It’s easy to think of Memorial Day as a convenient day off in a busy calendar and the start of summer, but we suggest you take a step back and think a bit harder about it. Millions of men and women have put their lives on the line to defend our collective way of life. It’s hard for those who have not made that sacrifice to really understand what they have done. Take advantage of a few spare moments on Memorial Day to think about that. Most of us have friends, colleagues, or relatives who have served in the military. Perhaps you have an older relative who served in Vietnam, Korea, or even World War II. Imagine being away from home for months or even years, wondering how your family is doing. (For those older veterans who served before cell phones and internet, that often meant being totally out of communication, feeling lucky to get a letter at some point.) Imagine being called on to do things that you thought were impossible, either mentally or physically. Imagine seeing your friends not survive a day of battle, and why it was them instead of you. Supporting Veterans in a Tangible Way You can show your support of our service men and women who have faced things unimaginable to the rest of us by doing business with veteran-owned businesses. Think of all the skills that people learn while serving in the military – logistics, transportation, maintenance, security, communication, and management. If someone can solve those challenges on and around the battlefield, they can probably handle whatever issue you bring into their place of business. That even applies in our own field of information technology. The Department of Defense has some of the most sophisticated computer systems in the world, and there are plenty of veterans out there who are putting their experience to use as IT experts. We wouldn’t normally promote our competitors, but this is the one and only instance when we can make an exception. It’s the most worthy cause there is, and if it means that a veteran-owned business gets a customer and we don’t, well, then that’s one way that we can contribute to supporting veterans. Perhaps it makes that “thank you” sound like we really mean it. {company} is the trusted choice when it comes to staying ahead of the latest information technology tips, tricks, and news. Contact us at {phone} or send us an email at {email} for more information. Please join us in honoring our veterans on Memorial Day.

Hackers constantly look for new ways to spread viruses, but their favorite distribution method is one of the oldest: unsolicited email. A recent report from Kaspersky Lab revealed that malware spam continues to grow as Web browser security improves and makes it harder to infect computers via websites. Spam Trends During the past year, the total quantity of unsolicited messages fell. However, the percentage containing virus attachments more than tripled. This greatly increases the likelihood that you or your employees will receive malicious communications in the near future. Many harmful messages draw attention by focusing on terrorism and other events in the news. Some malware spammers have become more skillful in recent years. They personalize the information or try hard to make email appear as if it comes from legitimate organizations. Kaspersky Labs reports that more and more email viruses install ransomware. When recipients open an attachment, this malware encrypts data on their PCs. It often proves difficult or impossible to recover the files without paying a “ransom” to hackers. For example, one common email virus looks as if Microsoft sent it. The text claims that users can upgrade to Windows 10 by downloading an attachment. This file actually infects the recipient’s computer with ransomware and blocks access to every file on its hard drive, according to Fox. Education Companies can protect their computers and data by educating office workers about safe Internet practices. Employees should learn to visit websites directly instead of using email links. They ought to carefully check messages for fake “from” addresses, unprofessional language and other suspicious attributes. Businesses mustn’t rely on one-time trainings to warn staff members about Internet dangers. People eventually forget some of the advice, and viruses spread in different ways each year. Memos, newsletters and bulletin board notices can help keep employees informed. A spam analysis expert at a major Internet security company recently said that “efforts to dupe victims are becoming more sophisticated year on year.” Consequently, it makes sense for office workers to contact the IT staff or a manager when they have any concerns about possible viruses. Precautions Business owners and employees can sometimes avoid malware by using anti-virus utilities to scan files before opening them. However, such tools don’t succeed in detecting every virus. If in doubt, contact a sender by phone to confirm that he or she actually sent an attachment. Never click on “unsubscribe” links in spam Hackers may disguise malicious programs as photos Don’t let Microsoft Word documents run macros When sending messages to a group of staff members or contractors, always put their email addresses in the “bcc” field. Everyone can see all of the addresses under “cc” or “to”; if any recipient has a computer virus, it may gain access to the entire list. Filters Many commercial email services and programs let businesses activate and customize spam filters. You can stop malware from reaching inboxes by automatically returning messages sent from known spammers’ accounts. Consider blocking certain countries, IP addresses or domain names as well. At the same time, be careful not to intercept normal correspondence. ReturnPath warns that filters block about one out of five legitimate messages people send to businesses. If you banish all email from an entire hosting or Internet service provider, this could discourage potential customers. To sum it up, email-based viruses pose a growing threat that employers must take seriously. Filters, anti-virus programs and training can decrease the risk. Many business owners look to {company} when they want to stay up to date on the latest IT strategies and news. Please call {phone} or contact {email} to learn more.  

