While the holidays are a time for family and celebrating, that does not mean that scammers won’t try to spoil all that holiday cheer! With each year, the threats online have only increased, and it has become such a large issue for unsuspecting consumers that the US Department of Homeland Security Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has issued a statement, asking consumers to be more aware of their online surroundings; “…[CISA] encourages users to be aware of potential holiday scams and malicious cyber campaigns, particularly when browsing or shopping online,” said CISA. Therefore, making sure you are knowledgeable in simple cybersecurity tactics can ensure that scammers and other malicious online threats cannot steal your holiday cheer! The Scammer’s Holiday Christmas time is fun for everyone, including the criminals, unfortunately. BleepingComputer reported on a scam last year that targeted Amazon shoppers! This online scam was designed to appear to be an Order Confirmation email telling the recipient that their order had shipped and to click for more details regarding the order From BleepingComputer If the recipient clicked “Order Details” a Word document would be downloaded, asking the user to “Enable Content”. If done, the document would execute code that would keylog and steal anything the user typed, stealing personal information! Making sure you are aware of your online surroundings is vital to making sure your personal information is not leaked online or stolen! Protecting Yourself Online The holiday season is the perfect time for scammers to take advantage of unsuspecting consumers. Many people who shop online are unaware of the risks and are unaware of the signs of a trap. Here are some helpful tips from CISA to make sure you stay safe online: Avoid clicking on suspicious emails and email attachments ( Using Caution with Email Attachments and Avoiding Social Engineering and Phishing Scams). Use caution when shopping online (Shopping Safely Online). Verify a charity’s authenticity before making donations. Review the Federal Trade Commission’s page on Charity Scams for more information. While each of these helpful tips are from CISA, if that is not enough to make you believe, Hammett Technologies also fully endorses each of these statements! Criminals will do whatever they can to steal your personal information over the holiday season. Therefore, remaining aware and cautious while you shop online will not only save you a lot of stress, it will save your money too! If you have any questions regarding anything above, please feel free to give us a call, or visit the What We Do page to learn more! We are happy to assist you, or your company, with all your cybersecurity needs!
Hammett Technologies understands how important it is for businesses to save money, especially during a global pandemic. Remember that when it comes to cutting costs, it is vital to remove expenses that will not only permanently bring down the company expenses, but also ensure money is being saved. Hammett Technologies hopes to be able to, as a partner to your company and as a reliable source of information, guide you and your business on the road to saving money when it comes to your cybersecurity, efficiency, and accessibility. Cash Reigns Saving money and cutting costs can be difficult. It is hard to find areas where you can remove expenditures from your company without compromising departments and their ability to provide services to your company and your customers. However, in order to ensure that your company is able to save money where it can, it is necessary to remove expenses that are either no longer needed or seem unnecessary. While most businesses focus on removing hardware expenses, when it comes to cutting costs around the IT department, focus your attention to software as a service (SaaS) and infrastructure as a service (IasS). SaaS and IasS are expected to grow 17% in the coming year, up from 227.8$ billion in 2019, according to Gartner. Therefore, if you are expecting to make a dent in your business’s expenses and begin to cut costs. How Hammett Technologies can Help When it comes to saving money, Hammett Technologies is the king. We understand how expensive it is to run a business, and on top of that, run an IT department. Therefore, with both business experience and IT experience, we perfectly grasp how much it takes to run a secure, efficient, and accessible IT department. We never cut corners but always ensure that your company never feels a heavy hit when the bill comes. Hammett Technologies ensures that your company’s IT department runs smoothly, discussing and explaining every potential purchase with you to make sure that you fully understand and know you are not wasting money.
