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You are here: Home / Archives for Internet Security

WordPress: Content Management or Major Security Vulnerability?

WordpressEnjoying the Benefits and Preventing the Threats From One of The World’s Most Popular Open-Source Web Platforms

Now powering over 27% of the world’s websites serving over 400 million users monthly¹, WordPress has certainly established itself as one of the web’s top applications. One of the reasons is that, as an “open-source” software platform, it is largely built by a collaborative developer community from around the world contributing to the easy-to-use content management system (CMS) enhanced by hundreds of convenient add-on functionalities and tools (plugins). Perhaps, that is also the reason why WordPress could become one of the biggest threats to our privacy, security and maybe even the internet itself.

Essentially, “Open Source” software is not proprietary nor restricted and anyone can access the code that makes it run. With knowledge of the “engine” behind a program or application, developers can improve and expand its capabilities and performance. That is good and benefits us all. Similarly, those with more sinister intentions can find and exploit vulnerabilities. That is bad but can be defended against.

There are many tools available to minimize the potential risks, and reputable web developers (like SPARKS!) employ them to safeguard WordPress sites and protect our clients and their visitors. One of the most popular plugins, Wordfence, blocks millions of malicious attempts every day from all over the world. That also gives them insight into the sources, reasons, and methods used in hack attempts, from which they can refine and update their protection measures. But, it will likely be a continuous game of cat and mouse.

All in all, WordPress is an outstanding platform and offers great flexibility and scalability in serving the needs of businesses, news outlets, retailers and bloggers alike. But, like homes, cars, banks and everything else these days, a security system is needed to protect what’s inside.

ALSO READ:

Did Russia Use WordPress In Election Hack?

Wordfence February 2017 WordPress Attack Report

 

 

 

The Importance of Strong and Unique Passwords.

Protect your online security!Passwords Are Your First Defense In Internet Security

In today’s world we all have dozens of usernames and passwords for countless online accounts. From email and social media to online shopping and banking, it seems like every website we get on wants us to “log-in.” So what do we do? We have the same password for everything of course! Or we make the password something extremely obvious so that we remember it. But when we make the password obvious for ourselves, we are also making it obvious for hackers. Here are some useful tips for creating a strong password to keep your accounts secure. [Read more…]

Google Likes Security A Lot

Google Likes Security A LotInternet security is of utmost importance these days. With high-profile security breaches occurring at companies such as Target, eBay, Neiman Marcus, Michaels and others, Consumers are more and more concerned about the security of the sensitive information they provide to retailers and other companies, trusting that companies’ websites will not be hacked and their information stolen.

Understanding consumers’ concern, Google ranks websites depending on their security.  [Read more…]

Celebrity Photo Leak: How To Protect Yourself

LOS ANGELES - MAR 2:  Jennifer Lawrence, Matthew McConaughey atAs more news breaks about the leaking of nude photos of celebrities such as Jennifer Lawrence, Kate Upton and others, this has caused anyone who uses their smartphones and tablets to take photos and store other sensitive information to question the security of Apples iCloud and Google Drive.

We hope that the perpetrators that have broken the law are caught and punished.

What this has done, though, is put a question mark over the companies and their products, making users wonder if they can ever trust the claims of security and privacy of these products. [Read more…]

Tips For Safe Online Shopping This Holiday Season

tips-for-safe-online-shopping

Cyber deals are everywhere! Use these tips for safe online shopping this holiday season!

1.  Avoid Phishing

No, phishing has nothing to do with your favorite jam band.  Phishing occurs when fraudsters create a fake site, send out a link, and victims type in their personal information which is then sent to the fraudsters.

Ensure pages that require your personal information are legitimate by making sure the web address in the bar matches the site that you are visiting. [Read more…]

Baltimore Beware: Email Phishing On The Rise.

Objects in Email Not Always What They Appear

Email Phishing
Photo courtesy www.FishTheSurf.net

Have you received an email from a ‘reputable source’, such as your bank, credit card company, or Paypal account, that notifies you of a password reset or the completion of a successful transaction that you know you didn’t make?  Chances are, you’re the target of Phishing – and not the kind we like here around the Chesapeake Bay.

One quick and easy way to verify if an email like this is legitimate is to give it the Hover Test.   Place your mouse’s onscreen icon over the links in the email – but don’t click!! Instead, look for a small pop-up box to appear which will contain the actual URL of the link, not just what is typed.  Phishers mask the links in the email to make it appear they are going to an actual site, however, the link really points to a fake website setup to capture your precious online data.  Try it with the link below:

http://www.international-house-of-money-bank.com

It’s always a good idea to forward any suspicious emails to your financial institution for verification. If you can find the actual URL of the sender, you can also block, or blacklist, the address in your spam settings as well.

Just like the big rockfish in the bay, know that you don’t always have to take the bait.  Show those scammers it called ‘phishing’; not ‘catching’!

New Google Security Measures Protect Your Account

Dosey-Doe and the Google 2-Step

The next time you log in to your Google Account, you’ll likely be prompted to setup your 2-Step Verification Code.  According to Google, “2-step verification drastically reduces the chances of having the personal information in your Google account stolen by someone else. Why? Because hackers would have to not only get your password and your username, they’d have to get a hold of your phone. ”

Makes sense, right?  Although it does cause a bit of consternation as you’ll need to receive Google’s automatic text or robot call each time you use a different computer, the 2-step process is used by more institutions to combat hacking and protect your online life.

So grab your partner, put on that hoop skirt, and do the Google 2-Step!

 

Hackers, Clouds, and Online Security…Oh My!

Is your online “life” safe?

A recent article at ABCNews.com paints a painful picture of security vunerabilities and loopholes that exist at places you’d least expect: Apple and Amazon.  In a bizarre turn of events, hackers are using antiquated technology (aka the ‘telephone’) to commit identity fraud and gain access to users’ account information.

According to the article, a hacker was able to get the billing address of a senior editor at Wired Magazine from public domain registration (another reason to have SPARKS! Domain Privacy!!) and use it to get his credit card number from Amazon.  With the address and last 4 digits of his credit card, the hackster was then able to get the login to the victim’s iCloud account – which was linked to his Google account – which was linked to his Twitter account – and the rest was history.  In a matter of minutes, tweets, emails, files, and family photos rained from the cloud like a derecho. 

This is a lesson.  And, like school, all lessons have homework. Business Insider offers tips on protecting your passwords.  If you do use cloud backup solutions, consider a local backup as well (that’s right – backup your backup).  Hard drive capacities are in the terrabytes now and available for a couple hundred bucks.  Finally, use caution when linking your online and social media accounts.  Although it is convenient to login to sites using your Facebook or Windows Live account, creating unique credentials may save you something much more precious – your online ‘life’.

Search SPARKS!

Launchpad Blog

What Is Digital Marketing?

So, to answer a question we often get at SPARKS! - “what exactly is digital marketing?” – here’s a … MORE

Cyber Threats are Real – Prepare Yourself

Global Tensions Present Cyber Threats Across The Internet The White House has recently released a … MORE

What is SMiShing?

If you’ve never heard of SMS phishing, or SMiShing, you’re not alone. Most people aren’t aware of … MORE

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Losing your iPhone could mean more than losing access to your cat video tweets. Your data & your money are at risk too. Evil-doers are targeting iPhone users - read how to better secure your devices.

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iPhone users targeted in phone AND data theft campaign

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When is an iPhone theft not just an iPhone theft? When the user's Apple ID and more, goes with it.
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Happy birthday! 🎊🎁🎂

Happy Birthday, Greg!!

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