Ransomware has caused such a furor in the world of business computing (and especially in certain industries), to the point that many organizations are sparing no expense in getting tip-top network security measures in place. There have been ransomware removal tools available designed for specific ransomware exploits, but now there’s a tool that will allow PC owners and business enterprisers to be able to run a simulation that tests how ransomware-ready their system/network is. And, the attacks are getting more vicious with every variant to come down the pike. Graham Cluley was the first to report on a new Locky ransomware phishing attack where the emails claim to be “credit card suspended” and “suspicious money movement” warnings. Cluley said: “In the last few days there have been a spate of spammed-out attacks using similar techniques to dupe unwary internet users into clicking on an attachment that will lead to their Windows PC being infected with the notorious Locky ransomware.” This attack is now using threats claiming that there have been “suspicious movements” of funds out of your bank account and/or that your credit card account has been suspended. Here is an example of the suspicious money movement social engineering tactic: Attached to the email is a ZIP file containing a malicious Javascript file (.JS), that, if the employee opens it, downloads the most recent version of the Locky ransomware from a remote server from one of five different URLs. Next, the ransomware is executed without any further user interaction. Some anti-virus products detect the malicious Javascript as Trojan.JS.Downloader.GXW, but that changes on a regular basis. Here’s an example of the credit card suspension email: The Locky cybercriminals are well-organized and highly automated. They change the names and contact details used in these phishing emails so you cannot rely on them being the same. Ransomware is cybercrime’s most successful business model, so count on these attacks increasing in the future. It is highly recommended by IT security experts that you have your defense-in-depth fully in place, have weapons-grade backups, and step your users through new-school security awareness training which includes frequent simulated phishing attacks to keep them on their toes with security top of mind. How to Get the Free Ransomware Simulator Tool However vulnerable your network is to ransomware attacks, there is hope. Bad guys are constantly coming out with new versions of ransomware strains to evade detection, but there are also new tools to get rid of it. Is your network effective in blocking ransomware when employees fall for social engineering attacks? KnowBe4’s Ransomware Simulator “RanSim” gives you a quick assessment of the effectiveness of your existing network protection. RanSim will simulate five ransomware infection scenarios and show you if a workstation is vulnerable to infection. The RanSim program works in the following ways: It’s a 100% harmless simulation of a real ransomware infection. It does not use any of your own files. It tests 10 types of infection scenarios. Just download the install and run it. You get results in a just few minutes. Get a No-Hassle Network Security Evaluation  {company} is a leader in providing responsive IT security tools and technology. Get a no-obligation evaluation of your computer network security now, by calling a friendly representative at {phone}, or by emailing us at {email} for more information.

Clinch the deal with the right follow-up email at the right time Successful cold email campaigns ideally begin with an attention-getting, well-crafted email aimed to pique the interest of a specific target audience. However, the follow-up email is where most sales are made or lost, so pay close attention to the quality of your second contact — it’s your best chance to show the value of the product or service you’re offering and to engage the customer in meaningful dialog. If you’re a good salesperson, you already know that persistence pays off because it demonstrates to potential customers that you really believe in what you’re selling, but what other strategies are likely to lead to a healthy conversation rate? Following is a tried-and-true formula for using follow-up emails to your best advantage. Pitch the Product and Solve a Problem The follow-up email is your second opportunity to pitch the product or service. The email should be short, sweet, and to-the-point while highlighting your product’s benefits. Value-oriented messages in an assertive but nonetheless polite tone have the best impact. Think of a problem that your product solves and incorporate that into your main message. To show recipients that you’re ready to stand behind what you’re selling, offer them a free trial for a short period of time, a money-back guarantee, or other teaser designed to demonstrate value. At the end of the email, provide recipients with two options. Be direct, and ask them if they’d like to opt out of further offers. The other option is, of course, to take advantage of a trial offer or to outright purchase the product or service. Timing Matters Send your follow-up email in the morning so it will be at the top of recipients’ inboxes and one of the first things they spot when they begin their day. Because you want your email to appear as if it were sent by a friend, don’t choose the top of the hour — sent it at 8:06, for instance, instead of 8:00 sharp. Also, keep your target audience in mind when determining the best time to send the email. The days of the week that work best for sending follow-up emails are the ones in the middle. Emails may be overlooked on busy Mondays, and those that arrive on Friday may be ineffective if they reach those who are thinking more about their weekend plans than about business at hand. Those employed by large corporations are best reached the earlier the better during normal business hours, but if you’re targeting entrepreneurs, you’ve got significantly more leeway. Sunday evenings, for instance, are actually a good time to target those who are self employed because they may have more time to read emails than during the week. Also, keep the intended recipients’ individual time zones in mind when sending follow-up emails. To optimize your chances of positive responses, test several different times to find that particular sweet spot. Time your messages so that they’re at least two days apart to avoid being seen as a scammer. Plan for your email campaign to last several weeks rather than trying to cram it into a one-week period. Also, keep in mind that when dealing with large companies, the best strategy may be to ask for referrals to the person or department that makes the purchasing decisions relevant to your particular product or service. Please feel free to contact {company} in {city} at your earliest convenience {phone} or {email} for more information on crafting the perfect killer follow-up email and getting the timing just right.

