What Do I Do if I have CryptoWall or CryptoLocker?

I am surprised how many people are still calling with CryptoLocker problems.   I have gotten three calls in the past two days from people who have had infected/encrypted Cryptolocker files for as long as three months and they are just now dealing with the issue.  At this point in time I am not even sure paying the ransom will work for victims as the CryptoLocker network was taken down a couple of months ago by international law enforcement and with CryptoWall users only have 30 days to comply with the ransom demands.

So what options do you have if you are like these recent callers?

What Do I Do if I have CryptoWall or CryptoLocker?2014-10-13T21:22:18-07:00

How Do I Stop Being a Hostage to IT and the Six Reasons We Feel Like a Hostage?

Over the years we have seen many new clients come to Alvaka Networks feeling like they are hostages to Information Technology.  These people feel this way for many different reasons.  Most often the person feeling this way is the CFO, Controller, CEO, COO, IT manager or an IT technician for the most part in that order in terms of frequency.

Why do they feel that way?

It is usually because their systems were:

1.       Poorly designed

2.       They don’t work right

3.       The system is insecure

4.       No one knows what the last guy...

How Do I Stop Being a Hostage to IT and the Six Reasons We Feel Like a Hostage?2020-05-28T15:18:08-07:00

Technology advertisements that cross ethical, legal lines

It's hard to tell fact from fiction in technology advertisements, says technology and security consultant Kevin McDonald. These irresponsible claims about a product's compliance or security capabilities can have ethical and legal consequences. …I can't tell you how many times [...]

Technology advertisements that cross ethical, legal lines2020-06-09T23:53:57-07:00

How is the New Apple iWatch just like the IBM PC?

If the IBM PC legitimized the PC market in 1981 and launched an explosion of sales and it created a whole new market, I predict the health-enabled Apple Watch will do the same.  Prior to IBM's entry into the PC [...]

How is the New Apple iWatch just like the IBM PC?2014-09-10T21:53:19-07:00

Unclear HIPAA rules permit healthcare data offshoring … for now

...Under the Final Rule, the OCR has the power to domestically deal out civil penalties, corrective actions and long-term monitoring, while the DOJ has the power to domestically deliver a criminal prosecution. Through enforcement under HITECH, the State attorneys general [...]

Unclear HIPAA rules permit healthcare data offshoring … for now2014-07-29T02:19:34-07:00

Electronic health records ripe for theft

The only difference in healthcare is that the large breaches have not gotten the sensational, but appropriate coverage credit card breaches have gotten.

Three other interesting quotes:

1.      As health data becomes increasingly digital and the use of electronic health records booms, thieves see patient records in a vulnerable health care system as attractive bait, according to experts interviewed by POLITICO. On the black market, a full identity profile contained in a single record can bring as much as $500.

2.      “Criminal elements will go where the money is,” said Wah, who was the first 

Electronic health records ripe for theft2014-07-15T01:03:09-07:00

HIPAA consulting and the channel’s ethical responsibility

Kevin is a featured writer for TechTarget.  Here is is latest column: _________________________________________________________ A few months ago, I wrote an article about the practice of non-attorneys consulting on HIPAA business associate agreements. After talking with scores of people about the [...]

HIPAA consulting and the channel’s ethical responsibility2020-06-09T23:54:19-07:00

HIPAA business associate agreement consultations could be unlawful

Here is a controversial article written recently by Kevin McDonald for TechTarget. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Under federal law, the Health Information Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Privacy Rule extends to a class of business entities (i.e., health plans, health care clearinghouses and [...]

HIPAA business associate agreement consultations could be unlawful2020-04-29T22:44:01-07:00

Is Antivirus Software Really Dead?

I am curious what Dye’s definition is for "cyber-attack?" One this is for sure, the motivation of hackers and malware has changed dramatically over the years. The threats are new and different today. Going back in history most malware was related to someone wanting cyber fame, making a political statement or just plain mischievousness. Now with the advent of ransomware, spam mailing bots and

Is Antivirus Software Really Dead?2017-11-13T07:30:06-08:00

Some Good Questions and Answers on Backup and Disaster Recovery

1. Where should small businesses start with disaster recovery, whether or not they already have a DR plan in place? What is the first question the small business owner needs to ask?

I recommend starting with determining RTO and RPO.  If the small business owner starts here he or she will be off to a good start with the DR plan.  What are RTO and RPO?

•         RTO – Recovery Time Objective, the time between the disaster and when the system has been made operational again.  Why is this important?  Different businesses have different costs associated with

Some Good Questions and Answers on Backup and Disaster Recovery2014-04-29T23:01:20-07:00