Articles of interest from the week of June 24, 2019

CISA Statement on Iranian Cybersecurity Threats

Christopher C. Krebs, Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency (CISA), issued an official statement regarding the increased number of cybersecurity threats in the United States from Iranian associations. He acknowledges the gravity of these threats and pushes U.S. businesses to ensure their cybersecurity program is reinforced and reliable. (By Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security)

Business Email Compromise Still Reigns

Last month, the Federal Bureau of Investigation released its 2018 Internet Crime Complaints Center (IC3). The annual report provides readers a glimpse into the types of cybercrimes being reported to the FBI and the trending threats the Bureau has responded to in the last year. In 2018 alone, the IC3 responded to over 350,000 complaints, an average of more than 900 a day, and observed an estimated $2.7 billion in financial losses as a result of reported cybercrime. Of the almost $3 billion in losses, Business Email Compromise (BEC) or Email Account Compromise (EAC) fraud accounted for nearly $1.3 billion of adjusted loss, equaling almost half of the overall reported losses for 2018. (By Alastair Paterson, Security Week)

A Florida city paid a $600,000 bitcoin ransom to hackers who took over its computers — and it's a massive alarm bell for the rest of the US

A Florida city's council voted to pay a ransom of $600,000 in Bitcoin to hackers that targeted its computer systems — and the payout is a sign of how unprepared much of the US is to deal with a coming wave of cyberattacks. (By Sinead Baker, Business Insider)

How to Prepare for a Cyber Attack

Every business that uses the Internet is vulnerable to cybercrime. You may have taken every conceivable step to secure your network and determined cyber criminals will still find a way in. That’s why an incident response plan (IRP) is a critical component of your cyber security tool kit. When the inevitable occurs, an IRP helps you and your team respond quickly and effectively to contain the damage and minimize the costs. It could literally save your business. (By Tim Marlin, The Hartford)

15 Small Business Cyber Security Statistics That You Need to Know

Small businesses are a favorite target of cyber criminals — cyber attacks were up 424% in 2018. (By Casey Crane, HashedOut)

Vishing Attacks: Who's Really on the Line?

If you want someone’s personal information, just call them up and ask for it. It takes some skill, of course, but it often works. Friendly persuasion and scare tactics go a long way. Just think of the smooth-talking telemarketers and threatening debt collectors who routinely persuade people to give out their financial information over the phone. (By Aaron Jentzen, Proofpoint)