tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-303480162024-03-14T11:19:56.145+03:00Ruralictharnessing the benefits of technology for rural communitiesJohn Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.comBlogger160125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-31372541440299805742023-01-07T17:35:00.016+03:002023-01-25T11:18:44.731+03:0015 Free Courses to learn about Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies with Certificates<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EC-0WTJ3ngeGVx7sU2hEHi2ByOT6_OB3ZtPMA6fpolaEjsFf6s32qJXeBLN3Dpy4XSXGSCvUbEmIljIfVVyAwhqh8AlkyBs5cm-3oHcjRZZhO4tb0Dj6tOhJ7pT2uR3qOQqFY5hvjf5Qj4-mXF5faR7NcC_GikvbGlQmqM_AMJXw0lN4Rw/s638/bitcoin-and-cryptocurrency-global-participants.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="bitcoin-and-cryptocurrency-global-participants" border="0" data-original-height="354" data-original-width="638" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4EC-0WTJ3ngeGVx7sU2hEHi2ByOT6_OB3ZtPMA6fpolaEjsFf6s32qJXeBLN3Dpy4XSXGSCvUbEmIljIfVVyAwhqh8AlkyBs5cm-3oHcjRZZhO4tb0Dj6tOhJ7pT2uR3qOQqFY5hvjf5Qj4-mXF5faR7NcC_GikvbGlQmqM_AMJXw0lN4Rw/w400-h223/bitcoin-and-cryptocurrency-global-participants.PNG" title="Rising adoption of Bitcoin and Cryptocurrencies" width="400" /></a></div>Bitcoin introduced in 2009, has just celebrated its 14th birthday a few days back. And within that period, it has gained over 320 million crypto users worldwide, with about 53 million users based in africa, according to <a href="http://triple-a.io/crypto-ownership-data/" target="_blank">TripleA stats</a>. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In africa, adoption of bitcoin is led by Nigeria with 12 million, Kenya with 2.5 million and South Africa with 1.6 million cryptocurrency owners. Regulations governing ownership and use of bitcoin and cryptocurrencies are underway with the Central African Republic (CAR) becoming the <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-adopt-bitcoin-to-earn-big-foreign-income.html" target="_blank">first african nation to make bitcoin legal currency</a> last year.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />With such a positive trend towards the adoption of bitcoin and cryptocurrencies in the world, there is no better time to join in to learn and harness the benefits with earning bitcoin and the cryptocurrency. Just as there are advantages, so do disadvantages like <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html" target="_blank">cryptocurrency scams</a> promising abnormal returns you should be aware of.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br />Here are 15 bitcoin and cryptocurrency courses that will make you smarter to make better and profitable bitcoin and cryptocurrency investments. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></b></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>1. <a href="http://bitcoin.org/en/" target="_blank">Bitcoin website</a></b></span></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">This was my first resource to learn about Bitcoin. Be sure to watch the "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gc2en3nHxA4" target="_blank">what is Bitcoin?</a>" video with over 6 million views and explore content on wallets, community, businesses and <a href="http://bitcoin.org/en/scams" target="_blank">avoid scams</a> that are prevalent in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>Read more: <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html" target="_blank">Sextortion Emails: I got your Password Watching Adult videos, Scammer Asks for Bitcoin</a></b></span></li></ul></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span><b>2. </b></span><a href="http://99bitcoins.com/" target="_blank"><b>99bitcoins Free Bitcoin Crash Course</b></a></span></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">99bitcoins has a free Bitcoin course that is enjoyed by over 100,000 students via a </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">s</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">hort and educational </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">email sent daily, 7 Days in a row. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">In addition, </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">99bitcoins has a wonderful beginners <a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLU52pNodXIGdM6XDgHVG7DsPytlsrR_6b" target="_blank">crypto crash course on youtube</a> with 33 videos with easy to understand explanations available for free online. The videos are of short length (less than 15minutes) and are continously updated. Topics covered include understanding bitcoin, wallets, transactions, mining, buying and keeping crypto assets safe.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>3. <a href="http://www.reddit.com/r/BitcoinBeginners/comments/g42ijd/faq_for_beginners/?utm_medium=android_app&utm_source=share" target="_blank">Reddit Bitcoin Beginners FAQ</a> </b></span></h2><span style="font-family: verdana;">A very good resource on best practices Bitcoin especially on keeping your bitcoin assets secure, that include explanations on:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">What is Bitcoin?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Quick Advice</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Exchanges Requiring ID Verification</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Recommended Wallets</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Further Resources</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Some foundational Principles of security</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Common types of Scams to avoid</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Cloud Mining Contracts</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Escrow Disputes</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Arbitrage Fraud</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Double Spend Theft</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Common Questions</span></li></ul></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>4. <a href="http://21lessons.com/" target="_blank">21 Lessons on Bitcoin</a></b></span></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Author presents lessons from exploring and using Bitcoin, saying thus:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Falling down the Bitcoin rabbit hole is a strange experience. Like many others, I feel like I have learned more in the last couple of years studying Bitcoin than I have during two decades of formal education. The following lessons are a distillation of what I’ve learned."</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>5. <a href="http://learnmeabitcoin.com/" target="_blank">Learn me a bitcoin</a></b></span></h2><span style="font-family: verdana;">Here the content includes answers to questions that include:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">What is Bitcoin?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">What problem does Bitcoin solve?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">How does mining work?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Where do bitcoins come from?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Why is the file called the “blockchain”?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">How do transactions work?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">How do you own bitcoins?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Putting it all together.</span></li></ul></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>6. <a href="http://www.udemy.com/course/the-bitcoin-course/" target="_blank">The Bitcoin Basics</a></b></span></h2><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Udemy course created by </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Draper University </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">explores the fundamentals of Bitcoin from a predominantly non-technical perspective with over 35,375 students enrolled.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">With a total of 53 lectures taking 7 hours to complete, the course covers:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">What is Bitcoin</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">An evolution of payment systems</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The protocol</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Innovation in Bitcoin</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Getting started</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Getting started with Bitcoin</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">How to get a Bitcoin wallet</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Making a purchase with Bitcoin</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Creating a Bitcoin Node</span></li></ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bonus Interviews</span></li><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Open Source</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Interview: The media perspective on Bitcoin</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Interview: How legal tools can be useful for Bitcoin innovators</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Interview: Bitcoin vs traditional alternatives Pt. 1/2 </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Interview: Bitcoin vs traditional alternatives Pt. 2/2 </span></li></ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Supplemental material</span></li></ul></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">7. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Digital Currency </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Free MOOC</span></b></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Enroll in this popular Massive Open Online Course <a href="http://www.unic.ac.cy/blockchain/free-mooc/" target="_blank">(MOOC) from the the University of Nicosia</a> with next start Date of <u>6 February, 2023</u>. The course <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2015/04/free-bitcoin-online-course-with.html" target="_blank">dating back in 2015</a> is taught by Bitcoin expert </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Andreas Antonopoulos, over </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">80,000+ Students trained and upon completion, students get issued a certificate registered on the blockchain.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">From the course website:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">"The course is designed to provide an introductory understanding of decentralized digital currencies (cryptocurrencies) such as Bitcoin. In particular, the course will survey the theory and principles by which cryptocurrencies operate, practical examples of basic cryptocurrency use, including clients, wallets, transactions"</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><p>Course covers: </p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">(Brief) History of money</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Byzantine Generals’ problem </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Basics of Cryptocurrency </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bitcoin in practice – part 1 </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bitcoin in practice – part 2</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Blockchain Types </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Cryptocurrrencies Taxonomy </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Cryptocurrency, Financial Institutions </span>and Central Banking <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Regulatory and tax treatment <span style="white-space: pre;"> <br /></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Blockchain and Decentralization </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Convergence of blockchain with AI and IoT </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Decentralized Finance (DeFi) </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Final Quiz</span></li></ol></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">MOOC students who successfully complete the course, will receive a certificate of accomplishment, digitally verifiable on the Bitcoin blockchain. You can view <a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL68lGg7SjGZBzAwPwCerIHAOg6eN5fGu2" target="_blank">previous questions and answer with the instructors</a> on youtube.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>8. Saylor Academy - </b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">bitcoin <b>for lay people</b>:</span></h2><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><u><a href="http://learn.saylor.org/course/view.php?id=468" target="_blank">Bitcoin for Everybody</a></u> (</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">PRDV151</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">) includes:</span></div></blockquote><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Course Introduction</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unit 1: Bitcoin Economics (3hours)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unit 2: Bitcoin Investment (2hours)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unit 3: Bitcoin History and Philosophy (3hours)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">3.1: Cypherpunk History (3hours)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">3.2: Predecessor Technologies</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">3.3: Bitcoin History</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unit 3 Recap</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unit 3 Assessment</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unit 4: Bitcoin Technology (2 hours)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unit 5: Bitcoin in Practice (2 hours)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Certificate Final Exam</span></li></ul></ul></span><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>9. Saylor Academy - </b></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b><a href="http://learn.saylor.org/course/view.php?id=500" target="_blank">Bitcoin for Developers</a></b> </span></h2></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bitcoin for Developers (</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">CS120</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">)</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> with advanced topics covering:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><i><span style="font-family: verdana;">"How does Bitcoin work? Why is Bitcoin called a "cryptocurrency"? What cryptography does it use? How is security maintained in a system with no central authority? This course will answer these and many more questions. In this course, you will learn the building blocks that make up the open, decentralized system that is Bitcoin."</span></i></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Course content:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Introduction</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unit 1: Introduction to Bitcoin Technology (2hours)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unit 2: Cryptographic Algorithms (2hours)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unit 3: Signatures and Transactions (1hour)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unit 4: Hashing and Mining (2hours)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unit 5: Bitcoin Data (3 hours)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unit 6: Bitcoin Nodes and Wallets (2hours)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unit 7: Transactions and Scripting (3 hours)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Unit 8: Reaching Consensus (3 hours)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Study guide</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Course feedback and Certificate Final Exam</span></li></ul></ul><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://learn.saylor.org/?utm_source=hp&utm_medium=CTA&utm_campaign=Start%Learning" target="_blank">Saylor academy Course Catalog</a> includes several courses covering: Art History, biology, business administration, chemistry, communication, computer science, economics, english, geography, history, learning skills, mathematics, philosophy, physics, political science, professional development, psychology and sociology.</span></h4></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>10. Future Money </b></span></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.ics.uci.edu/~djp3/classes/2015_06_FutureMoney/calendar.html#" target="_blank">Cryptocurrency course</a> by Prof. Bill Maurer and Prof. Don Patterson of Donald Bren School of Information and Computer Sciences. </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Topics covered:</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">What is Bitcoin?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">What is Money?</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dive into the Blockchain</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bitcoin in the Payments Ecosystem</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Risks, Regulations, and the Future of Money</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">final Exam</span></li></ul></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>11. <a href="http://www.coursera.org/learn/cryptocurrency" target="_blank">Bitcoin and Cryptocurrency</a> Technologies</b></span></h2><span style="font-family: verdana;"><i>"To really understand what is special about Bitcoin, we need to understand how it works at a technical level. We’ll address the important questions about Bitcoin, such as</i>:<br /><ul style="text-align: left;"><ul><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">How does Bitcoin work? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">What makes Bitcoin different? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">How secure are your Bitcoins? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">How anonymous are Bitcoin users? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">What determines the price of Bitcoins? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Can cryptocurrencies be regulated? </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">What might the future hold?"</span></li></ul></ul></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The same topics are discussed and hosted on the <a href="http://bitcoinbook.cs.princeton.edu/" target="_blank">princeton site</a> with a bonus lecture on h</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">istory of Cryptocurrencies.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>12. Blockchain and Money (</b></span><b><span style="font-family: verdana;">MIT 15.S12</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">)</span></b></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">An entire <a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLUl4u3cNGP63UUkfL0onkxF6MYgVa04Fn" target="_blank">MIT cryptocurrency course</a> of 23 videos available online taught by </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Prof. Gary Gensler</span><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> If you are interests lie in exploring the capabilities of the blockchain technology powering bitcoin and how it can be harnessed to create changes in today's finance, this course is for you.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> The entire course including syllabus, lecture slides, readings, study questions and assignments are available on the <a href="http://ocw.mit.edu/courses/15-s12-blockchain-and-money-fall-2018/" target="_blank">open courseware portal</a>. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>13. <a href="http://github.com/ProgrammingBlockchain/ProgrammingBlockchain" target="_blank">Programming the Blockchain</a></b></span></h2><span style="font-family: verdana;">"Do not be fooled into thinking that Bitcoin is flawed while the Blockchain is valuable. If gold is valuable, would you throw away a gold necklace? The Blockchain is built on and thrives because of Bitcoin. Any increase in value of the Blockchain will increase the amount of bitcoins that is spent to use it, which will increase its demand."<br /></span><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>14. <a href="http://netcoins.ca/crypto-academy" target="_blank">Crypto Academy</a>:</b></span></h2><span style="font-family: verdana;">Learn about bitcoin, blockchain and more with simple answers to frequently asked (FAQ) bitcoin and cryptocurrency questions.<br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><b>15. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLHx4UicbtUoYPDWk2aUwZoVKMkdRKtKWe" target="_blank">Whiteboard Crypto</a></b> </span></h2><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">A youtube channel with videos covering a range of topics easily explained such as Non-fungible tokens (NFTs), staking, yield farming, wallets, faucets and so on.<br /><br /><b>Which bitcoin and cryptocurrency course has worked for you? </b>Share it in the comments and we'll add it to the list. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Happy new learning cryptocurrency year! </span></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-83671387438142886732022-10-03T13:31:00.003+03:002022-10-03T13:31:57.931+03:00Top 50 Free Cyber Resources to Learn and practice Problem solving skills for Africa in a Fun and Interactive way<p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGkKqGle2Fdqn07e96CQGC248nyrwZoF46tvOgdPjg8sM7-NpBHRk4z3QIHfJZPWE5eRHdcIFIKfan9MvPplmurugq3AIZlniGpiZC7NhANHu63chfMRo0pxbkdDS1_A2vyKcw83KHjyn_1ksisytArsR0tZJypRocZNaF1TZ9xhuOvLkVA/s580/fun-cyber-challenges-to-learn-and-improve-problem-solving-skills.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="fun-cyber-challenges-to-learn-and-improve-problem-solving-skills" border="0" data-original-height="352" data-original-width="580" height="243" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiyGkKqGle2Fdqn07e96CQGC248nyrwZoF46tvOgdPjg8sM7-NpBHRk4z3QIHfJZPWE5eRHdcIFIKfan9MvPplmurugq3AIZlniGpiZC7NhANHu63chfMRo0pxbkdDS1_A2vyKcw83KHjyn_1ksisytArsR0tZJypRocZNaF1TZ9xhuOvLkVA/w400-h243/fun-cyber-challenges-to-learn-and-improve-problem-solving-skills.PNG" title="top fun cyber resources to learn problem solving skills @ruralict.com" width="400" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Africa hack yourself before you get hacked, this way you can protect your assets, data, applications and systems against increasing threats on the Internet.</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;">In no particular order, here is a list of cyber websites that take let you learn, practice and improve hacking and cybersecurity skills:</span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: left;"><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://alf.nu" target="_blank">Alert to Win</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://attackdefense.com" target="_blank">Attack Defense</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.certifiedsecure.com" target="_blank">Certified Secure</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">OWASP <a href="http://owasp.org/www-project-webgoat" target="_blank">Webgoat</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.zenk-security.com" target="_blank">Zenk-security</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.wechall.net/" target="_blank">We Chall</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://w3challs.com" target="_blank">W3challs</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://vulnmachines.com/" target="_blank">Vulnmachines</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.vulnhub.com" target="_blank">Vulnhub</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://tryhackme.com" target="_blank">Try hack me</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">The <a href="http://www.cryptopals.com" target="_blank">Crytopals</a> Crypto challenges </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://academy.tcm-sec.com" target="_blank">TCM Security</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.smashthestack.org/wargames.html" target="_blank">SmashTheStack</a> Wargaming network </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.sans.org/mlp/holiday-hack-challenge/" target="_blank">SANS Challenger</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.root-me.org/?lang=en" target="_blank">Root-Me</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://rootinjail.com" target="_blank">Root in Jail</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.rangeforce.com" target="_blank">Range Force</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://pwnable.kr/play.php" target="_blank">PWNABLE</a> (early hacker catches the bug)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://dojo.pwn.college" target="_blank">Pwn College</a> (learn to hack)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Practical <a href="http://practicalpentestlabs.com" target="_blank">Pentest Labs</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://portswigger.net/web-security" target="_blank">PortSwigger Web Security</a> Academy</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://picoctf.com" target="_blank">PicoCTF</a> (Carnegie Mellon University)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://pentesterlab.com" target="_blank">Pentestlab</a> (make learning web hacking easier)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://lab.pentestit.ru" target="_blank">PentestIT</a> Lab</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.amanhardikar.com/mindmaps/Practice.html" target="_blank">Penetration testing Practice Labs</a> (vulnerable Apps and systems)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://overthewire.org/wargames/" target="_blank">OverTheWire</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.osboxes.org" target="_blank">OSBoxes</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.newbiecontest.org" target="_blank">NewbieContest</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.immersivelabs.com" target="_blank">ImmersiveLabs</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://hackersec.com/hstrike" target="_blank">HSTRIKE</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://hackxpert.com/index.php#home" target="_blank">HackXpert</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://defendtheweb.net" target="_blank">Defend the Web</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.hackthebox.com" target="_blank">HackTheBox</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.hacksplaining.com/lessons" target="_blank">Hacksplaining</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://hacking-lab.com/events/" target="_blank">Hacking-lab</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://ctf.hacker101.com" target="_blank">Hacker101</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://Hacker.org" target="_blank">Hacker.org</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://hackaflag.com.br/index.html" target="_blank">Hackaflag BR</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://capturetheflag.withgoogle.com" target="_blank">Google Capture The Flag</a> (CTF)</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://exploit.education" target="_blank">Exploitation Education</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://echoctf.red" target="_blank">EchoCTF</a> labs </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.cyberseclabs.co.uk" target="_blank">CyberSecLabs</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://cyberdefenders.org/blueteam-ctf-challenges" target="_blank">CyberDefenders</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://ctftime.org" target="_blank">Ctftime</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://ctf.komodosec.com" target="_blank">CTF Komodo</a> Security</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://cryptohack.org" target="_blank">CryptoHack</a> - A fun, free platform for learning modern cryptography.</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://cmdchallenge.com" target="_blank">CMD Challenge</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">OWASP <a href="http://code.google.com/archive/p/owaspbwa/" target="_blank">Broken Web Applications Project</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://google-gruyere.appspot.com" target="_blank">Web Application Exploits</a> and Defenses</span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.hackertest.net" target="_blank">Hacker test</a></span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://uscc.cyberquests.org" target="_blank">US Cyber Challenge</a> </span></li><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://code.google.com/archive/p/owasp-igoat/" target="_blank">Owasp igoat</a> </span></li></ol><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Comment below any other resources you find valuable.