As we have stated multiple times before, when it comes to saving money, it is important to look over all expenditures. This “review of business expenses” should include both variable and fixed costs. We understand that it can be difficult to determine which expenses should be cut, especially when it comes to cutting fixed costs. However, in order to save money, it is important that you consider all your options. Cutting Variable and Fixed Costs Most businesses, when trying to save money, only consider variable costs, such as contractor labor. This is not to say that there is no money to be saved by cutting your variable expenses. Your business could recover much of its lost revenue by reducing its variable expenses. Cutting variable expenses also tends to be easier to cut, since they include utility costs and communication costs. However, in order to save the most amount of money, you and your organization cannot be afraid of inquiring about your fixed expenses, such as payroll or rent. Addressing fixed costs is, understandably, more difficult, since it can result in possible relocation of your business headquarters or termination of an employee. Nevertheless, while cutting fixed costs is more difficult, it is necessary to consider. In fact, it is possible to reduce your variable expenses by cutting fixed expenses, making it even more important to address when discussing cutting costs. How Hammett Technologies Can Assist Hammett Technologies understands how important for businesses to save money, especially during a global pandemic. That is why we walk you through our processes and ensure you are getting the top-tier quality, without breaking the bank. Hammett Technologies has experience in providing professional IT support without the professional cost, making us an asset to your company’s future development and cybersecurity. When you choose Hammett Technologies, you are choosing a business partner who will help guide your business through cyberspace safely and securely, without hurting you financially.
As an MSP, Hammett Technologies understands how important it is to save money without degrading the quality of service. However, when it comes to saving money, businesses often aim to “freeze” current subscriptions for a short while, going without services for a short time in order to save money. What is often overlooked is that this is a short-term money-saving strategy and will ultimately do nothing to help your business. Instead of “freezing” assets, look for areas in your IT department that can be reduced and cut back on permanently. Similar to our last post discussing how your business should target immediate impact areas, it is important to assess the importance of anything you are “reducing” from your business. Don’t Freeze, Reduce When it comes to saving money, it can be easy to cut back on some subscriptions and licenses that are not immediately necessary. However, this tactic often overlooks that that money-saving strategy only solves your business’s monetary concerns for a short time. You are not removing those subscriptions from your docket, rather you are “freezing” them. This means that, unless you are able to increase your business’s monetary income substantially, by the time it comes to renew those subscriptions and licenses, your business will be seeing red again. Hammett Technologies recommends that you begin to look for areas in your IT department that can be reduced and removed completely. This strategy, while more difficult, will result in your business being better able to track its profits and losses without worrying about “frozen items”. We understand that it can be difficult to track down and eliminate areas your IT department may not need any longer, but in order to ensure the safety of your business and those who are working for you, you must be able and willing to reduce, not only freeze assets. A Business Partner You Can Trust Ensuring that your business can stay afloat through pandemics, economic crises, and other serious situations is not only important to you, the business owner but to Hammett Technologies as well. As a family-owned, self-started business, we understand the lows and highs of the business world. We want your business to succeed, and we believe that by following these tips, it will not only succeed but thrive.
Hammett Technologies prides itself on its ability to offer businesses a cost-effective way to manage their IT department. Each of our technicians are trained professional who managed, assist, and guide you and your business on ways to increase security, functionality, and efficiency, without breaking the bank. We wanted to share with our readers ways that you can help your business cut down on IT costs. Over the next few weeks, will we outline ten (10) useful tips that will help you save money, without degrading the quality of the IT Department. Target Immediate Impact When it comes to cutting costs and saving money, the first thing CIOs should look for is unnecessary costs and subscriptions. It is relatively easy for businesses to overlook these small subscriptions, some of which may only come in at $100+ a month. However, when there are multiple subscriptions, the costs can be staggering, often without one realizing. Therefore, your first step to cutting down costs of your IT department should be to look for subscriptions or quarterly licenses that are no longer needed. While doing this it is important to not go overboard. If the removal of said subscription or license could result in weaker security or possible corruption of data, do not, under any circumstance, remove those programs from your expenses. If information were to become corrupted or stolen, the cost of having the data restored or dealing with the fallout of a lawsuit is far more expensive than keeping the software in the first place. Why Hammett Technologies Hammett Technologies prides itself on its ability to maintain a healthy, state-of-the-art, IT Department without cutting corners and without breaking your business’s bank. We ensure that your company is only spending what it needs to spend for its IT Department, with no hidden costs and complete transparency. We break down every payment and all your options so that you, not only know what you are paying for but also understand how it will impact and improve your business. Hammett Technologies is a team of dedicated individuals that want to help you, and your business, grow and thrive.
