In this article, we will explore the concept of a honeypot in cybersecurity and how deception honeypot technology is utilized to strengthen digital defenses.

What is a Honeypot and How Does it Work?

If you’re wondering, “What is ReasonLabs?” or “How can it help protect me online?” you’re in the right place. This blog will explore how the new Online Security ReasonLabs application has become one of the best tools for safeguarding social security online, protecting your identity, and ensuring privacy.

What Is the Best Digital Secure App? ReasonLabs Application

In this review, we’ll tell you how RAV Endpoint Protection lives up to its promises and how it compares to some of the competition. 

Is RAV Endpoint Protection Legit?

October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month and to learn more about consumers’ internet habits and the cybersecurity issues they face, ReasonLabs commissioned a survey of 7,484 consumers across the United States from August 23 - September 4, 2024. The survey results highlight significant online security, privacy, and identity theft issues.

2024 Consumer Cybersecurity Pulse Report

FaceTime is one of Apple’s most cherished apps, offering effortless video calls to iPhones, iPads, and Mac users worldwide. However, FaceTime can occasionally encounter problems such as technical glitches, or UX issues like activation. 

Why Is My FaceTime Not Working? How To Activate FaceTime

If you are a Canadian traveling abroad or someone trying to enhance your privacy and security online, utilizing a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is a must-do. This article will help walk you through the process of how to get a Canadian IP Address.

How To Get A Canadian IP Address

The word ‘games’ implies fun – but some of these popular online experiences, even those aimed at kids, contain worrying content. Here's what you should be looking out for.

7 Alarming Online Games to Watch Out For

We'll explore effective strategies and tips to help you figure out how to prevent trackers and how to stop being tracked online.

Tired of Being Tracked? How to Stop Being Tracked Online

This blog post will guide you through understanding iMessage, troubleshooting common issues, and teach you how to enable iMessage.

iMessage Not Working? Here's How To Enable iMessage

 In this article, we'll detail how to know if your phone is hacked, what to dial to see if your phone is hacked, describe different signs your phone is hacked, and finally what you should do if your phone is hacked.

What To Dial To See If Your Phone Is Hacked

If you are a Navy Federal Credit Union member and you are wondering how to report Navy Federal credit fraud, read this blog.

How To Report Navy Federal Credit Fraud

This detailed article will dive deep into what is an IP UK address, how to get a UK IP address, how to use a UK IP address, RAV mobile VPN for iPhone, and more. 

How to Get a UK IP Address

If you’re looking for information on how to reprieve AOL Mail, look no further! Retrieving your AOL mail is a straightforward process and for mobile users, AOL also offers an app for Android and iOS devices.

What is AOL? How to Retrieve AOL Mail

Is identity theft protection worth it? Utilizing identity theft protection can provide peace of mind, especially for seniors who may be more susceptible to fraud and online scams. 

What Is The Best Identity Theft Protection For Seniors?

You might be wondering how to get a US IP address, so let’s dive into why you might want one in the first place, what a US IP address look like, how can I get a US IP address, and more. 

How To Get A US IP Address

Mukbang has gained immense popularity across various social media platforms, particularly on video-sharing sites like YouTube, Twitch, and platforms that support live streaming. But what does 'mukbang' and ASMR mean?

What Is Mukbang and ASMR? Effects Of This Social Media Trend

Who doesn’t love a good fishing trip? Go ahead, picture the scene: it’s just you,…

What is Spear Phishing? How to Defend Against Spear Phishing

Identity theft is a growing concern that can have severe consequences for your financial health and personal security - so being able to check if your identity has been stolen is crucial.

How To Check For Identity Theft: 7 Tips For Identity Protection

The csrss.exe Trojan is a type of malware that disguises itself as the legitimate csrss.exe process. Cybercriminals exploit this to hide malicious activities within a process that appears to be a trusted system file. The csrss.exe Trojan can open backdoors, steal sensitive information, and allow unauthorized access to your system.


