Articles of interest from the week of December 21, 2020

The Biggest Hacks, Data Breaches of 2020

Cybersecurity may be far from many of our minds this year, and in light of a pandemic and catastrophic economic disruption, remembering to maintain our own personal privacy and security online isn't necessarily a priority. However, cyberattackers certainly haven't given anyone a break this year. Data breaches, network infiltrations, bulk data theft and sale, identity theft, and ransomware outbreaks have all occurred over 2020 and the underground market shows no signs of stopping. (By Charlie Osborne, ZDNet) Ingalls: Remember as you read through all of the biggest hacks, data breaches of 2020, whether you’re facing a data exposure incident, a business email compromise, or a dreaded ransomware attack, there are steps that you can take to help your organization respond and, hopefully, recover from this incident. For more information please read our blog post, How To Respond When You’ve Been Breached.

Banking Industry Faces Surge in Cyber Security Challenges

Cybersecurity attacks are evolving, getting more sophisticated, more frequent, and spreading worldwide. It seems like not a day is passed without an organization suffering a data breach or a customer of a bank losing money from the account through stolen credentials. While most industries worldwide are affected by the imminent peril of cybersecurity threats, the banking industry is one of the prime targets. After all, the sector deals with what the attackers want the most, ‘money and personal information’. (By Richard Singha, Security Boulevard) Ingalls: The banking industry's blending of compliance and risk management policies can be tricky. Our three step approach, based on expert understanding of the security your business needs, ensures you meet all corporate compliance requirements when it comes to risk management. Read more about our governance risk and compliance services here.

FBI Says DoppelPaymer Ransomware Gang Is Harassing Victims Who Refuse to Pay

FBI says ransomware group has been calling victims, threatening to send individuals to their homes if they don't pay the ransom. The US Federal Bureau of Investigations says it is aware of incidents where the DoppelPaymer ransomware gang has resorted to cold-calling companies in order to intimidate and coerce victims into paying ransom demands. (By Catalin Cimpanu,, ZDNet) Ingalls: Attacking current threats. Predicting and preventing future threats. Educating businesses on the latest in security and teaching youth tactics for safe browsing. Ingalls Information Security branches far and wide to protect our clients and their valuable information. Our solutions are innovative, timely and immediate. Contact Ingalls Information Security today to discuss your company’s security vulnerabilities and address them head on.

Imagining a Professional Life Without Passwords

Passwords are a source of many security risks, with recent LastPass research revealing IT teams are spending five hours a week on average dealing with password-related issues. (By Gerald Beuchelt, Help Net Security) Ingalls: If you must use a password you should consider using multi-factor authentication, also called strong authentication, or two-factor authentication. This technology may already be familiar to you, as many banking and financial institutions require both a password and one of the following to log in: a call, email, or text containing a code. By applying these principles of verification to more of your personal accounts, such as email, social media, and more, you can better secure your information and identity online! Read more about Multi-Factor Authentication on our blog post.

Prioritize Cybersecurity to Protect Your Business Before It Is Too Late

In the world of business, revenue is king — and understandably so. A business can only grow if it's generating revenue, and a business operating without a clear path to revenue isn't long for this world. That said, obsessing over short term profit – and only profit – can cause entrepreneurs to ignore other essential parts of their businesses. If entrepreneurs only focus on making as much money as possible as fast as possible, they will likely neglect security and the stickiness that comes with trust — and pay for it in the long run. (By Joel Wallenstrom, Entrepreneur) Ingalls: Since 2010, Ingalls Information Security has been in the war rooms and board rooms of Global 2000 companies, investigating computer networks targeted and attacked by criminals and nation-state sponsored hackers. This experience gives us an edge in preventing and responding to cyberattacks, as well as developing risk management strategies for our clients for all new cybersecurity treats in 2020 and beyond.