Mac users are highly vulnerable to ransomware, but with the proper precautions, they can keep the risk to a minimum. Like many aspects of IT, cyber security is always in motion. No sooner do hackers develop a new method to launch attacks or breaches than security experts find new ways to block them, which hackers then set to work undermining. Few forms of attack have attracted more attention from both attackers and defenders than ransomware, or software that holds your files hostage. By taking proper security measures, you can keep your Mac safe from these and other harmful programs. Rundown On Ransomware Ransomware refers to programs that deny users access to their files, usually as leverage to make them pay a fee, or ransom. These programs may enter your system through hyperlinks or email attachments. They then prevent you from using key parts of your computer, either by encrypting individual files or, in rare cases, locking out the entire screen. Often designed by criminal syndicates or other powerful institutions, ransomware can be impossible to remove, forcing you to either pay the ransom or give up your device. Although Apple advertises its products as being resistant to malware, the recent Transmission scandal demonstrates that ransomware is indeed a threat to Macs. In this instance, Mac users downloaded a ransomware program while attempting to torrent. The program waited a few days before locking them out of their files, letting them back in only in exchange for bitcoins. Given the growing popularity of Apple products, attacks of this kind are likely to become more common. Defense Details As serious as ransomware is, you need not be a security genius to avoid it. You can keep your devices safe through a few simple steps, namely: Download Diligence– Be wary about downloading content over the Internet, especially from sites that you are not familiar with. Before obtaining files from a new site, use Norton SafeWeb or other site security tools to make sure it is safe. You can also google the name of the site and see whether other users have reported problems with it. Email Examination– As with new sites, be wary of email attachments. Never open an attachment on an email from an address you are not familiar with. Even messages that seem to come from people you know could have been sent by dummy accounts, so contact friends and family over an independent channel before you open their attachments. Bolstered Browsers– Avoid browsers that have been flagged as vulnerable. Mozilla Firefox and Google Chrome are generally considered the safest tools for web access. Shore Up Your Systems– The more recent your operating system, the stronger its security measures will be. Regularly updating your Mac will thus bolster it against ransomware. In addition to preventing ransomware attacks, you can limit their impact if they do happen through redundancy. By making copies of key files and programs on separate devices, you let yourself quickly bounce back if an attack does succeed. For more information on protecting your {city} business from ransomware and other threats, contact {company} at {phone} or {email} today.

A look at how Client’s Day focuses on the importance customers in the professional field. No matter what kind of service you offer to the public, it’s likely that your business wouldn’t be around if it weren’t for your clients. It simply wouldn’t be possible for your business to survive if it wasn’t for the people shopping online or visiting your business every few weeks – regardless if it’s daily or monthly. They not only pay your business for its services but they also (inadvertently) provide advertising for your business as well. So with these situations being some of the many reasons as to why we celebrate Client’s Day, it’s important to understand why this day was created and what you should do to let your customers know how appreciated they are for being a customer. Client’s Day: How It Began With origins in Klaipėda, Lithuania, the first Client’s Day was celebrated on March 19th, 2010 to celebrate and acknowledge customers worldwide for their business contributions ranging from small town convenience stores to multinational corporations. The idea for this holiday spread fast, as Client’s Day was soon picked up by newspapers and was quickly added to the calendar in Lithuania. From here, the holiday picked up more steam and went viral in 2012 with companies throughout the world using the holiday as a way to express how thankful they were for their customers. By 2013, Client’s Day was commended by the President of Lithuania, implemented by more Lithuanian corporations, and began spreading in Russia. Celebrating Client’s Day Celebrating Client’s Day is easier than one would think. With the holiday being a perfect time for a business to do something nice for their customers, it’s possible to do something for them (regardless the size of your budget), and you may need to get your team together to think of something special. For example: if you happen to have a beauty service, offer a free nail painting deal to frequent customers or give away samples of beauty products after a purchase is made. If that’s too much, offering a small bag of cookies that come with a thank you note is just fine. If your business doesn’t have direct contact with clients on a daily basis, you could call them and let them know that they’re greatly appreciated. Although these ideas may not cost very much, these personal touches can go a long way. So if you’re looking to give your clients the appreciation they deserve and live in the {city} area, {company} is more than willing to help. Feel free to contact us by email at {email} or by phone at {phone} today so we can get you ready for this upcoming holiday today.

