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Topic: Cybersecurity

Smart cities, cyber risks among interesting topics at event

Cities are integrating more technology into their operations to reduce the cost of services and improve the way services are delivered. Economic development is a key driving force.
Same software, new flaw - Apache Struts

Nearly a full year after we learned about the Apache Struts software vulnerability that led to the massive Equifax data breach, there’s an alert about another, similar problem.
Cybercriminals alter tactics to exploit email opportunities

Here’s an interesting economic tidbit: Cybercrime has been so successful in recent years that the laws of supply and demand have depressed the market for stolen data.
Catholic Pastoral Center fights phishing threat in good humor

Cybersecurity is serious business. The consequences of a successful attack on an organization’s network can be enormous. That doesn’t mean training staff members to reduce cyber risks has to be grim or boring.
Security committees help companies bolster defenses

Businesses and other organizations have had to step up their defenses, including planning, to reduce the risks of being victimized.
Denial-of-service attacks are getting more difficult, but not impossible to stop

Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks have become more sophisticated, which is forcing businesses in the region to deploy more advanced defensive strategies.
Interesting report explores risks of open source software

Jon Scarbrough stresses the need for businesses to closely screen their software providers and monitor software coding on an ongoing basis to become quickly aware of newly reported vulnerabilities so that needed updates can be applied.
Managed services are viable way for businesses to improve cybersecurity

Keeping up with cybersecurity changes is easier for companies with ongoing access to experts and good, well-maintained equipment. SDN's managed services offer that high level of protection to companies that might lack IT staff time or expertise.
DSU is helping bridge the gender gap in cybersecurity

Nationally, only about 11 percent of the people working in cybersecurity are women. Dr. Ashley Podhradsky, a faculty member at Dakota State University, doesn’t like to talk about the gender imbalance, however.
Beware of free pizza and more complex phishing come-ons

Seventy-six percent of organizations experienced phishing attacks in 2017 according to a recent report and nearly half of all the respondents said the attacks are increasing.
Recurring advice from experts: Back up data, train employees

Not surprisingly, attacks intended to disable computer systems in South Dakota schools increase about the time of semester tests. The culprits, presumably, are students who are smart enough to launch Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks but are too lazy or mischievous to study for exams.
FBI Top-Cybercop to deliver opening keynote March 27

Sioux Falls area businesses have a rare opportunity to hear one of the nation’s top G-Men March 27. Supervisory Special Agent Jay Patel will open the US Chamber of Commerce event with an unclassified FBI briefing
Sioux Falls Cybersecurity Conference to educate business leaders on cybersecurity

The U.S. Chamber of Commerce and the Sioux Falls Area Chamber of Commerce will cohost a regional cybersecurity conference March 27 at the Holiday Inn City Centre in Sioux Falls.
SD lawmakers consider bill requiring data breach notifications

South Dakota remains the last state in the nation without data breach reporting protection for citizens, but Attorney General Marty Jackley intends to change that with the help of lawmakers this session.
Protect networks and back up data to stop ransomware

Not all ransomware attacks are successful, of course. Companies are learning to adequately back up data and to keep their networking equipment and programs up to date.
Healthcare information is valued and coveted by hackers

The national movement from paper files to electronic medical records has greatly improved the efficiency of treating patients. But it's also making all of that personal data more available to hackers around the world.
SDN report: Equifax breach illustrates importance of prompt updates

During recent months, the Managed Firewalls that SDN Communications’ customer use weeded out approximately 2,000 attacks directed at a vulnerable version of Apache Struts website-building software.
Free cybersecurity event comes at good time for area businesses

Businesses entrusted with personal and sensitive data can no longer consider cybersecurity a secondary support duty. Keeping information safe is more important than that. The Better Business Bureau is hosting a free program designed to help keep business representatives up to date on the cyber threat landscape.
New technology creates challenges as well as opportunities

There’s a cautionary side to the expanding, positive uses of technology that should remain in public awareness, too, of course. Among the risks are an increasing array of weapons and hacking strategies that endanger computer networks.
3 Steps to protect your Internet of Things devices

Along with the proliferation of IoT devices comes new scams. Gartner warns that by 2020, there will be a billion-dollar black market selling fake sensors and video data to enable criminal activity.