Business e-mail compromise (BEC) is rapidly emerging as one of the most significant cyber threats that businesses encounter. Although these scams have been a challenge for organizations for years, the rise of advanced AI tools has enhanced their sophistication and increased their danger.

In 2023, BEC scams resulted in global losses of $6.7 billion. Even more concerning, a study by Perception Point indicated a 42% rise in BEC incidents during the first half of 2024 compared to the same timeframe in the previous year. As cybercriminals leverage AI to improve their methods, this trend is expected to continue escalating.

What Are Business E-mail Compromise (BEC) Attacks?

BEC scams are not typical phishing attempts. They are highly targeted cyberattacks where criminals manipulate e-mail accounts to deceive employees, partners, or clients into revealing sensitive information or transferring money. Unlike generic phishing, BEC scams often involve impersonating trusted individuals or organizations, making them significantly more believable and effective.

Why Are BEC Attacks So Dangerous?

BEC scams are particularly successful because they exploit human trust rather than relying on malware or attachments, which can often be detected by security filters. Here's what makes them so harmful:

They can lead to:

• Severe Financial Losses: A single convincing e-mail can result in unauthorized payments or data breaches. The average loss per attack exceeds $137,000, and recovering stolen funds is often nearly impossible.
• Operational Disruption: An attack can halt business operations, causing downtime, audits, and internal disorder.
• Reputational Damage: How can you reassure clients that their sensitive data has not been compromised?
• Loss of Trust: Employees may feel less secure, knowing their organization has been vulnerable.

Common BEC Scams To Watch Out For

BEC scams come in various forms. Here are some of the most prevalent:

• Fake Invoices: Cybercriminals impersonate vendors and send realistic invoices requesting payment.
• CEO Fraud: Hackers pose as executives, pressuring employees to make urgent fund transfers.
• Compromised E-mail Accounts: Legitimate accounts are hacked and used to issue malicious requests.
• Third-Party Vendor Impersonation: Trusted vendors are spoofed, making fraudulent requests seem routine.

How To Protect Your Business From BEC

The good news is that BEC scams can be prevented with appropriate strategies:

Train Your Team Like It's Game Day

Teach employees how to identify phishing e-mails, especially those marked "urgent."

Require verbal confirmation for any financial requests.

Enforce Multifactor Authentication (MFA)

MFA acts as a safety measure, even if a password is compromised. Enable it on all accounts, particularly e-mail and financial platforms.

Test Your Backups

Regularly restore data from backups to ensure their functionality. A faulty backup during an attack could severely impact your business.

Get Serious About E-mail Security

Utilize advanced e-mail filters to block malicious links and attachments.

Regularly audit access permissions and promptly revoke access for former employees.

Verify Financial Transactions

Always confirm large payments or sensitive requests through a separate communication channel, such as a phone call.

Next Steps For Security

Cybercriminals are continuously evolving, but you can stay ahead of the curve. By training your team, securing your systems, and verifying transactions, you can fortify your business against BEC scams.

Want to ensure your business is protected? Start with a FREE 15-Minute Discovery Call to uncover vulnerabilities, secure your systems and keep cybercriminals out.

Click here or give us a call at 888-624-7383 to schedule your FREE 15-Minute Discovery Call today!

Let's stop BEC in its tracks - before it stops your business.

Imagine arriving at work with your team, ready to take on the day's challenges, when suddenly the Internet goes down, emails stop functioning, and productivity comes to a standstill. What would you do? For many businesses, when the Internet fails, operations come to a screeching halt, leading to significant losses in productivity and sales. Consider the MGM data breach from the summer: electronic room keys malfunctioned, casinos were forced to shut down, and online restaurant bookings were unavailable. That downtime resulted in millions of dollars lost for MGM.

However, downtime is just one way inadequate IT support can hinder your business. Add recurring issues like forgotten passwords, malware attacks, or difficulties accessing shared files, and the resulting inefficiencies can become overwhelming.

Business owners often find themselves spending large sums on IT support that struggles to resolve even the simplest issues. These so-called "IT experts," who promise top-notch service at low prices, frequently spend more time idle than actively addressing problems, waiting for you to inform them that something is malfunctioning.

