Category: CyberWarrior Academy

Online Learning

6 Tips to Make Online Learning More Effective

Posted on | by CyberWarrior

We have said it in the past: online studying has far more benefits than you can think of. Not only does it allows you to enroll in classes from the comfort of your home or office, in any university or academy around the world, but it gives you the flexibility needed to keep your full-time job and balance your personal commitments.  

Yet, you do need to be prepared for the responsibility you are taking. Remember, just because it is online, it does not mean that it is going to be less demanding. You will have to attend class, and you will have to deliver your assignment on time. You will have to spend hours studying and practicing. You have to work to earn your degree or certification.  

At CyberWarrior, we have had a year full of online Bootcamps, and we have seen our students approach online learning in so many different ways that we decided to come up with a list of tips that will help you get the most value out of this experience. 

1- Create an Exclusive Space for Studying 

Just because you are taking this program from home, it does not mean that you can just lay on the couch while listening to the instructor. Having an exclusive space to study will help your brain understand what you should do: pay attention to classes.  

Make sure you have a desk with all the things you need (laptop, good Wi-Fi connection, notebook, and pen, etc.), a comfortable chair that rests your back, natural light, and most importantly, ask your roommates or family to respect it as a “quiet zone.”  

2- Schedule Online Learning Time and Breaks 

One of the best and worst things about an online class is that you have the freedom to do things at the time that best fits you. It will be no problem for those who master time management skills, but things can get messy for those who lack them.  

We suggest that you block time on your weekly calendar to attend classes, study and practice, complete your assignments, and, just as important, take a break. Try to stick to certain hours per week; making it a routine will help.  

Set reminders in your phone and calendar so that you don’t forget that you have something coming up that needs to be done.  

3- Actively Participate in Classes and Discussions 

Don’t let the fear of public speaking keep you from participating in classes. Make sure you ask all the questions you might have while the instructor is online, check with your classmates when doing an assignment, share a comment in the online forum, or post an interesting link. Not only will this help you retain more information, but consider it as the first step towards creating connections that will help you in your professional life.  

4- Set Achievable Goals for Online Learning

When taking online classes, you need to be responsible for completing your assignments on time. You won’t have anyone reminding you to do them. Our word of advice is to set some weekly goals of what you want to accomplish and set some long-term goals. For example, if you should earn a specific certification during this program, make sure you set a deadline for when you want to take the test and pass it.  

This will help you be more organized, understand what you are supposed to be working on, and avoid leaving all the work at the last minute.  

5- Maintain Healthy Habits 

We know you are working full time and studying, but that does not mean that you will forget about your family and friends, about your body and your health. You need to make sure that you spend time every day exercising, putting your mind to rest, and enjoying time away from your desk.  

Consider these moments as energy boosters. Just be mindful about the time you dedicate to work, studying, and relaxing.  

6- Work on Your Network 

At CyberWarrior Academy, we are true believers in the power of good networking. The people who study and work with you are the ones who truly understand what you are capable of doing, and they are the ones who will hire or recommend you for a job. They are the ones who will open the doors for you.  

So don’t let online classes keep you from getting to know the other students, even the instructors. Connect with them in private chats, help them when they need it, approach them when you have questions.  

Online learning is here to stay. You have to find what tips and tricks work best for you and choose a program that fits your needs.  

5 Reasons Why You Should Learn Cybersecurity In Your 40s

5 Reasons Why You Should Learn Cybersecurity In Your 40s

Posted on | by CyberWarrior

More often than not, in our CyberSecurity Bootcamp admissions process, we get candidates unsure of making the step towards cybersecurity because of their age. While they understand all the reasons why this is such an attractive and rewarding field, they keep asking us, “will I get hired once I get trained and certified?”

During our conversations with them, we usually explain all the reasons why they should take this step. Not only will they see major upgrades in their lifestyle as they will start earning better salaries, but there is a higher level of satisfaction than in any other field just by knowing that with your work, you are protecting your organization, its clients, and stakeholders from falling victim to a cyber-attack.  

During the past few months, we have seen how more and more people are struggling with this age barrier, so we want to share with all of you out there the top 5 reasons why you should definitely take the step into cybersecurity. Just remember, you need to get the right training, lots of hands-on experience, and industry certifications so you can start working as a cybersecurity professional. 

5 Reason Why Cybersecurity Is For People In Their 40’s 

1- You Will Get a Job  

As we just said, the most common barrier for making a career switch to cybersecurity is to doubt if they will get hired or not. The truth is that this is a field with a growing talent gap, in fact, the open job count after the first year of the pandemic now stands at $4.1 million worldwide, while in the USA is right over 500,000, and to make things even more interesting the unemployment rate for this field is 0%, meaning there are more available job positions than candidates to fill them.  

