{"id":838,"date":"2016-11-21T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2016-11-21T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/security-internet-email-and-risk\/"},"modified":"2026-02-16T05:33:00","modified_gmt":"2026-02-16T10:33:00","slug":"security-internet-email-and-risk","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/security-internet-email-and-risk\/","title":{"rendered":"Security, internet, email, and risk"},"content":{"rendered":"<header class=\"entry-header has-dark-background-color entry-header--has-illustration entry-header--has-illustration--generic\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__row row align-center\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-lg-7 col-xlg-6 entry-header__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"component component-single-header\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-header__misc text--subtitle text--uppercase text--small\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/category\/technology-innovation\/\" class=\"entry-header__link\">Technology &amp; Innovation<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"entry-title-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<h1 class=\"entry-title\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\tSecurity, internet, email, and risk\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<p class=\"entry-header__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t<div class=\"single-post-details container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t<span class=\"posted-on \"><time class=\"entry-date published\" datetime=\"2016-11-21T00:00:00-05:00\">November 21, 2016<\/time><\/span><span class=\"reading-time\"> min read<\/span>\n\t\t<button\n\t\t\ttype=\"button\"\n\t\t\tclass=\"social-share-button button button--icon button--secondary js-social-share-button\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-title=\"Security, internet, email, and risk\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-url=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/security-internet-email-and-risk\/\"\n\t\t\tdata-share-text=\"Please read this interesting article\"\n\t\t>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__share-label\">Share<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-label\" hidden>Copy Link<\/span>\n\t\t\t<span class=\"social-share-button__copy-tooltip\" aria-hidden=\"true\" hidden>Copied<\/span>\n\t\t<\/button>\n\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/header>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-post-author has-dark-background-color alignfull\">\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"co-authors\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"entry-author-wrapper\">\n\t\t\t<a class=\"entry-author\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/author\/johngoecke\/\">\n\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"40\" height=\"40\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/05\/headshot_-_John_Goecke-350x350.jpg\" class=\"entry-author__image\" alt=\"\" \/>\t\t\t\t<span class=\"entry-author__name\">John Goecke<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p>Let\u2019s talk about what you don\u2019t want to talk about.&nbsp; At least once a month, we hear about a hack, a breach, or a compromised action that encompasses secure data, political emails, credit cards, or personal information.&nbsp; It seems almost unavoidable, and with the construction industry\u2019s continued emphasis on&nbsp;integrating data management systems and mobilizing the work environment, the fight to maintain data security seems ever more crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The newer realm of malware\u2014rather than viruses\u2014has proven to be very lucrative and is, therefore, the predominant risk we have to face every day.&nbsp; So, what can you do to ensure that neither you nor your firm is held responsible for impacting someone\u2019s safety or security? Understanding the objectives, actions, and risks that surround digital communications is a very good place to start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-malware\">What is malware?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Malware can be as simple as a piece of code or computer service that handles code that is responsive to its creator.&nbsp; Malware opens up the opportunity to retrieve or send bits of information from one device (your computer or network drives) to another person or host.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-is-the-risk\">What is the risk?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Malware was responsible for the security breaches during the holiday season in 2014 when major retailers had their information stolen.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>One of the largest breaches in 2014 occurred when a mechanical contractor in Pennsylvania submitted a pay app to a big-box retailer.\u00a0 The contractor did not know his machine was infected. Upon connection from his office to the retailer, the mission of the malware was complete. Data was sent to the malware\u2019s creator indicating where the malware was and asking the creator what to do.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Have you heard about data being locked into its own computer and being held ransom at the police station, the hospital, the local library, or your aunt\u2019s computer?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>All of these things have happened, and all of these things happened due to malware.&nbsp; &nbsp;Many structural changes have been made to browsers since 2014, and security methods used to manage SSL (the little lock in your web address bar) have evolved.&nbsp; Still, there is no guarantee of safety or security.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-malware-prevention\">Malware Prevention<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>When we talk about malware prevention, we talk about IDS and IPS, which stand for&nbsp;<em>Intrusion Detection System<\/em>&nbsp;and&nbsp;<em>Intrusion Prevention System<\/em>, respectively. &nbsp;&nbsp;They sound expensive, right?&nbsp; How do companies\u2014from small mom-and-pop shops all the way up to corporate stalwarts\u2014handle this?&nbsp; Let\u2019s look at the range of options.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>If you have an anti-virus software, odds are that it has a web plug-in to assist in checking clicks and web pages for malware.