Massachusetts School District Faces Cyber Attack due to COVID-19

  Monday, October 12th, 2020 What a busy week for cyber security news! (and it is only Monday). In previous articles, CPG mentions the countless ransomware attacks on the medical industry.  We see that due to COVID-19, cyber attacks, especially ransomware, are at an all time high.  Further, as we previously discussed the attacks on hospitals, attackers also have their eyes on another target, public schools. And for this article, a public school district specifically in Massachusetts.   School is Out in Massachusetts To begin, those who use ransomware, or any type of cyber attack in general are always looking for those in trouble, so to speak. For example, due… Read More

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scams

Beware of Online Scams During COVID-19

  Not only during this time do you have to mind the health of yourself and family, but also they “health” of your devices and accounts.      Will we ever catch a break? Currently, world governments, corporations and people around the world remain focused on finding a way to make it through the spread of COVID-19. Between the lack of information surrounding the virus, and the lack of materials for healthcare workers, things are a bit of a mess right now.  Now, not only is the public worried about those previously stated concerns, we also have to be on the lookout for scams using COVID-19 as the ruse.  In… Read More

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mgm

Cyber Attack of the Week 02 – 10 Million MGM Grand Hotel Guests’ Information Exposed

  Malicious cyber criminals are at it once again. But this time, they are hoping to win the jackpot by attacking the MGM Grand hotel in Las Vegas. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas… right?     The MGM (not so) Grand Hotel This week, the report of a massive data breach took over the internet. Further, in the hot seat this week, we have the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas.  To begin, the personal information of over 10 million guests of the MGM was breached. Continuing, the cloud server storing such information was accessed by unauthorized personnel. Then, uploaded and leaked to an online hacking forum. The… Read More

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clipboard

Can Apps Snoop your Copy and Paste Clipboard? Yes.

  Is anything private anymore? This is the question many are asking after the Apple users discover not even their clipboard is safe from third parties.      Copy and Paste Clipboard This week, Apple is under fire for a recent discovery that has iPhone and iPad users up in arms. What is the discovery you may ask?  To elaborate, researchers discovered in a security demo that all the apps on your Apple device can view your system clipboard. In other words, anything you copy and paste through IOS is accessible to a third party.  Now, why is this such a concern? As simple as it seems, apps can use… Read More

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equifax

US Charges Individuals Responsible for the 2017 Equifax Hack and Data Breach

  In 2017, Equifax, one of the largest credit reporting companies in the world, faced an enormous hack and data breach. Now in 2020, the individuals responsible are facing charges for the attack.      Flashback to 2017 To begin, last week, the DOJ accused four members of the People’s Liberation Army in China of performing the hack against Equifax. After releasing the nine-count indictment regarding the breach, the document portrays how the members allegedly pulled off one of the largest hacks in US history. Now, before we get into the indictment, let’s take a look back at how the attack on Equifax went down.    The Hack On September… Read More

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tiktok

TikTok Security Concerns

  TikTok is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world right now. But with the ever present popularity of the video-sharing app, the public is beginning to ask questions about the security and safety of the application.     TikTok? … Do you mean Tick Tock? Across the world, especially the US, many people are bringing attention to the security aspect of TikTok. Now, before we dive into the security side of things, let’s take a look at TikTok as a social media platform. To begin, TikTok is “a video-sharing social networking service owned by ByteDance”. Over 50% of the users on the app are between… Read More

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privacy

Data Privacy Day and Facebook’s New Privacy Feature

  Would you have ever thought that “Facebook” and “privacy” would ever be spoken together in a somewhat positive respect? Me either. After Facebook’s many scandals regarding privacy, the only place to go for the company is up … or is it?     Thank you for your data! Have you ever heard the phrase that sometimes things get worse before they get better? Well, that may be the case for social media giant, Facebook. In 2019, Facebook was the culprit in one of the biggest privacy scandals of all time. The personally identifiable information of over 87 million people and Facebook users became accessible through Cambridge Analytica.  Companies then… Read More

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iot

What is an IoT (Internet of Things) Device?

  “Make sure your IoT device is secure!” “Regulate IoT devices now! “What the heck is an IoT device?!”   IoT Who? IoT or internet of things devices are taking over the technological world. The integration of connectivity among devices proves to be both beneficial and detrimental. But, we’ll get to that in a little bit.  First, you are probably still wondering what an IoT device actually is. Well, as it turns out, you may be more familiar with these types of products than you think.  To begin, by definition an Internet of Things device is, “a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical and digital machines, objects, animals or people… Read More

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disney+

Thousands of Disney+ Accounts Hacked!

  A platform now exists where any and every Disney movie ever created resides. From Cinderella to Lady and the Tramp. Now, how can something this wonderful, cause so many problems for customers?     On November 12th, 2019, Disney launched their new streaming service titled Disney+. This platform has all of the original Disney movie and tv show. Not only does it have all things Disney – but also Marvel, Pixar, National Geographic and Star Wars.    What’s the Deal? Millions of people anxiously awaited the arrival of this service. The excitement surrounding this launch was astronomical. Disney+ is $6.99 a month and comes with a seven day free… Read More

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DOS attack

What is a DoS Attack?

  In 2017, 33% of businesses experienced a DoS attack. The result of such an attack leaves a business helpless in some situations. Now in 2020, DoS attacks have only increased in occurrence since 2017. Now the question is, what makes this type of attack so detrimental to an organization?     What is a DoS attack? If you are someone who is outside of the cyber security realm, a DoS attack may be a foreign term. Although, with the recent jump in the use of the attack, attention is brought to it on the news and online.  By definition, a DoS (denial of service) attack is, “a cyber-attack in… Read More

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