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MSI Dump - a tool that analyzes malicious MSI installation packages, extracts files, streams, binary data and incorporates YARA scanner. On Macro-enabled Office documents we can quickly use oletools mraptor to determine whether document is malicious. If we want to dissect it further, we could bring in oletools olevba or oledump. To dissect malicious MSI files, so far we had only one, but reliable and trustworthy lessmsi. However, lessmsi doesn't implement features I was looking for: quick triage Binary data extraction YARA scanning Hence this is where msidump comes into play. Here we can see that input MSI is injected with suspicious VBScript and contains numerous executables in it. Now we want to take a closer look at this VBScript by extracting only that record. [Hidden Content]

Italian luxury automaker Ferrari has been hacked by an unknown threat actor who has demanded a ransom in exchange for certain client contact details. Ferrari made the announcement of the “cyber incident” on its website recently, stating that its wholly-owned Italian subsidiary was contacted by a threat actor with a ransom demand related to certain client contact details. While Ferrari has refused to pay the ransom as a policy, it has informed its clients of the potential data exposure and the nature of the incident. The company takes the confidentiality of clients seriously and understands the significance of the incident, as its clients most likely represent some of the world's wealthiest individuals given the typical cost of a Ferrari. The attack has highlighted the fact that ransomware is not just a problem, but a major data loss issue as well, as sensitive data, including client names, addresses, email addresses, and telephone numbers, has been exposed. Cybersecurity firm Halcyon's CEO and Co-founder, Jon Miller, has emphasized that the focus for ransomware operators is to cause as much pain as possible to victim organizations in order to extract the highest payment possible. This means that even if the victim organization pays the ransom, the attackers still have the data and can sell or expose it, or come back to the victim organization and ask for even more money. Ferrari has immediately started an investigation in collaboration with a leading global third-party cybersecurity firm, once they became aware of the hacker's demands. The automaker has assured its clients that the breach has had no impact on its operations. Even though Ferrari did everything right regarding securing the data and incident response measures, ransomware gangs are intent on stealing data to force victims into paying the ransom demand, causing collateral damage to entities whose sensitive data is exposed. Miller has urged organizations to defeat the attack before hackers can exfiltrate data and disrupt operations to make these attacks unprofitable. In October, Ferrari was hit by a ransomware attack, losing 7GB of data to threat actors.

Description: In recent years, a considerable amount of effort has been devoted to cyber-threat protection of computer systems which is one of the most critical cybersecurity tasks for single users and businesses since even a single attack can result in compromised data and sufficient losses. Massive losses and frequent attacks dictate the need for accurate and timely detection methods. Current static and dynamic methods do not provide efficient detection, especially when dealing with zero-day attacks. For this reason, big data analytics and machine intelligence-based techniques can be used. This book brings together researchers in the field of big data analytics and intelligent systems for cyber threat intelligence CTI and key data to advance the mission of anticipating, prohibiting, preventing, preparing, and responding to internal security. The wide variety of topics it presents offers readers multiple perspectives on various disciplines related to big data analytics and intelligent systems for cyber threat intelligence applications. Technical topics discussed in the book include: Big data analytics for cyber threat intelligence and detection Artificial intelligence analytics techniques Real-time situational awareness Machine learning techniques for CTI Deep learning techniques for CTI Malware detection and prevention techniques Intrusion and cybersecurity threat detection and analysis Blockchain and machine learning techniques for CTI [Hidden Content] [hide][Hidden Content]]

What is SysTools Hard Drive Data Recovery Software? SysTools Hard Disk Recovery Wizard is complete solution to recover permanently deleted files from NTFS and FAT file system. The software also retrieve data after formatting hard disk. The tool support RAW hard drive data recovery professionally. Just perform a few steps and restore lost files from internal and external hard drive. [Hidden Content] [hide][Hidden Content]]