As businesses become more and more connected to the internet, the threat of a data breach only increases. A study conducting by the University of Maryland in 2017 discovered that, on average, computers with internet access are attacked every 39 seconds. While this figure may be worrisome, this should come as no surprise to most. As technology continues to progress, becoming more and more a part of not only businesses but individual’s lives as well, criminals will try harder and faster to obtain access to confidential information. These attacks are not cheap either. A study conducted by IBM found that on average, a cyberattack can cost $3.86 million. This number does not just reflect the damage the breach cost, but it also factors in loss of business, time spent on recovering, and damage to reputation. Taking steps to prevent an attack from happening is imperative. One must have the proper equipment and policies set in place in order to counter cyberattacks. However, attackers are becoming smarter, more resourceful, faster, more aggressive. Many of them are also playing the long game as well. Lying dormant in a companies, or individual’s computers or server, waiting for the perfect moment to attack. While cyber security specialists are doing there best to stay 1-step ahead of criminals, there is only so much that can be done. Therefore, instead of playing a game of cat and mouse with attackers, cyber security specialists should be turning their attention towards using machine learning and AI to aid them in this constantly evolving battle. Why Machine Learning and AI Should Be Recruited Cybersecurity usually relies on methods of created static rules and policies that act as barriers to attackers. These barriers, regardless of how strongly built, are susceptible to cracks and leaks, allowing for unwanted guests to enter. This creates a constant game of catch up, rather than enforcing constant protection. This is especially true since cyber criminals are constantly evolving their viruses, making them stronger and harder to detect. If rules are not kept up to date, and scheduled maintenance is not regularly done, disaster can strike at any moment. Machine learning and AI can help level the playing field. Even though cyber security specialists will remain as the last line of defense against attacks, AI and machine learning can be used as the first line of defense. AI and machine learning are constantly updating and learning, feeding off information from databases about cybersecurity and networking, as well as information from its experiences while deployed. AI and machine learning add automation to your cybersecurity team, aiding them in evolving and keeping your data safe from criminals. Hammett Technologies is specialized in cybersecurity, using only the latest cybersecurity software and hardware to keep your data safe. When you partner with Hammett Technologies, you hire a partner who learns your employees, your business, and your process.
Ransomware is one of the most dangerous computer viruses in the computer world today. It would not be surprising if many of you, regardless of your background knowledge of computers, have heard of ransomware to some extent. Perhaps it has been through the numerous cities that have been hit, or maybe it was because of the few schools that have begun to be targeted by this disastrous virus. With ransomware on the rise, more and more businesses are being targeted. In order to keep your business’s sensitive information safe, taking preventative measures immediately is the best course of action to ensure your computer systems are not held for ransom. Setting up your Defenses Running Backups One of the most important steps, one often disregarded by many businesses, is ensuring that all computer systems are backed up daily. In the event that your network becomes infected with ransomware, having backups of critical information systems and configurations can save millions of dollars in lost revenue. Educate and Reinforce Basic Cybersecurity Awareness Ransomware needs a human element in order to infect a computer system or network. Therefore, proper and regular training of staff on how to spot phishing emails and suspicious files is essential to a business’s overall cybersecurity. Ensure that staff understands “think before click” and the dangers of downloading attachments from unknown senders. Make sure staff are browsing safely as well and know how to spot fake websites. Fake websites can look strikingly similar to the real ones but often have variations in their URL, which give away their true identities. Make sure employees are suspicious of anyone on the phone or email asking for sensitive information. Always ensure you are communicating with a trusted individual before divulging sensitive information. Have a Plan in Place in the Event of an Attack Make sure a clear plan is established in the event an attack does occur. Ensure response plans outline how to request outside assistance from cyber first responders (state agencies, CISA, and MS-ISAC). Update and Patch Systems Regularly updating and patching computer systems not only keeps the systems running smoothly, but it also protects against viruses such as ransomware. Additional Resources Once all the above is completed, consider reviewing the following articles: MS-ISAC Security Primer – Ransomware CISA Tip Sheet on Ransomware NGA Disruption Response Planning Memo NASCIO Cyber Disruption Planning Guide Each article outlines further steps you can take to protect yourself from ransomware. A Trusted Defense If any of the above worries you, consider calling Hammett Technologies. We are a trusted IT company and are well versed in the dangers of all computer viruses, not just ransomware. We use only the latest technology to ensure your business’s safety, regularly backup all your systems, and train your staff on safety procedures when handling information online. When you partner with Hammett Technologies you do not become just a partner, you become a priority. If you want more information as to what we can do to assist your company, click here!
