Major news sites have been exploited by hackers using a malware exploit package known as the “Angle exploit kit.” Some of the targeted sites include The New York Times, BBC, Newsweek, AOL, MSN, The Hill, and the Guardian. A bit of dark humor is in that one of the infected news pages was a Guardian article asking if cybercrime was getting out of hand. In laymen’s terms—these attacks work by infecting an otherwise trusted site then redirecting Web-page visitors to a malicious site that downloads malware into the victim’s computer. The malicious software scours the host’s computer looking for java based vulnerabilities to exploit. After finding a flank to turn it can block off all usability and accessibility to the owner’s computer and any information contained within. At that point, the end user is faced with a choice of potentially loosing vital information or paying the criminal hackers to essentially get their computer back. The popular term for this type of criminal exploit and software is called ransomware. This is an expensive problem for multiple parties. Obviously, the computer owner or end-system user is being hurt whether they pay the ransom or not. If they do not pay the ransom they will either have to spend time and money to remove the malware or spend time and money to regenerate the lost information. When these users do pay to get their computer back they are only feeding the beast. The ransomware packages are inexpensive to buy and run, and it is said they only need to get a few victims to pay to cover their cost—anything else after that is profit; profit that will oftentimes be reinvested to develop more sophisticated attacks in the future. A second victim in this is the host site, which was exploited and infected. The attacks damage the host’s credibility and could very well cost it, its visitors and thereby precious advertisement revenue. This happened to Lenovo PC, a Chinese computer company, who was targeted by a ransomware attack. Even though the company has promised a safer PC experience they are still struggling to fix their credibility and relationships with customers. A final victim in all of this (albeit a less talked about one) is the legitimate web based advertisers. Free ad blocking software is deeply affecting their long-term viability and incidents like this will only drive more and more PC users into the ad blocking software’s arms. After all, just by turning ads off altogether is another way to stop your computer from getting infected. At this point we have come full circle. Advertisement is the lifeblood of the free internet and if that is cut off it will hurt the content websites and through that the end users.

Since Babylonian times, when business records were written on clay tablets, the systems and strategies of business have evolved and changed. When seeking how to evolve in your own work, you want something that supports, enhances and protects your business. One of the most useful innovations in recent times has been the cloud. The cloud allows you to use files and applications over the Internet. Whether you are a small mom and pop shop, a solo entrepreneur or Fortune 500 company, cloud computing is the way to go forward, taking your attention to detail and the ability to work from anywhere to the next level. Cloud computing, also known as on-demand computing, is a trend that is rapidly transforming how business is done. It’s an Internet-based computing system that provides shared resources and data to many kinds of devices, from smartphones and tablets to laptops and desktop computers, giving both small and large companies the versatility to work in an on-demand access modality, with the ability to share a pool of resources. For businesses of any size, it offers a slick combination of inexpensive cost of services, performance, availability and scalability. A trend has turned into a profound movement that is transforming the world of business. Since 2012, major companies such as Netflix, Instagram, Xerox, Apple, Pinterest, Etsy, and MediaMath have taken the cloud by storm and have reinvented the way business is done. Almost all of their business is now based in the cloud. Companies like Etsy and Pinterest are large businesses with the mission of supporting small business owners and entrepreneurs. The cloud allows this alignment of big business and small business in a seamless interface. Although the beginnings of cloud computing stretch back to the 1990s, it didn’t take hold in the mainstream until 2012. According to Forbes, 37% of all U.S. small businesses are now in the cloud, but the business magazine predicts that 78% will be fully adapted to using cloud computing by 2020. Additionally, hybrid cloud, a mixture of public and private cloud platforms, is now being used by 18% of small businesses. There are several important reasons to consider moving your business to the cloud: Lower Cost There are significant savings in moving part or all of your everyday business to the cloud. Cloud computing lowers the need for on-site, physical server hardware, because cloud-based applications are hosted by the company providing that application. This means small businesses can do more with less and maximize their ability to seem bigger than they are. By using the cloud, businesses can also protect themselves from losing all their information in an expensive computer crash, because the hosting company often provides back-up services in addition to application access. Moving operations to the cloud lowers the cost of hardware, application upgrades, support and maintenance. Cloud computing systems reduce the need for the fastest computer with the most memory, thus allowing the business to buy less expensive computers for employee use in addition to saving on other hardware costs. This can be a make or break financial decision in the tight budgets of small businesses, where margins are often fractions of a dollar, and time saved and used well can make a difference in profits. Collaboration Collaboration is among the best offerings of the cloud. Business owners can monitor day-to-day business tasks in real-time, from anywhere they can connect to the Internet. The cloud gives the ability to access and save all kinds of files. Employees can work from the same master document. Cloud storage services like Google Drive have the ability for users to upload, edit, comment and save