Romance Meets Cryptocurrency

In 2021, online daters lost a record $547 million to romance scams, according to a report from the Federal Trade Commission. Scammers are now using online dating platforms to trick victims into investing in cryptocurrency accounts before disappearing with their money. It’s a months-long trust-building scam known as “pig butchering.”

Sim Swapping

This is an attack where scammers fake your identity with a mobile carrier to gain access to your phone. From there, they use “Forgot Password” for critical online accounts – think banking, investments and social media – to intercept two-factor authentication text messages. In 2021, this scam resulted in losses over $68 million and is still a very popular and effective scam today.

Back To School Scams

In August, many parents post “first day of school” photos on social media with their child holding a chalkboard or sign with details about the child’s teacher, school, birth date, height, interests, favorite colors, etc. While it’s wonderful to share updates with friends and family, the Better Business Bureau issued a warning to families about oversharing personal information on social media due to privacy concerns and online scammers. The Federal Trade Commission also issued a warning about back-to-school shoppers being targeted by online scams.

Rental Scams

This scam is not necessarily “new” and traditionally targets consumers trying to rent a home, but with the red hot rental market and usage of social media websites to advertise rental properties, this scam has regained steam. According to the FBI, 11,578 people nationwide reported losing over $350 million through rental and real estate scams in 2021 with a major uptick of victims this summer. There’s even a spinoff of this scam for vacation rentals.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Summer of The Scam: Key Online Scams On the Rise appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Are Countries Prepared For A Cyberwar? The world will store 200 zettabytes of data by 2025. The next generation of technology has immense potential to use this data, to such an extent that it can overwhelm our global security and defence mechanisms of the digital space. Enhanced cybersecurity is the only solution that seems plausible to address this challenging situation. More importantly, the evolution of cybersecurity measures must be quicker than the pace of incoming threats.

Are Countries Prepared For A Cyberwar?

A few decades back, ransomware was just a stunt performed by some hackers to satiate their hunger for a small sum of money. However, when we look at it now, this has become an issue of national security, requiring immediate attention and urgent solutions.

“I think it’s more than likely we’re going to end up if we end up in a war – a real shooting war with a major power – it’s going to be as a consequence of a cyber breach of great consequence and it’s increasing exponentially the capabilities”, US President, Joe Biden.

Cybercrimes have been escalating, both in number and nature. From locking up the computer systems of city and state government departments to a major ransomware attack on the largest petroleum pipeline in the United States during the month of May 2021, cyber assaults are gaining traction, tiptoeing quite closer to war-like situations.

After Hermetic Wiper and other cyber attacks on the Ukrainian economy by Russia, the FBI has been alerting US businesses and local governments against potential ransomware attacks. Monetary, skilled manpower and technological expenditures have increased thereafter to ensure a safe and secure digital space. It is projected that, globally, about $433b will be spent on cybersecurity by 2030.

The technological transformations of the Web3.0 era guarantee ubiquitous connectivity, identity and access management, AI, and quantum computing. Simultaneously, these carry the inherent potential to create systemic and hidden cybersecurity risks for the world. Significant collective actions could be the only way to combat these threats. Improved accountability of these acts by governments and businesses, as well as a fool-proof policy intervention, are necessary to maintain the integrity and trust in these emerging technologies.

“Understanding the dynamics of digitisation as well as its opportunities and challenges –
particularly regarding cybersecurity risks – is a fundamental part of a board’s corporate governance responsibility. Technology-led transformation and investments in cybersecurity must proceed together in this context”, said Urs Rohner, Chairman of the Board of Directors, Credit Suisse Group AG

How is the world preparing itself to avert the global threat of a cyberwar?

Integrating cybersecurity measures globally

According to a report by the FBI, there is a 300% increase in reported cybercrime since the beginning of the pandemic. The vulnerability of cyberspace is further enhanced by the fragmentation of security measures around the globe.

“The days of fragmented security are behind us. Security must be more proactive and future-proof if we are to out-innovate the attackers”, explains Nikesh Arora, Chief Executive Officer, and Chairman, Palo Alto Networks, USA.

A number of interventions and government policies are essential to moderating the cybersecurity operations and controlling cyber risk effectively, especially in national and business infrastructures. Many reports and studies are currently being globally collaborated to unify the world on cybercrime issues and solutions.

These organisations incentivise the adoption of security solutions to ensure an ecosystem that is transparent and trustworthy. Further, they also focus on the implementation of a centralised international community that intervenes on the issues related to cross-border cybercrime.

Reducing the ambiguity in accountability

Cybersecurity challenges need to be defined among partners, suppliers, customers, government entities, competitors, and other stakeholders. The current paradigm of cybersecurity suggests its primary purpose is to defend an organisation, primarily preventing it from being hacked.