Long-gone are the days when Apple users were spared the wrath of hackers and malicious users. Now that entire industries are based around Mac tech, the thieves have come looking for the money. Although Apple operating systems are considered much more stable than Windows, the truth is that Apple systems have not been tested by the tech underworld to the level that Windows has. Stay out ahead of the curve when it comes to protecting your Apple hardware. Here are the tips that you need to know. Pick the Security that Law Enforcement Hates Unlike Windows, the Apple platform leaves no backdoors, a major point of contention for law enforcement. It also makes security much easier for developers to design, resulting in some incredibly tight packages that even the police and the Feds have trouble hacking. This is the security that you want, known as full disk encryption (FDE). What are the advantages of FDE? Encryption that is defined as full disk starts from the startup drive. FDE makes your data completely impossible to recover without at least one level of security when your computer is off. When it is on, your drive is still encrypted and heavily fortified. You also have the ability to wipe your drive almost instantaneously if you ever feel as though you have been compromised. Encrypting Your Hard Drive Although encryption is a process that cannot be reversed, there are no downsides if you can get past the initial inconvenience. If your drive is not encrypted currently, you will have to wait a few hours for the process to complete. During this time, your computer will slow down tremendously, making it virtually unusable for any practical purpose while the encryption is initializing. A quick solution: Initiate the process before going to bed on a weekend, and you will wake up to a fully encrypted and protected drive without having to directly deal with any of the downsides of initialization. The Best Choice for Mac Drive Encryption The number one choice for Mac drive encryption is FileVault, now on its second iteration, FileVault 2. Apple has a great deal of support for this procedure and will give you step-by-step instructions for getting your hard drive encrypted. Here are the basic steps: After installing File Vault 2, you will need to sign off on many warnings and take down the Recovery Key that the OS will make for your drive. Do not forget this key, because it is the only access that you will have to your drive if you forget the account password. Start the conversion, and do it during a downtime, as stated. Your fan will likely start blowing like mad, and your computer will slow down tremendously. This is all par for the course. Keep your iCloud information close to the chest after encryption. If someone gets this information, it does entail a slight security risk. If you want to store your Recovery Key on Apple servers, you can, but this limits your security slightly as well. Because the government has access to the servers, you are compromised when it comes to the Feds and hackers who know how to get around enterprise level security systems (and plenty of them are around). {company} is the trusted choice when it comes to staying ahead of the latest information technology tips, tricks, and news. Contact us at {phone} or send us an email at {email} for more information.

These days, being held for ransom has taken on a whole new meaning–and your business technology’s biggest threat is virtual, persistent, and extremely difficult to pin down. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), ransomware attacks are on the rise—and businesses are becoming increasingly targeted over individual consumers due to their ability and willingness to pay higher ransoms. How Does Ransomware Attack? During a ransomware attack, cyber criminals will hold business’ IT systems hostage until demands for money are met–and only after the ransom fees are paid in full is valuable business data returned to the rightful owner. Upon infection, ransomware begins its attack by encrypting valuable files and folders on local storage and backup locations, as well as local hard drives—and any other data points on the same network that the infected device is attached to. Problematically, the infection will usually go unnoticed until someone attempts to use the system and access is either denied or met with on-screen messaging threats of ransom and data destruction. How Can I Defend My Business Against Ransomware? Ransomware has seen great success due in part to its ability to shut down business processes and threaten the total destruction of company data. Since malware and ransomware methods are constantly evolving—and because it is often hard to detect a ransomware infection until the data has already been compromised—the FBI recommends that businesses work diligently to ensure they have adequate prevention and a disaster response plan in place well before opening network operations: Prevention Efforts Recommended by the FBI Educate Employees Businesses should educate employees as to how ransomware and other malware can compromise valuable business and personal data. Be sure to reinforce the importance of avoiding spammy websites and emails, suspicious