Starus Data Restore Pack can make a full snapshot of the disk being recovered in order to perform the recovery operation on a virtual image instead of the real disk. This allows minimizing any potential ill effects a series of read operations could do to the damaged drive. Fastest on the Market At the time of this writing, Starus Data Restore Pack is the fastest data restore software on the market. Featuring new and improved disk analysis algorithms, the data restoration product can locate and list deleted files and folders in a snap. The performance is so high that we used Windows Explorer as a UI model for our product. With Starus Data Restore Pack, browsing deleted files and folders is as quick and easy as using Windows Explorer to browse the disk. Dedicated Data Recovery Mode Starus Data Restore Pack offers one quick and two dedicated file recovery modes. The “slow scan” mode helps locate files stored on corrupted, formatted and inaccessible disks (memory cards, flash drives, etc.) by reading the entire disk sector after sector. The “slow scan” mode allows restoring data from disks that are just about to fail, fix information from corrupted disks and deleted partitions. Advanced Picture Recovery Mode The second dedicated data restore mode is new to Starus Data Restore Pack, and involves a comprehensive scan of the disk in order to locate digital pictures and RAW files specifically. The pictures, once located, can be previewed before being recovered. Step-By-Step Wizards Starus Data Restore Pack offers fully guided, step-by-step wizards to make data restoration easy for even the least experienced users. The data restore wizards help choosing the right mode and configuring any settings. Pre-Recovery Preview What you see is what you get. Starus Data Restore Pack comes with a fully visual pre-recovery preview. Hundreds of file formats are supported including office documents, pictures and RAW files, compressed archives, email messages with attachments, music and video. Advanced Features Starus Data Restore Pack inherits a set of advanced features to be used by data recovery specialists and computer engineers. The data restore tool can create a full snapshot of a disk in order to commit any restoration steps to the disk image instead of the real disk. This makes the whole process so much safer, especially when nearly dead disks are in the work. Starus Data Restore Pack can burn recovered files onto a CD/DVD or upload them over an FTP connection, helping to deal with huge amounts of information being recovered. System Compatibility Starus Data Restore Pack supports in all versions of Windows from Windows 95 to Vista, Windows 7 and 2008 Server. All Windows file systems are supported including FAT, FAT32, NTFS, and NTFS5, including NTFS-compressed files. Features: Supported file systems: FAT, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS5 Supported storage media: hard disks, SSD drives, memory cards, USB flash memory Near-instant recovery or recently deleted files Dedicated picture recovery mode Support for RAW file formats (Canon, Nikon, Pentax, Olympus, SONY, Panasonic cameras) Slow recovery mode for restoring data from damaged disks and formatted partitions Full Windows 7 and Windows 2008 Server support Full legacy support from Windows 95 to Vista Fully guided, step-by-step wizards What you see is what you get: pre-recovery preview for hundreds of file types Explorer-like user interface to browse deleted files and folders Virtual disk images and disk snapshots for safer recovery FTP upload, CD/DVD and ISO image support Supported Storage Media Starus data restore software supports all types of magnetic and solid-state storage media, including hard disks, all kinds of memory cards, SSD drives and USB flash drives. Some MP3 players and digital cameras are also supported provided they’re connected to a computer via a USB cord. [Hidden Content] [hide][Hidden Content]]

Eassiy Android Data Recovery Highest Android data recovery rate for photo and video in the industry. Restore deleted WhatsApp messages and WhatsApp attachments on Android. 3 recovery modes: Recover directly from Android devices, Android SD card and SIM card. Support 16+ file types, industry-leading in the supported file types. Faster scan: Scan 1000+ deleted files in seconds Support with 6000+ Android devices including Samsung, Huawei, HTC, Google, LG, Sony, etc. [Hidden Content] [Hidden Content]

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Easily scrape email,phone,company,address helping you quickly increase your customers. Fast Extracts data from (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube, Pinterest, Twitter, Tiktok, Tumblr) [Hidden Content] [hide][Hidden Content]]

