In this digital age we live in, cyber threats are all around us. We can't stop every threat that comes our way, but we can prepare ourselves to mitigate the threats quickly. 2018 has shown us many data breaches and what hackers are capable of. At RB Advisory we want to help you be prepared for any cyber threat. Lets take a look back at some of the top breaches of 2018 according to Business Insider (based on records accessed).
1. Aadhar – 1.1 billion records
This breach was discovered in March 2018. Private information on India residents, including names, their 12-digit ID numbers, and information on connected services like bank accounts. A state-owned utility company working with Aadhar, Indane, hadn't secured their API which gave anyone access to Aadhar’s information.
2. Marriot Starwood hotels – 500 million records
The breach had started back in 2014 but was announced in November 2018. The hackers were able to access guest information including phone numbers, email addresses, passport numbers, reservation dates, and some payment card numbers and expiration dates. The hackers accessed the reservation database for Marriott's Starwood hotels and stole guest information.
3. MyFitnessPal – 150 million records
The breach occurred in February 2018. An "unauthorized party" gained access to data from user accounts on MyFitnessPal and stole usernames, email addresses, and encrypted passwords.
4. Quora – 100 million
This breach was discovered in November 2018. A "malicious third party" accessed one of Quora's systems stealing account information including names, email addresses, encrypted passwords, data from user accounts linked to Quora, and users' public questions and answers.
5. My heritage – 92 million
The breach occurred on October 26, 2017 but was discovered in June 2018. Email addresses and encrypted passwords of users who have signed up for the service were located on a private server outside of the company’s systems.
6. Cambridge Analytica (Facebook) – 87 million
This breach happened in 2015 but was discovered in 2018. An app linked to Facebook improperly passed on the information of millions of users to a firm that created targeted ads for President Trump’s presidential campaign. Only 270,000 people installed the application, but it was able to use Facebook’s sharing policies to gather millions of users data without their direct permission.
7. Google+ - 52.5 million
Google+ had several breaches with the first occurring in 2015 and announced in March 2018 and a second occurring in November 2018 and announced in December 2018. A software glitch caused the private information of Google+ profiles, including name, employer and job title, email address, birth date, age, and relationship status to be exposed. This breach has caused google to shutdown Google+ in April 2019.
8. Chegg - 40 million
The breach occurred between April 29, 2018 and September 19, 2018. An unauthorized party gained access to a Company database that hosted personal data including names, email addresses, shipping addresses, and account usernames and passwords.
9. Facebook – 29 million record
This breach occurred between July 2017 and September 2018. The hackers were able to exploit vulnerabilities in Facebook's code to get full access to compromised users' accounts. They were able to get user locations, contact details, relationship status, recent searches, and devices used to log in.
This breach was discovered in March 2018. Private information on India residents, including names, their 12-digit ID numbers, and information on connected services like bank accounts. A state-owned utility company working with Aadhar, Indane, hadn't secured their API which gave anyone access to Aadhar’s information.
2. Marriot Starwood hotels – 500 million records
The breach had started back in 2014 but was announced in November 2018. The hackers were able to access guest information including phone numbers, email addresses, passport numbers, reservation dates, and some payment card numbers and expiration dates. The hackers accessed the reservation database for Marriott's Starwood hotels and stole guest information.
3. MyFitnessPal – 150 million records
The breach occurred in February 2018. An "unauthorized party" gained access to data from user accounts on MyFitnessPal and stole usernames, email addresses, and encrypted passwords.
4. Quora – 100 million
This breach was discovered in November 2018. A "malicious third party" accessed one of Quora's systems stealing account information including names, email addresses, encrypted passwords, data from user accounts linked to Quora, and users' public questions and answers.
5. My heritage – 92 million
The breach occurred on October 26, 2017 but was discovered in June 2018. Email addresses and encrypted passwords of users who have signed up for the service were located on a private server outside of the company’s systems.
6. Cambridge Analytica (Facebook) – 87 million
This breach happened in 2015 but was discovered in 2018. An app linked to Facebook improperly passed on the information of millions of users to a firm that created targeted ads for President Trump’s presidential campaign. Only 270,000 people installed the application, but it was able to use Facebook’s sharing policies to gather millions of users data without their direct permission.
7. Google+ - 52.5 million
Google+ had several breaches with the first occurring in 2015 and announced in March 2018 and a second occurring in November 2018 and announced in December 2018. A software glitch caused the private information of Google+ profiles, including name, employer and job title, email address, birth date, age, and relationship status to be exposed. This breach has caused google to shutdown Google+ in April 2019.
