Due to the current Coronavirus (Covid-19) disease pandemic we are pre-generating many of the common licenses required for secure remote access so we can respond to orders quickly.

Different type of clients:

For firewall VPN remote access licenses we will endeavour to get your activation keys to you within the hour during business hours, but we are also periodically checking out-of-hours as well.

SonicWall VPN Clients: https://www.sonicwall.com/products/remote-access/vpn-clients/

Remote working and flexible working are now a big part of the way we work, and businesses and their teams operate.

Manage user licences better

Recent flaws in the design of WPA2 found by Belgian security researchers have publicly shown that more and more cybercrime regarding wireless networks is inevitable.

To find out more about the security solutions available to you, call us on 0333 2405667 or email enquiries@sonicwall-sales.com

For cybercriminals and threat actors, the digital frontier is a lawless panorama of targets and opportunity. Despite the best intentions of government agencies, law enforcement and oversight groups, the modern cyber threat landscape is more agile and evasive than ever before.

For this reason, SonicWall Capture Labs threat researchers work tirelessly to arm organizations, enterprises, governments and businesses with actionable threat intelligence to stay ahead in the global cyber arms race.

And part of that dedication starts with the 2020 SonicWall Cyber Threat Report, which provides critical threat intelligence to help you better understand how cybercriminals think — and be fully prepared for what they’ll do next.

Global Malware Dips, But More Targeted

For the last five years, cybercriminals overwhelmed organizations with sheer volume. But as cyber defenses evolved, more volume was not resulting in higher paydays. A change was in order.

In 2018, cybercriminals began to leverage more evasive and pointed attacks against “softer” targets. In 2019, global malware volume dipped, but attacks were more targeted with higher degrees of success, particularly against the healthcare industry, and state, provincial and local governments.

All told, SonicWall Capture Labs threat researchers recorded 9.9 billion malware attacks* in 2019 — a slight 6% year-over-year decrease.

Ransomware targets state, provincial and local governments

‘Spray and pray’ is over. Cybercriminals are using ransomware to surgically target victims that are more likely to pay given the sensitive data they possess or funds at their disposal (or both). Now it’s all about ‘big-game hunting.’

The report outlines the most egregious ransomware attacks of 2019, while also painting a picture of the evolution of ransomware families and signatures, including Cerber, GandCrab, HiddenTear and more.

Fileless malware spikes in Q3

Fileless malware is a type of malicious software that exists exclusively as a memory-based artifact (i.e., RAM). It does not write any part of its activity to the computer’s hard drive, making it very resistant to existing computer forensic strategies.

The use of fileless malware ebbed and flowed in 2019. But exclusive SonicWall data shows a massive mid-year spike for this savvy technique.

Encrypted threats growing consistently

Another year, another jump in the use of encrypted threats. Until more organizations proactively and responsibly inspect TLS/SSL traffic, this attack vector will only expand.

IoT malware volume rising

From hacked doorbell cameras to rogue nanny cams, 2019 was an alarming year for the security and privacy of IoT devices. Trending data suggests more IoT-based attacks are on the horizon.

Cryptojacking crumbles

In early 2019, the price of bitcoin and complementary cryptocurrencies created an untenable situation between Coinhive-based cryptojacking malware and the legitimate Coinhive mining service. The shuttering of the latter led to the virtual disappearance of one the year’s hottest malware.

Service Co-termination allows you to adjust the expiration dates of all Service Contracts to expire on the same date. Service Co-termination is provided as a free service to SonicWall customers who have active service contracts. Expired services must be renewed before they can be included.

Services covered in Co-termination

• Comprehensive Gateway Security Suite (CGSS) - CGSS will be shown as the individual services that make up the suite
• Gateway Anti-Virus & Intrusion Prevention Service
• Content Filtering Service - Premium
• Content Filtering Service - Standard
• Dynamic 24x7 Support (all products)
• Dynamic 8x5 Support (all products)
• Capture Client

Services Covered under Zero Pound/Dollar Co-term

• Dynamic 8x5 Support (all products)
• Dynamic 24x7 Support (all products)
• Gateway AV
• IPS
• Content Filtering Service - Premium
• Content Filtering Service - Standard
• Comprehensive Gateway Security Suite (CGSS) will be shown as the individual services that make up the suite

Services not currently covered

• Comprehensive GMS
• GMS SW Support
• CASS
• Email Security
• CDP Site-to-Site
• CDP Off-Site
• Antispam Desktop
• Software & Firmware-only" updates

Services not applicable to Co-termination

• Aventail Support for Advanced Reporting
• ViewPoint

How Service Co-termination is calculated

The value of the selected services in the MySonicWall account is calculated and averaged between the chosen items so that all services expire on the same date.