Phishing is just one of many tools in a hacker’s repertoire and happens to be one of their most effective. Through phishing, hackers dangle their bait in front of preoccupied employees who would never dream that their PC could provide an open door for a hacker. That’s why it is so important that employees understand how phishing works, how costly it can be, and what they can do to avoid letting themselves become an unwitting accomplice to a hacker’s attack on their company. The Nature of Phishing Phishing involves a malicious entity that sends out emails that look like they are from reputable, well-known companies (maybe even the employee’s own employer) – but these emails are not what they seem. Sometimes the purpose of a phishing email is to trick the recipient into revealing information such as logins, passwords, or personal information. Other times, phishing emails are used to install malware on the recipient’s computer. Once the hacker behind the phishing attack has succeeded in infiltrating the target system via login information or malware, the damage they cause quickly escalates. Phishing Can Be Very Costly So how expensive can phishing be? Well, consider what happened to a bank in Virginia that fell victim to two phishing attacks in just eight months. Their disaster began when an employee received and opened a phishing email which succeeded in installing malware on company computers. The malware was able to use the victim’s computer to access the STAR Network, a site used to handle debit card transactions. Through the STAR Network, the hackers behind the malware were able to steal $569,000 in that one incident alone. But that wasn’t the end of the matter. Eight months later, even after hiring a cybersecurity forensics firm and following their advice to better secure their system, the same bank was victimized again through another phishing email. This time, the hackers again gained access to the STAR Network, but then used the bank’s Navigator system. Through those systems combined, the hackers were able to credit money to various bank accounts and then withdraw the money using hundreds of different ATMs. Losses from this incident amounted to almost $2 million. To make matters even worse, the bank’s cyber insurance provider denied coverage and the bank is now forced to pursue a lawsuit to recover their losses. The Very Real Dangers Of Phishing Attacks Phishing wouldn’t be so effective if it wasn’t so easy for busy employees to fall victim to seemingly legitimate emails or innocent-looking attachments. The malware that was used to initiate the first attack on the bank discussed in this article was embedded in a Microsoft Word document. Most of us have worked with thousands of Word documents during our careers and have never been victimized by one – but it only takes one time to cost a business millions of dollars. In this case, once that document was opened, the malware was installed and the group behind it had access to what they needed. The bank in question hired Verizon to investigate both incidents. It was finally determined that the same group of Russian hackers were likely responsible for both attacks. Common Sense Required Even the most powerful of cyber security systems is still susceptible to attacks that take the form of phishing or social engineering. As long as people continue to subscribe to the view that firewalls, anti-virus, and anti-malware systems provide all the protection against cyberattacks that a company needs, then successful phishing attacks will continue. Education is one of the forgotten keys to foiling phishing attacks. Employees need to be taught how to recognize a suspicious email and be given real-world examples of how convincing phishing emails can appear. They need to be encouraged to view both emails and attachments with a critical eye. Employees must also understand that, under no circumstances, is there a legitimate reason for someone to ask for their password. Another aspect of this type of education is making sure that people realize that the targets of phishing are not C-suite executives or IT technicians, but employees from all levels. Through a connection to the company’s network, any employee’s computer could serve as a launching pad for an industrious hacker’s plan of attack. Conclusion Phishing attacks are a reality that must be addressed if a company wants to avoid becoming a victim. These attacks often result in very expensive losses that may not be covered by insurance. While the importance of a rigorous cyber security system is never to be overestimated, neither is the importance of employee education. Too many employees have unwittingly become accomplices in costly cyberattacks because they didn’t recognize a phishing email and never thought they could be the target of one. The first line of defense against phishing isn’t a network firewall, but a trained employee who knows how to recognize a suspicious email or a questionable attachment.