You shouldn't have to endure tech frustrations and reactive IT support that only responds after problems arise. It's time to demand better and eliminate tech issues before they occur.

To assist you, we've compiled a checklist of essential standards that anyone managing your network should uphold. Evaluate how your current provider measures up:

• Do they answer their phone live and respond to emergencies within minutes? In a crisis, waiting on hold or leaving voicemails is not an option.
• Are they easily reachable and responsive for non-emergencies, providing replies within an hour? Everyday tech problems shouldn't leave your team in limbo.
• Do they actively monitor, patch, and update your network's critical security settings? If you're unsure whether this occurs daily, weekly, or at all, you may be at risk.
• Do they provide proof that all your data is being backed up, including laptops and devices? A reliable IT provider ensures nothing is overlooked.
• Do they meet with you at least quarterly to review projects, performance, and improvements? Quality IT support doesn't just fix issues; it helps you plan for the future.
• Do their invoices clearly outline what you're paying for? No one appreciates surprises, especially regarding billing.
• Do they communicate in plain language instead of technical jargon and take the time to answer your questions? You shouldn't need a translator to understand your IT provider.
• Do they proactively address cybersecurity, recommend solutions, and offer employee training? Cybersecurity is essential, and employee education is a vital layer of protection.
• Have they provided you with complete network documentation, including admin passwords? If they're holding critical information hostage, it's a significant warning sign.
• Do their technicians arrive punctually, dress professionally, and leave you feeling confident after every interaction? Professionalism is crucial; if you feel uneasy every time you call, it may be time to find a new provider.

Bonus Points: Is Your IT Provider Going Above And Beyond?

• Do they conduct regular disaster recovery drills to ensure your backups function correctly? A backup is ineffective if it fails when you need it the most.
• Are they assisting you in planning for scalable growth with technology that adapts alongside your business? The right IT partner ensures your systems evolve with your company.
• Do they offer advanced cybersecurity tools, such as endpoint detection and AI-driven monitoring? Cyber threats are constantly changing, and your protection should evolve as well.
• Do they monitor and optimize your network's performance to prevent bottlenecks and downtime? Efficiency is crucial in today's competitive environment.

Time to Raise the Bar

If your current IT provider doesn't meet these criteria, you may be paying for inadequate service, which could jeopardize your business. From security risks to lost productivity, poor IT support is not just an inconvenience—it's a liability.

Don't settle for anything less than a partner who prioritizes your business's success.

Schedule a free 15-Minute Discovery Call today to see how we can eliminate your tech headaches and ensure your business runs smoothly. Click here to schedule now or call us at 888-624-7383 to get started.

Let's make tech problems a thing of the past.

As tax season approaches, businesses are busy preparing financial documents, filing returns, and meeting tight deadlines. Unfortunately, this hectic period presents an ideal opportunity for cybercriminals to strike, as business owners and employees may be preoccupied.

Cybercriminals often seek to exploit sensitive data, scam businesses, and create chaos. In this blog, we will discuss why tax season gives cybercriminals a significant advantage and how you can stay ahead of them.

Why Tax Season Attracts Cybercriminals

1. Increased Exchange Of Sensitive Data

During tax season, sensitive financial and personal information is shared both internally and with external parties like accountants or payroll providers. This creates multiple vulnerabilities for hackers to exploit, particularly through phishing emails.

2. Tight Deadlines Lead To Mistakes

The pressure to meet deadlines can cause employees to be less vigilant about checking emails, links, or file attachments. This oversight makes it easier for phishing scams and malware to infiltrate systems.

3. Higher Volume Of E-mails

Businesses receive a surge of emails related to forms, payment requests, and compliance updates during tax season. Cybercriminals take advantage of this by crafting convincing phishing emails that appear legitimate, aiming to intercept sensitive data.

4. Widespread Scams Targeting Taxpayers

Hackers often impersonate trusted entities, such as the IRS or tax preparation services, to deceive businesses into sharing confidential information or making fraudulent payments.