MySonicWallCo-termination calculates a common expiration date for the selected services in the following way:

1. The number of days remaining until expiration is determined for each service (DR).
2. The cost per day is calculated for each service (CPD). This is determined by dividing the price of the service by its duration).
3. The Days Remaining times the Cost Per Day yields the Remaining Cost of the service (RC).
4. The sum of remaining cost of the services divided by the sum of the costs per day yield the Days Variance (DR).
5. The Coterm Date is Today’s date + Days Variance.

Coterm Date = Today + DV

DV = Days Variance ( (Sum of RC for all services) / (Sum of CPD for all services) )
Coterm Date = Today’s date + Days Variance

Cost-per-day is the amount a specific service on a specific devices costs for a single day. In terms of co-termination, the cost-per-day for a given service is directly related to the MSRP of the service divided by the number of days in the duration (1 year = 365 days, 2 years = 730 days, 3 years = 1095 days).

EXAMPLE:

• On the NSA E7500, Dynamic Support services for 1 year cost $4,859. The cost-per-day for Support on the NSA E7500 is:$4,859 / 365 = $13.31
• In comparison, the TZ 150 Unlimited’s Dynamic Support services for 1 year cost $89. The cost-per-day for Support on the TZ 150 Unlimited is: $89 / 365 = $0.24

How Co-termination is performed

• Select the devices and services you wish to modify and click the appropriate checkboxes.
• Click Co-Term Services when you have selected the services to be co-terminated. At least two services must be selected.
• Products can be grouped or filtered by Product, Service Name, Expiration Date, or days until service expiration, allowing you to narrow the choices to the most relevant products.
• After Co-termination dates have been calculated, they appear in the Co-term Date column.
• If you agree to this date, select the checkbox and click Complete. Otherwise, click the Back button to revise the co-termination order.
  
  

Co-termination Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

What Is Co-termination?

• Co-termination is the process of consolidating many service contracts to produce a common expiration date.

Do I need to buy anything?

• No purchase is needed. SonicWall offers the Co-termination feature free of charge to customers with active service contracts.

How does it work?

• MySonicWall will survey services chosen by the user, calculate the dollar value of the time remaining for those services, then spread that value across the devices so the services all end on the same date.

Can I co-term services on multiple devices?

• Yes. You can co-terminate services on a single device or all the devices in your MySonicWall account.

My company has multiple accounts with SonicWall. Can I co-terminate services for devices in all of them?

• You can run the Co-termination feature only for devices registered to your MySonicWall account. If your company has multiple accounts, you can transfer devices to a single account, then run the Co-termination feature.

How can I coterminate services for only a few select devices?

• Yes. The Co-termination feature will let you easily filter and group your devices. You can explicitly choose which services you would like to co-terminate.

Some of my services have expired, why can’t I select them for Co-termination?

• The Co-termination feature is available only to active services. If a service has expired, you will need to purchase a license and activate it through MySonicWall before it can be co-termed.

Creating and developing a mix of private, public, and hybrid cloud computing environments is all part of the norm in today’s modern data centres, especially with the increase in virtualisation technology and advancements across all data and network infrastructures.

Read next blog: The latest Sonicwall Secure Mobile Access and why you should upgrade

The Ultimate Guide on How to protect your PC from computer invaders

he internet and being online is one of, if not THE, ultimate resource for everyone in today’s modern and dare we say it, “digital world.”

We use it for everything! To communicate with others, to carry out research, to work, to shop, to play etc, - when it comes to the internet the list could go on and on.

It’s convenient; it’s there at the tip of our fingers, and now with wi-fi hotspots, we’re never really without a connection!

However, we’re also now much more vulnerable to identity theft as well as invasion of privacy.

We leave digital footprints everywhere and putting your data in the wrong place, or the wrong hands can prove extremely costly, to you.

This guide highlights the cyber crimes you need to be aware of, the common challenges that we find ourselves facing daily, and how we can overcome these challenges by making some simple adjustments to how we view and use the internet and its different platforms.

Table of Contents

1. You are not safe online!

Computer invaders aren’t going away; they’re simply changing focus and adapting their malicious developments to target and try to break even the toughest of anti-virus and firewalls!

1a) Common threats

Some of the most dominant and well-known cyber threats currently out there include:

Ransomware and Malware – both used as a tool to carry our targeted threats, infecting computer systems as they go, and costing customers highly.

Data Breaches – still one of the most prominent threats of today – stealing personal information or company-wide information poses a serious threat for fraud and identity theft.

With business data most commonly found to be used for blackmail purposes or indeed to sell on for money.

Distributed Denial of Service Attacks (DDoS) – these threats are driven not just by financial gain but also used to voice ideological, political or just malicious judgement and opinion.

