31478 Industrial Road Suite 200, Livonia, Michigan 48150 sales@xfer.com

XFER Blog

XFER Blog

XFER has been serving the Livonia area since 1994, providing IT Support such as technical helpdesk support, computer support, and consulting to small and medium-sized businesses.

The Most Devastating Hacks of 2018… So Far

The Most Devastating Hacks of 2018… So Far

Network security is a crucial consideration for every contemporary business owner, as there are just too many threats that originate from an Internet connection to be overlooked. One only has to look at what businesses of all sizes have dealt with, even within this calendar year, to gain an appreciation for how crucial it is that every business owner consider their cybersecurity.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Is Email Actually More Trouble than It’s Worth?

Is Email Actually More Trouble than It’s Worth?

If there is any solution that is a constant across businesses, it would have to be the use of email. This also means that the risk of threats coming in through an email solution is also present in businesses of every shape and size. How is this shaping our approach to security now, and how will this shift in the future?

0 Comments
Continue reading

Hackers Target Major Sporting Events

Hackers Target Major Sporting Events

There are literally billions of sports fans in the world, and the popularity of these events brings in big money; and big money typically attracts hackers. Using all types of methods, there has been a history of hacking in almost every sport. Today, we take a look at some of the most famous hacks that have shaken up the sports world.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Hackers Plus Artificial Intelligence Equals Big Trouble

Hackers Plus Artificial Intelligence Equals Big Trouble

Thanks to the advent of artificial intelligence, cybersecurity professionals have to reconsider how they approach these threats. Machine learning is one option, as it can help today’s modern solutions learn how to be more effective against advanced threats. On the other hand, what’s stopping the other side from also taking advantage of artificial intelligence? The answer: nothing, nothing at all.

0 Comments
Continue reading

IRS to CPAs - Hackers are Targeting You

IRS to CPAs - Hackers are Targeting You

The IRS has issued a warning to tax professionals to step up their cyber security to prevent sensitive taxpayer information from being stolen. CPA firms, large and small, are being targeted by hackers and identity thieves, especially during the high traffic tax season.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Be Wary of Identity Theft this Holiday Season

Be Wary of Identity Theft this Holiday Season

The holiday season is a prime opportunity for hackers to steal considerable amounts of money and credentials from unwary shoppers, both online and in-store. When a lot of customers spend so much money, it’s inevitable that some of these credentials will be stolen by hackers seeking to snatch a credit card number or personal data. How can you protect yourself from a threat that’s not necessarily handled directly by you?

0 Comments
Continue reading

Swipe With Care: Your ATM Might Be Controlled By A Hacker

Swipe With Care: Your ATM Might Be Controlled By A Hacker

One of the most enticing credentials that hackers desire is your credit card number, along with its expiration date and the code on the back. Hackers are also willing to go great lengths to achieve their goal of stealing these credentials, even so far as to make physical changes to automatic teller machines (ATMs) to do so. In fact, hackers will often install skimming devices on ATMs that are so subtle that they can be difficult to detect.

0 Comments
Continue reading

TheDarkOverlord Solutions Is at It Again! This Time the Hacker Group Is Targeting Schools

TheDarkOverlord Solutions Is at It Again! This Time the Hacker Group Is Targeting Schools

While many youngsters enjoy it when their school shuts down, this was likely not the case in Flathead Valley, Montana, where the cybercriminal group ‘TheDarkOverlord Solutions’ targeted the entire Columbia Falls school district. This attack caused the three-day closure and otherwise disrupted over 30 schools, and the personal information of teachers, students, and school administrators was supposedly to be released if the group didn’t receive a ransom payment.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Artificial Intelligence Can Be Useful To Hackers, Too

Artificial Intelligence Can Be Useful To Hackers, Too

Man matching wits with computer isn’t new territory. In 1830, a locomotive raced a horse to see which was superior in terms of speed and distance. 1956 saw the first time a human played chess against a computer. Today, the time has come when an artificial intelligence has begun to break into a new territory that was dominated by humans for thousands of years: crime.

0 Comments
Continue reading

5 Security Threats that Spell Doom for Any Organization

5 Security Threats that Spell Doom for Any Organization

Fact: your business will always be susceptible to various security threats in at least some capacity. It’s up to you to counter these threats before falling victim to them. To help you with this, we’ll go over the top five threats that you need to be prepared for.

