scams
Just when you thought it was safe to download that app from the App Store, think again. We just got word from the Better Business Bureau of a scam that attacks IPhone users in the App Store. These counterfeiters have impersonated themselves as retail chains like Dollar Tree and Foot Locker, department stores such as Dillard’s and Nordstrom, high end luxury-goods makers like Jimmy Choo and Christian Dior, and online retailers such as Zappos.com and Polyvore.
The question is how can this happen? These apps appear to be legitimate retail store apps, but they are able to fool you; especially when companies don’t already have an existing app through Apple’s app store. These counterfeiters camouflage themselves as the real thing, and while some of these apps appear to be relatively harmless and more of a pop-up junk app, others can take over and really cause damage.
When you download the app and install it that is when these criminals can really start attacking. Some fake apps contain malware that can steal a person’s information such a credit card and banking info; they can also lock your phone until the user pays a ransom to be able to use it again. Some are even having users sign into their social media accounts so the hackers can gain access to that as well.
Apple has always set themselves apart from Android’s operating system by being more restrictive about what apps pass through. Apple is supposed to stop any software that is deceitful and uses other companies name and logo for profit from being able to harm consumers. However, it is not that simple. So…don’t be download happy. Be aware of your surroundings, as law enforcement says, and really go into downloading apps with your eyes open. If its too good to be true, then it almost assuredly is. Don’t download the app. If you’d like to read more about this scam, go here.
And finally, a phishing con is looking to trick business owners who have a domain name for their business, The scam robocall claims to be from Google and that your domain is out of date and that you’ll need to ‘pay up’ to register or risk losing the domain. If you ‘agree to update your listing’, you may be scammed into sharing sensitive information such as your Google password and other sensitive information that may open you up to identity theft. If you’d like to read the full report, go here. Never share any kind of sensitive information to a caller over the phone, no matter how ‘legit’ it may seem.
Datatech is helping Ag employers across America with greater efficiency and simplifying their payroll and cost accounting with our suite of software products designed especially for the business of agriculture. See more here and schedule a free demonstration by filling in the contact form. Once you see our software with the HR add-on you’ll know why farm employers and labor contractors choose Datatech.