In other words, if you commit to getting trained and certified for cybersecurity, you will get a job. Remember that you will need to adapt to this new field where your co-workers and even bosses will be younger than you. Just make sure that every time you meet a recruiter, you demonstrate your commitment, the soft skills you have learned during your past experiences, and the certifications you have earned.  

2- You Have Soft Skills That Many Young Professionals Have Not Developed Yet 

Your experience probably helped you develop different skills that are highly valued in cybersecurity professionals. Attention to detail, problem-solving skills, and the ability to communicate (both verbal and in writing) are part of the skills recruiters are looking for. But if you add your experience in customer service, legal, management, marketing, or whatever field you were in before, you have more to add to the team than someone just starting their professional life.  

It is very important that when you get to an interview and you start negotiating your salary, you keep your expectations down to earth. Recruiters understand that your experience is worth the investment, but they also know this is an entry-level role. So, you need to decide if you can accept an entry-level salary for a certain period or not. Just remember that for cybersecurity, that means something around $70,000 per year, and as you start gaining experience, knowledge, and certifications, it will keep growing.   

3- You Can learn the Technical Pieces Of Cybersecurity in Just 6 Months 

The learning curve for cybersecurity is not that long. In fact, in just six months, you can earn all the knowledge, hands-on experience, and certifications required to work as a cybersecurity analyst. Even recruiters and hiring managers realize that great candidates can be either those who have a degree in cybersecurity or related fields, as well as those who come from bootcamps and shorter education programs.  

What other career allows you to do a switch in months?  

4- This Is a Field That Does Not Require Advanced Degrees 

As we mentioned before, you do not need to invest years and money in degrees to earn the knowledge and experience needed to land your first job. What you do need to demonstrate is that you are a passionate student who will keep learning and earning certifications regularly. This is a field that is in constant evolution, and you need to be able to keep up with the pace.  

5- Employers Want To Hire Committed People  

Millennials and the pandemic have changed the way people see life. For younger generations, what really matters is having time to spend on themselves and their loved ones, while older generations highly value their work and are very committed to their organizations and responsibilities. We are not saying that one is better than the other, but passion and dedication are highly appreciated when it comes to recruiting someone for cybersecurity.  

Getting into cybersecurity will require you to dedicate an enormous amount of time to studying and practicing. Still, when you see the results of your investments, you will be more than happy that you decided to go down this path.  

Professionals in this area have a high level of satisfaction with what they are doing. They have seen an improvement in the quality of their lives and what they have to offer to their families while earning very competitive salaries. So, the only question left to ask is: Are you ready to become a cybersecurity professional?

sdgs

SDG: Businesses For a Better Future

Posted on | by CyberWarrior

Our planet deserves a better future, and the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) or “Global Goals” are carefully designed to give all people opportunities to start building that future today.

With hundreds of indicators geared towards 2030, the international community established this new roadmap at the end of September 2015. The United Nations member countries designed these goals to cover social, environmental, and economic aspects with a business mindset.

These goals provide a path for any business to direct its efforts toward specific global objectives.

Businesses’ Role

Companies can contribute to the SDGs from three different perspectives, with different returns.

First, there is the development of philanthropic actions not related to the company’s activities. It seeks to improve the social and environmental conditions of the company’s environments, and it primarily has a reputational benefit.

On the other hand, it is possible to implement initiatives related to the organization’s operations to reduce and eliminate negative impacts and enhance positive ones for stakeholders. In this case, the returns for the company are diverse as they include operational efficiency, cost reduction, customer loyalty, among others.

The third approach is to develop innovative products and services within the company’s activity sector. This contributes to the goals established for the SDGs while generating new business opportunities.

The second and third approaches were proposed around operational impacts and are the subjects of the SDG Compass protocol. What does that mean exactly?

SDG Compass: A Guide for Businesses

To help companies contribute to the SDGs, the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI), The United Nations Global Compact (Global Compact), and the World Business Council for Sustainable Development (WBCSD)  created the SDG Compass. It is an action protocol structured in five stages that seek to facilitate companies’ understanding of how they can contribute to the SDGs, encourage their public commitments, and communicate their progress.

Source: SDG Compass (2015)

The SDG Compass starts from a first stage that suggests promoting knowledge about the SDGs and the benefits that the company gets by supporting these goals.

Once the possibility of contributing to the SDGs is on the table, the next step is to design an strategy. To this end, the second stage begins with identifying the impacts that the company could generate with these iniciatives.

