This is the last in our three-part series on businesses being under attack. The first two on cybersecurity and facility security, respectively, were obvious examples of how your business might be vulnerable. This third, related to your competition, takes a slightly different perspective. It’s more about how you might be helping your competitors attack your business, which is not what you want to do.

In addition to highlighting some ways you might be giving business away, we’re including ideas on how to stop the attrition using technology as just one of many tools.

You’re delivering mediocre service.
It is a fact that customers will accept lackluster service up to a point. That point often depends on the industry, available options, and industry norms. If the level of service you deliver to your customers too often falls into the “lackluster” level, don’t assume your customer will tolerate it indefinitely. Remember, your competitors are likely routinely soliciting your customers for their business. Why help them? Technology can help whether it is a more efficient way for customers to communicate with you via phone, text, email, or even chat. Setting up a system for customers to self-select urgent requests can go a long way in making customers feel you are trying to deliver good service.

You’ve not kept up with the times.
Customers who want to place an order but can’t do so online because you still need to establish an e-commerce process may easily be wooed by your competition that does. Instead of requiring customers to email or call in an order, how much more efficient would it be for you and them to go online and place the order? Our IT services can help ensure your business has all the proper infrastructure to support your e-commerce needs, including routers and switches, firewalls, and servers.

You’re delivering reactive rather than proactive service.
Hoping you have satisfied customers is not enough. Instead of responding to negative feedback and complaints as they come in, smart business owners proactively manage the customer experience, pre-empting problems before they become lost customers. Setting up automated customer feedback processes helps to identify problems quickly so you can address any issues before they become customer service disasters. It has been said that the best way to improve customer loyalty is to proactively deal with problems head-on. Customers know there are service failures everywhere; it’s how you handle the failures that can make the difference. But it is too late if your customer has already switched to your competitor.

You’re not maintaining a high and positive online presence.
Establishing and maintaining a favorable profile online not only helps to attract new customers but reassures existing customers that they’ve made a good choice in working with you. Google My Business reviews are an excellent way to elevate your business online, letting your competition know you’re delivering high-quality service to your customers.

You aren’t responsive.
Don’t make customers spend time trying to track you down. VoIP (voice over internet protocol) systems allow customers to connect with you whenever, wherever. Simply put, it is a single communication solution, linking a laptop, a desk phone, and a mobile phone to one number. Unified Communications can enhance productivity, streamline communication, and deliver a seamless experience for internal and external communication.

Your systems are down … a lot.
Nowadays, when a company’s systems are down or the website crashes, all business comes to a screeching halt. Maybe you have a few folks internally tasked to manage your IT needs, but is it time to rethink that? If you are losing orders, business, or customers because of downtime, a possible solution is “managed services.” Our managed services can provide the support your organization needs to maintain productivity and peak efficiency while freeing up your internal resources to focus on core business functions. We offer a full range of services, including help desk, break-fix, ongoing monitoring, and systems management. Let us handle your IT management, freeing your internal staff to focus on your core business.

If your business is guilty of any of the above, you are asking your customers to go to your competitors. Let’s discuss how our IT services can help you retain and grow your customer base. Call 800-854-2444 today to schedule a free consultation to talk about the many ways technology can help you keep your customers satisfied, or go online to learn more at https://inversetech.com/it-services/

With the myriad options organizations now have regarding the physical security of their facilities, there is no excuse to remain vulnerable to a wide range of potential risks and threats. Maybe you don’t think your company is a target for thieves because you don’t have high-value inventory on hand. But high-value “stuff” is not the only reason to secure your facility. Since it is Halloween time, let’s scare ourselves silly by reviewing the potential issues a company might face if it is not adequately secured.

Unauthorized Access: Without secure facilities, you leave yourself wide open to unauthorized individuals gaining access to your premises. Who knows what they want? What will they do? There are so many choices, including theft, vandalism, and data breaches.

