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How many have received the message “I’ve been hacked” from a friend on FB?
A compromised system is one of my greatest threats as a CEO of a mid-size MSP (Managed Service Provider). That is why when I saw someone in real time trying to access my laptop, I got concerned.
The port in use and the communication method was one that would not yield much benefit, but none the less, someone was actively trying to use my computer. They had found a seemingly active account (the account was disabled at the front door so it looked real but was not) but they could not figure out the password. They were using a brute force attack to compromise the password.
Once we got the hacker off the laptop, my question was “How did the hacker get through our firewall?” This question I raised to our Manager of Networking Services, Craig Kimbrough. Our team immediately went to work looking to see what was going on. The hacker was from China, and they wanted access to my laptop. While they never managed to compromise my system, the attempt was a reminder that active monitoring and protection must never stop.
In my situation, the firewall port was temporarily opened for a convention where I was a presenter on integrating VoIP to your ERP/CRM system. My demonstration was failing due to limitations with the convention center’s firewall, so we had to make a one-time exception to our firewall for the sake of the conference. We set up a special rule for just one device, my laptop, nothing else. The firewall rule had never been turned off after the conference, leaving one port to one device open and the hacker from China found it.
Our team locked down the port and once again I am free of others trying to log into my laptop.
If you have never had a Cybersecurity Audit performed, may I suggest you contact me. Your safety is our number one priority. Our team is amazing, and we utilize some very sophisticated tools to ensure your network is safe, fast, and reliable. Give us a call at 800-393-2875 or email sales@execontrol.com.
Article written by Allan D. Robison, President & CEO of EXEControl Global Solutions, a full-service IT solutions provider.