Course Duration: 21 sections • 95 lectures • 9h 13m total length What you'll learn: Remove your dependence on Cloud providers by managing your data at your own home, using Synology DSM7 Back up your data offsite to a second, or friend or family members, Synology NAS Store your data securely, keep your own encryption keys to yourself Learn how to connect Windows 10 & 11, OSX/Mac, and Ubuntu clients to your own private cloud Learn how to back up your photos to your own private cloud, using your Android or Apple device (demos are of Android) Learn how to create a free VPN connection between Synology NASes, using ZeroTier (port forwarding also briefly covered, but VPN recommended) Learn how to backup your Windows 10 & 11, OSX/Mac and Ubuntu workstations, including how to perform offsite backups Learn how to synchronise a live file share with your friends NAS so you can share data in a secure way over the interent Learn the basics of Synology Surviellance Station (CCTV software) Requirements: An intermediate level of computer literacy is needed. Familiarity with your own home network, including the ability to make changes on your own network infrastructure. A basic knowledge on firewalls and routers, and how they work. A basic understanding of security and its importance. Description: Learn how to remove your dependence on Cloud providers such as Google, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon, and store your data yourself securely using Synology DSM7 technology.This course will take you through how to configure your own secure private cloud using Synology NASes - from a basic introduction to why we should care where our data is stored, to what to look for when purchasing your Synology NAS(es), to how to build and connect to your own private cloud, to how to backup your data offsite automatically each night.The course covers the basics of the Synology NAS, though the course is not aimed at explaining everything about Synology, rather, the Synology NAS hardware is being used to achieve the outcome of own secure private cloud, accessible while outside of your network through your laptop, tablet or phone, in a secure way.It will cover how to share files with others - both members of your family, or friends that do not have a connection into your private network. The course will also cover how you can create a location on your NAS where people from outside of your network can upload files to, without having direct access into your network.Security is at the forefront of everything that is discussed in this course. The order of preference to access the NAS from outside of your private network is through a VPN, then using Synology's QuickConnect technology, to lastly port forwarding and dynamic DNS. The pros and cons of these access methods are discussed so that you can make an informed decision on the level of security that will be appropriate and acceptable to you.Support for this course is through Udemy's messaging system, and the aim is always to respond to any queries within 24hrs. Who this course is for: This course is for intermediately IT skilled people that want to remove their reliance on Cloud providers like Google, Apple, Microsoft and Amazon, by managing their data themselves in a secure and private way. [hide][Hidden Content]]

Data Recovery Made Easy - iTop Data Recovery Recover data for 1000+ formats of lost documents, photos, videos and audios. Fast rescue data from most external devices, such as HDD, SSD, USB... Make data backups regularly with ease. An reliable backup tool is provide. One stop solution for any data loss. More than 3,000,000 downloads. [Hidden Content] [hide][Hidden Content]]

WIPE RECYCLE BIN Limpie permanentemente los archivos eliminados en la papelera de reciclaje sin posibilidad de recuperación de datos WIPE PARTITION Limpiar la partición del sistema u otros volúmenes con o sin medios de arranque (CD / USB) se aplica a las particiones que contienen datos confidenciales. ESPACIO LIBRE DE LIMPIEZA Limpiar el espacio libre es la manera más rápida de limpiar el disco y mantener el sistema intacto mientras tanto. LIMPIE TODO EL DISCO Limpiar todo el disco antes de desecharlo o donarlo es la forma más segura de mantener seguros sus datos personales.... [Hidden Content] [hide][Hidden Content]]

Potente software de recuperación de datos para PC con Windows, portátiles, discos duros, USB y más. Una herramienta útil para varias situaciones de pérdida de datos, como el formateo, el ataque de virus, la eliminación accidental de archivos, la caída repentina del sistema, el apagado inesperado. [Hidden Content] [Hidden Content]

Superior Data Recovery Software 2022 Data Recovery Made Easy - iTop Data Recovery Recover data for 1000+ formats of lost documents, photos, videos and audios. Fast rescue data from most external devices, such as HDD, SSD, USB... One stop solution for any data loss. More than 3,000,000 downloads. Ultra-Fast Scan and Data Recovery Software This fast data recovery tool for PC speeds up the scanning and data recovery process due to iTop unique recovery algorithm. You don't need to wait for a long time to get data back. In Just Minutes, you can retrieve deleted files perfectly as you expected. Besides, Scan options are diverse for different needs. You can quickly find your lost data by Location and File Type. [Hidden Content] [hide][Hidden Content]]