How To Remove csrss.exe Trojan: A Comprehensive Guide

As Instagram continues to evolve, so do the strategies employed by scammers on Instagram. Staying vigilant and informed is essential in safeguarding yourself from these threats. 

Instagram Scam Messages: How To Avoid Them & Protect Yourself

The svchost.exe process is a fundamental part of the Windows operating system, responsible for running essential services efficiently. However, its importance also makes it a target for cybercriminals who create malware disguised as svchost.exe.

What Is svchost.exe Malware? How To Protect Your System 

The security of your Wi-Fi network is paramount in protecting our data and online behavior. This blog explores the potential vulnerabilities, signs of compromise, and effective strategies to protect your Wi-Fi from unauthorized access.

Can Someone Hack Your Wi-Fi Password? Signs & How To Fix It

Ticketmaster is the latest company to suffer a data breach, leading to compromised customer data.
Discovering that your data has been breached can be a troubling experience, but recognizing the signs early can help you mitigate the damage and take appropriate action.

Latest Data Breach: Were You Affected By Ticketmaster Hack?

Search engines are indispensable tools for accessing information. However, as concerns about online privacy grow, many users are seeking alternatives that prioritize their personal data's security. 

Best Secure Search Engines: How A VPN Can Help

ReasonLabs is proud to be recognized by Virus Bulletin alongside other top-tier security providers for excellence in malware detection and prevention

RAV Endpoint Protection Earns A+ Grade In VB100 Certification

With the allure of new online games and the temptation of obtaining them for free, many young gamers might find themselves downloading pirated software. As a parent, it's crucial to understand the risks associated with this practice and how you can protect your children from potential harm.

Is Your Child Gaming Online? How To Avoid Pirated Software

The Zeus virus, also known as Zbot, is one of the most infamous and persistent malware threats to ever hit the cybersecurity landscape. In this blog, we'll delve into what the Zeus virus is, how it operates, and how you can protect yourself from its harmful effects.

Zeus Virus Detected! The Signs You Need To Know

As the frequency of cyber threats and data breaches in the digital age are rampant, consumers are increasingly concerned about the security of their online activities. Web browser extensions, such as Online Security from ReasonLabs, play a crucial role in empowering users to defend themselves against potential threats and data breaches.

Digital Identity Protection: Why Data Monitoring Is An Important Defense

One often overlooked aspect of digital hygiene is clearing out your Wi-Fi history. In this blog post, we'll explore why you might want to delete your Wi-Fi history, how to do it, and some additional tips for keeping your digital life organized and secure.

Digital Spring Clean! How To Delete Wi-Fi History

While VPNs are commonly associated with desktop computers, their utility extends seamlessly to mobile devices, including Android smartphones and tablets. Using RAV VPN for Android will enhance your online security - find out how!

Best VPN For Android: How To Download RAV VPN 

With the rise of mobile payment platforms like Apple Pay, the ease of sending and receiving money has never been simpler. However, with this convenience also comes the risk of scams and fraudulent activities.

Apple Pay Scams: How To Prevent These Scams

The recent AT&T data breach has underscored the evolving threat landscape and the importance of robust cybersecurity measures to protect sensitive data, such as the use of the Online Security browser extension. 

AT&T’s Massive Data Breach: All You Need To Know

As one of the world’s most popular social media platforms, Instagram makes it easier than ever to make connections, share experiences, and discover new trends. However, amidst the endless scroll of captivating content lurks the darker world of scams - namely, crypto scams.

How To Recognize Bitcoin Mining Instagram Scams

Restrictions on access to advanced technologies, export control regulations, and concerns about misuse or abuse of AI capabilities can all contribute to limitations on availability of OpenAI. If OpenAI services are not available in your country, there may be a few reasons behind this!

Uh-Oh! Why OpenAI Services Are Not Available In Your Country

Removing hard inquiries from your credit report can be a strategic move to improve your creditworthiness and financial standing.