Common Tax Season Threats You Need To Watch Out For

- Phishing E-mails: Fraudulent messages that appear to be from the IRS, your bookkeeper, or a tax service, requesting sensitive information or directing you to malicious links.

- Fake Invoices Or Payment Requests: Scammers send counterfeit invoices or payment demands to trick businesses into wiring money.

- Ransomware Attacks: Hackers may encrypt critical financial data and demand payment for its release.

- Social Engineering: Phone calls or emails impersonating trusted contacts, such as accountants or payroll providers, to extract information.

How To Protect Your Business This Tax Season

1. Train Your Team

Educate employees about the latest scams and how to identify phishing attempts. Teach them to verify email senders before opening attachments or clicking links, be cautious of urgent payment requests or unusual account updates, and report suspicious emails immediately.

2. Secure Your Communications

Ensure that all data exchanges are encrypted, particularly when sharing sensitive tax documents. Use secure portals or file-sharing tools instead of email whenever possible.

3. Implement Multifactor Authentication (MFA)

Require MFA for access to financial systems, email accounts, and any platforms used for tax-related activities. This adds an extra layer of security, even if credentials are compromised. It's crucial to enable this feature wherever possible.

4. Conduct A Cybersecurity Audit

Collaborate with your IT provider to identify vulnerabilities in your systems before hackers can exploit them. Focus on updating software, securing network endpoints and devices, and verifying data backup integrity.

5. Verify All Financial Requests

Double-check payment requests, especially those involving large sums or sensitive accounts. Confirm via a secondary communication method, such as a phone call, to ensure authenticity.

Don't Let Hackers Score This Tax Season

Tax season doesn't have to be a free-for-all for hackers. By remaining vigilant, educating your team, and implementing proactive cybersecurity measures, you can protect your business from becoming a victim.

Let's make sure the only thing you're filing this season is a successful tax return - not a cybersecurity incident report. Start with a FREE 15-Minute Discovery Call to uncover potential vulnerabilities and ensure your systems are ready to handle whatever comes your way.

Click here or give us a call at 888-624-7383 to schedule your FREE 15-Minute Discovery Call now!

Spring is finally here, signaling the time for spring cleaning. While you declutter your office and organize files, remember that your IT systems also need a refresh. A spring clean for your business technology can reveal inefficiencies, enhance security, and improve overall performance, allowing you to operate more effectively, minimize costly downtime, and concentrate on growing your business without technology distractions.

Where should you begin? While the standard advice of deleting old files and updating software is crucial, we want to share some additional practical strategies to truly optimize your business systems.

1. Conduct A Comprehensive IT Audit

Spring is an ideal time to assess your entire IT environment, including hardware, software, and user access. Look for outdated hardware, underused software licenses, and redundant systems that duplicate functions or no longer fit your workflows. Collaborate with your IT provider to pinpoint and prioritize areas for improvement, ensuring your budget is allocated to impactful upgrades. Note that Windows 10 will lose support after October 2025, so if you're using it, now is the time to plan your next steps.

2. Clean Up Your Active Directory

The Active Directory, or its equivalent, is essential for your network's security and efficiency but is often overlooked. Remove inactive user accounts, verify permissions to ensure users have appropriate access, and document all changes to avoid confusion. A well-maintained directory is crucial for protection against breaches and should be a priority for every organization.

3. Optimize Your Network For Hybrid Work

As hybrid and remote work continue to thrive, your network may need adjustments to facilitate seamless collaboration and connectivity. Upgrade your VPN for security and scalability, review bandwidth usage to identify and resolve bottlenecks, and enable secure file-sharing using encrypted tools. Also, evaluate your relationships with third-party vendors, ensuring they prioritize security to protect your data.

4. Test Your Backups With A Full Restore

Backing up your data is critical, but when did you last test those backups? Many businesses find out too late that their backups are corrupt or incomplete. Conduct a full restore to confirm that your backup system functions correctly, and document the time required to restore critical systems to assess if improvements are needed. A backup is only valuable if it works when disaster strikes, and you need to be ready for unexpected events.

