Speeding up your computer is essential for succeeding in today’s fast-paced world. It can be as simple as closing other browsers or as complex as finding and eliminating malware. In the modern business world, time is money, which means that a slow computer can actually cost you! Systems slowdowns may stem from a variety of causes. To narrow these down and speed your computer up, try: Browser Basics One of the most common, and most easily remedied, sources of slow network service is only leaving too many browsers open for long periods. Even if you are not actively using the browsers, they eat up processing power, slowing your device with every additional program you use. Thus whenever you are finished with the website or don’t plan to return to it for more than 10 minutes, close it. To ensure that you do not leave browsers open for extended periods of time, turn your computer off every night before you go to bed. Sifting Through Startups In addition to browsers that you intentionally open and fail to close, your computer may also suffer from software that opens automatically when you turn it on. Email accounts, music services, and other programs often open on their own, and the longer you leave them up, the more they will impair your system. To minimize this problem, close any automatic programs as soon as you log in or once you’ve finished using them. You can also reset your computer’s startup log to not open so many programs, though you should consult an IT professional before doing so. Memory Management The less hard drive space your computer has, the slower it will be. You can free up extra space by: Deleting videos and photo albums once you’ve uploaded them to social media Move files from your computer to the cloud Use a disk cleanup program to remove whole categories of files Eliminate cookies and other temporary files Find and remove duplicate and redundant files Empty your trash regularly, so the files you delete are actually gone In addition to deleting files, you can also install a larger hard drive or extra RAM to instantly increase space. Viable Visuals Animations, window transparency, drop shadows, and other visual effects may be stylish and convenient, but they eat up extra processing power and slow your computer. Luckily, most systems allow you to disable these altogether or on a case-by-case basis, letting you balance style with speed. Virus Vigilance If none of the previous measures work, you may be dealing with a virus or other malicious program. Such a problem is far more severe than a mere computer slowdown. Malware presents a direct threat to you and your business contacts, stealing information and encrypting important files. If you think you have downloaded a virus, contact an IT expert to identify and remove it. Consumer-grade antivirus software often isn’t enough to solve the problem, but a qualified professional can find and eliminate the most pernicious modern programs. {company} promotes speed and security throughout {city}. For more information or to schedule service, contact us at {email} or {phone} today!

Understanding the MJ Freeway attack is the key to avoiding future attacks, protecting privacy, and safeguarding public health Cyberattacks are always dangerous, and when they affect the medical industry, they severely compromise public health and confidentiality. The recent attack on MJ Freeway demonstrates just how sensitive medical data is, reinforcing the need for effective data storage and security: Attack Analysis MJ Freeway is a Colorado-based tracking software company that caters to medical marijuana dispensaries across the United States. On 8 January 2016, the company suffered a severe hack, losing records from more than a thousand of their clients in 23 different states. Such an attack would severely disrupt any business but has been particularly damaging for cannabis dispensaries, as state regulations require them to provide clear records of all sales and inventory changes. Though some affected clients were able to continue business using traditional tracking methods, many had to shut down, depriving their customers of treatment. In addition to short-term market disruption, the attack also may have compromised the privacy of millions of medical marijuana patients. Because of the negative perceptions associated with cannabis, many medical marijuana users do not reveal their treatments in public. If the attackers stole patient information, they could publicize it at any time. MJ Freeway insists that its client data is encrypted, but many clients are unconvinced, pointing out that the attackers could have stolen the encryption codes. If this is true, the attackers could continue to do damage for months or years in the future. Future Fixes Whatever ultimately results from the MJ Freeway attack, it serves as a wake-up call for all businesses that handle sensitive information. To minimize your firm’s risk and keep clients’ data safe, remember to: Rely On Redundancy– It’s essential to backup vital information in a separate system that is isolated from your primary storage, but can be easily accessed when it is needed. This will allow you to quickly restore service after an attack, minimizing the length and cost of disruption. Decrypt Diligently– The information needed to decrypt sensitive data should always be kept separate from the encrypted data itself. This way, even if an attacker is able to steal your data, you can be confident that they will not be able to read any of it. Modernize Methodically– Hackers are constantly developing new, more efficient ways to attack you. Old security measures thus quickly become obsolete, requiring you to install new software. Whenever an update is available for your operating system, make it, especially if it relates directly to security. Streamline Security– Cybersecurity methods are most useful if you develop a single, consistent policy for all your employees. Set clear rules for the activities employees can perform on company devices or over the office WiFi, and vigorously enforce them. This prevents individual carelessness from compromising your security. Don’t leave your {city} company vulnerable to cyberattacks. Contact {company} today at {phone} or {email} for effective, affordable security solutions.

