3 Types of Cyber Threats That You Must Always Prepare For

In recent years, it is rare to see a business that doesn’t rely on the Internet to get by and capture a significant chunk of their market as they stroll along the path to success.

Whether you’re a mom-and-pop retailer that’s about to get your foot in the door or a large-scale corporation that operates internationally, there’s no doubt that your business is dependent on the web. Thanks to the digital revolution explosion, even the simplest of tasks (such as scheduling appointments) are now performed online.

Although the age of the Internet has ushered in a new way for businesses to operate as efficiently and profitably as possible, there’s one threat that is still around: Cyber attacks.

Why your business is more susceptible than ever

If you’ve been paying attention to the news for the past few months alone, you might be familiar with the recurring theme of seeing businesses lose thousands to millions to hackers. This is the same problem that costs businesses approximately 600 billion dollars in damages each year. 

Whether it’s over stolen data, corrupted files, or databases being wiped clean, there’s no cyber attack that you shouldn’t do anything and everything to avoid. Your business will always be susceptible in one way or another to such crimes when you use the Internet in your operations, which is a truth that makes the web a double-edged sword. 

The most common attacks you need to protect yourself from

Seeing that cyber-attacks are impacting businesses worldwide, your company needs to do all that it can to combat the rising threats that hackers pose every day. Fortunately, getting a leg up on any persistent threat can be quickly done by being well-aware of these three types of cyber crimes:


Threat #1: Denial-of-Service (DoS) Attacks

The best way to explain what happens when this cybersecurity threat is put into play is that it prevents any user on a website from accessing specific services on a website.

Commonly present on specific services that involve the use of online accounts (such as e-mails, social networking platforms, banking websites), this threat can slow your business’s productivity. Although it isn’t used to steal vital information or property, it can severely hamper the operational flow that you regularly follow, making it crucial to set up your firewall. 

Threat #2: Internet of Things (IoT) hacking

Although it may not be as common as the other threats on this list, IoT hacking poses a larger damage threat because it can affect a network of gadgets that use an office network.

Typically, reliant items on a Wi-Fi connection—such as locks, thermostats, DVRs, and security cameras—can be targeted by hackers who can prevent these devices from working. The best way to prevent this threat from taking over your entire Internet connection and hampering your business’s productivity is to continuously update the firmware of your IoT devices!

Threat #3: Phishing

Commonly associated with most financial blunders that is seen on the news, phishing is a cyber threat that you want to avoid at all times because of the severe consequences it brings.

What makes this type of cyber threat so unique is that it is, unlike other threats, wholly rooted in human error or negligence, which is why this scam is carried out through e-mails or dubious links. If you want to prevent this problem from happening, the best measure you can take is to educate your staff on various cybersecurity practices that will build their awareness!

Conclusion

In today’s digitally-driven world where cyber threats must be dealt with accordingly, every company needs backup. It’s in your best interest to fill any IT roles with qualified professionals who can keep your business safe from cyber threats. Unfortunately, recruiting for IT roles can be difficult when you aren’t familiar with the requirements of the role yourself. We can help!
Technical Paradigm is an IT staffing agency that works with companies in a wide range of industries including but not limited to customer service, technology, engineering, manufacturing, and sales. We aim to fill every IT role with the best possible fit and ensure a positive recruitment experience by working closely with your team. Reach out today to learn more about what we do!

Mike Yahkind sits down with the People Maximizer Podcast

Episode 52: Mike Yahkind of Technical Paradigm Shares What Makes Them Unique

Technical Paradigm is a premier and innovative technology staffing solutions company. They recruit from a  rare talent pool by using innovative and next-gen sourcing tools, which has made Technical Paradigm the fastest growing staffing company in Chicago.

Michael Yahkind, the owner and managing partner shares what makes them unique which includes:

  • Focus on emerging technologies where people are in short supply
  • Provide flexible, cost-saving options such as staffing as a service

What are the top paying IT jobs?

