“Script kiddies” are a type of computer hacker that copies malware programs from more experienced creators and put their own name on it. WannaCry was programmed by script kiddies, and the group they stole the malware from is selling a new set of vulnerabilities.

No business owner wants their customers’ data leaked, but no matter how well your prevention plan is, the unexpected can happen. And when it does, what will determine the fate of your business is how well you respond to it. So before you start planning an incident response, read the following story and recite this: Don’t walk in the footsteps of Equifax.

Newspaper headlines and Hollywood movies have influenced our understanding of computer hackers, but in the real world it’s not so simple. Some hackers are making tremendous contributions to the field of cyber security, it just depends on which hat they’re wearing that day.

When a Microsoft product reaches its “end-of-life,” the tech developer no longer provides feature updates, technical assistance, and automatic fixes for that product. Support for Windows XP, for instance, ended in April 2014. That said, recent malware attacks have caused Microsoft to continue support for their outdated operating system.

By now, you must have heard of the WannaCry ransomware. It ranks as one of the most effective pieces of malware in the internet’s history, and it has everyone worried about what’s coming next. To guard yourself, the best place to start is with a better understanding of what made WannaCry different.

If you’ve ever had a problem with how Microsoft Windows updates are rolled out, we have some good news. In a recent announcement, the team behind the world’s most popular operating system promised to make updates more consistent and user friendly.

With as much as we write about sophisticated malware and security breaches, sometimes the most effective attacks are the ones that prey on human error. In the most recent case, all it took was an email with a perfect imitation of one of Google’s security screens.

So much of cybersecurity depends on adequate awareness from users. Phishing for example, preys on people’s fears and desires to convince them to click on hyperlink images and text before checking where they actually lead to. However, with the latest trend in phishing, even the most cautious users can get swept up.

Accusations of inappropriate government surveillance have been swirling after Wikileaks recently released thousands of pages supposedly detailing the CIA’s exploitation of compromised devices and applications. But in today’s climate, every headline needs to be taken with a grain of salt.

We’ve gotten so caught up discussing ransomware prevention with our clients that we’ve neglected to mention that several strains have already been defeated. In fact, there’s a decent chance you can actually decrypt all your data for free. Always make sure to check these lists before responding to a cyber attacker’s demands.