The 747?s Floppy Disks People took notice when a retired Boeing 747 made an appearance during a virtual hacking conference. More specifically, a cybersecurity firm spotted a classic 3.5-inch floppy disk drive in the cockpit? you know, for the 1995 staple floppy disks that have been immortalized as the Save button?s icon. In the 747, these drives are used to load the plane?s navigation databases. Any updates require eight floppy disks to be installed in sequence. The funny thing is, floppy disks have all but vanished otherwise. When did you last think of one, let alone use one? At White Mountain IT Services, we?ll occasionally come across one that?s been hiding deep inside a drawer or a cabinet. If you?re pressed for options, they can make a pretty decent coaster to keep your beverages from leaving a ring on your desk. So, why would an aircraft rely on a technology that is so outdated, most college-aged people have never used it? After all, reliability is pretty important in an aircraft, so can we really trust these floppy disks to perform? Fortunately, the answer is yes, for a few reasons. First off, most 747s were built in the ?90s, the heyday of the floppy disk, with exceptionally specific hardware. As you would imagine, large commercial aircraft meant to go considerable distances aren?t just slapped together. If you refer to the Wikipedia page, only 1,558 Boeing 747s were ever constructed, with 419 still in the air. They were designed to use the computing equipment available at the time, built specifically for the aircraft?s use. So, the Boeing 747 uses floppy disks because it was originally built to use these floppy disks. This is also an example of a time when older technology isn?t introducing any vulnerabilities. While there is nothing inherently more secure about a floppy disk than other data storage options, the systems on a 747 could only be hacked if someone were to bring in their own disks, with the correct data on them, to successfully undermine the system. By comparison, a cybersecurity professor was able to use a normal USB mouse to crash a plane?s in-flight entertainment system in 2019. Hopefully, this hasn?t made you swear off planes or flying. The professor was only able to impact the entertainment system, not the airplane?s critical processes. So, what we should take away from all this is that older technology is only less secure when it is connected to modern tech or a modern network. Your old cassette player will continue to play your cassettes without ever requiring an update or charging a premium subscription fee to listen without ads. However, if your player were to break, the only way you could listen to your tape of Radiohead?s OK Computer would be to replace the player with a second-hand device. Business technology works in largely the same way?sure, the old printer that isn?t connected to the network might not make you any more vulnerable to cyberattacks, but it may not be able to update to the point where it can support Windows 10. This is the true danger of outdated technology. If it hasn?t been updated, but is still connected to everything else, a hacker could use it as an easy access point onto your network. A good rule of thumb: if it connects […]
Consolidated Communication Channels Google is well-known for its communication tools and collaborative options. With the new integrations that are being added to Gmail, users will be able to use these tools even more to their advantage. Beyond just writing emails, users will be able to easily instant message and video conference amongst their teammates. To accomplish all this, Gmail will incorporate? Chats, an instant messaging platform Meet, a conferencing solution with audio and video capabilities Rooms, a collaborative workspace for your teams to share documents ?in addition to its familiar email capabilities. Other New Features Also as a part of this consolidation, Gmail will offer the following utilities to promote collaboration: Shared Task Lists Collaboration only works when everyone knows what their individual responsibilities are. Rooms enables you to generate and manage task lists to make sure each person in the Room knows what they need to accomplish, and to better track the progress made toward the group?s goals. Automated Reminders You may have already noticed Gmail reminding you to follow up on some of your emails. These automated reminders are Google?s attempt to keep their users on track and accountable. Boosted Collaboration These integrations are set to take Gmail?s cooperative nature and dial it up to 11. As just one example, documents can be reviewed and edited in real time directly from Gmail?s Rooms integration. How useful do you think these features will be moving forward? Have you tried any of them out yet? Share your thoughts in the comments, and don?t forget to subscribe!