Percentage wise: the majority of job opportunities fall within the software development space. The highest paid jobs are mostly either in leadership or in senior cyber security jobs, some can even reach as high as $400,000. Unfortunately for many companies, right now they are facing rising cyberattacks. Due to the rise in demand, there is a shortage of trained cyber security professionals. Fortunately for those that are in the field, the gap in the market means high paying jobs. However, pay has been rising in the search for ALL hard-to-find skills that are in demand. The upcoming mass expansion in artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) has led to a drastic demand for these professionals. AI/ML is projected to grow by 2.3 million new jobs within the next year. The average senior salary mark will soon exceed $200,000. Internet of Things (IoT) skills are also in increasingly high demand. You can not go wrong with Mobile engineering jobs for both iOS and Android. The best paying mobile jobs involve cross-platform mobile development tools like Xamarin. Within purely development the highest paid skills involve automation, big data, and open-source technology. Go has recently become the hot language. Go, often called “Golang”, it is an open source, cross-platform language originally developed by Google. In general technology is one of the best fields you can choose and has better career prospects than almost any other field.

Twitter Hack

Two teenagers and a 22-year-old man were charged yesterday for their alleged involvement in the Twitter attack earlier this month. Graham Ivan Clark, 17, of Tampa, Mason Sheppard, 19, of the United Kingdom, and Nima Fazeli, 22, of Orlando, Florida have all been identified and charged. Among the 130 confirmed compromised accounts included some of the platforms most high-profile users. The accounts of presidential candidate Joe Biden, former president Barack Obama, Bill Gates, Elon Musk, Mike Bloomberg, Jeff Bezos, Warren Buffet, Kanye West and Kim Kardashian were used for a cryptocurrency scam. Twitter says stolen employee credentials were used to fool other internal company employees into giving out access to the accounts.

Hacker mug shot
Twitter hacker

The attack, which took place on July 15, has massive security implications. It shows the questionable amount of control Twitter employees have over user accounts. The vulnerability is worrisome; given 166 million daily active users rely on Twitter for live information. Evidence suggests, 17 year old, Graham Clark, was the leader of the attack. It also appears that Clark was already under investigation for another unrelated attack from April. The other attack involved the theft of $700,000 worth of BTC. While the Twitter hack will continue to collect massive headlines, the attack is a sobering reminder that anyone is vulnerable to malicious hackers.

A.I Doctor

Artificial intelligence (AI) is seeping into everything from phones and computers to our cars and home appliances. It is also making its way into hospitals around the world. The addition of artificial intelligence to healthcare is broad and growing. This might make some people nervous, but for many, the role of the son in healthcare is a clear step forward. Aside from the obvious fact that software programs don’t get distracted or need sleep, AI is better than humans at diagnosing patients. John Radcliffe Hospital has developed an AI system that can read and diagnose heart scans. The technology has been tested in six cardiology units and the results of the study showed 80% more accurate at predicting heart attacks than human doctors. A separate AI program has been developed to pick up early signs of cancer. It was tested on 335 lesions and correctly predicting cancer with an accuracy of 97 percent. 30 percent of surgeries to remove the lesions could have been avoided by using this technology. AI healthcare is undoubtedly coming and is ruffling some medical feathers, the profession is being urged to embrace AI as a partner, and not to see it as a threat.

COVID-19 Cyber Attacks

Several cybersecurity firms and international government agencies are reporting a surge in attackers using the COVID-19 pandemic as a malicious tool against their victims. Hackers, scammers and even foreign state-sponsored actors are looking to profit off of the pandemic. Exploiting the situation, malicious activity like phishing attempts, ads for counterfeit products, scam charity requests and malware have all increased by 300%. As companies scramble to set up the infrastructure needed for their employees to work from home, reports of video-teleconference hijacking known “Zoombombing” is a growing phenomenon which is wreaking havoc via Zoom. There are more than 500,000 new sites using malicious web domains to steal users’ private credentials by containing terms like “covid” and “coronavirus”. These schemes have led to unprecedented amounts of theft, identity hijacking, and ransomware to steal money from the vulnerable. Foreign agents are looking to spread false information about the disease to interfere with response efforts. Tragically, healthcare organizations and hospitals are among the most targeted. Thousands of hospitals worldwide are being attacked via ransomware using encryption to lock down patient records if a ransom isn’t paid. In Chicago, the public health department website which holds personal data of hundreds of thousands of people was taken offline following a ransomware attack. Ramifications of these attacks, especially during the outbreak, are devastating. The horrific implications on human lives aside, small independent hospitals already struggling to keep up with the demands of the virus, are now overloaded with ransom requests as high as $6.5 M. We all need to remember that it’s imperative to keep up cyber security efforts. Hospitals and small businesses alike need to implement security measures like multi-factor authentication to verify authorized remote users, and ensure remote employees are using a virtual private network (VPN) while logging in. IT departments simultaneously should be enhancing remote monitoring during these times. Cybercriminals have wasted no time figuring out how to exploit COVID-19.