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Read more:</span></div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/14-Ransomware-Tools-to-detect-decrypt-data.html" target="_blank">14 Ransomware Tools to Detect and Decrypt Locked-up Data</a></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html" target="_blank">Sextortion Emails: I got your Password Watching Adult videos, scammer asks for Bitcoin</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Why-Managing-Cyber-Risk-is-so-Hard-in-africa.html" target="_blank">Why Managing Cyber Risk is so Hard in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Free-Online-Courses-Executive-Degrees-Top-schools.html" target="_blank">5 Free Online Courses Plus Executive Education Courses Offering Degrees from Top Universities</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/06/Scholarships-for-African-International-Students.html" target="_blank">5 Scholarship Resources for African and International Students 2022/23</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/06/Free-Online-Interactive-Courses-in-Problem-Solving.html" target="_blank">7 Free Online Interactive Courses Nurturing Problem Solving Skills</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-51429351715519695892022-06-27T17:15:00.007+03:002022-06-27T17:18:51.320+03:005 Scholarship Resources for African and International Students 2022/23<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXJLaKKRQWnSvC-Casso849rcPTndHq1zlxPs9YngWwRWBI1TvPDjyIJsO0-R4R7bKKSWsrDnkNVKXSKc9fEB7hBDedxgkPdoOqfSbvEvTzZCl67PXAWoXsvydiV9I6NFiYIf-ilWGgNZZ-o15AfTlBuNkoqsn74vcmxzzmXj19JrOedn7Q/s1908/study-abroad.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="scholarships for african and international students study abroad" border="0" data-original-height="1340" data-original-width="1908" height="281" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHXJLaKKRQWnSvC-Casso849rcPTndHq1zlxPs9YngWwRWBI1TvPDjyIJsO0-R4R7bKKSWsrDnkNVKXSKc9fEB7hBDedxgkPdoOqfSbvEvTzZCl67PXAWoXsvydiV9I6NFiYIf-ilWGgNZZ-o15AfTlBuNkoqsn74vcmxzzmXj19JrOedn7Q/w400-h281/study-abroad.jpg" title="scholarships for african and international students study abroad" width="400" /></a></div>There are lots of open scholarships for African and International students that go unclaimed every year. Here are a number of scholarships for undergraduate, bachelor, masters and PhD students that you can apply and propel your career further on the ladder of success.<h3 style="text-align: left;">1. German Academic Exchange Service Leadership for Africa scholarships</h3><div style="text-align: left;">The programme supports master's degrees for scholarship holders from several Subsaharan African countries at German universities. </div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Eligible: </b>Nationals and refugees from Burundi, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda or Rwanda (East Africa), and Cameroon, Ghana, Ivory Coast, Niger or Senegal (West and central Africa).</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;"><b>Application Deadline:</b> <b><span style="color: red;">30 June 2022</span></b><br /><br />Value: Candidate is provided with both financial and professional support through study period in Germany. <a href="http://www.daad.de/en/the-daad/what-we-do/sustainable-development/funding-programmes/funding-programmes-for-students-a-z/leadership-for-africa/" target="_blank">For more information</a>: lfa@daad.de</div><div style="text-align: left;"><h3>2. Scholarships for African students fleeing war in Ukraine</h3><div><b>Eligibility:</b> For students from sub-Saharan Africa whose studies have been interrupted by the war in Ukraine. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Value:</b> Scholarship to continue academic career and/or studies </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Application deadline: <span style="color: red;">4 July 2022</span></b></div><div><br /></div><div>Explore <a href="http://www.daad.de/en/the-daad/what-we-do/sustainable-development/funding-programmes/funding-programmes-for-students-a-z/" target="_blank">other scholarships and grants from German Academic Exchange portal</a> for students that include Climapafrica and more.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">3. Google Africa Developer scholarship programme 2022</h3>If you are interested in becoming an Associate Android Developer and/or Associate Cloud Engineer roles, then you should check out this opportunity targeting to empower over 30,000 Africans.<br /><br /><b>Value:</b> Gain free access to study materials and courses, projects, virtual training labs and support from Google developer community, to build your skills to become a top performer. Check out the <a href="http://www.pluralsight.com/partners/google/africa/gads-2022" target="_blank">Pluralsight access pages</a> for further information.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">4. Jiangsu University of Science and Technology (JUST) scholarships located in Zhenjiang City, Jiangsu Province, China. </h3><b>Value: </b>Join over <a href="http://admission.just.edu.cn/admissionen/10158/list.htm" target="_blank">7,800 students</a> to study at the prestigious JUST university offering scholarships to freshman and current students. Scholarship types include:</div><div style="text-align: left;"><br />i) <b>provincial scholarships</b> (apply online) with titles Jasmine Scholarship and Jasmine Excellence Scholarship of up $7,400 in value.<br /><br /></div><div style="text-align: left;">ii) <b>University Scholarship</b> with titles JUST Scholarship for Bachelor, master, PhD and academic scholarships for undergraduates based on grade point average scores, of value of up to $4,400. Find <a href="http://admission.just.edu.cn/admissionen/10178/list.htm" target="_blank">further information</a> here. <br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">5. University of Manchester Humanitarian scholarships</h3><b>Eligibility:</b> Refugees, Displaced and discriminated individuals<br /><br /><b>Application Deadline:</b> <span style="color: red;"><b>30 June 2022 at 5:00pm (BST)</b></span><br /><br /><b>Value:</b> awards cover full tuition fees, living expenses and visas.<br /><br /><b>Criteria:</b> Assessed based on academic merit, risk candidate is facing, financial situation and interest in field of study. Find <a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/international/finance-and-scholarships/funding/humanitarian-scholarship/" target="_blank">more info on the scholarship here</a>.<br /><h3 style="text-align: left;">Other scholarships at University of Manchester include:</h3><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/international/finance-and-scholarships/funding/gdi-masters-bursary/" target="_blank">Global Development Institute Master's Bursary</a></b>, with value of 10,000 pounds reduction in tuition fees for several countries in Africa, Asia and Latin America. </li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/international/finance-and-scholarships/funding/carbon-reduction-scholarship/" target="_blank">Carbon Reduction Scholarship</a></b>, with value of 10 percent reduction in fees.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/international/finance-and-scholarships/funding/mie-masters-bursary/" target="_blank">Manchester Institute of Education Master's Bursary</a></b>, with value of 10,000 pounds reduction in tuition fees.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/international/finance-and-scholarships/funding/subject-specific-awards/" target="_blank">Subject specific awards</a></b>, available of high performing applicants with a value of 3,000 pounds given for first year of study and 1,000 pounds thereafter til programme completion.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/international/finance-and-scholarships/funding/women-in-stem-scholarships/" target="_blank">Women in STEM Scholarships</a></b>, for female Asian students from Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/international/finance-and-scholarships/funding/global-futures-scholarship/" target="_blank">Global Futures Scholarship</a></b>, for International students commencing studies in September 2022. Eligible countries include: Bangladesh, Botswana, Egypt, Ghana, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Kenya, Malaysia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Singapore, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Tanzania, Thailand, United States, Vietnam, and Zimbabwe.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/international/finance-and-scholarships/funding/engineering-future-scholarships/" target="_blank">Engineering the Future Scholarships</a></b>, for students starting studies in September 2022, from the countries within South Asia, South East Asia or Africa.</li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="http://www.manchester.ac.uk/study/international/finance-and-scholarships/funding/great-scholarships/" target="_blank">Great Scholarships</a></b> with value of up to 10,000 pounds to students from Nigeria and India.</li></ul><div>In conclusion, there are opportunities to get that much desired education that you need to further grow in your career, <u>just leave us a comment below</u> and we will be glad to help in finding one that suits your needs.</div><div><br /></div><div>Read more:</div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html" target="_blank">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html">How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html" target="_blank">Linkedin is Top Phishing Trap ahead of Whatsapp and Telegram</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Why-Managing-Cyber-Risk-is-so-Hard-in-africa.html">Why Managing Cyber Risk is so Hard in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html" target="_blank">Sextortion Emails: I got your Password Watching Adult videos, scammer asks for Bitcoin</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Become-Cyber-Defender-6-Free-Cybersecurity-Courses.html" target="_blank">Become a Cyber Defender: 6 Free Cybersecurity Courses</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Free-Online-Courses-Executive-Degrees-Top-schools.html">5 Free Online Courses Plus Executive Education Courses Offering Degrees from Top Universities</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/06/3-popular-Cyber-attacks-on-African-small-business.html" target="_blank">3 Popular Cyber Attacks Against African Small Businesses</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/06/Essay-on-Keeping-African-Business-Data-Secure.html" target="_blank">Essay on Keeping African Business Data Secure</a></li></ul><p></p></div><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-23697883009659606632022-06-25T19:22:00.001+03:002022-06-25T19:23:03.488+03:00Essay on Keeping African Business Data Secure<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZ6vnhNAW_i6ew1qniUQQUG36OT5FyBAQJZqdGmsoq8dCJOfcZUJ05HWNXqBvqG24ei6aF_EoswI6s7by4yQVJTfJcjnS7h7mn5mhWemYpQ3x9_17F-59H3J0yVWVr3rmtR5UGaBcwvKtBoCIoxmVCJGwhh8aj4aVHYdyhT7Ja-jjy_jtwA/s720/tools-to-put-out-cyber-attacks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="tools to put out cyber attack fires @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="570" data-original-width="720" height="253" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggZ6vnhNAW_i6ew1qniUQQUG36OT5FyBAQJZqdGmsoq8dCJOfcZUJ05HWNXqBvqG24ei6aF_EoswI6s7by4yQVJTfJcjnS7h7mn5mhWemYpQ3x9_17F-59H3J0yVWVr3rmtR5UGaBcwvKtBoCIoxmVCJGwhh8aj4aVHYdyhT7Ja-jjy_jtwA/w320-h253/tools-to-put-out-cyber-attacks.jpg" title="tools to put out cyber attack fires @ruralict.com" width="320" /></a></div>The topic of cybersecurity is starting to gain <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/high-cybersecurity-interest-elearning-africa-virtual-meeting.html" target="_blank">increased focus at different African events</a> though awareness of the seriousness of the topic is still very low. There is still a false sense of belief that cybersecurity, which is the practice of keeping business assets safe, is an Information Technology (IT) issue that is the responsibility of only technical personnel.<p></p><p>Yet every employee can act as an entry point for cyber criminals, making cybersecurity every employees' responsibility. Thus, business executives have to realize that <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-Critical-Cyber-Risks-Small-Business-Must-Remedy.html" target="_blank">cybersecurity is a no longer an IT-department issue</a>, but one that needs to be handled at the highest levels of every organization.</p><p>In addition, it is critical that the board and management understand the consequences of a cyber attack and provide resources to ensure that cyber attacks are quickly detected, mitigated and responded to, without causing catastrophic damage to the business.</p><p>For instance, at the <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Why-Managing-Cyber-Risk-is-so-Hard-in-africa.html" target="_blank">eLearning Africa meeting</a>, majority of the participants that showed interest were technical personnel and a few business owners, and this needs to change to include more board and management level executives. One way this can change is encourage <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/06/Free-Online-Interactive-Courses-in-Problem-Solving.html" target="_blank">business executives to take short free online self-paced courses</a> from top universities that are curated to serve the needs of business executives.</p><p>As the saying goes, learning never stops – which is the discarding of old, though previously useful information to absorb and adopt new and better methods of doing things. For example, previously you took cash to a physical shop to buy an item, and now such situations are reduced when physical shops have moved on the Internet where you can browse diverse items for sale online, place an order and pay with a credit/debit card and get the ordered items delivered to your door.</p><p>Such knowledge and skills of purchasing items online are, for example, what you need to navigate the modern ages free online courses in <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/06/Free-Online-Interactive-Courses-in-Problem-Solving.html" target="_blank">solving modern issues</a>, cybersecurity, logic, programming and business executive courses from top universities.</p><p>And with <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html" target="_blank">better knowledge</a> and skills, you are in a stronger position to reduce impact of devastating cyber attacks. Popular methods cyber <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html" target="_blank">criminals use to get access</a> to African business systems and data is through <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/06/3-popular-Cyber-attacks-on-African-small-business.html" target="_blank">implanting password stealing malware</a> on your devices when you click on every link that you receive via email, WhatsApp and social media accounts. Such malware <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html" target="_blank">steals you login details</a> including administrator passwords that get sent to the attacker who uses the access to takeover your accounts and steal any sensitive data they contain.</p><p>To counter such attacks, is to become proactive in taking backups of your sensitive data and keep them offline away from the online attackers; put effort in <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-phishing-quizzes-practice-howto-spot-scam.html" target="_blank">practising to identify tricks cyber criminals use</a> to fool you into downloading fake attachments; create <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-cybersecurity-resources-with-sample-templates.html" target="_blank">simple company guidelines</a> for employees; install <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Security-flaws-Affect-Android-Users-and-Business.html" target="_blank">critical updates on your mobile devices</a> and business systems without delays; and when you get attacked, use the <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/14-Ransomware-Tools-to-detect-decrypt-data.html" target="_blank">ransomware decryptors</a> to unlock your data without paying huge ransoms.</p><p>None is immune to the consequences of crippling cyber attacks including nation states, such as <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Ransomware-Locks-up-Costa-Rica-Leak-Personal-Data.html" target="_blank">Costa Rica</a> where government declared state of emergency due to ransomware attack; financial institutions like the <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Bank-of-Zambia-Systems-Ransomed-Refuses-to-Pay.html" target="_blank">bank of Zambia whose systems were disrupted</a> and diverse <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html" target="_blank">businesses that have been caught off-guard by ransomware</a> attacks and after paying attackers, 60 percent going bankrupt including an <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/After-paying-ransomware-attacker-college-bankrupt.html" target="_blank">educational institution that closed its doors</a> after 150 years of operation.</p><p>Leave us a comment.</p><p>Read more:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html" target="_blank">CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html" target="_blank">CISSP Masters Degree: Where to start with CISSP Certification</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html" target="_blank">How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html" target="_blank">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-adopt-bitcoin-to-earn-big-foreign-income.html" target="_blank">Sub-Saharan Africa adopt Bitcoin to Earn larger Foreign Income</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/15-ways-to-protect-data-online-from-malicious-hackers.html">15 ways to securely protect your data online from malicious hackers</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-26025573506808992912022-06-15T17:44:00.004+03:002022-06-15T17:58:27.102+03:007 Free Online Interactive Courses Nurturing Problem Solving Skills<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhIsQi6YLEuT83PpBlgAgZRCIh_puZYOHgn3u12V3URtxyowwi9QqkLAFhuXUAGIHiyQNVJohZgrGJSFMyaJlxFIMCkKWAmU9_SFGP5d2IwAmr3LuWVDJqeB8hZQlDpwybg2uarYpKmj2HYHMFrYsqbthJeq78vDxtj-hV5xyi3zm1cICbA/s1162/learning-for-all-Ages.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="free online courses for all ages @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="194" data-original-width="1162" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfhIsQi6YLEuT83PpBlgAgZRCIh_puZYOHgn3u12V3URtxyowwi9QqkLAFhuXUAGIHiyQNVJohZgrGJSFMyaJlxFIMCkKWAmU9_SFGP5d2IwAmr3LuWVDJqeB8hZQlDpwybg2uarYpKmj2HYHMFrYsqbthJeq78vDxtj-hV5xyi3zm1cICbA/w640-h106/learning-for-all-Ages.PNG" title="free online courses for all ages @ruralict.com" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">free online courses (at brilliant.org)</td></tr></tbody></table><br />We continue our series on free online courses - find Part <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Become-Cyber-Defender-6-Free-Cybersecurity-Courses.html"><b>I</b></a>, <b><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Free-Online-Courses-Executive-Degrees-Top-schools.html">II</a></b> and <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/06/5-Free-Beginner-Friendly-Courses-stay-safe-online.html"><b>III</b></a> in case you missed it. Here below are some great resources, some of which we have used and some new ones.<p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="http://www.coursera.org/specializations/cyber-security" target="_blank">Cybersecurity Specialization:</a></b> Join over 78,312 enrolled students to learn cybersecurity fundamentals and construction of secure systems in a free online cybersecurity specialization course offered by University of Maryland. In addition, the specialization offers financial aid or scholarship if you are unable to complete after the 7-day free course trial. The course has a hands-on project which upon completion earns a student a certificate that can be shared on linkedIn and other social media platforms. Topics covered include usable security, software security, cryptography, hardware security, and cybersecurity capstone project.</li><br /><li><b><a href="https://brilliant.org/courses/" target="_blank">Brilliant Interactive learning:</a></b> Join the over 10 million students of all ages at Brilliant learning maths, science and computer science in an interactive environment going beyond video-based lectures. The platform offers courses that emphasize mastering rather than memorizing study materials, intuition, solving problems and getting instant feedback, and persistence in getting to the solution. Popular courses include logic, scientific thinking, computer science fundamentals, pre-algebra among a catalog of over 60 courses. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeyBa4XAqPRfwKdz97N9OJDSrAZof9tadUB8btBpJfcR6YkyIXiamuimidC3c0Q_EJgLGUTFb6H_1mqlw7ec0hYHU4NtfOD_G3xvU5ttUFuIyFzNRQOqV1llnqkOIk0ByzYEjuqm0cchXFPPz918TEb27EXzFBjY4yoy-Zy04hr0h8UD1ag/s960/brilliant-learning-platform.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Explore the joy of problem solving @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="284" data-original-width="960" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBeyBa4XAqPRfwKdz97N9OJDSrAZof9tadUB8btBpJfcR6YkyIXiamuimidC3c0Q_EJgLGUTFb6H_1mqlw7ec0hYHU4NtfOD_G3xvU5ttUFuIyFzNRQOqV1llnqkOIk0ByzYEjuqm0cchXFPPz918TEb27EXzFBjY4yoy-Zy04hr0h8UD1ag/w640-h190/brilliant-learning-platform.PNG" title="Explore the joy of problem solving @ruralict.com" width="640" /></a></div></li><br /><li><b><a href="http://opensecuritytraining.info/Training.html" target="_blank">Open security training</a></b> has open source study materials of 29 classes including 13 videos on mitigating <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Security-flaws-Affect-Android-Users-and-Business.html">mobile phone security and privacy weaknesses</a>: <u>Beginner classes:</u> Android Forensics & Security Testing; Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Common Body of Knowledge (CBK) Review; Flow Analysis & Network Hunting; Hacking Techniques and Intrusion Detection; Introductory Intel x86: Architecture, Assembly, Applications, & Alliteration, Introduction to ARM; Introduction to Cellular Security; Introduction to Network Forensics; Introduction to Secure Coding; Introduction to Vulnerability Assessment; Introduction to Trusted Computing; Offensive, Defensive, and Forensic Techniques for Determining Web User Identity; Pcap Analysis & Network Hunting; Malware Dynamic Analysis; Secure Code Review; Smart Cards; The Life of Binaries; understanding Cryptology: Core Concepts and understanding Cryptology: Cryptanalysis.<br /><br /><u> Intermediate Classes:</u> Introduction to Software Exploits (Exploits 1); Exploits 2: Exploitation in the Windows Environment; and Intermediate Intel x86: Architecture, Assembly, Applications, & Alliteration.<br /><br /><u> Advanced Classes:</u> Advanced x86: Virtualization with Intel VT-x; Advanced x86: Introduction to BIOS & SMM; Introduction to Reverse Engineering Software; Reverse Engineering Malware; Rootkits: What they are, and how to find them and the Adventures of a Keystroke: An in-depth look into keylogging on Windows.</li><br /><li><b><a href="https://www.udemy.com/course/certified-secure-netizen/?LSNPUBID=TnL5HPStwNw&ranEAID=TnL5HPStwNw&ranMID=39197&ranSiteID=TnL5HPStwNw-U.PVA70tZFFGN0g54s.H4g" target="_blank">Cyber Security Course for Beginners:</a></b> Join over 136,570 students to learn security fundamentals needed for staying safe online in the free cyber security course for beginners on Udemy. The free tutorial is a little over one hour long, and requires a student with access to an internet connected device (computer/smartphone), motivated to learn and basic understanding of computers and the Internet.</li><br /><li><b><a href="https://www.codecademy.com/catalog" target="_blank">Code academy</a></b> is another online resource with a community of learners where you can follow a learning career path in computer science (82 lessons), data science machine learning (78 lessons), full-stack engineer (168 lessons) and front-end engineer (129 lessons). Study topics include: Web Development, Data Science, Computer Science, Developer Tools, Machine Learning, Code Foundations, Web Design and HTML & CSS, Python, JavaScript, Java, SQL, Bash/Shell, Ruby, C++, R, C#, PHP, Go, Swift and Kotlin.</li><br /><li><b><a href="https://www.mooc-list.com/tags/cybersecurity" target="_blank">MOOCs</a></b>: If Massive Open Online Courses (MOOCs) are your prefered choice, head over to this MOOC-list aggregator and search for a desired field of study, such as Cybersecurity. </li><br /><li><a href="http://www.w3schools.com/" target="_blank"><b>W3schools</b></a> is another great learning platform with everything html and CSS, Javascript, programming, server side technologies, data analytics, web building, xml tutorials that you can use to learn and test whatever you build as you go.</li></ol><div>In conclusion, there are plenty of platforms with free online courses made by expert tutors putting plenty of formerly off-limits knowledge at your fingertips. The more you learn, the better equipped you will be in <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-Critical-Cyber-Risks-Small-Business-Must-Remedy.html">keeping cyber criminals away</a> from <a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/06/3-popular-Cyber-attacks-on-African-small-business.html">bankrupting african businesses</a>. </div><div><br /></div><div>Read more:</div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html">Sextortion Emails: I got your Password Watching Adult videos, scammer asks for Bitcoin</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html">CISSP Masters Degree: Where to start with CISSP Certification</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://ruralict.com/2022/05/Why-Managing-Cyber-Risk-is-so-Hard-in-africa.html">Why Managing Cyber Risk is so Hard in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html">How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html">CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Bank-of-Zambia-Systems-Ransomed-Refuses-to-Pay.html">Bank of Zambia Systems Ransomed, Bank Refuses to Pay Attacker</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="http://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/After-paying-ransomware-attacker-college-bankrupt.html">After Paying Ransomware Attacker, US College Goes Bankrupt - Backup your Data Today</a></li></ul><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-75621452328278421152022-06-10T17:50:00.002+03:002022-06-10T17:50:37.223+03:003 Popular Cyber Attacks Against African Small Businesses<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCilAEdy3fsieh27MfRnPgWkrpEsAf2tz9ZwGMYBEnnmdJXqtnsnpz_INBxpQEMLdXo2jmn_TwRfe0j9kOujZw-YPlc85XAA5m0etS88_N5k6NYBx1BSm3S1quJfp55LO5SoXbd384o-b6hks5KBZb86QuQWU-bh46DbgKsyTq_AC39NQpw/s883/leaked-credentials-on-haveibeenpwned.PNG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="largest breaches with leaked user credentials" border="0" data-original-height="465" data-original-width="883" height="338" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjhCilAEdy3fsieh27MfRnPgWkrpEsAf2tz9ZwGMYBEnnmdJXqtnsnpz_INBxpQEMLdXo2jmn_TwRfe0j9kOujZw-YPlc85XAA5m0etS88_N5k6NYBx1BSm3S1quJfp55LO5SoXbd384o-b6hks5KBZb86QuQWU-bh46DbgKsyTq_AC39NQpw/w640-h338/leaked-credentials-on-haveibeenpwned.PNG" title="largest breaches with leaked user credentials" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">user accounts leaked online (screenshot: haveibeenpwned.com)</td></tr></tbody></table><p>In such tough economic times, a business owner is focused on get more products and services to clients to get more income rather than <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-Critical-Cyber-Risks-Small-Business-Must-Remedy.html">securing business data and systems</a>. </p><p>However, with the attention of business owner diverted elsewhere, cyber attackers are aggressively increasing cyber attacks against small businesses in Kenya between January and April 2022 compared with the same period last year, according to <a href="https://www.itnewsafrica.com/2022/05/small-businesses-in-kenya-face-47-increase-in-cyber-attacks/#">Kaspersky reports on IT News Africa</a>. </p><h2 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: small;">3 popular Cyber attacks against African small businesses</span></h2><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Password stealing malware (trojan-psw) attacks:</b> Once introduced on your machine, malware looks for account, login and administrator credentials that are collected and sent back to the attacker giving them full access to business systems and sensitive data. These attacks increased by 16 percent compared with last year.