TECHNOLOGY TIMES
Withtheriseincyber-attacksworldwide, you’velikelyreceivedmorethanone notificationfromacompanyyouwork withinformingyouthatyourdatahas beencompromisedinabreach.While therearestepswecantakeasconsumers toprotectourselves,sometimeswecan’t controlwhenacompanythatpromisedto protectourpersonaldatagetshacked.
In2023,Statistareportedthat52%ofall globalorganizationbreachesinvolved customers’personalidentifiable information(PII),makingyourpersonal data–addresses,numbers,names,birth dates,SSNs,etc.–themostcommonly breachedtypeofdata.Arecent
exampleisChangeHealthcare,breached inFebruaryofthisyear.Duetothe breach,it’sestimatedthatone-thirdof Americans–possiblyincludingyou–hadsensitiveinformationleakedontothe darkweb.
Sonowwhat?Whatdoyoudowhenyou receivealetterinthemailfromyour healthcareproviderorfavoriteretailstore admitting,“Whoops,wegotbreached.” It’smorethanupsettingtothinkthatyour dataisnowinthehandsofcriminals. Whensensitiveinformationleaks,you’ll havetodosomerecontoprotectyour
accountsfromsuspiciousactivity.Follow thesesevenstepstostopthebleedingaftera companyfailstoprotectyourdatafrom beingcompromised.
What To Do After Your Data’s Been Leaked
1. First, make sure the breach is legit.
Oneploythathackersusetogetourdataisto impersonatepopularcompaniesandsendout fakee-mailsorlettersaboutanallegedbreach. Wheneveryougetanotificationlikethis,goto thecompany’swebsiteorcallthecompany directly.DoNOTuseinformationintheletter ore-mailbecauseitcouldbefake.Verifythat thecompanywashackedandwhichofyour datamayhavebeencompromised.Trytogetas muchinformationaspossiblefromthe companyaboutthebreach.Whendidit happen?Wasyourdataactuallyimpacted? Whatsupportisthecompanyofferingits customerstomitigatethebreach?Forexample, somecompaniesofferyearlongfreecredit monitoringoridentityfraudprevention.
2. Figure out what data was stolen.
Afterspeakingdirectlywiththecompany, determinewhatdatawasstolen.Creditcards canbeeasilyreplaced;SocialSecuritynumbers, notsomuch.You’llwanttoknowwhatwas
FREE
compromisedsoyoucantakethenecessary stepstomonitororupdatethatinformation.
3. Change passwords and turn on MFA.
Afterabreach,you’llwanttoquicklyupdateto anew,strongpasswordforthebreached accountandanyaccountwiththesamelogin credentials.Additionally,ifyouseeanoptionto logoutalldevicescurrentlyloggedintoyour account,dothat.
Whileyou’redoingthat,makesureyouhave multifactorauthenticationturnedoninyour accountorprivacysettingssothatevenifa hackerhasyourlogin,theycan’taccessyour accountwithoutyourbiometricdataora separatecode.
4. Monitor your accounts.
Evenafterchangingyourpasswords,you shouldkeepacloseeyeonanyaccountslinked tothebreach.Watchoutforanyaccount updatesorpasswordchangesyoudidn’t authorize.Theymaybeasignofidentitytheft. Ifyourcreditcardnumberwasstolen,pay attentiontoyourbankandfinancialaccounts andlookforunusualactivity,suchas unexpectedpurchases.
5. Report it.
Ifyou’renotsureacompanyknowsit’sbeen breachedoryou’veexperiencedfraudduetoa breach,reportittorelevantauthoritieslike
Cyber Security Audit Will Reveal Where Your Computer Network Is Exposed And How To Protect Your Company Now
Atnocostorobligation,ourhighlyskilledteamofIT proswillcometoyourofficeandconducta comprehensivecybersecurityaudittouncover loopholesinyourcompany’sITsecurity
Aftertheauditisdone,we’llprepareacustomized “ReportOfFindings”thatwillrevealspecific vulnerabilitiesandprovideaPrioritizedActionPlan forgettingthesesecurityproblemsaddressedfastThis reportandactionplanshouldbearealeye-openerfor you,sincealmostallofthebusinesseswe’vedonethis fordiscovertheyarecompletelyexposedtovarious threatsinanumberofareas.
To Get Started And Claim Your FREE Assessment Now, Call Our Office At 281-771-0679.
locallawenforcementortheFederalTrade Commission.Theycanprovideguidanceand nextstepsonhowtoprotectyouridentity.
6. Be aware of phishing attempts.
Often,afterdataleaks,hackersusethe informationaboutyoutheystoletosendyou phishinge-mailsorcallstotrickyouinto givingawayevenmoresensitiveinformation. Beverywaryofanye-mailsyouweren’t expecting,especiallythosethatrequest personalorfinancialinformation,andavoid clickingonanylinksorattachments.