Description Get instant access to an 87-page workbook of Cyber Security Awareness Introduce yourself to our community of students in this course and tell us your goals Encouragement and celebration of your progress every step of the way: 25% > 50% > 75% & 100% 8 hours of clear and concise step by step instructions, lessons, and engagement This course is designed for anyone who is interested in learning more about cyber security and how to combat the very real threats that everyone faces from hacking and catastrophic loss of data. This course is beginner-friendly, does not require technical cyber security skills, and is meant for everyone who wishes to help secure their own data, and their organisation’s data from hackers and cyber threats. What you will learn: Define what cyber security is Discuss the evolution of threats and the types of security goal Learn the Importance of cyber security Explain the differences between Threat, Vulnerability, and Risk Differentiate Networking Devices such as Router and Switch Differentiate IP, MAC, and PORT Address Define DNS and VPN Learn Hacking and the different Types of Hackers Explore the needed skills set and job profiles in the field of cyber security Learn the fundamentals of networking and security Discuss the layers of the OSI Model Explain the different networking protocols such as TCP, HTPP, UDP, ARP, and DHCP How to troubleshoot a network to improve security Learn the different attacks Know the different types of malware and how they affect security Explain the Man in the Middle and Denial of Service Attack Discuss what is Distributed Denial of Service Attack How to recognize Sniffing, Phishing, SQL Injection, Cross-site Scripting, and Post Scanning Attack Define Cryptography and why we need it for cyber security Discuss important terminologies in Cryptography Know the different ciphers Learn the advantages and disadvantages of Symmetric and Asymmetric Keys Learn what is Digital Signature and the Signing and Verification Process Know how to check the Integrity of a Message Discuss the different security measures Learn the various types of firewalls and their security Learn Cyber Law and why there is a need for it Discuss the classifications of cyber crime Definition, Process and Digital Forensics …and more! Contents and Overview You’ll start with What is Cyber security; Evolution of Cyber Threats; Three Types of Security Goals; Importance of cyber security; Threat, Vulnerability, and Risk; Networking Devices such as Router and Switch; What is an IP Address; What is a MAC Address; What is a PORT Address; What is DNS and VPN; Learn Hacking and the different Types of Hackers; Job Profiles in the field of cyber security; Important cyber security Skills. Then you will learn about Computer Networks; The OSI Model; OSI Layers Protocols; HTTP Protocol; TCP Protocol; UDP Protocol; the Difference between UDP and TCP Protocol; DHCP Protocol; ARP Protocol; What is an IP address and its types; What is a Port Address and its types; Network Troubleshooting; What is an Attack; Categories of Cyber Attacks; Password attack and its types; Malware Attack; Types of Malware; Man in the Middle Attack; Sniffing Attack; DOS Attack; What is DDOS Attack; Phishing Attack; SQL Injection Attack; Example of SQL Injection Attack; Cross-site Scripting Attack; Post Scanning Attack. We will also cover Post Scanning Attack; The Need for Cryptography; Basic Cryptography System; What is Encryption; What is Decryption; Define Plain text; What is Secret Key; What is Cipher text; Cryptography System; Cryptography in everyday life; Types of Cryptography; Symmetric Key Cryptography; Asymmetric Key Cryptography; What is Hashing; Hashing Algorithm; Techniques of Hashing; What is Substitution Cipher; What is Transposition Cipher; Cesar Cipher and how it works; Transposition Cipher; Stream Cipher; Block Cipher; Advantages of Symmetric Key Cryptography; Why Asymmetric key cryptography is important; Advantages of Asymmetric Key Cryptography; Digital Signature; Signing and Verification Process; How to check the Integrity of a Message and increase security This course will also tackle Security Measures; What is a Firewall; Types of Firewall; Cyber Law; Why there is a need for Cyber Law; What is Cyber Crime; Classification of Cyber Crime; Cyber Crimes Against Person; Cyber Crime Against Persons Property; Cyber Crime against Government; Cyber Crime against Society at Large; Definition of Digital Forensics; Process of Digital Forensics; Digital Forensics. Who are the Instructors? Vijal Jain is your lead instructor – a professional making a living from teaching cyber security. As a cyber security expert, she has joined with content creator Peter Alkema to bring you this amazing new course. You’ll get premium support and feedback to help you become more confident with finance! Our happiness guarantee… We have a 30-day 100% money-back guarantee, so if you aren’t happy with your purchase, we will refund your course – no questions asked! We can’t wait to see you on the course! Enroll now, and we’ll help you improve your cyber security ! Peter and Digital Regenesys Who this course is for: Those who are searching their career in cyber security. Those who want to save their sensitive data from hackers Those who want to become professional in cyber security IT professionals and cyber security managers Requirements No requirement, we shall start from basic and end at advanced to become you pro in cyber security Access to an internet connection, computer, and network Must have ability to follow the step by step instructions during downloading and installation of software Basic understanding of cyber security is a plus. However, this is not quite necessary [hide][Hidden Content]]