<br /><br /><b> Solution:</b> enable two-step verification on business systems and accounts where it is supported. And once business credentials are suspected to be breached, they should be immediately changed in every system where they are used. </li><br /><li><b>Internet attacks:</b> These attacks happen when your online assets such as websites, social media and online portals are infected with malicious software that redirects a visitor to these page to another webpage controlled by an attacker.<br /><br /> In some situations, an infected webpage can grant attackers full access to core systems as in the <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Bank-of-Zambia-Systems-Ransomed-Refuses-to-Pay.html">ransomware attack against the bank of Zambia</a>. These attacks increased by 47 percent of up to 130,111 infections compared with 88,455 in 2021.<br /><br /><b> Solution:</b> keep assets updated with latest software patches from software suppliers. </li><br /><li><b>Remote desktop protocol (RDP) attacks:</b> Considering that the pandemic has forced many businesses to allow employees to work from home (WFH), businesses have enabled RDP on corporate systems, a feature that allows a user to login to a company computer systems from the comfort of their home. <br /><br />RDP feature was limited in use before the pandemic, since majority of businesses required employees to be physically present at the office to login and access company data and systems. Attacks against RDP-enabled systems are challenging and increasing the world-over rising to over 51 million in the US in the first half of 2022, according to the IT news Africa. <br /><br />With attackers combing through previous breaches searching for leaked usernames and passwords, some of which are still enabled to login to RDP-enabled business systems granting an attacker easy access to sensitive business data. Leaked credentials are an attackers tool to blackmail employees via <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html">phishing on social media sites</a> and <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html">sextortion emails</a>.<br /><br /><b> Solution:</b> enable two-step verification via mobile phone tokens in combination with password login. And periodically require users to change and set strong passwords, and not share </li></ol><p></p><p>Keeping cyber attackers from disrupting a business is no easy feat, and over <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html">60 percent of small businesses go bankrupt</a> after a ransomware attack. Doing business online comes with many benefits such as reaching a wider client audience, though dangers associated with using several technologies for business must be reduced with implementing at least basic security measures, such as:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>taking <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/After-paying-ransomware-attacker-college-bankrupt.html">offline backups</a>, </li><li>conducting <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-phishing-quizzes-practice-howto-spot-scam.html">periodic staff training</a>, </li><li>creating concise <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-cybersecurity-resources-with-sample-templates.html">company policies</a>, </li><li>patching assets with <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Security-flaws-Affect-Android-Users-and-Business.html">critical updates</a> when they become available and </li><li>ensuring proper configuration of default settings on business systems before connecting them online. </li><li>keep a handy list of<a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/14-Ransomware-Tools-to-detect-decrypt-data.html"> ransomware decryptors</a>, as part of an incident plan for use incase of a ransomware attack.</li><li>Increase your cybersecurity knowledge and skills with free online courses - part <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Become-Cyber-Defender-6-Free-Cybersecurity-Courses.html">I</a>, <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Free-Online-Courses-Executive-Degrees-Top-schools.html">II</a> and <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/06/5-Free-Beginner-Friendly-Courses-stay-safe-online.html">III</a></li><li>segmenting your business network to keep systems with sensitive data on a separate network from everything else.</li></ul><p></p><p>Leave us a comment and share with your networks.</p><p>Read more:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html">Africa awash with Cryptocurrency Scams promising High Returns at Zero Risk</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-adopt-bitcoin-to-earn-big-foreign-income.html">Sub-Saharan Africa adopt Bitcoin to Earn larger Foreign Income</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html">To pay or Not to Pay Ransomware: Reasons 15 Companies paid to Restore Data</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/high-cybersecurity-interest-elearning-africa-virtual-meeting.html">High Interest in Cybersecurity at eLearning Africa Virtual Meet</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Ransomware-Locks-up-Costa-Rica-Leak-Personal-Data.html">Ransomware Locks-up Costa Rican Government Disrupting Tax Collection and Leaking Citizen Personal Data</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html">How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Why-Managing-Cyber-Risk-is-so-Hard-in-africa.html">Why Managing Cyber Risk is so Hard in Africa</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html">CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html">CISSP Masters Degree: Where to start with CISSP Certification</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-86767226622165961002022-06-04T14:03:00.006+03:002022-06-04T14:05:21.708+03:005 Free Online Beginner-Friendly Courses to Safely Browse the Web [Part III]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6Q5erSuf-r6OJTiEIQyIkaktBfTIdfcHK9Yxv7vQBgCIYrRqDlrrtLFi9mHv0fnCbhjmyHxxs0S2vh6PrRjTzQbvMkBFhmpOsJe-h5OpFAPXVH9e4woCu7LwTVeE9IqJ0WiCgsXlVDjoLiNt1-tTUMebfxf_1x3SJBosoD2SoEvRxs-t1w/s273/free-online-education-to-stay-safe-online.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Free online courses for anyone eager to stay safe online" border="0" data-original-height="273" data-original-width="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp6Q5erSuf-r6OJTiEIQyIkaktBfTIdfcHK9Yxv7vQBgCIYrRqDlrrtLFi9mHv0fnCbhjmyHxxs0S2vh6PrRjTzQbvMkBFhmpOsJe-h5OpFAPXVH9e4woCu7LwTVeE9IqJ0WiCgsXlVDjoLiNt1-tTUMebfxf_1x3SJBosoD2SoEvRxs-t1w/s16000/free-online-education-to-stay-safe-online.png" title="Free online courses for anyone eager to stay safe online" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Be sure to check out </span><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Become-Cyber-Defender-6-Free-Cybersecurity-Courses.html" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">Part I</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> and </span><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Free-Online-Courses-Executive-Degrees-Top-schools.html" style="font-family: arial;" target="_blank">Part II</a><span style="font-family: arial;"> of our series on free online courses that include opportunities for women and executives to acquire degrees from top universities in the world. In Part III, we cover more learning opportunities from Microsoft and other platforms with tips on visually learning hacking to mitigate against cyberattacks.</span><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Without further ado, here are five valuable learning platforms we use:</span></h3><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/" target="_blank">Microsoft documentation</a><span> pages where you can search helpful information guides on using and troubleshooting microsoft products; learn based on your role, subject matter or techonology expertise; ask questions and get answers and explore code samples from which to build further upon. </span><span><br /><br />In addition, you have access to resources for startups, students and video content from developers and technology enthusiasts with </span><span>courses in azure, powerapps, powerbi, and all other services</span><span>. You can earn microsoft certifications in following job roles: developer, administrator, solution architect, data engineer, data scientist, artificial intelligence, devops, security engineer and functional consultant. Available are over <a href="https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/browse/?resource_type=certification" target="_blank">114 results related with certifications</a> that you can choose from to improve your skills.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSns4lANy1_ueN9xWMTliGo8-3jcn-42ZXwM6txHFKiRsIbMYCnqOT_iVIJW_QyCqaCg9QPAZD50WuIJdgI0X4cgVhL2OBbjP6cPHQ32OquQrwLkLsspobPbLoo896MM31lsNNm6Rk1-36XMTdQmmjRAJ-eBsjEazwU7qvRWG5gCgac_m5w/s838/microsoft-certifications.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Free online microsoft courses" border="0" data-original-height="171" data-original-width="838" height="130" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNSns4lANy1_ueN9xWMTliGo8-3jcn-42ZXwM6txHFKiRsIbMYCnqOT_iVIJW_QyCqaCg9QPAZD50WuIJdgI0X4cgVhL2OBbjP6cPHQ32OquQrwLkLsspobPbLoo896MM31lsNNm6Rk1-36XMTdQmmjRAJ-eBsjEazwU7qvRWG5gCgac_m5w/w640-h130/microsoft-certifications.PNG" title="Free online microsoft courses" width="640" /></a></div></span></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.hacksplaining.com/lessons" target="_blank">Hacksplaining</a> is a fantastic platform with cybersecurity training for more than developers, because of the visual way it explains and takes user through different <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html">attack scenarios</a> that a cyberattacker goes through to steal your data, and with which knowledge, you can better foil the stages of an attempted attack on your business systems. <br /><br />Free cybersecurity lessons on hacksplaining include sql injection, cross-site scripting, command execution, clickjacking, cross-site request forgery, reflected xss, file upload vulnerabilities, open redirects, unencrypted communication, user enumeration, password management, email spoofing, malvertising, logging and monitoring, buffer overflows, server-side request forgery, directory traversal, dom-based xss, broken access control, information leakage, <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Ransomware-Locks-up-Costa-Rica-Leak-Personal-Data.html">privilege escalation</a>, session fixation, weak sessions, xml bombs, xml external entities, denial of service attacks, lax security settings, toxic dependencies, host header poisoning, insecure design, mass assignment, prototype pollution, regex injection, remote code execution and cross-site script inclusion.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnU0K1Q99qhFWFPSdeGHTG2yzlsYoVaSN90nhoJS0aSk9pj9l6Z6ss7-VtNYRgE0srG-f_gL1yCBI46M1tV1uOLx7bFBfdsEtoPyfqWrPV1kZ-8vFNHvmEzOWe4rX5RAAcSNYcNA1Jid7RopCaixlM9iCX5Nz98LvC1riFitclRP6s_3CG5A/s697/hacksplaining-free-lessons.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="free online cyberattack lessons hacksplaining @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="408" data-original-width="697" height="234" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnU0K1Q99qhFWFPSdeGHTG2yzlsYoVaSN90nhoJS0aSk9pj9l6Z6ss7-VtNYRgE0srG-f_gL1yCBI46M1tV1uOLx7bFBfdsEtoPyfqWrPV1kZ-8vFNHvmEzOWe4rX5RAAcSNYcNA1Jid7RopCaixlM9iCX5Nz98LvC1riFitclRP6s_3CG5A/w400-h234/hacksplaining-free-lessons.PNG" title="free online cyberattack lessons hacksplaining @ruralict.com" width="400" /></a></div></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">At <a href="https://www.sans.org/cyberaces/" target="_blank">SANS cyberaces</a>, you get to learn the fundamentals of cybersecurity for free, where you get to learn the foundational concepts needed to <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-phishing-quizzes-practice-howto-spot-scam.html">assess and protect information systems</a> against cyberattacks. The course covers operating systems, networking and system administration and it is self-paced, continually updated and setup in an engaging way to provide learner with solid understanding on which to build a career in cybersecurity. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIPBQIU4UyBN2Y67qOjPW3J9e23pQpb3xYpW3ooLogwXF5_BwGGla8xCUhM8F-sMhan0qbfjHwslQMeWHUYF82LGS7PEi9AObnQQp-LKaD4mxZ96riBcUAvuW0kKpZi7Ffmf6YqLk6VRy64DMb2NearX7-YsH8v6ja-WKKem36z7LPox6PQ/s784/SANS-cyberaces-cybersecurity-fundamentals.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="sans cyberaces free online course modules" border="0" data-original-height="251" data-original-width="784" height="127" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDIPBQIU4UyBN2Y67qOjPW3J9e23pQpb3xYpW3ooLogwXF5_BwGGla8xCUhM8F-sMhan0qbfjHwslQMeWHUYF82LGS7PEi9AObnQQp-LKaD4mxZ96riBcUAvuW0kKpZi7Ffmf6YqLk6VRy64DMb2NearX7-YsH8v6ja-WKKem36z7LPox6PQ/w400-h127/SANS-cyberaces-cybersecurity-fundamentals.PNG" title="sans cyberaces free online course modules" width="400" /></a></div><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;">At FutureLearn, you have 8 weeks free access to <a href="https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/introduction-to-cyber-security" target="_blank">Introduction to cybersecurity</a> course developed by The Open University of UK, after which you will be required to pay for further access. The course, with 321,559 students enrolled, covers weekly material related with the threat landscape, authentication, malware, networking and communication, cryptography, network security, when your <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/After-paying-ransomware-attacker-college-bankrupt.html">defences fail</a> and managing security risks. <br /><br />The course is supported by the UK governments national cybersecurity programme and accredited by the Institute of Information Security Professionals (IISP), which as a student gives credits that contribute towards your higher education studies. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPRV2JCKJBOMFAKK_AREWGQO1ZakVoW3j13NkaktzAqC9mgJ-av1QM0kt-1LU0FjNz_Z5Mo-A5F5ymvIHZjRgzdbOj0TViRO0N0siIOlcrKwTYcJ28rC22bvk2Rpusi4NQ22UiCq8trkOUlj4cK-sfDtx-3b_WQaCu-8NZdW1iJvabsOzJA/s1169/futureLearn-Intro-to-infosec.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Intro to cyber security free online course" border="0" data-original-height="108" data-original-width="1169" height="60" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiPRV2JCKJBOMFAKK_AREWGQO1ZakVoW3j13NkaktzAqC9mgJ-av1QM0kt-1LU0FjNz_Z5Mo-A5F5ymvIHZjRgzdbOj0TViRO0N0siIOlcrKwTYcJ28rC22bvk2Rpusi4NQ22UiCq8trkOUlj4cK-sfDtx-3b_WQaCu-8NZdW1iJvabsOzJA/w640-h60/futureLearn-Intro-to-infosec.PNG" title="Intro to cyber security free online course" width="640" /></a></div><br /></span></li><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://cybersecuritycourse.co/" target="_blank">Cyber Security for Beginners</a>, where you signup via email and get a free cyber security lesson delivered to your inbox every 2 days for five weeks joining other 23349 enrolled students. Among reasons why cbyer security is important is that <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html">ransomware attacks</a> grew 4,000 percent in 2014, a computer application has on average 14 vulnerabilities and 71 percent of victims did not discover a cyberattack themselves. <br /><br />The beginner-friendly course designed for anyone eager to stay safe online, guides the student through cybersecurity basics, right tools and tactics, detection and prevention, protecting self and loved ones, safe to explore the web, real and useful cybersecurity skills. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSaZ0Gv7ZPU6-WG1GRQb4Ame6d1MQpuWFfG3mhy8qAFUooSaxL_DdlC5G9KOenKtuJcWISqDHbne6RHwhf8yu4d29jAJU9-LDXKIlN32cFfD5o3sRREJLnXGI29efRoxs7YbWlJqL_5LvJn0xiMKD_pkdTHTGYWyYKsQV_67F02HGohTNjQ/s746/cybersecurity-course-stay-safe-online.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="free online cyber security courses delivered via email" border="0" data-original-height="154" data-original-width="746" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhpSaZ0Gv7ZPU6-WG1GRQb4Ame6d1MQpuWFfG3mhy8qAFUooSaxL_DdlC5G9KOenKtuJcWISqDHbne6RHwhf8yu4d29jAJU9-LDXKIlN32cFfD5o3sRREJLnXGI29efRoxs7YbWlJqL_5LvJn0xiMKD_pkdTHTGYWyYKsQV_67F02HGohTNjQ/w640-h132/cybersecurity-course-stay-safe-online.PNG" title="free online cyber security courses delivered via email" width="640" /></a></div></span></li></ol><div><span style="font-family: arial;">In conclusion, increasing your knowledge to better <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-Critical-Cyber-Risks-Small-Business-Must-Remedy.html">defend your data and business</a> from cyber criminals contributes to making the web a safer environment for yourself and loved ones. Therefore with plenty of opportunities to <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html">upgrade your skills</a> makes it even more <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/14-Ransomware-Tools-to-detect-decrypt-data.html">difficult for cyber criminals to suceed</a>, and hopefully the more skills you gain, the more you will pass on to others within your community to further protect against increasing cyberattacks. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Leave us a comment and share within your networks.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Read more:</span></div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Bank-of-Zambia-Systems-Ransomed-Refuses-to-Pay.html">Bank of Zambia Systems Ransomed, Bank Refuses to Pay Attacker</a></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/high-cybersecurity-interest-elearning-africa-virtual-meeting.html">High Interest in Cybersecurity at eLearning Africa Virtual Meet</a></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html">Linkedin is Top Phishing Trap ahead of Whatsapp and Telegram</a></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-cybersecurity-resources-with-sample-templates.html">5 Cybersecurity Resources With sample templates</a></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</a></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html">CISSP Masters Degree: How I passed CISSP and you can do it too</a></li></ul><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-23187498230985786002022-05-30T15:34:00.007+03:002022-06-04T10:05:46.818+03:005 Free Online Courses Plus Executive Education Courses Offering Degrees from Top Universities [Part II]<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9FgbOXYlqnwnClRwX-SjoARqJkjWrl4BAA5gw0Od2oanFR4wQ9G_FJyrqnNTbucZ0ZBgj1NulA3MoJMCnjDDdeyaCYbb-GtCFihkVHWlc1f_5ZHCVJUolazdO1uNbsUpsIABHZFdVikx2mhdB_3lTDxnf6RdkHxmhrFFJuk7gpl0Mij4eg/s1227/Executive-courses.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="free online executive management courses @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="180" data-original-width="1227" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_9FgbOXYlqnwnClRwX-SjoARqJkjWrl4BAA5gw0Od2oanFR4wQ9G_FJyrqnNTbucZ0ZBgj1NulA3MoJMCnjDDdeyaCYbb-GtCFihkVHWlc1f_5ZHCVJUolazdO1uNbsUpsIABHZFdVikx2mhdB_3lTDxnf6RdkHxmhrFFJuk7gpl0Mij4eg/w640-h94/Executive-courses.PNG" title="free online executive management courses @ruralict.com" width="640" /></a></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">In <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Become-Cyber-Defender-6-Free-Cybersecurity-Courses.html">Part I</a> of the free online courses series, are a number of courses available for all with an Internet connection and a computer, including certification programs tailored for women to join cybersecurity. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In this blog post, we continue with diverse online courses targeting individuals at different positions within a business including executives responsible for utilizing business assets for promoting growth and profits - courses on risk management, fintech and impact of new technologies on the future of business.</span></p><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">In no particular order, here are five resources with free online courses: </span></h3><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.edx.org/search" target="_blank"><b>EDX platform</b></a> where you can sharpen and increase your skills, and get a certificate after completing that you can present to your boss to increase your income, advance your career and position within the business. You can attend courses and earn degrees from popular universities like HarvardX, AdelaideX, BerkeleyX, Yale, Columbia, MITx and IBM. Popular subjects offered include data science, computer science, math, engineering, food & nutrition, architecture, law, medicine, education and teacher training, business and management. A company executive education track, that breaks down latest technology trends for business executives to apply in their business include courses on managing cybersecurity risk, fintech, accelerated management, artificial intelligence and implications for business.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRROqUPliZ-DFnsTtrt2bMPUMd33Fp37rpPSnsuA1fu9vdqS7G9wARyWlRyv_-aDYGL1peCRfG65qWp8lidtTFE4ILE8REKvHFkGntZPJ3HO-8hjk0Xe1l_J4T8kz9_EymHdvwxJyzM07r7tAZU4GPniLB23cM9AIcSqFR3U5ArD2EW4geg/s866/edx-learn-everything.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Free online executive management courses with degrees" border="0" data-original-height="229" data-original-width="866" height="106" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpRROqUPliZ-DFnsTtrt2bMPUMd33Fp37rpPSnsuA1fu9vdqS7G9wARyWlRyv_-aDYGL1peCRfG65qWp8lidtTFE4ILE8REKvHFkGntZPJ3HO-8hjk0Xe1l_J4T8kz9_EymHdvwxJyzM07r7tAZU4GPniLB23cM9AIcSqFR3U5ArD2EW4geg/w400-h106/edx-learn-everything.PNG" title="Free online executive management courses with degrees" width="400" /></a></div></span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://workshops.aws/" target="_blank"><b>Amazon AWS workshops:</b></a> Includes a list of workshops created by Amazon Web Services (AWS) experts giving tips, techniques and skills you can use to solve business issues associated with Infrastructure as code, internet of things, interoperability, javascript, kafka, kubernetes, lambda architecture, log analysis, metrics, machine learning, low-code/No-code, media, metadata, messaging, microsoft, migrations, monitoring, modernization, mobile, multi-account, NoSQL, networking, operations, postgres, privacy, perimeter protection, rest, reliability, QuickSight, RDS, resilience, SaaS, SAP, S3, security, sagemaker, serverless, startups, software management, storage, streaming, supply chanin, threat detection, trace analytics, typescript, web, vmware, transformation, web applications, windows, workflow, organizations, management and governance and many other topics.</span></li><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9LPok8QRAlX3gwqYIbqeqifptR8UErdSKY5-aIRcO3TDNc_qHJlRq9wa8aoD2HqRNnZkerXk_0VNEoP28-GmyNbPxF8LC6I9F8xhJrsIlOWrwkkclMXG7iQozx3CYJlovXTSb6byDiuyv0Ne-plXD-Nowh-jTlqGUu1w9FVubUA3De_Wdw/s916/aws-workshops.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Amazon web services workshops hands-on experience" border="0" data-original-height="245" data-original-width="916" height="86" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb9LPok8QRAlX3gwqYIbqeqifptR8UErdSKY5-aIRcO3TDNc_qHJlRq9wa8aoD2HqRNnZkerXk_0VNEoP28-GmyNbPxF8LC6I9F8xhJrsIlOWrwkkclMXG7iQozx3CYJlovXTSb6byDiuyv0Ne-plXD-Nowh-jTlqGUu1w9FVubUA3De_Wdw/w320-h86/aws-workshops.PNG" title="Amazon web services workshops hands-on experience" width="320" /></a></div><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://academy.attackiq.com/" target="_blank"><b>AttackIQ academy</b></a> is a community of cyber defenders launched due to increasing cyberattacks around the world. In the free courses experts give you tips and tricks that enable students to gain a realistic hands-on experience on building cyber defences to keep attackers out. The academy has basic, intermediate and advanced courses related with threat detection, risk management, cybersecurity frameworks (NIST 800-53, Att&ck, Mitre), attack simulations and more.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGj-FkZ62bR2wruDYMzCOGfGrkYl_JWm8BvRWgA4K2wc_aA24RsACaGa8EjK9lRMVvf0weq9dGl7teflMy-UyRmM2sG1OXQ1tSRPwXA1ZfLK771XX_kL8vcIIxfu_iBEU1aJ5ysESEc3yJRYh84sm2jeedQxRXJXUo0448_emSAJq6oON76g/s495/attack-iQ-informed-defenders.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Free online informed cyber defenders courses to fight attackers" border="0" data-original-height="281" data-original-width="495" height="182" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGj-FkZ62bR2wruDYMzCOGfGrkYl_JWm8BvRWgA4K2wc_aA24RsACaGa8EjK9lRMVvf0weq9dGl7teflMy-UyRmM2sG1OXQ1tSRPwXA1ZfLK771XX_kL8vcIIxfu_iBEU1aJ5ysESEc3yJRYh84sm2jeedQxRXJXUo0448_emSAJq6oON76g/w320-h182/attack-iQ-informed-defenders.PNG" title="Free online informed cyber defenders courses to fight attackers" width="320" /></a></div></span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.nist.gov/cyberframework" target="_blank"><b>NIST Cybersecurity framework:</b></a> Here can you download the (NIST) cybersecurity framework a popular guide with standards, guidelines and best practices that can be customized to suit the needs of your business to manage consquences of cybersecurity risk. Includes an online learning modules for beginners and advanced framework users.</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqzQXVcrMgMcRjZMOunbuRD_T4vO5Vyp3qPN01x4TGTjoniMDM6UPT_BHjEglWAmZ1gLn_15SQP4iA_CRBhVcO78RH24RGqm1FSY8mKyYdRl3hppxJE31SJrnR5W8dVl1dnY7Yz4sE-pVl8Wz-_0fsxZItA4JN1vDoZIwKE4p0wJkTW56Ag/s846/nist-cyberframework.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="NIST cybersecurity framework online course" border="0" data-original-height="294" data-original-width="846" height="139" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhqzQXVcrMgMcRjZMOunbuRD_T4vO5Vyp3qPN01x4TGTjoniMDM6UPT_BHjEglWAmZ1gLn_15SQP4iA_CRBhVcO78RH24RGqm1FSY8mKyYdRl3hppxJE31SJrnR5W8dVl1dnY7Yz4sE-pVl8Wz-_0fsxZItA4JN1vDoZIwKE4p0wJkTW56Ag/w400-h139/nist-cyberframework.PNG" title="NIST cybersecurity framework online course" width="400" /></a></div><a href="https://www.netacad.com/" target="_blank"><b>Cisco Networking Academy:</b></a> At the academy, the view is that technology is enabling big changes in the world when billions of devices are connected leading to changes in ways we communicate, collaborate, work, play and interact with the environment around us. You are offered materials to accelerate your knowledge, skills to enable you to change the world to become much better than before. Available free courses include: networking, Operating systems, programming, internet of things, infrastructure automation, cybersecurity and packet tracing.</span><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gQt4KDseGIbLcsH25QRzmmk9tjimVxDNP3IUCyX4u0r5UoyQJPQxffgvDKDEQDVNXenwl2bGwWkMT5kU-DctDUfwTLKMdEeRgwmZEVDdYEGQC4KdQVH1sspSGksZaEV1ZD--BYg6dtmIrZVCIjFDZioEk8qa-HoW4EGqx3492Znyvu3K4w/s650/netcad-cisco.PNG" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="free online networking courses" border="0" data-original-height="248" data-original-width="650" height="122" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-gQt4KDseGIbLcsH25QRzmmk9tjimVxDNP3IUCyX4u0r5UoyQJPQxffgvDKDEQDVNXenwl2bGwWkMT5kU-DctDUfwTLKMdEeRgwmZEVDdYEGQC4KdQVH1sspSGksZaEV1ZD--BYg6dtmIrZVCIjFDZioEk8qa-HoW4EGqx3492Znyvu3K4w/w320-h122/netcad-cisco.PNG" title="free online networking courses" width="320" /></a></div></li></ol><p><span style="font-family: arial;">In summary, free online courses offer an opportunity to get a valuable education taught by experts in the comfort of your home. All you need is a mobile device or computer, an internet connection and the self discipline to consistently followup on the lectures and assignements until completion of the course to earn a certificate, and new skills. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Leave us a comment and share article.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: arial;">Read more:</span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Become-Cyber-Defender-6-Free-Cybersecurity-Courses.html">Become a Cyber Defender: 6 Free Cybersecurity Courses in 2022 [Part I]</a></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Bank-of-Zambia-Systems-Ransomed-Refuses-to-Pay.