documents. Employers can pick and choose how to limit the employees access, thus allowing a divergent number of employees to work on separate documents without risking the integrity of sensitive documents. This gives an element of security that, in traditional methods of computing, would cost a small business a great deal of money. Flexibility and Mobility The cloud can be accessed anywhere, from any device, as long as it can connect to the Internet. Employees are no longer tied to one single computer containing vital documents, but can log in and access the same documents from anywhere with Internet access. This allows an employee to work from home or check in while traveling for business. More and more workers are requesting flexible working arrangements and the ability to access work from anywhere in the world. No longer will bad weather, bad traffic or illness hamper the ability to work on a document. Employees who can’t reach the office but don’t want to take time off can log in from home to work, instead. This flexibility can save employees and employers a great deal of stress in a pinch, by playing to the strength of mobility. Cloud computing allows small business owners to manage their businesses from anywhere, at any time. This has brought all the important files to the flexibility of a smartphone or tablet at a business dinner, without the bulk of paper. There’s no need for clients to wait until an executive can take them “back to the office” at a later time. This immediacy of access can transform a small business’s success. Integration Implementing a cloud-based business solution allows for a variety opportunities. Small businesses can benefit from a variety of services that other businesses provide, from banking to marketing to accounting to human resources. These opportunities allow a business to grow and succeed without having to become too big internally. It allows for speedy growth with minimal growing pains, by using established and successful back office operations to be outsourced. Adopting a cloud-based business solution creates multiple opportunities for integration — and simplified integration, at that. Cloud-adapted small businesses have the option of integrating with various cloud-based providers. This allows a small entrepreneur to focus on the aspect of business that they do best. Why aren’t you using cloud-based technology? {company} located in {city} works hard so we can provide you the best possible

Natural disasters can come at any time, regardless of human attempts to prevent the disasters. Geographic, marine, population, health and geological events can qualify as being recognized and known as natural disasters depending on their effects on human, animal, or plant life and on the earth in general. Sometimes, an event only becomes known as a natural disaster after its cumulative effects are observable as a whole. Other events, such as the ravaging brush fires in Australia, were immediately considered a natural disaster because of the desperate consequences to the affected area and the human, animal, and agricultural impacts felt from the fires. One step that can be taken to ameliorate the effects of many natural disasters by lessening or compensating for economic losses is being appropriately protected by sufficient Insurance coverage. Often, obtaining suitable insurance is as much an economic decision as a strategic and policy decision for the procuring entity having access to acceptable, affordable coverage is often problematic. The presence of insurance coverage won’t keep the trouble away, but can help restore the status quo after disaster strikes.. Disaster preparedness is essential for any business. Knowing what to do, which tools cut off which valves, the location of fire extinguishers and first aid supplies, the requisite contact information, and the location of emergency exits from any building should be ascertained upon moving to a new space. Individual employees should each be tasked with completing the practiced emergency procedure. The responsibility of accounting for the whereabouts of all personnel in an office setting should be delegated. Ideally, there should be a quarterly review of these procedures, to keep them fresh in everyone’s minds. A Municipal governmental response can be anticipated in the event of a natural disaster. The employee of a company tasked with supervising disaster preparedness should schedule a meeting with the authorities upon receiving that assignment. Even if it only results in a tour of the offices by local fire officials and first responders, that will be a fruitful meeting for establishing communication. Central government response may be treated and planned for in much the same way as any municipal response may be planned and scheduled. Identifying the appropriate offices and officials who would be expected to respond in the event of a natural disaster is important. A further necessary step is initiating communication between the official and the employee-liaison who is responsible for coordinating the staff members? Depending on the magnitude of the natural disaster, groups, such as the army, national guard, and other military branches may become involved, in addition to local and regional authorities. The local police likely have in place some type of defense plan for their jurisdiction. In addition to local response, response can be expected at the national level. Also, depending on the nature of the disaster and the response required evacuation- to-safety-plans may be required to keep individuals safe and to diffuse any crowd – related problems. These would have to be implemented by authorities having a clear mandate to keep order, probably a local police effort. No one is ever prepared for the occurrence of a natural disaster, regardless of its likelihood, magnitude, or precedent in the surrounding area. An example of this uncertainty is the eventuality of another major earthquake in the San Francisco area. While a quake has not been foreseen as to any of the particulars, one will likely occur within the next decade, unfortunately. The best things area residents can do are to be certain that they are as prepared for this and any other natural disasters that may hit. The lesson to other, less disaster-prone areas is to remain aware of potential threats and have concrete plans to render aid if disaster ever does strike.