The third stage focuses on the action by establishing objectives, work programs, and activities that allow the company to put the goals into practice within the established time frame.

The fourth stage is how to implement the action plan. It suggests assigning responsibilities throughout the company so that all employees participate. Likewise, it recommends associating the indicators established for the SDGs with the performance metrics of the operations. In addition, to evaluate the progress of the action plan, it proposes to create a monitoring body.

Once the action plan is already for execution, it is possible to approach the fifth stage. At this moment, the company publicly reports its performance and the progress achieved, using a language that the authorities and civil society can understand:

  1. Why SDGs are relevant and the associated impacts generated by the company.
  2. The objectives and actions designed to contribute to their achievement.
  3. The management and monitoring systems established to evaluate the progress that the company has achieved.

Advantages of contributing to the SDGs.

Making sure that our society achieves these 17 Sustainable Development Goals has many benefits, such as:

  • Identify business opportunities and attract capital.
  • Enhance the value of corporate sustainability, including attracting talent and customer preference.
  • Strengthen relationships with stakeholders, be aligned with legislative advances, and strengthen risk prevention.
  • Stabilize societies and markets by contributing to their development and access to products and services.

Ideas for businesses to support SDG

Here are 4 ways businesses can support SDG through empowering and inspiring activities. This could be a part of the businesses’ practices or projects.

1. PROVIDE AND MAINTAIN A HEALTHY WORKPLACE

It is essential to ensure that people collaborate in a secure and healthy workplace. If you think about it, most people spend about one-third of their adult lives in a workplace environment.

Consequently, businesses are key drivers for SDG 3 and SDG 8 – “Good Health and Well-being” and “Decent Work and Economic Growth.” Emphasize safe habits at work through frequent training and refreshers, and implement health and fitness programs for your team.

2. REWARD AND INCENTIVIZE RESPONSIBLE BEHAVIORS

Such as “Employee of the Month,” usually reserved for employees with the best productivity, businesses can also reward workers for incentivizing better environmental practices.

In this case, you’d be supporting SDG 12 – “Responsible Consumption and Production.” Consider offering bonuses or awards for the most environmentally conscious team members – especially those who put your business closer to those responsible practices.

3. PROMOTE DIVERSITY IN THE WORKPLACE

Diversity strengthens human relationships and encourages creativity in the workplace.

Organizations are ecosystems that thrive on variety. Diversity at work includes people from different cultures, genders, races, and opinions that add different perspectives to the work dynamics.

With these actions, businesses would support SDGs 5 and 10 – “Gender equality” and “Reduced inequalities.” In this sense, workspaces are not alien to the changes that are taking place in society. Diversity at work is a way of integrating those sectors of society that do not usually have many job opportunities.

A happier future

The international community is facing an exceptional moment, with a challenging roadmap and objectives established through the collaboration of governments, companies, and civil society. From your company, you can contribute to their achievement and develop new business opportunities that combine social and environmental impact with an economic return.

Businesses, regardless of their size, have the power to forge change and harness innovation, involving their employees, clients, partners, and communities – ensuring that no one is left behind in a safer, happier future.

work in cybersecurity

The 7 Best US Cities to Work in Cybersecurity

Posted on | by CyberWarrior

In many ways, cybersecurity might be perfect for anyone looking to make a career change. With the right training in just 6 months, you can earn all the knowledge, hands-on experience, and basic industry certifications needed to start working and earn very competitive salaries (for July 2021, the annual average pay for a cybersecurity specialist in the US is $112,974). And, to make things even more interesting, there are over 500,000 job openings to work in cybersecurity in the US.  

Getting into this field will be a life-changing experience.  

To help you understand your chances of actually getting a job, we created a list of the best seven US cities to work in cybersecurity based on the total available positions per location and their average paying salaries.  

Best U.S. Cities to Work in Cybersecurity

1- San Francisco, CA 

With a workforce of over 22,000 employed cybersecurity professionals, San Francisco is the tech capital of the west coast and home to many large corporations, medical services, and large educational centers.  

Although the cost of living in this city is pretty high, salaries in this field are way above the average nationwide, making it even more interesting for those looking for a better income and way of living. Among the most popular jobs are cybersecurity consultants, specialists, and analysts.  

Current job openings: 13,593 

Employed workforce: 22,355  

Average salary: $146,822 

2- Washington DC 

No surprise that Washington DC is the leader of this list. The place that serves as headquarters for most government agencies and large private corporations now has more than 65,000 job openings for cybersecurity professionals. Most vacancies are looking to hire people with the right training and skills to carry out security analysts, systems engineers, software developers, and cybersecurity managers or administrators.  