Payment card fraud – be aware of fake companies who introduce themselves at point of sales online to access and abuse certain transactions, profiting from your compromised information.

Crypto jacking – linked with cryptocurrency, crypto jacking attacks aim to exploit a computer users’ bandwidth and processing power to mine for cryptocurrency. Such attacks can cripple a victim’s system by manipulating their processing power.

Phishing emails – the most common form of threats and attacks due to their realism. Phishing emails set out to obtain personal data, hijack accounts, steal identities, carry out malicious activity from your PC and more!

SPAM – spam is often used to gain access to very targeted networks.

1b) Their effects on a PC

The effects all of these threats have on your PC or computer network can be fatal, fatal for the computer.

Depending on the security you have in place, as well as the type of virus/malware, and the expertise of your IT team, will all depend on whether the virus and hack can be contained and removed completely before any further malicious activity is carried out.

Making operating systems run much slower than they should or stop working completely is just one of the effects these cyber crimes can have on a PC system.

That and all of your files can become encrypted and used to access personal or sensitive information, or worse your computer may also be used to carry out the malicious activity without you even knowing it is happening!

Your computer might also crash regularly, continuously show pop up error messages, and create problems when trying to connect to secure networks.

This last point is of high importance for remote workers, using their personal PC’s at home, which might be infected or hacked in some way, to go then on to log in to their workplace’s private network server, can open up more doors for the computer invaders to access!

1c) Staying safe

There are several ways to increase your security online. These include:

Reviewing your online activities – what sites are you shopping on? What content are you posting and where are you posting this? How safe are the sites you are visiting?

Install the latest anti-virus software and firewalls. With free and paid for protection now available, there is no excuse not to protect your PC. (SonicWall online is a great place to help you get started).

Make sure to use a personal private network. Not only will this compliment your anti-virus software by further protecting your privacy online, but it will also help to safeguard passwords, hide IP addresses, and allow you to remain anonymous online.

Be aware of the information you share on social media. Especially Facebook, whose business model is designed on using your personal information for advertising and marketing purposes.

Only use secure shopping sites

Use strong passwords (you will read this point a lot throughout this guide)

Delete or clear your tracking cookies. Deleting your online activity means it’s harder to follow you and collect personal information about you.

2. Attack of the invaders

With global cybercrime damages predicted to reach $6 billion in costs (annually) by 2021, the online threat is not only real, but it is also continually evolving.

2a) Cybercrime at its worst - stats, history, and challenges to overcome

The second most investigated crime accounting for 50% of crimes in the UK is….Cybercrime.

Hackers are invading PCs on average every 39 seconds!

The number of ransomware families has increased from 30 in 2015 to 98 in 2016 with the demand also increasing from $294 in 2015 to £1,077 in 2016.

Records lost to hacking in 2017 stood at an average of 780,000 per day.

2015/16 saw identity takeover become the fastest growing type of fraud in Australia and New Zealand.

In the past year, nearly 200 million people across 21 different countries experienced some form of cybercrime!

The cost of online crime and activity is real:

• The cost of data breaches annually now stands at a staggering $2.1 trillion
• In 2017, the total revenue coaxed out of people and businesses from cybercriminals worldwide stood at $1.5 trillion!
• $3.8 million, is the cost of data breaches to businesses (on average)
• $600 billion – the global cost of cybercrime in 2017

Challenges come in many shapes and sizes…

Take, for example, the recent hacking of Facebook user accounts. Affecting nearly 50 million users worldwide, over 14 million people had their location and search history exposed for all to see!

On this occasion users of the site did nothing wrong and nor was there anything they could do to stop or pre-empt this from happening (besides not having a Facebook account at all), because the hackers behind the security breach took advantage of a Facebook privacy feature, leveraging it to steal digital “tokens”, which would provide them with full access to user’s accounts.

Now, as one of the largest breaches in Facebook's history, engineers for the firm got to work to fix the hack and advised a further 40 million additional users to log out of their accounts as a precaution. Logging out and logging back in, allowed Facebook to reset users’ access tokens, protecting their accounts.

Further investigations are still ongoing to the extent of how these “bugs” can be rectified.

This type of breach is not uncommon as we look further into cybercrime and in particular. WikiLeaks, who released over 8,000 CIA documents (of course classified) in 2017 and the same year, a team of hackers also released a series of sensitive emails from French Presidential candidate Emmanuel Macron.

Mobile platforms are acting as the fastest growing target areas for hackers, with 60% of online fraud carried out through mobile platforms and 80% of mobile fraud carried out through mobile apps.

These attacks are not only real, but they’re big!

3. Keep your computer safe

With the severity of online threats at an all-time high, we’ve compiled a list of top tips on how to protect you and your PC from computer invaders.