5. Reassess Your Cybersecurity Playbook

As hackers continuously adapt their tactics, your cybersecurity strategy must evolve as well. Review your endpoint protection to ensure all devices, including employee-owned ones used remotely, are secure. Update your incident response plan, train your team on current threats, and invest in advanced monitoring tools that can detect and neutralize threats before they cause harm. Remember, cybersecurity is an ongoing process, and staying updated on best practices is essential for maintaining security.

A Clean IT System Is A Productive IT System

Spring cleaning your IT systems goes beyond organization; it ensures your business operates efficiently and securely throughout the year. By implementing these strategies, you'll reduce downtime, enhance productivity, and stay ahead of evolving cyber threats.

Want to go further? Start with a FREE 15-Minute Discovery Call. Our experts will evaluate your systems, identify vulnerabilities and recommend optimizations tailored to your business.

Click here or give us a call at 888-624-7383 to schedule your FREE 15-Minute Discovery Call today!

Artificial Intelligence (AI) has long been used by businesses to increase productivity, enhance customer experiences and make data-driven decisions. But what happens when this powerful technology turns against you? For executives navigating an increasingly complex cybersecurity landscape, being aware of AI-powered cyber attacks that pose existential threats is of vital importance.

Emergence of AI-Powered Attacks Weaponizing AI has long been considered an abstract idea; now more than ever APTs, hackers, and even rogue states have found ways to use machine learning algorithms as weapons in cyber attacks against them and vulnerable targets – including scanning vulnerabilities quickly for attacks or social engineering tactics to deploy at unprecedented scales and speeds.

Automating the Mundane and Complex

Scanning for Vulnerabilities: Artificial intelligence algorithms can quickly scan through volumes of code to quickly identify security loopholes – including zero-day vulnerabilities often overlooked by traditional security measures.

Launching Attacks: AI can automate many different attack techniques, from DDoS attacks to advanced malware distribution campaigns, far more quickly and efficiently than human operators-run campaigns.

Crafting Complex Attacks

Evasion Techniques: Artificial intelligence can dynamically adapt attack strategies in real time, making it hard for traditional security measures to detect or stop attacks.

Behavior Analysis: By carefully studying user behaviors’, artificial intelligence (AI) can create convincing phishing emails or malicious websites that appear legitimate to both recipients and web surfers alike.

Data Poisoning: Artificial intelligence systems can only ever be as good as the data they are trained on, which makes cybercriminals’ use of AI increasingly dangerous as it allows them to manipulate training data and “teach” machine learning models to make decisions that benefit attackers instead.

AI as Both an Attacker and Defender

Ironically, while artificial intelligence (AI) may pose serious cybercriminal threats, it also offers one of the most effective defense tools against complex attacks. AI-powered security measures can continuously learn and adapt to new threats – an integral component of modern cybersecurity strategies.

Considerations for Executives

Readiness Assessment: Conduct an evaluation to ascertain whether your organization is prepared to defend against AI-powered cyber attacks, including auditing existing security infrastructure and the maturity of current AI deployments.

Strategic Investments: Make strategic investments in AI-powered cybersecurity tools capable of anticipating, detecting and neutralizing both traditional and AI-powered threats.

Human Expertise: Even AI algorithms require human oversight. Make sure to invest in a skilled cybersecurity team who understands all aspects of AI and machine learning.

AI-powered cyber attacks mark a paradigm shift in cybersecurity. As technology progresses, so too do cyber attacks become more sophisticated and effective – are you prepared for an AI-powered future? Now is the time for action!

Maise Technology provides comprehensive consultation tailored to the unique needs of your organization. We specialize in developing robust cybersecurity and IT strategies capable of withstanding today’s AI-enhanced threat landscape.

By reaching out to Maise Technology, you’re taking proactive steps against today’s threats while anticipating tomorrow’s challenges. Take the first step toward protecting your organization against AI-powered cyber attacks!

Future success depends on AI technology being harnessed properly within organizations; let’s create that future together!

Introduction

Cybersecurity has been a significant concern for executives and decision-makers, with threats growing both in number and sophistication each year. As cloud computing and remote work environments become the norm, the network perimeter is rapidly evolving, requiring new approaches to security. One such groundbreaking approach gaining traction is Secure Access Service Edge, commonly referred to as SASE. Many industry experts believe that SASE represents the future of network security, and here’s why you, as an executive, should be considering it.

