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Educate, Solve, and Share: The Human Touch

When we say that we value our clients, we mean that we hold you to a higher esteem than the money you pay us. We value every experience with each business, meeting your staff and your team, sharing our knowledge and integrating our various tools, software, skills, and learning opportunities with each new project.

As a client of Digital Saints Solutions, we encourage you to check back often for updates to our blog that may help protect and alert you and your business to cyber security threats, scams, and virtual BOLOs.

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Education For More Secure Databases & Better Business Practices

28 Jan 2025

Best Practices For A Better Business In The Digital Revolution

In 2017, Bitsight, the Standard of Security Ratings for information systems and computing, released a report titled 'A Growing Risk Ignored, Critical Updates' addressing the lack of relevant security protocols in over 35,000 companies from all over the world. The report (Published in the National Archive, available here to read in full) analyzed widespread bad practices that commonly lead to vulnerable networks and data breaches -

One of the worst infractions being the blatant failure to update software, including failure to apply critical updates or patches for operating systems that would mitigate known security issues within a timely manner.

While technology has advanced tremendously since this report was introduced (as a direct response to a series of ransomware attacks, including the prevalence of WannaCry in business and government networks all over the world), the effort to mitigate these attacks hasn't stepped up to the plate.

Months before WannaCry became a widespread problem, Microsoft had released a patch of all Server Message Block (SMB) vulnerabilities that addressed EternalBlue- one of the main vulnerabilities experts believed the bad actors were exploiting.

Despite the patch being freely available on the Microsoft platform and companies were well aware of the update's release, many failed to download the simple fix that could have saved thousands of companies and business millions of dollars in damages over the course of serveral years. Just like that.

The same report from BitSight discovered that AT LEAST 50% of systems used by THOUSANDS of companies tested were not only behind on patch updates, but they were running outdated versions of Internet Browsers, making them TWICE as likely to experience a publicly disclosed breach.

Furthermore, BitSight also found that thousands of organizations had MORE than 50% of their computers running on outdated operating systems, making them THREE TIMES more likely to experience a publicly disclosed breach.

It may seem counter intuitive if you're a business owner or the head of a largef operation to expose yourself to attacks that can cost - most often - BILLIONS in damages between recovery operations and legal damages alone, yet this is a problem that seems to be ignored more often than it is readily addressed, even if the fix is free and simple.

There are a few reasons (not good enough reasons) to not updated the operating system, internet browser, or hardware you are using to run your business or organization.

1. You're running irreplaceable software (or software you don't want to commission an engineer to adapt). Believe it or not, even the US government often contracts third parties to create, adapt, and maintain software for their various operations. The US government isn't alone in this, and is one of the worst offenders when it comes to using both outdated hardware and software.

There is a risk associated with contracting. The contractor must have a certain level of security clearance that will allow them to access the assets and resources needed for the project. Once the project is complete, the third party contractor is often decommissioned and the software is used as is until it cannot be used any longer. Unfortunately, that's just not how it works these days.

If you have ever played a video game, better yet, a PC game purchased through a platform like BattleNet or Steam, you have experienced the annoying start up sequence on your desktop where Steam patches and updates all the games on your hard drive from your library. The client maintains the software, acting as a delivery network to maintain up to date versions of each game.

This requires two components to occur successfully - a connection to the Internet at all times and a client installed to distribute the new patches and updates.

The connection to the Internet is often where the government and companies miss the mark with security. When working with sensitive information or even local databases - such as the in-store inventory files for a small business - you may not want to be online. Being online can be a risk unto itself as you have to allow some open ports and information transfer.

Recent updates to most databases converted files from the old save states to a fluctuating state that is updated from a the main database, such as your vendors inventory. Any pricing changes or serial numbers that may update on their end will automatically apply to those products from that vendor in your database to allow for point of sale and inventory systems to update in real time with any changes made. This change made a lot of the older file extensions obsolete. So what do you do if you need to use the software but can't access any of the data because the new system update is incompatible?

The answer is to come up with the solution before that even becomes a problem. It may sound like a cop out, but it's true. To maintain security, you must anticipate future risks and address them accordingly. This is essentially what Microsoft did with the patch that would have saved so many from WannaCry, but because the companies themselves didn't anticipate the future risks or holes in their current setup, they were caught with their pants down.