links, and unfamiliar downloads or attachments. Develop a Disaster Response Plan A business should have a business continuity and disaster plan in place from the moment they open their doors and their network. A well-designed and properly executed disaster plan can cut back on any downtime and loss of profits that result from the attack and also protect valuable sensitive business data from further corruption. If your business is required by law to comply with certain security measures to keep financial or personal consumer information secure, having a disaster plan is an absolute necessity in order to mitigate your exposure to financial risk and liability in the event of a data compromise. Maintain Patches and Updates Maintain operating system patches and software and firmware updates, keep anti-virus and anti-malware solutions updated automatically and perform regular audits of your IT system. Limit Administrative Accounts Limit administrative users and privileged accounts to a necessary group of business managers, and only use these accounts when absolutely required. Configure Permissions Correctly Ensure all network sharing permissions, access controls, and file directories are configured correctly. Implement read-only rather than write-access for those employees who don’t need full access or authority within the system. Disable Macro Scripts Office files transmitted over email should have macro scripts disabled. Restrict Vulnerable Software Put software restriction policies in place to prevent programs from launching from typical ransomware locations, like temporary folders and compression files. Business Continuity Best Practices Conduct regular backups and verify their integrity on a regular basis, and make sure all backups are secured and not related or connected to the networks and computers that they are supporting. {company} is the trusted choice when it comes to keeping your business’ network safe from ransomware and other malware attacks. We pride ourselves in always staying ahead of the latest information technology tips, tricks, and news. Contact us at {phone} or send us an email at {email} for more information.

If you are planning on upgrading to the new version of Windows 10, you should know a few compatibility issues have troubled a considerable number of users. Some computers are not compatible with the Windows 10 device and app. Let’s take a look at how to run the Windows 10 Compatibility Appraiser and help you troubleshoot some Windows 10 error messages. How to Manually Run the Windows 10 Compatibility Appraiser If you make changes to your computer, you might find you have to manually run the Windows 10 Compatibility Appraiser for an immediate system check. Here is how you do it. Initiate an elevated command prompt window and run the command below by cutting and pasting it in and hitting “enter”: schtasks.exe /Run /TN “MicrosoftWindowsApplication ExperienceMicrosoft Compatibility Appraiser” It might take upwards of 15 20 minutes for the scan to complete and the appraiser to function. Go ahead and open the “Get Windows 10 app” and you will see the new compatibility details are shown. In the even you do not perform a manual run of the appraiser, it will still operate on its own at a pre-established time and provide an update of all the pertinent compatibility information. What to Do if You Get the “Windows 10 Will Not Run on This PC” Message If you get a message that Windows 10 will not operate on the PC when running the Get Windows 10 Compatibility Checker App, do not fret; keep reading to find out potential causes and solutions. It is likely the message will also include the following: “Unfortunately Windows 10 cannot be installed on this PC. Would you like to shop for new PCs online? Here’s why Window 10 can’t be installed on this PC.” This message could be displayed for a myriad of reasons. It is possible your computer is not supported. Or, maybe the VMWare SVGA 3D or Parallels Display Adapter (WDDM) might not be supported. It is also possible the Mobile Inter ® 945 Express Chipset Family might be causing problems. In general, if your computer can operate Windows 8.1, you should not have any issues. If you receive the above referenced error message, you should also check the following: Determine if your computer adheres to Windows 10 System Requirements. Your processor must be a minimum of one GHz or faster and support SSE2, NX and PAE. If your computer does not support these, an installation of Windows 10 will not be possible. Additionally, make sure your device drivers are all updated. Talk to a hardware technician to determine if you should upgrade components. Don’t forget to perform a manual run of the Windows 10 Compatibility Appraiser if you make any alterations to your system. Another possible solution is to download the latest drivers and/or find out if the computer manufacturer will soon provide device drivers that are compatible with new editions of the operating system. {company} {company} is the trusted choice when it comes to staying ahead of the latest information technology tips, tricks, and news. Contact us at {phone} or send us an email at {email} for more information.