Secret Ways To Remove Hard Inquiries From Credit Reports Now!

Customer data breaches have become an all-too-common occurrence, posing significant risks to individuals' privacy, financial security, and personal well-being. From large-scale cyberattacks on multinational corporations to targeted phishing schemes aimed at unsuspecting individuals, the dangers of data breaches loom large.

Online Dictionary Data Leak Occurs! What You Need To Know About The Latest Data Breach

The surge in online scams reported by the FBI, and subsequent huge financial losses, reveals the significant threats to consumers' financial security and personal information. But how is this happening? How are malevolent actors managing to get away with so much?

$12.5 Billion Losses From Online Scams! All You Need To Know

Tax identity theft is a serious concern, but with awareness, vigilance, and the right cybersecurity measures, individuals can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to these scams.

Tax Identity Theft: Protect Yourself from Tax Return Scams & Frauds

It would be nice to believe that giveaway offers on social media platforms are real; however, as with most online ‘too good to be true’ scenarios, this is unfortunately generally not the case. We’ve rounded up some of the most common giveaway scams that occur on the YouTube platform.

Fake YouTube Giveaway Scams: How To Recognize Them!

.msi files are widely used for software distribution and installation due to their standardized format and reliability. While .msi files themselves are not inherently unsafe, they can be manipulated by malicious actors to deliver malware

MSIExec.Exe Files: How To Know If I Can Uninstall Or If It's Safe   

Malicious code refers to specific lines or segments of code within a program or script that are designed to carry out malicious actions e.g. cause harm, exploit vulnerabilities, or compromise the security and functionality of a computer system, network, or device without the knowledge or consent of the user. 

How To Avoid Downloading Malicious Code: Malware Warning!

This January 2024, the ‘Mother of All Breaches’ is making headlines as a ‘supermassive’ data leak, affecting no less than 26 billion leaked data records. It's time to change your passwords and scan your email to check for personal data breaches!

Data Leaked! How To Secure Your Accounts After The "MoAB"

The increasing reliance on the WhatsApp messaging app has brought to light several security concerns that users should be aware of to protect their privacy and data.

WhatsApp Security Issues: Risks & Dangers Hiding In Your Phone!

Java, a versatile programming language, has become an integral part of countless applications and websites. With its widespread use, scammers have seized the opportunity to exploit users through deceptive Java update scams.

Java Update Scam: Is It Safe To Download Or A Fake Virus?

One crucial tool in the arsenal of identity protection is the Identity Protection PIN (IP PIN). This unique six-digit number adds an extra layer of security to your identity, helping to prevent unauthorized use of your Social Security Number (SSN) and thwart potential identity theft.

Identity Theft Defense: How To Find My Identity Protection Pin

By preventing data breaches and ensuring secure communication, Endpoint Protection safeguards your sensitive information from falling into the wrong hands. 

EPP vs Antivirus: Unmasking the Endpoint Protection You Need

Cyber threats are continually evolving, and one particularly stealthy technique that has gained notoriety is DLL injection. This method allows attackers to compromise the integrity of a system by manipulating dynamic link libraries (DLLs). 

What is DLL Injection Attack? A Hacker's Secret Weapon Exposed

The latest report from ReasonLabs, The Cashback Extension Killer, discusses a set of malicious web extensions disguised as fake VPNs, delivered by a Trojan installer, and distributed through torrent files, that were then live on the Chrome Web Store for months, ultimately affecting over 2 million users! What can we learn from this?

Fake VPNs: How To Prevent Them On Your Device

In the realm of software and digital media, keygens have a notorious reputation. This blog will explore what keygens are, how they work, the associated risks, and how users can navigate the delicate balance between legitimate and illegitimate keygens while safeguarding their cybersecurity.

What Is A Keygen?: How To Safely Activate Software

Rogue security software, often synonymous with fake antivirus, encompasses a broader category of malicious applications that portray themselves as legitimate security tools. This may also be known as ‘rogueware’, ‘rogue antivirus’ or ‘scareware.’

