Your company may have the best IT services team in Australia to guard and ensure the security of your business network but they cannot account for everything, especially for security breaches due to human error, so it is best to keep updated with the goings on in the technology arena.
Here are some of the latest things that IT services groups in Australia have been keeping a close watch on.
Lenovo Bloatware Vulnerability
Lenovo has issued a warning to users that they have found vulnerabilities in a bundled software from desktops and laptops that may be potentially used to remotely control the computers. IT services teams in Australia and around the globe will surely be busy with sorting the bloatware for the next couple of weeks – the Lenovo Accelerator Application. Lenovo advised that a cyber attacker could potentially exploit the update mechanism vulnerability and then proceed with running an arbitrary code that grants them access to the user’s network and systems. The exploit is said to be of high risk so IT services groups in Australia that have clients using Lenovo laptops and desktops are currently working double time to ensure business systems security.
Your IT services team in Australia will have to to uninstall the aforementioned accelerator application to protect your system from potential hackers that may try to breach your system’s security through this vulnerability. It is also best not to connect Lenovo desktops, laptops, and notebooks onto your business network until your IT services group in Australia has finished uninstalling the application. You can still however continue using business-grade ThinkStation and ThinkPad computers without peril since the accelerator application is not installed on the machines.
Lenovo’s UpdateAgent is said to be lacking in security features and a hacker can easily spoof the update server and send malwares to users so it is best to have a dependable IT services team in Australia which can keep your systems safe and secure despite this vulnerability.
Beware of Phishing Attacks
Your IT services team in Australia may have already informed you that Gumtree, especially Australian users, was attacked last April and personal information have been stolen. The attackers gained access to sensitive details like addresses, phone numbers, email addresses, and other important information that users provide to use the ecommerce site. Gumtree stated that they were able to stop the attack within a few minutes of the discovery of the breach but they still issued a warning to users for fear that the stolen details might be used by hackers for phishing attacks, scam SMS and fake email messages. Gumtree reminds users that they will never send emails that contain links for password changes unless users click on forgotten password link themselves.
Gumtree had malware issues not too long ago. Malwarebytes, a security company, found malware being spread on the site’s display advertisements. Cyber attackers utilised a legitimate account of an Australian legal firm to spread the malicious program that can be used to install banking trojans or ransomware onto Gumtree users’ computers and lead to a host of other security problems. Your IT services team in Australia can prevent such malwares from being downloaded onto your computers and business networks and they would be able to see unusual activity in your systems with their 24 hour monitoring service.
LinkedIn was also recently attacked (in 2012) and a vast number of more than a million user data worldwide was recently posted online. Some users were forced to do password resets back in 2012 and they will most do the same with the affected accounts now. Whether or not LinkedIn sends you a notification that your account was among one of the more than 1 million accounts that were affected, it would be safer to change your password as soon as possible.
Your IT services team in Australia can set up company wide email filters so you and your employees would not fall prey to these kinds of phishing attacks. It would also be helpful if you could inform your Australian IT services group if you do have LinkedIn or Gumtree accounts, especially if they are being used for your business, so they can keep a closer watch on the security of your accounts and your business network.