Should company executives be held accountable for data breaches? It is a question currently being asked in business and legal circles around the world. The threat of digital security breaches is quickly ramping upward as we hurtle forward into the age of the Internet and the computerization of just about everything. About One-Third of IT Managers Support Holding Executives Accountable for Data Breaches A recent study performed by the market research company Vanson Bourne shows that there is moderate support amongst IT managers and office workers throughout the United Kingdom for holding executives accountable for meaningful data breaches. The details about the Vanson Bourne survey are as follows. Questions about cyber security and CEO accountability were asked of 250 information technology decision makers and 500 office workers throughout the United Kingdom. The responses to the survey are a clear sign that IT experts have sympathy for executives who are blindsided by a digital attack that exposes sensitive data to malicious parties. After all, modern day hackers are willing to go to great lengths to access private data. The bottom line is that cyber attacks are becoming a regular occurrence across the world. Large organizations are especially vulnerable to digital hacks. Nearly one-quarter of IT decision makers at large companies believe that their company will be hit with a cyber attack within the next three months. As these attacks continue to increase, more and more people will echo sentiments like those expressed in the above referenced VMware survey. IT departments can only do so much. In many instances, relying on outside IT security expertise is necessary to handle all of the fall out from these increasingly complex cyber attacks. An Alternate Take on the Survey’s Results Some will take the data provided by the Vanson Bourne study and argue that executives from the ranks of the CEO to the board of directors and C-suite should be held more accountable in the future. There is some credence to the argument, as the survey results do show that nearly one-third of IT leaders believe that executives should be held accountable. If this percentage continues to increase in the future, there will likely be a groundswell of support for penalizing executives whose organizations suffer a significant digital attack that results in a data breach. An Ever-Evolving Threat The survey’s results also show that IT decision makers are concerned about their organizations’ ability to stay up to date with the complexities of the highly dynamic digital world. Nearly 40 percent of respondents answered that their organizations’ vulnerabilities will remain under threat, as their defenses can’t adjust quickly enough. It is no longer acceptable to be reactive when it comes to the prevention of data breaches and other digital attacks. Organizations must be proactive to safeguard their sensitive data or, eventually, executives might be held accountable for large-scale data breaches. Possible Solutions Allying with IT security experts is the best way to proactively protect private information. Some recommend a software-driven approach to IT that incorporates security measures into just about every aspect of the system. Executives should not hesitate to spend the time and resources necessary to train their employees on digital security matters. A whopping 55 percent of the Vanson Bourne survey respondents answered that an organization’s cyber security is indeed under threat due to employee carelessness or ignorance. {company} {company} is the trusted choice when it comes to staying ahead of the latest information technology tips, tricks, and news. Contact us at {phone} or send us an email at {email} for more information.

The email in your inbox is from “PayPal Security.” The even scarier subject is “Notice: Login Attempt from unknown device.” It reads, “Dear User, Your PayPal Account was accessed from Auckland, New Zealand.” It gives the date and New Zealand Standard Time and a description of the web browser. It wasn’t you, right? In that case, the next thing you need to do, according to this timely warning, is “Please Sign In to Your Papal Account and Verify Your Account. (Or just disregard, if it was you.) In addition to a link attached to the aforementioned “Sign In,” there is another convenient “Click Here to Sign In to Your PayPal Account” right above the courteous complimentary close “Best Regard (sic), PayPal Support.” The email has all the logos you’d expect on a PayPal notice, and an unsophisticated user might panic at the warning. But it’s a fake, a phishing scam, really. Let’s take a look at the email itself. A close investigation will show why you should stay composed and avoid the temptation to click on the “Sign In,” because it definitely won’t navigate you to your PayPal account. You will be taken to a fake web page where you’ll be asked to fill out a form disclosing your user name, password, and other identifying information — whereupon some scammer now has custody of your PayPal account and all the financial and personal information it holds. Here are the telltale signs this email is a fake. 1. PayPal — or any other financial organization — will never send such an email notice. PayPal never asks its customers is to do any of the following: download a form or file to resolve an issue verify an account using personal, bank account, or credit card information provide security question answers without displaying each security question you created 2. The email is addressed to “Dear User.” PayPal will send the email to you by name. Never trust an email that is also addressed to “undisclosed recipients.” It is likewise a fake. 3. The email has some minor, though telling, capitalization and English usage glitches: The subject line capitalizes Login and Attempt, but not the words unknown device. There is also a period at the end of the subject line, which is not standard usage. First line of the text has inappropriate capitalization and refers to PayPal as “Paypal.” The text sentence begins with the somewhat strange wording “If it is you who has accessed…” It’s not ungrammatical, but it reads as overly stiff, as if the writer knew how to write in English, but wasn’t all that good at speaking it. Finally, the complimentary close “Best Regard” indicates that whomever wrote the email was either a poor proofreader or definitely not a native English speaker. (These phishing scams typically originate from overseas.) If you receive a suspicious PayPal-labeled email, do not click on any of the links. Sign into your PayPal account the way you usually do and see if there is anything amiss. Frequently, phishing scammers will claim that your account has been frozen pending resolution of the problem. If you can sign on as usual…well, you get the picture. Also, before you delete the suspicious email, forward it to spoof@paypal.com. You will receive an automated reply immediately thanking you for helping them to shut down those fake websites. Read more about phishing scams impersonating PayPal in this piece by Dean Alvarez on ITProPortal’s Security News. Want to learn more on how to protect you or your company from cyber attacks and other dangers lurking in the dark web? {company} is the trusted choice when it comes to staying ahead of the latest information technology tips, tricks, and news. Contact us at {phone} or send us an email at {email} for more information.

