Ruri Ranbe has been working as a writer since 2008. She received an A.A. in English literature from Valencia College and is completing a B.S. in computer science at the University of Central Florida. Ranbe also has more than six years of professional information-technology experience, specializing in computer architecture, operating systems, networking, server administration, virtualization and Web design.
Image source: Getty Images
When we hear the word “cyberattack,” we usually envision a high-level threat at a global corporation that seeks to steal credit card information or intellectual property. But one of the most common forms of hacking, known as phishing, is carried out through faux emails sent to unsuspecting employees at smaller businesses.
Symantec’s 2018 security report found smaller businesses had more instances of these attacks than larger enterprises: Companies with less than 250 employees averaged one in 323 instances, while companies with 1001 to 1500 averaged one in 823.
It’s a good bet most of your employees don’t know what phishing is or how to detect it, yet they’ve probably received a fishy email at some point. Phishing scams may fly under the radar of many threat-hunting efforts, so the most effective way to combat these attacks is promoting employee awareness and vigilance.
Phishing refers to cyberattacks carried out through communication outlets. The attacker contacts the target via email, text, or telephone and attempts to collect personal information allowing them access to sensitive personal and financial data. The information often is used in subsequent identity and financial theft.
The good news is many phishing attacks can be prevented by educating yourself and employees about common methods, so you don’t fall prey to impostors. The bad news is you’ll need to rely on educating yourself and your employees, so you don’t fall prey to these impostors.
All types of phishing attacks rely on “social engineering.” In terms of cybersecurity, this means using personal information and outreach to coerce an individual into exposing more personal information that can be used against them, usually for the attacker’s financial gain.
Despite repeated warnings from IT staff and widespread coverage of such scams in the media, it’s amazing how often even the savviest individuals fall for these tricks.
In deceptive phishing, the most common type of phishing attack, the attacker impersonates a trusted company or contact via email and asks the victim to share credentials. These attacks are random, and the emails are sent to large numbers of potential victims.
The emails often request the recipient fill out a survey or direct them to click on a link to rectify a discrepancy in their account. The emails usually end with a dire warning urging the recipient to act quickly to avoid serious consequences.
Although this may be the least sophisticated of cyber scams, it is often the easiest to fall for, as the emails will incorporate legitimate links to the organizations they are spoofing. Tell-tale signs of fake emails are spelling mistakes, incorrect grammar usage, or email addresses, unlike the real organization’s domain name.
Spear phishing is much the same as deceptive phishing, except the attacker is targeting a specific individual or company, usually out of a personal grudge or vendetta. Typically, the attacker has already collected some information about the target via social media or a simple Google search.
The goal is to inflict maximum damage, so rather than simply accessing social security numbers or bank accounts, often the threat actor seeks to install malware or ransomware in your network that can cripple and even bankrupt some businesses.
Whaling uses similar phishing techniques as mentioned above, but the target is usually a high-level or public figure, such as a member of the C-suite. The attacker’s methods need to be a bit more polished, however, since many high-profile targets are well-trained in cybersecurity matters. Additionally, many don’t handle their email or phone calls directly, instead relying on their executive assistant to do so.
The main difference between whaling and spear phishing is the higher stakes involved: The threat actor may trick the target into initiating wire transfers, exposing intellectual property, or accessing a customer database rife with valuable information that can be sold on the black market.
Vishing (short for “verbal phishing”) extends the ruse to phone contact. We’ve all clicked on a link at one time or other that triggered a pop-up message reading, “Virus Alert! Your computer may be infected. Call 1-888-XXX-XXXX to speak to a technician.” That’s a tried-and-true vishing tactic.
Once you call the number, the “helpful” technician will ask all kinds of questions about your computer, your contact info, account information, and other personal details, so they can “follow up” on your issue.
Attackers may also place unsolicited calls from unknown numbers. Sometimes they pretend your car was involved in a crime (they’ll have the license plate number or vehicle description) or they claim to be a government agency threatening to suspend your social security number if you don’t comply with their requests for information. Never give out information to unsolicited callers.
Smishing is similar to vishing, except it happens via text (the name comes from mixing “SMS” with phishing). Often, these texts will appear to come from your bank, requesting your account or bank card number for verification. Or they may appear to be a friend sending you a link to check out -- a link that will infect your phone with malware when you click on it.