A look at some of the many benefits that managed IT services have to offer for smaller businesses. Many associate managed IT services with big business and large corporations. However, this is one of the many reasons why small businesses ignore IT services… as they imagine they’re more trouble than they’re worth (especially without IT technicians on hand). With this being said, we’re going to cover some of the benefits that managed IT services have to offer for small business. – Significantly Less Risks – Since small businesses are not in the IT business, the event of consumer data breaches concerning hacking or Malware can be devastating. However, managed IT services can provide small businesses with the 24/7 security they need to effectively bounce back. This means that in the event of a security breach, the IT services can restore the information with the skill, resources, and speed they possess to secure and protect the data’s integrity (that would have been lost otherwise). Reduced Costs for IT Labor – Having an IT staff at all times can be very costly and time consuming for a small business. This is especially true in the event where the IT staff needs to be trained before they can be hired. Managed IT allows a small business to access highly trained professionals whenever they are needed. Expert Assistance – A managed IT platform gives small businesses 24/7 access to IT experts for assistance. Whether it be for disaster recovery or simple support, the managed IT service partner is willing to handle your security, virus and firewall protection, LAN/WAN monitoring, on-sit support, or infrastructure management needs at any given moment. Controlled Costs – Although many assume that any form of IT support is expensive, the same cannot be said with managed IT support. Most managed IT programs can tailored to the requirements (and budget) the small business needs. To make matters even better, managed IT support allows the small business to focus on core issues… as opposed to IT maintenance. Less Risk and Downtime – Managed IT allows a small business to track and analyze their information much more quickly and efficiently than in the past. Since past information is stored (regarding the small business) and can be analyzed, it leaves little room for failure or error when launching a new idea or product. By making decisions backed by information, it ultimately reduces risks and downtime associated with new ideas or products. Capacity Planning – One thing that many small businesses (operating with managed IT) realize is that they always have the managed provider’s tools at their disposal. As the small business information is constantly being monitored, the critical information (that can be used later) is stored as historical data. The data can then be used to analyze trends in capacity performance and make alterations based on the said data. Considering the information above, managed IT services and small businesses are a winning combination. With a small business focusing on the core work and managed IT focusing on data management/technical support, the relationship can survive the ever changing tides of the marketplace.