What is Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)?

SASE is a security framework that combines network security functions with wide-area networking (WAN) capabilities. In simpler terms, it integrates security and network management into a single cloud-based platform. This comprehensive approach allows businesses to apply consistent security policies and optimization strategies regardless of where their users or devices are located.

The Problem with Traditional Models

Traditional network security methods focus on protecting the fixed perimeter of a corporate network. With the increased adoption of cloud services and remote work, this perimeter-based approach is no longer sufficient. Data is now dispersed across various cloud environments, employees are connecting from various locations, and the sheer volume of network traffic from different devices is overwhelming.

Why SASE is the Future

1. Cloud-Native Architecture: SASE is built for the cloud age. It can dynamically scale to meet the requirements of cloud applications, providing enhanced performance without sacrificing security.
2. Zero Trust Model: By integrating the Zero Trust model, SASE does not automatically trust any entity trying to access the network, irrespective of their location. This eliminates the notion of a ‘trusted’ and ‘untrusted’ side of the network, enhancing security.
3. Global Policy Enforcement: Traditional security solutions often involve setting policies across multiple platforms, which can lead to inconsistencies and vulnerabilities. SASE’s unified platform enables global policy enforcement, ensuring consistency.
4. Optimized User Experience: SASE can route network traffic based on real-time conditions, ensuring optimal speed and reliability. This delivers an enhanced user experience without compromising security.
5. Cost-Effectiveness: By combining multiple security services into a single platform, SASE reduces the complexity and cost of having disparate security solutions.

What Executives Need to Consider

As an executive, embracing SASE could mean more than just an upgrade in your security architecture; it signifies an evolution in how you think about business. It requires an assessment of your current network infrastructure, the various cloud services in use, and the geographic distribution of your workforce. Key considerations include compliance requirements, scalability, and the total cost of ownership.

The move to SASE is more than just a technological shift; it’s a strategic initiative that can redefine how your organization operates and safeguards its assets. If you’re intrigued by the possibilities that Secure Access Service Edge brings to the table, the time to act is now.

For an in-depth consultation and a discussion tailored to your organization’s specific needs, contact Maise Technology. As leaders in the field, we can provide valuable insights into how adopting a SASE framework could be the game-changer your organization has been waiting for.

By contacting Maise Technology, you’re taking the first step in future-proofing your network security architecture. Don’t be left behind in the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity. Take the leap into the future with SASE.

Zero-trust architecture is one of today’s most discussed security measures. But cybersecurity professionals admit that gaining support can be difficult. They say it’s important to explain the threat landscape, and how zero-trust addresses it.

Prioritizing and planning for small changes is important. So, the risk can be reduced over time and benefits can be realized.

1. Data Privacy

Data privacy means that you can decide for yourself how and when personal information about you is collected, including online and offline behaviors. It is important because if it gets into the wrong hands, your personal information can be used for illegal purposes such as identity theft and cyberattacks.

Legally, companies are required to protect the data of their users and customers. This is why they must implement security policies such as multi-factor authentication (MFA) that requires more than a password to access the system.

Zero trust is designed to combat these threats through strong authentication, granular perimeter enforcement and micro-segmentation. Implementing a Zero Trust Architecture is not easy. This can cause disruption to business and requires significant changes in technology and architecture. It is important to perform a risk-based evaluation and test-beds in order to make sure that the benefits are greater than the costs. It also ensures that security and mission needs are aligned.

2. Data Loss Prevention

Data breaches are the most common and costly cyber attacks, affecting organizations of all sizes and industries. A single loss of sensitive data can damage a company’s reputation, competitive advantage and profitability. Moreover, 60 percent of small businesses close within six months following a major data breach.

Data loss prevention solutions protect companies by detecting and blocking extraction of sensitive data from devices such as laptops, desktops and mobile phones. These cybersecurity tools can reduce the risk of data breach and support regulatory compliance.