Users often fall for these scams easily because when they use their mobile phone, they likely are on the move and paying less attention. Additionally, people make the mistake of thinking phones are more secure than their computers and laptops. Think again.
Angler phishing is probably the most targeted of all phishing scams. The attacker poses as a customer service rep and reaches out to people who have complained about a company on their social media accounts. These scams are particularly effective because most consumers post their complaints because they want the company to respond.
When that very convincing rep reaches out, the customer is more than willing to share account information, expecting a refund, future discount, or bonus. This is a common ploy for hackers seeking sensitive financial information, as research has found that 55% of angler phishing victims think the rep contacting them is from their financial institution.
While it may sound as if phishing scams are everywhere you look, they may be among the easiest to prevent or at least mitigate. You can do so without expensive technology or disruptive solutions. Your first step in developing your phishing security strategy is educating yourself on what a potential threat looks and sounds like so that neither you nor your employees invite a hacker into your business.
The No. 1 tip for protecting your business from phishing attacks is educating your employees. Do it immediately and do it often. Teach them what a phishing attack is, how it can impact the business, and how to differentiate between a real email and a fake:
Stay abreast of the latest phishing emails making the rounds (a quick Google search should tell you what you need to know) and inform employees of the details by sending out an email, posting a memo in the breakroom, and announcing it in staff meetings.
Some employers find it helpful to create a mock phishing email to send to employees to test the effectiveness of training. If an employee falls for it, they sign up for additional security training.
There’s no such thing as too much security training, even if employees whine it’s repetitive. In the throes of a busy workday, even the most conscientious employee could click a link without thinking. The constant reminders could help you avoid devastating consequences.
This is an easy one. Your email application most likely provides one, and you may have set up additional permissions when you created your email server and employee email accounts. Spam filters will filter out suspicious emails, so employees don’t have to make judgment calls on possibly nefarious communications.
Remind employees to close out of applications and shut down their computers at least once a week. This ensures their computers and other devices will update to the most accurate versions of firmware, which usually deliver security patches that address newly discovered vulnerabilities. If you have onsite servers, be sure your IT team is regularly patching infrastructure software as needed to keep data and other assets safe.
Guarding against phishing attacks is just one more reason to deploy two-factor or multifactor authentication for all connected devices. Consider it the Energizer Bunny of preventing cyberattacks, because just about every how-to article on good cyber hygiene, standing up endpoint security, or IoT security recommends it.
If a hacker gets an employee’s password to log in to your network, it’s doubtful they will also have access to that worker’s phone, ultimately fending off a breach of your systems.
This is another tactic critical to securing your network and systems. If an employee clicks on a malicious link that delivers a virus or malware to your systems, the antivirus software will identify it and remove it, again mitigating a breach before any serious negative impact to your business.
There are free antivirus software options out there, but they rarely offer complete and thorough protection. There are a number of affordable choices, however, so with a bit of research into the best endpoint security platforms and endpoint detection and response (EDR), you’re sure to find an option that’s a perfect fit for your business needs.
Requiring employees to log into your network through a VPN may offer the best possible protection against phishing scams. VPNs can detect malicious websites, prevent hackers from monitoring an employee’s web browsing, and prevent phishing emails. In this day and age, if you connect to the internet, you should do so through a VPN.
Phishing schemes are effective because they prey on the wild card of your security strategy: your employees. You can help them operate safely by providing technology that is armed with software, firewalls, scans, and other built-in mechanisms that automatically defend your network and systems.
But it’s up to you to train them on using these tools and promote hyper-awareness through ongoing training and frequent reminders. People are, after all, only human, and with all of the distractions in today’s work environments, it’s easy to overlook even the most obvious of tricksters.
Based in the live music capital of the world, Tammy Columbo continues to work in the information technology industry as she has done for more than 10 years. While living in Austin, Columbo has contributed to high profile projects for the State of Texas, Fortune 500 technology companies and various non-profit organizations. Columbo began writing professionally in 2009.
I have a confession to make: I’m not usually blown away by the antivirus software I review.
Over the years, I have learned to expect certain things from these applications, and I have not been terribly surprised by most versions that have crossed my desk.
Certainly, definitions evolve, and the means of detection improve. But for the most part, antivirus software works its magic by comparing what it sees with a static set of definitions, then taking action when it identifies a match. The interface may become more intuitive, deployment more painless and detection more accurate, but the process itself remains largely unchanged.
