October is Cybersecurity Awareness month and here at ASSI, we celebrate it ALL YEAR ROUND. I mean, the cupcakes and cake are a bit much every day, AND the balloons, streamers, etc., BUT it’s VERY important to us.
Meet Larry. Larry “works” down at the White Oak Chartastic Whiskey Barrel Factory in the barrel factory finance department. Yeah, it’s a sweet gig, and while Larry knows his numbers and how to keep the factory running financially, he’s not that swift with the tech component. In fact, it was just three weeks ago that he built his very first Microsoft Excel document complete with a formula. Way to go buddy! Larry still hasn’t FULLY embraced using email or messaging tools, but we’re getting there. He did send an email complete with a subject line and everything a few days ago, so yeah, we’re getting close. Being in finance, Larry, is a bit more susceptible to clicking something insidious, so when his boss Shirley noticed Larry struggling a bit with the technology, she knew he needed a bit of training, in fact, Shirley realized that the entire factory could use a bit of a cybersecurity workshop to keep everyone INCLUDING those barrels all safe and secure.
Shirley, being quite tech savvy, consulted the interwebs and found some pro tips to train her team and keep the factory all nice and safe. She found the cybersecurity folks at Advanced Systems Solutions and put together a nice little workshop. Here’s what she trained her team on:
– Email Safety
After doing her homework, Shirley assembled the team and taught them about the importance of spotting phishing attempts in emails, what to click, what NOT to click, and what to do if Larry accidentally clicks something nefarious. Many cyberthugs love to trick finance departments in particular into rerouting incoming wires, etc., so this was a powerfully important portion of the workshop.
– Messaging Safety
Shirley discovered that using a messaging or texting tool can also be a potential cybersecurity danger. She conveyed to the team that much like email safety, it’s also critical to be on the lookout for spoofed messages containing shady links. Being aware and on guard is always a critical component of cyber safety as crooks love to spoof messages from the boss or payroll department in order to steal your personal information and cause chaos.
– Phone Calls and Fraud
One classic, but widely used fraud tool by cyber punks is the old school phone trick. Shirley shared with her team that crooks will often trick you into providing company information or personal information via a spoofed phone number. This old trick can get many companies in trouble and lead to a data ransom situation or even financial loss. Shirley instructed her team to never give out any personal information or company information, especially if they are calling your personal cell phone. It’s just one more way that crooks gather enough information to cause harm.
After doing her research, Shirley also realized that a lot of their workstations and servers were severely out of date. This is one of the easiest ways for hackers to infiltrate your network. That’s when she called in the pros at ASSI to do a deep dive into their network and propose a solid plan to refresh equipment, update all software, and ensure that all network switches and potential entry points are locked down.
Shirley, we celebrate you and the team at White Oak Chartastic Whiskey Barrel Factory for embracing cybersecurity and keeping your team in the know. Knowledge is power and can help to keep your factory churning out those vessels of heavenly deliciousness.
UPDATE:
Larry is rocking and rolling, sending emails, ignoring bogus messages, and ensuring that he keeps all of his financial spreadsheets behind a safe and secure firewall. Great job Larry!
We are here for your business, to train, and educate your team, to test your network, to keep your machines all tightened up, and to advise you on best practices. We’re here to partner with your IT team and keep a lookout for your business.
Relax, we’re on IT. Call ASSI today for a consultation. Who knows, we might bring some cake and cupcakes to keep on celebrating Cybersecurity Awareness Month. Call (407) 414-6626 today!
