This week I’d like to return to your favorite topic of cybersecurity. Please don’t hit delete just yet! I promise to make it a fun read. I’ll even talk about lasagna and its delicious layers later on!
Some of you may be saying, okay we get it, security is important, but why are will still talking about it? Well, keeping you up to speed on new threats lurking in the shadows is our duty. Plus, during our conversations, I continue to hear responses on cybersecurity such as:
We don’t need strong security
We don’t deal with any sensitive information
MACs are already secure (thankfully most Windows users don’t fall for this one)
I have been in business for x number of years and nothing bad happened so far
If we have a breach, we can deal with it then
Let’s talk about increasing security at our next meeting for the fiscal year
We are busy right now and can’t deal with improving our security
Why can’t you just take care of it for us, we don’t need to know
A friendly but important reminder: Hacking today is considered a profession for many unemployed people around the world. Cybersecurity is no longer about kids breaking into things for fun or professional hackers going after large institutions for valuable data. Instead, small groups of people or individuals seek ways of extracting quick cash as a means of living, using simple tools that are easily accessible online. It takes minimal effort to gain access to someone’s email account to start a conversation about something they are familiar with to extract money in a moment of weakness. The same is true for computers. Weaknesses and hacks for operating systems like Windows and MAC are frequently posted on open-access websites where even people with limited skills can use the information to record your keystrokes, steal information to use against you, or simply break things for fun.
What do cybersecurity and lasagna have in common? The layers! When you sit at a table with a slice of lasagna, a quick bite is not enough to get through it all – you must be committed. Same applies to cybersecurity. Most bad actors use easy tricks found online, which are only clever enough for a quick bite. If you ensure your systems are secured with layers, you will be a hard target to chew. Let me give you another one of my favorite analogies. If you live in a home, you probably lock your door as well as flip the deadbolt. Maybe even turn on the alarm. That’s 3 layers of security. If you live in a condo, you may even have a doorman. That’s four layers!
What are the layers of our cybersecurity services? When it comes to email security, we deploy two unique layers of security, each with two internal layers. This puts a total of 4 layers between you and the bad actors. When it comes to computer security, we go even further. Our malware protection software consists of a definition database against known threats and monitoring of suspicious activity. Our DNS filtering and firewall works similarly. This adds up to 6 layers of protection. Impenetrable? No! Large institutions enforce much stricter security policies with many more layers and still get hacked. Layers make you difficult to chew and less likely to be targeted, but they do not make you impossible to swallow.
In conclusion, you are one specific odd behavior detection feature or security definition update away from being breached at any given time. As always, my team and I will continue to monitor the shadows and keep an eye on the layers and fillings of your security stack.
I appreciate you taking the time to read and take cybersecurity seriously. You deserve to be rewarded! Here is my favorite lasagna recipe with a twist.
– Burak Sarac, Team Lead
Delete Duplicate Photos on iPhone
The Photos app is getting many updates with iOS 16. Between Shared iCloud Photo Library and the new batch-edit feature, it’s easy to lose track of the smaller, quality-of-life features that make their way to your iPhones and iPads. A new Duplicates album is one such feature. Apple now automatically scans your library for photos that are duplicates or virtually similar, helping you get rid of the seven different photos of your coffee cup from your visit to the local cafe. Read more here.
International Day of Friendship is July 30th
International Day of Friendship was designated by the United Nations General Assembly (U.N.). On July 30, we step back and get thankful for these relationships worldwide, as they promote and encourage peace, happiness, and unity. The U.N. encourages governments, community groups, and other organizations to coordinate activities and events that celebrate the friendships that we keep close to us. Here are some tips on how to foster & find good friendships, though the advice is good for existing friendships as well.
Microsoft is Telling Mac Users to Patch. Here’s why.
Microsoft has detailed an exploit for a flaw its researchers found in macOS that could allow specially crafted codes to escape the App Sandbox and run unrestricted on the system. If you have a Mac but haven’t installed Apple’s May 16 security updates for macOS, you should now, according to the Microsoft 365 Defender Research Team. Read more here.
National Avocado Day is July 31st
“The avocado is a food without rival among the fruits, the veritable fruit of paradise.”
So said early 20th-century adventurer and U.S. Department of Agriculture botanist, David Fairchild, when he introduced the gorgeous fruits to the U.S. And he was right. Avocados are creamy, delicious, vitamin-heavy symbols of nature offering us the good life. Avocados are eaten differently from culture to culture: on toasts, in salads, as dressings, and as dessert! Here are a bunch of fun recipes to check out.