However, when developing an ecosystem where every participant is held accountable, a purely defensive approach is insufficient. A comprehensive system is more trustworthy, using a range of resources while diversifying its coverage and enhancing cybersecurity.

Training and educational courses for expanding the career opportunities for cybersecurity

Big firms are now constantly focussing on training professionals that will lead cybersecurity in the Fourth Industrial Revolution era. While Apple has announced a new program for 9,000 US-based suppliers, IBM is set to train 150,000 people in cybersecurity. Institutions like the University of Texas and Whatcom Community College are offering cybersecurity education and support programs that fast-track students from college to a career in cyber.

Globally, the rising demand for cybersecurity is also creating enough public and private positions to be filled by skilled and trained professionals.

Many milestones ahead…

The digital world is connected through and through. Apps, services, communications, data, and purchases make the world a smaller place. Consequently, the risks with such a system are also high. As the hazards of the system morph into reality, so should our responses. Cyber threats require vigilance, resolution, diligence, and determination to react with precision. The current pace and models of cybersecurity are still under a lot of research and modelling. To battle the hostility of cyber’s expanding nature, the world needs to evolve in terms of technology, training, policy, and governance. This will be the key to a more secure digital space in the future.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Cybersecurity: Are Countries Prepared For A Cyberwar? appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

1. Software Implementation

Firstly, make sure that you are doing your best to keep all vital software up-to-date. This refers to software such as your operating system, browser plugins, and instances of java. You should also compare the best cybersecurity software to choose the most suitable one for your specific needs. You must install the latest security updates on these pieces of software to ensure that you are safe from any vulnerability exploits that could harm your computer systems. You must install good antivirus software on all of your devices.

2. Strong Passwords

Secondly, one should come up with extremely strong passwords for themselves. Many people often err by coming up with passwords that are too short or using things like their birthdays or pet names. If someone can guess what your password might be based on personal information about yourself, it will not be long before they have access to your accounts. To keep yourself safe, you should use passwords that are at least 12 characters long and contain alphanumeric characters in addition to special symbols. Also, be sure to change these passwords every once in a while.

3. Use VPNs

Thirdly, one should always utilize Virtual Private Networks (VPNs). VPNs act like a tunnel between your computer and the outside world. Since most people rely on wireless internet these days, they usually leave themselves open to vulnerabilities when they connect to public signals without using a VPN. A hacker can intercept data packets that you send out in the form of wifi signals if you do not use a VPN service for your safety online, potentially gaining access to sensitive information. You can also find free or paid ones on different websites – just make sure that it is trusted before using them.

4. Setup Firewalls

Fourthly, one should always set up a firewall. Firewalls are like barriers that exist between your computer and the outside world. They ensure that no data packets (which could contain viruses) can come into your system without first being approved by you. Just make sure to download the right firewall for the OS of your particular device. Also, you should ensure that your firewall allows you to monitor and control traffic on a per-application/process basis.

5. Control Social Engineering

Furthermore, one should always be on the lookout for social engineering techniques. Hackers often utilize these to trick people into giving up their sensitive information. Once a hacker has gained bogus access to your accounts, they will usually go on a shopping spree with all of your credit cards and do whatever else they can think of doing with it. When hackers send out phishing emails or use other such tactics that try to fool you into providing them with data that only you would be able to provide, just delete those messages as soon as you can and alert the proper authorities if necessary. 

Beware of Phishing

Always beware of phishing emails and websites that may try to fool you into giving out your personal information. It is important to find out the exact nature of such emails and verify whether they are legitimate before doing anything with them. It is best if you delete these messages from your inbox immediately after opening them. Furthermore, make sure not to give any sensitive information over email unless it is necessary for a service that you subscribe to. You can also set up a spam filter to make sure all suspicious emails go directly into the junk folder instead of your inbox.

6. Practice Safe Browsing

Last but certainly not least, remember to practice safe browsing when you are online. This means to always make sure that you are not downloading any suspicious material, and only visit websites that you trust. In addition, use a VPN service or a Tor browser to further protect yourself from online dangers. Also, it is important to keep a clear mind and avoid opening suspicious attachments or clicking on any potentially harmful links.

There are many things that you can do to make your cybersecurity better. However, it is still advisable for you to take all the necessary cyber security precautions regardless of how your system may be configured. Therefore, consider implementing at least a few of these steps into your daily routine to stay safe online!

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post 6 Ways to Improve Cybersecurity – An Easy Guide appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

The awards celebrate women excelling in their sector and will be split across four regions – Scotland, Wales, Northern Ireland, North England and South England – with four categories in each region: Science and MedTech; FinTech, Data Science and Cybersecurity; CleanTech, Climate and Net Zero; and Disruptive Innovation. Entries open on the 28th October.