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Bank of Zambia Systems Ransomed, Bank Refuses to Pay Attacker</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html">To pay or Not to Pay Ransomware: Reasons 15 Companies paid to Restore Data</a></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/phishers-dream-email-tool-embeds-ransomware.html">Phishers Dream Email tool used to Embed Ransomware in Danish Company</a></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Security-flaws-Affect-Android-Users-and-Business.html">Security Weaknesses Affect Millions of Android Users Privacy With Steps to Protect your Business</a></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-Critical-Cyber-Risks-Small-Business-Must-Remedy.html">5 Critical Cyber Risks a Small Business Owner Must Remedy in 2022</a></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sextortion Emails: I got your Password Watching Adult videos</span></a></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html">How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</a></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Why-Managing-Cyber-Risk-is-so-Hard-in-africa.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Why Managing Cyber Risk is so Hard in Africa</span></a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-46079940865501232332022-05-24T07:00:00.014+03:002022-05-24T07:00:00.254+03:00Bank of Zambia Systems Ransomed, Bank Refuses to Pay Attacker<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAAU-yMT9eJA31rRC0EaczHs5txVkJLYA0JyiZcnfCavplj2xeLnPkD5cjmCWzr5ntswTH3LBoxGTpIobB1nMQaBNCXCmkK3fN5wxgoRFQlxTZEj23Lb9hCpEPlXfJmTJt__7HEYd69cxIhqnsDAYn3oRhZMD971r4aCXK9eROLuxOM60fw/s889/ransomware-bank-of-zambia.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="hive-ransomware attack at bank of Zambia" border="0" data-original-height="334" data-original-width="889" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEAAU-yMT9eJA31rRC0EaczHs5txVkJLYA0JyiZcnfCavplj2xeLnPkD5cjmCWzr5ntswTH3LBoxGTpIobB1nMQaBNCXCmkK3fN5wxgoRFQlxTZEj23Lb9hCpEPlXfJmTJt__7HEYd69cxIhqnsDAYn3oRhZMD971r4aCXK9eROLuxOM60fw/w640-h240/ransomware-bank-of-zambia.PNG" title="hive-ransomware attack at bank of Zambia" width="640" /></a></div>In a <a href="https://www.boz.zm/Disruption_IT_Services.pdf" target="_blank">press release</a>, Bank of Zambia has acknowledged a cyberattack that disrupted its systems and denying services to its clients. The affected systems that include website and forex systems have since been restored to resume banking services:<p></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0 0 0 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"The Bank of Zambia wishes to inform members of the public that it experienced a partial disruption to some of its Information Technology (IT) applications on Monday 9th May 2022. The disruption, which affected some systems at the Bank such as the Bureau De Change Monitoring System and the Website, emanated from a suspected cybersecurity incident. We wish to advise that these systems have since been fully restored."</p></blockquote><p>The statement the bank cautions other financial services be vigilant as the incident may not be an isolated event but rather a coordinated attack on the lookout for similar victims. </p><p> According to<a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-05-18/ransomware-attackers-get-short-shrift-from-zambian-central-bank" target="_blank"> Bloomberg</a>, BOZ suffered a <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/ransomware-attacks-turn-into-phone-threats-of-violence.html">ransomware</a> attack from the Hive group where the IT director is quoted saying that "not much sensitive data" has been stolen from the bank. And when the bank found out that the core systems were protected, there was no need to engage with the <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html">ransomware attackers</a> to discusss their demands.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Deeper look into workings of Hive ransomware</h3><p>According to <a href="https://www.varonis.com/blog/hive-ransomware-analysis" target="_blank">varonis</a>, Hive ransomware is a ransomware-as-a-service software that is sold online for actors to customize as desired to suit a particular attack. Attackers gain access to a target business network through <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-phishing-quizzes-practice-howto-spot-scam.html">phishing emails</a> laced with malicious attachments, <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html">exposed user credentials</a> and vulnerabilities in publicly accessible business assets, such as website. </p><p>Once inside a business network, the attackers disable antimalware systems, listen in on network communications via a backdoor, steal critical business data and thereafter encrypt business files. Thus, its important to patch any security weaknesses in business websites that can serve as a gateway to ransomware attackers. </p><p>Africa is particularly <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-Critical-Cyber-Risks-Small-Business-Must-Remedy.html">vulnerable to cyberattacks</a> due to reduction in <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Security-flaws-Affect-Android-Users-and-Business.html">mobile phones</a> prices that are enabling more africans to access the the Internet on their devices. Be on your guard, <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/After-paying-ransomware-attacker-college-bankrupt.html">backup</a> your data, practice phishing to easily recognise tricks of a fake email, take free <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Become-Cyber-Defender-6-Free-Cybersecurity-Courses.html">cybersecurity courses</a>, establish basic <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-cybersecurity-resources-with-sample-templates.html">guidelines</a> in your business and when you fall prey to a ransomware attack, use the free <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/14-Ransomware-Tools-to-detect-decrypt-data.html">ransomware decryptors</a> and removal tools to regain access to your files without paying ransom.</p><p>Leave us a comment and share with your network</p><p>Read more:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html">Linkedin is Top Phishing Trap ahead of Whatsapp and Telegram</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html">How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html">CISSP Masters Degree: Where to start with CISSP Certification</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html">CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-27866441796395268452022-05-23T14:09:00.014+03:002022-05-30T10:41:55.834+03:00Security Weaknesses Affect Millions of Android Users Privacy With Steps to Protect your Business<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRcowcgoM-3BZCDwD6bxRRb2_z6gOArJ4ol2P1mIJ52e08qrwmzVp-dMYQgrO2phNGxsdjcqSE0-qBvCbhD0CsYfgRmq7MLwoeAU12T0fALBEOlCOWBFXKvu8UP6jEBTQ1d7cM1Eq-RU4AddPHNWLGUaumpzlMdb3oCOQMv5nuCRBd-tAqQ/s3945/android-phones.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="vulnerable android devices security risk for business @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="3945" data-original-width="2526" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRcowcgoM-3BZCDwD6bxRRb2_z6gOArJ4ol2P1mIJ52e08qrwmzVp-dMYQgrO2phNGxsdjcqSE0-qBvCbhD0CsYfgRmq7MLwoeAU12T0fALBEOlCOWBFXKvu8UP6jEBTQ1d7cM1Eq-RU4AddPHNWLGUaumpzlMdb3oCOQMv5nuCRBd-tAqQ/w256-h400/android-phones.jpg" title="vulnerable android devices security risk for business @ruralict.com" width="256" /></a></div>Cybersecurity firm <a href="https://blog.checkpoint.com/2022/04/21/largest-mobile-chipset-manufacturers-used-vulnerable-audio-decoder-2-3-of-android-users-privacy-around-the-world-were-at-risk/" target="_blank">Check Point reports</a> that it has found security weaknesses in Android software used in millions of mobile devices made by Qualcomm and MediaTek. These security weaknesses are discovered within the Apple Lossless Audio Codec (ALAC), a software first introduced by Apple in 2004 helpful for playing digital music.<p></p><p>In 2011, Apple made <a href="https://github.com/macosforge/alac" target="_blank">ALAC</a> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Open_source" target="_blank">opensource</a>, publicly sharing it online, while continuing with improvements on a proprietary version including security updates which have never been updated into the opensource version. </p><p>Since then, mobile makers have taken this opensource software and integrate it in their products, and the assumption is that none takes time to take a deeper look at security issues that it might contain.</p><p>According to Check Point, these <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/solarwinds-hack-5-lessons-to-improve-cyber-career.html">weaknesses when abused</a> enables an attacker to remotely control your device to get access to your data and turn on/off your camera:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="text-align: left;">"RCE attacks allow an attacker to remotely execute malicious code on a computer. The impact of an RCE vulnerability can range from malware execution to an attacker gaining control over a user’s multimedia data, including streaming from a compromised machine’s camera"</p></blockquote><p>In addition, an attacker can gain access to user conversations and media data if so desired by changing the applications permissions.</p><p>When Check Point contacted the two largest global mobile makers, they acknowledged the security weaknesses and released security fixes in December 2021.</p><p>If you have recently updated your device operating system to show a security patch level of December 2021, your device is protected against this attack. Otherwise, you need to update your device as soon as possible, especially devices that handle confidential and sensitive <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Why-Managing-Cyber-Risk-is-so-Hard-in-africa.html">business data</a>.</p><p>On your android device, navigate to Settings > About device > Software Info > Android security partch level is at bottom as photo below. To update android device, settings > software update > Download updates manually. Install software updates when downloaded to enjoyed enhanced security.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsPuDAQnvVNky-WwfQLPQJeTKp52AXdORTPoi4I-huBiKYUWpXEaupULmWgWCT5aD_AEuE04OW63QTmtqso29iy0UfmywdHHkDXfays9-D91d2wgkm2drR2Nl1kvVHSLc_OOX161gGE3Q7rN9vRAYDhFbq_VcmU3c_jlVfgCm7GM4bk2Xpw/s1240/outdated-security-2022.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Outdated android security patch level @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="1240" height="135" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnsPuDAQnvVNky-WwfQLPQJeTKp52AXdORTPoi4I-huBiKYUWpXEaupULmWgWCT5aD_AEuE04OW63QTmtqso29iy0UfmywdHHkDXfays9-D91d2wgkm2drR2Nl1kvVHSLc_OOX161gGE3Q7rN9vRAYDhFbq_VcmU3c_jlVfgCm7GM4bk2Xpw/w400-h135/outdated-security-2022.png" title="Outdated android security patch level @ruralict.com" width="400" /></a></div><p><b>Quick steps to limit success of an attack from unpatched devices:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Take <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/After-paying-ransomware-attacker-college-bankrupt.html">backups of critical business data</a>, test that they work and be restored, and keep them offline.</li><li>Take critical business data off vulnerable devices, until they are updated with security fixes. </li><li>Limit vulnerable devices from accessing your <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/After-paying-ransomware-attacker-college-bankrupt.html">critical business data</a>, that you do not let attackers to make you pay to get your critical business data back. </li><li>Update <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Ransomware-Locks-up-Costa-Rica-Leak-Personal-Data.html">vulnerable devices</a> as soon as possible to close this completely down as an entry an attacker can use to disrupt your business.</li><li>Prepare with a handy list of <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/14-Ransomware-Tools-to-detect-decrypt-data.html">ransomware decryptors</a> and removal tools that enable you to recover your data without paying ransom. </li><li>Put in place <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-Critical-Cyber-Risks-Small-Business-Must-Remedy.html">cybersecurity basics</a>: phishing <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-phishing-quizzes-practice-howto-spot-scam.html">practice</a>, business <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-cybersecurity-resources-with-sample-templates.html">guidelines</a>, watch out for frequent <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html">sextortion</a> emails, and <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html">social media</a> platforms where attackers are lurking.</li></ul><div>Leave us a comment and share with your network</div><p></p><p>Read more:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html">Africa awash with Scams promising High Returns at Zero Risk</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-adopt-bitcoin-to-earn-big-foreign-income.html">Sub-Saharan Africa adopt Bitcoin to Earn larger Foreign Income</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Become-Cyber-Defender-6-Free-Cybersecurity-Courses.html">Become a Cyber Defender: 6 Free Cybersecurity Courses in 2022</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/ransomware-attacks-turn-into-phone-threats-of-violence.html">Ransomware attacks turn into phone threats of violence on victims and their relatives</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html">CISSP Masters Degree: How i passed and you can do same</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-14213120187233972092022-05-20T10:52:00.000+03:002022-05-20T10:52:07.012+03:00Why Managing Cyber Risk is so Hard in Africa<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0f_ZzUqj1BHxP6p8vGUWO1dG3cRHoWKiivsxMJuUiBbFgbOdaBSHtZiwle_CNdF5qWsSBaKmO_SPv635j9JO59m0TZF0nJ4e8YMGtV4XfcQtL5sd-FaatSFoTbPXV2Ml2W1jPDwYyonrqKHm6c8HVh94FHlmGIEHsMERog6jfmuGZtaMkQ/s712/Africa-discusses-cyber-risk.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="africa discusses cyber risk management @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="321" data-original-width="712" height="288" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjz0f_ZzUqj1BHxP6p8vGUWO1dG3cRHoWKiivsxMJuUiBbFgbOdaBSHtZiwle_CNdF5qWsSBaKmO_SPv635j9JO59m0TZF0nJ4e8YMGtV4XfcQtL5sd-FaatSFoTbPXV2Ml2W1jPDwYyonrqKHm6c8HVh94FHlmGIEHsMERog6jfmuGZtaMkQ/w640-h288/Africa-discusses-cyber-risk.jpg" title="africa discusses cyber risk management @ruralict.com" width="640" /></a></div><br />In response to a question at <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/high-cybersecurity-interest-elearning-africa-virtual-meeting.html">elearning africa</a>, cyber risk is the likelihood of a damaging event happening to your information and communication systems leading to a loss of confidentiality, integrity and availability of business information. Anything valuable to you is what an attacker also wants. You would do well to invest in <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Become-Cyber-Defender-6-Free-Cybersecurity-Courses.html">improving your cyber knowledge</a> and <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html">skills in a such a dynamic field</a>, skills that will serve you well into the future. <p></p><p>Managing cyber risks contains <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/solarwinds-hack-5-lessons-to-improve-cyber-career.html">periodic checks and unending monitoring</a> to assess whether the controls in your business are sufficient to deter, detect, respond and recover from cyberattacks. Where the security controls are less than the desired level of security, more controls are added and where security is so high, the controls are reduced to match value of assets being protected.</p><p>Gone are the days when you set-it-up and forget. When you setup an antivirus, for example, do not forget about it, but rather periodically check whether its still performing as it should, it is getting updated and whether it is still configured optimally according to supplier instructions.</p><p><a href="https://www.webopedia.com/definitions/misconfiguration/" target="_blank">Software and device misconfigurations</a> are a popular way attackers enter a business, especially when connected online with their default settings unchanged. Make sure you do not connect a device/software to the Internet without changing its default administrator passwords, at the very least.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1Kvm3uXJ5FPwPRT5s5GN7eLPNGSeKxZoX5IyNbgX1XXqouGX8LZklu5-q2nFheaSAXHutHS5yr-0wvfyZ48qkUqOz4pXD2Uya-VAB5Y31qQgD1eHyLrxhVbDJMxS81eOhSrOXVy06T8LWylXaYZNtyPU24nYxmUv4WIKf5Alsz918ppVyQ/s1525/why-cyber-risk-so-difficult-africa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Question on cyber risk elearning-africa @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="1525" data-original-width="714" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgm1Kvm3uXJ5FPwPRT5s5GN7eLPNGSeKxZoX5IyNbgX1XXqouGX8LZklu5-q2nFheaSAXHutHS5yr-0wvfyZ48qkUqOz4pXD2Uya-VAB5Y31qQgD1eHyLrxhVbDJMxS81eOhSrOXVy06T8LWylXaYZNtyPU24nYxmUv4WIKf5Alsz918ppVyQ/w188-h400/why-cyber-risk-so-difficult-africa.jpg" title="Question on cyber risk elearning-africa @ruralict.com" width="188" /></a></div><p>Once you <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html">let your guard down</a> in one area, that leaves room enough for attacker(s) to enter and ruin your business. This you must not do, as the <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/After-paying-ransomware-attacker-college-bankrupt.html">consequences of a cyberattack</a> are so severe that <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html">60 percent of small businesses go bankrupt</a>. Africa is especially in a critical moment considering that scammers are lurking on <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html">popular social media platforms</a> promising <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html">high returns at zero risk</a> and aggressively sending <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html">sextortion emails</a> and messages laced with malware attachments. </p><p>None is immune or too small to fall victim to a cyberattack, from individuals, <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/phishers-dream-email-tool-embeds-ransomware.html">businesses</a> including <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Ransomware-Locks-up-Costa-Rica-Leak-Personal-Data.html">nation states</a>. You are proactive in lowering success of an attack when you continually <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-phishing-quizzes-practice-howto-spot-scam.html">practice recognising tricks scammers use</a> to manipulate you, draw up <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-cybersecurity-resources-with-sample-templates.html">simple guidelines to handle your business assets</a>, <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/After-paying-ransomware-attacker-college-bankrupt.html">backup</a> your critical business data offline, limit access to <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-Critical-Cyber-Risks-Small-Business-Must-Remedy.html">business crown jewels</a> and do not panic when <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/ransomware-attacks-turn-into-phone-threats-of-violence.html">hit with a ransomware attack</a> because here is a list of <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/14-Ransomware-Tools-to-detect-decrypt-data.html">free ransomware decryption tools</a> to unlock your busines data without paying a ransom. </p><p>Leave us a comment and share with your network.</p><p>Read more:</p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html">How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html">CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-adopt-bitcoin-to-earn-big-foreign-income.html">Sub-Saharan Africa adopt Bitcoin to Earn larger Foreign Income</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/15-ways-to-protect-data-online-from-malicious-hackers.html">15 ways to securely protect your data online from malicious hackers</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/Anonymous-hackers-take-down-government-website-in-denial-of-service-attack.html">Denial of Service: Anonymous hackers take down Uganda Police website</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html">Data Stealing Malware and how Business can Protect Against it</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-68188005883607366922022-05-18T16:38:00.006+03:002022-05-18T16:47:58.150+03:00Ransomware Locks-up Costa Rican Government Disrupting Tax Collection and Leaking Citizen Personal Data<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">
</span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0-Ak20GJ7ZXcsrkozS_q22S5toOT5xzHgAYztVvEoSuuDwt8lmoTwq0A5Vnxm7eR4qHTSlJVMLBU8IGB_pvEgibV7pwBl-4YToLceLH3rxtFggbEqLTM7JAXmhxySaPnVC3ScmaXThZ82zp3JstnI9bWL0uINSbYOTJyfnI6wxxJx3wdBA/s1280/Costa-rica-under-conti-ransomware-attack.png" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Conti ransomware locks up Costa Rica" border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="1277" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl0-Ak20GJ7ZXcsrkozS_q22S5toOT5xzHgAYztVvEoSuuDwt8lmoTwq0A5Vnxm7eR4qHTSlJVMLBU8IGB_pvEgibV7pwBl-4YToLceLH3rxtFggbEqLTM7JAXmhxySaPnVC3ScmaXThZ82zp3JstnI9bWL0uINSbYOTJyfnI6wxxJx3wdBA/w399-h400/Costa-rica-under-conti-ransomware-attack.png" title="Conti ransomware locks up Costa Rica" width="399" /></a></span></div><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Conti ransomware has locked-up Costa Rican government systems leaving it unable to function. Thus, the government was forced to declare a <a href="http://www.pgrweb.go.cr/scij/Busqueda/Normativa/Normas/nrm_articulo.aspx?param1=NRA&nValor1=1&nValor2=96886&nValor3=130028&nValor4=-1&nValor5=2&nValor6=08/05/2022&strTipM=FA" target="_blank">state of emergency</a>, giving the president powers needed to begin the ransomware
recovery efforts immediately.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Once the cyberattackers
gained initial access to </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Costa Rican </span><span style="font-family: verdana;">Ministry of finance systems, they were able
to spread malware extending into other government networks with the
impact of disrupting tax collection activities and leaking citizen's
<a href="https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/costa-rica-declares-state-of-emergency-over-ransomware-attack/ar-AAXa8ty" target="_blank">personal information on the Dark web</a>.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The US Department of
State, which is naming conti ransomware group as responsible for the
costa Rican cyberattack, is offering a<a href="https://www.state.gov/reward-offers-for-information-to-bring-conti-ransomware-variant-co-conspirators-to-justice/" target="_blank"> $10 million reward</a> for
information on the whereabouts of the attackers.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Further the US
Department, is calling Conti ransomware as "the costliest strain
of ransomware ever documented", that has affected over 1,000
victims since January 2022 amounting to $150 million ransom payments to the attackers.</span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Among ransomware
families that <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/ncas/alerts/aa21-243a#footnote1_cq4r0ib" target="_blank">victims report to the FBI</a>, top on the list is conti,
pysa, lockbit, ransomEXX/Defray777, zeppelin and
Crysis/Dharma/phobos. Conti ransomware attacks are increasing since <a href="https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/publications/conti-cyber-attack-on-the-hse-full-report.pdf" target="_blank">disrupting Ireland’s national health care system</a> in May 2021, which hindered access
to health services to people in desperate need of help. </span></p>
<p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"></p><h4 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Do not wait until
you fall victim to a ransomware attack:</span></h4><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Backup your
critical business data, test that you can restore it</span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> and </span><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/After-paying-ransomware-attacker-college-bankrupt.html" style="font-family: verdana;">store backups offline</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">.</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Increase your skills in telling a </span><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-phishing-quizzes-practice-howto-spot-scam.html" style="font-family: verdana;">fake from legitimate email messages</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> - ninety percent of
cyberattacks begin with a phishing email. Take </span><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Become-Cyber-Defender-6-Free-Cybersecurity-Courses.html" style="font-family: verdana;">free cybersecurity courses to increase your knowledge</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> making it more difficult for
cyberattackers to fool you.</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Dont panic if you
fall victim to a ransomware attack – here is a list of </span><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/14-Ransomware-Tools-to-detect-decrypt-data.html" style="font-family: verdana;">14 ransomware tools to detect and decrypt</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> ransomware to recover your
data.</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Create </span><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-cybersecurity-resources-with-sample-templates.html" style="font-family: verdana;">guidelines within your business</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> on how to handle critical data and business
assets, that empower employees to make the right decisions for your