Current job openings: 65,449 

Employed workforce: 105,382 

Average salary: $142,426 

3- Chicago, IL  

Chicago is among the best cities to work in cybersecurity. It is the place for many business hubs in the country that are constantly looking to hire new and talented people to defend against malicious actors.  

Currently, there are over 13,000 job openings, especially for people who have the skills and training to fill decision-making roles.  

Current job openings: 13,283  

Employed workforce: 28,518 

Average salary: $117,860 

4- New York, NY  

Aside from being the city that never sleeps, New York has many of the largest financial firms, hospitals, educational systems, and many headquarters for the US government, many of which are desirable targets for hackers. No wonder why over 24,000 openings are looking to hire cybersecurity analysts and consultants, as well as network engineers and penetration testers.  

Current job openings: 24,401  

Employed workforce: 62,157 

Average salary: $116,973 

5- Dallas, TX 

What makes Dallas such a great city for someone looking for a job as a cybersecurity specialist is that it hosts more than 20 Fortune 500 companies looking to hire top-performing candidates to take care of their security systems and protect their assets.  

Aside from the obvious profiles such as cybersecurity analysts and consultants, in Dallas, organizations are looking for mid and senior roles that include Chief Information Security Officers (CISO) and Information Security Directors.  

Current job openings: 19,372 

Employed workforce: 31,762 

Average salary: $105,681 

6- Atlanta, GA  

What makes Atlanta such a great place to look for a cybersecurity job is that it is home to many regional headquarters for most Fortune 100 companies that are constantly looking to hire more trained professionals to take care of their cybersecurity systems and protocols.  

Companies in Atlanta are mostly looking for cybersecurity managers, engineers, and business analysts.  

Current job openings: 13,810 

Employed workforce: 24,765 

Average salary: $75,109 

7- Los Angeles, CA 

According to the most recent statistics published by CompTIA, the technology industry contributes about $493 billion or %18,1% to  California’s economy. The state is home to the 7 cities to work in cybersecurity with the highest salaries, higher than the national average.  

As of March 2021, Los Angeles has over 30,000 cybersecurity employed workers, and there are over 17,000 job openings.  

Current job openings: 17,288 

Employed workforce: 30,917 

Average salary: $70,107 

Are you ready to make your career switch? At CyberWarrior, we might have just what you are looking for: training that goes far beyond the theoretical aspect, which grants you the hands-on experience required by hiring managers and will help you get 4 industry-recognized certifications.

sustainable-development-goals

Sustainable development goals: Creating our future today

Posted on | by CyberWarrior

We live in a world surrounded by technology. Just look around, how many devices do you see? Have you ever stopped to think about that?

Every year new things are invented, or those we already know are tweaked to make them more efficient and accessible to everyone. Fortunately, technology has always been in our lives, but unfortunately, we have also heard about climate change, global warming, pollution, global food and water shortages, endangered animals! AND the end of the world!

How is it possible that if we are so creative in developing technology that makes our lives easier, we have not been able to remedy these situations? Could we change and improve the world? Fortunately, there is already a plan that can only be successful if we all work together: the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG).

What are the Sustainable Development Goals?

In 2015, the UN, representing the population of 193 countries, announced the 17 global goals of sustainable development that focused on people, the planet, peace, and prosperity to eradicate extreme poverty, fight against inequality and injustice, and mitigate the effects of climate change.

The 17 SDGs are a collection of independent but interconnected goals carefully designed to give all of us a better future, with hundreds of targets and indicators geared towards 2030.

We must achieve these goals by 2030 to protect the planet and make this world a safer and more equitable place.

What can I do as an Individual?

Although it may not seem like it, reading about the SDGs, knowing their lines of action at a general level, and raising awareness among your family, friends, and colleagues is extremely important and the first step you must take.

That being said, here are 3 actions to help you contribute to the achievement of the SDGs. These activities can be part of your lifestyle or projects. Feel free to share them!

1. ENCOURAGE THE 3 R’S – ‘REDUCE, REUSE, RECYCLE.’

Recycling is more important than ever. The use of single-use containers, such as plastic bags or bottles puts tremendous pressure on our Earth. To reduce waste in our waters and landfills, people must follow the three Rs. You would be supporting SDGs 13 and 14 – “Life on Land” and “Life below Water” by doing your part to reduce the waste produced by your daily activities.

2. SUPPORT THE EDUCATION OF FUTURE GENERATIONS – WHEREVER THEY ARE.

Education is the basis of a better future and a pathway out of poverty. There is no dispute on that.