In just six years, the awards have quickly developed a reputation for providing a springboard to growth for finalists and winners by opening doors to new connections and opportunities through the global AccelerateHER and Barclays Eagle Labs networks. Previous AccelerateHER Award winners have accessed incredible top-level market building missions to California, New York, Boston, Berlin and Dubai – resulting in new investment leads, extensive new business and a much extended network including top industry leaders.

Last year’s winner of the CleanTech, Climate and Net Zero category, Aslihan Penley from Zoex Power, had her business growth plan boosted by her success in last year’s awards. She said: “AccelerateHER Awards gave me the prestige and credibility that my clean tech start-up was missing. Alongside it, the connections, the mentoring and the whole AccelerateHER family has been fascinating!”

Announcing the partnership, Chief Operating Officer for AccelerateHER, Elizabeth Pirrie said: “Taking the awards UK-wide is testament to the success of the programme and we’re delighted to have secured the support of Barclays Eagle Labs to help us expand beyond Scotland.

“This is an exciting time for AccelerateHER as we launch the 2022 awards to find the inspirational, dynamic female founders who play a leading role driving strong global growth potential in their companies.”

Katherine Morgan, Head of High Growth and Entrepreneurs at Barclays, said: “We’re excited and honoured to be supporting the AccelerateHER awards. Celebrating and boosting the strength of female entrepreneurship in the UK is close to our hearts at Barclays and we hope that the awards will celebrate female entrepreneurs and inspire the next generation.”

The awards are sponsored by Barclays and global IT and business consulting services firm CGI. The Scottish Government has been instrumental in supporting the awards in Scotland, through its Women in Enterprise Framework and Action Plan; ensuring over 700 female founders to date have accessed tangible expert help to prepare for investment and growth .

Entries open on 28th October with the winners announced in March next year.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Inspirational Female-Led Awards Go UK-Wide With Support From Barclays Eagle Labs appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

But when you’re looking to justify the investment, sometimes the idea of cybersecurity looks daunting — partially because there is a budget that needs to be allotted to that in particular. If you have been neglecting that budget, not yet investing in your business’s continued safety, read on. What you find below might just help you make your choice for good.

What Cybersecurity Addresses

When you look at the term “cybersecurity”, what’s the first thing you think of? Firewalls? Anti-virus programs? A decent password manager? Chances are, you’re familiar with cybersecurity to a degree — even if you don’t realize how far-reaching the term is. But much can be addressed by the right tools in place.

For example, there’s the need for modern threat detection: various threat types are detected simply by implementing cybersecurity tools in your company’s protection, including old-fashioned virus attacks and signatureless cyber threats, like the newest types of ransomware. Any threat such as malware that doesn’t have a known signature can be considered a signatureless attack — but while traditional anti-virus and anti-malware programs require the signature of a threat to recognize and protect against it, newer essential protection includes signatureless detection. This means that with the right tool in place, you can preemptively recognize attacks and malicious behavior based on algorithms built to determine a threat without a signature present.

But detection isn’t all that cybersecurity tools can help with. You also have to consider that, past detection, the biggest step to be taken in any cybersecurity protection plan is the response, or what you do once you’ve found the potential threat. In some tools, of course, the response is as antiquated as the detection protocol, with actions only being taken reactively, rather than proactively, against threats that have been identified on the system.

However, in a modern cybersecurity solution, one that you have to budget for, there are perks — including being able to receive alerts before a possible threat has a chance to act. From network isolation tactics to filtering out risky URLs and emails before they’re even clicked, cybersecurity tools of today prove more valuable than ever before, offering automatic or guided responses to the threats they find on your network or well before they even reach you.

What You Risk By Not Budgeting For Cybersecurity

So if cybersecurity encompasses both detection of and response to potential threats, what does that mean for the risks of going without? In many cases, there’s no substitute: anti-virus programs only go so far on their own, as do firewalls, or other prevalent traditional methods of cybersecurity — especially those for which there’s no cost associated.

After all, they’re offering the most basic level of protection, a level that cyber attackers have learned to circumvent with newer viruses, types of ransomware, or even more sophisticated phishing tactics (with email being the most common cyber attack route against targeted businesses). By neglecting your cybersecurity budget, you risk a breach that can have far-reaching effects.

To elaborate on these far-reaching effects, many businesses now implement an IoT, an Internet of Things, within their network and even outside it. With everything from the company computers to the wireless printer, all the way down to your Bluetooth headset and the devices that monitor your production cycle, your Internet of Things is a set of connections that’s too intimate and too diverse to be left unprotected.