What’s Fake Antivirus & Can It Trigger Rogue Security Software? 

'Weak security’ in the context of Wi-Fi typically refers to vulnerabilities or inadequacies in the security measures implemented to protect a wireless network. The security of a Wi-Fi network is crucial to prevent unauthorized access, data breaches, and other potential threats. 

Weak Security Wi-Fi? 10 Ways to Strengthen & Fix Security Wi-Fi

The festive season is upon us, bringing joy, warmth, and unfortunately, an increase in holiday scams designed to exploit the goodwill and online shopping frenzy. As you prepare for the festivities, it's crucial to be aware of common scams that could jeopardize your holiday cheer.


12 Scams of Christmas: How To Avoid Holiday Phishing Scams!

Whether you're exploring new websites, chatting on messaging apps, or interacting with AI software like ChatGPT, it's crucial to distinguish between what's real and genuine, and what's fake and possibly malicious. 


How to Recognize Fake ChatGPT & Fake Domains

As businesses and individuals alike host crucial information on web servers, understanding the importance of security for servers and adopting best practices is imperative. In this blog, we'll delve into the realm of web server security and explore its significance, different methods to secure web servers, and the best network security practices to keep your digital fortress robust.


What is Web Server Security? Best Secure Practices To Employ

WhatsApp is a great way to keep in touch with far-off friends and relatives but it also can be a scammer's digital playground.

Coming to a Smartphone Near You! The Latest Round of WhatsApp Scams

This Cybersecurity Awareness Month, take proactive steps to protect yourself online. With ReasonLabs products by your side, you can navigate the digital landscape with confidence.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month: How To Empower Your Cybersecurity Journey

Understand the ways in which identity fraud can occur, and the depth to which it can affect the victim.

How Does Identity Theft Happen? Learn to Safeguard Yourself

ReasonLabs’ Revenge of the Unitrix report brings to the fore the latest research on how text tricks can make us run malicious code on our devices.  But what do you as a consumer need to know? Can fonts have viruses? Can font files contain malware and other cybersecurity risks? 

Can Fonts Have Viruses? Cybersecurity: Fonts Dangers To Avoid 

Cybercriminals and hackers constantly seek ways to exploit vulnerabilities in security systems to gain access to sensitive financial information, including credit card numbers.

Credit Card Hacking: How Do People Steal Credit Card Numbers?

Investigate the VBS downloader Trojan VBS:malware-gen detection, and learn how to prevent this malware from attacking your devices. 

What is VBS:Malware-gen?

By actively monitoring your credit card activities and providing alerts, credit card monitoring services enable you to detect and respond to identity theft in its early stages.

What is Credit Monitoring? 6 Pros of Credit Monitoring Services

Find out more about tax identity theft and how you can prevent yourself from becoming a victim.

What is Tax Identity Theft? How You Can Protect Yourself

What is a credit report and what is a credit inquiry? This blog examines both of these subjects, as well as provides some top tips for the removal of hard inquiries on a credit report.

Top Tips For How To Remove Hard Inquiries From Credit Report

Your social security number (SSN) is one of the most crucial pieces of personal information you possess. Unfortunately, it is also a highly sought-after target for identity thieves and fraudsters.

Is It Safe To Text Social Security Numbers? 10 SSN Safety Tips 

ReasonLabs researchers discovered multiple files downloaded to its users’ devices which were supposed to be Super Mario Bros. but were instead files distributing malicious software.

The Super Mario Bros. Pirate

ReasonLabs has developed a new Dark Web Monitoring feature as part of its Online Security Extension. So what is the dark web and how does dark web monitoring software help protect the consumer?

What Is Dark Web Monitoring And Why Should Everyone Use It?

How can Microsoft Office documents be used as cyber threats and what can users do to protect themselves?

Office Documents Are Being Weaponized. How May It Affect You?

