Victim of a Vicious Malware Attack? Here’s What You Need to Do

Do pop-ups keep appearing even when you’re not browsing the Web? Is your system unusually slow and always showing high network activity? If so, there’s a big chance that your system is infected by a malware attack. It could be a cryptomining software, Trojan or a ransomware that’s lying dormant in your system, among many others.

Cybercrime is on the rise, and reports show that more than 25% of these attacks hit banks and various financial services organizations, resulting in compromised credit cards, malicious apps being installed, and credential leaks.

Once cybercriminals gain access to your organization and get past all your security solutions, you need a malware response plan — and fast! Unfortunately, it’s not as simple as changing the registry settings or deleting files — cybercriminals use strategic ways to establish a strong foothold within your system.

Here’s what you need to do to get rid of these attacks.

Step #1: Disconnect immediately!

If you’re the victim of a malware attack, the first thing you need to do is disconnect from the internet. This prevents personal data from being transmitted to the hacker. Contact your Internet Service Provider (ISP) if the attack took place on your personal device.

You may have realized that your system’s running slow or you probably clicked on an ad that you shouldn’t have — either way, it’s more likely that there are more than one affected endpoints in your system.

After disabling yourself from all network connections, it’s important to identify these affected endpoints so that you can clean out the infection before it spreads to other parts of your system. You can use a comprehensive malware detection service for this purpose.

Step #2: Scan and identify the method of entry

You should always have antivirus and antispyware software in place, installed and updated to the latest version. Run diagnostic scans and set automated scans at periodic intervals. It’s good practice to conduct external penetration tests in case the hackers are trying to compromise vulnerable hosts outside your business.

Make sure to close the door on the threat’s means of entry. Try to find the entry point —malware disguised as a phishing email or a malicious website that was visited. Once you’ve found your smoking gun — like a suspicious email with a misleading subject —block its access immediately with a targeted antivirus scan.

Step #3: Backup and restore endpoints

It’s a good idea to create a backup of all your data on removable media like USB or removable hard drive before you continue to restore endpoints.

Once you’re entirely sure that there’s no chance of underlying dormant malware in your system, it’s time to restore endpoint to a known-good state. It’s a good idea to update your system’s “images” periodically because in the case of a malicious attack, you can always restore to that particular image.

The key is to have a proactive approach in place to avoid serious security compromises. At Lean Security, we provide comprehensive security solutions including web security audit, web vulnerability scanner and much more to provide maximum protection from security breaches. Get in touch via call or our website for more information.

3 Potential Security Risks of Online Gaming

We’ve all played video games at some point in our lives. Whether you’re tirelessly trying to level up in Candy Crush or playing a Battle Royale like PUBG, you’re part of the gaming world. While online gaming provides people with a large platform to interact with players worldwide, there’s a dark side to it.

From online predators and identity theft to cyberbullying, online gaming exposes you to a wide array of security risks. We’ve prepared a comprehensive list of these associated risks to alarm you of the dangers that lurk around when you’re firing arms in Call of Duty.

1. Cyberbullying meets gaming

For a lot of people, the ability to escape into the online world — away from real life — is therapeutic. This anonymity however, cuts both ways. Studies show that players often take advantage of this and spam global and personal chats with derogatory comments and harmful messages. This activity is known as “whispering”.  

Reports show that 1 in 2 online gamers are bullied. Cyberbullies target gullible players via texts and web calls hidden in the app. Though a bully’s actions may be in violation of the game’s privacy terms of service and they can easily be blocked, it’s always a good idea to nip these security risks in the bud.

2. Personal information is at risk

Often, fraudulent websites offer games at comparatively low rates; gamers think it’s a great opportunity, but what they fail to realize is that these websites can easily misuse financial information. The National Cyber Security Alliance website, Stay Safe Online, recommends gamers never reveal their personal details like names, location and age. This can not only lead to identity theft, but is also a great opportunity for cybercriminals to target innocent players.

Therefore, make sure to never give away personal information, and keep your usernames different across different gaming sites. Also, perform a factory reset on your gaming console before throwing or giving it away.