Many businesses are making the switch from reactive IT support services to proactive IT support, which comes primarily in the form of managed IT services. Why is this happening? Well, it seems the “break-fix” approach just isn’t working for most SMB enterprises anymore. A great many of those SMBs are opting instead for proactive IT support for many reasons, which we’ll outlay for you below. Reactive IT support is more costly. Managed services, which offer proactive support, streamline and economize the costs of IT support, as opposed to reactive support. Proactive IT support, a.k.a. managed IT services, present a fixed, predictable billing rate, as opposed to billing you for each support call individually. This allows business owners to budget sensibly rather than dealing with unexpected bills when tech problems arise. This also benefits enterprisers by not having to send out engineers and technicians on-site. Reactive support, on the other hand, hits you with unexpected bills, and sometimes including unexpected fees. Reactive support is less convenient. Proactive support runs 24/7/365, whereas reactive support is not ongoing, or continuous in nature. Reactive response time following a network fault takes time. This lag in response time can hold back your workplace productivity. Also, the break-fix approach only responds to the most severe problems first, and focuses on one issue at a time. This makes the process much slower and harder to get ahead on things of lesser importance in the chain, but which are still relevant. The proactive model recognizes all issues first, then assigns bigger problems to more high-skilled resources. This creates a more fluid, scalable system where resolution can be quickly achieved on a wide variety of issues. Proactive support can also fix multiple problems simultaneously in this way. With multiple levels of on-site and remote IT support available, proactive wins in responsiveness and convenience. Reactive support is unpredictable and, ultimately, unreliable. By taking the reactive approach, it’s never completely clear how reliable the help you’re going to get is. You can spend a lot of money fixing your broken computer, only to have it break again. So, you call up another IT specialist and go through the process all over again. And if you want to hire or train your own IT staff member, that can break your budget. With the proactive approach, you are provided support developed from extensive experience and knowledge which is guaranteed to perform efficiently every time a problem arises. Get Proactive IT Support Now If you are concerned that you and your enterprise aren’t getting the level of IT support you deserve, then contact an IT consultant with {company}, which is a leader in proactive, managed IT services. Call {phone} or email us at {email}, and we will be happy to answer any of your questions or provide you with a comprehensive IT consultation.

New Popcorn Time Ransomware Demands Cash Unless Infected User Agrees to Spread the Virus to Friends We’re Urging Local Individuals and Businesses to be Informed about Latest and Most Sophisticated Cyber Scam The need for cyber security has been on the radar and in the playbooks of serious companies and their executives for some years. However, recent advancements in a particularly virulent strain of software called “ransomware” has made even forward-thinking CIOs sit up and take notice. Ransomware attacks are hitting individuals, institutions and businesses hard, right here in {city}. Ransomware attacks are defined by their demand for incredibly high ransom fees simply to restore access to information and reinstate productivity. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the newest form of diabolical ransomware floating around the internet is through a software called Popcorn Time. Popcorn Time is deviously named after but unrelated to the bittorent piracy app and quickly infects a user’s machine and demands a 1 bitcoin ransom (over $700), to reinstate access to data held hostage. However, the particularly daunting aspect of this strain of ransomware is the alternative escape option it offers. If an infected user can’t afford the bitcoin payment, they can have their files released for free on one condition: send the malicious link to two friends, have them download the infection and pay the ransom. Reminiscent of a B-rated Hollywood horror film or a bad pyramid scheme, this new method of spreading the virus and seeking out more victims is incredibly hard to track, prevent and slow down. The frightening new software was discovered by cyber-security researchers, MalwareHunterTeam, and the malicious program is still in development. However, researchers claim that if left to develop fully, the innovative method of distribution could make Popcorn Time one of the most dangerous and wide-spread cyber-scams on the internet. So what can individuals do to stay protected? And what does one do when they find themselves faced with paying a ransom or selling out their friends? The cyber-security experts at {company} want to make sure {city} individuals and businesses are well-versed in how to proactively keep data protected before nasty ransomware like this takes hold of data. The most important point of defense is securing reliable back-up solutions where an emergency copy of all important data is stored and protected on a separate machine or in the cloud. Through proactive and strategic planning and preparedness, the {company} team is committed to ensuring that their client base is equipped with comprehensive back-ups in case of attack or disaster. Because of this foresight, {company} clients wouldn’t have to pay the ransom to retrieve their files in the case of an attack, nor would they have to consider selling out colleagues or friends to avoid the bitcoin payment. Even with backups in place, damage-control and restoration time to get business back on track can be costly. Though the {company} team is equipped to help clients recover from disaster quickly, there is a cost associated for the man hours needed to restore data. Not to mention the lost productivity and wage expenses that businesses suffer because their employees are unable to work for a certain amount of time. Furthermore, ransomware attacks like Popcorn Time are getting increasingly sophisticated and malicious and can manifest in ever-evolving ways. Therefore, it’s critical to have a variety of cyber-security measures in place to ensure protection. Investing in the correct preparation and protection mechanisms may seem time consuming or costly, however, the cost pales in comparison to the potential damages that a ransomware attack can cause. As the prevalence and sophistication of ransomware continues to rise, the potential cost and productivity savings of enlisting IT support is becoming increasingly evident. If you’d like to connect your business-minded audience with more information about this nasty new strain of Ransomware, other daunting cyber-security threats and tips for staying informed and protected, please don’t hesitate to reach out to {company} at {phone} or email us at {email}. Keeping the masses informed is the first and most important step against beating cyber criminals.