MiniTool® Power Data Recovery V11 Business An easy-to-use data recovery program for Windows and Server users quickly scans and recovers any deleted/lost files, photos, videos, and more. Deep scan data under various data loss scenarios like deletion, formatting, OS crash, virus attack. Also recover data from memory cards, USB, external drives, etc. Mighty Data Recovery Software MiniTool Power Data Recovery Business offers simple but effective data recovery solutions for Windows and Windows Server users. It is a cost-effective tool to help recover data from many common scenarios in Windows 7/8/10/11 and Windows Server 2003/2008/2012/2016/2019. It is able to recover deleted or lost data from different storage devices such as hard drive, external hard drive, USB drive, memory card, etc., in just a few clicks. What’s New in Version 11? V11 (May 17, 2022) Latest Upgrade!! Rebuilt the data structure of Type on the scan result page. Fixed the bug that Type does not show any file when scanning from specified paths. Optimized the Filter function for better filtering result. Optimized the display of the main interface when selecting a location to scan. [Hidden Content] [hide][Hidden Content]]

Decrypt passwords/cookies/history/bookmarks from the browser. HackBrowserData is an open-source tool that could help you decrypt data ( password|bookmark|cookie|history|credit card|download|localStorage|extension ) from the browser. It supports the most popular browsers on the market and runs on Windows, macOS and Linux. Disclaimer: This tool is limited to security research only, and the user assumes all legal and related responsibilities arising from its use! The author assumes no legal responsibility! hack-browser-data-v0.4.2 Latest Changes feat: support export extension @moonD4rk (#129) feat: enhance cmd color log output @moonD4rk (#129) docs: add logo for HackBrowserData @moonD4rk (#128) Supported Browser Windows Browser Password Cookie Bookmark History Google Chrome ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Google Chrome Beta ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Chromium ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Microsoft Edge ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ 360 Speed ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ QQ ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Brave ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Opera ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ OperaGX ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Vivaldi ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Yandex ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ CocCoc ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Firefox ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Firefox Beta ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Firefox Dev ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Firefox ESR ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Firefox Nightly ✅ ✅ ✅ ✅ Internet Explorer ❌ ❌ ❌ ❌ [hide][Hidden Content]]