With the right cybersecurity tool in place, you can monitor and protect all these various endpoints and other connected devices from threats designed to spread like wildfire. In an age where everyone is increasingly doing more and more business from their mobile devices, this ubiquity of protection (and ubiquity of threats) is all the more important to discuss.

This ubiquity and complete interconnection are essential in many businesses today, but it doesn’t just compromise business function when breached. There are assets to consider, and two of the most important have been the goal all along for any cyber attacker: your data and your money.

There are plenty of phishing emails that, with one misguided click, can send sensitive info of yours into the wrong hands. There are viruses and malware that when inside a network, compromise data by either destroying it or by making it available to someone outside — and for anyone with client information on hand, that’s a scary thought indeed.

Your data, your information, and the information your clients and employees trust you with are invaluable, and to risk it reaching someone else is something businesses simply can’t afford to do. And speaking of what you can afford, between breaches of payment data and the use of ransomware, there are numerous attacks that go straight for your money instead. If that’s the case, then between your data and your money, you really have to consider budgeting for cybersecurity. It’ll be worthwhile to avoid all these potential losses later on — and to not feel the need to worry so much in the meantime.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Why You Shouldn’t Be Neglecting Your Cybersecurity Budget appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

When discussing the cause of this crisis, there is a lot of finger pointing— blaming Russia, China, North Korea and Iran for their role in facilitating and supporting hackers. However, our own attitudes toward cybersecurity are as much to blame for ransomware attacks as rogue states.

On a fundamental level, the fact is that many companies still don’t understand the nature of the ransomware threat. They tend to think of cybersecurity like a castle wall— if you want higher security, just make a bigger, thicker wall.

So companies get better antivirus software and increase their IT security budgets, but what is really needed is a new way of thinking about cybersecurity. It’s not enough to just add more security features. What most companies really need is to restructure their operations to be more resilient to cyber threats.

Damage Control: Understanding How Ransomware Spreads

One of the biggest problems is that companies tend to focus too much on preventing attacks from happening at all, and don’t think enough about damage control once an attacker breaches the network. This is understandable— most companies would rather not get hacked at all, and so they plan accordingly. But as the saying goes, “hope for the best and prepare for the worst.”

Companies that understand how ransomware spreads through a network can put in place measures that prevent ransomware from propagating. This can drastically reduce the percentage of a network infected, greatly reducing the severity of an attack.

Ransomware hackers set their ransom according to how much data they are able to compromise. If they are unable to spread through the network, in many or most cases they will be unable to pressure companies into paying a ransom.

Know Your Attack Vectors

Another common misunderstanding that many companies have is a lack of understanding about attack vectors. There’s a lot of focus on preventing exploits, which is definitely a good thing, but the majority of ransomware attacks rely on two attack vectors in particular; remote desktop protocols and phishing.

It’s very common for companies to neglect phishing awareness. Many companies are implementing phishing awareness training for employees, but as the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Even better is to look for cybersecurity awareness when hiring employees. A savvy employee will be able to detect phishing and won’t bite.

Understanding Data Sensitivity

Some companies go overboard when it comes to security. They become so focused on preventing an attack from happening at all, that they end up crippling their own operations.

This is partly due to an obsession with not getting hacked at all. This is understandable— obviously the ideal is not to get hacked. However, too many security features can bog down employees with constantly having to enter 2FA codes, look up unique passwords, contact ID or colleagues for access to certain features.

In some cases these security measures become such a drag that they end up getting disabled completely, increasing attack vulnerability.

Companies that understand the way ransomware works also understand that there are certain types of data and parts of the system that require more protection than others. With this knowledge, they can balance operational security with the efficiency of their work flow.

Knowing What to Do When You Get Hit

Companies tend to hope for the best, but this can get in the way of preparation. Many times, unprepared management can panic when a ransomware attack happens.

Hackers know this, and they intentionally try to put pressure on victims by setting time limits. For example, they might make threats like “Pay us within 48 hours or all your data will be lost!” or “Pay us within 72 hours, or all of your data will be released to the public!”

For companies without a good ransomware response plan in place, this can easily lead to making bad decisions. For example, they may end up paying more than they need to due to being unaware of negotiating techniques.

Another common mishap is to attempt to find a decryption tool. There are a number of scammers on the internet that offer miracle solutions, but as soon as you pay, just demand more money or disappear. Under normal circumstances, you might detect the scam, but under pressure it’s easier to miss red flags.

If you have a good plan in place, you’ll know what to do and execute it quickly and smoothly, without falling into the many pitfalls of ransomware response.

