Symantec Warns Against Small Business Vulnerabilities

Small businesses can benefit greatly by using the latest technologies to improve operational efficiency and innovation, but they can also open the door to a host of headaches. In the Symantec 2014 Small Business Trends Report, the leading IT-security company predicts continued consumer focus on privacy, and a growing “Internet of Things” (IOT) connected to more and more mobile devices which will have a direct impact on small businesses and they way they do business.

“Security researchers have already demonstrated attacks against smart televisions, medical equipment, baby monitors and security cameras. Many of the companies building gadgets that connect to the Internet don’t even realize they have an oncoming security problem and therefore don’t have a friendly end-user method to patch these new vulnerabilities or notify customers when there is a vulnerability.”

Symantec.com

“From scary headline news to a much-needed wake-up call,” Symantec writes, not referring to anything in particular. But consumers focus will be on privacy in 201, the security company concludes. warning that many small businesses may wake up to a complete new reality.

“In 2014, we expect to see privacy protection emerge as a feature in new and existing products.  But this new feature will inevitably spark a debate on whether or not these features actually provide real or meaningful privacy protection,” Symantec writes in their “2014 Small Business Trends Report,” released in January.

Internet of Vulnerabilities

I think I would emphasise this one, thou:

“Our devices are getting smarter and so must we.  With millions of devices connected to the Internet—and in many cases running an embedded operating system—expect more hackers to be hacking in 2014.  Security researchers have already demonstrated attacks against smart televisions, medical equipment, baby monitors and security cameras. Many of the companies building gadgets that connect to the Internet don’t even realize they have an oncoming security problem and therefore don’t have a friendly end-user method to patch these new vulnerabilities or notify customers when there is a vulnerability.  This poses serious and potentially debilitating problem for small businesses.”

READ: Proofpoint Report. Internet of Things Cyberattack

Trouble with social networking

“New social networks attract scammers and cybercriminals the more they grow in popularity. Consider Instagram, which now boasts more than 130 million users. Small businesses are leveraging the visual social network to share artistic photos and promotions to drive engagement, but some spammers are taking advantage of this trend with gift card offers to get sensitive information.”

Here’s the Symantec small business security advice for 2014:

1. Consider the information you’re collecting on your consumers and whether it is necessary. Be transparent about why you’re collecting certain data, and you’ll establish a more trusting relationship with your customers.

2. Consider the sensitivity of information accessed and stored via wearable tech in the workplace. Establish an “Internet of Things” employee policy about what can and cannot be used in the office or used to access your network.

3. Carefully consider what social communities best fit your brand before creating a presence on all the latest social networks.

Full summary @ Symantec.com

And – by the way – here’s the latest Symantec Intelligence report:

View this document on Scribd

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Yahoo Hacked Again: “We Are Under Attack”

Usernames and passwords of some Yahoo’s email customers have been stolen and used to gather personal information about people, friends and family they have recently corresponded with, Yahoo Inc. says in a press release. It is the latest in a string of security breaches that have allowed hackers to grab personal information using software that analysts say is ever more sophisticated.

“We’re clearly under attack.”

Avivah Litan

Yahoo, the second-largest email service after Google’s Gmail. There are 273 million Yahoo mail accounts worldwide, 81 million of them in the United States. The internet company will not say how many email accounts that have been compromised.

Probably because the Yahoo-people  don’t know for sure, yet.

This is the latest in a string of security breaches that have allowed hackers to grab personal information using software that analysts say is ever more sophisticated.

Up to 70 million customers of Target stores in the US had their personal information and credit and debit card numbers compromised late last year.

“It’s an old trend, but it’s much more exaggerated now because the programmes the bad guys use are much more sophisticated now,” said Avivah Litan, a security analyst at the technology research firm Gartner.

“We’re clearly under attack”

In a blog post on its breach, Yahoo says: “The information sought in the attack seems to be names and email addresses from the affected accounts’ most recent sent emails.”

That could mean hackers were looking for additional email addresses to send spam or scam messages. By grabbing real names from those sent folders, hackers could try to make bogus messages appear more legitimate to recipients.

“It’s much more likely that I’d click on something from you if we email all the time,” says Richard Mogull, analyst and chief executive of Securois, a security research and advisory firm.

FULL SUMMARY@ASSOCIATED PRESS

And the “bad guys” as Mr. Litan call them – that’s the NSA, right?

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Extreme Climate Turn Norway Into A Blowtorch (Extreme Photos)

This may very well be a strange side effect of the global climate change. Extreme dry weather this winter have turned the cost of Norway into a hazardous area that may ignites and burst into flames in a matter of seconds. Right now firefighters are trying to save another village from total destruction as nearly 100 buildings are lost,  but still hey are not able to control the wild-fire. Only one week ago 40 buildings were lost when another small Norwegian village suddenly burst into flames.

“Our theory is that sparks from power lines has started the fire, but that’s what we’re going to find out.”

Trude Skogen

Criminal investigators are now arriving the burned-out village, Flatanger, Norwegian Broadcasting (NRK) reports Tuesday night. Increasing wind in the area have made fire even more difficult to manage and it is now threatening almost 140 buildings.

“We have begun questioning already. Tomorrow, crime technicians and tactical investigators will arrive to continue the research. Our theory is that sparks from power lines has started the fire, but that’s what we’re going to find out,” police prosecutor, Trude Skogen, says.

And hold it, right there.

Sparks from power lines? You mean those wires hanging over my head right now?

This seem to be the case, based on eye witness reports.

Løsly hanging power lines may have come in contact with each other and produced sparks that may have ignited the extreme dry grass, moss and heather below. Strong winds may have created the scary blowtorch effect.

State meteorologist confirms that the winter have been extremely dry along the Norwegian cost this year. Areas, usually covered in snow this time of year, is currently being blow dried in a way I have never seen before.

Another on of those “small prints” on the “Big Wall”?

If there’s anyone out there, who lives in another part of the world, but have seen or experienced something similar, please let me know.

Photos from:

 nrk.no

andrssa.no

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ONE WEEK AGO:

Something similar happened in the village, Lærdal, on the western coast of Norway. 40 buildings were lost.

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LATEST: 

News reports at 22:30 (Local time) says the firefighters has the fire under control. About 100 buildings are destroyed.

UPDATE:

On Wednesday morning local police says firefighters have lost control over the fire once again, as the fire hoses froze during the night.

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