SysTools Hard Drive Data Recovery is complete solution to restore files deleted permanently from the file system NTFS and FAT. Software also retrieves data after format hard disk. Tool supports data recovery hard drive RAW in a professional manner. Just make a few steps and restore the lost files from internal hard drive and external. With recovery software hard drive this professional, you can restore files and folders damaged. Not important is how the file disk is damaged. Software is capable enough to recover corrupted files from hard disk. You just launch the software to restore hard drive this professional on your system. Then, the tool will scan whole hard disk and lists all the files and folders is broken in the software. SysTools Hard Drive Data Recovery also helps to recover data files like: ZIP, JPEG, GIF, PDF, MPEG LAYER - III, PNG, DOCX, PPTX, XLSX, WAV, AVI, BMP, etc. from the drive is formatted. The features of SysTools Hard Drive Data Recovery - Restore and save the files and the folder has been permanently deleted from hard drive - Format support and data recovery file system formatted in FAT, exFAT and NTFS - Restore data from any hard drive inside / outside of the computer - Recover photo, video, music, documents & files, other multimedia - Refresh Option to detect external storage device is attached - Support to recover RAW data from hard Drive in & out - Supports restoring lost data from desktop computers and laptops - Restore lost data from hard disk partitions GPT and MBR - Deleted recovery after format hard drive in NTFS format or FAT - Recovery fast data from the device IDE, EIDE and SATA - Data is permanently deleted be restored is highlighted in Red - Software restore hard drive compatible with all Windows version [Hidden Content] [hide][Hidden Content]]

Software de limpieza de disco duro - Data Wiper Data Wiper, el software de limpieza del disco duro es capaz de limpiar el disco duro con o sin disco de arranque (CD / USB) Este borrador del disco duro puede borrar toda la unidad, incluido el sistema de archivos, con métodos de desinfección de datos como DoD 5220.22-M (El Departamento de Defensa) y otros planes de limpieza; la recuperación de archivos en archivos individuales es imposible. Además, Data Wiper también es capaz de borrar todo el sistema operativo incluso cuando se está ejecutando Windows, por supuesto, también puedes probar la forma convencional de borrar datos, borrar datos con medios de arranque Aquí está la lista de cómo usar Macrorit Data Wiper, software de destrucción de datos de disco y habilidad para limpiar el disco duro sin disco en Windows 7, Windows 10 y Windows Server System como Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2008 y Windows Server 2012. El nuevo programa de destrucción de datos permite borrar la partición del sistema incluso cuando el sistema se está ejecutando. Con Macrorit Data Wipe, puede borrar el espacio libre, limpiar la partición / volumen, limpiar todo el disco y limpiar el sistema sin CD WIPE RECYCLE BIN Limpie permanentemente los archivos eliminados en la papelera de reciclaje sin posibilidad de recuperación de datos WIPE PARTITION Limpiar la partición del sistema u otros volúmenes con o sin medios de arranque (CD / USB) se aplica a las particiones que contienen datos confidenciales. ESPACIO LIBRE DE LIMPIEZA Limpiar el espacio libre es la manera más rápida de limpiar el disco y mantener el sistema intacto mientras tanto. LIMPIE TODO EL DISCO Limpiar todo el disco antes de desecharlo o donarlo es la forma más segura de mantener seguros sus datos personales.... [Hidden Content] [hide][Hidden Content]]

Search WiFi geolocation data by BSSID and SSID on different public databases. Databases: Wigle Apple OpenWifi Milnikov [hide][Hidden Content]]

Superior Data Recovery Software 2022 Data Recovery Made Easy - iTop Data Recovery Recover data for 1000+ formats of lost documents, photos, videos and audios. Fast rescue data from most external devices, such as HDD, SSD, USB... Trusted by users all over the world. More than 3,000,000 user downloads. Ultra-Fast Scan and Data Recovery Software This powerful data recovery tool speeds up the scanning and data recovery process due to iTop unique recovery algorithm. You don't need to wait for a long time to get data back. In Just Minutes, you can retrieve deleted files perfectly as you expected. Besides, Scan options are diverse for different needs. You can quickly find your lost data by Location and File Type. Recover Any Data from Any Data Loss Situations Data loss can be caused by many reasons, and damages may differ greatly. You may have encountered a hard drive crash, a hard drive formatting, a computer virus, and malware, or you just accidentally delete your project documents and photos or videos, iTop Data Recovery is powerful enough to handle emergent data loss issues instantly and securely. iTop Data Recovery enables you to easily perform file recovery without limitations. More than 1000 file formats are supported. Meanwhile, this Windows data recovery software supports recovery on all types of storage media including hard drive, memory card, USB drive, and SSD, etc. [Hidden Content] [hide][Hidden Content]]

How to recover data from corrupted files on pendrive ▪️Steps: 1. First of all you need to download 'M3 data recovery software' in your PC. Link: [Hidden Content] 2. Now connect your pendrive to PC. 3. Run M3 data recovery software and click on data recovery module. 4. Choose your pendrive when scan is finished. 5. Select the files you want to recover. Boom! You are able to recover your data.