Theft and Loss: Even if you don’t have high-value inventory in your facility, you still have equipment and potentially sensitive customer data on-site, right?

Data Breaches: Mostly, we think about cybersecurity regarding data breaches, but what if the bad guys gain physical access to your facility and on-site servers? What kind of damage can be done to your company, including financial losses and potential damage to your reputation

Workplace Violence: We must face the reality that workplace violence is on the rise; whether it is a disgruntled former employee or an angry customer, you are responsible for keeping your employees safe.

Regulatory Compliance: If your organization is subject to regulations regarding the security of sensitive information, you already know you need to secure the facility. But have you reviewed the latest regulations, and are you still fully compliant?

Insurance Costs: You might lower your insurance premiums if you improve your facility’s physical security.

Inverse Technology Solutions provides state-of-the-art access control, security cameras, and surveillance systems. We partner with equipment and software leaders in security, ensuring we always offer the latest technology to our clients. We start with a system design based on your needs and carry through expert deployment and 24/7 monitoring. From an on-premise single location system to a cloud-based system that provides a dashboard to monitor multiple locations, we can tailor your system to your particular requirements.

We have it all: surveillance cameras, intrusion detection systems, access control, and alarm systems. For multi-location clients, we provide centralized monitoring, video management software, remote access control, and integrated access control.

Think about taking that first step toward securing your organization for today. Call 800-854-2444 today to schedule a free consultation, or go online to learn more at https://inversetech.com/security/

Running a business has never been easy, but let’s face it, it’s getting tougher every day. It doesn’t matter if you have a small, medium, or large business; you can be assured that sooner or later (or right now), your business will be under attack from one of multiple threats. Those business owners and managers who become complacent and believe they are not vulnerable are frankly fooling themselves. If you think your business is “safe,” please think again. Let’s talk about a few threats any business can face, beginning with cyber attacks. (Next time, we’ll address others.) 

Cybersecurity Attacks: This is the biggie since virtually all businesses are online – which can be a wide-open door to the bad guys. Let’s review some recent stats: 

• On average, around 30,000 websites are hacked every day globally, out of which 43% are targeted at small businesses. This makes sense as smaller businesses are less likely to have the IT staff or the know-how to ward off attacks. 
• Because small businesses are “easy pickings,” they remain a prime target for cybercriminals. A study released in June 2023 found that 61% of SMBs (small and medium businesses) in the US and UK were successfully hit by a cyberattack in the past year. That’s over 50% of ALL SMBs were successfully hit last year! 

• 90% of attacks start with phishing, the fraudulent practice of sending emails or other messages pretending to be from reputable companies to induce individuals to reveal personal information such as passwords and credit card numbers. These criminals rely on your employees to click on a legit-looking email because A – your business’ “cyber gates” were easily breached and B – because they haven’t been adequately trained to spot scam emails.
• The three top industries most vulnerable to cyber attacks – can you guess why?
• Healthcare
• Financial Services
• Retail

  The above three industries will likely have loads of valuable, personal consumer data on hand. Combined, they represent the mother lode for criminals looking to steal and then sell the data to the highest bidder. Are you ready to defend your business if this happens?
  
  If you’re a small business, the following statistic is frightening. Roughly 60% of small businesses fold within six months of a cyberattack. This is because the AVERAGE cost of an attack costs firms of all sizes $200,000. Can your business withstand that kind of hit? Studies show that despite its devastating effects, small and medium-sized companies have proven to be highly unprepared to face a ransomware attack.

Congratulations if you have already taken the steps to engage an IT services company that can provide the right level of cyber security for your firm. If, however, your business, especially if it is small or medium-sized, is still hoping your subscription to an online anti-virus and spyware monitoring service is enough, well, it’s not. Those programs are generally okay for consumers working on their home computers, but you should not rely on them for your business. 

Why not reach out to us to talk about this? We can conduct a thorough risk assessment to identify how vulnerable your business is to attack. Then, if together we determine steps that need to be taken to protect your business, we can put together a plan. 