3. Malware infections

Skilled hackers modify legitimate gaming apps with Trojans and upload them on reputed marketplaces like Google Play. One such incident was reported where the Trojan was used to take control of the user’s Android device and conscript it into a “botnet”. In order to avoid suspicion from victims, hackers use delay timers as malware. The bottom line is that a hacking nightmare can be masqueraded as a legitimate app — so it’s important to research the game developers and go through reviews before downloading games. Moreover, invest in a powerful security solution that offers comprehensive malware detection services.

At Lean Security, we offer end-to-end mobile application penetration test and web application penetration testing to reduce the chances of security breaches. If you’re interested in working with us, get in touch via call or website.

4 Security Benefits of Cloud Computing

With IT demands increasing, cloud computing has become the best way to gain a competitive advantage in the market without spending large amounts of money on in-house infrastructure. Cloud infrastructures are going through a revolution of their own, though, with experts predicting to see a new wave of technologies built into the cloud, including IoT, artificial intelligence and machine learning.

Gartner Inc. forecasted that the public cloud services market will grow 17.5 percent in 2019, amounting to a total of $214.3 billion.

However, despite the worldwide adoption of the cloud, the question of security remains paramount. That’s where cloud security comes in. It provides multi-layered control of network infrastructure to ensure protection and continuity, making cloud computing even more secure than on-site solutions.

Here are the top 4 security benefits of cloud computing.

1. Regular patches and updates

The top cause of malware infections worldwide is unpatched software. Malicious attackers usually exploit software a few hours after its initial public release, as that’s when it’s most vulnerable. Furthermore, maintaining software updates can cause operational disruptions, which is why a lot of small to mid-size businesses forgo them for as long as they can.

Cloud providers provide routine software patches and updates to their clients, without them having to experience any downtime. This reduces the likelihood of being victim to a malware or ransomware attack, while freeing up your team’s time—which would have otherwise been utilized in tedious installation processes.

2. Protection against DDoS

In 2018, a record-breaking next-gen DDoS attack blasted 1.7 Tbps at the target as hackers figured out ways to attack the Memcache of the software.

As prime targets of distributed denial-of-service attacks (DDoS), cloud services tend to offer maximum protection against attacks of large amplitude. Cloud computing security solutions monitor, absorb, and attempt to stop large amounts of traffic directed at the company’s servers.

3. Provides physical security

Studies show that a lot of companies do not have disaster recovery plans in place. And even if they do, they’ve hardly been tested or updated. In addition, natural disasters, human errors and power outages can all lead to data and productivity loss.

Cloud computing solutions address probable disaster recovery by storing company data at remote sites with automatic backups and round-the-clock surveillance cameras.

4. Data security

Employees tend to access data from several devices at several locations. Unless these practices are handled securely, it can lead to network-wide malware infestations and data leaks.

Cloud services, however, encrypt all company data and provide employers as well as employees with sophisticated tools for mobile computing and easy sharing.

At Lean Security, we aim to offer cybersecurity solutions that are highly secure, cost-effective and reliable. Our comprehensive managed DDoS protection and secure cloud hosting services ensure that your business is up and running without any threat to critical information. We also provide Web Security Audit and penetration testing services. Get in touch with us via call or website for more information.

Why You Need a Strong Cybersecurity Solution

2019 has been a year that saw many major state-level and corporate breaches, forcing governments and businesses to invest in advanced malware plans. Headlines constantly feature hackers attacking major organizations like Toyota, Facebook and Marriott — leaving millions at risk.

With most businesses being more and more dependent on digital systems for day-to-day operations, the need for a robust security architecture framework has become non-negotiable.

Let’s take a look at some reasons why your business needs the very best cybersecurity solution.

Protection of customers and employees

When your company experiences a data breach, everything from an Excel spreadsheet to the entire company database can be accessed and misused. This can lead to unauthorized log-ins or complete infrastructural breakdown, putting employee and customer data at risk and threatening your business’s bottom line

There are virtually limitless ways in which your business can be affected — the most common being compromising the company’s email server using phishing emails masquerading as official representatives, tricking customers into exposing their banking details.