The internet is packed full of countless companies offering free website hosting, and although this sounds a little more than tempting, the old saying the best things in life are free, doesn’t really apply when it comes to websites. Most beginners who wish to start their own website want to keep the associated costs as low as possible, this is understandable. However, once you sign up for these “free website services” it won’t be long before you begin to discover the myriad of limitations that these free website have. In fact, in many cases you will find that these website services aren’t free at all – not to mention the time you will waste on creating a mediocre and ultimately ineffective website. Today, anyone can have a presence on the web, even a 12 year old can create a crappy website and be present on the web – that does not mean that you’re going to get your name or your brand  for that matter out there effectively. In this article I will share with you 10 reasons why having a free website is a terrible idea, and why you should avoid it all costs. Slow websites This is perhaps the most common negative aspect of free websites. This is because most free website hosting providers have hundreds of websites sharing the same server. This makes for a website that loads at a very slow speed, that gives a bad user experience, and is even worse for SEO. Unprofessional web address First of all, having a website with a domain name like “freewebsite.com” looks anything but professional. In fact, you can’t expect potential clients to take you or your website seriously if you don’t even have a proper domain name. Sure, some free website companies will offer custom domain names, but they usually come with a fee- making them a NOT free website, that has the same limitations as the “free” offerings. It’s just not worth it. Irrelevant and intrusive advertisements on your website The majority of these free website services are supported by advertisements that more often than not have absolutely nothing to do with you. Whats worse is that you’re creating the content on your website while your free website provider is racking in the cash for these ads. I personally am very intolerant of websites that blast me with intrusive and unattractive ads. Even if I am interested in the content of the site, a horde of ads littering the page will do nothing more than motivate me to find the information or service I am looking for elsewhere. In some cases it may be your very own competitors whose ads appear on your website! No thank you. These companies can close up shop at anytime At any time, and without notice, these free websites can decide to pack up their business and go. Before you know it they can and will shut down their servers, taking with them all the data and hard work you have put in. Think they can’t do that? Think again. Their terms and conditions give them full legal authority to do so. They can shut down your website These free websites come with terms and conditions that very clearly state that they can shut down your website at anytime, and without reason. In most cases this means that once your website has been shut down, you won’t get back any of the data, or be provided  with a way to save your content. No one needs that sort of hassle hovering over their head. Limited or no WordPress Most free website services do not allow you to install WordPress, this is because WordPress requires more resources than a free website can afford, or is willing pay. Even if you find a free website service that allows you to host WordPress, more often than not their servers are just not capable of running it. In fact, you will almost certainly come across countless errors, that will ruin your WordPress experience. They can sell your information Look, these free website providers aren’t providing these free services out of the goodness of their hearts. They are in it to make money. One way they make their money, is by selling your information to other companies. This small detail is always mentioned in the terms and conditions, unfortunately no one really reads them – which is exactly what these providers are banking on. Malware distribution Free website service providers are notorious for distributing malware. This is probably due in part to their poor security, or they could just be doing it to increase their bank account balance. At any rate, it hurts your website’s reputation and SEO. No branded email With free websites you cannot create email accounts with your own domain name. This means you will have to use your gmail or hotmail email account, this does not look professional at all. No backups Imagine you have designed and created a beautifully laid out content for your website. Now think about something bad happening to your site where all of your hard work and data is gone. This is a very real possibility when it comes to having a free website. This is because these free websites have absolutely no concept of regular backups to safeguard you from losing, or being able to restore your data. Again, it’s just not worth it. {company} offers comprehensive IT solution plans specifically designed to safeguard your organization from lost data and cyberthreats. Contact us today at {phone} or send us an email at {email} to talk more about how our offerings can enhance your operations and positively impact your bottom line.