But the latest iteration of Symantec Endpoint Protection (v.12) was a pleasant surprise. With SEP, Symantec changed direction.
Symantec seems to have gone to great lengths to Excellerate overall performance by training the software to avoid scanning files unnecessarily. To achieve this, it has introduced Symantec Insight, technology that uses data collected from more than 175 million opt-in customers to rate the safety of and assign reputations to almost every executable (.exe) file available. The virus scanner uses this information to decide whether to scan a given file. When a reputation ranks highly, the application will skip it altogether, effectively minimizing scan times and lowering overall system resource utilization.
Additionally, the latest rendition of Symantec Online Network for Advanced Response (SONAR) introduces policy enforcement, which helps block new malicious processes before definitions become available. This is accomplished by observing a program’s behavior in real time while leveraging its actions against a behavioral profile. If the culmination of several suspicious actions results in a poor rating, the system will proactively stop the process and prevent it from further compromising the machine. Any administrator who has wrung her hands (or pulled his hair out) while waiting for a virus definition update will no doubt appreciate this added layer of malware protection.
The management console is well designed and easy to learn, providing tools and data for the entire organization in a single panel. Administrators who have used previous versions of SEP will find the layout and logic familiar, as it is strikingly similar to that of v.11. Most common tasks can be carried out in much the same way as they always have been, from creating custom policies to deploying to new clients. Any administrator familiar with this product family will have no problem getting up to speed with changes in the new version.
To help, Symantec preconfigures the policy settings of the Small Business Edition of SEP 12. That means administrators can hit the ground running, making customizations as needed.
Last, but far from least, because Insight reduces the files scanned and the duration of scans, SEP 12’s performance is noticeably improved on client systems, resulting in a better overall experience for end users.
Though the Small Business Edition boasts advances, they come at a price. The product becomes much cheaper when an organization passes the 25-client mark, and customers receive additional discounts for longer subscription terms.
Symantec Corp. (Nasdaq: SYMC) today announced its global Symantec Sales Expert training program marking the latest enhancement to the unified Symantec Partner Program. Effective July 24, 2006, Symantec channel partners will have access to five new, complimentary sales training modules and assessments via Symantec’s online partner portal, PartnerNet, followed by 13 additional sets that will be released by August 4 through a phased approach to ensure quality and consistency as Symantec introduces the unified training program.
The first round of new training modules and assessments is part of an ongoing schedule of new training modules and assessments that will be available to partners on a quarterly basis via PartnerNet. The new training program offers a more streamlined process for partners to achieve sales accreditation on Symantec’s security and availability products. Upon successful completion of each assessment, partners will earn status as a Symantec Sales Expert (SSE), validating their extensive knowledge on that specific product offering.
“The new sales training modules are designed to impart product knowledge and best practices to help our partners succeed,” said Julie Parrish, vice president, Symantec Global Channel Office. “This new training and accreditation program leverages feedback from our partners to create a globally consistent framework for validating and rewarding their investment in our business. As a channel centric company we are continually striving to build upon our Symantec Partner Program to ensure that we bring increased revenue opportunities to our partners.”
Global Symantec Sales Expert Training Program
The cost-effective sales training program provides partners with accelerated training development and validation on point products. The training modules take into account learning style preferences in a flexible manner to support our partners’ regional requirements and market segmentation efforts. The training modules and assessments, which take approximately one hour to complete, will allow partners to build toward future equity and benefits in the Symantec Partner Program.
The first five training modules and assessments include Symantec Control Compliance Suite, Symantec Bindview Policy Manager, Symantec IM Manager, Symantec Mail Security for SMTP, and Symantec Configuration Manager. The additional training modules available to partners by August 4 include market leading products such as Symantec Antivirus, Symantec Client Security, Veritas NetBackup, Veritas Storage Foundation, Symantec Sygate Enterprise Protection, Symantec Backup Exec System Recovery, and more.
Partners confident in their knowledge and sales experience on a particular Symantec product can complete the online assessment without completing the training course to accelerate their time to accreditation as a SSE. Partners that have received accreditation from past product training and assessments can complete the new product assessment, once it becomes available, to receive accreditation as a SSE in the new program.