8. Chegg - 40 million
The breach occurred between April 29, 2018 and September 19, 2018. An unauthorized party gained access to a Company database that hosted personal data including names, email addresses, shipping addresses, and account usernames and passwords.
9. Facebook – 29 million record
This breach occurred between July 2017 and September 2018. The hackers were able to exploit vulnerabilities in Facebook's code to get full access to compromised users' accounts. They were able to get user locations, contact details, relationship status, recent searches, and devices used to log in.
2018 has shown us many data breaches to a wide range of companies. Hopefully many companies have heard of these breaches and will learn from them to make progress in 2019 against cyber threats. As mentioned earlier, you cannot stop these threats but we can predict what is coming. Below is a forecast for what's to come for cybersecurity in 2019.
1. Continued Decline in Ransomware.
Ransomware has seen a decline of nearly 30 percent over the last couple years as cyber criminals find new means to make money. Ransomware will continue to be used but its usage will be reduced to targeted victims rather than randomly selected victims.
2. Increase in Cryptojacking.
To combat the decline in ransomware, cryptojacking has seen a nearly 45% rise in number of users attacked in the past year. There are many cryptomining tools accessible to those with nontechnical skills allowing for easy and frequent deployment.
3. Increased Effort to Enact More Privacy Laws
Privacy took a big hit with all the data breaches of 2018. Privacy laws like GDPR could persuade more privacy laws to go into effect. The hope is that GDPR will push companies to take data privacy more serious and protect the data they collect. The EU will be looking to make sure its GDPR privacy law is taken serious by assessing fines where necessary. Several states have already enacted their own privacy laws, and more are soon to come into effect. The urgency to protect our privacy is growing.
4. Increased Use of Multi-factor Authentication
As the number of users and services online increases, it is important for websites and online services to abandon password-only access and offer additional authentication methods. The extra step may confuse and frustrate users, but the added element of security can reduce the amount of cyber breaches. Consumers want to believe their data is protected, but it starts with the user having the proper security measures in place when accessing their data.
5. Spear Fishing will Become More Targeted
Just as ransomware looks to become more targeted, spear fishing will work in the same way that it can increase its chances of success if it knows more about its target. There could be an increase in mortgage fraud as a common tactic is to hack into emails and study the conversations. Once the hacker sees a trend for mortgage payment collection, they will jump in and divert the large amount of funds to themselves. This is one example, but its usage can vary with other financial transactions that relies on trust between multiple email users.
6. Internet of Things (IoT) will Increase the Opportunity for Attacks
According to Statista, from 2015 to 2018 the number of IoT devices have increased from 15 billion to 23 billion. Over the next four years, that number looks to almost double to 43 billion devices in 2022. IoT devices are meant to integrate and improve daily functions of business very easily and efficiently. With so many points of exposure, this can lead to large security exploit’s for consumers and businesses as they innocently reap the benefits of smart, connected technology.
7. Cyber Insurance and Incident Response Plan to be an Integral Part of a Cybersecurity Plan
A common saying in cybersecurity: “It is not if you will have a cyber breach, but when will you have a cyber breach?”. The best thing to do is be prepared for the worst. By the time you discover a cyber breach it is already too late. You will spend a lot of time and resources to recover your lost data. A cyber insurance plan will not prevent a cyber attack from happening, but the recovery time and cost will be significantly less because you will be prepared. In order to be fully prepared, an organization needs to integrate a cyber incident response plan as well. This helps to map out who is involved, what the responsibilities of everyone is, and the process to mitigate the incident as quickly as possible. With the massive amount of data breaches happening every year, 2019 will prove to be the same and organizations will need to have the proper steps in place to be protected.