Ransomware viruses regularly attack personal and business computers across the globe. They encrypt or otherwise deny access to files and programs. Malware developers demand payments in exchange for allowing users to recover their data. Depending on the quantity and value of the files, ransoms range from hundreds to thousands of dollars. Such viruses remain difficult to counteract. As a researcher at a major anti-virus company recently said, “There is no cure to the ransomware threat today.” Nonetheless, it has started evolving into an even more dangerous form of malware known as a “cryptoworm.” These highly sophisticated viruses have the same goal as conventional ransomware, but they spread far more efficiently. Worms automatically transmit themselves from one place to another with no need for human control. This development greatly increases the likelihood of an attack. Losses Computers at a medical center in California recently became infected with a cryptoworm. The virus encrypted hospital files and forced the institution to pay a $17,000 ransom. Brown University also suffered a ransomware attack. The Financial Times reports that Brown was able to restore backup data and remove the malware. Prevention Collectively, criminals have employed ransomware and cryptoworms to accumulate hundreds of millions of dollars. Businesses can often avoid their demands by taking preventive steps. For example, companies benefit from training employees to identify dangerous e-mail attachments, harmful websites and phishing attempts. Well-configured firewalls Quality anti-virus software Restrictive network settings Regular application updates Computer security training Firewalls and anti-virus programs can’t always stop this malware, but they successfully intercept many ransomware viruses. Consider setting up a firewall to protect your network from the “Dark Web” by suspending access to I2P and TOR. Use extra caution when opening Word documents, even if they seem to come from familiar people. It’s best to disable macros; these codes can trigger cryptoworm infections. At the same time, don’t assume you’re safe if you avoid Microsoft products. Ransomware also attacks Android and Linux machines, according to PC World. Remember to remove unnecessary programs and update software whenever possible. Applications like Web browsers, PDF viewers and video players frequently contain defects that make them vulnerable to these infections. Although hackers usually find more flaws to exploit, the latest updates can patch known security holes and minimize risks. A network administrator should only permit each staff member to access the computers, drives and directories that he or she truly needs to use. This will limit the ability of cryptoworms to spread throughout the network and infect every file. It also protects servers from any “rogue” employees. External vendors may inadvertently expose a company to viruses. Business owners ought to thoroughly examine the details about security in contracts with vendors. Companies can benefit from insisting that such firms take extensive precautions and alert them to any system breaches as soon as possible. Backups Preventative measures don’t always succeed in averting ransomware or cryptoworm attacks. The most effective way to avoid paying a ransom is to frequently back up your files. Businesses should inspect and test backup systems to confirm they can actually restore the data if necessary. Don’t put files on a storage device that remains attached to the network or a PC; this will allow a cryptoworm to scramble your backup data. These viruses can even attack files stored on off-site “cloud” servers. Be sure to keep one backup completely disconnected from other devices. The bottom line is prevention delivers the best results, but thorough backups provide a crucial failsafe. A wide range of businesses trust {company} to help them stay informed about the most recent IT news and maintenance techniques. Please contact {email} or dial {phone} for further details.