“The new sales modules will allow MSI Systems Integrators to be more efficient in the training process so we can continue to focus on boosting revenue by selling Symantec’s industry leading products to our customers,” said Doug Thompson, vice president of Strategic Alliances, MSI Systems Integrators. “As a Gold partner, we look forward to completing training courses and assessments and advancing our membership level to receive additional benefits.”
Partner Locator
In addition to the newly updated sales training program, Symantec has expanded its current Partner Locator eligibility to include Silver level partners. Symantec is currently preparing the Partner Locator Advanced Search option with information on customers’ business needs obtained from its 60,000 partners worldwide. With the Partner Locator Advanced Search option, which will launch later this year, customers will be able to easily narrow their search for partners by region, products, market focus, etc., thus providing partners with increased business opportunities.
Symantec Partner Program
In March 2006, Symantec launched its unified partner program (http://www.symantec.com/partners/index.jsp) and partner portal, PartnerNet, that streamlines and simplifies processes for its more than 60,000 global partners, while providing them with the resources to deliver value, meet their customer’s needs, and to expand their portfolio of market leading solutions. All current Symantec partners, including former VERITAS partners, were placed into the new partner program and mapped into one of the four membership levels – Platinum, Gold, Silver, and Registered – based on their activity in prior Symantec and VERITAS programs. Partners will continue to invest in driving revenue, market demand and increasing their technical competence in order to maintain or increase their membership level in the new program. Symantec plans to deliver an automated points-based system early next year to facilitate program tracking.
“We have received very positive feedback from both our partners and the channel industry on the Symantec Partner Program,” said Parrish. “Throughout the partner program integration process, our partners’ feedback was imperative in the success of the initial launch, and we will continue to incorporate their feedback to enhance and deliver a program that our partners find beneficial to the success of their business.”
About Symantec
Symantec is the world leader in providing solutions to help individuals and enterprises assure the security, availability, and integrity of their information. Headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., Symantec has operations in more than 40 countries. More information is available at www.symantec.com.
An SSL certificate is a digital certificate that is used to verify the identity of a website and to encrypt information sent to and from the site. SSL certificates are issued by certificate authorities (CAs), which are organizations that have been Checked by a trusted third party (such as a web browser) to issue certificates.
When you visit a website that uses SSL, your browser will check to see if the site's certificate is valid. If it is, your browser will display a green padlock icon in the address bar to indicate that the site is secure. Additionally, the information sent between your browser and the website will be encrypted, making it more difficult for third parties to intercept and view.
SSL certificates are typically used on websites that handle sensitive information, such as online stores or banking websites. However, any website can use SSL to encrypt information and to build trust with visitors.
There are many reasons to use SSL certificates on your website. They can help to increase security and build trust with your visitors.
Here are some of the benefits of using SSL certificates:
Improve website security
The main purpose of using an SSL Certificate is to Excellerate website security. It encrypts all the communication between websites and visitors so that no one can intercept and steal sensitive information such as credit card details, login credentials, etc.
Build trust and credibility
Another important reason for using an SSL Certificate is to build trust and credibility among customers. Customers are always looking for a safe and secure website where they can enter their sensitive information without any fear of being hijacked by hackers. An SSL Certificate helps to instil this confidence in customers.
Improve SEO rankings
Another benefit of using an SSL Certificate is that it can help to Excellerate your website’s SEO rankings. Google has announced that it gives preference to websites which have an SSL Certificate over those which don’t. This is because Google wants to promote safe and secure websites so that users can have a better experience while browsing the internet.
Avoid browser warnings
If you don’t have an SSL Certificate, then visitors to your website will see a warning message in their browser whenever they try to access your website. This warning message can be very off-putting for visitors and can make them leave your website immediately. On the other hand, if you have an SSL Certificate, then this warning message will not be shown and visitors will be able to access your website without any problem.
Meet data protection regulations
If you are handling sensitive information such as credit card details, login credentials, etc., then you need to make sure that this information is properly encrypted so that it cannot be accessed by anyone who is not authorized to do so. An SSL Certificate helps you to meet this requirement as it encrypts all the communication between your website and visitors.
An SSL certificate contains several key pieces of information, including the name of the organization that owns the website, the expiration date of the certificate, the name of the Certificate Authority (CA) that issued the certificate, and a serial number.
The certificate also contains a public key and a signature that is used to verify the identity of the website.
SSLs are issued by trusted third-party Certificate Authorities (CAs), who verifies the identity of the website owner and issue a certificate attesting to this.