Let’s take a look at how and why parental controls can offer added cybersecurity, and why it is so important.

Cyber Safety For Every Member of Your Family

Here are the top cybersecurity trends home users need to know for 2023.

Top Cybersecurity Trends for 2023: What Do Home Users Need To Know?

Here's how Chrome push notifications work and why you need Online Security.

How Do Chrome Push Notifications Work and What Security Risks Are Involved?

Browser Extensions: Will They Boost My Online Experience?

Endpoint Protection: All You Need to Know for Maximum Security

It’s Halloween! Scary Cyber Attacks and How To Avoid Them

It’s almost October – known more fondly in the cybersecurity world as National Cybersecurity Awareness Month.

Cybersecurity Awareness Month 2022: 5 Tips for Consumers

  It’s the last week of the summer holidays, and parents, kids, teens, college students and teachers alike are getting ready to of back to school.

Back to School: 5 Top Cybersecurity Tips at this Busy Time

Filters, Protects, Blocks: 3 Ways A DNS Ensures Safer Online Experience

Here are out top tips for keeping you and your kids cyber safe on this World Social Media Day.

6 Top Tips for Staying Cyber Safe on World Social Media Day

Betcha didn’t know it, but June is Internet Safety Month. You probably missed that section in…

June is Internet Safety Month; How Safe are Your Kids on Social Media?

Most of us don’t realize just how easy and common it is for hackers to…

Why Webcam And Mic Protection Is A Must-Have

Technology keeps changing our lives — in most cases for the better, but in some…

Improving Your Cybersecurity Habits: 5 Tips for Digital Hygiene

Spring is here! Bunnies are hopping, birds are chirping – and little colored eggs are…

The Easter Egg Hunt meets Cybersecurity! 3 tips for a Cyber Safe Easter

Having reviewed in depth the cybersecurity threats that have been facing consumers worldwide in our…

Year Of the Miner: Cybersecurity Threats Exposed in ReasonLabs' 2022 Report

  Roses are red,  Violets are blue; Protect your online presence In 2022 Hearts, flowers,…

Love is in the Air! Don’t Let Cybercrime Ruin Your Special Day!

February 3rd is Harry Potter Book Night! Kids and adults around the world are looking…

Harry Potter and the Cybersecurity Solution: Tips to Stay Cyber Safe in 2022!

Data Privacy Day occurs annually on January 28th; it represents an international effort to raise…

How You Can Protect Yourself This Data Privacy Day

News broke last week concerning a Monero mining malware found in a copy of the…

Don't Get Stuck in its Web! How to Combat Spider-Man Mining Malware

 Spider-miner, spider-miner, does whatever a miner can. Mine a coin, spawn a thread, Uses…

Spider-Miner: With Great Power Comes Great Problems!

It’s that time of year again – mulled wine, pine needles, cuddly sweaters, and maybe…

Jingle Bells Are On Their Way! Beware Of These Christmas Scams

With Cyber Monday looming, and ads galore headed our way, we know that we can…

Cyber Monday: The Online Shopper's Dream! But Are You Shopping Securely?

You’ve probably all seen the announcement that October is ‘National CyberSecurity Awareness Month’ – and…

Be Cyber Aware: Where Do You Find the Best Antivirus in Oct 2021?

It’s Halloween this week – a time for people to dress up in scary costumes,…

Don’t Get Spooked: How to Recognize Cyber Demons Before They Find You!

The technology for virtual private networks (VPNs) dates back to 1996 when Microsoft employees created…

VPNs: Who? What? When? Where? Why? And How?

