With malware and web attacks becoming more common than ever before, there has perhaps never been a more pertinent time to revisit and beef up your organization's cybersecurity strategy. As part of your cybersecurity solutions, you may also want to implement deep packet inspection (DPI) for added peace of mind and protection against data leaks, malware, and other potential security threats. What Is Deep Packet Inspection? Specifically, DPI refers to a method of examining and filtering traffic as it passes through a "checkpoint" on your server. Deep packet inspection is the most thorough filtering method currently in existence. In addition to looking at the source IP address, port number, destination IP address, and other basic information, DPI looks even further at individual packets and their data and metadata. As a result of this deeper inspection, DPI can often identify threats that could otherwise be overlooked as traffic passes through a

Google Alerts can be a convenient way to receive notifications on your phone any time new content is posted about something you're interested in. Unfortunately, within the past year, hackers have begun using fraudulent Google Alerts to deliver malware to unsuspecting web users. By understanding how these malware attacks are being carried out and avoiding falling victim, you can keep your important information safe. Google Alerts and Malware: What Happened? In 2020, fraudsters began using black search engine optimization (SEO) and Google Sites to create fake Google Alerts notifications. Specifically, these hackers create fake websites, usually for things like contests, giveaways, and other types of spoofed content from popular sources. From there, scammers use black-hat SEO strategies to help these sites capture the attention of Google's search algorithms. Google Alerts will pick up these sites as legitimate sources, not realizing the links lead to malware, and send out alerts to

You rely on your server to keep your data safe and secure. Unfortunately, many scenarios could render a traditional server compromised. From natural disasters to cybersecurity attacks, your sensitive data is never more than one disaster away from potential loss. The good news? There are proactive steps you can take to protect your data and ensure that it is not lost in the event of a disaster or other emergency. Specifically, more people are relying on a redundancy known as automatic failover. By learning more about what automatic failover is and how it can protect your data, you can begin using it for added security and peace of mind. What Is Automatic Failover and How Does It Work? Specifically, automatic failover refers to a practice that allows data handling to automatically be switched to another server or standby system in the event of a disaster or other emergency that could

These days, it seems as though new cyber threats are creeping up constantly. In fact, with so many emerging risks (especially in the wake of the Coronavirus pandemic), it can be difficult to keep up with the dangers lurking around every facet of the web. Recently, there has been an increase in side-channel attacks. If you've never heard of this type of cyber threat, it’s important to educate yourself, as they can pose a huge risk, even to otherwise well-protected entities. Below, we’re discussing everything you need to know: What Is a Side-Channel Attack? A side-channel attack is a highly advanced cyber threat that uses information leaked by cryptography. This could include, for example, monitoring the electromagnetic field (EMF) radiation emitted by a computer screen to view data or even spying on the power consumption of a device to obtain an encryption key. In some cases, these types of cyber-attack

In the wake of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic and stay-at-home orders across the globe, more people are turning to online gaming as a hobby than ever before. Popular online games like Playstation's LittleBigPlanet puzzle game, for example, have an estimated 13.4 million players worldwide. Unfortunately, it seems as though the more popular an online game is, the more prone it is to DDoS and other attacks. This has been the case with LittleBigPlanet, which suffered a major distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack earlier this year. Let’s take a closer look at this issue its consequences. What Happened During the LittleBigPlanet DDoS Attack? In March of 2021, Sony found itself with no choice but to take down its LittleBigPlanet servers following a large DDoS attack that was believed to be carried out by a disgruntled gamer. Even before this event, the game and its servers had fallen victim to a

Unfortunately, ransomware attacks are nothing new. For years, hackers have been using ransomware to essentially "hijack" important files. From there, the data is held for ransom digitally until the victim pays the fee requested. Often, these attacks have been used against major companies and even financial institutions – and instances of ransomware attacks have only increased since the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic hit. What a lot of people haven't realized, however, is that these events are not limited to major corporations and financial institutions. In fact, in recent months, there has been an increase in ransomware attacks against gamers. Whether you consider yourself a hardcore gamer or simply like to dabble in online gaming, you should be aware of these threats and how to protect yourself. Ransomware Gaming Attacks How do ransomware attacks work on gamers? In most cases, attackers are hacking into gamers' online accounts and holding their data hostage.

If you host a website, you’ve likely heard of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks, an increasingly common cyber-attack that targets servers and floods them with fake traffic. There are many different types of DDoS attacks, but one that many people are unaware of is known as a "ping of death" attack.  Below, we’re discussing everything you need to know about this digital threat and what you can do to protect your site. Let’s take a look! Understanding Ping of Death DDoS Attacks What are ping of death attacks, and why haven't more people heard of them? The reality is that DDoS attacks were much more common in the 1990s. As IP-based technology became more advanced, these attacks became more difficult for hackers to carry out and thus fell by the wayside. Unfortunately, though, there has been a recent uptick in these attacks (especially among iPhone and Apple users), making

With each passing day, it seems there is a new online threat to worry about. We don't mean to scare you, but if you aren't already aware of the growing trend of credential stuffing and its ability to gain access to accounts, you need to be. Unfortunately, credential stuffing instances are on the rise and don't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. So, what is credential stuffing, and how can it affect you? Likewise, what steps can you take to protect yourself from falling victim to this online threat? We have some practical advice to share with you. What Is Credential Stuffing? Credential stuffing is a form of brute force attack on a server. The purpose of this attack is to gain access to an account that the hacker would otherwise not be able to reach. Rather than using software to try and "crack" account passwords, though, credential stuffing

Looking to beef up security on your dedicated server? If so, setting up some form of multi-factor authentication is one of the easiest yet most effective steps you can take. Specifically, multi-factor authentication is a safeguard that requires users to provide at least two verification factors to gain access to an account. When it comes to setting up multi-factor authentication on your server, you have many different options. One common authentication choice is setting up a password; however, this method comes with some inherent security weaknesses. This is why many of today’s users are opting to use Secure Shell (SSH) keys for authentication instead. What Is an SSH Key? An SSH key is a more complex, secure, and effective authentication method than a traditional password. Specifically, an SSH key pair (including a public and private key) is generated by a computer and then stored on the server upon login. Meanwhile,

Identity theft and identity fraud have been significant concerns among consumers for many years, especially as the internet has made it easier than ever for criminals to purchase unsuspecting victims' financial credentials on the "black market." If you weren't already worried enough about protecting your identity, there's a new form of identity fraud online – and it's becoming an increasingly serious threat. Known as synthetic identity fraud, this threat can have devastating consequences for its victims. Below, we’re taking a closer look at synthetic identity fraud and how to protect yourself. What Is Synthetic Identity Fraud? Synthetic identity fraud occurs when a combination of real and fake personal information is used to open financial accounts. For example, someone committing synthetic identity fraud may use a victim's real Social Security Number (SSN) to open an account along with made-up credentials, such as fake names and contact information. Compared to "traditional" identity