Here at Lambros Computer Solutions we take internet security very seriously. To that end, we wanted to reach out and address an issue which has affected several of our clients recently. Email based intrusions have been on the rise and the methodologies are constantly shifting. The bad guys just seem to get more determined by the day. We realize that everyone is more aware than even a short time back, however, it never hurts to review some basic protocols.
A client was recently infected, but it was a very clever Phishing attempt. They received an email from a known company with a link to an order confirmation. As they had very recently made a purchase from the company, it seemed unsuspicious. Unfortunately, the email was a ruse. Several million copies of that same email had likely been sent by the phishing source with the same information. The sender did not target the receiver directly, but knows, as in the case of our client’s situation, that the email will arrive at the inbox of many potential victims and will appear legitimate, as the receiver has in fact recently used the company that is being spoofed.
Fortunately, the client’s warning senses kicked in before any real damage was done, as the confirmation link requested additional info and they became suspicious. They called us, we cleared up the email and ran several scans to ensure no damage had occurred.
These types of situations occur daily. DO NOT be lulled into a false sense of security. Please follow the following procedures on a regular basis:
1) Ensure your virus protection is up to date and adequate. We highly recommend an End-Point solution, as that will ensure your IT company is alerted to any possible intrusion and we can address the issue immediately – often before you even know you have one!
2) Be very mindful of ALL emails. Most folks have gotten pretty good at not opening attachments they are not sure of, but some attempts still get triggered. If you have any question whatsoever, do not open it! Contacting the sending party and ensure it is actually something they sent is a very good practice.
3) Ensure you have adequate protection that is fully updated and functional. Consider a monitored approach.
4) Be suspect at all times and have occasional conversations with all employees to stress the importance of vigilance.
5) Have a bullet-proof back up system. This requires redundancy with local and cloud-based approach. Please let us know if you have any concerns that you are not fully protected.
It is a shame to have to be as concerned as we must, but a phishing attack or a ransomware hack can be absolutely devastating.
Your attentiveness is vital and LCS is here to stand between you an the Big Bad Wolves. Don’t let them blow your house down!
Need help? Click here to call us now! (239)303-4343
Gary Langford, Service Manager