Looking Out For New Gmail Scams Gmail and other email services are all vulnerable to increasing phishing scams. Learn what to look out for and how to safeguard your personal account and business.   As current events have shown, even the upper echelons of American governance have been vulnerable to phishing scams. The Democratic National Committee’s official email accounts were recently the target of an effective phishing campaign, leaving us all to question the ways in which we’re vulnerable to cyber attacks. A new extremely active phishing technique, aimed at Gmail and other email services, is being implemented to nab log-in credentials that are designed to fool even the most educated digital users. The scam works by hackers sending out emails via hacked accounts to those users’ contact lists. Many of the emails include an image that looks like it could be an attachment, though when the image is clicked on, instead of a preview of the file, a new tab opens with a mock prompt from Gmail to sign into the email account again. Even the URL mimics an actual Gmail page: accounts.google.com. The sign in appears to be perfectly legitimate, though once a user signs on, they compromise their email account and with it other sensitive personal information. Hackers are then able to spread the scam immediately to others in your contact list with the access to your email. To protect yourself from such attacks you have to change what you’ve always known in regards to cross checking phony-seeming links and emails. As this phishing scam mimics the URL of an actual, reputable website, you can’t always double check by just looking at the link. If you see the following text before the https beginning of the URL: data: text/HTML, this signifies a scam link. As a rule of thumb whenever you log-in to an email service website, or any site asking for credentials, be sure to check the browser location bar and corroborate both the protocol and the hostname for legitimacy. For a Gmail account, it should read like this: https://accounts.google.com/ServiceLogin?… Verify that there isn’t additional text between the hostname “accounts.google.com” aside from “https://” and the lock symbol on the location bar, which should appear as green if you’re safe, as Google relies on this function to signify a secure site. Also, consider enabling two-step or two-factor authentication on your email service. This makes it harder for hackers to sign-in to your account even if they have your password. If you’re unsure of whether your email account may have been the subject of a phishing scam in the past, it’s a good idea to change your password anyway. A function on Gmail allows you to see log-in activity to find out if any other users have been logging into your account without your knowledge. This can be accessed through Gmail’s support page, view the Details icon at the bottom of your inbox. If you uncover any log-ins from places where you haven’t been or any active sessions from undetermined sources you can actively remove those sessions. Raising your awareness of this issue and staying vigilant on good digital practices can help to ensure the safety and security of your email accounts and personal data.

What happens when the TOS for Instagram is rewritten in plain English? For teens, it is an eye opener, but what about for adults? Is your company at risk because of terminology in TOS statements? Read on to discover what we give away when we agree to a TOS for social media. In an article that ran in the Washington Post, Amy Wang explains what happened when a lawyer rewrote Instagram’s terms of use so that teens could understand their privacy rights. Wang exposes a truth when she asks the question, how much to teens know about the legal implications of agreeing to TOS statements. She points out that it is the language and the length of those documents which makes them unreadable and we wondered if that was not the point of those long and complicated terms of use statements. How many adults actually read the terms of use before happily agreeing to whatever they ask of us? The reality is not many people. Yet, in a world where we are highly concerned about internet virus and spyware we give online sites like Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram almost free reign to use our personal information, photographs, and post, even when we think those posts are private, for their own purposes. What that means is that many social media sites can reprint our private messages and make them available to the public. Yes, that is what you agreed to when you clicked that little box that said: “I have read and agree to the terms of use.” Designed to be Difficult Privacy terms are important, and we should read them. They are in fact, a contract of sorts and they outline what we should expect from a service and what we give permission to said service. If you had a client contract that needed your signature on it, you’d likely have it reviewed by legal counsel. What is sad is that it would take a lawyer to explain to most adults what we agree to in a TOS statement. That is very much the point of these legal documents. The companies that write them bank on the fact that we internet users want their service more than we want our rights. They are not wrong. Most of us sign away our rights quickly and without even scanning the TOS. We have no idea what we have given away. The Teens and Instagram’s TOS What Wang discloses in her article is that teens were shocked at the permission that they gave to Instagram. Teens, like many adults, think that the word private means just that. A private message on social media is not private, and the platform has the right to republish those private messages with your name attached to them. Egads! The revelation of understanding that what we just said about Mary could become the next viral post with our name attached not only freaks out teens, it freaks out adults. Nothing on social media is truly private. Does that knowledge change our behavior? For many teens, knowing is half of the battle. What do the Terms of Use do for Businesses? In a world where online brings danger from the virus, malware, and ransomware it seems odd that we would so freely give away the gate key to our data. One of the means by which to protect our data is to employ security measures that protect our private information. Yet when it comes to online TOS, we gladly hand over permission to use our information. That inconsistency is dangerous. At {company} we work with {city} businesses just like yours to discover weaknesses in IT security. We are a managed IT company and our services help businesses build better security while gaining access to robust tools and software. If your business is concerned about TOS disclosures and internet dangers, then {email} or call us. {phone} We have solutions to your Internet needs and concerns.