7. Consider identity theft and data breach protection.
Consideridentitytheftprotectionaftera breach,especiallywhenhighlysensitivedatais stolen,likeyourSSN.It’satime-consuming processtoreplaceaSocialSecuritycard.Inthe meantime,criminalscouldbeusingitto impersonateyou.Identitytheftanddata breachprotectionhelpmonitoryourcreditor otheraccounts,protectyouridentityand notifyyouwhenyourdataappearsonthe darkweb.
Whilecompaniesareresponsiblefor protectingcustomerinformation,breachescan andwillstilloccur.Byfollowingthesteps above,youcanminimizeabreach’simpacton yourlife.Ultimately,wemustallcontributeto protectingourinformationinanincreasingly riskydigitalworld.
CARTOON OF THE MONTH
Earlyinhiscareer,MikeMichalowiczwaseager toannouncetohisteamanewcorporatevision fortheyear:a$10millionrevenuegoal. However,whatheimaginedwouldbeoneofhis greatestvisionarymomentsasaleaderwasoneof hisbiggestmistakes.
Afterrevealingthevisiontohisteam,“itwas totalsilence,”Michalowiczexplainedtoaroom ofbusinessleadersatarecentindustry conference.“Acolleaguecameovertomeand said,‘Mike,ifweachieve$10millioninrevenue, yougetthebiggerhouse.Yougetthenewcar. That’syourvision.Whataboutourvision?’”This wasatransformativelearningmomentfor Michalowicz,whocommittedhimselfto learningwhatittakestobeaGREATleader.
Today,Michalowiczistheauthorofseveral books,including Profit First, Get Different, The Pumpkin Plan andothersmallbusinessmustreads.He’sanentrepreneurandspeakerteaching otherleadershowtobuildandretainunstoppable teamswhocareaboutthecompany’ssuccessas muchasyoudo,soyou’llbehappier,grow fasterandcreateanenvironmentwhere everyoneflourishes.
How To Build An Unstoppable Team
2. Great leadership assembles and unifies. Themovie The Boys in the Boat recountshowan inexperiencedUSrowingteamwongoldinthe 1936Olympics.Theleaderhelpedtheteam connect,communicateandworktogethertowin againstallodds.Hefostereddeeptrustwithinthe team,whichMichalowiczsaysdistinguishesgreat leadershipinanycircumstance.
3. Great leaders follow a FASO model. Michalowicz’sresearchandexperiencein leadershipculminateinafour-partmodelhecalls “FASO.”Leaderswhowanttobegreatcanuse FASOtoassembleanunstoppableteam.
F – “Fit.” Whenhiringanewteammember, theymustbeanidealfitfortheorganization, andtheorganizationmustbeanidealfit forthem.
A – “Ability.” Greatleaderslookfor people’srawpotential.Dotheyhave curiosity,desireandathirstfortherole? That’swhatgreatleadershireandrecruitfor, notsimplyexperienceandinnateability.
Withitsthoughtfully engineeredand comfortabledesign, theTargusCoastline EcoSmartBackpack anexcellentchoicef professionalsonthe move.Itsstandout featureistheSafePort® SlingProtectionSystem,whichensures thatlaptopsupto16”aresecurely cradledagainstthebumpsandknocks ofadailycommute
Additionalpaddedstraps,frontpockets anda22Lcapacityleaveplentyofroom foreverythingyouneedonalong commuteoradayawayfromtheoffice Equallyimpressiveisthebackpack’s commitmenttoenvironmental responsibility Madefrom69%certified Ocean-BoundPlastic,thebackpackis durableandresistanttowearandtear butalsocontributestoreducingplastic wasteinouroceansandempowering coastalcommunities
1. Most leaders tell their team what to do. Greatleadersasktheirteamwhattheycoulddo. OneoftheBaltimoreMuseumofArt’smost successfulexhibitswascuratedby17museum guards.Theideacamefromaconversation betweenacuratorandaguardaroundwhatthe guarddidday-to-day.Herevealedhowmuchhe learnedabouttheartfrompatronsandwhat interestedthem.Museumleadersquicklylearned thiswasn’tuniquetotheoneguard,andagroup wasassembledtocreate“GuardingtheArt.” Michalowiczexplainsthatgreatleaders encourageownershipbyasking,“Whatcouldwe do?”ratherthanalwaystellingtheiremployees whattodo.
S – “Safety.” Greatleadersaccountfortheir team’sphysical,relationalandfinancial safety.Theyensurethatpeoplefeelsafein howtheyaretreatedandwheretheywork, theyhaveatransparentfinancialcultureand theyeducatetheirteamonpersonalfinances.
O – “Ownership.” “Whenwe’reforcedto comply,we’llseektodefy,”Michalowicz says.Greatleadersencouragetheirteamto personalize,gainintimateknowledgeofand controlaspectsoftheirwork.
Aboveall,Michalowiczsays,“Noonecareshow youcare;theycareTHATyoucare.”Showyour teamyoucarebyworkingtoincorporatethese greatleadershipapproachesinyourorganization.
