Quick Intelligence Blog

What is Anti-virus Software?

Computer viruses are bits of computer code that are designed to perform a specific purpose and are usually designed to propagate from one computer to another on a network. Just like viruses in the human body, a virus on a computer or network can make that computer “sick” meaning it doesn’t function the way it’s supposed to.

Topics: Ransomware cyber security Malware Anti-Virus

What is the Dark Web?

Nowadays, the digital equivalent of the wild west is called the Dark Web. The dark web is a subset of the internet that is intentionally hidden and not indexed. To access the Dark Web, a specific browser, like Tor, is required. Unavailable to the casual internet user, the Dark Web houses a treasure trove of stolen information, offering it for sale and trade on chat groups and online forums.

Topics: cyber security Breach

What is a Firewall?

A firewall is software or hardware that sits at the edge of your network, between your company and the Internet. It’s designed to keep hackers out and to allow legitimate connections into your network if needed. Legitimate connections may include access to email, access to a company website or corporate cloud apps.

Topics: cyber security

Why do my Customers Want to Know About my Cyber Security Practices?

They say a fence is only as strong as its weakest link, that holds true with cyber security as well. With most companies outsourcing services to companies like yours (and ours!), what we do to protect ourselves directly impacts the overall cyber security postures of our customers.

Topics: cyber security Compliance Privacy

How do Privacy Requirements Affect my Business?

Privacy and security go hand in hand. Cyber security focuses on protecting the information from unauthorized access, while privacy focuses more on protecting the contents of the information and ensuring it isn’t accessed or shared inappropriately. Both businesses and individuals have an expectation of privacy when they trust another business with their data.

Topics: cyber security Compliance Privacy Breach

Survey says 7 out of 10 Canadian Businesses Attacked by Ransomware Paid the Ransom

A new survey by the Canadian Internet Registration Authority (CIRA) says that nearly 70 per cent of Canadian organizations facing a ransomware attack last year paid the demands to avoid downtime, reputational damage and other costs. The interesting thing is that when they asked cyber security professionals if they supported legislation to make ransomware payments illegal, 64% said yes.

Topics: Ransomware cyber security Cyber Insurance Compliance Privacy Breach

How to Handle the Dreaded Cyber Security Questionnaire

So, you are a small business owner, and are about to land your first big client. Everything is going well, but before they sign the contract, they hand you a cyber security questionnaire. Now the panic sets in. Does this sound familiar?

Topics: cyber security Compliance Privacy

What is PCI Compliance?

PCI compliancePCI compliance, or Payment Card Industry compliance, is a set of standards created to ensure that when business take credit card payments online, they do it in a secure manner, minimizing the risk of credit card theft. The PCI Council creates the rules (there are ~150 of them) which dictate everything from firewall configuration to security protection on devices used to store, process, or transmit credit card data.

Topics: cyber security Compliance

3 Common Misconceptions About Ransomware

Whether you run a small business or a large business, you know that a ransomware attack can be devastating. Did you know that these 3 common misconceptions could give you a false sense of cyber security? Listed below are 3 of these misconceptions and what you can do to address them, and in turn, be more cyber secure.

Topics: Backups Ransomware cyber security Breach

What is the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF)?

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) was “founded in 1901 and is now part of the U.S. Department of Commerce. NIST is one of the nation's oldest physical science laboratories.” In 2013, then-president Obama tasked NIST to create a set of common-sense protection actions that SMBs could take to better protect themselves from Internet-based exposures.

Topics: cyber security Compliance