NEW Cooperative in Fort Dodge, Iowa, was recently hit with a ransomware attack that forced the farm and feed supply operation to take systems offline. Blackmatter, the group allegedly behind the attack, is demanding $5.9 million to provide a decryptor. NEW Cooperative claims its software powers grain production and feed schedules for 11 million animals. Source: ars TECHNICA, … [Read more...]
Search Results for: ransomware
2017 ransomware changed cyber security in veterinary medicine forever
Sponsored Content The May 2017 Wannacry ransomware attack is regarded as the largest cyberattack in history. Wannacry infected hundreds of thousands of computer systems worldwide and spread to more than 150 countries. Its biggest affect is that it popularized ransomware, attacks writes Clint Latham, JD. Governments, organizations, businesses, veterinary practices and health … [Read more...]
FBI and DHS issue warning about ransomware, cyberattacks on hospital systems
Sponsored Content Cyberattacks don’t recognize borders, says Clint Latham, JD. Anytime health care industries are put in the cross hairs of cyberattacks, it also encompasses veterinary practices. He shares perspectives, outlines risks and discusses how to reduce possible damage. Source: Lucca Veterinary Data Security, October 29, 2020. Link. Also see: FBI warns … [Read more...]
Animal health businesses ripe for ransomware attacks
Complimentary commercial content from Lucca Veterinary Data Security We asked Clint Latham to provide AHD readers with guidance on ransomware and data security. He offers three easy ways to avoid a ransomware attack that apply to all of us. . . . ransomware attacks have increased over 400 percent during Covid-19 WFH guidance” – Clint Latham Source: Lucca Vet, July 27, … [Read more...]
The state of ransomware attacks (infographic)
You can be held hostage any day by a ransomware attack. Small businesses are especially vulnerable to ransomware. There are different and evolving types of ransomware attacks, often beginning with something as simple as a malicious link in an email. Use this information to better understand the potential threats and see some tips on how to protect your network. Source: … [Read more...]
New ransomware threat predicted to hit U.S.
Getting held hostage by ransomware is simply not fun and at minimum, consumes chunks of time. Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer with Helsinki-based cyber security firm F-Secure, said he expected the outbreak to spread in the Americas as workers turned on vulnerable machines, allowing the virus to attack. "This could hit the U.S.A. pretty bad," he said. Source: Reuters, … [Read more...]
4 ways to protect against ransomware
Ransomware can strike anyone and any business. The experts at InfoGPS wrote about it in March and April for AHD. While backing up is the most important aspect of maintaining data, restoring it after an attack isn’t painless. It could take a week or more and an untold amount of staff time to get things back to normal. Here are four ways to keep it at bay. Source: Wired, May … [Read more...]
8 things to know about ransomware
Ransomware attacks are more common than we think. Hackers are becoming more aggressive than before. When launched, ransomware encrypts your data and makes it unusable until you pay a ransom to hackers who may or may not release a key to your files. The basics of ransomware and eight ways to protect against it were presented this week during the radio program Air … [Read more...]
Worth a Glance – December 21, 2022
Last week’s most read posts – Happiness and meetings. Link. Last AHD Bulletin - Animal Health Digest Bulletin, December 15, 2022. Link. ==================================================================== U.S. warns of escalating ransomware attacks Source: Security Affairs, October 2022. Link. U.S. government agencies warned that the Daixin Team cybercrime … [Read more...]
IBPSA Fast Bites – October 17, 2022
The importance of background checks when hiring, pain points with vet visits, progressive brands seek sustainability in pet food, tips for social media profiles, plant-based protein interest, ransomware risks and more . . . Source: IBPSA Fast Bites, October 17, 2022. Link. … [Read more...]
October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month
Halloween goblins are nothing compared to the scare a security breach can bring. October is Cybersecurity Awareness Month and from ransomware to email hacks to scams, the risks are real. The cybersecurity pros at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and National Cyber Security Alliance have assembled resources anyone can use including social media posts, … [Read more...]
8 steps to recover veterinary hospital email from a hack
Sponsored Content Managing the risk of email fraud is more important than ever as email dominates business communications. Clint Latham, JD, shares the many ways an email system can be compromised and what to do about it. Ransomware is a reality of internet communications. Latham created a free ebook, The Essential Cybersecurity Toolkit for SMBs, to help businesses start … [Read more...]
Hackers target webcams and cash flow
Sponsored Content Clint Latham, JD, addresses security issues in an effort to help the veterinary profession conquer the world of cyber security and ensure veterinary data remains secure. Two new posts cover webcam security and ransomware. Source: Lucca Veterinary Data Services. Link. 7 steps to determine if your webcam has been hacked, October 5, 2020. Link. … [Read more...]
More than backup needed for good computer security
There is no 100 percent guarantee to make computers and networks secure,. However, you can take steps to provide reasonable security, writes Joseph Axne. He offers seven areas to determine if your hospital or business has security gaps that need filling. Source: Today’s Veterinary Business, December 2018/January 2019, page 8. Link. Using a layered approach to computer … [Read more...]
Social media included malware threats
As we integrate Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and other social media platforms into our daily routines, risks of malware attacks increase, as well. According to this author, faked profiles are sometimes deployed to encourage users to connect with what seems like a harmless individual. Instead, that connection opens the door for malware to enter your company’s network. Source: … [Read more...]
Stop, look, listen; get a computer crash plan
In one form or another, at least one of our computers is going to completely crash, be lost, stolen or fall victim to virus problems. William Hall reminds us that hard drive failure and ransomware are not the only computer risks. He recommends seven ways to help prevent this. Source: Entrepreneur, July 26, 2017. Here are seven easy to implement tips to prevent a computer … [Read more...]
IT security still important in the office, farm and home
More than one AHD contributor has shared the importance of IT security. Whether in a practice, on the farm or at home, it is a necessity. Bryant Gill, assistant farm director at Wisconsin Farm Report Radio, recently interviewed Mark Eich with the accounting firm Clifton Larson Allen. they spoke about the increasing need for effective cyber protection. The nine-minute interview … [Read more...]
Malware got his hospital data. He fought back.
Veterinarian Phillips Raclyn is a hospital owner and self-described computer geek. His crew had backup after backup after backup. Then the thinkable happened. His system was hacked with ransomware. From individual machines, all the way to backups, including the external hard drive, every file had been encrypted. Fortunately, Raclyn was allowed to pay a negotiated ransom and got … [Read more...]
Sponsored Content – Only data security mitigates system breaches
Data breaches don’t happen quickly says Paul Hugenberg. They take weeks and months. Hackers are patient and spend all the time they need to get the data they want. They know 80 percent of your data is outside the view of existing controls. Applying proper classification to sensitive data can help you put proper controls around it to reduce risks. Source: InfoGPS Networks, … [Read more...]
Data kidnapping is real and disastrous
Data kidnapping is real and on the rise. Malicious ransomware can infect individual computers and networks when users click on deceptive links or websites, or open infected emails, often with good intentions. The result is permanently encrypted files rendered worthless without the code the kidnappers hold. Victims reported more than $18 million in ransomware-related losses … [Read more...]