To keep your dental practice secure from a data breach, you have to be proactive. Train your staff regarding password changes, and limit access to the internet. Keeping the information of your patients secured is essential when you run a dental practice. The amount of information you have can be used to steal the identity of your patients if your data is breached, leaving your patients vulnerable to attack. If you have data breach in your practice, you have some obligations that you must fulfill. If you have more than 500 patients in your practice who had data stolen, your responsibilities grow even larger. When You Have More than 500 Patients and a Data Breach You have to have a solid understanding of the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPPA) breach notification rule no matter how your client data is stolen. Whether a hacker was able to get into your system remotely, you were the victim of a ransomware attack, or an individual took a laptop and has access to all of your patients, all of these are a data breach. You must follow the data breach notification rule, or you can be subject to fines and penalties for not notifying your patients appropriately. The steps you need to take when there has been a data breach includes: Thoroughly investigating what happened, and identifying any protected information that may have been stolen. Categorize patients by state, age and whether they are living or deceased. Each category has different requirements for notification. You must notify each patient appropriately regarding the data breach. You are responsible for setting up a call center for patients to ask if they have any questions regarding the breach. You must offer to provide an identity monitoring service to your patients. HIPPA requires you to provide a press release for the local media. You need to file a report to Health and Human Services about the breach within 60 days. It is tedious to deal with a security breach, and you’ll need to continue to run your practice at the same time. You can be better prepared against a security breach if you take the time to work with IT and learn how to better secure sensitive patient information. To keep your dental practice records better protected against a security breach, you should: Limit access to the internet on computers that store critical patient data. Create strong passwords, and change out system passwords every 90 days. Never store the credit card data of any of your patients in the system. Practice that a data breach has occurred. Take the steps necessary to identify who would be responsible for each part of dealing with the breach. Understand that dealing with a violation can be very costly, even for a successful practice. Consider getting the coverage you need to protect your assets in the event of a security breach. The health industry is very susceptible to data breaches because of the sensitive nature of the information collected. Roughly one-third of patients who receive medical care will be involved in a data violation of some kind. This is why it’s important to leave as much sensitive information as possible out of a medical record and to limit the amount of time computers within your office are connected to the internet. Your system should be screened periodically to check for any suspicious behavior, and passwords changed at least every 90 days to keep your data secure.

Is fear driving up the price of cyber insurance? Read on to find out how fear impacts the demand for cyber insurance and what you can do about it. There are many headlines about data loss, breach of health records, and the record fines imposed under HIPAA that mark a legitimate concern about the risks that businesses face when it comes to cyber crimes. So what is driving the marked increase in Cyber Insurance? Many are pointing to fear as the primary cause. The insurance industry works very much in supply and demand market and as fear grows the need for some kind of protection against lawsuits, the cost of lost data and damaged equipment are driving an increase in cyber premiums. We are in an insurance situation where the need for insurance coverage is growing high enough that the cost of insurance for cyber coverage is increasing. Cybercrime is everywhere. We read about it top newspapers. We talk about at the office. We are doused with it every time an ad plays on our smartphone, and all of that awareness is causing concern. Fear has made the average business consumer aware of the increased risk of ransomware, hackers, and data theft, and that knowledge is creating a perceived void. We are exposed to risk and therefore must have insurance. That need for coverage is driving an increase in cyber premiums. The Current List of Cyber Crime October 2016, A massive cyber attack takes down Twitter, Spotify, and other social media sites. November 2016 — Did Russia Hack the US Elections? Story pending! December 2016 — Yahoo is hacked, and data is lost from 1 Billion accounts. While these latest cyber hits are cause for concern, cyber attacks have been ongoing for years. Cyber thieves have hit big names like Hyatt Hotels, voter records, Alliance Health, Wendy’s, and even the U.S. Department of Homeland Security was hit and data stolen. This small list of cyber attacks is part of the reason behind the increased fear of what cyber criminals are capable of. It is also part of the reason that cyber insurance premiums are rising. Rates are pushed upwards by demand in both the UK and the US. Guy Clapperton reports on the Fear Factor and how it relates to Cyber-insurance, and one of the points he makes comes from data from CFC Underwriting which supports a 50 percent increase in the demand for cyber insurance. The Fear is Paralyzing While business leaders are fearful of the economic impact of cyber attacks, many have done little to protect their companies. Many of the names on the cyber hit list are big-name companies where the impact of the crime hits millions of people. Yet, what is the reward for a cyber criminal to hit a small business? Not that much. What this illustrates is a problem that the insurance companies are struggling to come to terms with themselves. How do you measure the exposure risk of cyber crime for your business? The answer to that question is in part to protect your data. Many companies are turning to cloud storage and data backup services. {company} managed IT services for many small- and medium-sized enterprises. We have solutions that help to decrease the risk of the impact of cyber crimes. For a different conversation about particular needs of your company {email} or phone {phone} our professionals. We provide services to businesses in {city} and firms in the surrounding communities.