If you keep up with tech news, chances are you have heard about the discovery of a very large data breach earlier this month. But just how big is it and what should you do about it? I’ve compiled the following facts for your consideration. It’s Not as Bad as it Seems When news first broke that over 272 million email usernames and passwords had been hacked and were currently being peddled by Russian hackers, it caused quite a stir. However, email services were quick to offers assurances that they had not been hacked. Instead, hackers had accessed a number of third-party platforms and had compiled a large quantity of email addresses and matching passwords over an extended period of time. Hold Security, the firm that first broke the big hack story, confirmed email services’ accounts, noting that the large trove of email addresses and passwords came from a “collection of multiple breaches over time”. What is more, most of the email addresses and passwords that were put up for sale are no longer valid. Google has noted that 98% of all Gmail addresses and passwords were not valid. Mail.ru, Russia’s largest email service provider, found that only .018 of all email and password combinations were correct and current. Are You in Danger? If you read the above clarification and are breathing a sigh of relief, don’t. While the “world’s biggest hack” is not nearly as big as it initially sounded, the fact is that there is certainly cause for concern. If 98% of Google’s breached email data was no longer valid, then this would indicate that 2% of this data does in fact consist of valid email username and password combinations. If only .018% of all Mail.ru’s listed email and password combinations are right, it still represents a breach of about 1,000 email accounts. While Yahoo and other email service providers have not provided information regarding the validity of the hacked email accounts, it is not unrealistic to estimate that tens of thousands of email and passwords have been compromised. What is more, these breaches make it possible for hackers to access other accounts. You may feel your account is sure; however, it really isn’t if one of your business contacts or family members has been hacked. This same point applies if someone on your email list is on the email list for someone who has been hacked. Hackers are notorious for using information from one account to engineer future break-ins. What Can I Do about It? If you are concerned about this large-scale dissemination of information, consider taking the following steps: Change the password for all your email accounts, and be sure to pick a brand new password that you have never used for any other account. If you used you email password for other accounts (i.e. social media accounts, cloud storage accounts, bank accounts, etc.), change the password, using a completely different password for each account. Avoid sending sensitive information via email if at all possible. Hacking has been around for quite some time and it will likely be around for the foreseeable future. While it is reassuring to know that there are not hundreds of millions of valid email and password combinations currently being sold online, I still highly recommend that you do everything in your power to make sure your account is secure, both now and in the future. {company} is the trusted choice when it comes to staying ahead of the latest information technology tips, tricks, and news. Contact us at {phone} or send us an email at {email} for more information.

Charles Hammett here, president of Hammett Technologies. Let’s take a minute and talk about Return On Investment (ROI) … my absolute favorite words in business. “Return on investment” is simply the difference between the benefit and the cost of something. ROI is a critical ingredient that all successful business owners use to make their decisions. I always want to invest my time and money into my business in ways that will produce MAX ROI. What I absolutely love about what I do is hearing customers tell me how partnering with us and evaluating their risks, process and procedures has helped them maximize their technology ROI. These business owners have experienced first-hand the difference between general IT service teams and a partner who focuses the goals and success of their business. You already have an IT budget, so re-focus it on what matters. How can we help you provide the MAX ROI from technology? You already pay for many of the products that come standard in our service packages. The actual cost to partner with us is much lower than you think. We always maintain the best-in-breed solutions and continuously improve what we use for our clients. Keeping your business safe while maintaining uptime helps to enable profit centers, which leads to more revenue. Looking at existing technologies and processes while evaluating ways to streamline or automate them helps you produce additional revenue. Knowing an expert is handling your cybersecurity and business continuity needs provides you a quick recovery path, getting you back up in the event of a disaster. Less downtime equals more productivity, which leads to minimal revenue loss. Having someone available when you pick up the phone to support and / or fix your issues allows you to resume work with limited interruption. Don’t be “penny wise and pound foolish.” You spent years building your business. With the rise in ransomware and cybercrime, make sure you evaluate the big picture and test every decision by asking yourself what will produce MAX ROI. The money you already spent today could be re-focused on keeping your business safe. Please take some time to reach out to me directly, so we can discuss your current solutions and how to maximize the ROI. I’m available any time at 443-216-9999 or by emailing info@hammett-tech.com