The most well-known SSL providers are Symantec, Comodo, GeoTrust and GlobalSign. When a user visits an SSL-secured website, their browser will check that the certificate is valid before establishing a secure connection.
A root certificate is very valuable since any SSL certificate signed with its private key will be automatically trusted by the web browsers. Conversely, if the CA isn’t trusted, the browser will present untrusted error messages to the end user.
Companies such as DigiCert, IdenTrust, GlobalSign, and Let’s Encrypt are known as trusted Certificate Authorities. Web browsers and operating system developers such as Microsoft, Mozilla, Google, Opera, and such, trust these CAs and by extension any of the SSL certificates signed by their private keys.
There are three types of SSL certificates: Domain Validated (DV), Organization Validated (OV), and Extended Validation (EV).
Domain Validated (DV) certificates are the most common type of SSL certificate. They're typically issued within a few minutes after your order is placed. DV certificates provide encryption and help build trust, but they don't offer much in terms of identity verification.
Organization Validated (OV) certificates offer more robust identity verification than DV certificates. In addition to verifying your organization's contact information, OV SSL issuers will also verify that your organization is legitimate. As a result, OV certificates usually take a few days to issue.
Extended Validation (EV) certificates offer the highest level of identity verification. In addition to verifying your organization's contact information and legitimacy, EV SSL issuers will also verify your organization's legal existence. As a result, EV certificates usually take a few days to issue.
When choosing an SSL certificate, it's important to consider your needs. If you're looking for basic encryption and trust, a DV certificate may be sufficient. If you're looking for more robust identity verification, an OV or EV certificate may be a better option.
A self-signed SSL certificate is an SSL certificate that is not signed by a recognized Certificate Authority. Self-signed certificates are free to create, but because they are not from a recognized CA, browsers will generally show a warning when encountering them.
This means that self-signed certificates are not suitable for use on public-facing websites. However, they can be used for internal applications where security is not as critical.
Thanks to their role in search engine ranking, it’s a good idea for everyone to get themselves a SSL certificate.
The first step is to determine what type of certificate you need, largely depending on the number of domains and sub-domains you need to secure. The process is a lot more crucial for companies in regulated industries such as banking, who need to make sure their SSL certificate meets the defined requirements.
There are several SSL certificate providers and depending on the type of certificate and the reputation and trust of the issuing certificate authority, the costs of SSL certificates can range from a few dollars to several hundred dollars per year.
These days however you can get one for free as well, thanks to the Let’s Encrypt CA. It was founded by EFF, Mozilla, and the University of Michigan, with Cisco and Akamai as founding sponsors.
Let's Encrypt is a non-profit CA that has been handing out SSL certificates at no charge since April 2016. Its certificates are valid for 90 days, and can be renewed anytime during this validity period. As per Let's Encrypt’s own research, its certificates have been largely adopted by cost-conscious users, which include smaller sites, such as personal blogs, and small businesses.
To get an SSL certificate, you will need to generate a CSR (certificate signing request) and then submit it to a CA (certification authority). The CA will then issue you with a certificate.
If you want to get an SSL certificate for your website, you will need to:
1. Generate a CSR (certificate signing request)
2. Submit the CSR to a CA (certification authority)
3. The CA will issue you with a certificate
4. Install the certificate on your web server
5. Test the certificate to make sure it is working correctly
6. Renew the certificate when it expires.
SSL certificates are an important part of website security. They help to encrypt information sent between your website and visitors, making it more difficult for third parties to intercept and view. Additionally, SSL certificates can help to build trust with your visitors by indicating that your site is a safe and secure place to enter sensitive information. If you are handling any type of sensitive information on your website, then you should consider using an SSL certificate.
Before you arrive on campus, you should obtain the current version of Microsoft Office onto your computer.
As part of our contractual agreement with Microsoft, we are able to provide Microsoft Office to every student free of charge. As long as you are a student at DePauw, you’ll be able to use this software for free.
To install your free copy of Microsoft Office:
At the prompt, enter your DePauw email address
Follow the instructions in the email that you receive
If you have trouble installing Office, go to Troubleshoot Installing Office.
As a DePauw student, you are entitled to a free copy of Symantec EndPoint Protection. This is the University licensed antivirus/anti-malware software. The software and updates are free while you are a student at DePauw. Review the Securing Devices article on the IT KnowledgeBase for step-by-step instructions on installing Symantec on your computer.
