Global Linking Solutions, Charlotte, North Carolina

Taking a moment to reflect on the things we're thankful for this #Thanksgiving 🦃 🥧 🍗 🍂 Wishing everyone a happy holiday filled with love and joy from your friends at GLS. 

Want to know how #cybercriminals manipulate people to gain access to sensitive information? The Social Engineering Lifecycle outlines the steps attackers take to exploit human psychology. From reconnaissance to exploitation, understanding this process is crucial for protecting yourself and your organization in the outlined steps below: 🕵 Investigation: preparing the ground for the attack: - Identifying victims - Gathering background info - Selecting attack methods 🪝 Hook: deceiving the victim(s) to gain a foothold: - Engaging the target - Spinning a story - Taking control of the interaction ▶️ Play: obtaining the information over a period of time: - Expanding the foothold - Executing the attack - Disrupting businesses or siphoning data, sometimes both 👋 Exit: closing the interaction, ideally without arousing suspicion: - Removing all traces of malware - Covering tracks - Bringing the charade to a natural end As we move into 2025, social engineering attacks will only become more sophisticated and advanced, and anyone can be at risk. If you want to fortify your #technology and #cybersecurity for #2025, it's not too late to contact one of GLS reps today to discuss how to protect you and your customers: Tom Gentle, Joe Clanton, David Butler, Angela Mejia, Todd Coleman, Mike Trenerry

One of the biggest shopping days of the year is next week, which means #malicious actors are waiting to take advantage of #security vulnerabilities. 90.6 million people #shopped online for #BlackFriday in 2023 according to the National Retail Federation. There are many ways to protect yourself while shopping online, but we paired them down to the ones we felt were the most impactful below: 🔏 Shop on Secure Websites: look for the padlock symbol in your browser's address bar and ensure the website URL starts with "https." 🎣 Be Wary of Phishing Emails: be cautious of suspicious emails especially those claiming to be from retailers, verify the sender's address, and avoid clicking on links or downloading attachments from unknown sources. 💳 Use Credit Cards (if you are able): often credit cards offer better fraud protection than debit cards and the ability to dispute charges if your credit information is compromised. 🏦 Check Your Bank Statements: monitor your bank and credit card accounts for unauthorized activity. 🛜 Use a Secure Wi-Fi Networks: avoid using public Wi-Fi networks for online shopping as they are less secure, but if you must use public Wi-Fi use a VPN to encrypt your connection. 🤨 Be Skeptical of Deals That Seem Too Good to be True: if a deal seems too good to be true it probably is, so do your research before making a purchase.

We're excited for #Thanksgiving 🍂 next week to spend time with friends and family, but we're also looking forward to all the delicious food we'll be having 😋 Vote which Thanksgiving classic you're looking forward to the most in our poll below. 

💡 Tips from the Experts 🌐 We asked @Max, a Security Engineer on our SOC Team, about what cybersecurity advice would be useful to both businesses and individuals. Read the full tip below and don't forget to connect with Max on LinkedIn. #GLSProtects

📢 A GLS Security Defense Bulletin 📢 Palo Alto Networks announced that claims have been made of a remote code execution vulnerability via the PAN-OS management interface. Read all the details of this alert in our graphic below. If you want to strengthen your cyber defenses with new or existing technology, reach out to one of your GLS sales reps below. Sales Reps: Joe Clanton David Butler Aaron Rebeck Angela Mejia Todd Coleman Mike Trenerry Tom Gentle Additional Resources: - How to Secure the Management Access of Your Palo Alto Networks Devices: https://2ly.link/211eM - PAN-SA-2024-0015 Important Informational Bulletin: Ensure Access to Management Interface is Secured: https://2ly.link/211eH - Palo Alto Networks Warns of Critical PAN-OS Remote Code Execution Vulnerability: https://2ly.link/211eI - Palo Alto Investigates Possible Security Vulnerability in PAN-OS Web Interface: https://2ly.link/211eJ

Hardening your #Firewall security and fortifying your defenses is crucial in this #Cyber climate to mitigate risks and safeguard your organization's most valuable assets 🔐 Click through our guide to learn ways to strengthen your technology, the benefits, and our suggestions on how to improve your firewalls' #security. #GLSProtects

Today, on #VeternsDay, we honor all who served us. Let's take a moment to thank the brave people who sacrificed for our freedom. Your courage and dedication continue to inspire us 🙏 with a special shout out to the following GLS team members as well as all of those in our organization: Leana Karweik, Brian Flores, Hugh Daughtry, Eric Williams, Thomas Martin, Kenneth Ross, Conner Mitchell, Joe Kalousek, Allan Montgomery

The holiday season 🎄 ☃️ is prime for phishing 🎣 scams, but which ones are the most alarming? Cast your vote in our poll below, and be on the lookout for our upcoming Holiday Phishing Scams posts throughout November 🍂

Today is #NationalStressAwarenessDay, which aims to help people identify and reduce the stressors in their lives. The theme for today is "Campaigning to reduce stress and improve wellbeing," which encourages people to have meaningful conversations on how to address the problem of stress better and destigmatize its effects. Chronic stress over a long period leads to more severe health concerns, so it's paramount to recognize chronic pressure and deal with it appropriately. Common causes of stress include chronic illness, depression, anxiety, grief, work environment, financial hardship, and more. There are many ways to destress and are unique to every individual, so take today to indulge in your version of self-care and stress relief. #GLSProtects #NSAD Additional Resources: - Managing Stress Overview - National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI): https://2ly.link/20moe - How to Manage and Reduce Stress - Mental Health Foundation: https://2ly.link/20mof - The American Institute of Stress: https://2ly.link/20moc