What is Ransomware? Let’s start with the basics. The simple definition of ransom is “a consideration paid or demanded for the release of someone or something from captivity.” Ransomware, then, is a way for bad actors to encrypt information and hold it ransom in exchange for money—typically untraceable bitcoin. There are four main ways that hackers target organizations and demand payment: Lockout...

If you work in cybersecurity, the chances are that you will have come across the phrase Zero Trust over the past few years. It’s become a real industry buzzword, but there is substance behind the noise on this occasion. To the outsider, it’s a term that is easy to misinterpret. It sounds draconian and severe and could be perceived as meaning the organization trusts no one when it comes to...

Digital files are the crown jewels of any organization, and end-to-end rights management is increasingly the goal of businesses who need to transfer files securely. How can organizations ensure data is secure from inception to publication, especially when third parties enter the picture? Enter secure file transfer plus digital rights management. These two tools together help organizations keep a...

May’s ‘this month in cybersecurity ’ is somewhat of a ransomware news special. In addition to a ransomware attack on Costa Rica and the continued expansion of BlackByte, this month also marks the fifth anniversary of WannaCry, perhaps the most damaging malware attack the world has seen. Ransomware remains hugely prevalent, but is an attack likely to happen again on this scale? And if it did, how...

The last few years have seen a rise in stories about Ryuk, a powerful piece of ransomware that is best known for targeting healthcare institutions , but has also been attacking municipal governments, state courts, enterprises, and large universities, among others. Many of these organizations have paid hefty fees – between $100,00 and $500,000, payable in Bitcoin – to recover their files following...

Spring is the time of year when people start thinking about decluttering, cleaning, and readying themselves for the next season—spring cleaning. It's a tradition that dates back centuries, but it could also be applied to an organization's cybersecurity. There’s never a bad time to reflect on how best to keep your organization safe, especially given that there seems to have been no shortage of...

Whether your employees are headed back to the office enthusiastically, with a bit of dread, or a mix of emotions, they’ll bring with them more than just their laptops, lunches, and stories from their work-from-home days upon their return. They’ll also potentially be bringing along some data security risks. While risks around unauthorized file sharing, virus prevention, and more, might be similar...

Cybersecurity for Government is Crucial In these trying times government agencies everywhere must be resilient when it comes to cybersecurity. Cyber resilience is an organization’s ability to prepare for, respond to, and recover from cyber threats. A cyber-resilient organization can adequately adapt to known and unknown crises, threats, adversities, and challenges. Resiliency is an absolute...

The EU’s GDPR paved the way for data privacy and protection laws around the world, and one of the latest is the emerging Personal Data Protection Bill in India. While organizations in India already adhere to international data privacy laws, including GDPR when serving overseas customers, as well as the restrictions set out in 2000’s Information Technology Act , neither directly and specifically...

Supply chain attacks are one of the fastest-growing cyber risks that organizations face in 2022, and when it comes to supply chain risk management, organizations in every industry should pay attention. There have always been efforts to help organizations understand and mitigate risks related to supply chain, and recent initiatives, including the U.S.’s Executive Order on Improving the Nation’s...

Working 9 to 5 is no longer the only way to make a living, and for the foreseeable future, organizations parking most of their employees at a particular desk Monday through Friday is looking less and less likely. Working from home, at least as part of a hybrid organizational structure, is here to stay. Whether working from home, in a hybrid situation, or back in that old familiar office chair...

February, while a short month, was long on cybersecurity threats. Read on for a few of the high- (well, low-lights) as well as for some resources from GoAnywhere MFT on how you can help secure your sensitive data files while they are in motion and in transit. Love Hurts The search for love turned up more than potential partners over the last few months (o.k., years). In fact, according to research...

COVID-19 Has Made a Lasting Impact on Data Security The Coronavirus pandemic has altered many things in this world and data security is no exception. Along with the solid impact COVID-19 has made on data security, let’s highlight some of the other key ways lasting change has been made within businesses. The Lasting Change: Working from Home As of 2022 , 16 percent of companies in the world are now...

Work from home, which was once an early-pandemic precaution, is becoming a norm across industries. It is likely that the pandemic has shifted how people work forever, with half of employees expecting to work predominantly from home or in a hybrid home-and-office system going forward. However, just as in the early days of the pandemic, cybersecurity while working from home is still a concern for IT...

Shadow IT Doesn’t Lurk in the Shadows – it's Prevalent Although it may seem foreign now, there was once a time when an organization’s IT department had complete and total control over the technology being used by the organization. Before software could be purchased, or before anyone clicked download, the IT Director’s blessing was needed. In current times, no matter how hard your IT department may...

2021 Was Not Fun for Those Who Suffered a Data Breach Although 2021 brought about many positive changes and more of a return to normalcy, it did not bring fun times for the many organizations who suffered from costly data breaches. With the numbers, costs, and impacts of a data breach on the rise, it’s important to do what you can to protect your sensitive data from a breach. The Cost of a Data...

Meet Mobile Malware Mobile malware is a malicious kind of software that hackers use to specifically target and collapse operating systems on smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches in order to steal confidential data . Generally speaking , mobile devices aren’t as secure as computers. So, i t’s not a stretch that the same security measures organizations have in place for workstations and servers...

What is Encrypted File Sharing? Whether you’re sending data back and forth for edits or accessing a shared document, file security is important. Encrypted file sharing is a method of securely exchanging data either internally or externally by encoding data and protecting its transmission. Data encryption uses algorithms to scramble the contents of files so that they can’t be read without the...

There are some things in life that should be a given: rollercoasters are inspected regularly, chefs wash their hands, and your organization’s file transfers are secure. That last is a little more nebulous to see immediate cause-and-effect (it’s not like your rollercoaster car rolling off the tracks or getting food poisoning!) but unsecure file transfers could put sensitive data at risk, impacting...

What is Zero Knowledge Encryption? If zero knowledge means every piece of information is absolutely confidential, and all data remains only with the user of a software or service, how does zero knowledge apply to encryption? Zero knowledge encryption basically states that data is kept secure via a unique user or encryption key, one that even the application developer does not know. You, and only...