Have You Opened Any Invoice Attachments Lately? Just this past week, a new ransomware called Locky was discovered that has security experts a little more than concerned. In fact, many IT service providers have found that it is spreading at an alarming rate, and is able to bypass antivirus, spam filtering, and web filtering solutions. That being said, if you regularly (or ever) are required to open attachments such as word documents or invoices, you will want to read this. Security researchers have recently discovered that Locky is achieving approximately 4000 new infections per hour, or around 100,000 per day. This means that statistically, you, could very well be a target. Locky is very similar to the CryptoWall virus, where it completely changes the filenames to encrypted files to make it very difficult to restore the right data, and at this time, there is no known way to decrypt files that have been encrypted by Locky. Make no mistake, this is far from your average easy to detect and remove ransomware, Locky means business. What is Locky? Aside from being far more than a minor nuisance, Locky, is a new strain of ransomware that uses two forms of social engineering to encrypt: Files Filenames Unmapped Network shares Much like its heavy hitting ransomware predecessors, it relies on email phishing to install, and thus far, experts report that these hackers are duping victims into downloading malicious attachments disguised as invoices. Security experts have been warning people to be cautious of emails that have subjects similar to ATTN: Invoice J-235434. How does Locky work? Now it’s not exactly a state secret that hackers often use social engineering to fool targets into believing that they are trustworthy by reaching out to them either online or over the phone. Fortunately, for now, Locky needs the targeted person to comply in order for it to be successfully launched. However, after examining the sophistication of the text in the body the Locky email, it is pretty easy to see how attackers are able to trick users into opening these attachments. The attack doesn’t end with a deceiving subject title however, Locky has another security layer to get past, and how it manages to do this is deviously clever. Once the attached document (or invoice) has been opened, the text will appear illegible or scrambled, this is when you will be prompted to enable macros, once you have done this, the macros will download an executable from a remote server and execute it.  The file that is downloaded by the macro will be stored in the %Temp% folder and executed – the executable is the Locky ransomware, that when started will begin to encrypt the files on your computer and network. How to protect yourself I’m sure that disabling macros across your entire company has come to mind right about now. But this isn’t exactly a feasible option considering your workforce more than likely work with a lot of legacy codes that rely heavily on macros. Instead, you will want to have weapons-grade backup/restore functionality. {company}, offers secure backups that will store and protect your data against ransomware attacks such as this, so regardless of what malicious attack you face, your data will remain safe and accessible. You can read more about {company} comprehensive Cloud Backup here https://www.hammett-tech.com/cloud-based-backup/ .   {company} offers comprehensive security and IT solution services that can safeguard your organization from a variety of malicious and targeted attacks. Contact us today at {phone} or send us an email at {email} for a free no obligation consultation pertaining to our security and Cloud backup offerings.              

The days of retyping PDF documents into Word documents is over. Adobe has come up with a subscription based service to convert PDF documents into editable Word documents. The solution is known as Adobe Export PDF. For $1.99 per month, Adobe allows the user to convert unlimited PDF documents into Word or Excel format. There is no program to install, the conversion is made, and then the document is available for download. The service is available through web browser and mobile device. During the conversion, Adobe Export PDF will keep the formatting as well. So, a financial document will be converted to Excel with the proper columns, headings, etc. Signing up for the service is easy and can be done here. You’re able to choose how to pay for the service: Monthly Annually Additionally, documents can be converted to Rich Text Format (RTF) and scanned documents can be formatted to Word and Excel as well. This service makes life so much easier for anyone who’s struggled with typing out PDF documents into Word documents. Find out more about the latest services available to simplify your workday. {company} is here for all of your information technology needs. Call {phone} or email us at {email}.

It’s no secret that at times staff and management alike spend a portion of company time perusing the internet for sales, checking up on social media, and even taking in the occasional cute kitten video or two. As many as half of all employees are taking part in these midday indulgences, which can wreak havoc on productivity. You may think there is little you can do about the situation, seeing as your workforce needs to access the internet to perform, but in reality, your hands are not tied. It is absolutely necessary to implement some sort of policies regarding internet use in the workplace, however before doing so you must first look at your individual business, and how policies enforcing internet use will affect it. How much of a priority is web filtering for you, and how will productivity and creativity be impacted when web filtering is implemented. Every business is different, so your answers may not be the same as someone else’s. While creating a web filtering plan is a critical component to your technology roadmap, there is no one size fits all solution. It is hard sometimes to find that perfect balance between shifting to a more mobile and independent workplace and maintaining strict control over the activities occurring on company time. Some sort of regulating is necessary in order to meet the compliance mandates that a lot of companies face, as well as for security reasons, to keep threats minimal. Developing Your Web Filtering Policies So, what is the best way to approach web filtering? On an individual, user by user basis. The goal is to use these tools to maximize productivity, but avoid negatively impacting the company by imposing creativity stifling limitations. Well, implementing web filtering policies may not be easy, but I can offer you these three simple steps to begin creating your web filtering plan. Establish a General Policy – The first step is to block malevolent websites, and establish a general policy that applies to all employees. This will make employees unable to access sites that contain content that is unacceptable for the workplace, such as violence or nudity. In addition, the general policy should block sites known to contain malware by default. Clearly Identify Roles and Categorize Them – Identify the different roles within your company and categorize them. You can them group them into common requirements, and apply filters that pertain only to those groups. For example, you can limit the access certain departments have, based on their need. This allows you to give certain people, such as designers, management, and others access to areas of the internet that those in the finance department would have no use for. Regular Review and Revisions – Once the policies have been put in place it is still necessary to regularly review them, and revise them accordingly. Upon review you may find that some applications are consuming too much bandwidth, or too much employee time is being spent on something unproductive, meaning policies need to be changed and adjusted to realign with your business goals and values. This is a job for a strategic technology advisor, as they can help you answer those difficult questions about web filtering and internet use in the workplace, guiding you to the best decisions for the most favorable outcomes. A good technology advisor can help you align company policies with your personal and professional goals, helping you use you your technology to it’s full potential and get the maximum advantage from it. To learn more about web filtering and the importance of a technology advisor reach out to the experts at {company}. Call us at {phone} or send an email to {email}.