Data Privacy Day Underscores Importance of Safeguarding Personal Information Online
US Businesses Must Learn to Prevent Cyber-Attacks
RB Advisory LLC, a cybersecurity advisory firm that assists public and private businesses with IT security and compliance issues, celebrated its five-year anniversary in March. A leader in cybersecurity, RB Advisory has shown that it has delivered sustainable strategies, best practices and a proven methodology to ensure clients have successful outcomes for cyber security protection, risk management and compliance. With a global impact, clients have entrusted RB Advisory to serve as their cybersecurity partner for these specialized services. This minority, woman-owned small business has much to celebrate. Formed in 2016 by Regine Bonneau, CTPRP after she transitioned from years in the risk management and compliance industry, Bonneau focused on cybersecurity as new regulations involved security controls. Her expertise draws upon her background spanning more than two decades with a concentration on people, process, and technology in the healthcare, financial, legal, government and energy sectors ranging from small to large enterprises. "I founded RB Advisory because after years of working in corporate America and being told that I have great ideas, I decided after many struggles and lessons learned to start my own company," says Regine Bonneau, CTPRP, founder and CEO, RB Advisory." She adds, as Amelia Earhart once said, “The most difficult thing is the decision to act. The rest is merely tenacity.” Bonneau is an immigrant from Haiti and raised in New York City. She is fluent in four languages – English, Creole, Spanish and French. She is highly educated with a master’s degree in law from Thomas Jefferson School of Law, a bachelor’s degree in business administration and finance from Strayer University and a degree in electrical engineering from Technical Career College. She is a sought-after speaker within the cybersecurity industry and holds leadership roles in several technology industry associations, as well as fellowships. Bonneau has been featured in the Orlando Sentinel, the Orlando Business Journal and other prominent publications and digital media platforms. As a black woman, immigrant turned U.S. citizen, single mother, engineer and business owner in an industry that is only 20% women — and only about 3% are black men and women, Bonneau is sets an example. She is passionate about paving the way for females of all races to have a seat at the table in this industry. She refers to the saying, “success is not achieved alone,” stressing its importance. “I’ve been very fortunate to have many mentors who have helped me along the way, especially as an entrepreneur, so it’s important to find mentors and surround yourself with the right people who can help you reach your goal,” says Bonneau.
When Regine Bonneau, CTPRP, walks into a room, she commands attention. With her signature Fuchsia stilettos and accessories, she’s makes a statement with her poise and confidence. What sets Bonneau apart is that she’s a leading industry expert in the cybersecurity industry – a field mostly dominated by men, where only 20% are women. Hailing from Haiti, Bonneau emigrated to the United States when she was ten years old, escaping the coup d'état at that time along with her family’s desire to create a better life filled with more opportunities. Her family settled in New York City, where she was driven by her natural curiosity and zeal for learning. It was in junior high that she first became interested in robotics and coding in a computer programming class that was led by an inspiring female teacher. “That was where I first learned how to code and what sparked my interest in robotics and cyber technology. I found it so fascinating that I was able to create mechanical objects and then program them to complete different tasks and movements. After that, nothing electronic was safe. I fixed everything from the television to the radio to old printers laying around my house. Luckily my mom was supportive every step of the way,” says Regine Bonneau, founder and CEO of RB Advisory LLC. Taking advantage of the opportunities she was afforded as an American, Bonneau pursued three degrees, including bachelor’s and master’s degrees in business administration and finance, as well as a master’s degree in law with a concentration in financial services. Adding to this impressive list, she also is fluent in four languages: English, Creole, Spanish and French. What led Bonneau to pursue the path of an entrepreneur was the freedom to innovate. After more than 20 years leading financial services, including risk management and compliance services for employers in the health care, financial and energy sectors, Bonneau applied her knowledge and expertise to form RB Advisory adding cybersecurity services. This leads full circle to the impact Bonneau has on women in technology, especially black women. Over the last five years since the formation of her company, Bonneau has risen to prominence on a national scale, based on her expertise and outgoing style. Of the 20% of women being represented in cybersecurity, only 3% are black including, men and women. Bonneau represents the model of success that comes with hard work combined with a passion to succeed. While underrepresented, women, especially women of color, are part of the technology sector and they’re here to stay – for that Bonneau is unapologetic. “While we have come a long way in the last five years or so, there is still work to be done to ensure the industry is more welcoming for women. We cannot settle for a handful of women in a room of 1,000 technology experts,” says Bonneau. In her signature style, Bonneau is reinforcing the hashtag #unapologetic. She says it stems from a conversation with a mentor who once urged her to stop describing the technology industry as “male dominated” because it implies women don’t belong. Instead, she said, women in technology must be audacious and unapologetic because they do belong; those who are already here are here to stay. And that is precisely what Bonneau intends to do. With five years under her belt and a growth rate last year of more than 30%, she is on a trajectory toward continued success. In March, she announced that the company has been authorized to represent the Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification Accreditation Body (CMMC-AB) as a Registered Provider Organization (RPO). RPO status ensures that RB Advisory has agreed to the CMMC-AB code of professional conduct, can deliver non-certified CMMC consulting services, and is listed on the CMMC-AB Marketplace. As part of the ecosystem support to secure the nation’s