As the threat landscape evolves at breakneck speeds, CISOs must deliver on business goals securely. This requires a shift from dozens–and even hundreds–of security tools to Zero Trust and Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) frameworks that offer both enhanced protection and simplified operations.

3. Data Protection

Zero Trust requires visibility of users and devices, authentication and verification of all access and the application of least privilege policies. This can prevent bad actors from stealing information or moving lateraly within the network in order to gain access.

Zero trust is an important cybersecurity strategy for modern enterprises. It protects valuable assets, ensures business continuity, and allows employees to work anywhere using any device.

However, implementing a zero trust strategy is not without challenges. Significant changes in technology and architecture can disrupt business as usual, slow down productivity and complicate daily operations. There are also a few misconceptions surrounding zero trust. For example, some people believe that the implementation of zero-trust requires brand new equipment and that systems become unusable. To navigate these obstacles, the first step is to assess and review the security controls already in place. This will show what pieces of zero-trust puzzle are already in use and identify gaps that require addressing.

4. Business Impact

While the rise of remote work and digital transformation have boosted productivity and enabled employees to be more mobile, it also has increased the attack surface for cyber attackers. Zero trust architecture, which combines identity, access policy and authentication, helps security teams tighten up security in the face of dissolving perimeters by adopting a “never trust, always verify” approach to network access.

The continuous verification process ensures that users are authenticated and devices trusted, and the network is checked for threats. This includes Layer 7 threat prevention and preventing lateral movements, as well as “least privilege” and “least access”. By doing so, it mitigates the damage of a breach and protects business-critical information.

The Defense Information Systems Agency awarded Booz Allen Hamilton a Thunderdome Prototype contract in January 2021. This Zero Trust solution uses Secure Access Service Edge (SASE) technology and Software-Defined Wide Area Networks (SD-WAN). It aims to provide a defensible architecture for the modern threat environment, supporting the DOD’s implementation of a Zero Trust reference model and an executive order from the White House in May 2021.

Cybercriminals are leveraging an as-a-service delivery model to distribute malware. This approach helps attackers infiltrate local networks, encrypt data and extort money.

These attacks can be damaging for victims and lucrative for criminals. The perpetrators of ransomware target industries that hold sensitive data, such as the healthcare industry

1. Cybercriminals have become more sophisticated

Cybercrime continues to evolve and become more common. These attacks are increasingly devastating for businesses and individuals, resulting in data loss, downtime, and important financial losses.

Ransomware is a form of malware that locks a victim out of their own information or systems and demands a payment to regain access. This year, targeted ransomware attacks are gaining popularity among criminals.

Attackers target large companies, critical systems, and supply chain with the goal of extorting cash and stealing confidential data. The attackers are also using leaked NSA exploits in order to move laterally through the systems that they target.

Using legitimate remote access tools like TeamViewer to maintain persistence in a compromised environment, RaaS affiliates can retain their attack foothold and operate a broader series of campaigns on the victim’s network. Due to this, it is difficult to protect yourself against a targeted ransomware. Security must be approached holistically, taking into account all attack phases.

2. The Rise of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS)

Cybercriminals who use ransomware-as-a-service programs can quickly and easily access and deploy compromised systems. Then, they can monetize access to systems by demanding payment from victims. The ransom payments can be anywhere from a few hundred to several million dollars depending on the potential profit and availability of systems or data.

Attackers can monetize access to valuable data by stealing it or exfiltrating it, and also by double-extortion. Double-extortion involves paying to unlock the data and then threatening to leak the data if their victim does not pay again. The attackers also target industries with higher payouts, as they are more willing to pay for access to systems and data.

In a gig economy model, attackers are offered a percentage of the ransom payments they generate. RaaS providers are encouraged to create more efficient malware in order to maximize their shared profits. RaaS programs are dynamic, so affiliates may switch to a different payload when the program they were using is shut down. Unit 42, for example, has noticed that DEV0504, a ransomware attacker who primarily used DarkSide until 2021 when it was shut down, is now using the Conti RaaS.

3. The Rise of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) in the Cloud

The ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) model has made it easier for attackers to deploy malware and gain access to compromised networks. RaaS companies sell pre-installed ransomware programs that are easy to use. The providers offer different revenue models. For example, they can charge a flat-rate monthly fee or take a portion of the profits from an attack.