Health care will spend 18 billion in spending on deep learning

BY: FAWAD KHAN- Project Management Consultant @KeyMetricsXP

As digitization sweeps across every horizontal and vertical market, data has become the new corporate currency. Data is everywhere and growing faster than ever. When data is managed properly, it becomes a competitive advantage for any organization; but without interpretation, it’s only a collection of facts.  Various analytical techniques have transformed data into valuable information for organizations to identify trends and metrics which would otherwise be lost or disregarded. To manage the tremendous volume of big data, organizations have been investing heavily in analytical techniques such as machine learning, data mining, and natural language processing. Following a report published by International Data Corporation, big data is expected to grow faster in healthcare than any other sector; and by 2024, the public and private investments in health analytics will be worth more than $68 billion globally. The driving forces contributing to the growth are accredited to the adoption of IoT enabled devices, electronic record systems, cloud analytics, government regulations, and advancements to data management techniques. North America is anticipated to hold the largest market share.

The affect on the data science is extensive and in demand. Business intelligence software uses charting and predictive modeling to support better business decision making. AI is still a relatively new technology in the healthcare, but the demands of big data analytics continues to increase. From provider care to clinical research, pharmaceutical R&R and insurance, AI is revolutionizing how health organizations work to reduce spending and improve patient care. A report from HealthITAnalytics states the health sector will be one of the top players in the global market to spend $18 billion on deep learning technologies to analyze images, extract meaning from unstructured data, and support business initiatives. Deep learning, one of the most promising branches of AI, will see a 42% increase in compound annual growth rate.

As big data continues to get bigger, organizations will have to devise ever-more innovative solutions to manage data. An estimated 80% of companies are investing in AI. Positions like machine learning engineer, data engineer, and data scientist are among the most in-demand AI jobs as companies search for candidates to help bring AI to their workplace. According to Indeed, the demand for AI jobs grew 29%. These jobs include:

Machine Learning Engineers: responsible for building and managing platforms for machine learning projects. Annual median salary of $141,439

Data Scientists: possess a deep understanding of statistics and algorithms, programming and communication skills. Annual median salary of $120,655.

Big Data Engineers: responsible for developing the ecosystem that enables business systems to communicate and gather data. Most positions require a Ph.D. in mathematics, or computer science. Annual median salary of $130,541.

Business Intelligence Developers: key players to enable efficiency and profitability of a business project. Annual median salary of $90,671.

Data Warehouse Architect: responsible for designing data warehouse solutions and working with conventional data warehouse technologies to come up with plans that best support a business. Annual median salary of $133,764.

4 SUPER EASY SECURITY TIPS

1. Avoid USB drives whenever possible. Hackers can easily load them with software that will allow them to spy on you. Instead, use a cloud-based platform like Dropbox.

2. Tape your laptop camera. While covering a camera doesn’t protect the device from being hacked, it does prevent a creep from being able to see what your camera sees. Hackers can gain access to your webcam easily through a software called RAT. A piece of tape over your webcam is ridiculously simple, yet effective.

3. Use DuckDuckGo for any searches your mother wouldn’t approve of. DuckDuckGo is a search engine that, unlike Google, this site empathizes the privacy of its users. Nothing you search will ever be saved.

4. Use secure messaging. On Facebook turn on the encryption option. Consider using Telegram or Whatsapp instead of texting.

Four types of AI

The term artificial intelligence (AI) refers to the ability of a digital computer or computer-controlled robot to perform tasks commonly associated with intelligence. There are four distinctive types of artificial intelligence.

Reactive machines: Most basic type of AI that only react to situations in real time.

Limited memory: Observes and stores recent information to enhance preprogrammed knowledge. This is the type of AI currently used in self driving cars.

Theory of mind: Preprogrammed knowledge able to store memory’s and adjust behavior depending on the situation.

Self Aware AI: The most advanced form of AI. In theory it could form its own ideas without any programming. It is still unknown and debated if this type of AI is possible..