Expectation: Short-Lived Outrage, Long-Term Adjustment One hypothesis essentially boils down the aftermath of such an event down to these two environments. Let?s consider what could be safely anticipated as immediate results of a complete loss of data privacy: Widespread firings Widespread marital issues and divorces Widespread lawsuits and arrests Widespread shaming However, it is important that we also consider what is known as the Privacy Paradox, or the tendency that people exhibit to quickly adapt to revealed secrets. While there would certainly be a period characterized by outrage and general shellshock, this would quickly be adopted as the new status quo. In the long term, many of these hidden actions and behaviors may grow to be more socially acceptable, as it would be made clear how many people actively participated in them. Basically, we would collectively grow tired of scandal, and victimless behaviors that are now taboo would become more acceptable as it was revealed how many people actually partake in them. This acceptance, of course, wouldn?t be an all-encompassing rule. There are plenty of behaviors that are frowned upon despite their prevalence, like lying. However, many shameful secrets would become less of a burden once people knew how many others shared that shame. It is also important to consider whose data we would collectively be most interested in reviewing. While we might assume that most people would look to dig up dirt on those around them, it is far more likely that the first step most would take would be to look themselves up to find out what other people will soon learn. Most people experience what is known as a positivity bias about the other people they care for and wouldn?t risk that bias being disproven without some serious consideration and emotional fortification. Expectation: Increased Wealth Disparity Another theory dove more into the influence that such a shift would have on the business landscape. Defining a secret as nothing more than intentional ?information asymmetry? (a situation where one person knows more than the other), the idea here is that every human interaction relies on some level of information asymmetry. While these asymmetries can be used to cause harm, most of their use comes in the form of relationship management. In other words, our ability to keep information to ourselves is beneficial to our relationships. As this pertains to business, consider what would happen if there was no such thing as a trade secret from this point on. Right now, the very concept of a trade secret allows new businesses to be created and grow, disrupting the status quo and carving out their own piece of the market. Without these secrets, however (and remember, all secrets are now exposed) existing corporations and large businesses could latch onto these innovative ideas and develop them more quickly. The result: big businesses get bigger, rich people get richer. Not ideal for society, as history has shown. Expectation: Complete Societal Reset in Three Parts Yet another prediction incorporates a few phases into describing the overall impact of such a data dump. First and foremost (and most predictably), there would likely be chaos. This is dependent upon how all information was presented. If it was all in a single file? good luck. If it were somehow searchable, the massive influx of queries would likely […]
Let?s take a few moments to discuss one threat that many are facing: voice-based phishing, or vishing. Federal Agencies Have Sounded the Alarm Both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency have called attention to this variety of phishing. By calling a targeted victim, rather than sending an email or another kind of correspondence, an attacker can potentially pull the wool over their target?s eyes by using a less-expected attack strategy. Those who are working from home are being targeted by a vishing campaign intended to acquire the access credentials needed to get into corporate networks. Once these credentials are obtained, the cybercriminals responsible can turn around and sell this access to others for their nefarious use. How These Attacks Are Presenting Themselves By registering lookalike domains to pose as a company?s actual resources, cybercriminals set themselves up to steal company credentials. These domains can be extremely convincing, often structured in the following ways: support-[company] ticket [company] employee-[company] [company]-support As these pages replicate a company?s login page to their virtual private network, unwitting users are more likely to enter their credentials. This means that the attacker is then able to capture these credentials?including multi-factor authentication codes?and use them to gain access to the targeted business? network. Once these facsimile pages are completed, criminals then do some digging into a company to learn more about their employees. A profile is constructed, with the name, address, phone number, job title, and even length of employment for each employee included. Using this data, a hacker can call their target through a spoofed number and send them to their fraudulent VPN webpage. This gives the hacker the means to access an employee?s work account, enabling them to collect more data for further phishing efforts or other data theft efforts. These attacks are now being directed to the team members that are currently working from home, making it even more important for your employees to be able to recognize the signs of phishing. How to Identify Phishing Scams of All Kinds Exercise caution when dealing with unsolicited calls, voicemails, and any other messages from those you don?t know. If you can, double-check that the person is who they claim to be through another means of communication. Double-check the number of a suspected vishing caller, as well as any Internet domains you may be told to navigate to. Avoid visiting any websites that a caller recommends without good reason to trust their legitimacy. White Mountain IT Services is here to help you with an assortment of your business? IT needs and concerns, including your cybersecurity. Give us a call at (603) 889-0800 to learn about the services and solutions we can put in place on your behalf.
What Difference Does a Clean Workstation Make? Putting it simply, quite a bit. If it isn?t properly kept maintained, a computer can get pretty gross. Not only is it more aesthetically pleasing to look at when it is kept hygienic, keeping a workstation clean can help its operations by helping to control its temperature and can even prevent germs from spreading. Therefore, it is important that you address your workstation?s cleanliness periodically. Let?s go into some best practices to ensure that your computer equipment is properly cleaned. How Often Should I Clean My Workstation? There are a lot of variables that play into how frequently your workstation should see a little TLC. While the minimum should be at least once a year, other factors will play into your specific situation. Where that computer is located, for instance, if it?s in the home or in an office or in some other environment, and what conditions are present there can make it prudent to clean it more often. It only makes sense that things like: An industrial environment The presence of pets Carpeting Who typically uses the computer (especially children) ?and numerous other factors would increase the frequency that a computer should be cleaned. So, if it?s been over a year since a computer has been cleaned, it?s time. Properly Cleaning Your Workstation?s Components Each piece of your workstation should be cleaned differently to protect them from unintentional damage. Here, we?ll focus on the best practices for a desktop workstation, which differ somewhat from those to clean a laptop. While we?ll briefly go into the proper way to clean each component, there are a few generic best practices that you should remember as well: Do not spray any liquid directly into the computer. Spray a cloth and wipe instead. Do not use a vacuum, as it can create a damaging static charge. Use compressed air to blow away any debris. Don?t allow fans to spin freely as you are cleaning them, as it could actually damage them. Always turn off the computer before you attempt to clean it. The Case Cleaning your computer?s case can help assist airflow while also making it look better. Use a lint-free cloth to wipe down the exterior to help minimize dust. The Interior Keeping the inside of your case clean helps to reduce the internal temperature of the device, ultimately benefiting its operations. Compressed air allows you to clear out debris without risking damage to the internal components of the device. The Peripherals There are assorted benefits to cleaning the different accessories that enable you to use your desktop. Keeping the keyboard and mouse clean with a combination of compressed air and diluted rubbing alcohol or some other disinfectant can help keep you healthy, while regularly dusting off your monitor will help promote visibility. To learn about these practices in more depth, call White Mountain IT Services today at (603) 889-0800, and don?t forget to subscribe to our blog for more useful information.