Many people assume that when a large scale data breach occurs, some mission-critical system failed somewhere down the line. Maybe there was a hiccup in a real-time network scanning solution, or a firewall that was thought to be impenetrable turned out to be anything but. While this is sometimes the case, in reality there is usually a different cause altogether. Theories like these overlook the human factor behind it all, which is often one of the most overlooked causes of data breaches in the digital age. The Awareness Factor It’s also important to note that rogue employees are NOT the only ones who may do your organization harm. Even employees with the best of intentions can still fall victim to cyber attacks and intrusion attempts due to a good, old-fashioned lack of awareness. Phishing attempts are getting more sophisticated all the time and employees have to be careful to not accidentally expose their passwords. Employees may overlook data-privacy regulations because they’re not truly aware of just how important the information they’re handling really is. Employees may use unauthorized websites or shadow IT tools out of convenience, accidentally exposing your entire business to harm. ALL of these are very real threats in today’s world and none of them have anything to do with someone who was actively trying to hurt you in the first place. Time Heals All Wounds… and Causes All New Ones Another one of the most overlooked causes of data breaches has to do with employees who are overworked and overburdened, cutting corners in an attempt to get as much done as possible – and paying dearly for it. Even something as simple as improperly configuring a security tool can leave your entire business exposed. Employees who are rushing to meet deadlines might forget to update security patches, leaving a pressing vulnerability unchecked. All of these can lead to poor security practices, which opens the door for very serious (and expensive) cyber issues moving forwards. Passwords, Passwords, Passwords Finally, passwords. You can set up as many intrusion detection and network scanning tools as you’d like and it ultimately won’t mean anything if the passwords your employees are using aren’t strong enough in the first place. Think about all of the devices that are in use across your business each day. Laptops, tablets, cell phones, desktop computers and more – all of which are potential vulnerabilities just waiting to be taken advantage of by someone with the right tools and the appropriate amount of knowledge. Now, think about what might happen if your employee protected their laptop with a weak password like “Password1.” The amount of damage that could be carried out could be catastrophic, and absolutely all of it could have been avoided by simply educating your employees on how important strong passwords are and taking steps to confirm that they’re in place with your IT department. {company} works hard to bring you stories like these on a regular basis, helping to guarantee that you have access to all the latest news, tips, tricks and best practices that you need to run the organization you’ve always wanted. To find out more information about this or any other related topics, please feel free to contact us at {phone} or by email at {email} today.