Donate to causes that supply books, build schools, and train teachers everywhere in the world – especially in remote areas. By helping to remove barriers to education, you’re enriching many people’s individual lives and adding talent to the workforce, thus creating the opportunity to have a better life.

3. CHOOSE TO GIVE OR ENGAGE IN CAUSES THAT YOU CARE ABOUT THE MOST

Expand the reach of your impact by engaging in projects that support the SDGs. You can choose multiple projects or just one – that’s up to you. Even some projects may support several SDGs at the same time.

When it comes to giving, engage with causes that are close to your heart. It could be related to education, environment, health, or human rights. In any case, start with the SDG that you feel most strongly about and donate towards causes that support it.

Commiting to Change

It is not long until 2030 comes around. We need to support each other, use our imagination and creativity, but above all, commit to change. If we make these goals known massively, other people might take an interest and cooperate. This is linked to CyberWarrior’s purpose, as it is core to our mission to help people grow personally and professionally – and make sure our planet keeps on turning.

succeed in cybersecurity

Succeed in Cybersecurity by Identifying Your Soft Skills

Posted on | by CyberWarrior

It is well known that to succeed in cybersecurity, you need to master certain hard or technological skills, like understanding different operating systems or knowing how to code using Python. But, to achieve better outcomes, you need to be able to identify and develop different human or soft skills.  

You are not a robot working in a solo environment. You are human, working and engaging with others to achieve a common goal: keeping your organization out of the reach of hackers.  

What Are Soft Skills? 

The first thing we need to know is what exactly are soft skills. They are non-technical abilities that relate to how you work. They are not specific to any job and include everything from how you communicate with others, your attention to detail, your work ethics, how you solve problems, and more.  

Although they are intangible assets, they are desirable in any career. That is why it is essential that you identify which soft skills you excel at, add them to your resume, explain how they have helped you in different circumstances, and be sure to tell the story when you are getting interviewed for a job. Soft skills are one of the assets that will make you stand out in the eyes of a recruiter. 

Think of it this way: would you rather have a co-worker who performed well in his job but would heat every meeting or have one that performed and the first one but can go through complicated meetings with a peaceful approach and try to reach the best possible outcome.  

There is a wide variety of options in soft skills, but not all of them are necessary for certain jobs. Here is a list of the most common ones that recruiters look for. We used bold letters for the ones that will be the most helpful for those of you looking to succeed in cybersecurity.

  • Problem solving skills 
  • Teamwork 
  • Adaptability 
  • Leadership 
  • Creativity 
  • Communication skills 
  • Patience 
  • Work ethic 
  • Integrity 
  • Attention to details 
  • Curiosity
  • Time management 
  • Passion 
  • Research 
  • Self-direction 
  • Active learning  
  • Conflict resolution 

Tips to Help You Identify Your Soft Skills and succeed in cybersecurity

Self-awareness is key in this process. It will allow you to understand what are your strengths and opportunities. But to ease this work, at CyberWarrior, we strongly suggest you ask friends, teammates, and even your employer about the soft skills that first come to mind when they hear your name. 

Going through this process can help you come up with a list of skills. Once you have it, take some time to do the exercise of adding an example of how each skill has helped you in the past. Not only will this help you have a story to tell recruiters, but it will give you a better sense of where you still have some work to do.  

For example, if communications skills are not something that came up in the conversations you had, then you will need to spend some time improving your body language and facial expressions, focusing on learning how to listen and how to express yourself better.  

If attention to detail is something you are lacking, you can start working on creating a work plan, making lists, and maintaining a schedule. You should also limit your distractions.  

And if problem-solving is not your strongest skill, then you should start working in a process that allows you to define, evaluate, and implement the best solution.  

Adding many soft skills to your resume is not the best approach to getting your dream job. You need first to understand what soft skills are needed to perform better in that role or which ones the recruiter is looking for. Then you need to understand which ones you actually have, and then you can add them to your profile. It’s a great idea to include them in the description of your work history and/or in your cover letter.  

To better understand what skills the recruiter is looking for, you must carefully read the job description. There you will find different hints such as “strong written and verbal communication,” or “must have strong work ethics,” and even “ability to solve complex problems.”  

2021 So Far: The Biggest Cyber-Attacks

2021 So Far: The Biggest Cyber-Attacks

Posted on | by CyberWarrior

For the past few years, we have seen an uptick in cyber-attacks around the world. The pandemic made things even worse, and now we see its consequences. Government agencies, schools, cities, gas pipelines, and major organizations have fallen victim during the first quarter of 2021. Understanding what has happened will allow us to prepare for the coming months.  