Every day, businesses and individuals send over 205 billion emails all over the world. Though many of these messages contain valuable information, a significant portion of them are spam. Receiving or sending spam exposes your business to a variety of risks, including: Ruined Reputations Many firms are unaware that their email accounts have been compromised, sending spam to current and future clients and partners. This can quickly ruin your company’s reputation and make it harder for you to succeed in the long run. If clients and customers think you’re sending them spam intentionally, they will view you as untrustworthy. Even when they realize your accounts were hacked, they may conclude that you do not understand IT issues or take them seriously. Thus if anyone reports that you have been spamming them, you must promptly apologize and put a stop to the problem. Malefic Malware Be wary of spam messages that you receive, as they could harbor viruses, trojans, and other harmful programs. Malware can lock you out of vital programs, provide unauthorized access to sensitive information, or even crash your entire computer system. You should thus never open messages you suspect to be spam. If you don’t realize an email is spam until you have already opened it, do not reply to it or click on its links— not even to unsubscribe from the mailing list. The more you engage with spam, the more opportunities it has to transmit critical programs. Subtle Scams In addition to infecting your computer systems, spam writers also use more subtle tactics to cheat you. Junk mail may come in the form of a fake business offer, using the name and writing style of a real company that could be a potential supplier or partner. The scammer will try to convince you to pay them, supposedly for a service or venture that will help your business; if you comply, they will take your payment and leave you with nothing. To separate scams from real business propositions, look up the companies that claim to be sending the emails and contact them independently. If a company has no record of sending the message, the offer is not real. Data Deliverance Besides stealing money, scammers can also use spam mail to get you to hand over sensitive information. Phishing scams involve sending you mail under the name of a company or individual you trust, such as your bank, your health insurer, or one of your employees. The message will ask you to send over sensitive information that the company or individual would have access to. In general, you should never send sensitive information over email, to begin with. If you do receive a message from a trusted entity demanding such information, contact them at a different address or meet with them to confirm their request. Never expose your business to phishing scams. {company} strives to protect businesses throughout {city} from spam and all other risks. To learn more, call us at {phone} or contact {email} today!

PCI compliance runs the gamut across businesses of every size. See why this is risky business, and why you can’t let yourself skimp on the rules. PCI DSS regulations are meant to keep customers safe from financial theft, but these types of vague goals are exactly why there’s an uneven rate of compliance when it comes to meeting the regulations. If you learn nothing else about PCI, know that the responsibility of keeping customers’ payment data private is starting to fall to the merchants. Before it was the credit card companies picking up the bill, but not anymore. See why you can’t afford to ignore them. Strong Suggestions You don’t have to follow PCI regulations to be legal, but the consequences are significant enough that you can’t take the chance. In 2016, the public noticed EMV card readers at retail stores because EMV chip cards make it harder for criminals to achieve their goals. And because business owners who used the older technology would be held liable if customer data was stolen. If you’re not updating your security or found guilty of irresponsible practices, you’ll be required to pay for fraudulent charges, fined thousands of dollars for non-compliance or sued for negligence. You could even be in trouble if one of your affiliates is found to have poor PCI compliance. Small Businesses Take Note The average cost of a breach is about $86,000 for a small company after all is said and done. Even violations that are noticed and acted upon immediately can cost a small business more than $25,000 on average. Hackers are all too happy to go after small businesses because their security practices are typically out of date, and their devices are often a mishmash of hardware that was never meant to be used together. Anyone who takes credit cards needs to be alert to the standards even if they aren’t targeted by hackers. PCI DSS 3.2 came out last year, with one of the major changes being to increase the number of audits for different companies to ensure security compliance. While small business owners may have vastly different requirements than larger retailers, they still need to be followed. Standards Change It doesn’t make it any easier that PCI DSS standards need to change as fast as criminals do. Since thieves are highly adaptable, it can feel like a full-time job just to keep up with it all. Busy business owners don’t necessarily have time to keep up with each new law change, or they may be turned off by the high costs of advanced security measures. But the message is becoming more and more clear — the less attention given to these matters, the more likely a business will face significant financial repercussions in the wake of an audit or theft. {company} is the trusted choice when it comes to staying ahead of time-saving ideas in technology and can provide you with tips, tricks and news. Contact us at {phone} or send us an email at {email} for more information.