Without needing to install a thing:

• Avoid sites which you don’t trust or don’t look 100% genuine
• Don’t open emails from unknown/not trusted senders
• Don’t open attachments from just anyone!
• Take your passwords more seriously! With more than 60% of people using the same password across multiple sites, make sure you use longer passwords, with a combination of characters, numbers, and upper and lower case, etc. Avoid obvious ones such as children’s names or birthdays!
• Check your security settings in your browser. Reviewing and setting these at the level that you need and want, you can tell websites not to track your movements and location, and you can block pop-ups and malicious irrelevant ads, etc.
• Network security – disabling autorun on Windows, for example, can stop up to 50% of malware threats!
• Wi-Fi security at home – make sure to change your routers default settings by enabling a non-default password and network name.
• Wi-Fi security, public – disable sharing and make sure to use a Virtual Private Network (VPN), conceal your IP address and secure your data by encrypting your internet traffic.

The need for software installation:

• Install the right firewalls and anti-virus software depending on your needs and configuration settings required. Also, make sure to keep your firewall turned on!
• Keep your windows operating system up to date, checking for the latest security updates and patches available (make sure windows automatic update is switched on too).
• Install anti-virus and anti-spyware software. Providing real-time protection, helping to identify and block any unwanted mail and threats.
• Backup your folders regularly, look to invest in cloud software or external hard drives, etc. making sure you have a backup plan if the worst wereto happen.

4. Firewalls

Most firewalls, over the years, have been developed in response to a security threat received. With action then taken to develop and produce more advanced firewall technology to stop the threat from happening again.

4a) How they work

When we think of firewalls, we need to think of them as invisible walls that monitor everything which passes through them, in both directions, making the wall solid if a threat is found, not allowing it to pass through.

A firewall will ultimately stop hackers from accessing your computer via Wi-Fi connections and the internet and can help in two ways:

1. It can allow traffic to pass through, except for data that meets a predetermined set of criteria.
2. It can stop all traffic unless it meets a predetermined set of criteria.

Firewalls are a piece of security software that monitors “traffic” to and from your PC, acting as the first line of defence when it comes to protecting your data and any sensitive information.

4b) Why you need them

It is this misuse of confidential information and stealing of personal data which is why we need firewalls.

For example, hackers use Trojan viruses and key logging software to access computers and data. Things like passwords, bank details can all be taken and used without you realising for days (if not longer), racking up huge bills in your name as they go.

They can also use your computer against you, taking complete control without you knowing or it affecting the system in any way, and using it to run illicit activities online.

Firewalls and upgraded firewalls like SonicWall firewalls, help to stop this from happening, placing a barrier between you and the hackers.

4c) Best Practice

Firewall best practice when it comes to business is to install complex firewall software to protect the most extensive networks, having a team in place to be able to manage such security measures.

Helping to:

• Prevent staff from sending certain types of emails or transmitting sensitive information
• Stop employees accessing certain sites
• Prevent outside computers accessing computers inside the network
• Provide a variety of configurations

When it comes to firewalls for personal use, we recommend to, keep it simple. The primary goal is to protect your computer and private network from malicious activity.

5. Anti-virus software

Anti-virus software, in its purest form, protects against different types of malware, protecting your PC and your personal information.

5a) How they work

Good anti-virus software helps to block ransomware and everyday threats by finding them on your PC and before they reach you directly, pulling them away, locking them in a secure container where they can’t infect your computer!

Anti-virus software is similar to anti-spy software in that it provides real-time protection (if you make sure to keep it updated regularly). Scanning all incoming information and blocking any unwanted information or threats which it detects.

5b) Why you need them

Malware and malicious software attacking our PC are one of the biggest online threats. A virus of any sort can be transmitted via email and over the internet, quickly causing lots of damage to your PC and files held on your system.

Malware in this sense also includes Trojan Horse programmes and spyware; all used to acquire your personal information for identity theft and fraud.

The right antivirus software will help to prevent malware and spyware from getting onto your computer and invading your privacy, but it is important to set up and use sophisticated and secure passwords. Using long passwords including a combination of numbers, special characters, and upper- and lower-case letters is most recommended.

5c) Differences between firewalls and anti-virus software

Both developed to offer you and your PC increased security, the key differences between anti-virus software and firewalls are:

• Anti-virus can only be implemented in software, whereas a firewall can be both hardware and software.
• Anti-virus performs continuous scans on the PC in question, detecting, identifying and removing any threats found, whereas firewalls monitor and filter incoming and outgoing information.
• Anti-virus software can deal with external and internal attacks, while firewalls can only deal with external.
• You can apply set rules to firewalls for monitoring and securing PC’s and networks; this isn’t possible with an anti-virus which will run regular checks scanning for malicious files or programmes.
• A firewall can prevent untrusted and unauthorised applications from gaining access to your computer and networks, but unlike antivirus, it does not perform detection, identification, and removal.