Specific curricular software may be required for some classes. Information about this software, which is available as a free obtain or for a minimal charge, may be found on the IT KnowledgeBase Instructional Support & Software article.
In limited circumstances, Mac users may have to run software that is only available for the Windows operating system. If required for a class, these students will be provided a means to run the software in a virtual environment via our network.
You will need to set up your computer so you can gain access to class files shared on network drives and network printers. Browse to the IT KnowledgeBase Network: Learn About the Network article for step-by-step instructions on connecting to network drives.
You will need to set up your computer to print to the campus network printers. Browse to the IT KnowledgeBase Printing article for step-by-step instructions on how you can print to DePauw's Canon printer/copiers.
When having issues connecting to Google or other DePauw online resources for their courses, international students (including those living in China) can use DePauw’s Virtual Desktop or DePauw’s VPN.
Last update: 14-Jul-2022
We are terrible at passwords. Simply put, we suck at creating them and share them way too freely. Indeed, the very thing that can ensure our online security has become our biggest obstacle to it. And if you think you have good reasons not to use a password manager, we can tell you why you’re wrong.
The best password managers relieve you of the burden of having to create and memorize unique, complex logins on your own. And they protect your passwords by encrypting your login info in a virtual vault—either locally or in the cloud—only allowing access with a single master password. If you’re looking to step up your security game, a password manager is a way to do it. Yes, web browsers are starting to offer password management features, but they’re not good enough.
All of our top picks for password mangers support Windows, Mac OS, Android, and iOS, as well as the major browsers. And all will let you sync your data across multiple devices, though you may have pay extra for that privilege.
Once you’ve found the right password manager for your needs, head over to our guide on mastering your password manager.
Updated 07/28/2022: Check out our latest review of Bitdefender Total Security. If you’re looking for all-in-one security software that gives you the option of a password manager and more, then Bitdefender might be worth your time.
Pros
LastPass ticks all the boxes on our password manager wish list. It makes it a breeze to create unique, complex passwords; capture and manage login credentials; sync them across multiple devices; and share them with others you trust. Its password auditing and updating features help you identify and eliminate weak or duplicate passwords with just a mouse click or two. LastPass also stores credit card numbers and other personal data to autofill web forms when you’re making a purchase, signing up for a service, or paying a bill.
LastPass supports a range of multi-factor authentication options for protecting your vault, including app-based authenticators like Symantec VIP and Google Authenticator, hardware tokens like YubiKey, and fingerprint readers. Given the rich features it provides, LastPass should be one of the first password managers you try—and don’t be surprised if it’s the last.
Pros
Cons
Dashlane is the strongest contender for LastPass’s crown. It has a beautiful interface, is easy to use, and is stocked with features to help you strengthen your online security. Chief among these is a stellar security dashboard that grades your passwords and suggests actions for boosting your score and your protection. Dashlane is free for a single device, but if you want syncing across multiple devices you’ll need a paid plan: the $60-per-year Premium plan or the $90-per-year Family plan that covers six accounts. These prices are at the higher end, high quality of the program notwithstanding.
At this point, Dashlane’s features and capabilities are on-par with LastPass. The main differentiator between the two is price. LastPass comes in a bit cheaper and that’s why Dashlane is our runner-up. But if expense isn’t a concern, Dashlane is still a top-shelf option.
Pros
Cons
It’s a consumer’s market when it comes to password managers. While we have our clear favorites above, Keeper is a very strong contender in its own right. It emphasizes security more so than many other password managers. For instance, it eschews an automatic password update feature as even this process would require temporary access to your credentials.
While Keeper’s security-above-all-else mindset makes it one of the best, it comes at the expense of things some consumers prize such as ease-of-use and aesthetics. To their credit, Keeper seems to recognize this and has taken strides to update its interface to be more user-friendly. While security-minded users stand to get the most out of Keeper’s robust features set, even the everyday user will be safer for using it.
Pros
Cons
While most password managers require a master password to access your password vault, LogMeOnce relieves you of having to remember even that. It uniquely offers the option of a PIN, biometric, or photo login to access your vault. This feature gives LogMeOnce a unique edge over other password managers.
