Cybersecurity Tips for Employees: The Complete Guide to Secure Behavior Online and in the Office

September 10, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

Introduction: The Need to Educate Employees on Cybersecurity

When developing cybersecurity programs, many businesses focus on protecting their infrastructure perimeter and device endpoints. After all, that’s where cybercriminals usually first gain access and wreak havoc on a company’s digital access.

But it’s also important to consider what happens when a threat bypasses perimeter defenses and targets an employee—in the form of a malicious email or text, or even a voicemail that might prompt an employee to respond with confidential company information. There’s also the possibility of an offline attack from inside the office, where an employee or an office visitor might gain access to valuable data by quickly taking something carelessly left on a desk.

According to a PricewaterhouseCoopers survey, in 2014, 69% of business executives expressed concern about cyber threats, including a lack of data security. In 2015, an updated survey increased that number to 86%.1 These numbers indicate that it’s clear there’s a pressing need for better cybersecurity. The issue is not going away anytime soon. If anything, it’s only getting worse.

Stronger cybersecurity has become a global priority over the last few years as hackers penetrate the IT infrastructure of government and enterprises with increasing frequency and sophistication. According to a study conducted by the Identify Theft Resources Center, the total number of data breaches reported in the US grew from approximately 400 in 2011 to approximately 750 in 2015. This represents an increase of more than 60% and does not include breaches that went unreported—a figure that is likely much higher.1 Coupled with the Internet of Things (IoT) and the explosive growth of mobile devices, the threat landscape and potential for data leaks is even more significant.

In this post, we explore the need for employees to practice strict and secure cybersecurity habits— not only to thwart digital attacks, but also to prevent someone from simply walking by their desk (in the office or at home) and picking up a device or document that contains sensitive information. We also present the key steps SMB business owners can take to educate their employees to help secure their company’s data and intellectual property.

We can’t stress enough the importance of security awareness training for internal employees. Educating them on what it takes to protect proprietary documents and data is critical. Any leaks— unintentional and intentional—could hurt the business in the form of information that assists a competitor, violates regulations, or harms the corporate image. Leaks can also hurt employees from the standpoint of personal information that might be exposed. Lastly, customers and business partners could be at risk, compromising the industry reputation of any business that does not properly protect confidential information. It only takes one incident to completely destroy any goodwill you established and built with your customer base.

Physical Security Precautions

Keep a Clean Desk

It makes complete sense and sounds so simple, but keeping a clean desk is often overlooked when talking about data security. It’s also the perfect place to start the discussion with employees.

Employees that keep a cluttered desk tend to leave USB drives and smartphones out in the open. They also often forget to physically secure their desktops and laptops so someone can’t simply walk off with them.

A messy desk also makes it more difficult to realize something is missing such as a folder with hard copy print-outs of customer lists. In addition to increasing the likelihood of something being removed, a cluttered desk means that the discovery of any theft will likely be delayed—perhaps by days or even weeks if the employee is out of the office. Such delays make it more difficult to determine who the perpetrator is and where the stolen material might now be located.

Encouraging employees to maintain a neat desk pays off in two ways. In addition to making digital and paper assets more secure, employees with clean desks are more apt to be productive because they can quickly—and safely—access the tools and resources they need to do their jobs.

The Common Messy Desk Mistakes to Avoid

The following list presents 11 “messy desk” mistakes employees are prone to commit and which could cause irreparable harm to the business, the employee, fellow employees, customers and business partners. These are all bad habits for which to educate employees to stop:

Leaving computer screens on without password protection: Anyone passing by has easy access to all the information on the device; be sure to lock down screen settings.
Placing documents on the desk that could contain sensitive information: It’s best to keep them locked up in drawers and file cabinets.
Forgetting to shred documents before they go into the trash or recycling bin: Any document may contain sensitive information; it’s best to shred everything rather than taking a risk.
Failing to close file cabinets: This makes it easy for someone to steal sensitive information and more difficult to realize a theft has occurred.
Setting mobile phones and USB drives out in the open: They likely contain sensitive business or personal information and are easy to pick up quickly without being caught in the act.
Neglecting to erase notes on whiteboards: They often display confidential information on products, new ideas and proprietary business processes.
Dropping backpacks out in the open: There’s often at least one device or folder with sensitive information inside.
Writing usernames and passwords on slips of paper or post-it notes: This is especially important given that user names and passwords are typically used to log in to more than one site.
Leaving behind a key to a locked drawer: This makes it easy to come back later—perhaps after hours when no one is around—and access confidential files.
Displaying calendars in the open or on the screen for all to see: Calendars often contain sensitive dates and/or information about customers, prospects and/or new products.
Leaving wallets and credit cards out on the desk: This is more likely to impact the employee, but wallets may also possess corporate credit cards and security badges.

In today’s fast-paced world where employees are always on the go, it takes too much time to determine whether documents, USB drives, devices and other items contain sensitive information. The safe bet is to make sure everything is filed away and kept locked up or else properly destroyed.

