Back in the 1950s, the term “hacker” simply described someone who enjoyed tinkering with computers and pushing their boundaries. However, with the rise of personal computers in the 1980s, the term became associated with individuals who exploited vulnerabilities in computer systems, often teenagers who enjoyed the thrill of breaking into government IT systems.

Small- or medium-sized business (SMB) owners may think they're unimportant enough to be targeted by hackers. But the truth is that SMBs are prime targets for hackers since they see these organizations — which have less security and fewer resources compared to enterprises — as easy marks.

You’ve probably heard it said that not all hackers are dangerous. That’s true, of course. For instance, white hat hackers hack into a system to uncover vulnerabilities and boost its protection against cyberthreats. However, we won't be talking about white hat hackers in this blog.

As annoying as spam email is, it’s usually pretty harmless. But hackers have been using a method called distributed spam distraction (DSD) where spam email is used to carry out illegal activities. Learn more about DSD and how you can safeguard your systems against it.

When it comes to cyberattacks, most business owners get hung up on the technical and logistical details, forgetting another important aspect: motive. Why are hackers attacking people and organizations? And whom are they targeting? By answering these questions, you’ll have a better understanding of which of your business’s resources need the most protection.

The Autofill feature fills a void in the web browsing habits of many. It eliminates the need to enter all your details when logging on your social media accounts or when checking out your basket after e-shopping. On Chrome and Safari browsers, however, danger lurks when you rely too much on autofill.

Although some may have hoped that the threat of ransomware was on the decline, the reality is that it’s quite the opposite. Until now, attacks seemed to be targeted directly at its victims, but Microsoft warns that may no longer be true. With their discovery of self-propagating ransomware it’s vital to fully understand the possible risk of infection.

Know thy enemy. When it comes to hackers, most business owners get hung up on the technical and mechanical details of a cyber attack forgetting another important aspect: motive. Why are they attacking people and organizations in the first place? And who are they targeting? By answering these questions you’ll have a better understanding of what resources need the most protection in your business.

While you can take many security precautions to protect your organization, a cyber attack is always possible because of human error. Microsoft, however, is trying to change this. In the coming weeks, the technology giant plans to launch a new security feature for Outlook, but only if you’re an Office 365 user.

Bring your own device (BYOD) strategy is when an employee uses their personal mobile device to work with your company from anywhere. This strategy can bring about many advantages to your business such as increased efficiency and convenience. However, this can also bring a number of security risks for your IT infrastructure and data.