You know what a data breach looks like in the movies...A character’s computer is suddenly overtaken by lines of green code. Windows and browsers pop up at lightning speed, as if the PC is possessed and has its finger on the fast-forward button.The main characters give each other horrified looks. "We’re being hacked!" a side character shouts, and then...

The difference between PGP and GPG is that PGP (Pretty Good Privacy) is a proprietary encryption software, while GPG (GNU Privacy Guard) is an open-source implementation of the OpenPGP standard. Both are used for encrypting and decrypting emails, files, and digital communications, but GPG provides greater flexibility, supports more encryption...

Every organization has legacy processes. Manual data entry, file cabinets full of paper records, sensitive documents sent across the organization by email, or even file transfers sent via homegrown scripts or FTP—all these processes can cause more headaches than their worth. Unfortunately, implementing a new strategy to replace a legacy one isn...

Last Updated: 05/02/2024The Need for Secure File Transfer Protocols“FTP (File Transfer Protocol) served its purpose for its day, but it was never designed to offer up the level of security today’s organizations require, whether for compliance or to help prevent the enormous fiscal and reputational costs a data breach can bring about,” said Chris...

Managed File Transfer: A New Cybersecurity Strategy for Sensitive FilesEarlier this month, independent news platform Patch reported that Neiman Marcus, a department store chain in the US, has finally agreed to a settlement for their 2014 data breach. They’ll need to "pay $1.5 million and adopt measures to prevent hacks," measures that include the...

Here’s a fun fact: When it comes to streamlining file transfer processes, secure FTP automation software is the supporting sidekick to any IT or cybersecurity professional.Like Robin supports Batman and Hawkeye supports Marvel’s Avengers, automatic file transfer software can support your pursuit for top notch cybersecurity, compliance, and encryption...

Every year, organizations hope that statistics for data breaches will improve, that things will be better than the year before. And every year, they are dismayed to discover that even though they’re pulling in new cybersecurity tactics to thwart cyber attacks, so are hackers pulling in new methods to discover their organizations’ weakest...

Banks and financial institutions, take note: though the year is almost over, no one is safe from a data breach. Industries across the board have seen 4.5 million records stolen so far in 2018—a staggering 133% increase over those compromised in 2017.As you create updated cybersecurity plans and data breach prevention strategies for the new year, it’s...

What’s the true cost of downtime for your organization? You may think of it in terms of lost revenue—according to studies released in the last couple years, the average cost of system-wide downtime is $100,000 an hour, and that’s on the low end (it can get up to $300,000 or more). But there are other factors involved in the price of downtime that can...

Every healthcare provider wants to avoid being the next data breach headline—and unfortunately, we have seen many incidents and their consequences in 2018 so far. The causes of these data breaches range from wrongly configured databases to successful malware attacks and unauthorized user access.For those looking to avoid the pain, embarrassment, and...

The first few weeks of January always seem to be accompanied by an influx of new cybersecurity trends, forecasts, and concerns. As expected, 2018 has followed this pattern—and with the need for secure patient information growing ever more critical and the arrival of GDPR in May, it’s no surprise that healthcare experts are deep in conversation about...

“AS/400 is built to be safe and reliable.”“No one makes viruses for the IBM i. There are no known cases of malware, either.”“IBM has amazing IBM i server security, so we don’t have to worry about vulnerabilities.”Do these statements sound familiar? Perhaps you’ve come across these claims in the industry, heard someone say something similar at an event...

While several industries, including business and education, make up a big portion of yearly data breach counts, banks and credit unions aren’t left risk free. According to the Identity Theft Resource Center (ITRC), the banking/credit/financial sector totals 5.8% of 2017’s data breaches as of June 30, 2017. That’s up two percent from 2016’s first...

As we continue to put our data online, through social media channels, cloud storage, and email attachments, we open ourselves up to the possibility of data breaches and other attacks. The answer to this problem isn’t to stop using the internet, of course. But organizations today need to pay serious attention to their cybersecurity gaps, put guidelines...

EFSS (Enterprise File Sync and Share) and MFT (Managed File Transfer) are two terms that are frequently thrown around in the IT industry. Each solution is used to transfer files to multiple locations and devices, and they can both be deployed on-premises or in a cloud environment.These similarities inspire frequent questions. What are these solutions,...

Since moving to Electronic Health Records and modern EHR technology, the healthcare industry has taken great strides to enhance patient care, internal workflows, and business-to-business communication. These improvements bring organizations closer and closer to full integration with others in the industry; a goal that will, once fully achieved,...

It’s been nearly a week since Equifax went public with knowledge of a massive data breach—perhaps one of the biggest to date. There’s no word yet on who is or isn’t affected, but it’s very likely that 143 million Americans (45% of the U.S. population and 80% of those who have a credit report) are now at risk of identity theft.What data was...

“Your password will expire in X days.” That pop-up or email is all-too-familiar for employees at organizations requiring login credentials with the common “90- or 45-day rule” for changing or updating passwords. It’s a security best practice designed to help keep your accounts—and your organization—secure from hackers and nosy coworkers. But does it...

Third party vendors are incredibly useful. They allow businesses to automate certain processes they can’t do themselves, like implement payroll services to compensate employees, and bridge gaps in their technology. But while the money, time, and brainpower freed up by outsourcing tasks is a huge positive, third party vendors have their downsides....

Every organization dreams of how they’d like to implement cybersecurity successfully. In dreams, the execution is perfect: requirements would be met or exceeded, employees would be fully educated on security risks, and data would never be threatened by renegade phishing scams or careless user errors. But in reality, faced with time and resource...