Lone Star Communications Cyber Security 2021

Cyber Security 2020 at Lone Star Communications was a challenging year. Cyber criminals did not exclude us in their daily attempts at trying to get us to compromise our data and in some cases, our customer’s data. We experienced a series of attempts that included, phishing emails, ransomware, fake text messages, and targeted attacks. In response to the Covid-19 pandemic, we had to adjust our cyber security processes, for remote offices, as well. Our commitment to addressing these concerns as a Team paid off for 2020. Our Quarterly Cyber Security Training Completions remain over 97%. Our Defendify Phish Testing score results were awesome. We experienced no Cyber Security incidents that caused a loss of personal or company information.

AWESOME WORK EVERYONE! Also, I would like to extend a huge thanks to our awesome IT Team, Dan Martinez, Craig Cordes, Hashem Tahajjod, Mumin Adeyemi, Jon Pennington, Brian Manibo, Jason Marshall and Kevin Henderson (he will never admit it, but he is a tremendous help).

Cyber Security 2021 will surely be another challenging year with evolving methods by cyber criminals. Now that working from home has become common place, homes have since been flipped into offices for the foreseeable future. More employees are using devices to access confidential data on home and corporate networks, which poses a considerable risk to our organization. Without secured access and robust security tools that protect the distributed attack surface, threat actors will easily hack into our networks and jump from one machine to another until they find a suitable target. Working from home is now a critical weapon in our fight against COVID-19. However, this also provides an opportunity for skilled cybercriminals. In 2021, we can expect cyber criminals to evolve their attack strategies and adapt to the “work-from-home economy,” pursuing remote workers even more so than in 2020. Unmanaged home machines will become targets, and in turn, these easily compromised machines at home will become the pivot point to home-bound corporate devices allowing advanced persistent attacks.

Our continued Quarterly Training and testing will remain one of our best methods to counter attacks and attempts. There are many business processes and practices that translate to our home offices and networks as well. For 2021, I plan to make myself available via MSTEAMS to answer any questions as to what additional processes can be added to your home network. Please feel free to schedule a discussion. No home or business network is identical. However, there are common security practices that should be in place. Here are some things to consider and possibly adjust for your home network. Again, please feel free meet or chat with me via MSTEAMS to discuss making your home network secure.

1. Change the name of your default home network

2. Make sure you set a strong and unique password to secure your wireless network

3. Increase your Wi-Fi security by activating network encryption

4. Turn off the wireless home network when you’re not at home

5. Use a strong network administrator password to increase Wi-Fi security

6. Change your default IP address on the Wireless router

7. Turn off the DHCP functionality on the router

8. Disable Remote Access

9. Always keep your router’s software up-to-date

10. A firewall can help secure your Wi-fi network

-Brian Banks, Internal Information Security Officer

Holiday Cyber Scams

Many plan to shop online despite the concern they may become victims of cyber-scams. During last year's Black Friday to Cyber Monday holiday weekend, more than 124 million consumers chose to make their purchases in-store. In 2020, as we continue to deal with COVID-19, many have shifted their direction by shopping more and buying what they need through their devices. Hackers know and follow these statistics as well. Gift-card scams, fake websites, fake discount codes and of course fake emails remain top methods being utilized by cyber criminals.

The following are Awesome tips provided by the FBI and not only for the Holidays but also for 2021.

1: Make sure that your phone and computers are up to date before going online. This can offer more protection against viruses and malware.

2: Don’t use public Wi-Fi networks. Attackers can steal personal data exchanged on such networks.

3: Think twice if something looks like a potential scam. Be aware of the indicators such as payment only through wire transfer or gift cards.

4: This is the time when tickets to events may be on the higher side. If you find vendors who sell the same tickets for a significantly lower rate, remember that this is the time a lot of counterfeit tickets are being sold.

5: If you find products at low rates on websites that you’ve not heard of, beware of scams that make you pay and don’t deliver anything.

6: Opt for payment via credit card than a debit card for more security.

7: If you’re shopping for digital gift cards, always prefer trusted merchants. Check for cards that have pins at the back uncovered then recovered.

8: Change your passwords across all accounts. Use unique and strong passwords that aren’t easy to guess.

9: Stay abreast of charity scams. Before donating anything, do some research to ensure that the donations are indeed going to legitimate non-profits.

10: Social engineering scams are quite popular during this time of the year. If you find a deal that is too good to be true, it probably is.

11: Beware of links and attachments that promise the final chance of buying the perfect gift.

12: Monitor bank and card statements for unauthorized transactions. In case there is something suspicious, report it right away.

-Brian Banks, Internal Information Security Officer

Social Media Cyber Security Tips

The methods we utilize to interact with the World Wide Web have experienced a tremendous change. Social media has opened a world of permanent “anywhere and anytime” access. Social media platforms like Facebook, TikTok, Twitter, Pinterest, Skype, etc., are used extensively for the purpose of communication. Social media holds the potential to drastically change the character of our social lives. Public space has also changed because of social media, as new ways that enable unlimited freedom of speech have emerged.

The internet and social media connect not only people but businesses worldwide, and interactions between them turn out to be less dependent on the physical location. Businesses are now aware of the endless possibilities that are present with the use of social media and the opportunity to reach a massive audience at any time. However, all parties must identify the challenges that come with being present online.

Social media security tips

Social media platforms are a great way to stay connected with friends and others. Consider the following social media security tips to safely enjoy social media.

Become familiar with the privacy settings: Privacy settings exist for a reason and it is important to keep privacy top of mind when it comes to social media. Privacy settings can help you increase the control you have over how your personal information is handled online.

Be cautious about sharing too much personal information: The more personal information you share, the easier it may be for a criminal or someone else to use that information to steal your identity.

Use a strong password: Our lives exist almost completely online with our personal information guarded by password protection. The longer your password phrase is, the more secure your social media accounts will be.

Use unique passwords for each social media account: Using the same password makes it easy for hackers to gain access to all your accounts. Therefore, it is absolutely crucial that you do not use the same password for Facebook as you do for, say, Twitter, or other social media platforms.

Regularly check your mailbox to see if there are suspicious login attempts: The suspicious login attempts appear when your social media accounts are accessed from an unverified new device. To help protect your account, the platform you are using will send you an email when the system notices unusual sign-in activity, so check your mailbox to see suspicious account activities, if any. Verify who you are connecting with: We advise you to be selective with friend requests and think twice before you accept the request. If you do not know the person, it is better not to accept their request as it could be a fake account. Simply put, when you accept a request, the information and photos on your account that were restricted from public view become viewable by your new friend. We believe that it is not a good idea if you let a total stranger see the information or images on your social media account.

Stay educated, stay secure

Now more than ever it is critical for nearly everybody to stay educated on cyber security and the digital future. It is becoming more apparent that social media is the best way to connect with people across the world.

-Brian Banks, Internal Information Security Officer