Top internet security firm Avast announces imminent Locky ransomware attack. Read on to learn more about how to protect your business. Avast a leading internet security company announced via their blog that they expect a new wave of ransomware attacks from the Locky ransomware strain. Is your business safe? All internet security companies have a test lab where they study internet threats so that they can help thwart the technology evil. At the Avast test lab, the experts discovered a pattern in the when Locky ransomware attacks occur. They have announced via their blog that a new attack is imminent. How Does Avast Know? Basically, their warning comes from a drop in the number of reported attacks from Locky. Overtime, the number of attacks per week from a pattern and when there have been periods of time where the attacks are quiet history shows that a major attack follows. Right now, we are experiencing a period of calm that does not match previous holiday Locky trends. There are many reasons why this calm could be occurring, but Avast is erring on the side of caution and sounding the alarm. The Deal with Technology Technology changes quickly and even ransomware needs to evolve, or it becomes ineffective. While Avast discusses many reasons why there could be a pause in the Locky attacks their suspect that Locky developers are updating the ransomware to make it more efficient. If that is true, then we should expect a new attack with an improved form of ransomware. The Onus and The Cure For the time being, there is no real cure that stops all forms or ransomware. The trouble is that they evolve to overcome the current standard in defenses. So while most of us hope that there is a solution, and there is, it may not be what we expect. The answer is that the onus remains on individual computer users and businesses to enter the online world with caution and apply a best-practices approach to internet activities. The trouble with just being cautious is that ransomware has already evolved to infect legitimate sites. You no long have to just open a link in an email to activate ransomware. Instead, you might click on a link that is infected on a site that is trusted. Ransomware locks your computer so that you cannot access the file and you must pay a ransom to regain access. For a business, that can mean an excessive loss of data and income. Part of the solution to decreasing the risk of ransomware includes: Utilize the cloud storage for data. Installing and actively using a data backup service or program. Initiate a “suspicious attachment” protocol and educate staff about the risks of attachments. Conscientiously ensure that your internet security is regularly updated. Ensure that security patches and program patches are installed when available. Avast recommends disabling Microsoft Office Macros, especially as they pertain to emails. If you are one of the many people who just gave a huge sigh because all of this is now a burden, then {email} us. We are {company} and we provide IT solutions to businesses in {city}. For faster responses phone: {phone} We are a Managed IT company, and we help businesses just like yours to reduce the risk of Malware, Virus, and Ransomware. We are happy to answer your questions and provide answers that are unique to your business model. {email} or {phone] are the fastest ways to reach us.

Consider implementing multifactor authentication that requires additional information beyond a password to gain entry. Check with your vendors that handle sensitive data, especially financial institutions, to see if they offer multifactor authentication for your account.

