As tensions between Russia and the rest of the world escalate, so too will the efforts of Russian hackers against NATO countries – and businesses within those countries – that align with Ukraine. No need to panic or make any big changes. However, everyone within your company needs to be aware that phishing and hacking efforts may increase.
We’ve received emails from a couple of clients concerned about this and will tell you what we tell them. Now is a good time to examine the security layers you have in place at your company and analyze if they are sufficient to protect you from potential attacks. It is also vital that you continually educate everyone in your business about the following:
- Be alert: This is always important but be hyper-aware of potential schemes to gain access to your networks. Hackers love to play on your emotions and fears. For example, a recent phishing campaign warned recipients that someone from Moscow had logged into their account to try to rope them into a scam. Others may ask you to support the Ukrainian war effort by making a donation, thus gaining access to your bank information. The bad guys are crafty, reinforce the need to be vigilant with your team.
- Change your passwords: If you haven’t changed your password in a while, or if you are using the same one for most of your logins, now is a good time to make updates. Make sure it is 10-15 characters long, uses a mix of characters and avoids common substitutions. Also, if you aren’t already, consider using a vetted password manager to help employees avoid writing their passwords on post-it notes or saving in unsecure files on their computers or on your network.
- Never give out your personal information: I don’t care who is asking, or how legit the email or text looks, never send your personal information like bank accounts, logins, etc. to anyone. Even if the person asking is your mother or spouse, the process of moving that information from Point A to Point B can lead to your information getting into the wrong hands.
Ultimately, if you have the right security layers in place, there is little more you can do other than raise awareness and remain vigilant for sneaky attacks. And if someone does fall for one, make sure they know what to do so you avoid, or at least contain, any damage.
If you aren’t sure if your security is where it should be, we are happy to talk to you about where you currently are and see if adding additional layers would make sense for your specific situation.