Quick Intelligence Blog

Some small business owners are under the mistaken impression that cyber security is only for larger enterprises. They often think, “why would a hacker want to attack my little business, when there are larger enterprises with more money and data to steal?” The reality is that small businesses are attacked often, they just don’t generate headlines the way larger businesses do. Unlike those large enterprises, 60% of small businesses will permanently close 6 months after a data breach. To avoid having your business close, read about the 6 big cyber security risks putting small companies out of business, along with tips on how you can minimize that risk.

If you are looking for the weak link in the cybersecurity chain, you will find it in people. People make mistakes. Hackers are great at exploiting vulnerabilities in software, but the easiest vulnerability for them to target is people. People can be too trusting which can lead to hackers easily gaining access to systems and information.

Have you heard of social engineering? If you are worried that it is something complicated and technical, have no fear, it’s not. Social engineering is as old as time itself and doesn’t need fancy technology. Criminals and fraudsters use social engineering techniques to trick people into giving them access to restricted areas. Once the criminal has gained access, they can then use that access to commit whatever crime they wish.

Cybersecurity is a must for today’s connected businesses. One of the biggest challenges, especially for smaller businesses, is the lack of financial resources to help defend against a cyber-attack. However, there are some tips that a business of any size, but especially a smaller business, can utilize to help protect themselves from a cyber-attack without blowing your budget.

ZeroFox announced yesterday that Quick Intelligence will be their Canadian Partner to extend their delivery of critical threat intelligence, digital risk protection, and adversary disruption services in Canada.

Scams on social media are not uncommon, but when it comes to LinkedIn, people tend to be more willing to share personal information in the hopes of acquiring a new job or business lead. This is why you need to be even more vigilant about protecting your personal information when using LinkedIn.

The CBC News has recently reported on a scam targeting job seekers. The scam works by offering desperate job seekers an amazing “work from home” opportunity. They are also told that the company will send them a cheque to purchase office supplies from a third party and are instructed to e-transfer the money to that third party. The problem is that the job offer isn’t real, the cheques are bad, and once the cheque bounces, you are on the hook for the money.

You’ve seen some of the headlines regarding big cyber security breaches. Colonial Pipeline paid a huge ransom to get their data back and get the gas flowing again. JBS Meat also suffered an attack that shut down production for days.

Most business owners know they need to be protected from outside threats, but did you know you’re your employees could also be a threat? So how are your employees a risk? Is there anything you can do to mitigate that risk?

You may have heard about companies who take to shaming employees who have unintentionally caused a cyber incident at work. While it’s true that all it takes is one wrong click by a staff member, shaming staff isn’t the way to better cyber security.