Infinet, Author at Infinet Solutions

4 Cybersecurity Gotchas on the Road

Public Wi-Fi: Convenient for You, Convenient for Hackers

Free Wi-Fi is great when you’re trying to send one last email before boarding. It’s also one of the easiest ways for attackers to intercept traffic, steal credentials, or trick users into connecting to fake networks that look legitimate.

Fake network names can look harmless:

Airport_Free_WiFi

Hotel Guest Internet

Conference WiFi

What to Do

Avoid accessing sensitive systems on public Wi-Fi whenever possible

Use a company-approved VPN

Verify network names before connecting

Disable automatic Wi-Fi connections

“Your Flight Has Changed” (Maybe)

Travelers expect emails about flights, hotels, conference registrations, ride shares, and package deliveries. Cybercriminals know that.

That’s why travel is prime time for phishing attacks disguised as urgent updates and confirmations.

What to Do

Verify unexpected travel-related emails

Avoid clicking links from unknown senders

Use official websites and apps whenever possible

Report suspicious messages immediately

I swear it was in my bag…

Not every security incident starts with a hacker. Sometimes it starts with a laptop left at TSA, a phone forgotten in a rideshare, or a tablet that disappears from a hotel room.

For Businesses

Enable full disk encryption
Require multi-factor authentication
Use mobile device management
Enable remote wipe capabilities

That Free Charging Station Might Cost You

Your phone is hanging on at 4%. The gate just changed. Boarding starts in 15 minutes. We understand the temptation.

Public USB charging stations can introduce security risks if they’ve been tampered with. Bring your own charger, use wall outlets, or carry a portable battery pack.

Quick Travel Cybersecurity Checklist

Update operating systems and software
Enable multi-factor authentication
Verify VPN access
Back up important data
Confirm device encryption is active
Enable device tracking and remote wipe capabilities
Pack approved chargers and accessories
Know who to contact if a security incident occurs

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VPNs Being Targeting By Threat Actors

VPNs have long been considered a safe way for employees to securely connect to company systems remotely. But today, cybercriminals are increasingly targeting VPN access as a way into business networks.

Instead of hacking directly through firewalls, attackers are going after:

Vulnerable remote access tools

2. Stolen VPN usernames and passwords

3. Weak or missing multi-factor authentication (MFA)

4. Outdated VPN software

Once attackers gain VPN access, they can often move through a network while appearing to be a legitimate user.

The NSA and CISA recently warned that VPNs have become “attractive targets” for cyberattacks because they provide direct access into protected business environments.
https://www.nsa.gov/Press-Room/News-Highlights/Article/Article/2791320/nsa-cisa-release-guidance-on-selecting-and-hardening-remote-access-vpns/

Microsoft has also reported cases where attackers created fake VPN software downloads designed to steal employee credentials.
https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/security/blog/

Additionally, CISA has issued multiple alerts around active attacks targeting VPN devices from vendors like Ivanti and SonicWall.
Source: https://www.cisa.gov/news-events/cybersecurity-advisories

So what should you do?

A VPN is still important — but it should not be your only layer of protection.

Organizations should make sure they have:

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled
Regular VPN updates and patching
Endpoint protection and monitoring
Access controls and account reviews
Security awareness training for employees

If your business hasn’t reviewed its remote access security recently, now is a good time to start.

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Tax Season Security Risks: 5 Gaps Firms Miss

During this busy period, tax season security risks rarely come from advanced attacks. They’re more likely to surface when workloads increase, deadlines tighten, and everyday decisions are made quickly.

In a short span of time, accounting and tax service firms manage large volumes of sensitive information—Social Security numbers, tax forms, banking details, and prior returns—while approvals accelerate and exceptions become more common.

Addressing tax season security risks isn’t about adding more technology. It’s about reinforcing the basic controls that matter most when teams are under pressure.