"I chose Divergys 11 years ago to help with my growing business They’ve been there through everything from 3 to 25 employees The personalized service keeps me with them: fast call-backs, quick solutions, and smooth-running systems. I recommend Divergys to anyone asking about IT or Managed Services Having them on the team gives me a comfort level I never want to lose I trust them to back up our data and keep us running "
SHINY NEW GADGET OF THE MONTH
I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E
What Do You Do When A Company Compromises Your Data?
P. 1
Free Cyber Security Audit Will Reveal Where Your Computer Network Is Exposed And How To Protect Your Company Now
P. 2
Mike Michalowicz Explains How To Build A Team That Cares About Your Company’s Success As Much As You Do
P. 3
By Andrew McAfee
Whenwehaveabigproblem, weliketogotoexpertswho don’tjustlikewhattheydo butaredownrightgeeky aboutit Geeksareknown forbeingintelligentand efficientproblem-solvers,butwhatifwe couldallbenefitfromageekymindset toperformbetterinourworkandlives?
InTheGeekWay:TheRadicalMindset ThatDrivesExtraordinaryResults, AndrewMcAfeeexploresfour“norms”–science,ownership,speedandopenness –thatdefinegeekculture Heexplains thatwhenthesenormsarealigned,it tapsintoourhumansuperpowers:our abilitytocooperateintenselyandlearn quickly Thisbookblendsscience, historyandreal-worldexamplesto provideinsightsintoharnessinggeek cultureforinnovation TheGeekWayisa compellingreadforanyoneinterestedin channelingtheirinnergeektoimprove theirideas,businessorcommunity
DON’T MAKE THIS MISTAKE WITH YOUR HOME’S SMART TECH
Smartdevicesaresopervasivethroughoutour homesthatit’shardtoimaginewhatlifewaslike beforethem.Fromdoorcamsthatshowuswhen ourkidsgethometoAI-powereddevicesthatkeep trackofgrocerylistsandplayourfavoritemusic whilewecook,wetrulylivein“smart”homes.
Butunlikedevicesofthepast,youcan’t“setand forget”smartdevices.Thesetoolsareconnectedto theInternet,wherehackerskeepacloseeyeoutfor unprotecteddevices.Whentheyfindadevicewith aweakpassword,theycanaccessitandcarryout terrifyingcrimeslikewatchingyourfamily throughahomecamera.Beforeyoupluginyour smartdevice,followthesesimplestepstomake sureit’snotanopendoorforpeeringeyes.
Pros And Cons Of Smart Devices
Whenhackersfindanunprotecteddevice–likean indoorcamthatyouneverbotheredtochangethe defaultpasswordto–theycanaccesssensitive informationonyouraccount,includingyour address,birthdate,e-mailaddressandphone number.Criminalsusethisinformationtocreatea profileaboutyouandcarryouttargetedattacks.A familyinMississippievenhadahackertaunttheir youngdaughterthroughtheirRingcamera.
Thankfully,youcantakeafewsimplesecurity stepstoavoidbecomingavictimofyour smartdevice.
Steps To Keep Your Smart Home Safe
3. Enable multifactor authentication (MFA) in security settings. Thisway,userscanonlylogin withasecuritycodeorauthenticatorapp,makingit nearlyimpossibleforhackerstogetin.
4. Regularly update the device.Updatesfixissues oraddnewfeaturesthatmayimproveyoursecurity. Don’tskiptheseupdates.Ifyoursmartdevice doesn’tupdateautomatically,setareminderinyour phonetocheckforupdatesperiodically.
1. Change the default login information immediately. Defaultpasswordsarelow-hanging fruitforhackers,sobesuretochangethistoanew, strongerpasswordrightaway.
2. Make sure your WiFi is secure. IfyourWiFi passwordisafewyearsoldoryouusethesame passwordonotheraccounts,changeittoa strongerpassword.
It’sabitembarrassingwhenyoulogintoyour computerat9:00a.m.onlytorealizeyoumissed theall-teamZoommeetingat8:30a.m. Thankfully,GoogleCalendaroffersahelpfulhack: dailyagendas.Withthisfeature,youcansend yourselfadailyagendafirstthinginthemorning soyouknoweverythingplannedfortheday.To setitup,logintoyourGoogleaccountandgoto THEGEEKWAY:
5. Consider separate networks. ManyWiFi providersofferguestnetworks.Consider connectingsmartdevicestoahomeguestnetwork separatefromtheonethatyourphonesorlaptops areon.Thisway,ifasmartdeviceishacked,it’s notastraightshottodevicesholdingmore valuableinformation.
Thebiggestmistakesmart-deviceusersmakeis thinkingtheycanplugintheirdevicesand walkaway.Thesetipsgoalongwaytoward ensuringthatyourdeviceisn’tanopendoorto creepycriminals.
ARE YOU USING THIS HELPFUL GOOGLE CALENDAR HACK?
Settings.Find“Settings formycalendars”> “Othernotifications”> “Dailyagenda.”The
Thedefaultissetto“None,”soclickonitand changeitto“Email.”Nowyouhaveadailyagenda automaticallysenttoyourinboxbeforeyoueven getoutofbed!