The New Normal

Ransomware preparedness is no longer optional. The number, scale, and sophistication of attack is steadily growing, so it pays to be prepared.

Ransomware preparedness should not just be the domain of the IT security guys— everyone in the company should have a high level understanding of how ransomware works, and the organization structure of every company should be adjusted to reflect a higher degree of ransomware preparedness.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Companies That Understand Ransomware Have Won Half the Battle appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

How to grant yourself and your customers easy and secure purchases on your site? On the merchant’s side, there must be a safe payment gateway that solves most problems. But how to make a choice and provide the safest and the most comfortable solution to the customer? There are various options, and not all of them are made equal.

Payment Gateways by VISA, MasterCard, or AmEx

Well, when you speak of payment systems, the first idea is something like VISA Checkout or Masterpass. Yes, American Express and Discover also have their own payment gateways that can be integrated into merchants’ sites and simplify the process. At least, in theory.

One might expect that the most powerful payment systems in the world can offer just as powerful a solution for online payments as they did for POS transfers. In fact, these solutions lack the clarity expected from them. Should you connect both Visa Checkout and MasterPass, or just one of them, or support with third-party solutions? How do you explain to customers that they indeed can use their MasterCard with Visa Checkout? There is too much confusion, especially given that these gateways don’t mirror each other.

One thing is for sure: Visa and MasterCard, along with local operators like Union Pay and American Express, are all about safety. Alas, they cannot provide a versatile, comfortable solution so far. In addition, their fees (almost $2 per $100 with a traditional card and $2.50 per $100 with Visa Premium) are rather high.

Payment Gateways by Banks

When it comes to card issuers, the largest or the most advanced banks also have their own payment gateways. This is extremely comfortable for their cardholders, as they can authorize the easiest way and use their credentials both in the official app by this bank and the payment gateway. It also provides more secure two-factor authentication if the user opts for this.

On the other hand, it’s still harder to explain why customers should choose this gateway if they are clients of another bank. These solutions may support some non-bank payment systems, like PayPal, Venmo, or Skrill, but rather as an exception.

Third-Party Payment Gateways

The strangest thing about payment gateways is that independent payment systems are the most versatile and the most flexible. One payment gateway can aggregate various systems, including not only Visa, MasterCard, AmEx, and so on, but also Internet payment systems. They may offer currency exchange at good rates, and they are often cheaper for the merchant than major services.

In addition, these services may have advantages like more flexible security solutions, better user interface, better support for high-risk merchant accounts, and readiness to reduce that risk by disputes or fraud prevention solutions. Finally, there is a wide variety of independent payment gateways that you are likely to find yours among them.

Better Safe Than Stolen

That’s about your money. Yes, you can trust companies that spend tons of money on security. But you can as well find a great solution that will cost you much less, deliver more security-centered solutions, and cater to your needs better. And these are usually third-party payment gateways.

Found article useful? Don’t forget to share it with your friends on Facebook or Twitter! And we’ll be glad to read your comments on our subject. Your firsthand experience is precious to us.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post The Best Services to Ensure Safe Internet Payments appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Now more than ever, privacy on the internet is becoming a thing of the past. Personal information fills the digital space, giving cybercriminals and fraudsters a playground and potential minefield for data breaches to occur.

People are becoming wary of quickly handing over their data to online entities and companies because of the regularity of data breaches that puts them at risk. Nevertheless, data remains one of the most valuable resources for companies today.

Access to customers’ data makes it easy to ditch the guesswork and make accurate decisions based on data you have gathered. Without customers’ data, many companies would be at a loss as to what their customers need and how best to provide it for them.

With more people closing off access to their information and the unrelenting cybercriminals making matters worse, how can you reassure your customers that you will keep their data safe? An IT Security course and training will guide you on how to protect your data from cybercriminals.

Data protection is the answer you seek.

What is data protection?

Data protection is simply taking measures to ensure that customers’ data is not corrupted, compromised, stolen, or lost. It is also ensuring that if a data breach ever occurs, you are primed to recover the data quickly with little to no casualties.

You can define it as the strategies and procedures you use to protect your consumers’ data integrity, availability, and privacy. You may also know it as data security or information privacy.

If you own a business and collect, store, or handle any form of sensitive data from your customers, having a working data protection strategy is vital for you. However, a strategy is only successful if it can effectively shield data from theft, corruption, and damage if a breach occurs.

Your strategy should also have measures that can minimize the data damage in the case of any disasters.

Because of the importance of data protection for businesses due to the spike in sensitive information they have access to, the Government has started to issue some laws in different states to guide consumer data gathering and protection.

Customers’ Data Protection Act (CDPA)

The CDPA for the state of Virginia was passed into law in March 2021 and grants Virginia consumers rights over their data.