5 Security Gaps That Show Up When Workloads Spike

1. Rushed Email Requests & Impersonation Attempts

Illustration of email phishing and impersonation highlighting tax season security risks tied to rushed financial requests and urgent document emails.

This tends to show up when urgency becomes the default. A client “updates” banking info. A partner requests documents quickly. An admin forwards something that looks routine.

The issue isn’t the email—it’s how urgency gets mistaken for legitimacy.

What to keep in mind:
Financial or document-related requests should always trigger verification, especially when they feel routine.

2. Over-Shared Tax Documents and Uncontrolled File Access

When teams are trying to move quickly, documents start traveling—email attachments, shared drives, temporary links.

Temporary access often becomes permanent. And “just helping” can quietly expand who sees sensitive data.

What to keep in mind:
Clear rules around where tax documents live—and who can access them—matter most when speed increases.

Illustration of unsecured file sharing and access control issues showing tax season security risks when sensitive documents are widely shared.

3. Unclear Ownership of Financial and Client Decisions

Illustration of confused staff reviewing files representing tax season security risks caused by unclear ownership and overlapping approvals.

This tends to show up as overlap. Multiple people approve a change. Or worse—everyone assumes someone else already did.

Security breakdowns here aren’t caused by negligence. They come from ambiguity.

What to keep in mind:
One clear owner per decision type reduces mistakes when timelines compress.

4. Compromised Logins During Peak Workload

Phishing emails don’t need to be sophisticated during tax season. They rely on distraction.

Add MFA fatigue or shared credentials for speed, and identity becomes the easiest entry point.

One compromised mailbox can expose dozens of clients.

What to keep in mind:
Identity protection matters most when attention is stretched thin—not when things are calm.

Illustration of phishing alerts and login threats emphasizing tax season security risks related to compromised accounts and MFA fatigue.

5. Backups & Recovery That Assume “Nothing Will Go Wrong”

Illustration of data backup and recovery system highlighting tax season security risks when recovery processes are slow or unverified.

Not all data loss is an attack. It’s often accidental deletions, overwritten files, or collaboration mistakes.

And when recovery is slow, the impact compounds quickly during peak deadlines.

What to keep in mind:
Backups should be designed for speed, integrity, and verification—not assumption.

Security That Holds Up Under Pressure

The goal isn’t to slow work down—it’s to keep it consistent. Firms that stay secure during tax season don’t necessarily do more. They clearly define ownership, verification, access, and recovery before pressure builds.

That’s where a trusted managed IT service in Omaha can help—by reinforcing the guardrails that keep everyday workflows steady, even when volume spikes and timelines tighten.

If volume doubled tomorrow, would your current workflows hold up—or start to drift?
That question alone is worth a closer look.

Tax Season Security Risks: 5 Gaps Firms Miss Read More »

Illustration of tangled systems and tools representing how brokerage workflows become complicated across email, carrier portals, and task management processes

Brokerage Workflows: Why They Feel Overcomplicated

It’s a typical day at the office, and workflows are already in motion.

A client reaches out with a straightforward request. It’s familiar—you’ve handled it before. Still, you take a moment to check an email thread, log into a carrier portal, and reference your internal system to make sure everything lines up. That’s simply how brokerage workflows tend to operate.

Nothing is broken. The process works. The request gets resolved.

But even simple tasks require a few extra steps. Information lives in different places. Context has to be reassembled. What should feel routine takes more effort than expected.

Over time, those small moments add up. Not because the work itself is complex—but because brokerage workflows aren’t always as connected as they could be.

That’s when everyday work starts to feel more complicated than it needs to be.

Where the complexity actually comes from

Illustration showing how brokerage workflows span clients, carriers, and internal systems, highlighting how disconnected touchpoints contribute to operational complexity

Most insurance brokerages don’t struggle because the work itself is overcomplicated. One of the challenges is how that work actually comes together.

You’re operating across multiple touchpoints:

Clients reaching out with questions or changes
Carriers providing updates through separate portals
Internal systems tracking policies and communication

Each piece works on its own. But together, they don’t always move in a clean, connected way.