business.</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-family: verdana;">Limit and constantly monitor </span><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-Critical-Cyber-Risks-Small-Business-Must-Remedy.html" style="font-family: verdana;">access to your critical business data</a><span style="font-family: verdana;">, including updating business systems immediately when critical software updates become available, which locks out cyberattackers.</span></li></ol><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Bottomline is no one is immune from ransomware attacks: individuals, businesses (small and big) including nation states, can all be attacked with devasting consquences most especially when unprepared. Using the resources above goes a long way in lowering the risk of a successful attack.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Leave us a comment and share in your networks.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Read more:</span></div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/phishers-dream-email-tool-embeds-ransomware.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Phishers Dream Email tool used to Embed Ransomware in Danish Company</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">To pay or Not to Pay Ransomware: Reasons 15 Companies paid to Restore Data</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-adopt-bitcoin-to-earn-big-foreign-income.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sub-Saharan Africa adopt Bitcoin to Earn larger Foreign Income</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/high-cybersecurity-interest-elearning-africa-virtual-meeting.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">High Interest in Cybersecurity at eLearning Africa Virtual Meet</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Africa awash with Scams promising High Returns at Zero Risk</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sextortion Emails: I got your Password Watching Adult videos</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Linkedin is Top Phishing Trap ahead of Whatsapp and Telegram</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</span></a></li></ul><p></p></div><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-58254223048948906662022-05-16T17:19:00.003+03:002022-05-16T22:38:14.132+03:00After Paying Ransomware Attacker, US College Goes Bankrupt - Backup your Data Today<div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDpKlsN6NH21ezl5bfzIpNChO6RCb2C_PwIQXmMjA54lfYeUSnrXNFn-zCLlJyUwFXQo7cnLUHRw6ieaTmZjQ0wi6Sr5rxvfXrJ1ouHa0jmAc-Uh1cPy0r8FvyIQrksXmWeg3R3LktYTVSEht9bXBJMFJmKJauXb11ZHahVjQEtT6U8Ksrw/s2142/lush-college-campus.jpg"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="lush college campus @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="1289" data-original-width="2142" height="386" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUDpKlsN6NH21ezl5bfzIpNChO6RCb2C_PwIQXmMjA54lfYeUSnrXNFn-zCLlJyUwFXQo7cnLUHRw6ieaTmZjQ0wi6Sr5rxvfXrJ1ouHa0jmAc-Uh1cPy0r8FvyIQrksXmWeg3R3LktYTVSEht9bXBJMFJmKJauXb11ZHahVjQEtT6U8Ksrw/w640-h386/lush-college-campus.jpg" title="lush college campus @ruralict.com" width="640" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Abraham Lincoln college, an institution of higher learning in the United States (US) is set to permanently close its doors after 157 years in the business of educating students, according to a <a href="https://lincolncollege.edu/" target="_blank">statement</a> on its website.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />One would imagine that the college was an expert at surviving great crises that include "the economic crisis of 1887, a major campus fire in 1912, the Spanish flu of 1918, the Great Depression, World War II, the 2008 global financial crisis", but that was not the case. The coronavirus global pandemic "dramatically impacted recruitment and fundraising efforts" with students deciding to "choosing to postpone college or take a leave of absence" leaving the institution in a weak financial situation, according to college statement.</span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Adding salt to injury, a cyberattack in December 2021 "thwarted admissions activities and hindered access to all institutional data" meaning that all systems the college needed to carry out activities related with recruiting, retaining and fundraising efforts unavailable. Access to these systems was only fully restored three months later, by which time, it was too late to survive permanent closure without a financial donation. </span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Efforts to raise funding like a <a href="https://www.gofundme.com/f/savelc-save-lincoln-college" target="_blank">GoFundme campaing to raise $20 million</a>, selling assets, changes to staff and leasing buildings has failed to sustain the college. </span></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhON3I0hPUVGpsF7gDguWu-PhU37uSAYdSTuwEZ3iBRFQT-CTepuKUbsIJsWE33bjSwdcWR9WYm3z93mIUgKTjG7FoEeV3oM-Efwzb51y-d6YfeWg0RboJ-RVFuwqg7qq7wCdyJkHeP1edbc102Hxv2m9eQ8wlBPMjQEv0aYGMjczVRuW4ZNQ/s1143/Lincoln-college-goFundME.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img alt="Lincoln college fundraise after ransomware attack @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="507" data-original-width="1143" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhON3I0hPUVGpsF7gDguWu-PhU37uSAYdSTuwEZ3iBRFQT-CTepuKUbsIJsWE33bjSwdcWR9WYm3z93mIUgKTjG7FoEeV3oM-Efwzb51y-d6YfeWg0RboJ-RVFuwqg7qq7wCdyJkHeP1edbc102Hxv2m9eQ8wlBPMjQEv0aYGMjczVRuW4ZNQ/w640-h285/Lincoln-college-goFundME.png" title="US lincoln college fundraise after ransomware attack @ruralict.com" width="640" /></span></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Lincoln college fundraising efforts on GoFundme</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><h3 style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Information regarding the Lincoln College cyberattack</span></h3><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />According the college’s president, David Gerlach, quoted in <a href="https://edscoop.com/lincoln-college-ransomware-enrollment/" target="_blank">Edscoop</a>, college internal systems were down though a common App to recieve applications was operating. The ransomware attacker, presumably from Iran, initially asked for $100,000 but got paid "significantly" less, with the amount paid out from a cyber insurance policy the college had taken out beforehand. </span></div><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />Gerlach says that the college was "fully aware" of the <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/ransomware-attacks-turn-into-phone-threats-of-violence.html">threat ransomware posed</a> considering that neighbouring colleges were getting hit. To that effect, the college IT director, implemented "baseline security measures" like multi-factor authention and left the job afterwards.</span></div><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />After getting paid, <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/phishers-dream-email-tool-embeds-ransomware.html">ransomware attackers</a> provided a key that failed to unlock encrypted institutional data, though a second key succeeded at bringing additional systems up. This goes to show that <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html">paying the ransom</a> is no guarantee to getting your critical data back from the attackers. </span></div><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><h3 style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Lessons to apply today to avoid going bankrupt from ransomware attack:</span></h3><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Backup your critical business data, test backups regularly and keep backups offline.</b> Lincoln college paid a ransom to gain back access to locked-up critical institutional data and systems needed to recruit, retain and fundraise to sustain the activities of the college. Before ransomware is activated, an attacker installs malware to detect, delete and encrypt online backups leaving only offline backups as safe recovery option. Take backups regularly and test that data can be restored back into your systems as part of <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-cybersecurity-resources-with-sample-templates.html">organizational policy</a>.</span></li><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Segment network.</b> Ensure that critical systems are operating at a more secure network layer seperate from all other non-critical systems.</span></li><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Update Operating systems and critical software.</b> Do not put off updating your system when critical updates become available, and upgrade systems using software that is no longer supported by the supplier. </span></li><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Access.</b> <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-Critical-Cyber-Risks-Small-Business-Must-Remedy.html">Limit access to privileged information</a> with using strong passwords and two-factor authentication where possible.</span></li><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Conduct periodic cyber awareness</b>.Train staff, students and partners on the ever changing tricks cyberattackers use to trick users into gaining access to institutional data and networks using <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-phishing-quizzes-practice-howto-spot-scam.html">phishing quizzes</a>.</span></li><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><li><span style="font-family: arial;"><b>Ransomware solutions</b>. When hit by ransomware, dont panic but look through <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/14-Ransomware-Tools-to-detect-decrypt-data.html">ransomware decryptors and removal tools</a> that might include the key required to unlock your encrypted data. </span></li></ol></div><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">The impact of a cyberattack can have lasting consequences to business reputation and finances though a proactive approach can lower the risk of a successful attack. Continually taking backups, that get tested and kept offline can go a long way in ensuring that the <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html">business recovers</a> from damaging ransomware. No institution or business is immune or too small to be attacked. </span></div><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Leave us a comment and share story with your networks.</span></div><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><b><span style="font-family: arial;">Read more:</span></b></div><div style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html"><span style="font-family: arial;"> CISSP Masters Degree: Where to start with CISSP Certification</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Africa awash with Scams promising High Returns at Zero Risk</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Become-Cyber-Defender-6-Free-Cybersecurity-Courses.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Become a Cyber Defender: 6 Free Cybersecurity Courses in 2022</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/high-cybersecurity-interest-elearning-africa-virtual-meeting.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">High Interest in Cybersecurity at eLearning Africa Virtual Meet</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Linkedin is Top Phishing Trap ahead of Whatsapp and Telegram</span></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html"><span style="font-family: arial;">Sextortion Emails: I got your Password Watching Adult videos</span></a></li></ul><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-77385275834714000052022-05-14T22:09:00.003+03:002022-05-14T22:09:28.621+03:0014 Ransomware Tools to Detect and Decrypt Locked-up Data<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOPkPcRlVSeHccoKTOKiZtyAj0QtnjhV8pJtxKLekE6rl1BmE5b3c6cN9rOrtoh4W_m46GrVNF3QQca9UxGs5Mj4h4BJyYTLBBaoElhA1K3Rl8NxEblayMbulPxOboCm2z5nJKvOt5m_mdmqJUoyHDnkYpU4RcQ6v9lOww_PsbMeVo6ifJg/s980/ransomware-locked-files.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ransomware tools to detect and decrypt data @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="536" data-original-width="980" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqOPkPcRlVSeHccoKTOKiZtyAj0QtnjhV8pJtxKLekE6rl1BmE5b3c6cN9rOrtoh4W_m46GrVNF3QQca9UxGs5Mj4h4BJyYTLBBaoElhA1K3Rl8NxEblayMbulPxOboCm2z5nJKvOt5m_mdmqJUoyHDnkYpU4RcQ6v9lOww_PsbMeVo6ifJg/w640-h350/ransomware-locked-files.png" title="ransomware tools detect and decrypt @ruralict.com" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ransomware locked up critical business information</td></tr></tbody></table></p><p>Ransomware is a known cyber risk that is part and parcel of doing business online. Ransomware is malicious software that locks a user out of their device leaving the victim unable to access information on the locked device. </p><p>Ransomware is a such a growing concern affecting all industries due to the attackers becoming more aggressive <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/ransomware-attacks-turn-into-phone-threats-of-violence.html">cold calling victims</a> and seeking huge ransom demands to be paid before critical business data can be unlocked, else it gets released publicly online. Many small businesses cannot survive a ransomware attack with <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html">60 percent going completely bankrupt</a>.</p><p>A number of big businesses have suffered a ransomware attack where they decided to <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html">pay the ransom demands</a>, but you do not have to panic or be bullied into paying the ransom by the attackers. </p><p>Here are resources to help you identify which ransomware has locked-up your information, as well as locating a tool that can remove the ransomware (decryptor), so you can access your information and device again. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><b>How to tell which ransomware you are infected with and whether it can be decrypted:</b></h3><p>To begin the process of removing ransomware locking up your information, you need to tell what kind of malware it is, and thereafter look for a solution or decryptor that might be available. If the decryptor is available, that means the ransomware can be cleaned off your information and device.</p><p><b>Here are two ransomware tools to detect and recognize the ransomware you have:</b></p><div><div><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://id-ransomware.malwarehunterteam.com/" target="_blank"><b>ID Ransomware</b></a> offers a ransomware identification service that detects and informs the victim of the kind of ransomware that has locked their information, and whether a known decryptor is available. The service is updated to detect 1,066 different kinds of ransomware. </li><br /><li><a href="https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/labs/bitdefender-ransomware-recognition-tool/" target="_blank"><b>Bitdefender has a ransomware recognition</b></a> tool that a victim can download and run to identify the kind of ransomware that has locked up your information. </li></ul></div></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMz7qbpy4GAxKhxbz3mwAJzSXs5WO_zlbrvQ247D5b3X5rmtIkSN6aW4Nntd-0pQk1Kszv_2v5otwDpBMi0RSy9wO7VGX42HDZILTixa81B0-X735WGdCeYxeVCm50Gvb60wBL2D16ozAkGTxONrhFgFVmg_dMNPnFesT2tA7QaiPbzdxtsA/s1199/ransomware-families.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="ransomware decryptors and removal @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="619" data-original-width="1199" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMz7qbpy4GAxKhxbz3mwAJzSXs5WO_zlbrvQ247D5b3X5rmtIkSN6aW4Nntd-0pQk1Kszv_2v5otwDpBMi0RSy9wO7VGX42HDZILTixa81B0-X735WGdCeYxeVCm50Gvb60wBL2D16ozAkGTxONrhFgFVmg_dMNPnFesT2tA7QaiPbzdxtsA/w640-h330/ransomware-families.png" title="ransomware decryptors and removal @ruralict.com" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">ransomware families with decryptor available</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>Next are the resources you can use to find ransomware decryptors and removal tools. Please read and follow the instructions in the the howto guides for the particular ransomware tool(s) you choose.</div><h3 style="text-align: left;">Ransomware decryptor and removal resources:</h3><div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.nomoreransom.org/en/decryption-tools.html" target="_blank">No more Ransom project</a></b> has several ransomware decryption tools that include: 777, AES_NI, Agent.iih,Alcatraz, Alpha, Amnesia, Amnesia2, Annabelle, Aura, Aurora, AutoIt, AutoLocky, Avest, BTCWare, BadBlock, BarRax, Bart, BigBobRoss, Bitcryptor, CERBER V1, CheckMail7,Chernolocker, Chimera, Coinvault ,Cry128, Cry9, CryCryptor, CrySIS, Cryakl, Crybola, Crypt888, CryptON, CryptXXX V1, CryptXXX V2, CryptXXX V3, CryptXXX V4, CryptXXX V5, CryptoMix, Cryptokluchen, DXXD, Damage, Democry, Derialock, Dharma, DragonCyber ElvisPresley, EncrypTile, Everbe 1.0, FenixLocker, FilesLocker v1 and v2, FortuneCrypt, Fury, GalactiCryper, GandCrab (V1, V4 and V5 up to V5.2 versions), GetCrypt,Globe, Globe/Purge, Globe2, Globe3, GlobeImposter, GoGoogle, Gomasom, HKCrypt, Hakbit, HiddenTear, HildaCrypt, Iams00rry, InsaneCrypt, Iwanttits, JSWorm 2.0, JSWorm 4.0, Jaff, JavaLocker, Jigsaw, Kokokrypt, LECHIFFRE, LambdaLocker, Lamer, Linux.Encoder.1, Linux.Encoder.3, Loocipher, Lortok, MacRansom, Magniber, Mapo, Marlboro, Marsjoke aka Polyglot, MegaLocker, Merry X-Mas, MirCop, Mira, Mole, Muhstik, Nemty, Nemucod, NemucodAES, Nmoreira, Noobcrypt, Ouroboros, Ozozalocker, PHP ransomware, Paradise, Pewcrypt, Philadelphia, Planetary, Pletor, Popcorn, Professeur, Puma, Pylocky, Rakhni, Rannoh, Ransomwared, RedRum, Rotor,SNSLocker, Shade, SimpleLocker, Simplocker, SpartCrypt, Stampado, Syrk, Teamxrat/Xpan, TeslaCrypt V1, TeslaCrypt V2, TeslaCrypt V3, TeslaCrypt V4, Thanatos, Trustezeb, TurkStatic, VCRYPTOR, WannaCryFake, Wildfire, XData, XORBAT, XORIST, Yatron, ZQ, ZeroFucks, Zorab, djvu </li><br /><li><b><a href="https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/ransomware-decryption-tools/" target="_blank">Heimdal security</a></b> has a resource with 216 ransomware decryption tools that include:.777, 7even-HONE$T, .8lock8, 7ev3n, AES_NI Rakhni, Agent.iih, Alcatraz, Alma, Al-Namrood, Alpha, AlphaLocker, Amnesia, Amnesia, Anabelle, Apocalypse, ApocalypseVM, AtomSilo, Aura, Aurora, AutoIt, Autolocky, Avaddon, Avest, Babuk, Badblock, BarRax, BigBobRoss, BitCryptor, Bitman, BitStak, BTCWare, Cerber V1, Chimera, CheckMail7, ChernoLocker, CoinVault, Cry128, Cry9, Cryakl, Crybola, CrypBoss, CryCryptor, Crypren, Crypt32, Crypt38, Crypt888, CryptInfinite, CryptoDefense, CryptFile2,CryptoHost, Cryptokluchen, Cryptolocker, CryptoMix, CryptON, CryptoTorLocker, CryptXXX, CrySIS, CTB-LockerWeb, CuteRansomware, Cyborg, Damage, Darkside, DemoTool, DeCrypt, Democry, Derialock, Dharma, Diavol, DMA Locker, DragonCyber, DXXD, Egregor, Encryptile, ElvisPresley, Everbe, Fabiansomware, FenixLocker, FilesLocker (V1 and V2), FortuneCrypt, Fonix, Fury, GalactiCryper,GandCrab (V1, V4, V5), gandcrab 5.2, Gerosan, GetCrypt, GhostCrypt, Globe / Purge, Globe2, Globe3, GlobeImpostor, Gomasom, GoGoogle Hacked, Hakbit, Harasom, HydraCrypt, HiddenTear, HildraCrypt, HKCrypt, Iams00rry, InsaneCrypt, Iwanttits, Jaff, JavaLocker, Jigsaw, JS WORM 2.0, JS WORM 4.0, Judge, KeRanger, KeyBTC, KimcilWare, KokoKrypt, Lamer, LambdaLocker, LeChiffre, Legion, Linux.Encoder, Linux.Encoder.3, Lobzik, LockFile,Lock Screen, Locker, Loocipher, Lorenz,Lortok, MacRansom, Magniber, MaMoCrypt, Mapo, Marlboro, MarsJoke, Manamecrypt, MegaLocker, Merry Christmas / MRCR, Mira, Mircop,Mole,MoneroPay, muhstik, my-Little, Nanolocker, Nemty, Nemucod, NemucodAES, NMoreira, Noobcrypt, ODCODC, OpenToYou, Operation Global III, Ouroboros, Ozozalocker, Paradise,PClock ,Petya, PewCrypt, Philadelphia, PizzaCrypts, Planetary, Pletor, Polyglot, Pompous, PowerWare / PoshCoder, Popcorn, Professeur, Puma, PyLocky, Radamant, RAGNAROK, Rakhni, Rannoh, Ransomwared, Rector, RedRum, REvil/Sodinokibi, Rotor, Scraper, Sekhmet, SimpleLocker, Simplocker, Shade / Troldesh, SNSLocker, SpartCrypt, Stampado,STOP Djvu, SynAck, Syrk, SZFlocker, Teamxrat / Xpan, TeleCrypt, TeslaCrypt, TeslaCrypt V2, TeslaCrypt V3, TeslaCrypt V4, Thanatos, ThunderX, Trustezeb.A, TurkStatic, TorrentLocker, Umbrecrypt, VCRYPTOR, WannaCry, WannaCryFake, WannaRen, Wildfire, XData, XORBAT, XORIST, Yatron, ZeroFcks, Zeta, Ziggy, Zorab, ZQ,</li><br /><li><b><a href="https://www.mdsny.com/decryption-tools/" target="_blank">MDS has 167 ransomware decryption tools</a></b> that unlock files encrypted with: 777, AES_NI, Agent.iih, Alcatraz, Amnesia, Amnesia2, Aura, AutoIt, AutoLocky, BTCWare, BadBlock, BadBlock, BarRax, Bart, Bitcryptor, CERBER V1,Chimera, Coinvault, Cry128, Cry9, CrySIS, Cryakl,Crybola, Crypt888, CryptON, CryptXXX V1, CryptXXX V2, CryptXXX V3, CryptXXX V4, CryptXXX V5, CryptoMix, Cryptokluchen, DXXD, Damage, Demsocry, Derialock, Dharma, EncrypTile, FenixLocker, Fury,Globe, Globe/Purge,Globe2, Globe3, GlobeImposter, Gomasom, HiddenTear, Jaff, Jigsaw, LECHIFFRE, LambdaLocker, Lamer, Linux.Encoder.1, Linux.Encoder.3, Lortok, MRCR, MacRansom, Marlboro, Marsjoke aka Polyglot, Merry X-Mas, MirCop, Mole, Nemucod, Nmoreira, Noobcrypt, Ozozalocker, PHP ransomware, Philadelphia, Pletor, Popcorn, Rakhni, Rannoh, Rotor, SNSLocker, Shade, Stampado, Teamxrat/Xpan, TeslaCrypt V1, TeslaCrypt V2, TeslaCrypt V3, TeslaCrypt V4, Wildfire, XData, XORBAT, and XORIST</li><br /><li><a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/windows/ransomware-decryptors/" target="_blank"><b>Bleeping computer</b></a> has a several pages where a ransomware victim can download ransomware decryptors to unlock encrypted information, including a helpful <a href="https://www.bleepingcomputer.com/forums/f/239/ransomware-help-tech-support/" target="_blank">support forum</a> where you can post and ask for decryptor to a particular ransomware affecting your information.</li><br /><b>Antivirus companies with ransomware protection and decryptors:</b><br /><br /><li><b><a href="https://www.bitdefender.com/blog/labs/" target="_blank">Bitdefender</a>. </b>Under "Free Tools", Bitdefender antivirus offers 14 ransomware decryptors that include: REvil/Sodinokibi, Avaddon, Fonix, Darkside, MaMoCrypt, WannaRen, GoGoogle, Shade / Troldesh, Paradise, Ouroboros, GandCrab (V5.1), LookCrypt, Annabelle and Rootkit remover.</li><br /><li><a href="https://noransom.kaspersky.com/" target="_blank"><b>Kaspersky</b></a>, offers various ransomware decryptors and removal tools for: shade, rakhni, rannoh, coinvault, wildfire, and xorist.</li><br /><li><a href="https://success.trendmicro.com/dcx/s/solution/1114221-downloading-and-using-the-trend-micro-ransomware-file-decryptor?language=en_US" target="_blank"><b>Trendmicro</b></a>. A ransomware victim can download and use the Trend Micro Ransomware File Decryptor that unlocks information encrypted by 23 different ransomware families that include: </li><li>CryptXXX (V1, V2, v3, v4, v5), TeslaCrypt (V1, V2, v3, v4), SNSLocker, AutoLocky, BadBlock, 777, XORIST, XORBAT, CERBER V1, Stampado, Nemucod, Chimera, LECHIFFRE, MirCop, Jigsaw, Globe/Purge, DXXD, Teamxrat/Xpan, Crysis, TeleCrypt, DemoTool, WannaCry (WCRY), and Petya.</li><br /><li><b><a href="https://www.mcafee.com/enterprise/en-us/downloads/free-tools/ransomware-decryption.html" target="_blank">McAfee Ransomware Recover</a></b> offers two ransomware decryption tools that you avictinm can download to unlock files, applications, databases and any other objects the ransomware has encrypted.</li><br /><li><b><a href="https://www.emsisoft.com/ransomware-decryption-tools/free-download" target="_blank">Emsisoft</a></b> offers free ransomware decryption tools that include: 777, Al-Namrood, Amnesia, Amnesia2 decryptor, Apocalypse decryptor, ApocalypseVM, Aurora decryptor, AutoLocky decryptor, Avaddon decryptor, Avest decryptor, BadBlock decryptor, BigBobRoss decryptor (file extension ".obfuscated", ".encryptedALL", or ".cheetah"), CheckMail7 (extension ".checkmail7@protonmail.com"), ChernoLocker (file extension .CHERNOLOCKER), Cry128 decryptor, Cry9 decryptor, CrypBoss decryptor, Crypt32, CryptInfinite, CryptoDefense, CryptON decryptor, CryptoPokemon, Cyborg, Damage, DeadBolt, Diavol, DMALocker, DMALocker2, Fabiansomware, FenixLocker, GalactiCrypter, GetCrypt, Globe, Globe2, Globe3, GlobeImposter, Gomasom, Hakbit, Harasom, HildaCrypt, HKCrypt, HydraCrypt, Ims00rry, JavaLocker, Jigsaw, JSWorm 2.0, JSWorm 4.0, KeyBTC, KokoKrypt, LeChiffre, LooCipher, Marlboro, Maze / Sekhmet / Egregor, MegaLocker, MRCR, Muhstik, Nemucod,NemucodAES, NMoreira, NoWay, OpenToYou, OzozaLocker, Paradise, PClock, PewCrypt, Philadelphia, Planetary, Radamant, Ragnarok, Ransomwared, RedRum, SpartCrypt, Stampado, STOP Djvu, STOP Puma, SynAck, Syrk, TurkStatik, WannaCryFake, Xorist, Ziggy, Zorab, and ZQ.</li><br /><li><b><a href="https://www.avg.com/en-se/ransomware-decryption-tools" target="_blank">AVG free ransomware decryption</a></b>s tools include: Apocalypse, BadBlock, Bart, Crypt888, Legion, SZFLocker, and TeslaCrypt.</li><br /><li><a href="https://support.drweb.com/new/free_unlocker/for_decode/?lng=en" target="_blank"><b>Dr.Web antivirus</b></a>, offers a ransomware decryptor to decrypt files locked-up by a Trojan.Encoder (Cryptolocker, Cryptowall, Reveton, ExPetya), which a victim can request via the support page.</li></ol></div><div><div><b>In conclusion</b>, when facing a ransomware incident, do not panic but rather spend efforts in finding out precisely the kind of ransomware locking up your information and whether a solution/decryptor is available from all the resources shared above. Do not neglect basic cyber hygiene practices like taking backups of your information and regularly testing that they work, and limiting access to your critical business information to only those individuals with a need to know. </div><div><br /></div><div>Leave us a comment and share with your network.</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Read more: </div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-Critical-Cyber-Risks-Small-Business-Must-Remedy.html">5 Critical Cyber Risks a Small Business Owner Must Remedy in 2022</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/Become-Cyber-Defender-6-Free-Cybersecurity-Courses.html">Become a Cyber Defender: 6 Free Cybersecurity Courses in 2022</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html">Linkedin is Top Phishing Trap ahead of Whatsapp and Telegram</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html">How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html">CISSP Masters Degree: Where to start with CISSP Certification</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html">CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html">Africa awash with Scams promising High Returns at Zero Risk</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/high-cybersecurity-interest-elearning-africa-virtual-meeting.html">High Interest in Cybersecurity at eLearning Africa Virtual Meet</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html">Sextortion Emails: I got your Password Watching Adult videos</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-cybersecurity-resources-with-sample-templates.html">5 Cybersecurity Resources With sample templates</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-40387221900468409002022-05-13T13:19:00.013+03:002022-05-30T13:16:02.477+03:00Become a Cyber Defender: 6 Free Cybersecurity Courses in 2022 [Part I]<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirjrLWd1zzEqqNL_oxzYkOzkuF_qvR_h1sXMD14Ddi3nd2PgqZerVbDoE-ZbFWKt-pK5LKrfjnI_kvcIRUoY7xAige0vheyw8_Kr0dhEv-KV4QNW5UhyezpZOC_PCY1w2XiAIR2OFgykxgUz3ws-IYtJ6mozQXbMHtyIPEZAscKrLuY0XbYA/s400/classroom-studying.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="classroom with desks and blackboard @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="225" data-original-width="400" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEirjrLWd1zzEqqNL_oxzYkOzkuF_qvR_h1sXMD14Ddi3nd2PgqZerVbDoE-ZbFWKt-pK5LKrfjnI_kvcIRUoY7xAige0vheyw8_Kr0dhEv-KV4QNW5UhyezpZOC_PCY1w2XiAIR2OFgykxgUz3ws-IYtJ6mozQXbMHtyIPEZAscKrLuY0XbYA/w400-h225/classroom-studying.JPG" title="life-long study in classroom and blackboard @ruralict.com" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">life long learning in classroom</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Learning never stops but continues throughout ones life, that is a winning mindset. And as a life-long learner myself, when am a collector of study resources to constantly sharpen my knowledge and skills. You may consider taking the advanced <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html">CISSP</a>, <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html">CISM</a>, <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html">CCSP</a> and <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html">CCSK</a> certificates to further grow your knowledge.<div><br /></div><div>Below are free (cyber) courses that are open for you to start on your cybersecurity journey.<br /><p></p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Here are 5 free study resources for the weekend:</h3><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>FreeCodeCamp.org</b> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/Freecodecamp/videos" target="_blank">youtube channel</a> - fantastic resource with over 5 million subscribers and 350 million views of constantly updated video content covering all sorts of technologies: programming, self-driving cars, social media, data science, machine learning, ethical hacking.</li><br /><li><b>Knowbe4 resources:</b></li><ul><li><a href="https://www.knowbe4.com/webinar-library" target="_blank">Webinar library</a>: Available webinars to watch cover topics: multifactor Authentication, ransomware, compliance, third-party risk, log4j, cybercrime-as-a-service, email hacks.</li><li>KnowBe4 <a href="https://www.knowbe4.com/homecourse" target="_blank">Home Internet Security Awareness Training</a> (<i>password: homecourse</i>), a course for entire family on safely using the Internet.</li><br /></ul><li><b>Charles Sturt University</b>: After you provide your name and email, you gain access to the free short course on <a href="https://itmasters.edu.au/free-short-course-cybersecurity-management/" target="_blank">Cybersecurity Management</a>. The free Course takes 5 weeks and already has over 15,000 students enrolled, covering 5 modules and an assessment: </li><ul><li><b>Module 1:</b> Effective and efficient cyber security</li><li><b>Module 2:</b>The Cyber security practice – warriors and critics</li><li><b>Module 3:</b>The cyber security practice – visionaries and leaders</li><li><b>Module 4</b>:Putting it all together</li><li><b>Assessment:</b> open-book online test (open-book means you are allowed to bring along your study notes and materials to exam room to look up the answers as you do the exam). Exam takes 1 hour to complete 40 multiple choice questions.</li><br /></ul><li><b>Mosse-Institute </b><a href="https://videos.mosse-institute.com/#/" target="_blank">Cyber Security Awareness Training Videos</a>. After you provide your name and email, you gain access to 23 videos across 5 series covering:</li><ul><li>Introduction to Cyber Security </li><li>Cyber Self-Defence</li><li>Leadership & Management </li><li>Information Security Compliance </li><li>Incident Response </li><br /></ul><li><b>Women in Cyber Free Remote <a href="https://www.mosse-institute.com/women-in-cyber.html" target="_blank">Cybersecurity Internship</a></b> Certification Programme Empowering Women in Cyber Security where you learn: performing vulnerability scans, web apps vulnerabilities and defend web apps. Apply on directly on website.