0 Comments
Continue reading

What’s Your Personal Information Worth on the Black Market? It’s All About Supply and Demand

What’s Your Personal Information Worth on the Black Market? It’s All About Supply and Demand

If your company’s sensitive data was to be put up for sale, how much do you think it would go for? Chances are, you may be guessing a little high, which makes things worse for businesses in such a situation. Assuming that your data will be sold for a premium price will likely lead you to believe that fewer criminals will access it than actually will.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Tip of the Week: 9 Hacker Profiles You Need to Be Aware Of

Tip of the Week: 9 Hacker Profiles You Need to Be Aware Of

“Hacker” is a word that can bring up many powerful impressions in people. It may very well bring up images of a pale super genius hunched over a keyboard, awash in dim blue light, as it does for many people. However, this extremely specific image does little but pigeonhole the many hackers in the real world into this dramatized caricature.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Study Confirms that Over 75% of Organizations are Vulnerable to Hackers

Study Confirms that Over 75% of Organizations are Vulnerable to Hackers

How does your business handle threats to its data security? You might think you’re safe, but according to the Ponemon Institute, nearly four out of every five organizations aren’t prepared to fend off threats to their security. This is a major problem, so it should make you question whether you’re prepared to handle the various security risks that could potentially plague your business.

0 Comments
Continue reading

How a Single Data Breach Can Cost You Millions of Dollars

How a Single Data Breach Can Cost You Millions of Dollars

With all of the major data breaches making the news these days, it’s not very surprising when you hear about a new one. However, what is surprising is just how much the average cost per breach has skyrocketed in recent years. The cost of data breaches is up 29 percent since 2013, which equates to roughly $4 million per data breach.

1 Comment
Continue reading

Threat Spotlight: How to Stop Brute Force Attacks

Threat Spotlight: How to Stop Brute Force Attacks

Hackers of all shapes and sizes use brute force attacks to gain access into accounts and infrastructures, but do you know how they work and what your business can do to protect against them? Failing to understand brute force attacks could put sensitive information in the crosshairs of hackers, and leave it vulnerable to ongoing attacks.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Prevent Being Taken By Familiarizing Yourself With These 4 Social Engineering Tips

b2ap3_thumbnail_the_risks_of_doing_business_400.jpg
Did you know that some of the most successful hackers actually know very little about computer coding? In many cases, a hacker simply tricking someone into handing over their personal information works out even better for them. This is a tactic known as social engineering, and the only way to defend against it is to stay one step ahead of the hacker’s devious plans.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Drugs, Assassins For Hire, Weapon Sales, and More: All Conveniently Found On the Web

b2ap3_thumbnail_cybercrime_black_market_400.jpg
The Internet is a fascinating and wonderful place full of great, informative resources and websites, but it’s also home to online markets for illegal and unethical practices. These hotbeds of criminal activity are a danger not only to your business, but to everyone who uses the Internet.

0 Comments
Continue reading

736 Million Records Were Exposed to Data Theft in 2015

b2ap3_thumbnail_stolen_data_problems_400.jpg
2015 saw a significant increase in high-profile hacking attacks in organizations of all disciplines: healthcare, government, and even large entertainment companies all fell victim to data breaches. In light of these attacks, valuable lessons can be learned through analyzing the types of records that were stolen. In 2015, over half of all records exposed to hackers were passwords and email addresses.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Man-In-the-Middle Attacks Find App Users Off Guard

b2ap3_thumbnail_man_in_the_middle_sphero_400.jpg
The Internet of Things is practically omnipresent in today’s environment, and many commercial products not only connect to the Internet, but they also come with an app. Due to this type of integration growing more popular, the world is starting to see Internet-connected products that really don’t have much to gain from their connectivity.

0 Comments
Continue reading

Baseball Executive Pleads Guilty to Hacking Rival

b2ap3_thumbnail_baseball_hacker_400.jpg
IT can be like baseball. When a team is up to bat in a game of baseball, the team at bat is allowed to keep two coaches on the field. They are called the first base coach and the third base coach. While both coaches’ responsibilities mostly have to do with baserunning, the third base coach also takes on the responsibility of relaying “signs” from the manager in the dugout to the batter at the plate.

0 Comments
Continue reading