Ransomware creates a nightmare scenario for every business it targets. It results in lost access to critical systems and data, prolonged downtime, lost productivity, and lost profits. And as ransomware continues to become more sophisticated, the level of risk small and mid-sized businesses face increases. The impact to business continuity, productivity, and reputation alone are a grave cause for concern, but the financial damage is where the real danger lies. Ransomware demands routinely cost hundreds – sometimes even thousands – of dollars, in addition to the funds your business is losing as a result of the sudden halt in day-to-day operations. Most technology experts advise strongly against paying ransomware demands. Aside from the high cost, paying does not guarantee that you will receive the promised access to your data. And the more businesses cave to these demands, the more money cyber criminals are able to make, encouraging them to keep targeting businesses and keep raising their price. Often, the real concern isn’t whether or not you should pay the ransom, but rather whether your business will be able to recover from the damage caused by the infection. Losing access to critical files and applications for any length of time is problematic, to say the least, and it’s estimated that less than half of all ransomware victims are able to fully recover after an attack. There are several reasons for this grim statistic. A business that pays for the decryption key and receives it run the risk of their data being corrupted during the decryption process, rendering the data useless. The loss of necessary files can result in missed deadlines or lost sales, and keep even the most basic tasks from being completed for days, or even weeks. News of compromised client data can push consumers into taking their business elsewhere and keep new customers from doing business with you. All of these factors lead to significant financial losses for your business. Even with a recovery plan in place, the time and effort required to restore data from backups, clean all traces of the infection from your systems and network, and get your operations up and running again still results in downtime. Whether the “clean up” takes a few hours, or a few days, that’s still a long period of time where your business has little to no access to your systems and data. The client needs to go unaddressed, productivity nosedives, and your business’ reputation suffers. The best case scenario when dealing with a ransomware attack? Your business has a rock-solid business continuity plan in place that allows your staff to carry on as usual with minimal to no downtime, and security monitoring in place that can detect an infection the moment it happens, allowing the infection to be contained before it has the chance to spread and cause significant damage. The faster you and your IT support provider can spot, quarantine, and remove a ransomware infection, the better your business’ chances of bouncing back will be. Ransomware that runs its course unchecked has devastating consequences. Having a plan in place to stop that from happening is essential for the future of your business. Want to learn more about the steps you can take to protect your business from the financial damage ransomware causes? Contact us at {email} or {phone}. We’re the IT professionals businesses in {city} trust.

Spam emails are nothing new. Your junk folder is routinely home to a handful at a time, and at this point, spam is more of an annoyance than anything else. And cyber criminals know it. Which is why today’s scam emails don’t always look like spam on the surface. More and more, users are receiving emails from what appear to be legitimate senders, but with odd timing or information. These unexpected emails should be raising a red flag when you spot them in your inbox. The scenario generally looks something like this: You receive an email from Amazon, letting you know that there has been a delay with your recent order. The email helpfully provides a link you can click for tracking information. The problem is, you don’t remember placing an order with Amazon recently. This email could just as easily be from a financial institution advising you of a problem with your account, or from Facebook asking you to update your information, or even from a business associate asking you to verify or send sensitive information. The one thing they all have in common? They’re fake. Clicking on the link embedded in one of these emails will lead to your system being infected with something nasty, your data or identity being stolen, or the account tied to the company or institution the hacker is posing as being compromised. The best way to protect yourself and your business from potentially dangerous consequences are to only proceed with caution. Instead of clicking the link provided, go the website directly in question to check your recent account activity, or call your bank using a contact number from their website, not the contact information included in the email. Phishing scams continue to be a favorite method of hackers because they continue to have a high success rate. Taking an extra moment to re-read an email that feels just a little off, and double-checking the message’s legitimacy can save you from one tremendous headache. Want to learn more about protecting yourself and your business against email scams? Contact us at {email} or {phone}. We’re the IT professionals businesses in {city} trust.

Just as technology continues to change the way we live our lives in general, the world of home security is also affected by technological progress. Innovations that once would have seemed like the stuff of sci-fi movies now exist to help bolster home security and provide homeowners with greater piece of mind. These five technological advances, in particular, have changed the home security landscape. Remote Monitoring Thanks to remote monitoring, you can now keep an eye on your home or business even if you’re halfway around the world. Cutting-edge monitoring systems can send you real-time picture and video of any room in your home or business, and many newer systems enable you to send intrusion or fire alerts to authorities and arm or disarm your security system remotely. Smart Door Locks Based on a Bluetooth or wi-fi connection, smart door locks can perceive your presence automatically based on the proximity of your key fob or smartphone to unlock your doors for you. Higher-end smart door locks can also communicate with your home’s automated systems to help regulate them; for example, an intelligent door lock can have your smart thermostat enter its energy saving mode when you’re away from home. One important note: because wi-fi smart locks are as susceptible to security breaches as any other Internet-connected device, Bluetooth smart locks are more secure, although they offer fewer features. Home Sensors Based on motion detection, home sensors can detect the presence of visitors wanted and unwanted, and can both alerts you to intruders and open your doors for you. For security, you can set up home sensor kits in your hallways and near doorways; when armed, these motion-activated systems will send alerts to your smartphone or tablet via e-mail or text, letting you know right away if you’re the target of an attempted break-in. For further deterrence, many home sensor systems come equipped with sirens to scare off would-be burglars. Fingerprint Scanners Taking a page directly from sci-fi classics, fingerprint scanning is becoming increasingly available in a myriad of devices. Many smartphones now can be locked with fingerprint credentials, and home security technology is quickly following suit. Fingerprint door locks have been growing in popularity as of late; compared to Bluetooth or wi-fi smart locks, locks that rely on fingerprints to unlock add some extra security from potential hackers. Smart Garage Systems Similar to smart door locks, garages also have the ability to be controlled and protected through smart locking technology. These systems work by connecting a network adapter to your home’s router; once registered, this adapter will allow you to control your garage door directly from your smartphone. This technology makes it easier to keep those out who shouldn’t have access to your home while letting you let children or service providers into your home when you’re away. Curious how secure your place of business is? The experts at {company} can help you evaluate your security protocols. Contact us today at {email} or {phone}.