6. Email Security Software

When it comes to protecting your PC and computer systems, you need to make sure to invest in the right security software for you and your PC. However, you also need to bear in mind the need to defend yourself against all known and emerging viruses and hacks.

6a) Integrated email security software

Attacks are becoming increasingly innovative and varied, and because of this, integrated email protection software should be opted for rather than managing a collection of different software installations.

Making life easier an integrated platform means you can manage, control and contain everything through one application. You can monitor all incoming and outgoing activity quickly and efficiently and you can have a bird’s eye view of the security of your PC.

Managing multiple applications is not only a minefield but because they’re all designed to carry out different tasks and not “talk” to each other, it can make for complicated and slow security processes.

When considering an integrated email security package, look for one that can protect against malware as well as spam, phishing, potential data leaks and more!

The SonicWall email security and sensitive data detection solution can help. Deployed as a virtual appliance or software, this security system offers you flexibility and complete peace of mind that your PC and operating systems are protected.

7. Advanced internet protection technique

In this final chapter, we want to let you in on some of our tips and unique techniques that we’ve picked up and implemented over the years to increase PC security.

Tips that we’ve never shared before.

7a) Keep things up to date!

Now before you think, you’ve heard all of this before, and there is nothing left to say on the matter, give us a second!

Yes, when we say “keep things updated”, we’re talking about things such as updating and keeping the latest version of Microsoft - and yes, we know not everyone likes it, but it has upped the level of security it now offers to operating systems, so will help to add another layer of security to your PC.

But, what we also mean is that it’s also important to keep the more uncommon elements like your routers and Java up to date too.

Java is something that most of us don’t really know to update in the first instance, let alone do this regularly, and it is a huge target when it comes to computer invaders, so it’s important to know more.

In your start menu, search for Java, clicking and bringing up the Java Control Panel. Any updates and new updates will then be available by the click of a button in the bottom right-hand corner of the panel.

Within this section, we’d also recommend clicking on the security tab at the top and disabling, the “Enable Java” box.

Why?

Because this is notorious for vulnerabilities and opens up more opportunities and threats than adding additional security.

When it comes to routers, keep these up to date by changing passwords asap, and follow this up with disabling WPS, or Wi-Fi Protected Setup.

Why?

Because if we’re 100%, honest WPS is really shaky on the security front!

7b) Change your controls

Most computers and PCs will automatically be set up with you as the administrator with admin privileges and the ability to access everything without question.

Herein lies the problem.

In your control panel make sure to switch your privileges from admin to standard.

Why?

Because if a virus or piece of malware does accidentally find its way onto your PC, being set up as admin will automatically give the invader the same privileges, and trust us, this is something you definitely don’t want.

7c) Keep some things to yourself!

In an era where social media rules, (an estimated 2.77 billion people from around the world are now considered as social media “users”) we tend to give too much information away about ourselves, our family, and our lives in general.

Stop.

Let’s keep some things under wraps, as not placing yourself in a vulnerable position will only strengthen your security position when it comes to identity theft and online fraud!

7d) Quickfire tips

Make sure your antivirus software offers real-time protection

Be aware that even the most trusted of websites can be compromised

Back up everything. Using both local and online backup systems, and

Sign out of things before closing everything down!

Conclusion

Computer invaders are not going away but being armed with the right tools and information can keep you and your PC protected.

If you enjoyed reading this guide, please feel free to share and comment below with any questions or insight you might have when it comes to computer invaders, we’d love to hear from you.

Over the course of the last 15 years, cyber threats have gone from urban myths and corporate ghost stories to as mainstream as carjackings and burglaries. There isn’t a business owner of a small restaurant chain or a CEO of a Fortune 500 company who doesn’t think about the fallout of being breached.

I’m not here to tell you how the threats are getting more sophisticated, or how state-sponsored hacker groups are getting more and more funding; you already know that. But what I do want to share with you is something that I’m seeing daily. Targeted threats that you may have already witnessed and, unfortunately, been personally a victim of or know someone who has: Spear-phishing.

Are you an Office 365 user? Do you have customers who are Office 365 users? Are you a managed security service provider (MSSP) that administrators Office 365 for your clients? You probably need a solution that applies effective Office 365 security capabilities and controls.

With close to 200 million global users, Office 365 is a target — a big target. And spear-phishing attempts are good. Really good. Recently, Forbes ran a summary of the threat. Alarmingly, today’s most advanced spear-phishing attempts look like they come from your CFO, boss or trusted vendor. They provide credibility to the target and, many times, users take the bait. Money gets wired. Access to accounts are provided. Confidential information is exposed.