Moreover, malicious software like ransomware can take over your company equipment — through perhaps an attached email — and hold your firm to ransom once it’s embedded. One such example of a high-profile attack was against the UK’s National Health Service, which affected the personal medical data of surgeries, hospitals, and clinics all across the country — a real wakeup call for organizations worldwide.

Earns Trust and protects productivity

Customer loyalty and trust is priceless. When your business is reputed to have a strong cybersecurity solution in place, it helps you earn the trust of not only customers but of potential business partners as well, putting you ahead of your less security-conscious competition.

The New York Times reported that the theft of customer data of US retail giant, Target, had a serious impact on the company’s profits. The massive drop in sales could’ve been avoided with a strong cybersecurity solution. Such solutions keep security breaches at bay or at least limits their severity, avoiding the risk of losing millions in addition to your customers’ faith.

The financial cost of a cyber attack

The most significant risk of a cyber-attack is the financial blow that the company has to bear. In 2016, Tesco ended up paying out £2.26m owing to a security breach that resulted in fraudulent removal of money from the bank accounts of around 20,000 customers. To make matters worse, Tesco was further fined £16.4m by the FCA, claiming that the bank failed to exercise due diligence in protecting its consumers against a cyberattack. Moreover, businesses are heavily fined if they don’t report breaches.

Cybersecurity reports warn CIOs that if businesses still leave their doors wide open to security breaches, despite the focus on the importance of cybersecurity, it’s their own fault!

That’s why at Lean Security, we aim to provide a comprehensive set of robust cyber security solutions including Web Application Vulnerability testing, malware detection services and cloud security assessments, and much more! From web security audits to penetration testing services our team of experts provides unprecedented online business solutions. Get in touch with us today for more information.

Static vs. Dynamic Code Analysis: Everything You Need to Know

The security development lifecycle (SDL) is a model that allows enterprises to place security front and centre while developing apps and products. This requires crafting a carefully constructed security plan, as well as code analysis—of both static and dynamic code. What do those terms mean and how are they both important? Let’s take a look. 

Static Analysis

Static code analysis is a debugging method for computer programs that is performed without executing the program. The purpose of static code analysis is to understand a program’s code structure and ensure that it meets industry standards, ensure that it’s safe from the threat of malware, and that it does not have any glaring bugs.

Developers and programs use automated tools and software to run static code analysis and scrutinize the code using visual inspection. With static analysis, fatal flaws and code errors can be detected way before the code is deployed or when it manifests itself in the form of a disaster.

Static code analysis is critical for building quality software, as errors often stay hidden for weeks, sometimes years, until triggered by certain conditions or inputs. A classic example is when Microsoft’s Zune line of music players was bricked by a New Year-related bug.

Dynamic Analysis

Before computer software is rolled out, most developers will execute the code and subject it to dynamic code analysis. The process involves:

· Preparing input data

· Launching a test program

· Defining parameters and gathering data

· Analysis of output data

Dynamic analysis works best for identifying vulnerabilities in a runtime setting. A developer can easily perform an analysis of parts that do not work as intended in the application while also looking for false negatives identified by the static analysis.  

Static vs. Dynamic

While both analyses are performed during code review, they each have unique benefits. Even though static code analysis can identify a large number of flaws, dynamic analysis is just as important, as it validates the findings of static code analysis.

Unique defects like uncalled functions, boundary value breaches, and unreachable code can only be detected by static code analysis.

When combined, static and dynamic code analyses are often referred to as glass box testing. While security solutions for websites and apps have far reaching impacts, automated tools often aren’t enough for a foolproof plan that safeguards the business from all sides.

Cybersecurity is a lot more than just code analyses and at Lean Security we provide extensive security assessments including vulnerability scanning, penetration testing, web application security scanning, DDoS protection and malware detection services.

Located in Gordon, New South Wales, businesses can get in touch with us via call at +61 (2) 8078 6952 or on our website.