With the increased dependency on computers, smartphones and tablets, cyber security has gained considerable importance for business firms in Dallas, TX. Hackers are continually using viruses, spyware, phishing, malvertizing and other attack vectors to gain access to an organization’s sensitive information. Though implementing a cyber security policy is important, employees should also be proactive and comply with the company’s risk management strategy.

Listed below are some cyber security do’s and don’ts that need to be followed:

Do’s

• Follow Good Password Practices: Make sure you create strong and hard-to-guess passwords for all your official accounts. It should be of 6 to 10 characters comprising a combination of alphabets, numbers and symbols. Create different passwords for all your official accounts and do not share them with anyone.
• Stay Vigilant Against Phishing Scams: Do not open emails or download attachments you receive from unknown senders. Hackers often send spam emails, claiming to be from a legitimate source, with an aim of tricking users to execute a file or visit a fake URL. If you receive any such email, you must delete it and inform the IT division of your organization.
• Protect Your Information: Keep all the important data and files protected with regular backup on an external hard drive. Personal, financial as well as other sensitive information should be stored in an encrypted format. Thus, even in the event of a data breach, the hackers will not be able to decode the information.

Don’ts    

• Leave Your Computer Unlocked: You should lock your computer system whenever you leave your seat. This is important to make sure your files and email accounts are protected against unauthorized access.
• Download Unnecessary Software: Avoid downloading and installing unrequired software on your computer, particularly from third party sources. These may contain a malicious code to infect your system and can steal, modify or delete confidential information. Always download software that is licensed and released by legitimate vendors.
• Plug In Portable Devices: Do not plug in any removable media, such as hard disk, CD or pen drive, without the permission of the IT department. These devices may contain malware and infect your computer system upon connecting. Make sure you run a thorough scan to detect and remove any virus in these devices.

We, at Centex Technologies, provide cyber security solutions to business firms across Dallas, TX. For more information, feel free to call us at (972) 375 – 9654.

Considering the fact that an average user has to manage at least 4 to 5 online accounts, a lot of people end up setting the same or easy-to-remember passwords for all of them. The exasperation of remembering different passwords and ignorance about the consequences of a data breach are the main reasons behind a security attack. The ever increasing use of internet and poor password practices has created unlimited opportunities for the hackers to steal important data, tamper websites, gain access to financial information etc.

Listed below are some of the common types of password attacks:

• Brute Force Attack: In this attack, the hacker uses a computer program to try every possible password combination until the correct one is found. Using a list of some of the most common passwords, such as ‘123456’, ‘password’ or ‘Password1234’, the hacker attempts to gain access to the user’s account. Due to the endless combinations of letters, numbers and symbols, brute force attack may take a long time to be completed. 
• Guessing Game: This is another form of brute force attack that involves guessing a user’s password by trying the most obvious words, such as names of loved ones, pets, places, numbers, birth dates, phone numbers etc. Even combination passwords, such as ‘name123’ are quite trivial to guess.
• Keylogger Attack: It refers to a type of physical breach in which the hacker tracks the keystrokes to record the user name and password. Even a strong password or encrypted login credentials do not provide complete protection from this attack. Initially, the user may be tricked to install the keylogger software, either through phishing or in the form of a drive-by download. Whenever you login to your account, the software traces everything you have typed and transmits it to the hacker to gain easy access to your information.
• Intercepting: Passwords can also be captured when they are transmitted over the network in an unencrypted format. Packet sniffers and other network monitoring software may be used by the hackers to intercept your login details as well as online financial transactions. These types of attacks most commonly occur when users access their online accounts through unsecure wireless networks.

Centex Technologies is a leading IT security company serving the businesses in Dallas, TX. For more information on the common password attacks and the ways to prevent them, feel free to call us at (972) 375 – 9654.