Recent Blog Posts
Before we dive in too deep, we want to make the statement that we don?t sympathize with hackers in any way, shape, or form. However, it is fascinating to investigate the inner machinations of a hacker?s mindset, and doing so can help your business better protect itself from future hacking attacks. Ransomware is a major threat to hospitals due to its ability to cripple systems and lock down important–potentially life-saving–files. While the number of attacks on hospitals is still relatively low, it?s feared that the successes of others will draw more attention to just how lucrative the practice can be. When lives hang in the balance, hospitals are more likely to pay the ransom, though there are always exceptions. For example, some hospitals are prepared for ransomware and they have ways to decrypt their files, or to restore a backed-up copy of their data. Surprisingly enough, there are hackers who think that hospital hacks are completely inappropriate. ZDNet reports that there?s a certain code of ethics used by hackers in the Russian underground, and it makes sure to label hospitals as off-limits. This verdict extends beyond borders, even into countries that are known to be hacked by Russian cyber criminals. ZDNet cites a forum where hackers discussed the ethics of hacking at length: ?Yes, this is pretty sad and a new low. These ransom attacks are bad enough, but if someone were to die or be injured because of this it is just plain wrong.? Keep in mind that these words came from a hacker. Yes, there are those that do have some semblance of moral standards. Of course, you can?t rely on hackers to display the same ethical standards as others. While some might hesitate to hack specific targets, there are others that will brutally assault your infrastructure, regardless of what it holds. Unfortunately, you have other matters to handle, like running your business, making network security a secondary priority. Wouldn?t it be nice if you could outsource this responsibility to professional technicians trained specifically on the security of your IT infrastructure? To protect your systems from hacking attacks, your best chance is to reach out to White Mountain IT Services. We can arm your systems with enterprise-level network security solutions designed to prevent and detect attacks before they cause significant damage. In particular, we can take preventative measures against ransomware. Since it often comes attached to spam, we can prevent these messages from hitting your inbox in the first place. To learn more, call us at (603) 889-0800.
Targeting the hard drive?s actuator, DiskFiltration malware can decipher the sounds that the actuator makes as it writes data to the drive?s platters, assuming the malware is paired with the correct device. Fortunately, this method does not look to be a promising option for hackers to make use of. For one, the hack will only work if the recording device is within six feet of a system for an extended period of time, as the data rate caps out at 180 bits each minute. Furthermore, this method of hacking is only effective against hard disk drives, as solid state drives make no sounds for DiskFiltration to filter through. Therefore, to avoid falling victim to DiskFiltration, there are some relatively simple precautions to take. Encourage employees to keep an inventory of their desktops. Since the physical component of DiskFiltration requires a very close range, chances are it can be avoided if a worker just keeps track of the things on their desk, keeping unfamiliar devices away from your system. Make sure your employees remain vigilant of threats, both online and in person. Consider upgrading to SSD. Without the physical noise of a mechanical hard drive, DiskFiltration is rendered useless. Plus, your systems will receive a boost in stability in general from the moving-part-free hardware. If you upgrade to an SSD, you are that much better defended against a new variety of threat, as well as given the opportunity to prepare for similar threats before they advance. To learn more about how to protect your business from the latest hacks, subscribe to White Mountain IT Services?s blog.
Sometimes it can be tricky to identify what will be popular in the years to come, but that doesn?t stop big data from trying. Cultural anomalies are particularly difficult to predict, but an algorithm is attempting to predict which modern novel will become the next big bestseller. Jodie Archer, author of an upcoming book titled The Bestseller Code: Anatomy of the Blockbuster Novel, takes a critical look at what makes something popular amongst consumers–particularly in regard to literature. A computer algorithm, affectionately referred to as the ?bestseller-ometer,? examines a huge amount of literature for qualities that make bestselling fiction. According to The Atlantic, the algorithm is capable of identifying a bestseller upwards of 80 percent of the time. This success rate is achieved by going off a list of novels from the past 30 years and identifying New York Times best sellers. This is one of the ways in which data-driven initiatives are attempting to better understand the way that the human brain identifies concepts, and it could change the way that publishers identify potential best sellers. Like most good ideas, this concept was borne from a question that needed to be answered: ?Why do we all read the same book?? It?s a valid question to ask, as people find different traits valuable in literature. The same folks who like to read literary fiction may find a guilty pleasure in young adult novellas. A book could be slaughtered by critics, but be wildly popular amongst the masses, as we?ve seen with several novels based on vampires. Archer, along with English professor Matthew L. Jockers, built the algorithm with the intention of discovering what makes readers flock to a particular story. The Bestseller Code documents the process through teaching an algorithm to closely analyze the text within the content for certain key factors that create popular fiction. This generally involves semantics, like themes, allusions, word choice, and other literary topics. Among the most popular traits found within bestsellers are: Authoritative voice