Or you can hope your business isn’t one of 50% of all SMBs hit this year. Call 800-854-2444 today to schedule a free consultation, or go online to learn more at https://inversetech.com/cybersecurity/

Online publication Cybercrime Magazine reports on cyber attacks worldwide. The following list summarizes attacks just since 9/1/23 – 9/22/23 and US only. You are going to recognize some big names. Hackers don’t care how big (or small you are) or what your business might be – if your business doesn’t already have a cyber security partner working to keep your company safe, you are vulnerable. Check out the list; you’ll likely recognize most of them. Hackers don’t care who you are, what business you’re in, or even how big you are. Think of all the companies that have been hacked that didn’t make the news. If you don’t already have a cyber security partner, call us. Your business’s survival depends on it. Further details of each incident can be found at the cited source. 

Clorox Warns of Product Shortages Following Cyberattack

Clorox’s quarterly earnings will take a hit from a recent cyberattack, which has disrupted operations and dented availability of the company’s products. The cleaning-products maker said Sep. 18 in a securities filing that the fallout from the attack will cause a material impact to its current-quarter financial results. The longer-term impact is uncertain, given the continuing recovery. The cyberattack on Clorox’s information technology infrastructure, initially disclosed Aug. 14, prompted the company to take certain systems offline and resort to manually ordering and processing products at a lower rate than normal. Clorox is still operating at a reduced rate, which has recently hurt product availability. “At this time, the company cannot estimate how long it will take to resume fully normalized operations,” Clorox said. 

Source: The Wall Street Journal
09/18/2023 

 

Billionaire investor Mark Cuban loses $870K in crypto in MetaMask wallet hack

Entrepreneur and investor Mark Cuban, whose net worth is over $5 billion, fell victim to a hack on the night of Sep. 15. Cuban lost crypto assets worth $870,000 in the attack that compromised his MetaMask wallet, according to a DL News report. Cuban confirmed the hack to DL News and said he had lost 5 Ethereum (ETH) tokens, worth around $8,170 at current prices. However, he also lost USD Coin (USDC), Polygon (MATIC), Lido staked Ethereum (stETH), and tokens from SuperRare and Ethereum Name Service. Most of the proceeds from the hack were still lying in the hacker’s wallet at the time of writing. Cuban managed to transfer around $2 million USDC from the wallet to Coinbase Custody and save most assets from being stolen. According to Cuban, he is “pretty sure” he downloaded a malicious version of MetaMask, which led to the hack.

Source: CryptoSlate 
09/16/2023 

 

Ransomware attack hits Orbcomm’s BT series of ELDs; paper logs are back

Orbcomm, a major provider of ELDs (electronic logging devices) to the trucking sector, is dealing with a ransomware attack that has limited the ability of its customers to use its Fleet Manager offering, which includes its Blue Tree ELD systems, the company has confirmed. Resolving the issue may take up to two weeks. “On Sep. 6, ORBCOMM experienced a ransomware attack that is temporarily impacting our FleetManager platform and BT product line, which is used by some of our customers to track and monitor their transportation assets,” Michelle Ferris, the company’s VP of corporate communications, said in response to an email query from FreightWaves. “Upon discovering the issue, industry-leading external cybersecurity experts were retained to conduct a thorough investigation.

Source: Freight Waves 
09/15/2023 

 

Caesars Entertainment Paid Millions to Hackers in Attack

Caesars Entertainment Inc. paid tens of millions of dollars to hackers who broke into the company’s systems in recent weeks and threatened to release the company’s data, according to two people familiar with the matter. Caesars is expected to disclose the cyberattack in a regulatory filing imminently, the people said. The disclosure of the alleged Caesars breach comes as another Las Vegas entertainment giant, MGM Resorts International, announced that it was hacked earlier this week.The group behind the attack is known as Scattered Spider or UNC 3944, according to the people. Its members are skilled at social engineering in order to gain access to large corporate networks, according to cybersecurity experts. In the case of Caesars, the hackers first breached an outside IT vendor before gaining access to the company’s network. 

