Chainanalysis, a data firm that specializes in blockchain information, has released a mid-year report on crypto crime. Ransomware comes out swinging So far in 2023, ransomware is the only type of cryptocurrency-based crime that has seen an increase...
SpireTech Company News and Tips
Security
Center for Internet Security (CIS) Overview and Explanation for Business
The Center for Internet Security (CIS) is a group made up of volunteers and experts hoping to educate individuals and enterprises on common and damaging cyberattacks. Their security standards are often cited by cyber insurance companies as being within compliance....
Microsoft to enforce number matching in Authenticator app. Updated May 2023.
From the Microsoft Blog. Beginning May 8, 2023, Microsoft will start enforcing number matching for all users who have MFA enabled on their Microsoft 365 account. Number matching in authentication procedures refers to displaying a number on one device (typically a...
How scammers took over Google Ads with malvertising
The shiny new phishing tactic on the block is malvertising, or the efforts of threat actors to mimic a legitimate company’s website, landing pages, URL, and more. Google Ads has recently come under fire for their handling of final destination URLs, and the relative...
Latest LastPass data breach exposes user passwords: here’s what to do
The password manager LastPass has suffered a major data breach. Or, more accurately, another major data breach. Using information gained during a security breach in August 2022, threat actors were able to get a full copy of the data LastPass stores on a cloud-based...
The 200 Most Popular Passwords of 2022: Tips for Strong Password Protection
The NordPass Research team has published a list of the 200 most popular passwords. If you use any of these most popular passwords... don’t worry, we have recommendations to create strong passwords in 2023. NordPass Research partnered with independent researchers who...
Phishing Education: two case studies and tips
Continuous phishing education is important to anyone who uses the Internet. So, pretty much everyone. A "successful" phishing campaign can lead to the loss of sensitive data, personal information distributed, or extortion. People know not to click on spam messages, or...
Year-end checklist for small businesses
Be aware and be prepared! Whether you’re beginning to start a small business, or you are a fellow small business owner looking for guidance, please enjoy our checklist to help you through some year-end planning. IT Checklist Backup dataThe best way to ensure your...
SpireTech exiting hosting business to focus on Managed IT Services
Celebrating our 29th year in business, SpireTech has been making some moves. We are exiting our long-established hosting and datacenter businesses to focus exclusively on Managed Services and Microsoft 365 moving forward. Effective October 4,...
TikTok Hack Breaks Accounts
There was an exploitation available in the Android version of TikTok that would have allowed hackers to effectively take and shut down a user’s account with one click. This bug was present in just the Android version of the app. Luckily, the issue was found and...