Everyday thousands of companies and individuals are called by a person claiming they are from a tech support company. These scammers use persuasion to trick you into gaining access to your computer. Once they are in your system, they can steal your information or install malware such as Ransomware that locks the system down until you pay them to restore it.
How the scam works:
First they will contact you claiming to be from a reputable company like Microsoft, but usually they will say "Windows" or "Windows Tech Support." One give away of the scam is Windows is a product of Microsoft, not a separate company.
Then they will say your computer contacted them about a virus and then they will ask you generic questions such as:
Is your computer running slow?
Have you experienced any glitches?
They will claim this is because of the virus your computer contacted them about. They will then have you open the Windows log on your computer and show you a list of harmless or low level errors and claim they are caused by the virus.
Then they will direct you to their “Tech Support” website where you can give them access to your system so they can fix it.
Once they have access to your system, they can steal your files and install malware. One malware they are using now is Ransomware. Ransomware will lock access to your system until you pay the scammers to unlock it.
How to avoid the scam:
The best way to avoid the scam is to not trust the person calling from tech support. They may even fool your caller ID to mimic the reputable company’s name. Test if the call is legitimate by asking for their name and if you can call them back. Then call the company they are from instead of the number they give you. If the call is legitimate, they should be working for the company.
How to report a scam:
If you think you have received a call from a scammer, Microsoft and the FTC have a report tool on their websites where you can report these scams to them:
How to manage the risk to your business:
These situations can be detrimental for anyone but can be especially harmful for your business. It is estimated that 60% of small businesses fail after a data breach. The average cost of a data breach $215 per compromised customer to comply with the necessary regulatory and identity theft regulations. That means one breach can escalate to hundreds of thousands of dollars depending on the business size.
One way to help manage your business’s cyber risk is by adding a Cyber Liability policy to your security management practices. In addition to your security software, network and employee security training, a Cyber Liability Policy can assist your business in the event of a data breach. There are many companies offering a broad array of Cyber Liability solutions that can fit your business at a competitive price.
If you would like more information, please contact either our Idaho Falls Insurance Agency or Caldwell Insurance Agency today.