There are many apps you can use to find the holiday music that will complete your holiday events. Microsoft Groove is one of those apps and now learn how you can use it during the holidays. Microsoft Groove is a great way to find music that you love all year long. During the holiday season though, you can find a Christmas list that will keep you in the mood. Finding the ideal holiday playlist is very easy on Microsoft Groove and there are a few ways you can do it. The music you can find on the app ranges from classic music and holiday favorites like “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” and “All I Want for Christmas is You.” The lists you will find are hand selected making them the perfect personalized holiday music list. The Groove Music Pass In order to get the most out of Microsoft Groove and take advantage of the tips we will provide you with, you have to be a Groove Music Pass Subscriber. If you are already a subscriber, you can go ahead and start finding the personalized playlists that you want for the season. However, if you are not already a subscriber, you can get a free 30 day trial so you can use Microsoft Groove during the holiday season on your Windows 10 devices. 31 Days of Holiday Playlists With Microsoft Groove, listening to holiday music has never been easier. If you do not have time to create your own playlists, you can listen to one of the playlists that they provide for you. Every day for 31 days, they will provide a new holiday playlist for you to listen to. All you have to do to gain access to the playlists is launch the Groove app and click on the explore tab. On this tab, you will see the “31 Days of Playlists” option at the top. Holiday Album Compilations If you want to look for holiday music another way, you can also look at the collection of popular holiday album compilations. To find these lists, you can look at the Explore tab in the Groove player. On this tab, you can type in the word holiday or Christmas to find all of the compilations for the holiday season. You can even narrow your search by including terms such as jazz, party, or other words. Search by Artist The last way you can find the perfect holiday playlist through Microsoft Groove is by searching for holiday music by artists. You can search for your favorite artists plus the word holiday to find new classics from your favorites. There is no better way to find holiday music that was released by some of your favorite artists. No matter what kind of music you are looking for this holiday season, you can find it through Microsoft Groove. If you are not a subscriber, you can even listen to the app for free during the trial this holiday season. You can find all of the music that you and your family loves. Plus, you can create different playlists for different activities all holiday season long. For more information about Microsoft Groove, be sure to contact {company} in {city} via {phone} or {email}.

A discussion of a recent ransomware attack at the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency and the curious events that unfolded afterwards. These days, it is not uncommon to read about yet another business or organization falling victim to the devastating effects of a cyber attack. Case in point: in November, the San Francisco Municipal Transportation Agency was the victim of a ransomware attack that caused fare station terminals to all display an ominous message. What happened next, though, makes this one of the more unique cyber events in recent memory. What Happened? In late November, SFMTA was hit by a ransomware attack that caused all fare terminals to display the same message: “You are Hacked. ALL Data Encrypted.” This is nothing new, but what makes this situation so unique is that the person behind the initial ransomware attack was hacked himself. In the process, it revealed details about not only other victims, but also about who he really is and where he is located. Problems for this would-be hacker began when he left an email address for SFMTA to use to make contact with him. The address, cryptom27@yandex.com, could be used to pay the approximately $73,000 ransom and obtain the keys necessary to decrypt all of the station’s files. However, a few days later security researchers were contacted by someone who claimed to have hacked that cryptom27 email address after reading a news article about the San Francisco Rail System situation. The original hacker’s inbox was breached by simply guessing the answers to his security questions. His email password was then reset, giving the second hacker complete access. The information obtained during this second breach is very valuable for those who wish to avoid falling victim to similar attacks in the future. It was learned that the average extortion attempt for this person ranged between $45,000 and $70,000 or more and that he had even recently breached a manufacturing firm based in the United States. He was also in the habit of switching Bitcoin wallets every few days, rarely going more than a week or two without making the change. Security is Important For Hackers, Too All told, this person was smart enough to extort approximately $140,000 from victims over the years. Yet at the same time, he fell prey to something that is one of the most common blunders in the world of cyber security: using password or security question information that is too easy to guess. In the end, the curious case of the San Francisco Rail System hack should serve as a valuable lesson about the current state of cyber security. Regardless of how you may try or how many precautions you may take, NOBODY out there is safe from hackers – even people who may be doing a little hacking themselves. This is one lesson that the SFMTA attacker likely won’t soon forget. As of December 2016, the original hacker has yet to be brought to justice. However, with the amount of personal information that is now known about him, he’s no doubt having trouble sleeping at night. {company} is incredibly proud to be your go-to source for all of the important news, tips, tricks and best practices that you need to leverage the power of modern technology to your advantage. If you’re in {city} and would like to find out more about these or any other related topics, please don’t delay – contact us today by phone at {phone} or by sending us an email at {email}.

