This week, I had the opportunity to speak with two local TV stations about the recent Cellcom outage, which was confirmed to be a cyber incident. I shared several key insights during these interviews that are important for consumers and businesses alike:
1. Protect Your Personal Information – While Cellcom has stated there is no evidence that users’ personal information was compromised, I strongly encourage everyone to freeze their credit with the three major credit reporting bureaus: Equifax, Experian, and TransUnion. Given the sheer number of past data breaches, it’s highly likely that personal identifying information (PII) has already been exposed. Taking proactive measures is essential.
2. Stay Vigilant Against Scams – Cybercriminals are constantly looking for new ways to exploit consumers. Cellcom users—and everyone—should remain cautious. When receiving emails, verify sender addresses carefully, not just the display name. If you need to contact a company, always use the phone number from a previous bill or service agreement rather than one listed in a potentially fraudulent email.
3. Businesses Must Prioritize Cybersecurity – Regardless of industry, companies must invest in preventive cybersecurity measures before an incident occurs. In cybersecurity, this principle is known as left of boom vs. right of boom—meaning organizations should focus on prevention rather than responding after an attack. Cyber resilience starts with preparation.
4. Beware of SIM Card Swapping – Criminals can exploit SIM card swapping to take control of a customer’s phone number. Once successful, they can intercept calls and text messages, including security codes, leading to account takeovers. Consumers should be on high alert for unauthorized SIM transfers and take steps to secure their accounts.
5. An Industry-Wide Wake-Up Call – This cyberattack was not just a breach of Cellcom but an attack on the telecommunications sector as a whole. It underscores the need for continuous investment in cybersecurity and proactive measures to prevent future incidents.
Cyber threats are evolving, and we must all do our part to stay informed and prepared. Let’s work together to strengthen cybersecurity practices for individuals and businesses alike.
Category: Local News Interview
Advice to Victims of HSHS Prevea Cyber Security Incident
I was interviewed last week Monday Aug. 28th, 2023 by Green Bay TV station WLUK-TV FOX 11 for a story Hospital Sisters Health System (HSHS) and Prevea Health Systems was calling at the time a system outage. Late Friday afternoon, the CEOs of HSHS and Prevea released a joint video confirming that it was caused by a cyber security incident. In the video, they stated that their priority was patient care, but they did not say whether patient (or employee) data was impacted by the cyber-attack.
I was interviewed again on Tuesday Sept. 5th, 2023 where I recommend that all past and current patients, as well as all past and current employees take proactive action and freeze their credit with the three credit reporting agencies Transunion, Equifax and Experian. They should also consider using a credit monitoring service, and monitor all healthcare invoices and explanation of benefits for fraudulent activity.
Other organizations have offered to pay for one year of credit monitoring services when their customers personally identifiable information (PII) was compromised. This is not an acceptable solution as the criminals have your PII such as your social security number, which does not expire, and they will wait sometimes months before using it for identity theft purposes.
#HSHS #Prevea #CyberSecurity #CyberSecurityIncident #CreditMonitoring #CreditFreeze
https://fox11online.com/news/local/prevea-health-and-hshs-making-progress-after-cybersecurity-incident-operations-gradually-resuming-amid-ongoing-investigation-ashok-rai-damon-boatwright-aimee-brian-stehsel-curt-esser-esser-consulting#
Esser Consulting, LLC celebrates 20th anniversary by paying back customers
On September 11, 2022 Esser Consulting, LLC, a computer consulting company based in Appleton, WI, will be celebrating 20 years as a registered business in the state of WI. I started the business to help computer users, educate them about the “Dangers and Pitfalls of the Web™”, and provide quality consulting services to solve their computer problems. Since 2007, Esser Consulting, LLC has been an A+ rated Better Business Bureau accredited business. Much has changed over the years, but my commitment to helping my customers has not.
Esser Consulting, LLC has been built on customer referrals. As a thank you to my customers for 20 years of business, I would like to pay it back by offering $20 for a new business or residential customer referral (minimum 2-hour billing, expires 9/30/22).
Thank you again to my customers for your patronage and support through these 20 years.
Curt Esser
Esser Consulting, LLC
(920) 735-1806
Videos shared online might not tell the whole story
I was interviewed twice this week by WBAY-TV2 reporters for two different stories. The story airing today is a difficult and troubling one involving videos posted on Facebook of a person who was apparently shot and killed by an Appleton Police Dept. officer, and whether or not it should have been posted on Facebook. Besides being graphic content, we discussed if some videos such as an officer involved shooting in general should be posted without all of the facts being presented, an understanding of the situation and circumstances, and how missing some context could affect your opinion and analysis of the story.
https://lnkd.in/gMb2tQrq
The second one will air sometime next week as part of their back-to-school segment. We talked about what parents need to know about their kids posting items on the Internet, the content they are viewing, interacting with strangers, online predators, cyberbullying, plus other issues. We discussed only about one half of the material I put together. A full segment will air during their morning show, and smaller parts will be shown during their other news shows at noon and 4pm.
#facts #graphic #content #context #facebook #police
#backtoschool