supply chain, RB Advisory will help government contractors working with the United States Department of Defense (DOD) determine the required CMMC maturity level, become audit ready, and maintain compliance post certification. CMMC compliance services include Risk Assessment, GAP analysis, technical solutions, and documentation development. Since October 2020, RB Advisory has already been working with several companies in the Florida High Tech Corridor’s robust aerospace and modeling, simulation and training industries to ensure compliance. As a community leader, Bonneau believes in giving back and leading by example. She serves on many advisory boards and is a member of several business organizations. She is a frequently sought-after industry thought leader and subject matter expert. She represents diversity and inclusion, and she mentors all who seek her support. Her energy is contagious, and her spark lights up a room. Bonneau underscores the importance of mentoring as a factor that impacts success. “We are all aware of the power of mentorship — if you are a woman in technology and aren’t already giving back as a mentor, I encourage you to do so. We also need to change the conversation with parents of young women. I grew up with a mother who constantly asked when I would become a doctor, so I know what it feels like to be influenced to pursue a certain career path. We need parents to understand the diverse career opportunities available in technology that are just as fulfilling and well compensated. This field is not just for their sons,” says Bonneau. To inspire and encourage other entrepreneurs, especially women, Bonneau says, “Be passionate and don’t be afraid to show it. This is important for everyone, but especially for women. If you do not show up to meetings with enthusiasm and the desire to learn then why are you there? Be passionate and excited about what you do, then people will admire that in you and be more interested in the ideas you bring to the table.” With a winning attitude and approachable demeanor, it’s no wonder Bonneau has been awarded by the community as a “Deeva in Tech” by Women on the Rise, 40 Under 40 by the Orlando Business Journal and more recently its award program, Women Who Mean Business. Bonneau has been named by The National Business Journals as one of the Top 100 Influencers in the Nation: Rising Stars in 2019, she was also featured as one of the Top 12 most influential Black Leaders in Cybersecurity by rThreat and her company was recognized by the African American Chamber of Central Florida as the “Emerging Company of the Year” also in 2019. She hosts a cybersecurity column in the Sanford Herald , recognized as “Regine the Cyber Queen.” Bonneau holds leadership roles in several technology industry associations, is a New America Cybersecurity Fellow, and member of the International Consortium of Minority Cybersecurity Professionals (ICMCP). Bonneau is active in the community and is currently involved in several charitable organizations. She served on the Advisory Board for Arnold Palmer Medical Center (Champion’s Circle) and as a Board Member for NAWBO Orlando, Howard Phillips Center (Champion’s Circle), and Boys Scout Council of Central Florida. She is a member of Women in Defense and the National Defense Industrial Association and currently serves on the advisory boards for Florida Polytechnic University, University of South Florida MUMA College of Business and ECPI University. To learn more about Regine Bonneau, CTPRP, please visit her biography on our team page.
Designation Enables Company to Provide Cybersecurity Consulting Services to Organizations Seeking Department of Defense CMMC Certification
Since the start of Covid-19, many companies have switched to remote work-from-home operations. The increase in remote working has contributed to a rapid growth of cyber security incidents and vulnerabilities for companies. Companies can strengthen their cybersecurity systems by taking these five steps: 1. Evaluate the effectiveness of your company’s current security measures. 2. Invest in a scalable, high-bandwidth network infrastructure. 3. Upgrade security protocol. 4. Organize a phishing training course. 5. Conduct phishing simulations within your company. Cybersecurity is everyone's responsibility. Make sure to stay current with cybersecurity changes so that your company does not fall victim to a cyber attack. Give us a call today to schedule a consultation!
The holiday season is here, and we can expect to see online traffic sore as shoppers stay home and search for gifts from the comfort and safety of their homes. Unfortunately, this can leave consumers vulnerable to identity thieves and fraudsters that are ready to take advantage of the accelerated e-commerce boom. Thankfully, we are here to give you some cybersecurity tips that consumers can use to help protect their data and information for a merry holiday season. 1. Keep An Eye Out For Phishy Behavior — Watch what comes into your inbox. Phishing is a social engineering attack that tricks users to steal their data, including login credentials and credit card numbers. It occurs when an attacker, masquerading as a trusted entity, dupes a victim into opening an email, instant message, or text message. Remember to review all emails closely, don't put any of your credit information in an email, and do not open any attachments or click embedded links. 2. Use Alternative Payments — When it comes to cybersecurity, think about using an alternate payment method such as a credit card or a third-party online payment system like PayPal or Venmo instead of a debit card. Thanks to the Fair Credit Billing Act, consumers are liable only up to $50 in fraudulent charges. Completing purchases using PayPal and Venmo are also good alternatives to debit cards as the store never directly receives your financial information through these third parties. 3. Diversify Your Passwords — The more diversified passwords you have, the more difficult it will be for your accounts to be hacked! 4. Spot A Shady Website — There are several signs that you may not be on a reputable site. Check to see if "https" appears in the URL. The extra "S" ensures that the website is secured by an SSL (secure socket layer) certificate, making the connection secure and safeguarding the sensitive data that passes from you, the customer, to the retailer. Overall, make sure to review the site for misspellings, grammar mistakes and even low-quality images. It is important to be aware of the risks associated with online shopping, and with these easy to follow cyber tips we hope you are able to stay cybersafe while still making sure the stockings are stuffed! Read the original article here .