In this article, we want to guide you through the worst cyber-attacks we’ve seen this year. What happened, how did the organization reacted and responded, and how they recovered from it.  

1- Florida Water System 

The date was February 5th. A plant operator noticed how the cursor of his computer started moving across the screen and opened software functions that controlled the water treatment for the Florida west coast. The hacker was able to boost the level of sodium hydroxide in the water by 100.  

It is important to note here that poisoning from sodium hydroxide can cause burns, vomiting, severe pain, and bleeding. Fortunately, the operator quickly responded, reverted the levels to normal, and reported the situation to his superiors. Although the sheriff explained that the system has safeguards that prevented the contaminated water from being released to the public, this episode shows the lack of controls and training in the water systems around the country. Cyber-attacks could have put public health at risk. 

2- CNA Financial 

One of the largest insurance companies in the country fell victim to a ransomware attack earlier this year. It all happened when employees got locked out of the company’s systems due to a network disruption caused by a sophisticated cyber-attack on certain CNA systems.  

People familiar with the attack explained that CNA first attempted to resolve the matter without engaging with the hackers’ organization. One week later, they started negotiating and then agreed to pay $40 million to restore access to its systems. This amount is 10 million higher than the biggest ransom reported last year.  

According to a spokesperson, the insurance firm followed all the laws, regulations, published guidance, and worked closely with the FBI and the Office of Foreign Assets Control.  

3- Acer 

In March, the Taiwanese computer and electronics brand reported “abnormal situations” in their IT security controls. It was revealed that they were hit by a REvil ransomware attack that demanded the largest ransom to date, $50 million, and they stipulated that if they did not pay by a certain date, the price would double.  

While Acer tried to keep the situation off from the press, the threat actors revealed documents such as bank balances and spreadsheets that made clear that they had gained access to the company’s financial information, clients’ lists and that a ransom attack was going on. 

Allegedly, this all happened because of a vulnerability in a Microsoft Exchange server that was exploited, giving the hackers access to Acer’s files and sensitive information.  

4- Colonial Pipeline 

One of the cyber-attacks with the most news coverage this year, as it directly impacted the gas supply for the East Coast of the United States while causing panic and chaos.  

The DarkSide, a criminal hacker group, based in Eastern Europe, was responsible for shutting down the pipeline for several days in what appears to be the largest attack on an American energy system. Operations were restored after Colonial paid a ransom of 4,4 million dollars worth of bitcoin.  

All the chaos, gas shortages, and price spikes were a consequence of a leaked password to an old account with access to the VPN used to access the company’s server. This puts in evidence the urge to implement cybersecurity training for all employees, reviewing the organization’s identity, access management policies, and security controls.  

5- NBA 

Earlier in April, the USA National Basketball Association was hit with a cyber-attack that mainly affected the Houston Rockets. The team claims that they could quickly detect the intrusion and respond, reducing the damage to its operation. But, according to Bloomberg, the hacker group Babuk was able to get ahold of at least 500 gigabytes of information, including financial data, non-disclosure agreements, and contracts. 

The criminals posted a message on the dark web claiming for a ransom to return the stolen data, or they would post all the information online. As we write this, there is no proof that a ransom has been paid.  

6- Microsoft Exchange 

A Chinese cyberespionage group uncovered and exploited four newly discovered vulnerabilities in the email software, putting at risk over 30,000 organizations and government agencies in our country.  

Microsoft explained that the hackers were taking advantage of these flaws to conduct targeted cyber-attacks on email systems used by different industries, especially on organizations related to infectious disease researchers, law firms, and higher education institutes. And they stated that the criminals were putting at risk any unpatched Exchange server worldwide.  

Basically, in each unpatched server, the attackers left a “web shell,” a hacking tool that grants them administrative access to the computer and servers. Along with the US Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and security companies, Microsoft worked quickly to revert the damages caused by releasing an update to the system and providing mitigation guidance.  

7- Accellion 

Accellion, an IT security firm owner of a secure file sharing and collaboration software, was the victim of a cyber-attack related to a security flaw in their software that put at risk over 30,000 organizations, including companies, government agencies, hospitals, and universities.  

A report stated that it all happened in December when a vulnerability in the file transfer software was first exploited and then again in January. Six months have gone by since then, and the attack continues to leave a mess behind. Morgan Stanley, NSW Health, University of Colorado, Grocery Giant Kroger, and many others have released information about stolen or missing data.  

