Information technology blog, cybersecurity blog

Simply having or transmitting data is a risk. It’s often a necessary risk—companies have to store and share data constantly in order to do business—but it’s important to remember that if something is deleted or isn’t shared, it’s much less likely to fall into the wrong hands. This is something we talk about with our cybersecurity clients throughout Connecticut on a regular basis. Part of our process is to take stock of who they are sharing data with and why. If there’s not a reason to be sharing a particular type of data with a particular party, then not sharing it cuts down on risk of it being breached at some point. If data isn’t in use anymore, deleting it eliminates something a hacker could get a hold of.

Connecticut-based Starling Physicians, which operates 32 locations in the greater Hartford area, announced a data breach this month linked to a cyber attack dating back to February. When we first learned of this breach, we were discussing it around the office and quickly learned that three Kelser employees are parents of kids who are patients at a Starling practice. NBC Connecticut stopped by our office both to hear from these parents and for insights on cybersecurity from me.

In case you haven’t heard, October is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month! Perhaps you’ve already checked out some tips and best practices to help keep you more secure. If you haven’t, not to worry as we have you covered with a roundup of tips and resources from our experts. If you have, you might find additional valuable cybersecurity awareness info below!

I recently had the chance to help Reader’s Digest update an article titled “11 Things IT Professionals Don’t Want You To Know”. It’s no secret that IT is a little misunderstood. Part of our mission at Kelser is to connect IT strategy to the overall business strategy of our clients. When integrated into the company as a whole, IT can be a major business enabler, helping achieve goals across the business. It starts with viewing IT as more than fixing things when they break.

It’s been a difficult summer for Connecticut public schools when it comes to cybersecurity. In addition to the three Connecticut school districts hit by cyber attacks in late July, it recently came to light that the Wolcott public school district suffered a devastating ransomware attack months ago from which it has not fully recovered. No data was stolen, but a great deal of data was locked and held for ransom, much of which was not backed up. As a result, teachers are starting the new school year without key materials.

Cybersecurity risks have been on the rise in recent years, and products and services have been constantly evolving to keep up with these threats: 83 percent of organizations say that they experienced phishing attacks in 2018, up from 76 percent in 2017. Social engineering attacks use psychology to trick people into revealing sensitive information such as passwords and credit card numbers by impersonating a trusted authority. Cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin are a new (and lucrative) attack target.

Earlier this year, a simple thought occurred to me. Hackers are the new mafia. Cybercrime is the newest part of the organized crime business model. How could looking at things this way change the cybersecurity landscape?

In late July, three Connecticut school districts experienced or became aware of data breaches or cyberattacks. The school districts of New Haven, Wallingford, and Pomfret were affected. NBC Connecticut interviewed Kelser’s George W. Kudelchuk III for a story that covers each of the three school districts.