Your Face Mask Selfie Might Have Been Collected for The Future of Facial recognition Technology

By -- 2020-05-27 in Blog

It turns out the selfies you are taking with your facemask on are not just being seen by your family and friends, but researchers are collecting them as well to improve their facial recognition algorithms. A recent report shows that thousands of face-masked selfies are currently present in public data sets filled with photos taken directly from Instagram.

Face mask cover-up is an essential part of facial recognition algorithms and lack of facial recognition data has threatened the future of a multimillion-dollar industry. Since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, individuals have been urged into wearing face masks and facial recognition companies are attempting to keep up in collecting enough data as possible while they still can.

As with any technology, it is important to keep updated on the latest technology and security concerns.  Before you post anything on Instagram, you should look at the ramifications for your company. For more information on how to protect your businesses , feel free to contact OptfinITy at (703)790-0400 or at sales@optfinity.com

Famous Ransomware Gang Gives Victims Keys to Access The Files They Stole.

By -- 2020-05-8 in Uncategorized

Operators of the infamous ransomware Shade have decided to shut down and have released over 750,000 decryption keys to their victims who can now decrypt their files and hopefully regain access. The Shade explained on a message posted in the GitHub Repository that they have decided  to publish all decryption keys back to their victims and hope that antivirus companies will issue their own user-friendly decryption tools – ending their message with an apology for all the victims that were affected by their trojan over the years and hope the keys will be able to recover their data.

The Shade ransomware is one of the oldest ransomware strains out there but they are not the only one and you should still take proper precautions. For more information on ransomware strains or information on how to protect your business, you can contact OptfinITy on (703)-790-0400 or sales@optfinity.com.

Zoom May Be Replaced By This New Video-Conferencing Interface

By -- 2020-05-6 in Blog

As millions of people begin to work from home, it is not surprising that the Zoom application received a spike in sales as the global world turned to it for videoconferencing – although a bumpy road. But is Zoom and other applications like it really good for us?   A design firm called Argodesign has different thoughts and have created a concept called ‘The Square’.

This new  concept offers an artificial window with an LCD screen that will go from your wall to the corner of your desk. When you raise the shade, you will then be given the opportunity to see your coworkers – who will also be using the device – and strike up a conversation, discuss individual work, or hold meetings similar to the environmental essence of a real office.

As social creatures, we tend to miss human connection. What’s interesting about The Square is that it will replicate you in 3D rather than a flat screen, and if done correctly, will feel as though there is only a sheer window between you and the person you’re corresponding with. The architecture will be fixed to present a real office environment when convenient, and when you need a break, you can just lift the screen back up for more privacy. Although Zoom has been beneficial during this transition, The Square may offer an opportunity for more human-connection and productivity.  For more information, click here.

Americans Have So Far Lost US$13 Million From Coronavirus Scams

By -- 2020-05-1 in Blog

As scams related to COVID-19 begin to rise, more and more businesses are finding themselves amidst a phishing scam. The United States Federal Trade Commission has reported that more than 17,000 complaints from US consumers have disclosed a total loss of US$13 million from COVID-19 scams, this is not to mention the many other scams that did not get reported. According to an article written by Welivesecurity, Scams related to online shopping and cancellation of travel has estimated to roughly over $5 million dollars in losses.

The COVID-19 pandemic has evolved into a massive scam epidemic with cybercriminals exploiting the mass public fear of the coronavirus. Scams have included selling non-existing facemasks, and false impersonation of health authorities. The FTC has compiled the data into an infographic which is updated regularly.  The total fraud loss is currently at $13.13 million, with a reported median loss of US$568. They have also presented a webpage with tips for consumers to avoid coronavirus-related scams.

If you are worried that you or your company are not prepared to handle these types of scams and would like to verify if your company is at risk, OptfinITy can help. Feel free to contact us at (703)790-0400 or contact us at info@optfinity.com for a FREE quotation.

FBI Warns Businesses of Another Alarming COVID-19 Risk

By -- 2020-04-21 in Blog

The FBI issued a warning this week stating that trusted employees in several organizations are committing fraud and taking advantage of this pandemic by falsely claiming they have been tested positive for COVID19. The FBI has informed companies that it has received multiple reports of employees who are using fake doctor’s notes and other documents to falsely claim that they have been diagnosed with COVID-19 and are asking employers to be cautious.

In one report, the FBI mentions an unnamed manufacturing company where an employee told his or her bosses that they have tested positive for Covid-19 which caused the company to shut down, cease production and disinfect the offices. The employer later learns that the document the employee brought in as evidence was fake after having already lost $175,000. Because of the intense nature of the COVID19- pandemic, any fake claims regarding testing positive for COVID19 is now considered a felony.