3 Areas Workflows Break Down

1. Information is spread across systems

Part of the picture lives in email. Another part sits in a carrier portal. The rest is stored internally.

You’re not missing information—you’re spending time pulling it together before you can act on it.

2. Processes rely on memory

Who followed up, what was promised, what still needs attention—these details often live in someone’s head.

It works, but it’s not always visible. And when things get busy, consistency starts to slip.

3. Systems don’t match how work actually flows

Switching between tools becomes part of the job. Small workarounds fill the gaps.

The process adapts, but the systems stay the same—creating extra steps along the way.

What this means for your team

The impact isn’t always obvious. There’s no major outage or single point of failure.

But over time, it shows up as:

Slower response times
More back-and-forth between team members
Increased mental load just to keep things moving

The work still gets done—but it takes more effort than it should. And that is not a place where you want to be, especially for businesses whose goal is to scale up as soon as possible.

What aligned workflows actually look like

Illustration showing aligned brokerage workflows with connected systems, predictable task flow, and clear processes that support how teams actually work

When workflows are set up intentionally, the difference is almost immediately noticeable.

– Information is easier to access.
– Tasks move in a more predictable way.
– Follow-ups don’t depend on memory alone.

It’s not about adding more tools. It’s about making sure your existing systems support how your team actually works.

Where to start

If you’re trying to pinpoint where things feel harder than they should, start simple:

– Where does your team spend time tracking things down?

– Where do steps depend on who remembers what?

– Where does work slow down between systems?

Those are usually the areas worth paying attention to first, and where a managed IT service can work with you best.

For insurance brokerages in Omaha, this often comes down to how well systems, processes, and day-to-day work are aligned.

If you’re starting to notice where things feel more complicated than they should, that’s usually the right place to begin.

Professional man using a tablet in an office setting with “Get in touch with our team” and InfiNet branding.

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Illustration representing the Most Common Causes of Data Loss, showing layered IT infrastructure, backups, security controls, and monitoring alongside a digital data tunnel symbolizing data flow and risk across interconnected systems.

Most Common Causes of Data Loss for Businesses

Most leaders don’t think about data loss until something feels off — a missing folder, a locked system, a vendor calling about a breach, or finance asking why invoices were redirected.

But in 2026, data loss rarely looks like a dramatic server crash.

It looks like recoverability failing.

Not just “Did something break?”
But:

Can you restore the right data
To the right place
Within the right timeframe
Even if credentials are compromised?

That’s the real conversation now.

The most common causes of data loss aren’t random disasters. They follow patterns. And those patterns show up repeatedly in industry reporting from sources like Verizon’s DBIR, NIST guidance, and CISA backup recommendations.

Here’s what they look like in the real world — and how intentional businesses prevent them.

1. Human Error Still Leads the List

Illustration representing the Most Common Causes of Data Loss, showing human error scenarios like accidental deletion, security warnings, blocked access screens, and user authentication issues within a business system.

It’s rarely malicious.

Someone deletes the wrong SharePoint folder.
A spreadsheet is overwritten.
A departing employee “cleans up” files.
Data is synced into the wrong tenant.

The human element continues to show up consistently in breach and incident reporting across industries. Even when attacks aren’t happening, mistakes are.

What Leadership Often Underestimates

Platform recycle bins and version history feel like safety nets.

They’re not strategy.

Microsoft documents versioning, restore windows, and recycle capabilities in M365 — but those are service features, not full recovery architecture.

What Mature Prevention Looks Like

Least privilege access (not everyone can delete everything)
Retention policies and legal holds where appropriate
Controlled external sharing defaults
Backup systems separate from production access

Good environments assume mistakes will happen — and design recoverability accordingly.

2. Ransomware & Backup Hunting

Ransomware in 2026 isn’t just encryption.