</li><br /><li><b><a href="https://leadmind.inteligenca.com/100womenin100days/" target="_blank">100 women in 100 days</a>:</b> Become part of the new generation of cyber defenders - Accelerator programme (registration is open). Your offered all the information you need to self-evaluate if this opportunity is for you. So dont be afraid to apply.</li></ol><p></p><p>In conclusion, commit to life-learning to improve your knowledge and skills as the world rapidly changes around us. That way, you are sure to remain relevant and able adapt with the changing times.</p><p><b>Leave us a comment and share with your network.</b></p><p><b>Read more: </b></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html">Africa awash with Scams promising High Returns at Zero Risk</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/ransomware-attacks-turn-into-phone-threats-of-violence.html">Ransomware attacks turn into phone threats of violence on victims and their relatives</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html">To pay or Not to Pay Ransomware: Reasons 15 Companies paid to Restore Data</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/high-cybersecurity-interest-elearning-africa-virtual-meeting.html">High Interest in Cybersecurity at eLearning Africa Virtual Meet</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html">Linkedin is Top Phishing Trap ahead of Whatsapp and Telegram</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html">Sextortion Emails: I got your Password Watching Adult videos</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-52924435289559197452022-05-12T11:21:00.003+03:002022-05-13T09:49:18.003+03:005 Critical Cyber Risks a Small Business Owner Must Remedy in 2022<p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1rKUleub3jB1WtE1hZcZ7ATRY1wBP2eKE5Flb5h3ZeAF6qVN3a6jz3Tr1i4KjdJYKFuwIZe0pfjDRKM_2wkAA4VXsMPKgYZCcoQL9kqC_QGYuYE-AXM6s6-KGYnGKr9HSMr6-35TOTv73Q5ORLDRhC_GzHQlb-W_9ITMMf6kcgbIAtHyYw/s1097/daily-cyber-attacks-africa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="cyber attacks to africa @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="620" data-original-width="1097" height="362" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEha1rKUleub3jB1WtE1hZcZ7ATRY1wBP2eKE5Flb5h3ZeAF6qVN3a6jz3Tr1i4KjdJYKFuwIZe0pfjDRKM_2wkAA4VXsMPKgYZCcoQL9kqC_QGYuYE-AXM6s6-KGYnGKr9HSMr6-35TOTv73Q5ORLDRhC_GzHQlb-W_9ITMMf6kcgbIAtHyYw/w640-h362/daily-cyber-attacks-africa.png" title="cyber attacks to african businesses @ruralict.com" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">screenshot of cyber attacks (checkpoint live cyber threat map)</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Gone are the days of set-it-up-and-forget. For whatever device or software that you setup to create, process and store your business data, you continue to monitor to ensure it is configured properly and operating optimally, and ensure that critical updates are applied when they become available.</p><p>As a business owner, it is important you have your eye on the these five critical cyber risks related with business data, privileged access, phishing awareness, company policy and vulnerable business systems. </p><p>When attackers <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/15-ways-to-protect-data-online-from-malicious-hackers.html">target your business</a>, they look for vulnerable systems or practices due to lax company policy, as a way to get inside your business. And when inside, attackers seek privileged access (administrator accounts) that grant them permissions to steal, manipulate and destroy critical business data, and afterwhich <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/ransomware-attacks-turn-into-phone-threats-of-violence.html">activate ransomware</a> locking you out of your own business. </p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Five critical cyber risks</h3><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><b>Loss of critical business data.</b> Identify and locate wherever critical business data is used in your business. This is data that your business needs to survive, without which you will go bankrupt. This is data is among the <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/phishers-dream-email-tool-embeds-ransomware.html">crown jewels of your business</a>. Think about and put up measures on who is allowed to access it (admin/manager), how its accessed (process) and how its stored (plaintext/encrypted/vault). Critical business data is a particularly what an attacker is seeking when they gain access to a business network, whose loss makes many <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html">businesses decide to pay</a> huge ransoms to cyber criminals just to get it back. </li><br /><li><b>Privileged access.</b> These are the keys to confidential business data, systems or facilities. They are physical/digital <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/15-ways-to-protect-data-online-from-malicious-hackers.html">login credentials</a> such as root, superuser and administrator accounts that grant exclusive access to do as user wishes including deactivating the logging function which tracks every user activity within a system/network. And as such, its very much sought-after by every attacker. </li><br /><li><b>Vulnerable business systems and practices.</b> Often critical business <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html">systems are left unpatched</a> with critical updates when they become available from supplier, due to the business desire to have the system working non-stop 24/7/365. Particularly for business systems connected directly on the Internet, leaving it unpatched is like leaving your jewelery on the sidewalk.<br /><br /> Similarly, lax or non-existent business guidelines is a threat. I have encountered situations where the cleaning staff, not directly hired by the firm, have several keys to the server-room that they move around with everyday with none knowing how many copies of such a key there are. Keys to critical business systems should be monitored and given out under a defined procedure.</li><br /><li><b>Phishing awareness.</b> You got to be continually aware of phishing and <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html">get-rich-quick scams</a>. 90 percent of cyber attacks start with a phishing email. Phishing is an attempt by an attacker to trick you into giving out confidential information by pretending to be someone you know. <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html">Spotting fake</a> versus legitimate email messages is a skill that you can develop by practicing it using several <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-phishing-quizzes-practice-howto-spot-scam.html">phishing quizzes</a>. Phishing is a particularly rampant on social media where <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html">fake job</a> profiles exist.</li><br /><li><b>Organizational Policy.</b> Setup a few policies to guide your staff in handling company information (acceptable use policy), cleaning the work desk of confidential information before leaving office (clean-desk), malware and website policies. Ensure <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/high-cybersecurity-interest-elearning-africa-virtual-meeting.html">staff is periodically trained</a> and understand company policy to reduce on human errors that can be costly to the business. Here are sample <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-cybersecurity-resources-with-sample-templates.html">policy templates</a> to customize based on your company situation. </li></ol><p></p><p>In conclusion, keeping attackers away from ruining your business is increasingly becoming difficult due to an ever increasing number and complexity of systems businesses rely on. Though identifying and defining controls dealing with critical business data, priviledged access, patching, phishing awareness and company policy goes a long way in mitigating the majority of cyber attacks. Do not be like the 60 percent <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html">small businesses that went bankrupt</a> after a cyber attack, become proactive in safeguarding and growing your business. </p><p>Leave us a comment and share with your network.</p><p><b>Read more:</b></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html">How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html">CISSP Masters Degree: How I passed CISSP, tips and tricks for you to pass it.</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html">CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-adopt-bitcoin-to-earn-big-foreign-income.html">Sub-Saharan Africa adopt Bitcoin to Earn larger Foreign Income</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/Anonymous-hackers-take-down-government-website-in-denial-of-service-attack.html">Denial of Service: Anonymous hackers take down Uganda Police website</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html">Sextortion Emails: I got your Password Watching Adult videos</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-34653913934564943122022-05-11T15:28:00.011+03:002022-05-11T22:30:18.716+03:005 Phishing Quizzes to Practice at Spotting a Scam<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEQzQ-pazZctnTw_eUSReuWGJHBx_72-ri_d-GK0Ry-nKa-TqsX10zU7PThoLjn58e4xTHs9IzMsiP-rBm6tFtPiAVrNJ8fOVtQIH38kGjoKhUWo5pGC8VZlzHBQBahu2BsNM9pm9SwlrKKLKp9FC6YX7mMiwcmJC7II51EkFHxHJtmZjnA/s871/cybersecurity-phishing-quiz-howto-spot-scam.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="phishing quiz practice to train staff @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="363" data-original-width="871" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTEQzQ-pazZctnTw_eUSReuWGJHBx_72-ri_d-GK0Ry-nKa-TqsX10zU7PThoLjn58e4xTHs9IzMsiP-rBm6tFtPiAVrNJ8fOVtQIH38kGjoKhUWo5pGC8VZlzHBQBahu2BsNM9pm9SwlrKKLKp9FC6YX7mMiwcmJC7II51EkFHxHJtmZjnA/w640-h266/cybersecurity-phishing-quiz-howto-spot-scam.png" title="Phishing quizzes to better spot scams @ruralict.com" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Phishing quiz practice trains user to separate fake versus legitimate messages</td></tr></tbody></table><br />Many <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/ransomware-attacks-turn-into-phone-threats-of-violence.html">ransomware attacks</a> start with an email with a malicious attachment sent to a company employee which upon openning gives the attacker access to the company networks. Such emails are written with a message of urgency instructing the reciepient to act fast otherwise something terrible might happen, makes business email compromise (BEC) a very "financially damaging" $26 billion scam, according to <a href="https://www.fbi.gov/scams-and-safety/common-scams-and-crimes/business-email-compromise" target="_blank">the FBI</a>.<p></p><p>Unknown to the reciepient, when attackers gain access, they listen in on the ongoing communications within the company to locate individuals with administrator/root/superuser access which, when stolen, grants an attacker access to critical business data. A danish agricultural business suffered a ransomware attack when attackers used<a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/phishers-dream-email-tool-embeds-ransomware.html"> malware to embed malicious emails</a> directly into user inboxes.</p><p>Such key individuals which superuser access are easy to find on <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html">LinkedIn</a> where their profiles are visible including the positions they hold within the company. Critical business data, which is a data a company needs to deliver its products and services, literary data a company needs to survive besides which it cannot function. Once such data is stolen, attackers then activate ransomware whose impact leads to <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html">60% of small businesses</a> going bankrupt within six months.</p><p>To reduce the financial <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html">burden of a ransomware attack</a>, its in the company's interests to invest in periodic cybersecurity awareness trainings that are fun and tailored to an employee's role within the firm to keep updated on the dynamic tricks of cyber criminals in manipulating employees to expose critical business information. </p><p><b>Here are 5 phishing quizzes to help you become better at spotting scams (in no particular order), that take between 5-15 minutes of your time.</b></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Google <a href="https://phishingquiz.withgoogle.com/" target="_blank">phishing quiz</a>, to help practice identifying phishing attempts that are meant to trick you into giving out personal information.</li><br /><li>Federal Trade Commission (FTC) <a href="https://www.ftc.gov/business-guidance/small-businesses/cybersecurity/quiz" target="_blank">cybersecurity quizzes</a> that include:</li><ul><li>Cybersecurity Basics Quiz</li><li>Physical Security Quiz</li><li>Ransomware Quiz</li><li>Phishing Quiz</li><li>Tech Support Scams Quiz</li><li>Vendor Security Quiz</li><li>Secure Remote Access Quiz</li></ul><br /><li><a href="https://www.opendns.com/phishing-quiz/" target="_blank">OpenDNS phishing quiz</a> with screenshots email messages the user is tasked with identifying as either fake or genuine.</li><br /><li><a href="https://www.sonicwall.com/phishing-iq-test/" target="_blank">Sonicwall phishing IQ test</a> enabling you to become better at recognizing a fake versus a legitimate email.</li><br /><li><a href="https://www.phishingbox.com/phishing-test">Phishing box</a> phishing test with ten random visual questions considering that 90 percent of cyber attacks start with a phishing email. </li><br /><li>Australian cyber security center, "<a href="https://www.cyber.gov.au/acsc/view-all-content/campaign/know-how-spot-phishing-scam-messages/scam-messages">Know how to spot scam messages"quiz</a>, with the 4 questions that provide immediate feedback on what quiz-taker gets right or wrong.</li></ol><div>In conclusion, invest in training your employees to become better at identifying fake from legitimate messages to reduce the likelihood of an attacker gaining access to critical business data with an impact of bankrupting the entire business. </div><div><br /></div><div>Let us know your phishing scores and share with your network.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Read more:</b></div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html">Africa awash with Scams promising High Returns at Zero Risk</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html">Linkedin is Top Phishing Trap ahead of Whatsapp and Telegram</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html">CISSP Masters Degree: How to pass CISSP on first try and tips for you to do it</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html">CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/solarwinds-hack-5-lessons-to-improve-cyber-career.html">Solarwinds Hack: 5 lessons to improve your cyber career</a></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/high-cybersecurity-interest-elearning-africa-virtual-meeting.html">High Interest in Cybersecurity at eLearning Africa Virtual Meet</a></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html">Sextortion Emails: I got your Password Watching Adult videos</a></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-cybersecurity-resources-with-sample-templates.html">5 Cybersecurity Resources With sample templates</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html">How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><p></p><p></p></div><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-31016190582839267762022-05-10T22:08:00.005+03:002022-05-16T20:23:45.582+03:005 Cybersecurity Resources With sample templates<p></p><p></p><p><b><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wsFXgbymJhtXroYBakouTVh96wnIOh7SBMLyotUldkdogEzFnFGlu6JCav9C5ltq9ss5hrFQ8PfLi5zLv_-F0e4isrYoA0RUj7XNuBHFILB5UZxmoDSXhjOVzIOu7L7raQwB4rG-kA8QAPfkOuC0oGSrnKDOdn7n5obXt5DwJfuOqycwmw/s1105/Organizational%20Policy.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Organizational policy templates @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="489" data-original-width="1105" height="178" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wsFXgbymJhtXroYBakouTVh96wnIOh7SBMLyotUldkdogEzFnFGlu6JCav9C5ltq9ss5hrFQ8PfLi5zLv_-F0e4isrYoA0RUj7XNuBHFILB5UZxmoDSXhjOVzIOu7L7raQwB4rG-kA8QAPfkOuC0oGSrnKDOdn7n5obXt5DwJfuOqycwmw/w400-h178/Organizational%20Policy.png" title="Organizational policy templates @ruralict.com" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">organizational policy template</td></tr></tbody></table></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><br /></b></div><p><b><span style="font-weight: 400;">Working in information security, you are often faced with a task such as drafting a policy, looking up different standards, or what cyber security </span><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/15-ways-to-protect-data-online-from-malicious-hackers.html" style="font-weight: 400;">best practices</a><span style="font-weight: 400;"> to recommend on </span><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html" style="font-weight: 400;">mitigating a particular risk</a><span style="font-weight: 400;">. You do not need to start from scratch if you know where to look for a template that can be modified to suit the situation in your organization. </span></b></p><b>Here are top 5 that i have used in the past in no particular order</b><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.nist.gov/publications/search?ta%5B0%5D=248731" target="_blank">National institute of Standards and technology</a> (NIST) cybersecurity publications that are available free to download covering all cybersecurity related topics to keep an organization secure.</li><br /><li><a href="https://www.sans.org/information-security-policy/" target="_blank">SANS policy templates</a>. Sample policies that include accceptable use, clean desk, data breach response, disaster recovery, email, ethics, awareness etc can can easily be modified to suit the needs of your organization</li><br /><li><a href="https://www.cisa.gov/" target="_blank">Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency</a> (CISA), especially the Shields-up and <a href="https://www.cisa.gov/uscert/security-publications" target="_blank">uscert</a> publications pages are filled with advice when implemented does keep attackers away from business critical data.</li><br /><li><a href="http://www.27000.org/" target="_blank">ISO 27001</a> and <a href="https://www.iso27001security.com/" target="_blank">ISO27k</a> websites that is full of downloadable templates of all ISO 27001 controls and everything related with implementing an Information Security Management System (ISMS).</li><br /><li>The European Union Agency for Cybersecurity (<a href="https://www.enisa.europa.eu/" target="_blank">ENISA</a>) contributes to EU cyber policy, enhances the trustworthiness of ICT products, services and processes. Similar with NIST publications on cybersecurity.</li><br /><li><a href="https://www.nomoreransom.org/en/index.html" target="_blank">No More Ransom</a>. Great website with free decryption tools for several kinds of ransomware. Its a great resource that can lessen the impact of a ransomware attack. A number of organizations have had critical business data stolen and have <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html">paid huge ransoms</a> to cyber criminals to recover from the attack.</li></ol><div><b>Let us know in the comment what resources you use and share with your network</b></div><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Read more:</b></div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/solarwinds-hack-5-lessons-to-improve-cyber-career.html">Solarwinds Hack: 5 lessons to improve your cyber career</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/15-ways-to-protect-data-online-from-malicious-hackers.html">15 ways to securely protect your data online from malicious hackers</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html">CISSP Masters Degree: Where to start with CISSP Certification</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html">CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html"><b>How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html"><b>Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/ransomware-attacks-turn-into-phone-threats-of-violence.html"><b>Ransomware attacks turn into phone threats of violence on victims and their relatives</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/phishers-dream-email-tool-embeds-ransomware.html"><b>Phishers Dream Email tool used to Embed Ransomware in Danish Company</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/high-cybersecurity-interest-elearning-africa-virtual-meeting.html"><b>High Interest in Cybersecurity at eLearning Africa Virtual Meet</b></a></li></ul><p></p></div><br /><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-49833243582414727842022-05-09T16:53:00.008+03:002022-06-09T09:31:37.527+03:00Sextortion Emails: I got your Password Watching Adult videos, Scammer Asks for Bitcoin<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mE1Fx9Yl_e0wrljwXgQCG6ZElYZEGdsCaclnDNfg4cJvlQx2xXbopVI0rKAvbOa7-HeAt-C8_Xi86GNRicxqN_sdURPp6gZuCwHBYiRwOU0Y83pZw9B-QjBauxxCQv2vBct7sCf6EBmxjuW2AkszKdEpZAMlGsbzVxhrR8EUFjRn1Jtp3w/s1758/I%20got%20your%20password%20send%20bitcoin.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="sextortion emails asking bitcoin pay for leaked password and adult video" border="0" data-original-height="938" data-original-width="1758" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi4mE1Fx9Yl_e0wrljwXgQCG6ZElYZEGdsCaclnDNfg4cJvlQx2xXbopVI0rKAvbOa7-HeAt-C8_Xi86GNRicxqN_sdURPp6gZuCwHBYiRwOU0Y83pZw9B-QjBauxxCQv2vBct7sCf6EBmxjuW2AkszKdEpZAMlGsbzVxhrR8EUFjRn1Jtp3w/s16000/I%20got%20your%20password%20send%20bitcoin.png" title="sextortion emails blackmail with leaked password @ruralict.com" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><b>sextortion emails with leaked passwords and non-existent compromising webcam video</b></td></tr></tbody></table><br /><div>I recently recieved "sextortion" emails where an attacker threatens to release a compromising webcam video of reciepient visiting adult-content websites to friends and family unless reciepient pays a bitcoin ransom. In such a situation of <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html">email phishing</a>, the attacker sent the email with a subject-line of the leaked passwords to my email address meant to make reciepient to panic and pay off attacker.</div><div><br /></div><div>Of course, receiving such an email creates panic and makes you wonder wether attacker indeed has made such video content or just bluffing. If you happen to recieve such emails, do not panic, its just scare emails that I simply ignored as <a href="https://actionfraud.police.uk/sextortion" target="_blank">Actionfraud</a> advises. Lets take a closer look at the message within above sextortion email:</div><div><br /></div><div><div><b>Analyzing sextortion email message:</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Issue:</b> attacker shocks reciepient with email subject-line of leaked/hacked password. Among so many questions in reciepient's mind is how the attacker got access to the password, and as thus making it very likely that the reciepient will believe the fake email message. It is important to keep up with latest attacker tactics by through acquiring <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html">new knowledge and skills</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div><b>Who pays:</b> according to attacker, "<span style="font-family: courier;">no one has paid me to check on you</span>", so the attacker expects reciepient to pay the attacker. Its smart not to pay attackers, as this affords them the resources to launch even bigger and more powerful attacks. </div><div> </div><div><b>Attacker (scare) tactics</b>: </div></div><span style="font-family: courier;">"i actually placed a malware on the adult vids (adult porn) website and you know what, you visited this site to experience fun (you know what i mean).<br /></span><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><span style="font-family: courier;">When you were viewing videos, your browser started out operating as a RDP having a key logger which provided me with accessibility to your display and web cam.<br />immediately after that, my malware obtained every one of your contacts from your Messenger, FB, as well as email account.<br />after that i created a double-screen video. 1st part shows the video you were viewing (you have a nice taste omg), and 2nd part displays the recording of your cam, and its you."</span><br /><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><br /></blockquote></blockquote><div><div>So attackers embed malicious code in content (text/videos) on adult/hacked/vulnerable websites as a trap to infect visitors computers with unupdated software on them, such as your browser or operating system. Once the attacker's malicious code is downloaded on your computer (often without your knowledge and permission), it opens a communication channel (RDP) giving the attacker access to the data on your machine. </div><div><br /></div><div>This is indeed a genuine attacker tactic thats actively exploited. A user can <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/15-ways-to-protect-data-online-from-malicious-hackers.html">safegaurd</a> against such an attack by continually updating the software on your computer when software updates become available as well as taking caution not to click on every link and/or opening attachments in emails you recieve.</div><div><br /></div><div>The <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html">attacker's intention</a> is to have access to business critical information, login information to your bank, online social media accounts, emails and cryptocurrency wallets. To achieve this, the attacker installs a "key logger", a stealth software to secretly record keyboard strokes and send them off to attacker. Keyloggers are so secret to the extent that when you suspect it to be on your system, best solution is backup your data and reinstall operating system. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Attacker ask:</b> <span style="font-family: courier;">"Best solution would be to pay me $5393. We are going to refer to it as a donation."</span></div><div><br /></div><div>Attacker asking for hush-money donation to be paid via a bitcoin address is money i donot have. In all four emails, attacker demanded $5393, $7000, $1000 and $7000 to different bitcoin addresses 1L3QywWDGHWEbE4p3rJecoNuzF3444eX6P, 1JimQ6SVXN5Cxi2PK8N9gLjGDG4SPwGJdx, 1E2SJ4oLYTbefYLynzo1FPM72yfoLCbeFA and <a href="https://www.blockchain.com/btc/address/1A1jWstjdtwkbSWBaV3VbX62DeBsTkRjBB" target="_blank">1A1jWstjdtwkbSWBaV3VbX62DeBsTkRjBB</a> respectively. Checked all four cryptocurrency addresses on the bitcoin blockchain explorer (blockchain.com) and all four had received 0 bitcoins ($0) todate.</div></div><div><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQtALAoJVWq4mUiJBUBKuHtKI6vpbPmcdTrz2RGV-YtUVwFtmewMH9TD9BlpJz-Y4_-g7qy2Kiq4uOkFeIRoB44wspllJlD5p3Yv754fNco4uQaooaV87Ehfm3no5URxX8ch9zxgeMEvnkENZ3t1fbmTrBTfcwnZPRCm19Xae0XiVs3r9yg/s1053/sextortion-scammer-empty-bitcoin-wallet.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="sextortion scammer bitcoin address @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="1053" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiQtALAoJVWq4mUiJBUBKuHtKI6vpbPmcdTrz2RGV-YtUVwFtmewMH9TD9BlpJz-Y4_-g7qy2Kiq4uOkFeIRoB44wspllJlD5p3Yv754fNco4uQaooaV87Ehfm3no5URxX8ch9zxgeMEvnkENZ3t1fbmTrBTfcwnZPRCm19Xae0XiVs3r9yg/s16000/sextortion-scammer-empty-bitcoin-wallet.png" title="sextortion scammer bitcoin address @ruralict.com" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">empty bitcoin wallet of sextortion scammer</td></tr></tbody></table><div><b><br /></b></div><div><b>Last part of sextortion scammer email:</b> <span style="font-family: courier;">"You'll make the payment via Bitcoin (if you do not know this, search 'how to buy bitcoin' in Google).</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">if you are planning on going to the law, surely, this e-mail can not be traced back to me, because it's hacked too.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">I have taken care of my actions. i am not looking to ask you for a lot, i simply want to be paid.