In recent months, there have been numerous reports of businesses of all sizes being the victim of cyberattacks and exploits of Microsoft Bugs, malware, ransomware, and much more since COVID-19 started. But in July, the United States Secret Service has reported that attacks like ransomware, forceful intrusion (hijacking) of payment systems, and even business email scams have drastically increased, especially against MSPs.
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Why Target MSPs with Email Scams?
Here is an example of a phishing email from the CDC that you should not click on. MSPs tend to have more experience than most when it comes to phishing emails, and if you are ever unsure of an email, please forward it to us to take a look.
Managed Service Providers, MSPs, are often pretty darn secure. That being said, they usually have every single defense possible to keep your data and your company safe. So, of course, it would be a great idea to go to the source, right? That’s one of the things that many people don’t realize. That’s basically like if someone took out the White House and the President, rather than a whole country full of people.
So, what does this mean for your business? It means that attackers are starting to increase their methods and breach MSP’s more and more. Fortunately, the local level MSPs are a lot safer than the larger corporate ones. But even they aren’t always safe.
Do I Need to Worry About Ransomware?
We wouldn’t go as far as yanking all the cables out of your server, but if you do get hit with ransomware, you’ll be glad you run backups consistently.
Of course, you should always do everything you can to protect your data. The main thing that they’re doing is targeting providers with ransomware themselves. This can be impacting your business too, but mainly only to the stuff that you back up. Otherwise, they’re threatening to steal people’s clients’ information, get payment in digital currencies, and more – all for their customers’ data. Why? Because it is how MSPs make their services work – by helping other people with these solutions. Some companies, though, have a solid base in their own company yet still use backup services for the “just in case” factor.
This means that if you regularly update/backup your data, you may be a lot safer, even if there are duplicate data. That’s why it’s essential for your VoIP service and managed IT solutions companies to have the latest state-of-the-art services to protect themselves. This includes maximum protection solutions for themselves and providing those same security solutions for their customers.
More than Just Companies
The NCCIC is relatively high up in the government food chain, and hackers have tried to breach their network countless times, even going as far as attacking their MSP.
The Secret Services and the NCCIC (National Cybersecurity & Communications Integration Center) noticed and reported that they discovered hacking attempts and brute force attacks on the rise – particularly in federal and government office managed service providers. That’s how the whole “white house hackers” attempt got caught. They ended up targeting their managed service provider to get into the backdoor, which gave them the “backdoor” to the government. It’s a wicked chain game that they play, and they’re starting to get not only good at it but also starting to use more unconventional methods than ever before.
Stealing People’s Information
Once a hacker gets into an MSPs mainframe, everything is fair game. All their clients’ info, passwords, account details, contact info, and anything in between will be stolen.
They’re attacking MSPs and their clients’ info because they’re doing it directly in numerous other means. From phone calls to multimedia messages and even Windows exploits, hackers are relentless to steal other people’s information. But what are they using it for? Is it to get money from the MSPs? Not always.
Once a hacker gets into an MSP’s mainframe, they can access simple information about their clients. This means that they can find the names of business owners, etc. Then they can begin the additional attacks on those people. Once they start, they’re usually pretty persistent, and hackers will do anything to get any bit of information they can about their employees, payroll, salaries, jobs, applicants, and much more. Then they can direct their attacks towards the hardworking employees and customers in a never-ending chain of cyberattacks.
Final Thoughts: How Do You Protect Your Business?
Having the right solutions for cloud services, backup, and even protecting your business using VoIP rather than using the standard landlines or cell phones can help you in the long run. Still, your IT professional team must know what they’re doing. Hiring an outsourced solution may be the best option for you so you can keep working on work and let the man in the middle handle it – especially if they have some of the best all-in-one security solutions for your business.