It’s:

Credential theft → Privilege escalation → Backup tampering → Exfiltration

Sometimes there’s no encryption at all — just data theft and extortion.

Industry reporting continues to show ransomware present in a significant share of breaches. And attackers increasingly target identity first — because if they control credentials, they can delete backups.

What Breaks Down

“We have backups” becomes meaningless if:

Backup credentials use the same identity system
Deletion isn’t protected
Backups aren’t immutable
No restore testing has been done

What Intentional Design Looks Like

MFA everywhere (especially admin roles)
Segmented backup infrastructure
3-2-1 backup rule extended with immutable/offline copies
Backup admin credentials separate from production identity
Quarterly restore testing

CISA explicitly recommends layered backups and 3-2-1 principles to improve recoverability odds. NIST guidance emphasizes conducting and testing backups — not just configuring them.

The modern mindset:

Attackers don’t just go after your data. They go after your ability to recover.

Illustration representing the Most Common Causes of Data Loss, highlighting ransomware and identity-based attacks with credential theft, backup tampering, password compromise, and fingerprint authentication elements.

3. Compromised Credentials (Phishing, MFA Fatigue, Token Abuse)

Illustration representing the Most Common Causes of Data Loss, focusing on compromised credentials such as phishing, MFA fatigue, and token abuse, with visuals of a phishing hook, cracked security shield, stolen credit card, and unauthorized account access.

Identity is the new battleground.

Common patterns now include:

Mailbox takeover → forwarding rules created → invoices redirected
Cloud account compromise → mass file deletion via sync
OAuth app abuse → persistence without passwords

Credential abuse continues to rank as a leading initial access vector in breach reporting. The FBI’s IC3 data shows the scale of phishing and cyber-enabled fraud complaints — especially business email compromise.

What Leadership Often Misses

Identity compromise isn’t always loud.

Sometimes the only signal is:

A new mailbox rule
An OAuth consent grant
“Impossible travel” login

And by the time it’s discovered, data may already be gone.

Prevention That Reduces Blast Radius

Phishing-resistant MFA for admins
Conditional access (device compliance, geo rules)
Removal of standing admin rights (JIT / PIM)
Continuous monitoring for anomalies
Immutable backups protected from deletion

Recovery design must assume admin credentials can be compromised.

Because eventually, one will be.

4. Unpatched Vulnerabilities & Exposed Services

This one feels avoidable — because it is.

A forgotten VPN appliance.
An exposed RDP port.
An internet-facing web app left “temporarily” open.

Vulnerability exploitation continues to rise as an initial access vector. Delays in remediation are a consistent theme in breach reporting.

What Mature Organizations Do Differently

External attack surface management (know what’s exposed)
Patch SLAs tied to risk (internet-facing ≠ optional)
Web application firewalls and geo restrictions
RDP gated behind MFA and jump hosts

⚠️ Data loss often starts at the edge.

Illustration representing the Most Common Causes of Data Loss, highlighting unpatched vulnerabilities and exposed services with a server tower and warning symbol indicating security gaps in internet-facing systems.

5. Third-Party & Vendor Incidents

Illustration representing the Most Common Causes of Data Loss, showing third-party and SaaS risk with cloud databases, vendor integrations, system dashboards, and shared access points that can expose business data.

In 2026, your data doesn’t only live inside your building.

It lives in:

SaaS vendors
Accounting systems
Payroll platforms
CRM tools
EDI integrations

Third-party involvement in breaches has grown significantly in recent reporting.

What This Means for You

Even if your internal controls are strong:

Vendor breach → your data exposed
Shared credentials → cascading compromise
Integration tokens → silent access

What Intentional Risk Management Looks Like

Vendor access reviews
Separate partner accounts (no shared logins)
Contractual MFA requirements
Clear breach notification terms
Backup/export strategies for SaaS data

You don’t control their environment.
But you can control your recoverability.

6. Hardware Failure & Silent Corruption

Not every data loss story is cyber.