An overview of the many different reasons why when it comes to cyber security, most Americans should be downright ashamed of themselves. If you spend the majority of your life in the digital world, as millions of people around the world do each day, cyber security should always be one of your top priorities. You would never hand a stranger your credit card and the keys to your home, trusting that they aren’t going to rob you blind – yet that is essentially what so many people do when they fail to take the appropriate steps to protect themselves online. In an era where it is sadly all too common to wake up and find out about yet another massive data breach that has struck one of the biggest organizations on the planet, Americans, in particular, should be ashamed of themselves concerning their current cyber security efforts. America and Cyber Security: The Situation According to a recent survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, most Americans aren’t just “lax” about cyber security – they’re alarmingly ambivalent. In a study that touched base with over 1000 adults in the country, it was revealed that even people who have experienced privacy breaches in the past cannot be bothered to protect themselves in the modern cyber world. The study revealed that only 12% of those who responded use a password management program, for example, despite the fact that they’re incredibly easy to use and are mostly inexpensive. Instead of protecting themselves against hacking and phishing attempts with strong, randomized passwords, people are choosing to use the same old tired “easy to guess” passwords instead. To make matters worse, a lot of respondents said that they used either similar or identical password across multiple accounts – yet another invitation to hackers to come into your life and take anything that they can. Another unfortunate finding had to do with the fact that most Americans fail to update apps or operating systems as soon as they become available – despite the fact that it’s easy to automate the process of doing so. Most app and OS updates don’t just include new features – they also fix significant security vulnerabilities as quickly as possible. The most alarming insight revealed by the study is that this is even common among younger users. It’s easy to see that this is a problem that, if anything, is only going to get worse over time as young people age and carry these poor habits with them into the future. If anything, the only people you should be happy for are the hackers as they’re about to inherit an entire generation of individuals who seem to care very little about their online privacy and cyber security in general. {company} is incredibly proud of our position as an industry leader regarding all the IT news, tips and tricks that you need to live the digital life you’ve always wanted. If you’re in {city} and have additional questions about this or any other related topics, don’t delay – contact us today by phone at {phone} or by email at {email}.

The seriousness of employee theft should lead us to examine what we have been doing and what more we can do How big is the problem? We can’t do everything ourselves, so we need to be able to hire people who can make our companies the best they can be. In order to do our work, these employees need access to our stock, our buildings and properties, even our computers. But with all the efforts put into hiring the best people for the job, there is a continuous, ongoing, staggeringly large problem of computer theft. Statistics say that employee theft in America by employees alone accounts for $50,000,000,000 worth of loss, which is about 7% of all revenue. Three out of every four employees have stolen at least once from their employer, and about a third have stolen at least twice. The median amount stolen is about $175,000. Employees account for almost half of unauthorized inventory shrinkage, which isn’t as surprising when you consider they have the best access. What’s wrong with what we’ve been doing? Yet even knowing the large scale of the problem, business still are not finding the best ways to reduce the problem significantly. Most of the theft which is finally brought to the attention of management was not found because of anti-theft efforts. More than 40% of the found fraud was either discovered completely by accident or because of a tip from another employee. Drug and criminal testing can eliminate some obvious potential thieves, because you can eliminate people feeding a drug addiction and people who have already been convicted of theft. Other low-tech ways to reduce theft include making sure that no employee works alone, and keeping an employee tip line. Getting to know your employees makes them less likely to steal because they appreciate your attention; letting them know you makes them less like to steal because they are less likely to steal from someone they know as a person instead of just an employer. While all these efforts have had some minor successes, they have not put a dent in the problem. What can we do better? The most obvious way to use technology to help is by having cameras monitor the activities in all of the physical work areas. Even the trash should be monitored, as this is one of the ways employees can take property out witout being seen. Video analytics that accompany a monitoring system can catch unusual transactions at the point of service, making it easier to monitor those. This will particularly help find employees using their position to steal by letting their colleagues get past the pay points either without paying, or without paying enough. Automated inventory tracking can help cut down on theft by showing what should be in the inventory in real time, and it cuts down on the human error normal in doing inventory. This cuts down loss in both those ways. Refining the business policies while implementing these new methods can also help cut down theft as people are clear about what is expected and that they are being monitored. Get help If you are in {city} you can call {company} at {phone}. Contact us at {email} to learn more.