The Act also ensures that companies who are under this law “comply with rules on the data they collect, how it’s treated and protected and with whom it’s shared.”

A few other states are interested in the protection of data for their residents, like California. The various Data Protection Acts all carry similar messages for companies that collect and store data.

These include:

• Giving consumers a clear privacy notice, including a way for them to opt-out of targeted advertising
• Allowing consumers to see data collected about them within 45 days
• Getting consumer consent to process their sensitive data.
• Letting consumers know if the company will sell their data.
• Allowing consumers to refuse the companies from selling their data.
• Allowing consumers to delete their data.

6 Reasons why customer data protection is important for businesses

There are many reasons why data protection is important, asides from the fact that unsecured customer data put your customers at risk. It is also vital to note that it also has serious effects on your business and its reputation.

So that you don’t risk losing your customers and a good name, take note of the highlighted reasons why you should protect your customers’ data.

Data breaches can happen to any business

Many small businesses and even a few big ones are not aware of the consequences of data breaches. Even worse, think they’re untouchable and impervious to cyberattacks from hackers and cybercriminals.

It is important to note that any business can suffer a cyber attack, whether small or large. As long as you have access to, collect and store sensitive information from your customers, these criminals want to get to it too.

Research has shown that small companies suffer the most from cyberattacks, with about 67% of them suffering a cyberattack and 58% have suffered a breach. They are easy prey to the attackers because they are usually unprepared or do not have enough resources to resolve most attacks.

Customer data makes up a part of your company’s asset

Data today is a very important tool in the digital space. It not only provides you with factual information that can help you improve your company, but it also helps you provide better services and products for your customers.

By satisfying your customers and meeting their needs through the information you derive from their data, you boost your company’s revenue. Based on these important benefits both for the present and future of your company, you can describe customers’ data as assets.

Your company’s assets in the wrong hands, such as your competition, can quickly run you out of the market. If cybercriminals steal your customers’ data and sell it to your competition, you may kiss your business goodbye.

You can save unnecessary costs

If you are not adequately prepared for the worst data breach cases and you get hit, the costs incurred can cause a huge blow to your business’ finances.

In trying to salvage the damage done by cybercriminals, you may have to spend unbudgeted resources, which may affect the smooth flow of other processes in the business. A shortage of money may also cause stunted output, which can lead to a loss of customers.

You protect your company’s reputation

When your customers allow you access to their data and other sensitive information, such as their credit card details, they trust you to keep it safe.

When your business suffers cyber attack after cyber attack because you fail to protect your customers’ data adequately, it gives your business a bad name. Your customers start to lose their confidence in you and may boycott your company to avoid future risks.

You can face lawsuits or incur monetary fines

With the CDPA and other Data Protection Acts in place, companies are liable to go to court or pay monetary fines for mishandling customers’ data. Customers may also sue companies for putting their data at risk, which may run into losing millions of dollars.

There may be repeat cyber attacks

Because the main goal of malicious cyber attacks is money, the hackers may automate the cyberattacks to occur repeatedly.

These attacks are set up so that the hackers do not even have to be at their computers for the bugs to be deployed. Knowing that they have unprepared businesses to attack for money encourages them to tamper with your data consistently.

How can you protect your customer data?

Knowing how important it is to protect your customers’ data, there are certain steps you should take to do so. Check out the 5-step method to securing your customer data from breaches below.

Use a secure network

This is the first step to create a secure database for the company and the employees in the organization. A secure, dedicated server lowers the risk of leaving vital customers’ data open to breaches. It is also important to continuously back up said data to prevent data loss.

Create stronger passwords

A weak password leaves a vulnerable entry point for hackers and malicious cyber users. With all the sensitive data being stored, all passwords should be as uncrackable as possible and not just a random, easy-to-guess word.

It should consist of varying letters in different cases, numbers, and symbols for stronger protection. You can also use password management tools like LastPass for 2-factor authentication purposes.

Keep only the data you need

Sometimes businesses may store some data that is no longer necessary to the company but is still sensitive information. The more data you store, the greater the risk your business is taking, so deleting data that is no longer serving you is a wise decision.

However, before you take the leap, ensure you destroy irrelevant data before erasing them from your database. It’s easy for hackers to retrieve data from hard drives if it is not properly destroyed first.

Prepare for data disasters and emergencies

If you face a data breach today, do you have a plan to mitigate the effects and quickly salvage the damage done? If your answer is “no,” then you need to map out one immediately.

With the aid of data security personnel, you should build a workable data protection strategy for your business to combat any cyber attack disasters or emergencies.