One manifestation of freedom is the privilege to be a small business owner. Freedom and…

Independence Day: Cybersecurity Brings Independence to SMBs

The Personal Rights in Defense and Education (PRIDE) movement has made significant progress in raising…

The LGBTQ Community Faces New Cyber Threats 

Dear Dads, As Father’s Day approaches and you prepare for tasty outdoor barbecues, fun family…

Note to Dad: The Nuts and Bolts of Cybersecurity

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The COVID-19 Effect: A Surge in Online Retail AND Cyber Attacks

Reason Cybersecurity has joined the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA) to improve global cybersecurity in…

ReasonLabs has joined the Microsoft Intelligent Security Association (MISA)

No more cookies in our future? In today’s digital world, data is the mainstay of…

No More Cookies in our Future?

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What NOT to Give Your Mom on Mother's Day

Cyber-attacks against insurance companies are growing exponentially; so is the damage they’re causing. Furthermore, because…

Why are Cybercriminals Eyeing Insurance Companies?

## Halloween: Famous SMB Cyber Attacks in Disguise.

Halloween normally conjures up images of costumes and candy, black cats and witches, ghosts and goblins, carved pumpkins, and scary activities. However, no amount of Halloween costuming or scary activities, come close to causing the amount of fear and damage that cyber attacks can cause small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs). With cyber attacks, rather than black cats poised to strike, it’s black hats poised to strike, and rather than kids disguised in different Halloween costumes arriving at your door, it’s malware disguised as innocent emails or safe websites arriving on your business’ computers. But make no mistake: malware is all trick and no treat.

Cyber attacks, whether they come in the form of identity theft, phishing, ransomware, or any other type of attack, comprise one of the biggest threats and biggest fears facing SMBs today. CPOMagazine.com confirmed this in a recent report stating that 45% of SMBs feel that they are vulnerable to cyber attacks. More worrying, however, than statistics about the number of small businesses that fear a cyber attack, are the statistics, reported by smallbiztrends.com, that 43 percent of cyber attacks target small businesses, and 60 percent of those attacked go out of business within six months.

## Not scared yet? Hold on to your pumpkins – you will be after you read about these famous and damaging cyber attacks on SMBs.

**Fake Invoices Scam** – This type of scam can take many forms, but the objective is always the same: to get a business to send a payment to a fake supplier account. To launch this attack, hackers will first monitor a business’ payment processes in order to learn how to create a convincing looking invoice. Once this step is achieved they then send an invoice requesting payment for services rendered. The invoice can appear so authentic that company accounting departments release the requested funds without ever suspecting fraud, and they’re not small funds either. CNBC.com, for example, recently reported about a small accounting firm in Brooklyn, New York that was scammed out of $700,000 in one year after receiving fake invoices for legal services. An assistant at the firm, who was in charge of releasing the funds for payments, paid the invoices without ever knowing they were fake.

**Brute Force Attacks** – One of the most popular types of hacks, are brute force attacks, which attempt to crack passwords or PINs in order to gain backend access to a website and obtain the sensitive information it holds. Any website with a password can be a target, and as the name suggests, this type of attack takes a ‘bulldozer’ type approach to guessing the passwords or PINs. While brute force attacks can take forever to uncover passwords and are not always successful if strong password security measures are in place, if passwords are weak, they can take a matter of seconds. And if successful, hackers gain illegal access to websites and the valuable information (e.g., credit card credentials) they hold. One of the largest and most well-known brute force attacks was the attack against GitHub which involved 40,000 separate hacker IP addresses.

**Identity theft** – Businesses, not just individuals, can have their identities stolen too. In fact, identity theft is big business for cyber identity thieves who steal and then use business identities to open credit card accounts, file fraudulent tax returns, obtain bank loans, initiate wire transfers, and more. The attacks have both reputational and financial consequences for businesses. According to the 2018 Business Identity Theft Report by the National Cybersecurity Society, business identity theft cases have caused $137 million in damage with some of the most frequent targets of those attacks being businesses offering services in management consulting, accounting and bookkeeping, health, and construction.  A notable example of a business identity attack is the one in Tennessee where cyber criminals created fake websites that impersonated the identity of legitimate car dealerships so they could scam people into making deposits for automobiles that didn’t exist. Indeed the 250% increase in the number of fraudulent returns reported by the IRS has many businesses wisely taking their identity theft protection far more seriously today.