The Section 179 tax deduction allows your business to write off the full cost of technology purchases, up to a maximum of $500,000. This deduction is only available to businesses whose total technology purchases for the year are less than $2 million, which means that Section 179 is geared perfectly towards small and mid-sized businesses. A wide range of items fall under Section 179 eligibility, from laptops, printers, and off-the-shelf software, to office furniture, specialty equipment, and even vehicles. However, Section 179 has a very firm December 31st, 2016 deadline, and only items purchased, shipped, and installed at your physical location by midnight on December 31st are eligible for this deduction. Any qualifying items need to be in use at your office in order to count towards the Section 179 deduction for this year. This deadline is approaching fast, which may put a lot of larger purchases out of your reach for this year. But that doesn’t mean you are out of options. Something like Microsoft Office 365 falls under the off-the-shelf software category, and can be purchased and installed quickly and easily with help from your IT provider. Items like laptops or printers that have already been purchased this year but not set up can still be put into use in time to qualify. If your intended purchases will take time, research, and planning, now is the perfect time to talk to your IT provider about making those changes happen in 2017. The Section 179 deduction as it stands now will be an annual opportunity for your business, meaning that you’ll have this same amazing chance to save your business thousands of dollars on technology investments year after year. A consultation with the {company} team can help your business figure out which technology purchases will provide the most benefit to you in the long run. Finally, please keep in mind that {company} is an IT provider. While we can offer you our advice, you should direct any questions about the finer points of Section 179 to your CPA or tax attorney. Want to find out more about how you can take advantage of Section 179 for your business before time runs out? Contact us at {email} or {phone}. You can also visit the official Section 179 website for more information.

Cyber attacks are on the rise and cyber security is becoming more and more difficult to grasp. With ransomware attacks steadily increasing, these tips can help you better protect yourself. Ransomware attacks are becoming more and more common. Since they are on the rise, you should be doing everything possible to protect yourself. You may not be able to completely avoid them even with the best protection but you can take other steps to ensure you are not a victim. Ransomware Attacks on the Rise No one wants to be the victim of a ransomware attack but according to data recently released from Kaspersky Lab, the number of people who have been attacked have more than doubled in the last quarter. In Q3 of 2016 alone, there were 821,865 victims of ransomware. This does not include other types of cyber attacks. Not only that, but the number of people who have been attacked has been steadily rising during 2016 and does not show any sign of slowing down. Ransomware attacks occur when a cyber attacker hacks your system and takes hold of your files. They will not allow you access your files in any way unless you pay them a “ransom” that will allow them to release the files back to you. This is not only inconvenient, but also can be very dangerous. With attacks happening more frequently, it is best to take steps to better protect yourself. What You Can Do to Protect Yourself Even though it is scary how many attacks are happening these days, that does not mean you do not have a way to better protect yourself from them. One of the best ways to protect yourself is by having software installed that will prevent attacks from ransomware and malware while also notifying you of potential threats. You can purchase packages that are monthly and yearly. If you have protection on your devices, it is much more difficult for someone to target you. Other things you can do to protect yourself include: Backing up your devices so you can have access to them no matter what Updating software whenever available so you have the best protection Practicing safety when communicating with people you do not know Ignoring emails that are spam and not clicking the links within them. If you want some help protecting your computer from ransomware attacks, be sure to contact {company} by {email} or {phone}. They can help you find the ideal solutions and protections in {city} so you can be safer on the internet.

After 10 years, Microsoft is phasing out support for many of their 2007 products, including Office and Exchange — are you prepared for the switch? Still using Microsoft Office 2007? Microsoft will cease offering support for this and related products in fall 2017; this phase out includes extended custom support agreements as well. What does this coming change mean for you, your business and your clients? What Does the Coming Change Mean for your Business? 2017 will see the end of support for some of their most visible and used products, from Office 2007 to Microsoft Exchange Server 2007. Microsoft has shared a detailed list of the products being eliminated for your reference; upgrading to another operating system now or switching to a more recent version of Office can help you avoid complications from the phase-out. Computers, networks and workstations still running Office 2007 may be reaching the end of their useful lifespans; the new phase-out makes the coming year an ideal time to reevaluate your needs and equipment. Making plans now for upgrading or moving away from these older systems can help you avoid trouble later. This round of phase outs will likely not be the last; Office and Exchange 2010 will likely be phasing out support in the coming years as well. Making 2017 a time of upgrading and reevaluating, including technology replacement and system upgrades. Even larger customers who have custom support agreements will see support come to an end by October 2017; in the past, Microsoft has allowed enterprise customers to pay a significant fee to continue receiving custom updates after support for a legacy product has ended. What’s so Bad About Outdated Software and Technology? When you use obsolete software or technology for your business, you waste time and money, and potentially put your business at risk. When your software or operating system is outdated and no longer supported, you won’t be able to find the help you need for even simple problems. A lack of security patches and updates could put you at risk for malware and ransomware as well. Keeping your technology up to date ensures you don’t run into downtime or end up losing your valuable data. If you are still using Microsoft products with “2007” in the name for your {city} business, we can help. Taking a proactive stance and upgrading now allows you to sidestep the problem and ensures your business continues to operate worry free. Contact {company} at {email} or {phone} to learn more about upgrading your outdated software and obsolete technology and to find out how we can help your business save time and money in 2017 and beyond.