Train data-handling staff for data protection practices

Adequate hands-on training is essential for staff that have access to sensitive customers’ data. This training should cover the essential practices for data protection to avoid internal data leaks or sensitive data exposure from your very own employees.

Conclusion

Although useful, customer data is high-risk information that can cause problems for your customers if they fall into the wrong hands. To ensure that you keep your customers’ trust and maintain your credibility as a company, you must create a data protection strategy to secure this data.

Comply with the Customers’ Data Protection Act as it applies to your company and follow the 5-step data protection method we have outlined in the article to keep your customer data safe and away from data thieves.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post 6 Key Reasons Why You Should Protect Your Customers’ Data in 2021 appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

What are the best ways to teach your employees? And how can you ensure that the security measures you put in place are followed? Here are a few tips and tricks to share with your employees, but you can also use them yourself.

Do Not Neglect Your Devices

How many times have you misplaced your phone, tablet or even laptop? While this may be fine when at home and without anyone else around you, it can turn into a bad habit. Rather, you need to get into the habit of protecting your devices so that you know where they are, and if you are to leave them somewhere, they need to be locked and inaccessible. This is because people could try to hack into your phone so that they have access to sensitive data. Of course, this can cause issues for you personally, but if you use your phone for work such as checking emails, etc., it can cause problems there, too.

Teach your employees to keep their work devices safe by using VPNs or an android PGP, and to keep them out of sight and reach of others. You can have rules in place that if an employee is to leave their desktop, they have to lock their PC so that other people, such as fellow employees or even visitors, cannot gain access to any sensitive data.

Install Proper Anti-Virus

All PCs should have anti-virus installed on them so that they are protected from any malicious viruses that could be lingering on websites that employees visit or any links they accidentally click on. Of course, there are various other benefits of installing anti-virus software, such as:

• Blocking ads and spam such as pop-ups
• Providing a line of defense between you and hackers
• Protection from spyware
• Protection from phishing attacks

Anti-virus software may not provide 100% protection, but it does provide an additional layer of security to your PC or laptop. Plus, this can be enough of a deterrent to a hacker who wishes to locate an easy job so that they do not have to linger too long. Therefore, any additional barrier or layer of defense can be worthwhile.

Be Wary of Social Media Scams

Social media is very much a part of our society, with many users being active on the biggest social media platforms out there, such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and even Pinterest. Therefore, you need to be aware that there will be hackers and cybercriminals who will leverage these platforms so that they can gain access to your sensitive data.

How can you determine a social media scam? Much like a phishing email, you need to ask yourself whether the deal is too good to be true, whether it is coming from a legitimate profile, and how the message has been written. For the latter, is the message riddled with spelling mistakes (whether it is a direct message or a comment)? If so, this is a sign that the link they have embedded may not be trustworthy.

The best way to counter these scams is to simply not click on any links that an unknown profile has posted. While this may seem excessive, it can protect you from accidentally giving hackers access to your data or PC. You will come to know when a link is trustworthy, but until then, it is better to be safe than sorry when it comes to links on social media platforms.

Do Not Click on Unusual Links

Much like the advice provided above, you should refrain from clicking on unusual links throughout the internet in general. This is because you do not know whether the link is trustworthy. There are ways for you to determine if the link is trustworthy, of course. You can use a link checker; these link checkers will alert you if it is compromised or has any safety risks.

Enroll Employees on a Training Course

The best way to teach not only yourself but your employees about proper cybersecurity measures and best practices is to find a reputable online security training program like those provided by Inspire eLearning. Inspired eLearning’s security awareness training teaches your employees about online threats and how to detect them. Their online security training will also help your employees handle other forms of threats, such as in-person threats and attacks.

Through online training courses, your employees can be kept up to date on the latest security threats and how they can protect themselves as well as their co-workers. Educating your employees on cybersecurity is essential and can help keep the integrity of your business.

Do Not Use Public Wi-Fi

Public Wi-Fi should never be used, especially if you are logging onto a device that is used for business. This is because you are leaving yourself open to malicious hackers who can access all your data. Remember that public Wi-Fi does not have any security measures in place, but if you do need to log into a public Wi-Fi, you could get around the security implications by using a VPN. This is because a VPN encrypts your data so that hackers cannot gain access to your sensitive information.

Protect yourself but also your employees and your business by ensuring that everyone knows the cybersecurity best practices. Keep yourself knowledgeable in how you can keep yourself protected so that you do not have to experience a hacker gaining access to your sensitive data.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Cybersecurity Tips and Tricks to Teach Employees appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.

Expert identifies 4 cornerstones of retailer’s cyber security

PwC’s 2020 US Holiday Outlook indicates that 61% of those surveyed will do most of their shopping online, as 55% mentioned the pandemic being the biggest concern preparing for Christmas this year. Accenture provides similar estimations with 75% respondents claiming  they would at least partially shop for Christmas online.

