Common Cyber Threats for Businesses

by Lamaris Davis | Jan 11, 2022 | Security Awareness

Watch out for the common cyber threats below

Common Cyber Threats for businesses

1 RANSOMWARE

Malicious software that locks yor data and a ransom is demanded in the form of cryptocurrency to unlock the files.

2 Phishing Attack

Malicious emails that contain links and attachments infected with malware, ransomware, or trojans.

3 Data Breach

Cyber crime where business data or information is leaked to the dark web or soldto hackers. Healthcare and medical facilities beware!

4 Denial of Service Attacks

Your network and servers are overloaded by fraudulent network traffic to bring your website or business offline and you’re unable to service client.

5 Insider Threats

Risks faced internally with employees abusing access to the data and information on your company network.

6 DNS Hijacking

Domain name server hijacking redirects your trusted clients to a malicious website or their own server.

Not an all inclusive list of common threats for businesses.

My Opinion: Memory Forensics and DFIR

by Lamaris Davis | May 30, 2020 | Uncategorized

There is no way for adversaries to hide!

My personal take on memory forensics and DFIR.

After studying digital forensics and incident response over the last year, I have to say that I’m very amazed at the processes that make up DFIR. Adversaries may think that they can get away clean but with memory forensics it’s almost impossible for attackers to escape out of the system without leaving a trace. There will be artifacts left behind for the DFIR investigator to discover and a timeline of events in order to piece together what happened during a data breach of the network.

As experts in the field of digital forensics and incident response, we have to know what’s normal to find evil within the system. We must dedicate a good amount of time to studying and labbing in order to properly prepare for data breaches and resolve them because they will happen eventually unfortunately. SANS offers by far the best DFIR training across the board but they are the most expensive company to use for this training. We can definitely prepare for tomorrow but doing the work that’s needed today.

Incident Response: What is it and why it’s needed?

by Lamaris Davis | Apr 29, 2020 | Uncategorized

Incident Response

What is incident response?

Incident response is the methodology an organization uses to respond to and manage a cyberattack. An attack or data breach can cause business disrupting damage. An incident response aims to reduce this damage and recover as quickly as possible. Digital forensics Investigation is also a key component in order to learn from the attack and better prepare for the future. Digital can assist with moving the incident response process along faster.

Why is a incident response plan needed?

A incident response plan is a critical part of a successful security program. A successful incident response can help mitigate damage caused by data breaches or malware attacks. According to an article written on the forcepoint website, “As the cyberattacks increase in scale and frequency, incident response plans become more vital to a company’s cyber defenses. Poor incident response can alienate customers and trigger greater government regulation”.

The NIST Incident Response Process contains four steps:

Preparation
Detection and Analysis
Containment, Eradication, and Recovery
Post-Incident Activity

Classic PayPal phishing email

by Lamaris Davis | Apr 22, 2020 | Uncategorized

Tips for spotting classic paypal fishing emails.

1) Check the sender email (Is it legit?)

2) “Your paypal account has limited access” this message creates a sense of urgency and forces you to move faster than you normally would.

3) Link or buttons are usually present in the email. This is an attempt at capturing your login credentials.

To get a IT degree or not

by Lamaris Davis | Apr 15, 2020 | Uncategorized

So should you get a IT degree to pursue a career in information or cyber security?

This question comes up often and I will tell give you my personal opinion here. As someone who has an advanced degree I am qualified to answer this question. From what I have seen working in the Information security field, Some employers like to see degrees and some employers do not put that much weight behind having a college degree.

I would say that government agencies put a lot more weight behind having a degree when compared to private sectors organizations. Government agencies uses your education level to determine which jobs you are qualified to apply for.

I am all for getting education but do not break the bank to get it. I would say that it’s a great idea to get a IT degree either in Information technology or computer science. A degree in computer science come lead to multiple career paths in the Information or cyber security field.

If you decide to pursue a IT degree, I would start with a 2 year degree from a local community college first in order to save money. If you desire a 4 yr degree I would say look in state for a program and pursue it. There is no need to pursue a IT degree at a for profit college and rack a ton of student loan debt.

There is my opinion on the topic of whether or not to pursue a IT degree to pursue a career in the information or cyber security field.