Source: Bloomberg 
09/13/2023 

 

Save the Children hit by Ransomware, 7TB stolen

Cybercrime crew BianLian says it has broken into the IT systems of a top nonprofit. As highlighted by VX-Underground and Emsisoft threat analyst Brett Callow earlier today, BianLian bragged on its website it had hit an organization that, based on the gang’s description of its unnamed victim, looks to be Save The Children International. The NGO, which employs about 25,000 people, says it has helped more than a billion kids since it was founded in 1919. BianLian added that its victim, “the world’s leading nonprofit,” operates in 116 countries with $2.8 billion in revenues. The extortionists claim to have stolen 6.8TB of data, which they say includes international HR files, personal data, and more than 800GB of financial records. They claim to also have email messages as well as medical and health data. Save the Children has confirmed someone broke into its computer systems, understood to be BianLian. 

Source: The Register 
09/12/2023 

 

MGM Resorts Sees Outages Across Properties Due to Cybersecurity Issue

Hotel and gaming company MGM Resorts is grappling with a cybersecurity issue that has caused an outage across its properties. “Our investigation is ongoing, and we are working diligently to determine the nature and scope of the matter,” the company said in a post on X, formerly Twitter. “We notified law enforcement and took prompt action to protect our systems and data, including shutting down certain systems,” the company said in the post. The incident has affected various systems, TechCrunch reported Sep. 11. Guests at MGM’s Las Vegas casinos have reported that ATM cash dispensers and slot machines have been affected, leading to outages, according to the report. Additionally, hotel restaurants are only accepting cash payments, and guests are unable to charge expenses to their rooms. The incident has also rendered digital room keys unusable. 

Source: PYMNTS 
09/11/2023 

 

Associated Press Stylebook Data Breach Impacts Customers

The Associated Press (AP) has alerted its customers about a recent data breach that has impacted users of the AP Stylebook. This widely used guide on grammar, punctuation, and writing style for journalists and newsrooms worldwide has suffered a security incident where attackers stole customer data and then launched targeted phishing attacks. The breach occurred between Jul. 16 and 22, 2023, on an old third-party-managed AP Stylebook site that was no longer in use. The stolen information includes customers’ names, email addresses, street addresses, city, state, zip codes, phone numbers, and User IDs. Moreover, customers who entered tax-exempt IDs, such as Social Security Numbers or Employer Identification Numbers, also had these IDs stolen. Journalists’ and media companies’ login credentials are highly sought after by cybercriminals due to the potential for extortion, data theft, and cyber espionage. Full Story 

Source: ISP.TODAY 
09/09/2023 

IBM Flags Data Breach At J&J’s Janssen Carepath Portal

IBM has announced a data breach of Janssen’s CarePath platform and has started informing affected customers. The Janssen CarePath portal provides patients and healthcare professionals in the U.S. with information regarding insurance coverage, out-of-pocket costs, and prescribing information at no cost to the users. The Janssen CarePath systems provider, IBM, indicated that the stolen data may have contained information provided as part of the Janssen CarePath application, including individual names, contact information, date of birth, health insurance information, and information on an individual’s health conditions and medications. Although IBM has identified that a data breach occurred on Aug. 2, the company is unsure of the extent of information that was accessed. Janssen is a Johnson & Johnson company. 

Source: Pharmaceutical Technology 
09/07/2023 

 

Coffee Meets Bagel Hacked — Why The App Went Offline & What’s Next

Coffee Meets Bagel, a popular dating app boasting “over 150 million matches and counting,” is back online as of Sept. 3 after being hacked by an “outside actor who maliciously deleted company data and files,” resulting in the service being down for nearly a week beginning on Aug. 27, 2023. An update shared by the company explained that it “quickly re-established a secure environment for our technology team to restore our production services and notified law enforcement about this incident,” with its team working around the clock to repair the damage. CMB apologized for the service disruption: “In addition to restoring your experience,” they said, “we’ve added 1,000 beans [in-app currency] to any accounts that were active 14 days prior to the outage to make up for lost time.” 