Traditional email security isn’t enough protection. Out-of-the-box, cloud-native security services aren’t enough protection. A lean, effective and modern Office 365 security or SaaS security solution is required.

How to stop spear-phishing attacks, advanced cyber threats

SonicWall Cloud App Security (CAS) combines advanced security for Office 365, G Suite and other top SaaS applications to protect users and data within cloud applications, including email, messaging, file sharing and file storage. This approach delivers advanced threat protection against targeted email threats like phishing attacks, business email compromise, zero-day threats, data loss and account takeovers.

CAS also seamlessly integrates with sanctioned SaaS applications using native APIs. This helps organizations deploy email security and CASB functionalities that are critical to protecting the SaaS landscape and ensure consistent policies across cloud applications being used.

Explore the five key reasons CAS may be able to protect your organization from spear-phishing and other advanced attacks.

• CAS delivers next-gen security for Office 365, protecting email, data and user credentials from advanced threats (including advanced phishing) while ensuring compliance in the cloud
• Monitor SaaS accounts for IOCs, such data leakage, account takeover, business email compromise (BEC) and fraud attempts
• Block malware propagation in malicious email attachments and files, whether they are at-rest or traversing a SaaS environment, internally or cloud-to-cloud
• Prevent data breaches using machine learning and/or AI-based user profiling and behavior analytics for incident detections and automated responses
• Leverage Shadow IT to monitor cloud usage in real time, and set policies to block unsanctioned applications

In my over 10 years of observing various attacks and sitting in rooms with customers (not mine, fortunately) who have been breached, I can tell you that you don’t want it ever to be you or your customers. This threat is having more success than any I’ve seen — and they are very recent.

For more information explore the CAS solution in detail.

With the latest Sonicwall TZ Firewall now available, is now the time to upgrade your systems and networks?

Stay protected at all times, contact Sonicwall firewall support on 0333 2405667 to find out more.

How to create a professional cold email without going to recipients spam folder - The Ultimate Guide

At some point in our career lifetime, we have sent out or indeed been sent, a cold email.

Various factors now must be taken into consideration when sending out cold emails and this guide will demonstrate not only how to create a professional cold email, but how to make sure it doesn’t end up in the recipient’s spam folder!

Contents Covered

1. A guide to cold emailing

a. How to successfully land in someone’s inbox

b. The most important dos and don’ts for cold emailing

c. Tips for producing compelling content

2. Cold emailing deliverability

d. The cold email checklist everyone needs to know

3. Red flag

e. Need to show them you’re human

f. Avoid similar content

g. Spam filters pay attention to things out of the ordinary

h. No groups, only individuals

4. Spam emails

5. Your ultimate email security guide

6. Technical attacks

i. Viruses

j. Phishing attacks

k. Denial of service

7. Email encryption

l. The benefits

m. Encryption should be...

Firewalls are the workhorse of network security and are especially adept at mitigating advanced threats like malware, ransomware and encrypted threats. Firewall appliances must, however, be regularly upgraded to stay ahead of cybercriminals.

Still running an older SonicWall NSA or E series model? Consider these 10 reasons to upgrade to the latest mid-range SonicWall NSa next-generation firewall.

Stop the Most Advanced Threats

Advanced persistent threats move with great speed and veracity, and are designed to target and infiltrate all businesses and organizations.

However, a cloud-based, multi-engine sandbox, such as the SonicWall Capture Advanced Threat Protection (ATP) service, provides real-time security against advanced cyberattacks, including ‘never-before-seen’ ransomware, malware and side-channel attacks. Each day, Capture ATP subscribers discover and stop more than 1,000 new attacks each business day.

Why upgrade: SonicWall Capture ATP is only available for the NSA/NSa 2600 and newer next-generation firewalls, as well as the current TZ and NSsp product lines (sixth generation or newer). This service is not available for legacy SonicWall firewalls, including some NSA and E Series models (usually silver in color with the old blue SonicWall logo).

Inspect Traffic without Slowing Performance

You should never be put into a position to choose between security and performance. With bandwidth-hungry apps woven into our everyday lives — SaaS apps, video streaming and social media — firewalls with faster deep packet inspection (DPI) are better at securing networks without greatly affecting performance.

In fact, through the first three quarters of 2019, SonicWall registered 3.1 million encrypted attacks. This marked a 58% year-over-year increase from 2018.

Faster DPI performance gives businesses greater capacity to utilize higher internet speeds and support more concurrent users without ever sacrificing security.