The iPhone belonging to the couple who shot 14 people in San Bernardino is embroiled in a hot debate. The FBI is asking for Apple to give them access to the device, and Apple is stating privacy concerns as its reason for not complying. So what exactly is the FBI asking for? There have been cries of creating a “backdoor” into the device which Apple states could compromise the security and privacy of every iPhone. The FBI states this is not the case; they just want access to this particular iPhone. Self-Destruct Mode One of the issues with the iPhone is the erase feature, which can be activated. This occurs after ten unsuccessful attempts to enter the passcode onto the main screen. The entire phone is wiped clean within minutes of the last attempt, and then the phone is useless. Which Version? Another concern with this iPhone is the version of this particular model. This model has some variation of iOS 9 on it and an A6 chip. This means that this is one of the most restrictive phones for getting data without the passcode. Each subsequent model of iOS made encryption more complicated and jailbreaking even harder when the phone is locked. Without the passcode, the encryption key will not be activated and will keep the data hidden. Any extraction will result in only the file system and metadata being viewed. TV Makes It Look Easy While the actors in the shows can catch the bad guys within 30 to 60 minutes, this is not actually the case in real life. There are tools available to law enforcement or other protective entities to determine the passcodes for phones, but the tools only work with the permissible versions of the devices. One such tool, IP-BOX, worked with early versions of the iPhone because it exploited a vulnerability that it found. This vulnerability has been patched in later versions. Other choices only work with specific versions of iOS. None of these choices are currently usable for the iPhone in question. What About a Thumbprint or the Cloud? Again, this is specific to the version of the device. While the iPhone 5s allows for the thumbprint feature, this specific phone is an iPhone 5c. This is the model before Touch ID was introduced. The cloud offered some information, but the data discovered was, at least, a month old. There were no further back-ups to the cloud because the password was reset and needed to be re-entered before any further cloud back-ups could occur. What’s In The Phone?Here’s the rub, the phone could contain no useful information. Then again, it could. The FBI cannot determine this until they get into the phone. Phones normally store contact information, email, messages, phone numbers, notes, schedules, etc. Additionally, some phones have location information and logs of places visited. This information is available when the correct passcode is entered. This is what the FBI wants to know, is there anything useful on this phone to determine further motives for this attack or to offer information for future attacks? Their current situation requires the assistance of Apple to determine this. AppleApple’s concern is multi-faceted. They stand behind the idea that privacy and security issues will be born if they help the FBI gain access to the iPhone. If they help the FBI, who else will begin asking for help to access iPhones? Every model of iPhone has a deeper layer of encryption added to it, with the current models having the most intricate. Apple does not want to establish that there is a way to break these phones. Another concern is the apps that could be found on this phone. Most app developers have added their own level of encryption that Apple cannot help with. So the FBI might be able to access some information on the phone, but other information will need to be unlocked as well. Find out the latest technology concerns you need to know about. {company} is here to handle all of your technology needs – from monitoring to maintenance to security. Call {phone} or email us at {email}.