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">if i do not receive the bitcoin;, i definitely will send out your video recording to all of your contacts including friends and family, co-workers, and so on.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">Nevertheless, if i do get paid, i will destroy the recording immediately.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">If you need proof, reply with Yeah then i will send out your video recording to your 8 friends.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: courier;">it's a nonnegotiable offer and thus please don't waste mine time & yours by replying to this message."</span></div><br />Cryptocurrency <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html">scams promising extraordinary returns</a> at zero risk are taking advantage of many desperate africans suffering high unemployment and eager to get rich quick. Always think that if it sounds too good to be true, it usually is meaning dont spend your hard-earned money. I ignored the sextortion scammers without the need to search google, changed my passwords and where possible activated double-login to my social media accounts (that is, login via password and mobile phone token or one-time password).<br /><div><br /></div><div><b>Checking where Attacker might have got my login credentials</b></div><div><br /></div><div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAH4xhqwiRWOerXIFb0GpQCQMVKxbP1Qfna4w0gLw93UUf05s-Z76ZghAKzyX8J8demTI5npaLkTTcgx_ldZqCiDxJZ4T2Rzd_gmkdU61lXE5dC9CMD7sFKT1-oPV9efMJaBT1ieALcoZ2ao2i6l7Zbyh7nGZjlp1sydtOxt4AN27RzWGNg/s1083/leaked%20email%20address%20and%20password.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="haveibeenpwned email leaked @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="446" data-original-width="1083" height="264" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTAH4xhqwiRWOerXIFb0GpQCQMVKxbP1Qfna4w0gLw93UUf05s-Z76ZghAKzyX8J8demTI5npaLkTTcgx_ldZqCiDxJZ4T2Rzd_gmkdU61lXE5dC9CMD7sFKT1-oPV9efMJaBT1ieALcoZ2ao2i6l7Zbyh7nGZjlp1sydtOxt4AN27RzWGNg/w640-h264/leaked%20email%20address%20and%20password.png" title="haveibeenpwned email leaked @ruralict.com" width="640" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>email and password leaked online in 21 breaches says haveibeenpwned.com</i> </td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><div>Checking <a href="http://haveibeenpawned.com/" target="_blank">haveibeenpwned</a> sure enough confirmed that my email and password were leaked online in 21 breaches, which include LinkedIn and several others, which explains how the attacker got access to my now old password. You should visit the service to check if your email(s) have been leaked online, and if so, change them immediately, as well as activating login via mobile phone token where possible. </div><div><br /></div><div>In conclusion, when you get a sextortion email, similar to ones above, dont engage with the scammer. Dont panic or get threatened into paying the ransom. If you do pay, the scammer will come back to you with more threats demanding even bigger payouts. Change your passwords and activate two-factor login that requires password and login via mobile phone. Do reach out to your support network for help. </div><div><br /></div><div><b>Below are all emails sextortion scammer sent.</b></div><p><b>email 1:</b></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"><span>On Thu, Dec 24, 2020 at 8:55 PM Patrick Perez <Piper@graineouille.com> wrote:<br /></span><span>I know </span><span>xxyyzzz </span><span>is one of your password on day of hack..</span></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"><span>Lets get directly to the point.<br /></span><span>Not one person has paid me to check about you.<br /></span><span>You do not know me and you're probably thinking why you are getting this email?<br /></span><span>in fact, i actually placed a malware on the adult vids (adult porn) website and you know what, you visited this site to experience fun (you know what i mean).<br /></span><span>When you were viewing videos, your browser started out operating as a RDP having a key logger which provided me with accessibility to your display and web cam.<br /></span><span>immediately after that, my malware obtained every one of your contacts from your Messenger, FB, as well as email account.<br /></span><span>after that i created a double-screen video. 1st part shows the video you were viewing (you have a nice taste omg), and 2nd part displays the recording of your cam, and its you.<br /></span><span>Best solution would be to pay me $5393. <br /></span><span>We are going to refer to it as a donation. in this situation, i most certainly will without delay remove your video.<br /></span><span>My -BTC -address: 1L3QywWDGHWEbE4p3rJecoNuzF3444eX6P<br /></span><span>[case SeNSiTiVe, copy & paste it] <br /></span><span>You could go on your life like this never happened and you will not ever hear back again from me.<br /></span><span>You'll make the payment via Bitcoin (if you do not know this, search 'how to buy bitcoin' in Google).<br /></span><span>if you are planning on going to the law, surely, this e-mail can not be traced back to me, because it's hacked too.<br /></span><span>I have taken care of my actions. i am not looking to ask you for a lot, i simply want to be paid.<br /></span><span>if i do not receive the bitcoin;, i definitely will send out your video recording to all of your contacts including friends and family, co-workers, and so on.<br /></span><span>Nevertheless, if i do get paid, i will destroy the recording immediately.<br /></span><span>If you need proof, reply with Yeah then i will send out your video recording to your 8 friends.<br /></span><span>it's a nonnegotiable offer and thus please don't waste mine time & yours by replying to this message.</span></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> </span></div></blockquote><p><b>Email 2:</b></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><div><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">On 10/16/18 13:16, 'Constantin Frable' via info wrote:<br /> xxyyzzz is your pass words. Lets get right to purpose. No one has compensated me to investigate about you. You may not know me and you're most likely thinking why you're getting this e-mail?<br /> actually, i actually setup a malware on the xxx videos (pornographic material) web-site and there's more, you visited this site to have fun (you know what i mean). While you were watching video clips, your internet browser started out operating as a RDP with a key logger which provided me with accessibility to your screen as well as webcam. Right after that, my software program obtained all your contacts from your Messenger, FB, as well as emailaccount. and then i created a double-screen video. First part shows the video you were viewing (you have a nice taste haha), and second part shows the view of your web cam, and its you.<br /> You will have 2 choices. We are going to analyze these options in particulars:<br /> 1st option is to skip this e-mail. as a result, i most certainly will send your video recording to every one of your personal contacts and then you can easily imagine concerning the shame you can get. and as a consequence if you are in a loving relationship, just how it is going to affect?<br /> Next choice will be to give me $7000. We will regard it as a donation. in such a case, i will instantly remove your video footage. You could keep on your daily routine like this never took place and you will not hear back again from me.<br /> You'll make the payment through Bitcoin (if you do not know this, search for 'how to buy bitcoin' in Google).<br /> BTC address: 1JimQ6SVXN5Cxi2PK8N9gLjGDG4SPwGJdx<br /> [CaSe-SeNSiTiVe copy and paste it]<br /> in case you are planning on going to the law enforcement, very well, this email message can not be traced back to me. I have covered my moves. i am not looking to charge you a huge amount, i prefer to be paid. You now have 48 hours to make the payment. i have a unique pixel in this e-mail, and at this moment i know that you have read through this email message. if i don't get the BitCoins, i definitely will send your video to all of your contacts including friends and family, coworkers, and many others. Having said that, if i receive the payment, i will destroy the video immediately. This is a non-negotiable offer and so please do not waste my time & yours by responding to this e-mail. if you really want evidence, reply Yeah then i definitely will send out your video to your 6 contacts.</span></div></blockquote><p style="text-align: left;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Email 3:</b> </p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">On 7/26/18 04:10, Rahal Wirth wrote:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"> I do know xxyyzzz is your pass word. Lets get straight to the point. You don't know me and you're most likely wondering why you're getting this mail? There is no one who has compensated me to check you.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"> In fact, I setup a malware on the adult videos (sex sites) web-site and you know what, you visited this website to experience fun (you know what I mean). When you were viewing video clips, your web browser began functioning as a Remote Desktop having a keylogger which gave me access to your display screen as well as web cam. Right after that, my software collected all of your contacts from your Messenger, Facebook, as well as e-mail . And then I made a double-screen video. First part displays the video you were viewing (you've got a nice taste ; )), and next part displays the view of your web cam, yea it is u. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"> You actually have just two options. Shall we go through each of these possibilities in particulars:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"> Very first option is to skip this e-mail. As a result, I am going to send your very own video recording to each of your your personal contacts and think about about the disgrace you experience. Moreover if you happen to be in a loving relationship, just how this will affect?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"> Number 2 option would be to compensate me $1000. We will describe it as a donation. As a result, I will quickly delete your video recording. You could keep going your life like this never occurred and you will never hear back again from me.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"> You'll make the payment via Bitcoin (if you don't know this, search for "how to buy bitcoin" in Google). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"> BTC Address: 1E2SJ4oLYTbefYLynzo1FPM72yfoLCbeFA</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"> [case sensitive, copy & paste it]</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"> Should you are looking at going to the cops, well, this email message can not be traced back to me. I have covered my steps. I am also not looking to charge you very much, I want to be paid. You now have one day to make the payment. I have a special pixel within this email message, and at this moment I know that you have read this e-mail. If I do not get the BitCoins, I will, no doubt send your video recording to all of your contacts including family members, coworkers, etc. Having said that, if I do get paid, I will destroy the video immediately. It is a non:negotiable offer and so do not waste my personal time and yours by replying to this e-mail. If you need proof, reply Yeah and I will certainly send out your video to your 7 friends.</span></p></blockquote><p><b>Email 4:</b></p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">On 7/24/18 07:53, Velvet Witherell wrote:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">I know xxyyzzz is your pass word. Lets get directly to the purpose. No one has compensated me to check you. You may not know me and you are most likely thinking why you are getting this mail?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">Well, I actually placed a software on the adult vids (pornography) web-site and there's more, you visited this website to experience fun (you know what I mean). While you were viewing videos, your internet browser started out operating as a Remote control Desktop with a keylogger which provided me with accessibility to your display screen and also cam. after that, my software program collected your entire contacts from your Messenger, Facebook, as well as email . Next I made a double-screen video. First part shows the video you were watching (you've got a fine taste ; )), and second part displays the view of your web camera, yea it is you. </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">You have a pair of alternatives. Why dont we take a look at these types of options in particulars:</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">First option is to dismiss this e-mail. In this case, I will send your actual videotape to all of your personal contacts and thus just consider regarding the shame you will see. And consequently if you are in a romance, just how it can affect?</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">Next option would be to compensate me $7000. I will name it as a donation. In this case, I will straightaway erase your video recording. You could carry on with daily life like this never occurred and you never will hear back again from me.</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;">You'll make the payment through Bitcoin (if you don't know this, search "how to buy bitcoin" in Google search engine). </span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"> BTC Address to send to: 1A1jWstjdtwkbSWBaV3VbX62DeBsTkRjBB</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"> [case SENSITIVE, copy & paste it]</span></p><p><span style="font-family: courier; font-size: x-small;"> If you may be thinking about going to the police, surely, this message cannot be traced back to me. I have dealt with my steps. I am not attempting to demand a lot, I simply want to be paid. I've a unique pixel within this e-mail, and now I know that you have read through this message. You now have one day in order to pay. If I do not receive the BitCoins, I definitely will send your video to all of your contacts including friends and family, colleagues, and so on. However, if I receive the payment, I will destroy the video right away. If you really want evidence, reply with Yup! then I will certainly send out your video to your 7 contacts. It is a non:negotiable offer thus please do not waste my time & yours by responding to this e mail.</span></p></blockquote><p><b>Leave us a comment and share with your network</b></p><p><b>Read more:</b></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html">To pay or Not to Pay Ransomware: Reasons 15 Companies paid to Restore Data</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/phishers-dream-email-tool-embeds-ransomware.html">Phishers Dream Email tool used to Embed Ransomware in Danish Company</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html">CISSP Masters Degree: Where to start with CISSP Certification</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html">CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html">How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html">Linkedin is Top Phishing Trap ahead of Whatsapp and Telegram</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html">Africa awash with Scams promising High Returns at Zero Risk</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/phishers-dream-email-tool-embeds-ransomware.html">Phishers Dream Email tool used to Embed Ransomware in Danish Company</a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/high-cybersecurity-interest-elearning-africa-virtual-meeting.html">High Interest in Cybersecurity at eLearning Africa Virtual Meet</a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-45338786488379735432022-05-06T14:01:00.011+03:002022-05-11T22:36:34.785+03:00High Interest in Cybersecurity at eLearning Africa Virtual Meet<p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOaAC0aHLaWv3h0_hzgVoyobc8as5GkQt7irDEEzFu53F83HSKBE42z0NEGQYPWFNSOB-WT4U5jSWqrWWeC35pDol4mkMgywz2bC9nCkTBQzrlV7B2RgH0Ek9zFkxzTzHbsT1LSfq618bD-OSwINuDPz6AZmkrOrNmiWYNx8tCGkpln9EX0A/s886/Elearning-Africa-Cybersecurity-Certifications.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="elearning africa cybersecurity certifications meeting @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="886" data-original-width="720" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiOaAC0aHLaWv3h0_hzgVoyobc8as5GkQt7irDEEzFu53F83HSKBE42z0NEGQYPWFNSOB-WT4U5jSWqrWWeC35pDol4mkMgywz2bC9nCkTBQzrlV7B2RgH0Ek9zFkxzTzHbsT1LSfq618bD-OSwINuDPz6AZmkrOrNmiWYNx8tCGkpln9EX0A/w325-h400/Elearning-Africa-Cybersecurity-Certifications.jpg" title="cybersecurity elearning-africa @ruralict.com" width="325" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">eLearning Africa meeting on Cybersecurity certifications</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Elearning Africa's Edtech and Cybersecurity virtual Exchange virtual meeting that took place at end of October 2021 brought together ca. 400 participants who expressed an increased focus on <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/15-ways-to-protect-data-online-from-malicious-hackers.html" target="_blank">cyber risk</a> facing African businesses and educational institutions. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><blockquote><span style="font-size: medium;">The eLearning Africa's Edtech and Cybersecurity virtual Exchange links global cyber and data security, Edtech and digital learning solution providers with decisionmakers in Africa's education and training sectors and provides an exclusive online platform where people, ideas, practices and technologies come together conveniently in one place without the need to travel.</span></blockquote><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Among the keynote presentations was a call to African institutions of higher learning to take <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html" target="_blank">Cybersecurity seriously</a> due to increased cyber-attacks during the pandemic on institutions conducting COVID19-related research. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdQ-TNrtZKLsSDshARlmlfqXotHK955UdNjsPANf63-Lam5keqAISMDtjN180IjVLVnf7DwiRjYeTbB_bYn9tIKj1NDZWzKnrwajd6ST3_nRp_8V2MyNPHJXNyzE7wpwe0pKiFD1Ed1xmXbD_RU_JEi_vRKzn9ETHVggfICtFZwD3Cg6b2w/s1525/Q-and-A-elearning-Africa-Cybersecurity.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Questions and answers elearning-africa cybersecurity @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="1525" data-original-width="714" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWdQ-TNrtZKLsSDshARlmlfqXotHK955UdNjsPANf63-Lam5keqAISMDtjN180IjVLVnf7DwiRjYeTbB_bYn9tIKj1NDZWzKnrwajd6ST3_nRp_8V2MyNPHJXNyzE7wpwe0pKiFD1Ed1xmXbD_RU_JEi_vRKzn9ETHVggfICtFZwD3Cg6b2w/w187-h400/Q-and-A-elearning-Africa-Cybersecurity.jpg" title="cybersecurity questions and answers elearning africa @ruralict.com" width="187" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Questions and Answers at elearning Cybersecurity meeting</td></tr></tbody></table><span style="font-size: medium;"><br />Baseline information security practices like limiting access to critical information, backups to <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html" target="_blank">restore corporate systems</a> are periodically updated and tested ensures that an organization can recover from an incident without paying <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html" target="_blank">exorbitant ransoms</a> demanded by an attacker.</span><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;">Among the most popular questions during the event is why cyber risk mangement is so difficult. Managing the continually evolving cyber risks, becomes even more difficult, when your business lacks <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html">competences</a> to evaluate and <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html">counter cyber risk</a> with viable solutions, periodic awareness and training of staff is not carried out, and <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html">business crown jewels</a> are left out in the open for every client, staff and partner to access. <br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Ruralict organized and gave a presentation to more than 30 participants interested in getting <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html" target="_blank">CISSP</a>, <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html" target="_blank">CISM</a>, <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html" target="_blank">CCSK</a> and <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html" target="_blank">CCSP</a> certified. Interest among participants to get certified in cybersecurity was particularly high from small business representatives. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">The <a href="https://www.elearning-africa.com/conference2022/index.php" target="_blank">eLearning Africa conference</a> returns to Kigali, Rwanda May 11-13, 2022.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b> Let us know your comments and share with your network</b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Read more:</b></span></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html">Africa awash with Scams promising High Returns at Zero Risk</a></b></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html" target="_blank">CISSP Masters Degree: Where to start with CISSP Certification</a></b></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html" target="_blank"><b>CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</b></a></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html" target="_blank">How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html" target="_blank">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html" target="_blank">Linkedin is Top Phishing Trap ahead of Whatsapp and Telegram</a></b></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-adopt-bitcoin-to-earn-big-foreign-income.html"><b>Sub-Saharan Africa adopt Bitcoin to Earn larger Foreign Income</b></a></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html"><b>To pay or Not to Pay Ransomware: Reasons 15 Companies paid to Restore Data</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2011/11/35-services-our-internet-cafe-users.html"><b>35 Services Our Internet Cafe Users Were Asking For</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-83424051349366596052022-05-06T10:02:00.005+03:002022-05-11T22:40:26.944+03:00Linkedin is Top Phishing Trap ahead of Whatsapp and Telegram<p></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_zw_7I3JqzRMJXQPbmkVrauWVAQDVjacf_qnAh6sY5gBWmXFk1JBxKsQjHGHKwUD2jCF9qEDuRoAfYSR9g_f64G5kifEwv73M9lqrUdz5buPBAmxrNPFc7mAwfiE24tiNUGWLlkm5M_5TszBYSHfBkklxC2mHDEWpXrLxNEWISG-SLs_zg/s838/Malicious-job-linkedin-phishing.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Malicious job link detected on LinkedIn @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="445" data-original-width="838" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO_zw_7I3JqzRMJXQPbmkVrauWVAQDVjacf_qnAh6sY5gBWmXFk1JBxKsQjHGHKwUD2jCF9qEDuRoAfYSR9g_f64G5kifEwv73M9lqrUdz5buPBAmxrNPFc7mAwfiE24tiNUGWLlkm5M_5TszBYSHfBkklxC2mHDEWpXrLxNEWISG-SLs_zg/s16000/Malicious-job-linkedin-phishing.png" title="Malicious phishing job-link on LinkedIn @ruralict.com" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">New job offer link with malicious code on linkedin</td></tr></tbody></table><br /><span style="font-size: medium;">LinkedIn, the largest networking professional networking, is is where more than half of all phishing activities in the world take place, according to <a href="https://blog.checkpoint.com/2022/04/19/social-networks-most-likely-to-be-imitated-by-criminal-groups-with-linkedin-now-accounting-for-half-of-all-phishing-attempts-worldwide/" target="_blank">research by checkpoint</a>. Phishing is the practice where an attacker manipulates and misleads a recipient into giving up <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/phishers-dream-email-tool-embeds-ransomware.html" target="_blank">privileged information or access</a> to corporate systems. </span><p></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Criminals love phishing for victims on social media networks more than attacking other industries like shipping and retail. While LinkedIn tops the 2022 list as most targeted list, Whatsapp and telegram are not far behind which used for delivering <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html" target="_blank">scams in Africa</a>.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Of course, what better way to gain such privileged access than to <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html" target="_blank">lay traps on a network</a> of over <a href="https://about.linkedin.com/" target="_blank">830 million</a> members holding all sorts positions in private, non-profit and government enterprises. In short, this is the ideal network to actively participate on, if you are looking for job and/or want to continually bombard your work friends with each new <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html" target="_blank">shiny certificate</a>/job/award you achieve.</span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">A few years back while job-hunting, i clicked on a malicious link (screenshot above) that was luckily detected and categorized LinkedIn as such. Thereafter i reported it to the recruiter who was surprised to find out that the job description page was hacked and infested with <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/phishers-dream-email-tool-embeds-ransomware.html" target="_blank">malicious code</a>. </span></p><p><span style="font-size: medium;">Once the cyber criminals gain access to corporate systems, they listen in on the communications taking place with aim of locating the individuals with the "keys to the kingdom" (administrator access). When administrator credentials are stolen, the criminals then proceed to <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html" target="_blank">steal all critical data</a> to the business and thereafter activate ransomware thus crippling the entire business. </span></p><p><b><span style="font-size: medium;">A few pointers to reduce instances of spilling personal or critical information to unauthorized individuals: <br /></span></b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;">When you get a job link, type it into browser instead of clicking it. Type in the domain part - for instance, <i>BYG.yy</i> and navigate to the job description posted somewhere on the website, possibly under "careers" section.</span></li><br /><li><span style="font-size: medium;">As an organization, consider offering <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-phishing-quizzes-practice-howto-spot-scam.html">periodic cyber awareness</a> and training sessions to staff, clients and partners highlighting the changing tricks of cyber criminals. Training can cover how to spot misspelled website names, shortened links and passwords management.<br /></span></li></ul><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Consider patching and updating business applications and systems with latest software updates to reduce vulnerabilities through which attackers can gain access to corporate network.<br /></span></li><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Always <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/ransomware-attacks-turn-into-phone-threats-of-violence.html">verify the information</a> you receive from the other party that is indeed correct rather than acting on assumed information.</span></li><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span><li><span style="font-size: medium;">Just as your mummy told you, take care in connecting with every "stranger" on LinkedIn. Many of them are not what their profiles display.</span></li><p></p><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Let us know your experience in comments and share with your network</b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div><span style="font-size: medium;"><b>Read more:</b></span></div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html" target="_blank">Africa awash with Scams promising High Returns at Zero Risk</a></b></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html" target="_blank">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</a></b></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html" target="_blank">How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</a></b></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html" target="_blank">CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</a></b></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html" target="_blank">CISSP Masters Degree: Where to start with CISSP Certification</a></b></span></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/15-ways-to-protect-data-online-from-malicious-hackers.html" target="_blank">15 ways to securely protect your data online from malicious hackers</a></b></span></li></ul><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-61780879166293811842022-05-05T13:03:00.014+03:002022-05-11T22:42:21.815+03:00Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same<p style="text-align: left;"></p><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtizf88nHmcHYfY2kPnqedUevoVyaLOsgkm4N5sSrK4_7FY-c3SXaZT4u_lYHGt7E7bz16NOn7Jt30uoK7-UCADuu79SvLfQ2LTOSO_AsM0b58cEJuAywxxfbZ5fPtDqtBJnJPMvxwpeIJYA0nNUWIQ_BmJuBQzrt7ZZE3ZkirmLFp-DJvQ/s1454/ccsp-cert.