Before Purchasing Microsoft Office 2016, it is important to know what programs are packaged in the different suites. Here are the titles you should come to expect. The Microsoft Office Suite has stood as a top program package for several decades. While many of the core software titles have built on the foundation Microsoft started in 1990 (Bill Gages officially announced Microsoft Office in 1988), additional titles are now included. Beyond all the titles and new features, the suite of programs has built-in security, safeguarding information created and saved within Microsoft Office. For individuals either new to Office or who are interested in the latest offerings from the company, here is an overview of Microsoft Office 2016 programs. Programs Available in Office Home There are several variations of Microsoft Office 2016. The entry level Office Suite is Office Home & Student. The four programs included with this are: Word Excel PowerPoint OneNote Word Microsoft Word is a word processor. It makes it possible to create documents in traditional text form. There are added templates available in Microsoft Word that do alter creation potential, ranging from book layouts to postage addresses. This is the oldest continually running program in the Office package, with its origin dating back to 1983 (although it was called Multi-Tool Word then). Excel Microsoft Excel is a spreadsheet program. While often used for financial reports, this program allows a user to input information into individual cells on a chart. The spreadsheet software permits the creation of complex mathematical formulas, based on what a user needs. This way sums, equations and other information can be automatically calculated when typing in new data into the cells. Microsoft first released Excel back in 1985. PowerPoint This slideshow presentation software is a digital version of film slides. Individual “slides” can house text, visuals, video footage and other information. PowerPoint came out with the initial Microsoft Office release in 1990. OneNote OneNote is best used in a collaborative environment. It makes it possible for individuals to input notes (both typed or handwritten), images or other content picked up from the Internet. This way, when researching a subject or when working with different users across a network, it is easier to save all viable information in one location. This title has been around since 2003. Programs Available For Office 365 Home and Personal In addition to the four previously mentioned programs, Office 365 Home and Personal come with: Outlook Publisher Access OneDrive Skype Outlook Outlook is an email service. The desktop application version provides more in-depth features than what the online login option provides. Publisher This is a basic level publishing tool designed to be easy to use editor for books, pamphlets and other, similar documents. Access This is a database management software. It shares many similar features as Excel only it makes it possible to output the information easily to not only Excel but Outlook, Oracle based programs, and other third-party titles. OneDrive This is a cloud-based service, which makes it easier to save information created in the Microsoft Suite to the Internet cloud drive. This way, a user can access the information anywhere there is an Internet connection. Skype Skype is an Internet communication service. It provides VoIP features, instant messaging, video calls, and other communication options. Interested in learning more about Microsoft Office 2016 or what suite package is right for you? Give us a call at {phone} or feel free to {email} us at any time to learn more. Our {company} is here to help service you and your business in {city}.

An in-house IT staff isn’t for every business, and it can drain productivity from other critical areas. Here are 7 benefits of using managed IT services. Managing an in-house IT department isn’t for every business, especially startups. Time and resources spent on day to day technology needs can drain the productivity of even the most streamlined staff. Strategic outsourcing some or all of your IT needs can make or break performance in the major areas both in the near and long term. The following are seven of the most significant benefits that managed IT services can bring to your company: 1. Automation of Day to Day Tasks With the help of virtualization, managed IT can take care of common areas and components like email, helpdesk support, server and network oversight, and more.
 With so much reliance on IT, outsourcing “mundane” tasks will free up your staff for more creative and innovative roles. 2. Ongoing Systems Monitoring and Maintenance Proactive monitoring of the primary business components can help with avoiding major issues and catching them early when they’re small. While a network crash could take mission critical resources offline for an extended time period, effective monitoring and maintenance will help detect potentially problematic issues early. From a router that’s about to fail to server problems, these red flags can be addressed by your dedicated IT partner before they reach the stage of a disastrous outage. 3. More Predictable Budgeting 
 IT budgets can be substantial, but costs can be better managed and ultimately reduced by using an IT services professional. Instead of paying on the fly for every issue that comes up (and risking steep, unexpected bills), you’ll instead have one flat fee that will cover your most essential services. 4. Access to Expertise With managed IT services, your business will automatically gain access to highly skilled staff who are trained and equipped to handle unforeseen issues and special circumstances. Your company will be backed by a dynamic infrastructure, stable operations, and an experienced technical support team. 5. Centralization Benefits A managed IT network can include the consolidation of all servers and applications within distributed data centers. This, in turn, results in improved staff performance both in-house and from remote locations. Centralized data ensures easy network access to storage, virtual services, and backup infrastructure. Centralization also reduces your company’s carbon footprint. 6. More Efficient Support When issues arise, your business requires fast, targeted support. IT service providers are motivated to act quickly due to the costs associated with production. Put simply, it’s in your Managed Service Provider’s best interests to address and repair each client’s technical issues efficiently, making timely support a win-win for both of you. 7. Business Continuity Your Managed Service Provider has designed their data centers and networks to be reliable and resilient for their clients. Because of this, you can rest assured your business will experience maximum uptime and continuity. Their significant technological investment means that even if disaster strikes, your business data and digital communications will be preserved. Not every business is ready for a full-time in-house IT staff. Others might benefit from outsourcing portions of their IT requirements. Resources directed toward IT could cost you in other areas; however, with strategic use of managed IT services, your business can flow and evolve dynamically. Consider how these seven benefits of managed IT services could impact your company for the better. If you’re ready to find out more about how managed IT services can work for your business, give {company} of {city} a call at {phone}. You can also email us at {email} for more information.