Bluffy is a utility which was used in experiments to bypass Anti-Virus products (statically) by formatting shellcode into realistic-looking data formats. So far, we implemented: UUID CLSID SVG CSS CSV [hide][Hidden Content]]

Data breaches can be far more than a temporary terror — they may change the course of your life. Businesses, governments, and individuals alike can experience huge complications from having sensitive information exposed. Whether you are offline or online, hackers can get to you through the internet, Bluetooth, text messages, or the online services that you use. Without proper attention to detail, a small vulnerability can cause a massive data breach. Since many people are unaware of how common modern security threats work, they don’t give it enough attention. In this article, we’ll explain data breaches and how they can impact you. As we dive in, you’ll get answers to some frequently asked questions: What are data breaches? What causes a data breach? How does a data breach affect me? What can I do to prevent data breaches? What is a Data Breach? To define data breach: a data breach exposes confidential, sensitive, or protected information to an unauthorized person. The files in a data breach are viewed and/or shared without permission. Anyone can be at risk of a data breach — from individuals to high-level enterprises and governments. More importantly, anyone can put others at risk if they are not protected. In general, data breaches happen due to weaknesses in: Technology User behavior As our computers and mobile devices get more connective features, there are more places for data to slip through. New technologies are being created faster than we can protect them. Devices in the IoT sector are proof that we are increasingly valuing convenience over security. Many “smart home” products have gaping flaws, like lack of encryption, and hackers are taking advantage. Since new digital products, services, and tools are being used with minimal security testing, we’ll continue to see this problem grow. However, even if the backend technology was set up perfectly, some users will likely still have poor digital habits. All it takes is one person to compromise a website or network. Without comprehensive security at both the user and enterprise levels, you are almost guaranteed to be at risk. Protecting yourself and others starts with understanding how a data breach occurs. How do Data Breaches happen? The assumption is that a data breach is caused by an outside hacker, but that's not always true. Reasons for how data breaches happen might sometimes be traced back to intentional attacks. However, it can just as easily result from a simple oversight by individuals or flaws in a company’s infrastructure. Here’s how a data breach can occur: An Accidental Insider. An example would be an employee using a co-worker's computer and reading files without having the proper authorization permissions. The access is unintentional, and no information is shared. However, because it was viewed by an unauthorized person, the data is considered breached. A Malicious Insider. This person purposely accesses and/or shares data with the intent of causing harm to an individual or company. The malicious insider may have legitimate authorization to use the data, but the intent is to use the information in nefarious ways. Lost or Stolen Devices. An unencrypted and unlocked laptop or external hard drive — anything that contains sensitive information — goes missing. Malicious Outside Criminals. These are hackers who use various attack vectors to gather information from a network or an individual. Malicious Methods used to Breach Data Since malicious data breaches result from cyberattacks, you should know what to watch for. Here are some popular methods used by hackers Phishing Brute Force Attacks Malware Phishing. These social engineering attacks are designed to fool you into causing a data breach. Phishing attackers pose as people or organizations you trust to easily deceive you. Criminals of this nature try to coax you into handing over access to sensitive data or provide the data itself. Brute force attacks. In a more brash approach, hackers might enlist software tools to guess your passwords. Brute force attacks work through all the possibilities for your password until they guess correctly. These attacks take some time but have become rapid as computer speeds continue to improve. Hackers even hijack other devices like yours via malware infections to speed up the process. If your password is weak, it might only take a few seconds to crack it. Malware. Your device’s operating system, software, hardware, or the network and servers you’re connected to can have security flaws. These gaps in protection are sought out by criminals as the perfect place to shove malware into. Spyware specifically is ideal for stealing private data while being completely undetected. You might not find this infection until it’s too late. What is targeted in Data Breaches? Although a data breach can be the result of an innocent mistake, real damage is possible if the person with unauthorized