**Spoofing** – A particularly cunning cyber attack, spoofing emails are sent by cyber criminals who have spoofed the email address of a company executive. The emails that are sent are received by company employees and look just like the real deal. Never suspecting that the email is not really from the boss or some high-level executive, the employee innocently executes the request in the email which usually involves making a payment… to the cyber criminal of course. Austrian aerospace parts maker FACC, lost approximately 54 million Euros in such an attack after a hacker was able to successfully pose as the CEO of the company and convince an entry-level accounting employee to transfer the funds to an account for a fake project.

**Ransomware** – Still a favorite of many cybercriminals, ransomware is perhaps one of the most pervasive types of cyber attacks on businesses with attacks estimated to cost $6 trillion annually by 2021. That figure isn’t too hard to believe when you understand that the losses caused by the NotPetya ransomware alone could exceed $1 billion. For example, FedEx lost an estimated $300 million in just the first quarter of 2017 after falling victim to a NotPetya attack.

## **Got your attention now?** 

Right about now, you’re probably wondering if and how SMBs can actually protect themselves from hackers, especially since there are so many potential vulnerabilities and different types of attacks. Well, we’re happy to report that there are highly effective cybersecurity measures that SMBs can implement to protect themselves. Here are some of the most important ones:

- **Train your employees about security basics**. SMBs that take cybersecurity seriously have established security practices and policies in place for their employees to follow such as password protocols, rules for protecting customer information and other sensitive data, rules of response in case an attack is suspected, etc.
- **Get a firewall**. Firewalls prevent unauthorized access to or from your network by acting like a shield between the Web and your company network.
- **Install a strong antivirus**. Effective cybersecurity is nothing without a strong antivirus suite that provides browser security, tracking protection, and ransomware protection, in addition to anti-malware scanning, threat removal, and real-time protection. Other security features to consider in antivirus software are camera and microphone protection, a software blocker, and multi-device options.
- **Regular backups**. Regularly backing up your data is also mission-critical. This includes data stored on the cloud. Backups should also be stored in a location that is separate from the business location in case of fire or flood.
- **Verify vendor security**. Your vendors’ security controls should also be a priority, especially if they have access to a lot of your business data. Cyber attacks on supply chains are a growing and immeasurably damaging type of cyber attack, so knowing what your vendors’ security policies are, and how your data will be stored and accessed is another vital step in cybersecurity.
- **Wi-Fi security**. Some companies use one Wi-Fi for guests and personal devices and a separate one for secure company devices. Virtual private networks (VPNs) like [RAV VPN](https://reasonlabs.com/platform/products/vpn) are another useful security solution and are used to secure remote access.
- **Response Plan**. While we hope that implementation of these security measures can prevent any type of attack, in reality, an attack is always possible. Consequently, security best practices include having an effective response plan in place. Such a plan should consider legal issues, how to inform customers, and finding out how the breach occurred among other elements.

## **Don’t be one the 60 percent…**

A scary 60 percent of small companies go out of business within six months of a cyber attack. Don’t join that statistic. Cybersecurity requires constant vigilance to the latest threats. Implementing the measures stated above will help ensure that your business is not the next victim.

**Wishing you many treats and no tricks this Halloween.**

Halloween: Famous SMB Cyber Attacks in Disguise. Halloween normally conjures up images of costumes and…

shutterstock_480373537-1.jpg

All Tricks and No Treats

To start with, weird, no make that really weird, messages, ransoms, and insults, yes insults, happen. And on that note, in honor of **National Cyber Security Awareness Month**, today’s post looks at some of the craziest ransomware that we’ve seen to date, starting with the **Nemty ransomware attack**, named for the file name extension it adds to files following its encryption process. After the encryption process is complete, Nemty sends a note informing its victims that the hackers hold the encryption key to their encrypted data and that the data is recoverable for a price. Victims are then given a link to a portal to pay the ransom fee as well as a link to another website with a chat function and more information about the hacker’s demands.