&nbsp;I would suggest starting here and making sure that if you are in a three- to ten-computer environment, you review what you have at hand. I am also a fan of&nbsp;<a href=\"https:\/\/www.malwarebytes.com\/\">MalwareBytes.com<\/a>&nbsp;and its tools for preventing computer infections.&nbsp; It is free for personal use or at a low cost for your office.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For the larger offices that have many workstations, laptops, or other devices, there are service options and software options.&nbsp; Ask your IT professional what option is in place and where you are vulnerable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-s-coming-to-our-industry\">What\u2019s coming to our industry?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>To mitigate risk and exposure, there are new clauses in insurance policies and compliance reviews.&nbsp; A technical rider is optional at this point for most construction companies, but I expect it to become mandatory over the coming months and years depending on a company\u2019s area, scope, and size.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\" id=\"h-what-else\">What Else?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>There are a few common-sense practices that can help protect your systems from attack.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If you get an email from\u00a0<strong>ANY <\/strong>service\u00ad\u2014website, bank, credit card, etc.\u2014that requires you to a click a link in your email, open a web browser and go directly to the site instead\u2014no shortcuts and no email links.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>When you receive emails from unknown senders, move them to your spam list instead of unsubscribing.\u00a0This will reduce the likelihood of you opening something accidentally\u2014as we have all had those days\u2014and also help you avoid any malware embedded in the\u00a0<em>unsubscribe.<\/em><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Keep your pop-up blocker active and avoid clicking windows that imitate security threats or warnings.\u00a0 These windows are designed to scare you into making a poor decision.\u00a0Don\u2019t do it; instead, force-quit the browser.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Read carefully when downloading or installing internet software.\u00a0 Many malware threats are bundled with completely legitimate programs.\u00a0 If you are not careful about what you are installing and where you are installing it from, you might end up opening the door to the enemy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Lastly, and most importantly, install malware prevention and make sure it is scheduled to run automatically.\u00a0 If you have installed the software and scanned your computer, don\u2019t assume you are set, as you won\u2019t be protected moving forward.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n<div class=\"single-cta\">\n\t<div class=\"single-cta__positioner\">\n\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__wrapper has-dark-background-color\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"single-cta__title h3\">Subscribe to our Sage Advice Newsletter<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"single-cta__description\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<p>Get our latest business advice delivered directly to your inbox.<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a\n\t\t\t\t\t\thref=\"#gate-ab515c6e-7e90-4c2f-a67e-113872516e8b\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\tclass=\"single-cta__button button button--primary\"\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t>Subscribe<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"810\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg\" class=\"single-cta__image\" alt=\"Working from home with tea in hand\" loading=\"lazy\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2022\/04\/GettyImages-1073797282-1440x810.jpg 1440w\" sizes=\"auto, (min-width: 48em) 33vw, 100vw\" \/>\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Let\u2019s talk about what you don\u2019t want to talk about.&nbsp; At least once a month, we hear about a hack, a breach, or a compromised action that encompasses secure data, political emails, credit cards, or personal information.&nbsp; It seems almost unavoidable, and with the construction industry\u2019s continued emphasis on&nbsp;integrating data management systems and mobilizing the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":85,"featured_media":1282,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_sage_video":false,"post_featured_image_hide":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[192,173],"business_type":[40],"lilypad":[],"context":[],"industry":[50],"persona":[],"imagine_tag":[209,246,234],"coauthors":[634],"class_list":["post-838","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-technology-innovation","tag-construction","tag-construction-risk-management","business_type-small-business","industry-construction-and-real-estate"],"sage_meta":{"region":"en-us","author_name":"John Goecke","featured_image":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/2\/2017\/05\/JeremyCorner_GL_261115-654.jpg","imagine_tags":{"209":"Accounting","246":"Construction","234":"Enterprise Management"}},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"Sage Advice US","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/users\/85"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=838"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/posts\/838\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media\/1282"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=838"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=838"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=838"},{"taxonomy":"business_type","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/business_type?post=838"},{"taxonomy":"lilypad","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/lilypad?post=838"},{"taxonomy":"context","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/context?post=838"},{"taxonomy":"industry","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/industry?post=838"},{"taxonomy":"persona","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/persona?post=838"},{"taxonomy":"imagine_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/imagine_tag?post=838"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-us\/blog\/api\/wp\/v2\/coauthors?post=838"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}