Ecommerce vendors aim to grow their profits due to increased traffic in online stores, but this puts them in the spotlight of cyber criminals, who use similar tactics every year. If the website goes down for a day, retailers lose as much as £19,000 of revenue (£134,850 per week) and in the midst of the holiday shopping spree the numbers are supposedly higher.

“Due to more people shopping online, the number of cyber attacks are projected to increase. 57% of retailers say the surge in online sales has made cyber security especially difficult and 83% of the top US retailers have connections to vulnerable third-party assets. Hackers try to take advantage of increased traffic in the online stores to trigger the Denial of Service (DoS) attack and temporarily shut down the website or gain access to user account information. They may, for example, utilize bots, some of which are programmed to snatch the best deals, while others try to break into the user’s account and obtain sensitive data” says Juta Gurinaviciute, the Chief Technology Officer at NordVPN Teams.

Last year, Magecart group managed to implant a card-skimming code on Macy’s website and leak crucial payment information, including, but not limited to, name, address and credit card number.  This year, Magecart attacks are also considered as one of the most dangerous client-side vulnerabilities.

Hackers also leverage social engineering techniques as the online communication in holiday time surges. “Using hijacked vendors’ emails, criminals can distribute scams through reputable and trusted channels and acquire sensitive client data. Remote work also multiplies the risk.” warns NordVPN Teams expert.

Think about private information. Employees should only be able to access the internal systems through two-factor authentication and guest checkouts shouldn’t be allowed. “Some of the hackers use so-called ‘friendly fraud’. They purchase the products and then require a refund after the items have reached their hands. More sophisticated ones make use of traditional social engineering practices and attempt to breach ecommerce websites” says Gurinaviciute.

Be careful with third-party solutions. Many smaller retailers depend on the content management systems (CMS) and various ecommerce plugins. They require some degree of system integration, which can become a gateway for criminals in the event of cyber attack. It is thus wise to limit third party access to any consumer’s private and payment information, a policy known as a “least privilege”. However, third-party solutions are indispensable while handling the payments, as established providers ensure trustworthy encrypted tunnels for financial operations.

Take a good look at your website. There are various signs that websites can be trusted and one of the most important is the presence of a secure socket layer (SSL) certificate, which safeguards any data that flows in and out of the website. It is indicated by the ‘https’ at the beginning of the URL or a lock icon in some of the browsers. Don’t forget that the website theme and general appearance are also telling.  Updating a website’s plugins is also relevant as cyber attackers try to leverage their bugs to infiltrate web pages. Important data on servers has to be backed up every once in a while or an automatic backup has to be set, preferably on the offline storage.

Teach and learn. Cyber security and tech landscape changes quickly and constant learning is necessary to keep up with the advancements. The best way to avoid a disaster caused by cyber attack is to ensure businesses have an up-to-date and functioning crisis management strategy and all workers are instructed about necessary actions they should take in the case of emergency. Risk and security awareness training  is crucial, especially if they work remotely.

About NordVPN Teams

NordVPN Teams is a cloud-based VPN for business from the world’s most advanced VPN service provider, NordVPN. NordVPN Teams has a full range of features to ensure convenience and powerful digital protection for organizations of all sizes, freelancers, and remote teams. NordVPN Teams offers advanced 256-bit encryption, secure remote access, malware blocking, two-factor authentication, unsecured traffic prevention, automatic connection on Wi-Fi networks, and 24/7 customer support. NordVPN Teams is available on all major platforms.

Hernaldo Turrillo

Hernaldo Turrillo is a writer and author specialised in innovation, AI, DLT, SMEs, trading, investing and new trends in technology and business. He has been working for ztudium group since 2017. He is the editor of openbusinesscouncil.org, tradersdna.com, hedgethink.com, and writes regularly for intelligenthq.com, socialmediacouncil.eu. Hernaldo was born in Spain and finally settled in London, United Kingdom, after a few years of personal growth. Hernaldo finished his Journalism bachelor degree in the University of Seville, Spain, and began working as reporter in the newspaper, Europa Sur, writing about Politics and Society. He also worked as community manager and marketing advisor in Los Barrios, Spain. Innovation, technology, politics and economy are his main interests, with special focus on new trends and ethical projects. He enjoys finding himself getting lost in words, explaining what he understands from the world and helping others. Besides a journalist, he is also a thinker and proactive in digital transformation strategies. Knowledge and ideas have no limits.

The post Cyber Criminals Leverage The Spike In Online Sales During Holiday Season appeared first on OpenBusinessCouncil Directory.