On a Windows machine, there are multiple ways of taking a screenshot. However, there are plenty of users who are still unsure of how to do so. Today we will review a few ways Windows users can take a screenshot on their PC. Snipping Tool Since 2002, Microsoft has implemented the snipping tool into its Windows machines. The tool is simple to use and allows users to capture their screen! However, Microsoft hides this tool from plain sight, leaving the tool undetected to new users. Navigate to the Start Menu Type “Snipping Tool” Select “New” and begin capturing your screen! Once you have selected “New”, a white filter will appear over your screen. Click and drag your mouse across the area you wish to capture. Microsoft has confirmed that in a future update, the Snipping Tool will be getting a new home! Snip & Sketch, very similar to the Snipping Tool, has an improved user interface (UI) and a built-in shortcut to activate it on Windows 10 machines (Windows Key + Shift + S). However, it is important to note that Snip & Sketch is still in development, therefore bugs may still be present in the software. To launch Snip & Sketch, either use the shortcut (Windows Key + Shift + S) or search for in the Start Menu (Figure 1).Figure 1Figure 2 Using the shortcut will allow you to immediately begin taking a screenshot. Searching for the program in the start menu will bring you to a home screen for Snip & Sketch (Figure 2). If you choose to search for Snip and Sketch in the Start Menu, the steps are the same. Simply choose “New” and begin to capture the desired area of your screen. Third-Party Apps While the built-in screen capture tools are nice, there are some third-party applications that I find to be much more reliable and easier to use. For example, Greenshot is a free, lightweight, program that is great for screenshots. In fact, its how I built this guide! Download Greenshot from their website: https://getgreenshot.org Once downloaded, either navigate to your system tray (“ ^ “ icon on the bottom right of your screen) and locate the Greenshot application. A shortcut is also available after installing Greenshot. Simply press the “PrntScr” key on your keyboard to enable immediate screen capture. You may have to press and hold the Function Key “Fn” on some keyboards in order to activate “PrntScr”. Once you have click on the Greenshot application in your system tray, a menu will appear with a list of options. Select “Capture region” to begin your screen capture. If any of the above confuses you, please do not hesitate to reach out to us with questions! We are more than happy to help! We have techs standing by to assist you with the day-to-day operations of your machine! If you are curious as to how we can assist your company to grow, click here!