If you do not feel your business is ready to work remotely and are worried lack of productivity may cost you your business, optfinITy can help. We helped several diverse companies work remotely and we can help you too! Feel free to contact us at (703) 790-0400 or email info@optfinity.com

Cyber-attacks Against Hospitals During Covid19 May Lead To Deaths

By -- 2020-04-10 in Blog

The International Criminal Police Organization has announced that it has detected an increase in cyber-attacks against hospitals around the world that are connected to the COVID-19 response. Attacks that could “directly lead to deaths.”

As hospitals battle and save the lives of COVID-19 patients while also attempting to keep staff safe, it has been confirmed that another enemy is intent on exploiting stretched healthcare resources. That enemy is cyber-crime. INTERPOL has now issued a “purple notice” alert to law enforcement in all countries to support the global battle against cybercriminals who are attempting to lock nurses and doctors out of critical systems in order to extort money from them. As the proverb goes, there is no honor among thieves.

A recent report states that “locking hospitals out of their critical systems will not only delay the swift medical response required during these unprecedented times, it could directly lead to deaths.”

Zoom App Under Fire For Privacy Concerns

By -- 2020-04-6 in Blog

As massive amounts of people begin working from home during the COVID-19 crises, Zoom videoconference, along with many other video-conferencing applications, has been booming.

What people may not be aware of, however, is that  Zoom users might need to be concerned about the app’s privacy and security.  Some of the concerns with the application include that people in your meeting might be able to read your private messages if the host chooses to record a zoom meeting to the cloud.

Another concern regarding Zoom’s privacy policy is the app maker claims that your conference is end-to-end encrypted – which means, no one, even Zoom, has access to your chats or can read them.  This does not appear to be the case as research claims that Zoom has access to your audio and video meetings.

If you are unsure about which video conferencing app is right for you or are looking for secure ways to telework, we are here to help.   Contact us at (703)790-0400 or sales@optfinity.com to discuss your concerns.

What Is The KrØØk Flaw, and Why Should You Be Worried About It?

By -- 2020-03-30 in Blog

 

As you have seen in our previous postings, a cybercriminal will attempt to use any type of flaw which exists.  One of the more recent ones is the KrØØk vulnerability, also known as CVE-2019-15126.  This vulnerability can be found in a specific Cypress and Broadcom Wi-Fi chipset which can be found in millions of  smartphones, tablets, laptops, Wi-Fi- access points and routers.
While this isn’t good news, the one benefit is that the KrØØk flaw needs to be in close proximity with the Wireless connection in order to decrypt and steal sensitive data from your devices.  The only solution is to make sure that your wireless devices are running on the latest updates and have security patches. If you are not sure if you or your organization is capable of handling vulnerable security flaws, contact OptfinITy at (703)790-0400 or sales@optfinity.com and we would be happy to help!

Optfinity’s CEO, Michael Drobnis, Selected for Goldman Sachs Small Business Program

By -- 2020-03-24 in OptfinITy News

OptfinITy is proud to announce that our CEO, Michael Drobnis, has been selected to participate in the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (10KSB) Program. The program offers continuing business education through Babson College, a network of executive mentors, and access to capital through “mission-driven small business lenders.”

“I am a lifelong learner and understand the importance of networking and learning from others,” says Drobnis. Although his background includes an MBA, and various certifications, Drobnis says the 10KSB opportunity offers something his previous achievements couldn’t.

“All of this education was undertaken before I became CEO of OptfinITy and when you are the owner of a company, you are concerned about the business from different angles, so participating in the 10KSB program is perfect for me to learn more as a business owner.”

Of the 9,000 small businesses that have entered the program so far, more than two-thirds saw an increase in revenue within six months of joining the program, and nearly 80 percent reported revenue growth after 30 months. That’s compared to a national average of 47 percent among U.S. businesses.

Websites NOT to Open When Looking for CoronaVirus Updates

By -- 2020-03-19 in Blog

The Coronavirus panic has spread nation-wide and it did not take cyber criminals long to attempt to cash in on it. A report released on Thursday has stated that certain websites claiming to introduce news of the virus, are malicious websites and are sending out mass scams and emails attempting to monetize from this pandemic.

Director of operation of Recorded Future, Lindsay Kaye, has specifically called out these domains publicly as possibly dangerous:

  • Coronavirusstatus[.]space
  • Coronavirus-map[.]com
  • canalcero[.]digital
  • Coronavirus-realtime[.]com
  • Coronavirus[.]app
  • coronavirusware[.]xyz
  • Coronavirusaware[.]xyz
  • COVID19 Tracker [app]

Since the panic of the pandemic has left people frantically searching for information regarding the state of the outbreak, also watch out for another app called “COVID19 Tracker” which has been masking itself as an outbreak map tracker, when in reality it is ransomware that locks down your phone completely and demands you pay $100 in bitcoin in 48 hours or lose all your digital data.

If you are confused on which websites to trust and how to avoid hacking or ransomware, OptfinITy can help keep your data safe. Give us a call at 703-790-0400 or email us at sales@optfinity.com