Source: Women’s Health Interactive 
09/05/2023 

 

Golf Club Maker Callaway says 1 million Affected by Data Breach

The company that sells the Callaway brand of golf gear reported a data breach that affected more than 1 million people. Topgolf Callaway Brands Corp. has been notifying customers that some users of its e-commerce websites had information exposed in an “IT system incident” that began Aug. 1. The breach affected customers of the “Callaway, Odyssey, Ogio, and/or Callaway Golf Preowned sites,” the company said. Exposed information included account passwords and answers to security questions, as well as names, mailing addresses, email addresses, phone numbers and order histories. The company forced a password reset for customers and said it “has taken a number of additional steps to further secure its data. Topgolf Callaway, based in Carlsbad, Calif., did not specify the nature or source of the incident. 

Source: The Record 
09/01/2023 

 

Forever 21 Data Breach Affects Half a Million People

Clothing giant Forever 21 said a data breach earlier in the year affects more than half a million individuals. A data breach notice filed with Maine’s attorney general said the fashion giant was hacked over a three-month period beginning early Jan. 2023, during which intruders obtained files from its systems. This data included the personal information of current and former employees, said a spokesperson for Forever 21 via public relations firm FTI Consulting. According to the notice, Forever 21 notified 539,207 people that the breached data included their name, date of birth, bank account number and Social Security number, as well as information regarding employees’ Forever21 health plan, including enrollment and premiums paid. Forever 21 has about 500 retail locations and an online store.

Source: TechCrunch
09/01/23

 

No matter what size your business or the industry you’re in, you are at risk if you are connected to the internet and have customer or business data. Think about what would happen if hackers took your customer files hostage. What would you do? Now is the time to call us for a risk assessment and learn how to protect your business and customers. Call us at 800-854-2444 or visit www.inversetech.com to learn more about our cybersecurity services.

The latest statistics reveal that 46% of all cyber breaches impact businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees. And 61% of SMBs were the target of a cyberattack in 2021. These are the size of companies most likely not to have an IT department or a very small one. It makes them vulnerable targets. 

TRAINING: Being cyber-savvy begins with your employees. It is mission-critical that they are trained to do their part in keeping the “bad guys” out. Conducting awareness training with frequent refresher sessions is a must. Teach them about common social tactics, phishing, and the importance of not clicking on suspicious links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. Drive this home and make sure they understand this training is beneficial for their home computer use. 

PASSWORD POLICIES: Ensure your password policies won’t allow for easy-to-guess passwords like 1-2-3-4 or a child’s name, for example. Enforce rules about requiring frequent password changes. 

MULTI-FACTOR AUTHENTICATION: It is worth exploring the use of Multi-Factor Authentication for accessing sensitive systems and data. It will provide an additional layer of security even if a password is compromised.

FIREWALLS AND MORE: If you haven’t already implemented firewalls and intrusion detection/prevention systems to monitor and block suspicious network activity, you should do so now. 

SECURITY CULTURE: Foster a culture of cybersecurity awareness and responsibility throughout the organization. Encourage employees to be vigilant and report any suspicious activity promptly.This is not a comprehensive treatise on all the actions you can take to keep your business and its data secure. 

Working with a company that specializes in cybersecurity is the best way to protect yourself. Inverse Technology Solutions has teamed up with a leading U.S.-based firm to provide clients with customized and appropriate security measures. 

We would happily meet to discuss your needs and proposed action plans. Call 800-854-2444 or visit www.inversetech.com and schedule a consultation directly from our website. We look forward to helping you secure your business and your future.