Hello friends, it's me, Elyh! Today I am sharing the last part of my three-part series review on the Center for Cyber Safety and Education’s comic books ‘Garfield’s Cyber Safety Adventures’! So far Garfield and his friends have shown us how to keep our private information secure online and how to safely post on social media. Now for the last topic.... Cyberbullying! You may have heard of cyberbullying before but if not, that’s okay! Cyberbullying includes sending, posting, or sharing negative, harmful, false, or mean content about someone else. Even if YOU may think something is funny, it can hurt someone else's feelings. Garfield and friends run into this dilemma when they realize Nermal is taking part in cyberbullying when he jokingly posts an embarrassing picture of his friend. A good rule to follow when tagging or posting pictures of your friends online is to ask them beforehand if they are comfortable with you making the post. It is important to be kind to each other online and not do something you wouldn’t want done to you! If you see cyberbullying happening or it is happening to you, politely ask for the post to be taken down immediately and report it to an adult you trust. We need to all stick up from one another and stay cyber smart! Well friends, I hope you enjoyed my three-part review on the Center for Cyber Safety and Education’s comic book series ‘Garfield's Cyber Safety Adventures’! If you would like to get your own comic books from Garfield or are interested in more cyber safety tips visit: https://iamcybersafe.org/s/ To watch my video review of Garfield's cyberbullying comic, go here . Preview this lesson on the Center for Cyber Safety and Education’s YouTube Channel . Read more articles from Elyh in the Sanford Herald !
Hi everyone, it’s me Elyh! We are going to talk about cybersecurity on the Internet. What is cybersecurity? Cybersecurity is protecting your personal information from being hacked or taken by the “bad guys”. I’ll give you some tips on staying safe when you go on the internet: Number 1: Don’t give out personal information such as your full name, address, phone number, family names, and date of birth. Number 2: Don’t accept any invite for personal chat rooms from anyone even if you know them. Tell your parent first and they will need to accept it. Number 3: Don’t trust anyone or any links sent to you Number 4: Don’t accept face to face meetings with anyone Number 5: Don’t download any applications or games without your parent’s permission Until next time, stay healthy and be cyber safe! Read more articles from Elyh in the Sanford Herald !
All Hail, Regine, the Cyber Queen, and take heed!! 60 seconds is all they need! Did you know? Did you even know how much can be collected in 60 seconds? How many records can be leaked? How many millions scammed? How many phishing sites established? In 60 seconds, your legacy and everything you have worked for can be lost…..can you afford to lose 60 seconds of time with catastrophic results? Cyber security is not a fancy way of saying anything…it is what it is, it is the securing of cyber activity and protection of the most critical and valuable asset to your business: your DATA! It is not only for certain industries, or for jobs that pay a certain amount. It is now a universal necessity in a COVID and post-COVID workplace. Whether or not this virus persists, we are inevitably changed in terms of workplace. Most employees have been sent to remote locations or are now part of the WFH generation. This alone predestined a huge market for cyber security and risk management. There are far too many risks these days to think that just because your business is small you aren’t being targeted. Or that you have such a small role, no one would give you access to anything that could cause a breach. But being reactive in terms of protecting your data is a costly mistake. Every minute a Million dollars is siphoned out of a business by cyber breach. Can you afford to be reactive? Can your business sustain a breach? It doesn’t have to be scary, if you take the proper steps to keep an expert eye on what you can’t see or what you didn’t even know existed. Here are some tips: Seek expert consultation and come up with a plan for educating your workforce Train your employees on cyber safety based on roles and responsibilities Employ proper firewall and VPN protection for the type of work you are doing Be proactive! RB Advisory is a locally-based, cyber security and risk management consulting firm that would be happy to create a custom plan to train and educate your workforce to protect your assets, your employees and your legacy! Call us today for a FREE 20 minute consultation when you mention this article! As always we want to team up with you on all of your cyber needs! Be healthy and be cyber safe! Read more articles from Regine the Cyber Queen in the Sanford Herald !
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RB Advisory LLC is a cybersecurity advisory firm with headquarters in Winter Park, Florida. Our business model is designed to help ALL companies, public and private, with IT security and compliance issues. The services we provide are custom designed for all companies, to secure platforms, networks, IoT, social, and cloud platforms in all industries.