Why upgrade: For example, NSa 2650 delivers a 25% DPI-SSL performance improvement over the NSA 2600. SonicWall NSa 2650 and newer firewalls (e.g., 2650-9650) offer significantly faster DPI performance than their predecessors, the NSA 2600-9600 range, E Series models and other older appliances.

Inspect TLS/SSL Traffic without Increasing Costs

The majority of web traffic is encrypted today. Without proper security controls in place, TLS/SSL encryption standards provide cybercriminals easy access to your network.

That’s why deep packet inspection of encrypted traffic (DPI for TLS/SSL) is mandatory. Some firewall vendors, unfortunately, upcharge for proper TLS/SSL inspection capabilities or simply don’t offer the capability at all. Unfortunately, inspecting TLS/SSL traffic also takes compute power and organizations need a firewall that can process TLS-encrypted traffic without hurting performance.

Why upgrade: The latest SonicWall NSa firewalls include the DPI-SSL license (by default) to inspect encrypted traffic at no additional cost, thereby reducing capital expense. Unfortunately, older-generation NSA firewalls (usually silver in color with our old logo) do not support inspection of encrypted traffic.

Expand Remote Branch/Site Security

For organizations with remote and branch locations, such as retail POS businesses, the ability to create a larger number of site-to-site VPN tunnels to connect distributed networks together and securely share data is essential. But not all firewalls have the capability or capability to make this happen.

Why upgrade: By moving to the latest NSa firewall series, your organization can secure more remote branches, services and devices. This is particularly powerful for distributed enterprises, retail organizations, etc. The NSa 2650, for example, enables the creation of 4x more site-to-site VPN tunnels than the NSA 2600 (1,000 vs. 250).

Support More High-Speed Wi-Fi Connections

Fast and secure Wi-Fi is a requirement in today’s hyper-connect world. Today’s wireless standard, 802.11ac, delivers the performance, range and reliability of high-speed wireless technology for a safe and fast user experience.

In a properly secured environment, wireless access points must be paired with a firewall that can support 802.11ac wireless standards.

But newer firewalls can support more connections, too. The option to connect a larger number of wireless access points to a single firewall enables organizations to extend their wireless network farther without purchasing additional hardware.

Why upgrade: Combine the latest NSa series next-generation firewall with a SonicWall SonicWave 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless access point to create a high-speed wireless network security solution.

NSa series firewalls and SonicWave 400 series wireless access points both feature 2.5 Gigabit Ethernet ports that can support multi-gigabit wireless throughput, which is available in the 802.11ac Wave 2 wireless standard. In addition, you can connect more wireless access points to the latest NSa firewall. The NSa 2650, for example, supports 1.5x the number of connected SonicWave wireless access points as the NSA 2600 (48 vs. 32).

Unfortunately, legacy NSA and older firewalls (as well as those on SonicOS 5.x or older firmware) do not offer multi-gigabit ports to accommodate the faster throughput supported by Wave 2 wireless standard.

Decrease Support Costs

Single sign-on (SSO) technology helps secure your environment, as well as employees, to be more productive and helps shrink IT support costs (e.g., tickets, calls, etc.) by enabling users to safely gain access to connected systems with a single ID and password.

Simply, the more users who can access a system with a single ID, the fewer support calls, IT tickets and complaints that will be generated. This self-service approach means real savings to your business or enterprise.

Why upgrade: The NSa 2650, for example, allows a larger population of users

(40,000 vs. 30,000) to benefit from the use of SSO compared to the legacy NSA 2600. This disparity widens the further you go up the product line.

Increase Network Capacity

With increased network bandwidth requirements from apps, video streaming and social media, faster DPI and DPI-SSL performance provides a secure network without performance degradation.

Faster DPI performance also provides organizations with a greater capacity to utilize higher internet speeds and support more concurrent users. A higher number of concurrent connections provides greater scalability by enabling more simultaneous user sessions to be active and protected by the firewall.

Why upgrade: The NSa 2650 enables 500,000 deep packet inspection (DPI) connections and up to 100,000 deep packet inspection of TLS/SSL-encrypted (DPI-SSL) connections compared to the 250,000 for

DPI and 1,000 for DPI-SSL on the NSA 2600 and older models, such as the NSA 220 (32,000 for DPI).

Boost Memory for Added Users, Logs & Policies

The number of users who require security on your network grows by the day. Unfortunately, the on-board memory of legacy firewalls can only support a finite footprint of users on the network.

Advanced NSa firewalls offer more onboard memory to allow for more rules and policies, users and log messages to be stored on the firewall, making reporting easily accessible.

Why upgrade: The NSa 2650 has twice the onboard memory of the NSA 2600 (4 GB vs. 2 GB) and eight times the memory of the NSA 220 (4 GB vs. 512MB). This increased capacity empowers organizations to use a single NSa firewall to protect a larger userbase with deeper and more robust rules and policies.

