FBI Warns Boston Businesses to Prepare for Cyberthreats

As we’ve said time and time again, modern businesses need to be prepared to resist cybercrime and cyberattacks…and as it happens, the Federal Bureau of Investigation agrees with us. How can we be so sure? Simple—the FBI is currently pushing businesses in the northeast to better prepare themselves, including here in Boston.

Let’s dive into what the FBI is pushing businesses to do, and how we can help you fulfill these recommendations.

As Cybercrime Mounts, the FBI is Urging Businesses to Take Action

When you consider that, amongst Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island, 15,000 victims of cybercrime lost a reported $184 million (an increase of 54% from the year prior), it’s little wonder that there’s some level of federal intervention. Don’t forget, it was only last year that Boston Children’s Hospital was targeted by government-sponsored attackers—and that’s just one example amongst 145 reported in FBI Boston’s purview last year (representing an 85% increase), not counting the potential many that likely went unreported.

Now, the Bureau is inviting businesses to cooperate with them moving forward, sharing a few tips to help keep these businesses more secure—tips we just so happen to agree with:

• Keep operating systems and software updated and patched
• Implement robust and comprehensive access controls
• Monitor your security logs
• Audit those with access to sensitive systems and sensitive data
• Set and enforce password and multifactor authentication measures wherever available
• Educate team members about phishing and other threats, including how to spot and mitigate them
• Keep a robust backup strategy, with encrypted and immutable data backups held offline and tested regularly
• Monitor industry alerts
• Develop a full cybersecurity incident response plan

The FBI Wants You to Reach Out, But We Can Take Care of You

We’re here to work as your full-service IT support team—which includes keeping your IT secure so you don’t have to worry quite as much, while training your entire team to make secure behaviors and practices second nature. We’d even be the ones to interface with authorities in cases like this on your behalf. Give us a call at (774) 213-9701 to learn more about what we can do.