cyber attack
News from cyber attack
Ontario Construction Firm Victim of Ransomware Attack
A multi-million dollar Ontario construction firm, according to CBC News, Bird Construction of Mississauga, Ont., acknowledged that it was recently victimized, but didn’t give any details. “Bird Construction responded to a cyber incident that resulted in the encryption of company files,” the CBC quoted an unnamed company spokesperson as saying. “Bird continued to function with no business impact, and we worked with leading cybersecurity experts to restore More »
Ransomware Attack on Construction Company Raises Questions about Federal Contracts – CBC Reports
A construction company that’s won millions of dollars worth of contracts with the military and other federal departments has been hit by a ransomware attack — raising questions about how the federal government does businesses with outside firms open to cyber attacks. “Bird Construction responded to a cyber incident that resulted in the encryption of company files,” wrote a company spokesperson in an email to More »
The National Security Agency helps Microsoft
The National Security Agency recently discovered a major flaw in Microsoft’s Windows operating system — one that could potentially expose computer users to significant breaches or surveillance — and alerted the firm of the problem rather than turn it into a hacking weapon, according to people familiar with the matter. According to Ellen Nakishima for the Washington Post: The flaw affects Windows 10 users, More »
Currency Exchange Travelex Held Hostage by Ransomware Attack
A ransomware attack has held London-based foreign currency exchange firm Travelex hostage since at least New Year’s Day, the company confirmed Tuesday after more than a week of vague updates. It appears that the Sodinokibi gang is behind the incident. The Sodinokibi gang runs a Ransomware as a service operation and brag that their affiliates have reportedly earned more than 2 Billion Dollars On Tuesday, More »
2020 Malware Predictions
As 2020 approaches, it comes the impending waves of new malware that businesses will have to defend themselves from. Myla Pilao, the director of technology marketing for cybersecurity firm Trend Micro, sees three major trends on the horizon: an increase in malware using unconventional behaviors, an emergence of Linux-based malware, and a continued increase in the volume and complexity of info-stealing malware. When it comes to the classification More »
LifeLabs Pays Ransom after Massive Data Breach
The Globe and Mail is reporting LifeLabs Medical Laboratory Services, Canada’s largest lab testing company, has paid a ransom after a major cyber attack led to the theft of lab results for 85,000 Ontarians and potentially the personal information of 15 million customers. The personal information stolen from the lab test provider could include a customer’s name, address, e-mail, login, passwords, date of birth and More »
Visa warns: Cybercrime attacks on the rise at North American gas stations
In its statement, Visa explained that cyberattacks on gas stations have been on the rise as business owners have been slow to upgrade their terminals to safer chip-reading technology, from magnetic stripe readers. The ability of hackers to access the merchant’s internal networks makes these attacks more sophisticated in nature, warns Visa, as compared to the more usual skimming scams in which card-skimming devices are More »
Ransomware Attackers Leak Stolen Data
Ransomware attacks have taken an unwelcome turn: A Ransomware Group called The Maze gang (yes they now brand themselves) reportedly has begun leaking a victim’s files to create pressure to pay a ransom. Security experts say that leaking data as part of a ransomware shakedown isn’t a surprising turn of events. But it’s unclear whether this tactic will catch on, they say, because simpler ransomware More »
Cyber Attacks – What You Need To Know
Financially motivated hackers target many SMBs in North America. With the attack, the infected company or user usually ends up with a banking Trojan ( a hidden file that monitors your banking information), or Ransomware malware (file encryption) in their systems. Ransomware campaigns are not customized for each organization. They are targeting manufacturing, healthcare and accounting businesses that possess critical data and can likely afford More »
Remote Desktop Warning
This article outlines why you need a VPN (Virtual Private Network) when using any type of remote desktop software. Call us if you are not using a VPN. It is free with Windows 10 PRO. Ever since it was discovered six months ago, a malicious software called BlueKeep was found in a Windows component known as Remote Desktop Services. It affects machines running unpatched versions More »