Other than this distinctive feature, LogMeOnce operates similarly to its peers. It allows you to store and sync passwords and credit cards across your devices with end-to-end encryption. It also includes other features such as dark-web and cyberthreat monitoring, but these will come at a bit of an additional cost. Its unique features make LogMeOnce one of the most convenient password managers we’ve tested.
Pros
Cons
Bitwarden offers a generous free plan that makes it a great option for users on a budget. Unlike a lot of other password managers that place heavy restrictions on free users, Bitwarden lets you save unlimited vault items and sync your vault across all of your devices. And it allows you do all of this without charging you a penny.
While it may not be the most user-friendly, and it lacks some of the advanced features offered by the paid services, Bitwarden still allows you to upgrade your security for no additional expense. It does offer a paid tier, but its free tier includes so many features that you probably won’t need anything more.
Free password managers come in all sorts of different flavors. Check out our roundup of best free password managers for more information.
At their most basic, password managers capture your username and password—usually via a browser plugin—when you log in to a website, and then automatically fill in your credentials when you return to that site. They store all your passwords in an encrypted database, often referred to as a “vault,” which you protect with a single master password.
Of course, most password managers do much more than this and many extend protection beyond your login credentials to other types of personal data. We narrowed it down to a few essential features that we looked for and you should too:
No online security measure is 100 percent foolproof, but most security experts agree that password managers are still the safest way for people to manage their myriad logins, and we agree that the benefits far outweigh the risks. Just choose your password manager carefully after researching all the options starting with this guide.
Editor’s note: Because online services are often iterative, gaining new features and performance improvements over time, our reviews are subject to change in order to accurately reflect the current state of the services.
While nothing can be said to be 100 percent safe and secure, password managers do a great job of providing enhanced security features that you wouldn’t otherwise have. Generally speaking, password managers encrypt all of the data you store with them. While cybercriminals might be able to somehow hack the password manager, it is highly unlikely they will be able to decrypt your data to see the contents.
Nevertheless, much of the security of your password manager comes down to the strength of your one master password. If you are concerned about the safety of this one password, then it would be worth it to choose a password manager that stores your master password on a different server from the rest of your encrypted passwords—adding an additional layer of security.
This will come down to what features you need in a password manager. Free services typically are limited to one device on which to save and sync your passwords. They will generate strong passwords for use, offer basic compromised-password alerts, and will store saved credit card and address information.
Premium password managers, which you have to pay to use, offer all of the same features as their free counterparts, but also allow you to sync and store passwords and data across multiple devices—or even between family members. They also have additional special features such as dark web scanning and emergency contact access, among others.
If you only have one device and don’t need any of the fancy additional features, then there really isn’t a need to pay for a premium service. However, premium password managers are only a few dollars per month so they won’t break the bank if you ever decide to switch.
If you suspect that you have been hacked, it is important to first figure out if it’s just you or if your password manager’s database has been compromised. Reputable password managers should put out some form of public release if they have been hacked. You can figure this out with a simple Google search. If they are not claiming to have been hacked, then it may be that your own data has been compromised some other way.
If it turns out your password manager’s database has been hacked, it’s up to you whether to continue with that service. Thankfully, all your passwords will be encrypted so hackers won’t be able to see the contents even after they have been stolen.
Symantec Corp (NASDAQ: SYMC), the world’s leading cyber security company, has introduced Email Threat Isolation, which blocks advanced email attacks on end user devices by helping to protect users against spear phishing, credential theft, account takeover and ransomware attacks. Symantec is the first and currently only vendor to offer a complete and integrated email security solution with threat isolation technology for enterprise email, which protects customers from the kind of sophisticated email attacks that are so prevalent in the cloud generation.
“Despite significant efforts by our industry to detect and block email-borne threats, messaging remains the primary vector for malware and scams within the enterprise. The industry requires a paradigm shift to properly secure messaging, and we are excited to be bringing the innovation of integrated isolation technology to email,” said Greg Clark, Symantec CEO. “This revolutionary technology helps enterprises to quickly and easily isolate all malicious email content – both internal and external – to substantially reduce inherent risks within messaging applications. Further, because the technology is cloud-based, organizations can be up and running quickly and easily, reducing stress on already taxed IT teams.”