Call your IT department or hire third party contractors to reformat your files to be compatible with new updates and patches, push operating system and security updates through as soon as possible when they are first announced. Plan for any downtime that may occur during holidays or closures / non business hours.

The biggest excuse used is incompatibility issues or fear that older programs may not run with newer patches. There will always be updates. There will always be exploits. Anticipate them and plan accordingly. Before you're next on the ransomware hit list.

2. Hire an independent Information Systems Security specialist to audit your network, databases, and computers within for critical issues and potential exploits that can be fixed before someone with a more malicious agenda finds out they're there. If you have your own security team, it is still recommended to get an independent second opinion as we are only human and one team may spot something the last team missed (or didn't think to test.)

3. If you're concerned about losing access to critical information or databases from updates, create backups, and read patch notes closely for patches and OS updates. Patch notes are typically available in advance depending on what operating system you use. Help make decisions with your IT department (if you have an internal IT department) by holding a quarterly meeting to discuss potential security threats and what can be done to enhance security throughout your network and each computer connected to it.

4. ALWAYS KEEP THE BACKUP AND BACKUP OFTEN. There is no hard and fast rule as to how often you should backup a project or database, but, depending on how often updates or changes are made, weekly or monthly backups are the most common best practice.

Keep backups on an encrypted external drive to ensure that they cannot become threatened by malware that can spread throughout online databases.

These days, you will typically keep two sets of backups, one on an external drive and one on a cloud server.

Any time I make this suggestion, I think of the 2022 catastrophe that was my old credit union's online banking system and app, Vystar. They were desperately in need of an overhaul and started updating the mobile app and online banking system itself. The update process began in December of 2021 and didn't see resolution of any kind until almost June of 2022 due to the third party contractor that had been working on the app launching the new update prematurely before issues started to show themselves..and prematurely also deleted the backup of the old app, which wasn't great, but it worked.

5. Invest in security software or monitoring. This is more of a suggestion for larger companies and businesses that have several computers connected to a mainframe or a widespread network. Security suites aren't cheap at the enterprise level but can save companies millions in digital damages and lawsuits by alerting IT departments of threats and deploying fixes or measures to mitigate them before the threat propagates and causes major damage. Just like anything, you must weigh the cost, risk, and reward for your business or organization before investing in security of this caliber, but for companies or organizations dealing with large amounts of transactions containing sensitive data, it will always be worth it.

6. For smaller networks, consider using a VPN and teach employees best practices. There are several VPN providers out there that can add an extra layer of security over your servers and online databases, ensuring that information that can be used to exploit individual systems and monitoring threats from various pain points, such as remote access. Enforce regular password updates for individual accounts regardless of security clearance and limit access to sensitive business assets to those who NEED access to them for their regular job description.

These tips can't prevent all attacks as the field is constantly moving forward and the introduction of new patches, software, and updates are always going to be one step behind those who wish to exploit their flaws. Business owners and companies must be vigilant, and the bare minimum isn't ever enough, but it's better than nothing.

Don't put those patches or critical security updates on hold, upgrade operating systems as they become available to protect against long standing exploits, and schedule updates and patches regularly to maintain the most secure state of your systems.

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5. Educate Employees, Friends, Family & Request Professional Assessment

This is the best tip we can give you, because most attacks are on the most vulnerable aspects of our security protocols and no amount of patches, hardening, or software updates will stop us from being the weakest leak.

Humans naturally make mistakes. With data security and overall security in every sense of the word on both a large several and on a personal level, it starts with education, progresses to understanding, and then prevention.

To this day, scam emails and phishing have cost Americans millions each year and many of these scams go unreported and unresolved. It is estimated that 38% of Americans will be scammed in their lifetime and that number is trending upward. On average, each scam earns the scammer around $535, but 27% of this statistic report losses of $1000 or more.

In 2024, consumers reported $12 billion in fraud in the USA, a 25% increase from the previous year, according the FTC.

According to AARP, 4 in 10 Americans have experienced some type of fraud, but it's not the elderly or any demographic exclusively that has experienced these attacks.

These breaches are the result of social engineering and phishing - and these things aren't covered by anti malware or antivirus software. It often starts with some kind of incentive or a threat. The scammer will often use legitimate credentials and some information they may have gleaned to make themselves seem like a valid agent or associate of a business.

Even worse, scammers pose as friends or love interest, scouting dating sites and social media for victims they exploit through manipulation and blackmail to pay them 'or else', with some cases recently involving kidnapping.