The Cost of Cybercrime Is On The Rise

Posted on | by CyberWarrior

The cost of cybercrime goes far beyond the actual money invested in detecting, responding, and recovering an organization from an attack. It includes the loss of data, productivity, money, and even reputation. It can even strike so hard that it forces an organization to close its doors. 

The situation has been getting worse year after year. In fact, when you go back in time, you can see that in 2015 the World Economic Forum estimated the cost of cybercrime to be $3 trillion worldwide. Today, Cybersecurity Ventures predicts that it will grow by 15 percent every year for the next five years, reaching 10.5 trillion dollars by 2025. A rise of almost 7 trillion dollars in just 10 years. 

Not only are hackers running one of the most lucrative “businesses,” but they are close to having zero chances of being discovered and prosecuted, according to the World Economic Forum. 

These numbers only mean that organizations (private or public, small or large) are not taking action to prepare themselves for a cyber-attack. During the first six months of 2021, it became more evident than ever before.  We have seen how the Colonial Pipeline suffered a major attack that shut down the gas supply for the East Coast of our country, how the NBA lost over 500GB of confidential data on the Houston Rockets, and how The Steamship Authority of Massachusetts ferry fell victim of a ransomware attack that affected its logistics and services. 

How Can Organizations Mitigate the Risks

The solution here is not to fear cyber-attacks but to make your organization cyber-resilient. Anyone who works in cybersecurity must acknowledge and help their management team understand that the risk of falling victim to hackers is always there. You need to have a plan in place that will enable business continuity while responding and recovering from the attack, lowering the actual impact and cost of cybercrime in your organization.

Also, there are a few industry best practices that every organization should apply to help minimize the risks of attacks: 

The first thing you need to do is provide security training for your workforce regularly. They need to spot a suspicious website or email and even identify a device that might be compromised. They need to know what to do, who to call, and how to react to an attempt against their data security.  

You also need to encrypt as much data as possible, creating an identity and access policy that restricts users who have access to sensitive data, updating and patching software regularly. Most importantly, you have to be proactive and constantly strengthen your security measures. 

These practices can help save your organization. 

 

6 Benefits of Learning Cybersecurity Online

Posted on | by CyberWarrior

In past blogs, we have talked about the huge need for talent in cybersecurity and the many benefits this career entails for those who decide to follow this path. But what about the training needed to succeed in this field? If you are considering making a career change or starting in cybersecurity, you will probably wonder where and what is the best way to get started. Today, we want to guide you through learning cybersecurity online. What it means, what you can expect, and the benefits against a classroom filled with people. 

Learning Cybersecurity Online 

Now that we finally see the light at the end of the pandemic tunnel, you can wonder why we suggest taking online classes when you can finally go and sit in a room filled with people (taking all social distancing precautions). The truth is that online studying does have enormous advantages from the traditional experiences, we will review them in detail later in this post, but to name a few, we can say that not only the investment is lower, but it is more flexible, it allows you to work at the same time, and you can enroll in classes around the world without relocating.  

Now that we have cleared this out, we want to share some insights that can help you understand what it actually looks like to learning cybersecurity online.  

The first thing we need to say is that there are different options out there, but most of them not only will share your instructors’ recordings but will require your live presence in class. That way, you will have the chance to ask questions as soon as they arise, you will be able to meet and create relationships with your instructors and classmates and grow your network, and the fact that you have everyone online watching each other makes you have a stronger commitment to complete assignments and understand the lectures. It is a highly competitive experience.  

At the same time, you need to know that almost every cybersecurity training will give you assignments to complete after hours. They can be independent and/or group assignments that may be practical or written, ranging from writing to programming. But the fact is that you will need to set some weekly hours to complete them.  

One last word of advice here is that it is a strategic approach to learn the basic industry terms before starting classes when you are new to a field. This will make the experience less overwhelming and make the new content you are receiving in the class feel more familiar. Also, try reading cybersecurity news and blogs, following influencers, and set your mind to feel comfortable with this new world for you.  

Benefits of Online Classes 

As we mentioned before, there are different reasons why enrolling in an online program can actually work better for you. Here, we highlight the ones we believe are the most attractive: 

1- Online Classes Cost Less  

Let’s be honest, enrolling in college can cost you a lot of money. Not only will you have to pay for classes, but all the extra expenses that come along (dorm, textbooks, extracurricular activities, and so on). An online program will help you save money, as you will only be paying for the credits you are working to earn, so there would not be extra costs associated with it.   

2- Teaches In-Demand Skills 

A good program gives you theoretical and practical experience, but it goes far beyond and teaches you how to master soft or human skills to help you succeed in the field. For example, attending an online cybersecurity program will help you develop attention to detail, passion for learning, responsibility, teamwork, and others.  