Attackers usually deploy ransomware opportunistically to any network that they gain access to. Some attackers target certain industries like healthcare or government organizations because they can obtain higher payouts and valuable data from them. However, certain attackers choose to target industries like the healthcare industry or government organizations as they can get higher payouts from them and valuable data.

Prior to RaaS, criminals who wanted to launch ransomware attacks had to be proficient in programming to access and create the code. RaaS has opened these attacks to criminals who lack coding proficiency and have more time to devote to other cybercrime activities. To prepare your organization, it is important to monitor the threat environment and be aware that different attacker groups exist. Unit 42, for example, has observed a RaaS group using Cobalt Strike and LockBit 2.0 to compromise targets.

4. The Rise of Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS) on the Dark Web

Cybercriminals can buy ransomware-as-a-service (RaaS) kits on the dark web that include code, tools to automate attacks and a variety of attack configurations. RaaS packages can also include technical support and features like bundled offers, discounts for large volumes, or community forums. These are all similar to the ones found on business portals. Microsoft revealed that the attackers behind the 2021 Colonial Pipeline attack were actually an affiliate who used a DarkSide Payload as part of the RaaS Kit known as DEV-0401.

Some RaaS operators also sell malware other than ransomware such as loaders, botnets and infostealers. These modules are used to steal information, breach networks and extort firms with a data-recovery fee. In some cases, the primary attackers will partner with affiliates for RaaS to attack targets in exchange of a portion of any extorted money. It democratizes the cyberattacks and makes it cheaper and easier for bad actors without developing malware to enter into the market.

Although this year is far from complete, we wanted to take a minute and look at the top cybersecurity trends in 2023 so far:

Ransomware-as-a-Service (RaaS). RaaS is an example of cybercrime where cybercriminals sell ransomware, hacking tools and other cybercrime-related items to other criminals who use them for attacks. RaaS is a type of cybercrime where cybercriminals provide ransomware and other hacking tools to other criminals, who then use them to launch attacks.
AI-powered attacks. Cyber attacks are increasingly powered by artificial intelligence (AI). AI can automate tasks such as scanning for weaknesses and launching an attack. It can be used to develop more sophisticated attacks that can bypass traditional security measures.
Attacks on the supply chain. Supply chain attacks target suppliers, not the company. These attacks are very effective because they allow cybercriminals to access sensitive data and systems, without directly attacking the company.
Disinformation and Deepfakes. Deepfakes can be videos or audio recordings which have been altered to give the appearance that someone has said or done something they did not. Disinformation is spreading false or misleading information. Deepfakes or disinformation may be used to harm a company’s image, manipulate public opinion, and sow discord.
Cloud security. Cloud computing is gaining in popularity as it allows businesses to access and store data more easily and at a lower cost. Cloud computing also presents new security issues. Businesses must take measures to protect their cloud applications and data.
Cyber Insurance. Cyber insurance can cover costs associated with a cyber-attack, including the cost to restore data, pay ransoms and pay legal fees. As the cost of cyberattacks continues to increase, cyber insurance becomes more important.
Zero Trust Security. Zero trust security is an approach to security that assumes no device or user can be trusted as a default. All access to data and systems is restricted and controlled. Zero-trust security is growing in popularity, as it helps businesses reduce the risk of cyberattacks.
IoT Security. Internet of Things is a network of physical devices connected to the Internet. IoT devices have become more common but also present new security challenges. To protect themselves against cyber-attacks, businesses need to take measures to secure IoT devices.
Cyber Hygiene. Cyber hygiene is the act of adhering to basic security measures in order to prevent cyber attacks. Cyber hygiene includes things like using strong passwords and keeping your software updated, as well as being cautious about the links you click. Cyber hygiene is important for all businesses.

These are just some of the top cybersecurity trends for 2023. Businesses need to be aware of these trends and take steps to protect themselves from cyber attacks. If you find that you would like further discussion on Cybersecurity trends or just want a discussion in general, contact Maise Technology. Prepare your business for the future.