We have considerable experience in providing IT services to senior living facilities coast to coast. Over the years we’ve worked with them as their needs have changed and provided the best possible solutions, always using the latest technology.  A recent review of what the top three security concerns currently are among senior living facilities varied depending on the specific facility and its location but for the most part the following three were stated as the priorities. 

1. Physical Security: Physical security has never been more critical.  As the 65 + population continues to grow, with approximately 10% of that population suffering from dementia or Alzhiemers, ensuring their safety is mission critical.  Senior living facilities are well aware of their responsibility to these folks; from preventing them from unauthorized facility exits to protecting them from allowing outside threats such as physical harm, theft or otherwise. Technology has come a long way in helping facilities protect their residents with secured entrances and exits, properly functioning surveillance systems, adequate lighting in common areas and parking lots, and trained security personnel or staff members.
2. Resident Safety: The safety of the residents within senior living facilities is also a high priority. Staff members should be vigilant in preventing accidents, falls, or injuries. This includes maintaining a safe and well-maintained environment, conducting regular inspections for potential hazards, implementing emergency response protocols, and ensuring appropriate staffing levels to provide prompt assistance to residents.
3. Cybersecurity: With the increasing reliance on technology in senior living facilities, cybersecurity has become a critical concern. These facilities often handle sensitive personal and medical information, making them potential targets for cyberattacks. Protecting residents’ electronic health records, financial data, and other confidential information is crucial. Robust cybersecurity measures such as firewalls, encryption, regular software updates, strong password policies, and staff training on recognizing and avoiding phishing attempts are essential for safeguarding against cyber threats.

Inverse Technology Solutions works closely with our senior living facility clients to ensure both the staff and the residents are protected from threats, physical or cyber. We offer security and control access systems for the physical well-being of resident and staff. And to ensure our clients enjoy the very latest in protection from cyberattacks we have partnered with a US-based leading firm to ensure that together we keep these facilities safe. Bottom line, senior living facilities have special needs regarding security and Inverse Technology is happy to help but really any business should take security and cybersecurity seriously. If you have concerns and would like to talk about your risks give us a call. We’re happy to talk about solutions that will meet your needs. You can reach us at 800-854-2444 or visit www.inversetech.com

Some interesting info in this press release from Cox Communication, released 5/3/23 on Cision PR Newswire. It demonstrates the peace of mind outsourcing IT managed services can bring to small businesses.

 “ATLANTA, May 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Cyber security threats are on the rise, but managed IT services make small business owners highly confident they can navigate these risks, according to a new survey commissioned by Cox Business.

“The reality is small businesses are the biggest target for cyber security bad actors,” said Jeff Breaux, executive vice president, Cox Business “It is far less expensive to protect against threats than to react after the fact.”  

• Cyber security is a top motivator for businesses investing in managed IT. Forty-two percent of business owners prefer to outsource. Forty-two percent of respondents also dread device viruses, 38% worry about back-up and disaster recovery and 35% fear phishing attacks.
• Forty-two percent invest in managed IT services for their business. Of that group, 71% will invest more this year than they did in 2022.
• Cloud services is the most beneficial managed IT offering, beyond cyber security according to business owners. Of those using cloud services today (desktop as a service, migration, monitoring or infrastructure as a service), 84% feel more confident in their company’s network and 86% more confident in data storage.
• The sample of 500 US-based small business owners showed 74% of those with managed IT services feel “confident” or “extremely confident” in their company’s ability to navigate cyber security because of that support.

“Managed IT solutions are gaining traction among small businesses as they experience the value of cost and time savings first-hand, yet there are still educational opportunities to dispel common misconceptions,” Breaux continued. “Some business owners pushing off managed IT solutions believe their business is too small or the investment is too costly. Even putting cyber security risks aside, with the right partner, managed IT solutions help small businesses unlock ways to improve operational efficiency, clearing the path to accelerate scale and growth.” 

If you’re experiencing cyber security concerns please call us at 800-854-2444 or visit our website www.inversetech.com.

SOURCE: Cision PR Newswire; May 3, 2023 from Cox Communications