access steals and sells Personally Identifiable Information (PII) or corporate intellectual data for financial gain or to cause harm. Malicious criminals tend to follow a basic pattern: targeting an organization for a breach takes planning. They research their victims to learn where the vulnerabilities are, such as missing or failed updates and employee susceptibility to phishing campaigns. Hackers learn a target's weak points, then develop a campaign to get insiders to mistakenly download malware. Sometimes they go after the network directly. Once inside, malicious criminals have the freedom to search for the data they want — and lots of time to do it, as the average breach takes more than five months to detect. Common vulnerabilities targeted by malicious criminals include the following: Weak credentials. The vast majority of data breaches are caused by stolen or weak credentials. If malicious criminals have your username and password combination, they have an open door into your network. Because most people reuse passwords, cybercriminals can use brute force attacks to gain entrance to email, websites, bank accounts, and other sources of PII or financial information. Stolen credentials. Breaches caused byphishing are a major security issue and if cyber criminals get hold of this Personal information, they can use it to access things like your bank and online accounts. Compromised assets. Variousmalware attacks are used to negate regular authentication steps that would normally protect a computer. Payment Card Fraud. Card skimmers attach to gas pumps or ATMs and steal data whenever a card is swiped. Third-party access. Although you may do everything possible to keep your network and data secure, malicious criminals could use third-party vendors to make their way into your system. Mobile Devices. When employees are allowed to bring their own devices (BYOD) into the workplace, it's easy for unsecured devices to download malware-laden apps that give hackers to data stored on the device. That often includes work email and files as well as the owner's PII. The damage a Data Breach can do In many cases, data breaches cannot just be patched up with some password changes. The effects of a data leak can be a lasting issue for your reputation, finances, and more. For business organizations: a data breach can have a devastating effect on an organization's reputation and financial bottom line. Organizations such as Equifax, Target, and Yahoo, for example, have been the victims of a data breach. And today, many people associate/remember those companies for the data breach incident itself, rather than their actual business operations. For government organizations: compromised data can mean exposing highly confidential information to foreign parties. Military operations, political dealings, and details on essential national infrastructure can pose a major threat to a government and its citizens. For individuals: identity theft is a major threat to data breach victims. Data leaks can reveal everything from social security numbers to banking information. Once a criminal has these details, they can engage in all types of fraud under your name. Theft of your identity can ruin your credit, pin you with legal issues, and it is difficult to fight back against. While these are common cases, the harm done by data breaches can extend far beyond these situations. So, it is essential that you investigate whether your data has already been exposed. To find out if your personal or work accounts have been compromised use [Hidden Content] to check (this tool checks existing data breaches for your email address and reports what was leaked). You might want more comprehensive monitoring to know in real-time if your data has leaked. Products like Kaspersky Security Cloud offer data leak detection and help you navigate the situation. Of course, the best way to protect yourself is to avoid being a victim in the first place. No security plan is perfect, but there are ways you can defend yourself — whether you’re an individual or an enterprise. How to prevent being a Data Breach victim Data breach prevention needs to include everyone at all levels — from end-users to IT personnel, and all people in between. When you’re trying to plan how to prevent data breach attacks or leaks, security is only as strong as the weakest link. Every person that interacts with a system can be a potential vulnerability. Even small children with a tablet on your home network can be a risk. Here are a few best practices to avoid a data breach Patching and updating software as soon as options are available. High-grade encryption for sensitive data. Upgrading devices when the software is no longer supported by the manufacturer. Enforcing BYOD security policies, like requiring all devices to use a business-grade VPN service and antivirus protection. Enforcing strong credentials and multi-factor authentication to encourage better user cybersecurity practices. Encouraging users to start using a password manager can help. Educating employees on best security practices and ways to avoid socially engineered attacks.