Dementia and Alzheimer’s are scary for both patients and caregivers. Right now, there is no cure. Scientists are trying to find ways of prolonging patient’s lives and delaying the onset of the disease. IT Technicians are finding ways to make lives better and caring for patients easier. Some remarkable work is doing things for these individuals that has never been seen or done before. First, A Word About The Disease According to Alzheimer’s International, nearly 44 million people worldwide have Alzheimer’s or related dementia. More than 5 million American’s are living with it, and Between 2017 and 2025 every state is expected to see at least a 14% rise in the prevalence of Alzheimer’s. Those statistics are startling, especially since Alzheimer’s disease is irreversible. Accounting for around 70 perfect of dementia cases, Alzheimer’s Disease is the most common cause of dementia, a group of brain disorders that results in the loss of intellectual and social skills. These changes are severe enough to interfere with day-to-day life. It progressively destroys the brain and ruins memory and thinking skills, and eventually the ability to carry out the simplest tasks. A Few Other Statistics In 2017, Alzheimer’s cost the United States $259 billion. By 2050, costs associated with dementia could be as much as $1.1 trillion. The global cost of Alzheimer’s and dementia is estimated to be $605 billion. Alzheimer’s is the 6th leading cause of death in the United States. Between 2017 and 2025 every state is expected to see at least a 14% rise in the prevalence of Alzheimer’s. By 2050, it’s estimated there will be as many as 16 million Americans living with Alzheimer’s. Every 66 seconds someone in the United States develops Alzheimer’s. 1 in 3 seniors dies with some form of dementia. Technology at its Finest Because of these sad stats and high numbers, IT experts have come up with some amazing devices that use modern technology to aid in the care of people suffering from memory problems. Here’s a look at a few of the latest innovations. Clocks Clocks precisely intended for those with Alzheimer’s and dementia can help ease the stress associated with day to day life. Someone who has dementia may confuse night and day so an easy to read clock can help them to better tell the time. Medication Management Medication management technology created high tech automated pill dispensers which beep and open to remind caregivers and those with dementia to take their medicine. Vibrating alarms on a watch have also been fashioned to remind when it’s time for a pill. This technology serves the busy caregiver well by helping them not to forget medication time as well. Video Monitoring Video monitoring technology supports both care recipient and caregiver, by allowing both people more freedom. The patient doesn’t feel watched constantly because loved one can spend a little time away, and loved ones get the comfort of being able to see their family even when they’re not in the same house. GPS Location and Tracking Devices People with Alzheimer’s or dementia may wander. Tracking devices can be worn by the person in some way and have alert systems that let a caregiver know if their loved one has left a certain area. This type of technology can also alert emergency personnel to aid in a quick recovery. Picture Phones Picture phones are specifically designed for people who cannot remember phone numbers. These phones have large numbers and are pre-programmable with frequently called phone numbers. Some of the phones come with clear buttons where photos can be placed so that the person can just push the button associated with the photos to call their loved one quickly. Electrical Use Monitoring This device monitors a patient’s use of electrical appliances. It plugs into a wall outlet or power strip and will alert caregivers if their commonly used appliances have not been turned on or off. Wearable Cameras Wearable cameras and augmented reality glasses could be the next big thing in helping patients. These devices can take hundreds of pictures every day from the user’s point of view logging their lives in this way. A Village of Care In Kitchener, Ontario, something wonderful is happening. Facilities have been designed to be less institutional-looking, friendlier and homier. “Schlegel Villages” is one of the first of its kind and is improving the quality of life for the people that live there. One problem they deal with though is when at-risk seniors become confused and attempt to leave. According to Schlegel’s IT director, Chris Carde, “Some seniors with certain types of mental illness can remember the door-lock code to get out but can’t remember anything else. A confused senior wandering out into a southern Ontario winter can be a serious, even fatal, incident”. Schlegel Villages is also implementing an e-health system to replace paper charts at its care facilities. Carde states, “Nurses would have to write down a patient’s vital signs, then enter them into a desktop computer some distance away. The new system, which will use iPads and iPad minis to enter health information directly into the database, is being greeted warmly by clinicians”. Thinking Outside of the Box A German senior center applied the idea of using fake bus stops to keep Alzheimer’s disease patients from wandering off. Because their short-term memory is not intact, but their long-term memory works fine, they know what the bus stop sign means, and they stop. It is a huge success in Germany, now they want to bring it to several clinics in North America. A Final Word Thanks to these researchers and IT innovators, the future is much brighter for patients with memory diseases and their families and care providers. This is just the beginning when it comes to making life easier. Information Technology has only just begun to scratch the surface of what can be done to help in the fight against dementia and Alzheimer’s.