It's a nightmare scenario for business owners. Employees log in to their workstations and attempt to access the usual systems, expecting to find customer reports. Instead, they find a message demanding money.

If the business wants to regain access to its software and data, it will have to pay a ransom. Until then, it is locked out. The business has become the latest victim of ransomware. 
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Ransomware is malicious software that hackers introduce into an organization's computer network to encrypt its data. The hackers hold the data hostage until their demands are met.

There is no time like the present to educate yourself about the potential dangers of financial and credit card security. The convenience of making online purchases is becoming increasingly more popular, but many people are not fully aware of the risks they could be taking when making these purchases. Continue reading to learn about how you can protect yourself from becoming a victim of a cyber-attack or identity theft.  

Findings from an analysis of 2017 cyber claims data revealed that negligence was the most common cause of loss for the healthcare industry and a hacking attack the most common for non-healthcare organizations. However, ransomware was the second most common cause of loss for all industries.

Ransomware is a cyber-related threat with a monetary demand. The threat is typically to divulge or destroy information, to insert malicious code into a computer system, or to damage, destroy or prevent access to a computer system. According to the report, “2018 Cyber Claims Digest,” by NAS Insurance, there was a 152 percent increase in ransomware as a cause of loss in the healthcare industry between 2016 and 2017.

Whether browsing social media or completing online homework, students spend much of their day plugged into their phones, tablets, and computers. While they are spending their time connected to these devices, many are forgetting to protect themselves from the many hidden dangers of the internet.
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Cyber security isn’t typically something one thinks of when beginning college. According to an article by Forbes, Millennials believe cyber security is imperative, yet more than half avoid common-sense computer safety measures. Campus safety now goes beyond walking home alone at night. Continue reading to learn about how you can be cyber-secure upon entering college. 

Hacking and cybercrime are in the news daily, and everyone has likely been impacted by it in some way from the numerous high profile breaches of the companies that store our data. The increase of these threats has awakened us to the reality that we need a level of vigilance that offers better protection.

According to the Identity Theft Resource Center, data breaches increased 40 percent in 2016, with a total of 1,093 reported breaches. This trend continued in 2017, with over 1,120 cases reported by October. Ransomware was the most common threat. Global ransomware costs due to business productivity impact and mitigation are estimated to have exceeded $5 billion in 2017. An additional $2 billion was paid to hackers in ransom over that same time period.