Blue Ridge Technology

Make sure your cloud server is protected from this Here at Blue Ridge Technology, we’re big fans of the cloud. Cloud technologies can unlock so much potential for today’s businesses: file storage and even applications that can be accessed from anywhere, software tools that don’t have to be installed or updated on everyone’s laptops, and access to computing power to do seriously cool things that SMBs likely couldn’t afford to do on their own servers. For nerds like us, there’s plenty to geek out about with the cloud. But there are some security dangers associated with the cloud (at least, with using the cloud poorly), and we want our readers to know about them. Is the Cloud Secure? A whole lot of people have the idea that the cloud is less safe than the alternative. After all, if you’re putting all your sensitive data “out there” on the internet, isn’t it easier for the bad guys to steal? Hang with us for a second: while this is sort of exactly what we want to warn you about, it’s still...

What does Persistence mean in regards to a Cyber Attack? Persistence is a tactic that allows attackers to quietly maintain access to a system over time. This “dwell time” is often used to conduct additional research, explore the victim’s environment and determine what the best (i.e. the most profitable) next step should be. Hackers can spend 11-24 days in a network before being discovered! Right Click and save our Infographic The longer an attacker persists on a device, the more intel they’re able to gather—and the more damage they can ultimately do when deploying ransomware, stealing passwords or executing other malicious activity. Not to mention the amount of your Client’s information that they can absorb! Our security agents are always on guard against attack plans like this, shining a light on hidden trespassers and removing them. Give us a call to help get your business properly secured and constantly monitored, today!

FREE COMPLETE GUIDE DOWNLOAD! Phishing: we’ve talked about it before on the blog, and we’re talking about it again today — because it’s just that important. Even today, phishing remains the single greatest source of digital threats against your business. It’s the tactic scammers use to crack open the door. Once that door is open, they can launch any number of attacks: malware, spyware, ransomware, DDoS attacks, financial attacks, and many more. So today we’re giving you a crash course in phishing awareness, the top signs you and your team should watch out for in an effort to remain protected. What is phishing, again? Before we jump into awareness tactics, we’ll start with a quick definition. Phishing refers to any digital attack where the cyber criminals try to lure in unsuspecting users similar to how real-world fishing lures in fish. Here the bait is some urgent communication, usually via email, that tells the user about some big problem they need to solve right now . It usually look...

None of your team would fall for this trick… would they What’s old is new again. Remember the early aughts, when USB flash drives seemed like the definition of our technological future? Think about it: cheap, extremely portable devices that work on just about any computer anywhere and can store any file type you can imagine. It was and still is an awesome technology, even if the advent of cloud storage and faster internet speeds have limited our need for them. The Problem with USB Flash Drives Back Then The USB drive suffered from one very frustrating (and sometimes dangerous) problem, though: because of the way USB works, there was no effective way to stop a USB drive from auto-installing stuff whenever it got plugged into a new machine. The PC simply recognized the new drive and tried to read it, and that was it: the damage was already done. Simply reading the contents of the drive was enough to install malware. If hackers, scammers, or corporate thieves had the right tech capabiliti...

Are you using a malicious browser extension without realizing? If you’re a regular internet user, chances are you’ve come across browser extensions by now. They’re so popular and so widespread that, even if you’ve never heard of them, you’re probably even using some right now as you read this post. Browser extensions can be a fantastic thing: they can enhance your productivity, make you (look like) a better writer, and help your browser be a more enjoyable thing to use. But browser extensions can also have a dark side. It’s important to understand the risks before diving down the extension rabbit hole — especially on business devices. What Are Browser Extensions? Browser extensions are little bits of software that change the way an internet browser behaves. They can deliver tons of helpful functionality, like adding in a grammar checker like Grammarly or a translator or making it easier to take and edit screenshots within your browser. A decade or so ago, extensions that blocked obtrus...

Passkeys could improve the way you work, forever Heads up: Passkeys are coming soon, and we’re getting a better idea of how and where these are going to start becoming useful for businesses and consumers alike. If you’re not sure what we mean by a passkey, here’s a refresher: We shared an introduction to passkeys a few months back when we told you that Microsoft, Google, and Apple were working to kill the password . Recently, Apple announced that passkeys are coming to its mobile and desktop operating systems in 2022 with the arrival of iOS/iPadOS 16 and macOS 13 in the early fall. “Coming soon” has officially been upgraded to “imminent arrival,” and it’s time for businesses to get a handle on how, whether, when, and where they might implement the new tech. Aren’t passkeys just fancy passwords? In the sense that they let people log into devices and sites, sure. But in every other sense, no: passkeys are a completely new technology that’s exponentially more secure than the old username...

If you’re under pressure to take urgent action – stop and think At Blue Ridge Technology, we talk a lot about cybersecurity, and we publish about it on this blog regularly, too. Why? Because digital threats are one of the biggest risks that businesses, including our clients, could face. It’s vitally important to have strong cyber defenses in place (and we’re certainly ready to audit your hardware, network, and software defenses to find any vulnerabilities—just reach out today). But it’s just as important to train yourself and your employees or teammates on how to be aware of cyber threats. In other words, cyber awareness training is just as valuable as the best firewalls and endpoint protection systems. That may sound like a bold claim, but it’s true. The most common digital attacks don’t happen by bad guys brute forcing their way through your firewall. They happen because someone on your team makes a mistake. Your Biggest Cybersecurity Threat Is on Your Payroll As crazy as it sounds...