By Aris Medical Solutions
This annual campaign is to raise awareness about cyber security. We live in a world that is more connected than ever before. The Internet touches almost all aspects of everyone’s daily life, whether we realize it or not. National Cyber Security Awareness Month (NCSAM) is designed to engage and educate public and private sector partners through events and initiatives to raise awareness about cyber security, provide them with tools and resources needed to stay safe online, and increase the resiliency of the Nation in the event of a cyber incident.
https://www.dhs.gov/national-cyber-security-awareness-month
Did you know… that 2 out of 3 people have experienced a tech scam within the last 12 months?
Did you know… nearly 1 in 10 people have paid money to a scam?
Do not let anyone you do not know gain access to your computer… Scammers call people and either offer them a free scan or tell them there is a new virus out and they are probably infected. These scammers almost always have the sense of urgency and try to pressure you to “Do-it-Now”.
Don’t do it! Most of us are the ones that allow the scammers in. Either by answering the phone or clicking on a link in an email. Social engineering is at an all time high and WE are the ones that are giving OUR money away!
Add security to your login… passwords are the most common authentication tools used today, and they are the easier to hack. Always use a two-step authentication process whenever it is offered. There are many solutions available. Biometrics, security keys, and one time use codes that are text to your cell phone.
Did you know… you can pick up malware by merely visiting a website? Covered Entities and Business Associates have to be especially diligent in keeping their network systems clean and protect patient data. HIPAA Compliance begins with solid HIPAA Policies and Procedures but it also includes Technical Safeguards that are needed.
Here are some suggestions to help keep your network clean and safe:
- Limit administrative privileges to those who really need it and only sign in as the administrator when needed
- Limit users to specific work hours and block after hours usage if possible
- Perform a network security audit at a minimum annually
- Perform routine physical inventory and ensure unauthorized devices are not connected to your network or computers
- Keep anti-virus and anti-malware software up to date
- Web surfing should not be permitted with any device that accesses or stores Protected Health Information (PHI)
- Change default passwords on all technology devices
This excerpt was taken from the Office for Civil Rights (OCR):
Did you know that your file transfer protocols may be particularly vulnerable to cyber-attacks?
FTP (file transfer protocol) is a standard network protocol used to transfer computer files on a computer network. A type of data storage device, called a network-attached storage (NAS) device, started becoming victim to a serious type of malware which exploited the FTP service available on FTP servers, including FTP services available on NAS devices, beginning this year. NAS devices connect to a computer network and provide a way to access data for a group of persons or entities.
According to a recent report by Softpedia, Sophos, a computer security firm, gathered telemetry data that indicated 70 percent of a certain vendor’s NAS devices connected to the internet were infected with a malware variant called Mal/Miner-C (also known as PhotMiner). Sophos researchers claim that out of 7,000 of these NAS devices connected to the internet, 5,000 were infected with this malware by cybercriminals who also collected $86,000, in cryptocurrency like bitcoin and monero, from cryptocurrency mining related to this attack.
Allegedly, the malware variant appeared in the beginning of June 2016. A report revealed that the malware was targeting FTP services, such as those available on NAS devices, and spreading to new machines by attempting to conduct brute-force attacks using a list of default credentials. Also, the researchers claim that a design flaw regarding the use of public folders on certain NAS devices permitted the Miner-C malware to more easily copy itself to the public folders.
The Mine-C or PhotoMiner (the malware) tricks users by copying files to the public folders that resemble a standard Microsoft folder icon. Once the user clicks on the folder, s/he activates the malware variant, and it installs the malware on the victim’s laptop, desktop, or other computing device. The malware allows cybercriminals to generate cryptocurrency (i.e., bitcoins, monero) by “mining”. Cryptocurrency mining exploits computer processing power to solve difficult math problems. Essentially, attackers are rewarded with cryptocurrency for the amount of math problems they solve.
This type of malware can affect an information system’s performance by eating up a system’s computing power, and slowing down other system processes.
For more information on how Aris Medical Solutions can help your organization call 877.659.2467 or click here to contact us.
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