Cyber Security

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Data Backup & Recovery Plans Can Protect Your Organization from the Consequences of Ransomware Attacks

Data Backup & Recovery Plans Can Protect Your Organization from the Consequences of Ransomware Attacks

Ransomware is one of the most prevalent forms of malicious cyber-attacks facing businesses today. “The advent of new tools that wrap victims’ data with tough encryption technology, hard-to-trace digital currency like Bitcoin, and even online sites that offer to do the data ransoming in return for a piece of the action, have made this method […]

Installing Patches Immediately Helps Protect Your Organization from Cyber Vulnerabilities

Installing Patches Immediately Helps Protect Your Organization from Cyber Vulnerabilities

Cyber criminals often exploit known or not yet known vulnerabilities of the Operating System and/or other critical systems, such as a web server or a database, in order to penetrate your network/systems. In the recent WannaCry attack, hackers exploited the Microsoft Windows Server Message Block protocol and encrypted data demanding ransomware. There was a patch […]

AAFCPAs Guidance in Response to Equifax Data Breach

AAFCPAs Guidance in Response to Equifax Data Breach

As you may be aware, Equifax, one of the United States’ three major consumer credit reporting agencies has been breached, and personal information of approximately 143 million Americans has been compromised. Information, including: names, social security numbers, birth dates, addresses and driver’s licenses, stored in Equifax’s databases have been stolen. Additionally, credit card numbers for […]

Hurricane Harvey Creates Opportunities for Cyber Criminals

Hurricane Harvey Creates Opportunities for Cyber Criminals

AAFCPAs would like to make clients aware of a recent alert issued by the US Department of Homeland Security warning citizens about the possible emergence of malicious cyber activity by those seeking to capitalize on interest from Hurricane Harvey. AAFCPAs reminds readers to follow some basic guidelines: Keep your antivirus, malware and other computer software […]

Cyber Security: Keep Your Online Accounts Safe

Cyber Security: Keep Your Online Accounts Safe

Cyber fraud continues to escalate and evolve, and security requires vigilance. We would like to remind you that your entire organization must learn and adapt over time. AAFCPAs Wealth Management, an affiliate of AAFCPAs, has provided a summary of some of the threats of significant concern in 2017 used to steal identity and login credentials. After gaining […]

Best Practices for Complying with HIPAA & Safeguarding Patient PHI Accessible to Your Business Associates

Best Practices for Complying with HIPAA & Safeguarding Patient PHI Accessible to Your Business Associates

Healthcare is predicted to be the most targeted industry for cyberattacks in 2017, according to the 2017 Data Breach Industry Forecast from Experian.   “Electronic health records remain likely to be a top target for hackers,” Experian found. To further heighten & complicate these risks, providers’ responsibilities for protecting personal health information (PHI) under the […]

Measures to Protect Against Malicious Ransomware

Measures to Protect Against Malicious Ransomware

In the wake of the recent, global WannaCrypt ransomware attack, which crippled thousands of computers in more than 200,000 organizations and 150 countries, AAFCPAs would like to remind clients of the critical importance of taking measures to protect against malicious cyber-attack. What is ransomware and WannaCrypt? Ransomware is a malicious software that locks a device, […]

Cybersecurity for 2017: Empower Your People

Cybersecurity for 2017: Empower Your People

Digital viruses and hackers are nothing new, but the severity and prominence of cyber attacks is growing.  Is the impact of breaches greater?  Or are there truly more breaches now than in the past? The answer is “yes” to both, as leaks and breaches were thrust into the spotlight during the recent election cycle.  Hackers […]

CEOs, CFOs Targeted by Cyber Whaling Schemes

CEOs, CFOs Targeted by Cyber Whaling Schemes

As a reminder, AAFCPAs warns of sophisticated cyber phishing attacks directed specifically at senior executives and other high level targets within businesses and organizations.  We have seen an uptick in the frequency of these types of attacks, called whaling schemes, where cyber criminals masquerade as a highly convincing business email which may appear to be sent […]