Did you get an email informing you that you’ve been infected with a ransomware virus? You’re not alone. In fact, tens of thousands of emails flashing a bright red screen informing recipients being infected with a WannaCry virus infection has led some businesses to actually get infected with WannaCry (even though they hadn’t been before).
Many of the emails within the last couple of days actually encourage recipients to click on a link to get more information. By clicking that link, they’ve just infected their machine.
The next tricky new way cybercriminals are breaking into your network?
Using some of the same old tactics of old, but with a twist.
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In fact, over 93% of businesses admit that, if records went encrypted and there was no alternative to getting data back, they’d go all in to pay ransoms for encrypted files—including critical or sensitive data.
While most organizations won’t pay a ransom (ransoms range between a couple thousand and a MILLION dollars), recent investigations into healthcare cyberattacks have shown many willing to shell out as much as needed to recover their data and systems.
Why are some business owners willing to pay criminals?
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Microsoft’s June Patching have amounted to a total of 50 vulnerabilities (and we’re just half way through). Is your business safe?
Because cyber criminals have continued to hack into business networks through un-patched Windows operating systems, making sure that you have tested patched software across your entire network may be the difference between getting a data breach or ransomware attack and being safe.
So far June seems like a month that may bring a slew of new attack vectors into play, arming cyber criminals with additional ways they’ll be able to hack onto your network and ransom your data. To date, Microsoft released a patch update addressing 50 newly found vulnerabilities.
So far, none of these security holes seem to have been exploited, but with growing advertisement of their existence, cybersecurity experts fear that vulnerabilities will become risky business if your IT Support doesn’t have a plan to address the recent patch updates.
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Differences In Buying Consumer Vs Business Class Computers
With so many choices and pricing on computers, how can you navigate the best computers for your business?
Computer purchasing is no longer as simple as buying the one machine a company offers. Long gone are the days when you might have put in your order for desktop computers the same way you’d put your order in for other appliances. There simply are so many options, prices and features that it’s hard to compare apples to apples and even harder to make a sound decision for your business investment.
The biggest question I’ve been getting this year on computer purchasing is: why can’t I just get a consumer-grade computer (i.e., that machine you pick up at Best Buy or Walmart) instead of a business-class computer.
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Let’s face it. Without our computers, most of us wouldn’t even be able to imagine how we’d get all of our work done. Computers and work nearly go hand in hand in today’s workplace. If not a traditional desktop computer, then many of us are relying on phones, tablets, laptops and other devices to get us through the day, help us remember all the minutiae that needs completing and keep us productive.
Unbeknownst to most, most of us are culprits of computer safety. Out of years of bad habits, we have made cyber hacking simple for criminals vying for data or access to our networks. While computers are the gateway for networking, getting things done, or even entertainment, they remain our biggest security risk.
Fortunately, bad habits don’t need to remain bad, especially when it comes to protecting your business network! Today I want to walk through 4 bad habits that have crippled businesses and left them victims of cyberattacks and data breaches.
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One recent network audit that we performed for a prospective client exposed startling skeletons that might be hiding out of sight on your network. Because events like the one experienced by our security team a few weeks ago underscore the importance of why you need to be concerned about protecting your network from cybercrime and hacks, today I want to share this story. I’m hoping this tale will help you identify some poor practices within your company and lead you to a securer spot when it comes to network security.
The Situation
The prospective client [here remaining anonymous] called our office to speak with one of our solutions engineers, explaining that their network has seemed chronically slow in the last couple of months and wanted an IT Support company to take a look at what might be causing the problem (their current IT Support vendor was unable to find issues with their hardware and were in a constant battle with their internet service provider (ISP)).
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