Scammers use fake social media profiles and photos to attract the victim, appearing often as someone they know or have seen on others friends lists. They will target anyone, choosing photos and words carefully to make their persona believable. Often, several scammers will interact with the victim of the course of the relationship under one profile.
Scammers will use dating sites and classified ads to exploit singles and those seeking any form of a relationship, pretending to have genuine feelings for the victim while grooming them to perform specific actions, such as sending money via Western Union, paying for travel or accomodations and cancelling plans last minute while pocketing the funds given, requesting 'pity payments' for disaster relief, hardships, or personal misfortune that is fraudulent / unfounded.
Posing as legitimate businesses is also very common, particularly in phishing attempts. Bad actors will falsify login and payment pages, tampering with the url just enough so that it appears real, using email address or identities that, at first glance, appear to be legitimate but can not be verified beyond one on one interactions.
Blackmail, threats, and coercion are also on the rise. While scammers rarely operate on the same continent as their victims, there have been recent reports of kidnappings and puppeteering of other victims, utilizing them as couriers and proxies for their activities, allowing them to operate incognito and the victim taking all the risk of the transaction if caught.

While you cannot 100 percent guarantee mitigation of these very human threats, through education and regular communication, companies and businesses can build a stronger human Frontline against those using these tactics.

At home, those born prior to the 1970s are more at risk simply due to lack of exposure and a general lack of education in current risks with technology. Children are also very vulnerable and internet usage / social media should be restricted and monitored based on what is appropriate for you and your child, their maturity level, and overall understanding of potential risks that can affect them just as much as anyone else..

Here are our tips to help fill the gap in security that hardening and software can't ever fully cover.

Talk about potential risks, current known exploits or security flaws, and approve communications based on security clearance or with access control in the workplace. Whether you hold regular training seminars or prefer an email newsletter, set up communications that keep your employees in the know as to what risks are out there. Make them aware of any security exploits you may be aware of on a need to know basis, and restrict sensitive information for those with higher security clearance.
Open up lines of communication in the event a breach is detected or someone expects fraud, phishing, etc. in the event that data is compromised, always move to stop the bleeding first. Remove access or connectivity from your databases to restrict access to them until the exploit is fixed or the breach has been resolved. •Encourage employees to report anything they suspect may have put them at risk or that they noticed during regular operations that did not seem regular. Use instances of breaches as a learning tool for the rest of the workforce as these things are wholly unavoidable and it is more productive to deal with them quickly and without hesitation to mitigate any and all damage in progress or that has been done.
Encryption and using secure terminals or tokens can be a viable solution for e-commerce platforms, online businesses, and other companies or small businesses that process payments and handle sensitive consumer data transfers regularly. See the bottom of this article for our recommendations and links to relevant solutions.
At home, discuss current and past instances of scams with family and friends. Do not hesitate to share your own story so that your experience can be learned from. Make note of common circulating phishing scams and known data breaches so you can anticipate what to do next. If your data has been leaked, you may experience suspicious activities on your accounts. Make sure you change passwords regularly and log off accounts in order to kick any bad actors off your account as well.
Install multi factor authentication or 2FA. Use Passkeys as mentioned before. It is much harder to give away something you can't physically give.

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Service Agreement & Retainer Services

Digital Saints Solutions provides services to consumers using virtual platforms, software, and digital networks. These services may be commissioned under a deliverable or upon completion contract or as part of a retainer in association with a service agreement or "service package". Each clients service agreement or contract will be unique and pricing will vary depending on the complexity of the request, labor, and resources required to execute the project as envisioned.

We encourage our clients to compare services and cost before deciding on a company or agency to provide any web development or design service.

Clients may request to modify service agreements within reason provided sufficient notification and acknowledgement of terms. All service agreements or contracts on retainer are based on a minimum duration of 12 months. Changed may take place prior to the renewal or expiration depending on the agreement of both parties. Termination prior to 12 months or the agreed upon minimum contract age may accrue additional fees or charges depending on the adherence to terms and conditions and the situation through which termination was initiated.

Digital Saints Solutions does not pro rate or credit accounts paid for service hours or overages, nor will the invoiced total exceed the listed account maximum for labor hours and cost. This will vary depending on your agreement and services rendered.

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Igor Miske

Alexander Schimmeck