Trendz³ Newsletter: Calls for Cyber Defense & Data-Backup Lessons

Hi Friend,

I don't know about you, but I'm feeling a lot better now that football is back. Oh, glorious football. The high-flying, fast-paced offenses; the crafty precision play of special teams; and, of course, all those bruising smash-mouth defenses whose job it is to — say it with me, now — push 'em back, push 'em back, waaaay back!

And it's DEE-FENSE, especially, that deserves a lot of our attention these days. Not just on the football field but in our workplaces. As you'll see in this month's newsletter, cybercriminals are aggressively on the offense these days...and we'd better be ready to match them with a stout defense.

After all, the best offense, in football and business, is a good defense.

Sincerely,

Rob Brothers
Founding Partner
TekTrendz

Trend¹ — Tech giants call for a defensive push as AI-powered cyberattacks loom

The truth is, cybercriminals were scoring in bunches — to continue our football analogy — well before AI arrived on the scene. But now that AI has entered the game, and with it a new era of supercharged productivity, everyone seems to be able to do the math: cybercriminals + AI = a dangerous new status quo.

To underscore this new reality in a big way, on August 27 more than 100 tech companies — all the big dogs, from (A)mazon to (Z)urich — signed a letter essentially pleading with society to strengthen its cyber defenses:

"In the coming months, AI-enabled cyber attacks will become far more widespread and sophisticated as models around the world become increasingly capable. The companies and public services our communities depend on—from hospitals to water treatment plants to the infrastructure that powers the internet—are at risk."

The letter, titled "A call for collective action on cyber defense," goes on to say that AI can also make us safer by giving us new ways to find and plug holes in our defenses. But, we need to follow three principles, the letter suggests:

• Recognize that status quo security won’t be enough

• Empower more defenders with cyber-capable AI

• Mobilize a collective response

To organizational leaders, the letter makes a specific plea: "Make cyber defense an immediate leadership priority...with the urgency and coordination of an incident that takes precedence over everything except critical business operations."

Yes, it is ironic, and it's okay to be miffed. The letter is tantamount to Dr. Frankenstein frantically running through his sleepy Bavarian neighborhood warning folks to lock their doors — all because something he created is now a threat.

But, cynicism aside, the tech giants are right: AI is poised to intensify cyberattacks; the status quo is changing. And, DEE-fense has never been more crucial.  

Trend² — Data scare! What we can learn from a PBS affiliate nearly losing 50 TB of archival footage?

Maybe you heard? A St. Louis-based PBS affiliate, Nine PBS, is breathing a heavy sigh of relief after narrowly dodging a data disaster. Long story short, the PBS station was using a cloud storage provider that abruptly shut its doors, leaving Nine PBS without access to over 50 TBs of data spanning 70 years of TV history.

While this story appears to be headed for a happy ending (last month a judge cleared the way for Nine PBS to recover its footage), I wish we could say data disasters were uncommon. But cyberattacks, natural disasters, and, of course, human error combine to make data loss all too frequent.

So, what can we learn from this data scare? What insights for your business?

• "In the cloud" is not the same as "backed up." While it's an important part of a larger back up plan, the cloud is not foolproof. As Nine PBS discovered, a cloud subscription is only as reliable as the providers and tech behind it.

• Implement the 3-2-1-1-0 resilience rule. This handy framework ensures you leave nothing to chance backing up your data. The 3-2-1-1-0 rule goes like this: keep 3 copies of your data; on 2 different media types; with 1 off-site location; 1 immutable copy (that can't be altered); and 0 verified errors.

• Don't wait on an emergency to test your data storage and recovery. Spot-check your critical applications on a regular basis, and run a full system restore of your data at least annually. Your IT partner can help.

The resource section below offers even more guidance.

And, as always, just reach out to us if you have questions about your data backup and recovery system. We're always here for questions.

Trend³ — Why back to school season requires business-like vigilance — in your home

Back to school has become prime time for cyber threats. It kind of makes sense...

Schools themselves, owing to their limited resources, numerous users, and confidential data, not to mention the pressure they feel to deliver, are a frequent target of cyberattacks. Just ask Fort Smith or Little Rock schools.

Back to school is the second biggest shopping season of the year. The annual frenzy of BTS shopping, spending, and shipping affords cybercriminals what Maverick and Goose would call a "target-rich environment."

Hackers and scammers are unconscionable; they intentionally seek out soft targets. Young students, busy families, and overwhelmed teachers and administrators fit the profile perfectly — especially in the fall.

And while this newsletter is designed to share business IT/cybersecurity insights, we never want to miss an opportunity to help you protect your home and family. So, here's a sample of BTS scams currently making the rounds. Watch out for...

• Fake grant/financial-aid texts that promise thousands in "no repayment required" education money

• Popular apps (like Peek, currently circulating NWA) that let anyone pose as a student, including scammers, to send your student "compliments"

• "Free laptop" and BTS discount texts that dangle free devices, deep savings

• Fake AI-subscription offers ("Get 3 months FREE of ClaudeAI Premium)

• Cloned or lookalike school-supply storefronts that offer laptops, uniforms, and supplies at too-good-to-be-true discounts

• Spoofed school-fee and payment-portal messages that impersonate the school itself with fake tuition reminders. Diabolical!

• Social media scams that exploit the trust of parents and students alike with fake giveaways and shiny but dubious offers

And while there are many other variations of BTS scams...you get the point. Sometimes these scams are sent via text, sometimes via email. Sometimes they look to steal information, other times they look to take your money and run.

Regardless, when kids go back to school, be extra wary of cyber threats.

Assessment: How does your organization stack up on data backup? Let's find out...

Data backup isn't just smart. It's a make-or-break matter for many organizations — and at a time when data loss assumes numerous forms: cyberattacks, natural disasters, and — always, always — human error like accidental deletions.

So how does your organization stack up on 3-2-1-1-0, regular testing, and other data backup and recovery best practices? Complete this brief assessment for a basic indication and to learn more about the 3-2-1-1-0 rule.  

Take the Data Backup Assessment

The Fort Smith public sector sustains another cyberattack, and details are still emerging

Public institutions like city governments and schools are in an unenviable position when it comes to cyberattacks and data breaches. Although cyber incidents impact organizations of all kinds every day in Arkansas, the public sector usually has no choice but to disclose when they've become the victims of one.

Case in point: The City of Fort Smith. Just a little over a year ago, you might recall, Fort Smith Public Schools announced that a "cyber incident" had knocked many of its systems offline. Now, it's Fort Smith's city government that's under attack.

From the official press release:

The City of Fort Smith (the “City”) recently identified a security event impacting its computer network and resulting in the disruption of certain computer systems and city services. 911 dispatch and emergency services response remain fully functional.

Details remain scant as Fort Smith officials work with federal authorities and cybersecurity specialists on the matter. Click below to read more.

Click Here to Read More

Articles We're Reading...

Here's four articles we've read recently with important implications for small business — and their technology, productivity, and/or cybersecurity.

• Time: FBI Probes Possible Dark Web Sale of Over 153 Million Driver’s License Scans
• TechCrunch: Anthropic says it will start watermarking text generated by its AI models
• Medical device maker Boston Scientific is being hit by a cyberattack — and shares are falling
• AI Is Boosting Productivity — but Data Shows Employee Workloads Are Getting Heavier

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Trendz³ is a free, monthly email newsletter from TekTrendz, created exclusively for small businesses of Northwest Arkansas. Once a month, the Trendz³ newsletter will provide you with a quick rundown of the three most pressing trends in technology, cybersecurity, and IT — that you really need to know. We'll also share helpful resources and news along the way.

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