Colloquial (everyday) language Action-oriented characters Cohesion Intimacy Another major theme that was touched upon was the idea of the zeitgeist, which can be defined as time-sensitive ideals and beliefs. In other words, what?s contemporary and popular amongst the public plays a major role in how successful any novel is. Thus, it becomes difficult to predict how bestsellers will be selected in the future, as it?s difficult to guess where society will stand in the future. Plus, it would make sense for a human–with its ability to understand and interpret emotion–to be the one to decide whether or not a book is worth labeling as a bestseller. After all, the computer isn?t necessarily the one reading the book, but rather it?s hundreds of thousands of people around the world who will be doing so. Whether or not big data manages to identify a masterpiece recipe for the next bestseller hasn?t been mentioned, and thus it?s important to realize that the entire concept of trying to identify human behavior with big data could be irrelevant. After all, humans can be difficult to predict, as they often function in ways beyond any and all reason or logic. Thus, it?s important to remember that while technology has provided great ways to improve operations and hone in on a consumer base, it?s still crucial to […]
Quick Access to the Start MenuThe Start menu is a crucial part of anyone?s computing experience, and it?s so iconic that after forsaking it with Windows 8, it was resurrected for use in Windows 10. While you could easily click on the Start button in the bottom left-hand corner of the screen, you can always just press the Windows key for the same effect. You can then navigate through the menu by using the arrow keys. Also of note is that you can just start typing to perform a basic search while the menu is open. For a more advanced experience, you can use the Power Users menu. This offers options such as your device?s Event Viewer, Device Manager, and Command Prompt module. Greater Accessibility of Your AppsYou can use the Windows key in tandem with the number keys to open apps that are located on your taskbar. If the apps are already open, the windows can easily be minimized or maximized. Furthermore, adding the Control key to the mix allows you to open a new window for the app. For example, let?s say that Google Chrome is the fifth app on your taskbar. If you wanted to open a new Chrome window, all you would have to do is press Ctrl+Windows+5. Or, you could open a new app from your taskbar by using Windows+T to highlight the first toolbar app and selecting it with the arrow keys and Enter. Utilize Virtual DesktopsIf you make heavy use of virtual desktops, you can create one by using the keystroke Windows+Shift+D. Once you?re done, you can use the keystroke Windows+Ctrl+F4 to close down the virtual desktop. Will you be using these keystrokes to cut down on unnecessary mouse movements? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to our blog for even more great tips and tricks.
If a USB device is infected with malware, it can put not just your computer, but even your entire data infrastructure at risk. We?ll discuss some of the many USB threats out there, including some that are more dangerous than you might think. USB Kill 2.0What happens when you push too much electricity into a device? It will experience a power surge, much like how a lightning storm could result in a power outage. Unfortunately, when used by hackers, this trait of electronics is a potent terror tactic. USB Kill is one particular threat that creates dongles designed to siphon power from a device, then release the energy back into the system to kill it. Scary indeed. The device was originally intended to help hardware developers test the device?s ability to resist what?s referred to as ?juice jacking.? Juice jacking is more easily described as the theft of data during the charging process. USB Kill 2.0 was capable of permanently damaging 95 percent of all devices that were tested. USB Kill was frequently successful when attempting to wipe data from the device. Though this isn?t the designated purpose of USB Kill, it?s a side-effect that hackers have been able to leverage for their purposes–simply because the charge is enough to fry the drive controllers. Someone who wants to use this device can get it for as little as $56, which is further influenced by the fact that there aren?t effective protections against this type of threat. All you can really do is inform your employees that they shouldn?t be plugging in just any old USB device. USB-to-Ethernet TheftIt?s a security best practice that you lock your device whenever you leave it unattended. It doesn?t matter if you?re leaving for the end of the day or taking a short stroll around the office–if you don?t lock your computer, it?s a security risk. Even if your device is locked, though, a security researcher created a way to extract data from a locked computer using a USB device. The USB device masks its malicious intentions by making the target PC adopt the device as the preferred network interface. This lets the hacker sap data out of the computer and send it to another connected system. In this particular case, it?s best to just not leave your computer unattended. What?s a Business to Do?Even though not all USB devices contain dangerous malware, it?s still not safe to just plug in any old device into your organization?s infrastructure. You can take a two-pronged approach to reinforce how your business handles USB devices: First, educate your team on how to use them properly. Second, enforce a policy that demands any and all devices be checked into IT and examined for threats before being plugged into your office?s technology. Of course, if USB drives are a regular occurrence in your office, you can avoid this pain in the neck by implementing a cloud solution for your mobile storage needs. It?s also recommended that you secure any exposed ports with locks or similar devices. In terms of security, while USB has been one of the most affordable and convenient ways to transfer data, it falls short of business-class standards. You should be looking to other solutions, like cloud computing, that can keep you connected to your data from […]