3- No Need For Transportation 

When you take online classes, you can do it from work, home, or wherever you are. You need a working Wi-Fi connection and your computer to log into the video conference program, and that’s it. Then, you are ready to dive into a world filled with knowledge. There is no need to run from one place to another, commute, spend hours in traffic, or look for a ride to college. Plus,  the bright side of this is that all the hours you save from the back and forth to classes can be spent on your assignments and training. 

4- Easier Access to Your Instructors 

When attending an in-person class, you will mostly be able to communicate with your teachers or instructors in the halls before and after class or by actively participating in their lectures. However, in an online program, there will be different resources for you to reach them, there will be, of course, the class hours and the chat window in the video conference platform you use, but additionally, you will have email exchanges and a different chatroom for you to ask questions directly.  

5- Locations Are Not an Issue 

If you want to enroll in college or university, you are most likely to look for those near you, or you will have to relocate to someplace new and closer to your education option. But, with an online class, there is no need to move as you can access classes anywhere around the country and even the world. With just one click away, you have an enormous list of training options that will help you become better cybersecurity professional.  

6- You Can Work And Study 

One of the most attractive features of an online program is that it gives you enough flexibility to get a full-time or part-time job while you are enrolled. With this type of program, you will save time from going back and forth to classes, and you are most likely to choose a schedule that fits your routine. Just be mindful that this will require a lot of self-discipline, so you don’t get lost in all the assignments, study time,  your work, and your personal life.

Do not let getting back to normal life discourage you from enrolling in an online program. In fact, it might even be the best choice for you, your life, and your work. The myths around online studying have been debunked thanks to the pandemic year.   

 

Step by Step Guide to Use a VPN

Posted on | by CyberWarrior

As we mentioned in a previous post, a Virtual Private Network (VPN) is part of the tools you need to protect your online activity and information from getting in the wrong hands. To put it in simple words, a VPN encrypts the data and protects your online identity by hiding your IP address. It is a must-have when using a public Wi-Fi connection.  

Before diving into the steps on how to use it, we believe it is important that we guide you through some considerations you need to take when choosing the right one for you. 

  1. Figure out the main uses you will be giving to your VPN. Is it to stream movies at home? Is it for traveling or for public Wi-Fi connections? Is it for your computer or do you want to connect to different devices? All these answers will help you understand if you need one that offers more security, more bandwidth, or more servers.  
  2. Make a list of the devices you want to connect using the VPN. The majority of services support main platforms (Windows, Mac, Linux, Android, and iOS), but you want to make sure that the VPN you are considering buying will actually work in the devices you are planning to use.  
  3. Review the list of locations it offers. This might be one of the most important things to look at, make sure the locations and servers offered by the VPN cover the area where you will be and can give you a solution to tackle the geographical and censorship issues.  
  4. Look for the payment plans. We know that a free VPN is something that you might be considering, but we truly suggest you make an investment for a better and more secure service. Look at the different plans they offer, if it is a monthly or yearly subscription, their payment methods, etc.  

Once you cover all these four considerations, then it might be easier for you to choose among the many VPN services, remember each one of them has different features, some of them might be the right fit for your needs while others can just turn into a waste of money. So, do take some time to review them before subscribing to a monthly fee. 

Using a Virtual Private Network 

Step 1: Sign Up 

Once you have chosen your VPN, you will be required to sign up, create an account (email, password) and make your first payment, most providers accept traditional payment options (debit, credit cards, PayPal), while others are now accepting cryptocurrencies. After you complete this initial step, you can download the software to your computer from their official website, and/or for any other devices (you will have to look for their official app in the AppStore or GooglePlay), you will be asked to log in with your recently created account.  

Step 2: Connect Using Your VPN 

Usually, when you open the VPN software, it will show a “Connect” button. Once you click it, it will choose the closest server to you because it is most likely to have the better speed. If you want to connect to a specific location, you will have to go to the settings tab and choose the desired one. You will be able to mark it as preferred, so it will be easier to access it later.  

Step 3: Setting Up Your VPN 

Although the settings vary from provider to provider, there are several basic items that remain the same. One of the first things you should do is activate the “kill switch”, this will prevent any online activity if the VPN connection drops. Then, you should look for any malware protection, VPN protocol, security options.  

Some details to keep in mind, you will need to have a working internet connection when you use your VPN and make sure to set the “auto-connect” feature so it starts running as soon as you turn on your device and you always work through a safe connection. Also, keep in mind that using a VPN is not rocket science, providers have managed to make them as friendly and easy to use as possible, and for most of them, you only need the initial setup.