Till now, this is all pretty standard ransomware behavior. What’s crazy about Nemty is that it contains the word ‘hate’ in the mutex object, which is used by hackers to avoid reinfecting the same system as well as to take control of the host’s resources. Even more odd, though, is that the Nemty code also contains a link **[to this image of Vladmir Putin](https://pbs.twimg.com/media/Dn4vwaRW0AY-tUu.jpg:large)** with a caption that reads _**“I added you to the list of \[insult\], but only with pencil for now”**_. Researchers later also found out that this odd bit of code was meant to send a direct message to the antivirus industry.

### Jigsaw and Cerber

Next up on the ‘crazy meter’, and probably the ‘creepy meter’ as well, is the **Jigsaw ransomware**, which was released in 2016. Jigsaw was given the Jigsaw moniker because of the popup image of “Billy the Puppet” from the horror film “Saw” that appears once Jigsaw infects the user’s system and encrypts his files. Jigsaw first encrypts the victim’s files, and then starts deleting them, and continues to delete them until a ransom fee is paid.

Its creepiness level is on a par with **Cerber** **ransomware**. Cerber is a whole new level of ransomware as it’s actually ransomware as a service (RaaS). Yes, you read correctly; the attacker “licenses” the ransomware over the Internet and splits the ransom with the developer. Cyber criminals can sign up to be Cerber affiliates and then deliver the ransomware to their heart’s content as long as they pay a 40% cut of the ransom to the developer. Everybody is happy…, except of course the victim. However, the licensing aspect isn’t the weird part. What’s weird is that this ransomware talks! One of the ransom notes that it sends has specific script that causes the computer to play a voice message that repeatedly says _**“Attention! Your documents, photos, databases, and other important files have been encrypted!”**_ Imagine sitting down with a cup of coffee, turning on your computer and hearing that message!

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/shutterstock_640178812-e1577201268946.jpg)

### Popcorn Time

And then there’s **Popcorn Time ransomware** (not related to the BitTorrent platform for free video streaming), which like any proper ransomware, encrypts the contents of your computer so you can’t access it unless you pay a ransom fee. The ransom fee? Either pay up in Bitcoin, approximate $770 worth at the time Popcorn Time was first launched or infect two other people with Popcorn Time. The second option, to infect two other people, is called the ‘nasty way’ in the ransomware message that Popcorn Time sends and says that if the victim sends the malicious link on to two other people and those two people install the file and pay, the original victim gets his files back without paying the ransom. This truly is a nasty option because it manages to both turns users against each other and make the users that choose this option cyber criminals themselves.

![](https://cms.reasonlabs.com/cdn/shutterstock_732549430-e1577201360685.jpg)

### Final thoughts

Reading about odd ransomware attacks might pique our curiosity and make us wonder why in the world some ransomware writers thought it wasn’t enough to make their ransomware malicious, so they had to make it crazy too, but it shouldn’t distract us from the real problem: the serious and imminent threat to our privacy posed by ransomware. **Ransomware is the fastest-growing type of cyber crime**, achieving epidemic proportions around the globe and quickly becoming the go-to method of cyber attacks for hackers. One of the reasons for the spike in ransomware is that companies often find it more expedient and cost-effective to just pay the ransom fee to get their data back. Taking this approach, however, has created an untenable trajectory; encouraging attacks that are increasingly ambitious, widespread, and costly.

As long as cyber criminals continue to benefit from encrypting data and restricting users from accessing it, they will continue to create and send ransomware to infect systems. Seriously, if you haven’t already, it’s time you got ransomware protection.

Next up on the ‘crazy meter’, and probably the ‘creepy meter’ as well, is the…

#Malware

All Tricks and No Treats

What happens when ‘ransomware’ meets ‘crazy’?

To learn (online) or not to learn?

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