Newspaper headlines and Hollywood movies have influenced our understanding of computer hackers, but in the real world it’s not so simple. Some hackers are making tremendous contributions to the field of cyber security, it just depends on which hat they’re wearing that day.

By now, you must have heard of the WannaCry ransomware. It ranks as one of the most effective pieces of malware in the internet’s history, and it has everyone worried about what’s coming next. To guard yourself, the best place to start is with a better understanding of what made WannaCry different.

With as much as we write about sophisticated malware and security breaches, sometimes the most effective attacks are the ones that prey on human error. In the most recent case, all it took was an email with a perfect imitation of one of Google’s security screens.

So much of cybersecurity depends on adequate awareness from users. Phishing for example, preys on people’s fears and desires to convince them to click on hyperlink images and text before checking where they actually lead to. However, with the latest trend in phishing, even the most cautious users can get swept up.

Accusations of inappropriate government surveillance have been swirling after Wikileaks recently released thousands of pages supposedly detailing the CIA’s exploitation of compromised devices and applications. But in today’s climate, every headline needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

We’ve gotten so caught up discussing ransomware prevention with our clients that we’ve neglected to mention that several strains have already been defeated. In fact, there’s a decent chance you can actually decrypt all your data for free. Always make sure to check these lists before responding to a cyber attacker’s demands.

How many times have you read a shocking headline, only to find the attached article incredibly underwhelming? Over the last several weeks headlines decrying the threat of “fileless malware” have been everywhere, but the truth is a little less scary.

Shopping around for a managed IT services provider is tough. You’re looking for a business to manage extremely complex and delicate technology, so they can’t be expected to get into the nitty gritty details of DNS-layer security, intrusion prevention systems, and encryption in their marketing content.

Ransomware, Trojan horses, spyware and malware are things small businesses like yours don’t ever want to come across. While the term cyber security was once thrown around to scare businesses into purchasing security software, today’s sophisticated threats can leave immense impact, something that antivirus solution alone can’t handle.

As long as businesses host valuable data, cyber criminals will continue to bypass the security protocols meant to protect this data. The causes of security breaches range from device theft or loss, weak and stolen credentials, malware, and outdated systems that use ineffective security measures.