RAID failure isn’t backup.
Rebuilds fail.
Bit-rot surfaces during restore.
Database logs weren’t captured correctly.

NIST categorizes hardware failure alongside ransomware and intentional destruction as catastrophic drivers — and stresses planning and testing backups accordingly.

What Mature Environments Include

Redundant systems with monitoring
SMART alerts and predictive failure detection
Immutable offsite backups
Checksum verification
File-level and application-level restore tests

Backups that haven’t been tested are assumptions.

Illustration representing the Most Common Causes of Data Loss, showing hardware failure and backup risks with corrupted files, locked folders, warning symbols, and attempted data theft from a business laptop system.

7. Poor Recovery Design (The “We Had Backups” Trap)

Illustration representing the Most Common Causes of Data Loss, emphasizing weak recovery planning with IT staff managing servers, cloud systems, and backup processes without defined RPO, RTO, or tested disaster recovery procedures.

This is the most underestimated cause of data loss.

Backups exist.
But:

RPO was never defined
RTO was never discussed
No one practiced restoring
Recovery depends on one person

And when that person is unavailable — chaos follows.

Minimum Viable Resilience in 2026

Defined RPO (how much data you can lose)
Defined RTO (how long you can be down)
3-2-1 backups with immutable copy
Separate backup credentials
Quarterly restore tests
Annual disaster recovery simulation
Monitoring for mass deletion events

Backups are not a strategy. Tested recovery is.

8. Business Email Compromise (Financial + Data Impact)

Business email compromise doesn’t always destroy data — but it often exposes or exfiltrates it.

IC3 reporting consistently shows BEC among the highest-impact fraud categories by dollar loss.

Patterns include:

Unauthorized mailbox access
Invoice redirection
Document exfiltration
Late discovery

Prevention Layers

DMARC/DKIM/SPF enforcement
Mailbox auditing
Alerts on rule creation
Out-of-band payment verification
Conditional access and anomaly detection

Financial loss often follows identity compromise.

Illustration representing the Most Common Causes of Data Loss, highlighting business email compromise (BEC) with unauthorized mailbox access, phishing alerts, locked email messages, and financial fraud risk across desktop and mobile devices.

The 3 Layers That Prevent Most Data Loss

In 2026, mature MSPs frame prevention in three layers:

1. Reduce Likelihood

Identity controls, patching, segmentation, training

2. Reduce Blast Radius

Least privilege, separation of duties, immutable backups

3. Reduce Downtime

Tested restore, defined RTO/RPO, documented runbooks

This approach aligns directly with patterns highlighted in current industry reporting — credentials, vulnerabilities, third-party exposure — and with NIST/CISA emphasis on backup strategy and testing.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the most common cause of data loss in 2026?

Human error and credential compromise remain dominant contributors. However, ransomware data loss and third-party incidents are increasingly significant drivers.

2. Isn’t Microsoft 365 version history enough?

No. Versioning and recycle bins are service features. They do not replace independent backup systems aligned to the 3-2-1 backup rule.

3. What’s the difference between RPO and RTO?

RPO (Recovery Point Objective) defines how much data you can afford to lose.
RTO (Recovery Time Objective) defines how long you can afford to be down.

4. Why are immutable backups important?

Because attackers now attempt to delete or encrypt backups during ransomware events. Immutability prevents modification or deletion within a defined retention window.

5. How often should backups be tested?

At minimum, quarterly file-level restores and annual full disaster recovery simulations.

Most common causes of data loss aren’t surprises.

They’re patterns.

The difference between disruption and resilience isn’t whether something happens.

It’s whether recoverability was intentionally designed before it did.

If you’re unsure where recoverability actually lives in your environment — or whether identity compromise would take your backups with it — a quick discussion with a local managed IT service is a good start.

Clarity comes before confidence.

Professional woman using a tablet in a modern office with InfiNet branding and “Get in touch with our team” text.

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