Email Threat Isolation takes prevention to the next level by ensuring suspicious links to risky web pages are isolated, allowing safe access. This capability gives customers elevated levels of protection against advanced email attacks by creating a secure remote execution environment between users and malicious content. Symantec is the only vendor to offer risk-level based isolation policies to send web traffic from suspicious links to this remote environment, which confines all malicious activity, and only sends a safe visual representation of the content down to the user. In addition, Symantec Email Threat Isolation can render such sites in read-only mode which prevents unsuspecting employees from disclosing sensitive information such as corporate credentials.
Rob Ayoub, Program Director, Security Products, IDC said, "Phishing and ransomware attacks are constantly evolving and are becoming increasingly sophisticated. Isolation represents a new approach to defending against these insidious threats and is particularly useful to defend high value targets. Symantec is the first to integrate threat isolation into its email security solution."
"We are bringing innovation to this critical control point, to significantly reduce reliance on employee behavior, and give IT administrators greater control over their email environment,” said Patrick Gardner, Symantec senior vice president, email security and advanced threat protection. “As part of our mission to deliver an integrated cyber defense platform, we designed Email Threat Isolation to provide advanced phishing protection to all organizations, whether they use Symantec Email Security or third-party email security solutions. "
Symantec Email Threat Isolation is available globally as a cloud-based service or an on-premises solution.
(MENAFN- America News Hour)
Key Companies Covered in the Mobile Data Protection Market Research are Cisco Systems, Inc., Microsoft Corporation, EMC Corporation (AirWatch), Symantec Corporation, Hewlett-Packard, CheckPoint Software Technologies Pvt. Ltd., Sophos, Trend Micro, Inc., Dell, Inc., and other key market players.
CRIFAX added a new market research report on 'Global (U.S., Canada, UK, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Russia, China, India, Japan, Australia, South Korea, Malaysia, Brazil, Mexico, Argentina, GCC, South Africa) Mobile Data Protection Market, 2021-2030' to its database of market research collaterals consisting of overall market scenario with prevalent and future growth prospects, among other growth strategies used by key players to stay ahead of the game. Additionally, accurate trends, mergers and acquisitions, region-wise growth analysis along with challenges that are affecting the growth of the market are also stated in the report.
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Be it artificial intelligence (AI), internet of things (IoT) or digital reality, the increased rate of technological advancements around the world is directly proportional to the growth of global Mobile Data Protection market . In the next two years, more than 20 billion devices are predicted to be connected to internet. With hundreds of devices getting connected to internet every second, the worldwide digital transformation in various industries is estimated to provide value-producing prospects in the global Mobile Data Protection market, which is further anticipated to significantly boost the market revenue throughout the forecast period, i.e., 2021-2030.
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From last two decades, the investments by ICT industry has contributed extensively in strengthening the developed, developing and emerging countries' economic growth. According to the statistics provided by United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD), the total export (%) of ICT goods such as computers, peripheral, communication and electronic equipment among other IT goods around the world grew from 10.62% in 2011 to 11.51% in 2017. The highest was recorded in Hong Kong, with 51.7% in 2017, followed by Philippines, Singapore and Malaysia. Additionally, growth in global economy coupled with various initiatives proposed by governments of different nations to meet their policy objectives is estimated to hone the growth of the global Mobile Data Protection market in upcoming years.
Not only the ever growing IT sector brings with it numerous advancements, it also creates fair amount of challenges when it comes to security concerns pertaining to data storage among the users. With increasing availability of internet access leading to rising number of internet users, there is vast amount of user information that is being stored online through cloud services. This has driven many nations to compile laws (such as European Union's GDPR and U.S.'s CLOUD Act) in an attempt to protect their citizens' data. In addition to that, the growth of the global Mobile Data Protection market might also be obstructed by lack of skilled professionals. To overcome this obstacle, companies should focus on providing skills and required training to their workforce, in order to keep up in this digital era.
Furthermore, to provide better understanding of internal and external marketing factors, the multi-dimensional analytical tools such as SWOT and PESTEL analysis have been implemented in the global Mobile Data Protection market report. Moreover, the report consists of market segmentation, CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate), BPS analysis, Y-o-Y growth (%), Porter's five force model, absolute $ opportunity and anticipated cost structure of the market.
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michaelMichael is a freelance writer with high proficiency for technical content writing. He loves to write on accurate trends and developments taking place across industries owing to his hurry interest for research. He has strong professional skill required to conduct in-depth industry analysis in addition to several other subject areas such as working on new innovations and technology, strategic planning, business strategies and market research.
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