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Certified cloud security professional howto pass @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="380" data-original-width="1454" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqtizf88nHmcHYfY2kPnqedUevoVyaLOsgkm4N5sSrK4_7FY-c3SXaZT4u_lYHGt7E7bz16NOn7Jt30uoK7-UCADuu79SvLfQ2LTOSO_AsM0b58cEJuAywxxfbZ5fPtDqtBJnJPMvxwpeIJYA0nNUWIQ_BmJuBQzrt7ZZE3ZkirmLFp-DJvQ/w400-h105/ccsp-cert.png" title="Certified cloud security professional howto guide @ruralict.com" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Certified cloud security professional certificate</td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><p style="text-align: left;">Organizations are looking for qualified professionals to stop criminals from <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/ransomware-attacks-turn-into-phone-threats-of-violence.html" target="_blank">hurting their business</a> - be that <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/solarwinds-hack-5-lessons-to-improve-cyber-career.html" target="_blank">guy or girl</a>. Becoming a Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) enables you to understand <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html" target="_blank">risks</a> in cloud environments where organizations create, process and <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html" target="_blank">store their data</a> and what kind of solutions to implement to reduce the risk of business data getting stolen. </p><p style="text-align: left;">And if you are interested in joining the c-suite, consider earning a <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html" target="_blank">CISSP</a> and/or <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html" target="_blank">CISM </a>to improve your skills and value to the enterprise.</p><p style="text-align: left;"><b>Resources I used to study for CCSP:</b></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Books bought on Amazon: CCSP Official (ISC)2 Practice Tests by Ben Malisow, and CCSP (ISC)2 Certified Cloud Security Professional Official Study Guide by O′Hara, Brian T., Malisow, Ben.</li><li>I<a href="https://www.isc2.org/Certifications/CCSP" target="_blank">SC2 CCSP study materials</a> And <a href="https://cloud.connect.isc2.org/cert-prep-kit?utm_campaign=H-HQ-certprepkit&utm_source=isc2autoresponder&utm_medium=email&utm_content=ccspminiebook-ar" target="_blank">Certification prep-Kit</a></li><li>World community (<a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/CCSP/" target="_blank">reddit</a>) sharing experiences on CCSP </li><li>Cybrary <a href="https://www.cybrary.it/course/ccsp/" target="_blank">CCSP course</a> and practice exams</li><li>ISC2 community study groups - Join <a href="https://community.isc2.org/t5/Study-Groups/ct-p/CertificationStudyGroups" target="_blank">CCSP study group</a></li></ul><div><b>Tips on how to proceed</b></div><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Acquire the latest versions of the books mentioned above, study the theories and sit down to fill out practice tests with a pencil. Thereafter look at the back of the books at the answers to find how many you got right/wrong. Go through all tests until you can comfortably score close to a 100% for all tests. </li><br /><li>Follow up on the experiences of other CCSP test takers on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ccsp" target="_blank">reddit</a>. Critical is to sharpen your test-taking skills - most especially, get better at taking less time to answer each question, start with easy questions before attempting others (especially where an exam allows you to skip questions and come back later), quickly skim longer text questions to figure out what question is about, manage your breathing during the test and please dont panic, as this will make you waste precious exam time. </li><br /><li>After <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html" target="_blank">passing the CISSP</a>, I took about 3 months of self-paced studying to cover CCSP materials while working a full-time job. Much of the CISSP material overlaps with the CCSP, and thus having passed any of these two certifications, the knowledge is still fresh in the mind and easily be utilized to pass the other. CCSP exam is becoming longer effective 1st August 2022, hurry up if you can sit exam before then.</li><br /><li>Earning CSA’s <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html" target="_blank">CCSK certificate</a> can be substituted for one year of experience, or how earning (ISC)²’s <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html" target="_blank">CISSP credential</a> can be substituted for the entire CCSP experience requirement. there is a total of 10,898 certified cloud security professionals in the world, according to ISC2 <a href="https://www.isc2.org/About/Member-Counts" target="_blank">member counts</a>. The US has the majority of CCSPs at 5576 while several other countries have one or none at all. </li></ol><div>Goodluck.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div><div><b>Let us know your comments and share with your network.</b></div><div><br /></div><div><b>Read more:</b></div><div><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html" target="_blank"><b>How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html" target="_blank"><b>CISSP Masters Degree: Where to start with CISSP Certification</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html" target="_blank"><b>CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html"><b>Africa awash with Scams promising High Returns at Zero Risk</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/ransomware-attacks-turn-into-phone-threats-of-violence.html" target="_blank"><b>Ransomware attacks turn into phone threats of violence on victims and their relatives</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/15-ways-to-protect-data-online-from-malicious-hackers.html" target="_blank"><b>15 ways to securely protect your data online from malicious hackers</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html" target="_blank"><b>To pay or Not to Pay Ransomware: Reasons 15 Companies paid to Restore Data</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/solarwinds-hack-5-lessons-to-improve-cyber-career.html" target="_blank"><b>Solarwinds Hack: 5 lessons to improve your cyber career</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html" target="_blank"><b>Linkedin is Top Phishing Trap ahead of Whatsapp and Telegram</b></a></li></ul><p></p></div><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-62421599305803250132022-05-05T11:59:00.023+03:002022-05-11T22:45:30.237+03:00How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-w55DQhruBJIXhxU7UXNNOH3RLkDfOcHxLaDtmLskUM_QGqjptdc7SM0h_QKH8XWkRafsWAEE54Sb6TtWIyayXxg4yOPhKT5wrsFngoC2n0dLQ206pTn1Xew7TLp9Zzzqx8edJin82yW3fmKgMK1J43MkxNla33xr-TrKH_IWF-XsxOj1g/s1726/CCSK-certificate-v4.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Certificate of Cloud Security knowledge howto pass @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="585" data-original-width="1726" height="108" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo-w55DQhruBJIXhxU7UXNNOH3RLkDfOcHxLaDtmLskUM_QGqjptdc7SM0h_QKH8XWkRafsWAEE54Sb6TtWIyayXxg4yOPhKT5wrsFngoC2n0dLQ206pTn1Xew7TLp9Zzzqx8edJin82yW3fmKgMK1J43MkxNla33xr-TrKH_IWF-XsxOj1g/w320-h108/CCSK-certificate-v4.png" title="Certificate of cloud security knowledge howto guide @ruralict.com" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr></tbody></table><p>Organizations are sharing critical business with clients and partners allover the internet which puts it at risk of getting stolen - 60% of small business go bankrupt after an attack. Thus, professionals who understand the <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/15-ways-to-protect-data-online-from-malicious-hackers.html" target="_blank">risk to organizations</a> and provide solutions to lower risks are in high demand.</p><p>Earning your Certificate of Cloud Security Knowledge (CCSK) sets you apart from the crowd and signals to the employer that you bring <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/15-ways-to-protect-data-online-from-malicious-hackers.html" target="_blank">valuable skills to the business</a>. And if you are interested in an executive position, consider earning a <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html" target="_blank">CISSP</a> and/or <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html" target="_blank">CISM</a> to improve your skills and <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/solarwinds-hack-5-lessons-to-improve-cyber-career.html" target="_blank">value to the enterprise</a>.</p><p><b>Resources used to study for CCSK:</b></p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>Signup for CSA mailinglist</li><li>Cloud Security Alliance study materials (<a href="https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/" target="_blank">website</a> / <a href="https://ccsk.cloudsecurityalliance.org/en/faq#tokens" target="_blank">FAQ</a>)</li><li>World community (reddit) sharing <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ccsk/" target="_blank">experiences on CCSK</a> </li><li><a href="https://www.cybrary.it/course/ccsk/" target="_blank">Cybrary ccsk course</a> </li></ul><p></p><p></p><ol style="text-align: left;"><li>Navigate to the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) website and signup for the mailinglist particularly tick the option "<i>CSA training - The latest updates on training offerings, workshops, classes and discounts.</i>" And "<i>save preferences</i>". Then pay attention to emails you receive on discounts on the CCSK trainings and exam of up to 50% on cyber monday (end of November). I took advantage of this myself. <table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkBzugFq8voWON2vykzgCJUjUeK6JmA5XCFbscu6aZqvv8TF4MsH8370_PLVz5lvzSJ4ZWClYJSPfnz0w2aLvWvmLHv73AKwOgLatQp8Gm-0F1-UOcIKaLW26-qASVp8VzMcLlWvF9H9tIiub1l0VR7xMiZFIKujBu7wAVZ-i97RrpckMhg/s635/ccsk-discounts.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="132" data-original-width="635" height="67" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixkBzugFq8voWON2vykzgCJUjUeK6JmA5XCFbscu6aZqvv8TF4MsH8370_PLVz5lvzSJ4ZWClYJSPfnz0w2aLvWvmLHv73AKwOgLatQp8Gm-0F1-UOcIKaLW26-qASVp8VzMcLlWvF9H9tIiub1l0VR7xMiZFIKujBu7wAVZ-i97RrpckMhg/w320-h67/ccsk-discounts.png" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Cyber monday 50% discount on ccsk<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table></li><br /><li>Spend time on <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/ccsk/" target="_blank">reddit</a> reading about the experiences of other exam takers and the resources they are sharing. Spend more time on the positive or success stories to analyze the strategies used. As for the negative stories, look out for situations to avoid. </li><br /><li>Download <a href="https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/education/ccsk/" target="_blank">CSA study materials</a> (CSA Security Guidance v4, ENISA Recommendations and CSA Cloud Controls Matrix) and study hard. Thereafter, I used the cybrary ccsk course with the instructor following through this same material and adding extra valuable tips along the way. Afterwards, I went through the Cybrary practice questions and questionbanks until i passed them close to 100% which gave me enough confidence to sit the final exam. </li><br /><li><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMyN9DWy9eASvO2Eeaefp0lAXhIUd91cm-Cpk_G8TYW9ZG0w7xRNZ-eghrUaSDEgit8CxN5zCawRPLomVXwSb0XPh6v4HriOBwsnxEDxPFslZGYHgGGXuK7_LBufhIpoPWq6DlkIFksifnqqRblpkEHCSmr1D4U379u04MtGynIBozReHtw/s1200/CCSK-free-study-materials-v4.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="CCSK howto pass guide resources @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="1200" height="158" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidMyN9DWy9eASvO2Eeaefp0lAXhIUd91cm-Cpk_G8TYW9ZG0w7xRNZ-eghrUaSDEgit8CxN5zCawRPLomVXwSb0XPh6v4HriOBwsnxEDxPFslZGYHgGGXuK7_LBufhIpoPWq6DlkIFksifnqqRblpkEHCSmr1D4U379u04MtGynIBozReHtw/w320-h158/CCSK-free-study-materials-v4.png" title="CCSK howto pass resources @ruralict.com" width="320" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Download and study CCSK study materials<br /><br /></td></tr></tbody></table>CCSK is an open-book, online exam, completed in ninety minutes with sixty multiple-choice questions. Exam costs $395 which gives two test attempts to complete in two years, which should be more than ample time to get it done.</li></ol><p></p><p><b>Let us know your comments and share with your network.</b></p><p><b>Read more:</b></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html" target="_blank">To pay or Not to Pay Ransomware: Reasons 15 Companies paid to Restore Data</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/phishers-dream-email-tool-embeds-ransomware.html" target="_blank"><b>Phishers Dream Email tool used to Embed Ransomware in Danish Company</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html" target="_blank">CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html" target="_blank">CISSP Masters Degree: Where to start with CISSP Certification</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html" target="_blank">Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html" target="_blank"><b>Linkedin is Top Phishing Trap ahead of Whatsapp and Telegram</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/15-ways-to-protect-data-online-from-malicious-hackers.html" target="_blank"><b>15 ways to securely protect your data online from malicious hackers</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/ransomware-attacks-turn-into-phone-threats-of-violence.html" target="_blank"><b>Ransomware attacks turn into phone threats of violence on victims and their relatives</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-22307280968227938342022-05-02T17:50:00.004+03:002022-06-09T10:39:53.030+03:00Africa awash with Cryptocurrency Scams promising High Returns at Zero Risk<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwynQoNq2HT8bCdMedL2zh9s8vZWpDjt76MJrGPl7cvZ0ybpQ9px07TyyY3v4HPrAA8ox0JxBch5eWJNjtPjQoieO7Bqj2ngIGt0HSH4aKIOXSaTUyxDAWJbXXX-T54qM2ah4_8OXJVZQU3orzT4Vjz0GqNsvvsXH3ydjDqliQW99DM08IVQ/s512/africa-get-rich-quick-scams.webp" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="naive african investors scammed @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="512" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwynQoNq2HT8bCdMedL2zh9s8vZWpDjt76MJrGPl7cvZ0ybpQ9px07TyyY3v4HPrAA8ox0JxBch5eWJNjtPjQoieO7Bqj2ngIGt0HSH4aKIOXSaTUyxDAWJbXXX-T54qM2ah4_8OXJVZQU3orzT4Vjz0GqNsvvsXH3ydjDqliQW99DM08IVQ/w320-h320/africa-get-rich-quick-scams.webp" title="Scams in africa targeting social media users @ruralict.com" width="320" /></a></div><p></p><p><b>Get rich quick scams are improverishing naive investors - below are tips on how to spot them</b></p><p>Scammers are
rampaging Africa with various <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2008/07/nigerian-email-scams-on-rise.html?showComment=1327979581560#c2121685871509596952" target="_blank">new scams</a> ranging from the usual
pyramid schemes to the new cryptocurrency schemes that promise high
returns at no risk. </p><p>In Uganda, over
10,000 people are <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html">counting their losses</a> after an alleged <a href="https://observer.ug/news/headlines/73484-ugandans-lose-millions-to-malaysian-online-business-scam" target="_blank">fake Malaysian business</a> chargeanytime.net closed shop after collecting
billions of shillings from its victims.</p>
<p>The scam ensnared
its victims through mobile money platforms with promises of daily
earnings of up 35% for two months and hefty commissions for
attracting new members.</p><p>Communications with
the scam leaders were through <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html">social media</a> channels like whatsapp and
telegram where they reassured their members of not being scam but
rather a legitimate business. None of the scam leaders were
accessible through same channels after the scam collapsed.</p>
<p>This scam comes on
the heels of another forex trade scam discovered early this year in
northern Uganda where 15,000 people were scammed out of 10 billions
shillings ($2.8 million) within three months.</p>
<p>In Kenya, Joe
Mucheru, a cabinet secretary disclosed that Kenyans had lost $120
million in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VYWugL0-COE" target="_blank">cryptocurrency scams</a> in 2021 due to lack of information
that people need to make the right decisions.</p><p>In South Africa,
over 5000 people were scammed after investing in a fake company,
known as "<a href="https://www.news24.com/news24/southafrica/news/9-wanted-for-allegedly-defrauding-over-5-000-people-in-mpumalanga-out-of-millions-of-rand-20220429">Mr.Coin</a>" which promised non-existent returns of
between 80% and 150%. </p><p>Mr.Coin scammers
went searching for victims at schools and created competitions for
members to win prizes. They particularly targeted professionals like
nurses, teachers, police officers to make their<a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html"> scam appearlegitimate</a> to doubting victims.</p><p>Mr.Coin operated out
of a shopping centre where they asked victims to send them hard cash
rather than depositing money in the bank. The scammers also promised
a 10% commission to their employees for every new client they
registered. The desperate victims alerted police when they the found
the offices of scammers closed and <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html">unable to recover</a> their
investments.</p><p>Following the advice
of an old adage, "if its so good to be true, it probably is",
enables person to be skeptical of any business promising abnormal
returns. Here are other <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/15-ways-to-protect-data-online-from-malicious-hackers.html">tips to reduce</a> falling into various scams:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li>If there is a
guaranteed offer of high returns with minimum to no risk with little
or no explanation of business activities or how returns are
generated.</li><li>Your friend's
referral or success with a business platform is not a guarantee that
its a legitimate business. Do your own research. The scam in Uganda
succeeded because friends recruited each other and partly due to the
huge profits paid out in the initial phases of the scam.</li><li>Do not click on
link on links or open every attachment you receive. As these will
often lead to <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/5-phishing-quizzes-practice-howto-spot-scam.html">malicious software</a> getting onto your device giving an
attacker access to your details, contacts and messages.</li><li>Before investing in
cryptocurrency, <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html">do deeper research</a> on the assets that you are
investing in, and if you do decide, only invest what you are willing
to lose. Avoid basing your investment decisions on only <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/ransomware-attacks-turn-into-phone-threats-of-violence.html">news stories</a>
due to the fear of missing out on profits when cryptocurrency prices
skyrocket.</li></ul><p></p><p>No one gives out
money for free, regardless of whether the individual is a billionaire
or not. Tame your desire for getting rich quick to reduce on getting
counted among gullible and naive investors. </p><p><b>Leave us your comment and share with your network</b></p><p><b>Read more:</b></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/to-pay-or-not-pay-15-ransomware-paid.html" target="_blank">To pay or Not to Pay Ransomware: Reasons 15 Companies paid to Restore Data</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html" target="_blank">Linkedin is Top Phishing Trap ahead of Whatsapp and Telegram</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/ransomware-attacks-turn-into-phone-threats-of-violence.html" target="_blank"><b>Ransomware attacks turn into phone threats of violence on victims and their relatives</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/Anonymous-hackers-take-down-government-website-in-denial-of-service-attack.html" target="_blank"><b>Denial of Service: Anonymous hackers take down Uganda Police website</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/phishers-dream-email-tool-embeds-ransomware.html" target="_blank"><b>Phishers Dream Email tool used to Embed Ransomware in Danish Company</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html" target="_blank">CISSP Masters Degree: Pass CISSP to better defend your firm against ransomware</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html" target="_blank"><b>CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html"><b>How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</b></a></li></ul><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html" target="_blank"><b>Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/12/15-ways-to-protect-data-online-from-malicious-hackers.html"><b>15 ways to securely protect your data online from malicious hackers</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30348016.post-35888753729812992012022-05-02T17:18:00.004+03:002022-05-11T23:02:55.530+03:00Sub-Saharan Africa adopt Bitcoin to Earn larger Foreign Income<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-7lCsY7XxC41v1hF2edez-5o_-yRJmZMZK7lBkC3n31Rfe68cTi74Y3dxAygOfSpzai9_fF5ykkcAGtuHXZXRXgIvlNhrPfiJgVlm0vW4a4p30VpTM0gQ5hBFo9VerjpqrCBWz5APMz9C7sHNYGUkJ1yYmQg4pQU3XNcqZSS7orT_uKJXA/s548/CAR-btc-law.png" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="text of central african republic cryptocurrency framework @ruralict.com" border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="420" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-7lCsY7XxC41v1hF2edez-5o_-yRJmZMZK7lBkC3n31Rfe68cTi74Y3dxAygOfSpzai9_fF5ykkcAGtuHXZXRXgIvlNhrPfiJgVlm0vW4a4p30VpTM0gQ5hBFo9VerjpqrCBWz5APMz9C7sHNYGUkJ1yYmQg4pQU3XNcqZSS7orT_uKJXA/w245-h320/CAR-btc-law.png" title="Central african republic cryptocurrency law @ruralict.com" width="245" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Screenshot of Central Africa Republic Cryptocurrency framework</span></td></tr></tbody></table><br /></div><p>The Central African Republic (CAR) has adopted a framework governing
<a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html">cryptocurrencies</a> establishing bitcoin as official national currency,
making it the first and only one in Africa, and second in the world
just after El Salvador made a similar decision in sept 2021.</p><p>Lawmakers
unanimously agreed to make bitcoin as national currency in a move
expected to generate prosperity for the citizens, thus putting CAR
"on the map of the most courageous and visionary countries in
the world" according to a signed <a href="https://twitter.com/BitcoinMagazine/status/1519306253016743943?s=20&t=GqBgLf4botyE9elu4MRB9Q" target="_blank">press release</a> from the state
minister Obed Namsio.</p><p>In an <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2022-04-26/cryptocurrency-regulator-proposed-by-central-african-republic" target="_blank">interview</a> with
Bloomberg, the CAR Finance Minister Herve Ndoba described the move as
a positive move of embracing new technology:</p><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px;"><p style="line-height: 100%; margin-bottom: 0cm; text-align: left;">“There’s a
common narrative that Sub-Saharan African countries are often one
step behind when it comes to adapting to new technology. This time,
we can actually say that our country is one step ahead.”</p></blockquote><h3 style="text-align: left;"> <b>Bitcoin makes
remittances great again</b></h3>
<p>For <a href="https://www.reuters.com/technology/pros-cons-el-salvador-first-bitcoin-nation-2021-09-06/">El Salvador,adopting bitcoin</a> was to enable the diaspora save on commissions money
transfers services charge as well as attract foreign investment in
the country. Remittances in 2020 amounted to $6 billion representing
23% of the entire GDP of the Central American nation. And with adoption of bitcoin,
the diaspora would save of up $400 million in transfer fees which
would further boost the livelihoods of recipients.</p><p>CAR uses the French
CFA franc as its currency where a population of <a href="https://datareportal.com/reports/digital-2021-central-african-republic">4.8million</a> with 11%
having access to the Internet. Considering that the country has
suffered several conflicts, the skilled migrants abroad send money to
support relatives back at home making remittances the <a href="https://www.imf.org/-/media/Files/Publications/covid19-special-notes/en-special-series-on-covid-19-remittances-in-sub-saharan-africa-an-update.ashx" target="_blank">largest source of foreign income</a> in Sub-Saharan Africa (SSA) reaching up $47 billion in
2019. A large number of households depend on these funds to pay for
food, education, health and shelter further lifting many out of
poverty.</p><p>Unfortunately,
SSA is charged the <a href="https://www.mfw4a.org/news/africa-sub-saharan-africa-most-expensive-globally-send-and-receive-money" target="_blank">highest fees globally</a> to send and
receive money at 8.17 percent compared with the least fees at 4.9
percent for south Asia. This broad day robbery takes away the much needed relief for reciepients who are often unbanked and living in remote rural villages in Africa.</p><p>Considering that
there are huge gains to save on remittances due to high fees charged
by money transfer services, SSA economies would do
well to embrace <a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/sextortion-email-i-have-your-password-compromising-video.html">cryptocurrency legislation</a> to increase the
impact of remittances in their economies. Not only would this be a
courageous and visionary decision, but one that will pull several
Africans out of a poverty and contribute to the very much needed development
of the continent.</p><p><b>Leave us a comment and share with your network</b></p><p><b>Read more:</b></p><p></p><p style="text-align: left;"></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/africa-scams-promise-high-rewards-zero-risk.html" target="_blank">Africa awash with Scams promising High Returns at Zero Risk</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><b><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html" target="_blank">To pay or Not to Pay Ransomware: Reasons 15 Companies paid to Restore Data</a></b></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cissp-masters-degree-where-to-start.html" target="_blank"><b>CISSP Masters Degree: Where to start with CISSP Certification</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsk-on-first-try.html" target="_blank"><b>How I Passed CCSK on First Try and Tips for You to do it</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/cism-is-worth-it-how-i-passed-cism-first-try-online-exam-.html" target="_blank"><b>CISM is Worth it: how i passed CISM online proctored exam</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/tips-on-how-i-passed-ccsp-you-can-too.html" target="_blank"><b>Tips on How I Passed CCSP in First Try and You can do same</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2011/11/35-services-our-internet-cafe-users.html" target="_blank"><b>35 Services Our Internet Cafe Users Were Asking For</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2022/05/linkedin-is-top-phishing-trap-ahead-of-whatsap-telegram.html" target="_blank"><b>Linkedin is Top Phishing Trap ahead of Whatsapp and Telegram</b></a></li></ul><ul style="text-align: left;"><li><a href="https://www.ruralict.com/2020/11/Data.html" target="_blank"><b>Data Stealing Malware and how Business can Protect Against it</b></a></li></ul><p></p><p></p><div class="blogger-post-footer">use content & acknowledge the source as http://www.ruralict.com</div>John Kibuukahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10825606565023263446noreply@blogger.com0