Ditch the Switch with More Ports

It’s time to clean up your server room or IT area. Having a greater number of ports allows organizations to connect more SonicWall devices directly to the firewall without needing to purchase a switch. In addition, organizations that require increased throughput to support bandwidth-intensive applications and data transfer need multi-gigabit ports.

Why upgrade: Newer NSa firewalls offer many more ports than their predecessors. For example, the NSa 2650 has 2.5x the number of ports as the NSA 2600 (20 vs. 8). The NSa 2650 also features eight 2.5 GbE ports while the NSA 2600 has none.

Improve Business Continuity

Many enterprises and larger organizations build in businesses continuity and disaster recovery plans in their process. Part of this is planning is ensuring there’s a contingency for as many scenarios as possible, not the least of which is power. Many legacy firewalls only offer a single power supply. Newer models offer a second power supply to ensure business continuity if one power supply fails.

Why upgrade: While the current NSa line and last-generation NSA series both include a single power supply, the NSa 2650-9650 have an additional slot to add an optional second power supply for critical redundancy.

About SonicWall NSa Next-Generation Firewalls

The SonicWall Network Security appliance (NSa) Mid-Range Firewall series consolidates automated advanced threat prevention technologies in a mid-range next-generation firewall platform. To go in-depth on the NSa range of firewalls, explore the specifications table below or download the complete SonicWall NSa data sheet.

There are a lot, and we mean a lot of acronyms in the world of IT.

Two of which include SSL VPN.

Starting at the very beginning, we look at breaking these down and demonstrating how they affect businesses and individuals and why choosing the right route is essential.

Definition of SSL VPN

SSL VPN - Secure Sockets Layer. Virtual Private Network. A protocol used in everyday web browsers that provide remote access securely through a VPN connection.

Using secure encryption end to end, the job of an SSL-VPN is to ultimately protect data that is sent, received and obtained between the device client’s software and the VPN client-server.

Benefits of SonicWall VPN for modern-day working

More businesses are now taking advantage of using SSL VPN clients as they look to increase the number of workers remotely requiring access to their network and resources. Creating a secure internet passage for all who are working online from outside of the company’s four walls.

The biggest benefit of SonicWall VPN is that it is easily installed and doesn’t require any specialised client software.

It also provides a more reliable connection for your remote workers providing higher compatibility with configurations and platforms of firewalls and networks.

Using an SSL VPN client means you can encrypt all network traffic, allowing remote workers access to restricted networks and resources securely, all through an authenticated pathway.

This level of security also prevents unwanted cyber visitors from obtaining sensitive information or eavesdropping on any private and confidential communications.

SSL VPN offers flexible and secure options for anyone working remotely who requires access to private business networks.

But how do they achieve all of this?

By allowing approved users a secure connection through standard web browsers to internal HTTP and HTTPS services, all enabling direct access to the client’s applications, resources and networks.

SSL VPN Types

VPN Portal – enables access to remote websites through one connection at a time. Authenticated remote users gain access to SSL VPN through their browser through an approved method/gateway, where access is achieved via a dedicated web page that acts as a portal for other services.

VPN Tunnel – is where access to multiple services can all be achieved securely via all standard browsers, non-web-based applications and other protocols. The tunnel should be thought of as a circuit established between a remote user and VPN server, where the server can connect to one or more remote websites, services, resources at any time. The SSL tunnel handles live content and offers a function that is not obtainable via other means.

A further advantage of SSL-VPN is that using TLS technology implemented in modern web browsers, which means you don’t need to install any specific software. Hence, it is easy to deploy.

There’s also less of a requirement for IT personnel to provide technical support, due to the ease of use of the client.

And unlike other security protocols you don’t need to download any additional software or configuration files, with no complex steps to follow, SonicWall's VPN simply needs an updated browser to establish a secure network.

As a business, you can also restrict remote users to particular applications instead of allowing your whole network to be accessed, keeping you in complete control at all times.

Important points to note

Remote workers' devices should be updated with anti-virus software to avoid malware spreading.

Training sessions for remote workers also help with keeping standards high and act as a good reminder that sessions should be closed down properly and not left open for all who have access to that device, view, for example.

We’d also advise not to use a public computer to set up an SSL VPN connection. In these instances, you can open yourself and your systems up to more cyber-attacks, offering up your confidential information and more to those that you don’t want to give it to.

SonicWall's VPN provides secure remote access to the network using the NetExtender client. Downloaded transparently, you can run any application securely on your computer network.

Ultimately, this is a seamless solution that allows secure access to your resources on your local network.

To find out more about SonicWall VPN and firewall solutions, give us a call on 0333 2405667.

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