Technology Tips: October 2024 Edition

#Tips

Skyward IT Services

by Skyward IT Services

Skyward IT Services Network Infrastructure and Security Specialists

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October brings many things: crisp air, Halloween fun, and Cybersecurity Awareness Month! This edition of Tech Tips is filled to the brim with harrowing hacker facts that just might make your skin crawl!

Note: Keeping your district secure from cyberthreats is everyone’s responsibility. That’s why Skyward and KnowBe4 are partnering to give you a free cybersecurity toolkit! It’s filled with newsletters, posters, tip sheets, and free limited-time access to KnowBe4’s high-performing cybersecurity campaign, “The Inside Man.” Check it out!

Identity theft

In 2023, there were over 1 million identity theft reports. According to Forbes Advisor, they ranked as follows:

1. Credit card fraud (416,636 reports)
2. Other identity theft (260,820 reports)
3. Loan or lease fraud (149,804 reports)
4. Bank account fraud (136,852 reports)
5. Government documents or benefits fraud (97,038 reports)

To keep yourself safe, consider freezing your credit until you need to apply for a loan or credit card. If your credit is frozen, it will prevent hackers from potentially opening a loan in your name. Place a fraud alert on your credit report and consider using a VPN when using public networks.

Creepy cars

Trick or treat: cars are one of the worst products when it comes to data privacy.

Unfortunately, no treats here–especially if you have a Tesla, Nissan, or Hyundai. These three makes rank the worst when it comes to information collection. (But, according to this study all car makes rank poorly, so don’t base your purchasing decisions solely on the factor of privacy.) There are a few standout red flags here: untrustworthy AI, the sharing of genetic and very private information, as well as privacy policies that will share your data with government or law enforcement when requested.

Here are a few ways to protect yourself:

Decline location sharing on your phone.
Do not allow your vehicle to share information with third parties (opt out!).
Do not give access to tailored advertisements.

To learn more about the privacy policy and information about your specific car, take a look at this page.

Spooky stats

In 2024, 75% of cyberattacks started with an email.
After a cyberattack, nearly 60% of small businesses go out of business.
A hacker attacks every 39 seconds. (This is very spooky.)
Over 100,000 people have their identity stolen in the U.S. every year.
Cybercrime is more profitable than the global illegal drug trade. Illegal drugs bring in $400 billion annually, while cybercriminals bring in $600 billion.
30% of executives said their budgets don’t allow for cybersecurity protection.

For fun: hacker trivia

Answers at the bottom

1. As of June 2024, there are ____+ cybersecurity workers in the US.

2. Hackers steal ____ records every second.

3. The 2024 US cybersecurity budget was ____ billion dollars.

4. This company is imitated in 57% of phishing scams: ____

Malware of the month

The Internet Archive was breached twice this month. Hackers broke in through Internet Archive’s Zendesk email support platform and gained access to The Wayback Machine database, which has data from 31 million users. After the first incident, IA was informed to rotate exposed API keys. However, they neglected to do so, which may have allowed the second breach.