Email Threats

Social Engineering Inboxes and Voicemail

Social engineering is non-technical, malicious activity that exploits human interactions to obtain information about internal processes, configuration and technical security policies in order to gain access to secure devices and networks. Such attacks are typically carried out when cybercriminals pose as credible, trusted authorities to convince their targets to grant access to sensitive data and high-security locations or networks.

An example of social engineering is a phone call or email where an employee receives a message that their computer is sending bad traffic to the Internet. To fix this issue, end users are asked to call or email a tech support hotline and prompted to give information that could very likely give the cybercriminal access to the company’s network.

Phishing Email Compromises

One of the most common forms of social engineering is email phishing—an attempt to acquire sensitive information such as usernames, passwords and credit card data by masquerading as a trustworthy entity. Phishing is likely the #1 primary email threat employees need to focus on.

Such emails often spoof the company CEO, a customer or a business partner and do so in a sophisticated, subtle way so that the victim thinks they are responding to a legitimate request. The FBI says CEO (or C-level) fraud has increased 270 percent in the past two years with over 12,000 reported incidents totaling over $2 billion dollars in corporate losses.2

Among the reasons these scams succeed are the appearance of authority—staffers are used to carrying out CEO instructions quickly. That’s why phishing can be so easy to fall victim to.

Four Common Phishing Techniques

The scope of phishing attacks is constantly expanding, but frequent attackers tend to utilize one of these four tactics:

Embedding links into emails that redirect users to an unsecured website requesting sensitive information.
Installing Trojans via a malicious email attachment or posing ads on a website that allow intruders to exploit loopholes and obtain sensitive information.
Spoofing the sender address in an email to appear as a reputable source and requesting sensitive information.
Attempting to obtain company information over the phone by impersonating a known company vendor or IT department.

Email Security Best Practices–Five Ways to Block Phishing Attacks

Employees should always be suspicious of potential phishing attacks, especially if they don’t know the sender. Here are five best practices to follow to help make sure employees don’t become helpless victims:

Don’t reveal personal or financial information in an email—Make sure employees also know not to respond to email solicitations for this information. This includes clicking on links sent in such emails.
Check the security of websites—This is a key precaution to take before sending sensitive information over the Internet. <http> indicates the site has not applied any security measures while <https> means it has. Also consider if employees are practicing safe browsing habits. Sites that do not serve a legitimate business purpose are also more likely to contain harmful links.
Pay attention to website URLs—Not all emails or email links seem like phishing attacks, so employees may be lured into a false sense of security. Teach them that many malicious websites fool end users by mimicking legitimate websites. One way to sniff this out is to look at the URL (if it’s not hidden behind non-descript text) to see if it looks legit. Employees may also be able to detect and evade the scheme by finding variations in spellings or a different domain (e.g.,.com versus .net).
Verify suspicious email requests—Contact the company they’re believed to be from directly. If an employee receives an email that looks odd from a well-known company, such as a bank, instruct them to reach out to the bank using means other than responding to the suspicious email address. It’s best to contact the company using information provided on an account statement—NOT the information provided in the email.
Keep a clean machine—Utilizing the latest operating system, software and web browser as well as antivirus and malware protection are the best defenses against viruses, malware and other online threats. It may be difficult for employees to do this, so the business may want to invest in a managed IT services provider who can also be a trusted advisor for all IT needs.

Username and Password Management

Low Security Account Credentials

Although it should be common sense, employees need to avoid the use of passwords that are easy for hackers to guess. Among the top ten worst passwords according to www.splashdata.com are those that use a series of numbers in numerical order, such as 123456. The names of popular sports such as football and baseball are also on the list as are quirky passwords such as qwerty and even the word password itself.

Emphasis should also be placed on the importance of avoiding common usernames. In analysis conducted by the information security firm Rapid7, hackers most often prey upon these 10 usernames in particular3:

Username	administrator	Administrator	user1	Admin
Alex	Pos	Demo	db2admin	Sql

How Attackers Exploit Weak Passwords to Obtain Access

While most websites don’t store actual username passwords, they do store a password hash for each username. A password hash is a form of encryption, but cybercriminals can sometimes use the password hash to reverse engineer the password. When passwords are weak, it’s easier to break the password hash.

Here is a list of common word mutations hackers use to identify passwords if they feel they already have a general idea of what the password might be4:

Capitalizing the first letter of a word
Checking all combinations of upper/lowercase for words
Inserting a number randomly in the word
Placing numbers at the beginning and the end of words
Putting the same pattern at both ends, such as foobar
Replacing letters like o and l with numbers like 0 and 1
Punctuating the ends of words, such as adding an exclamation mark !
Duplicating the first letter or all the letters in a word
Combining two words together
Adding punctuation or spaces between the words
Inserting @ in place of a

Educating end users on these tactics underscores the importance of creating long passwords (at least 12 characters) and applying multiple deviations, rather than something simple like just capitalizing the first letter.

Nine Tips to Strengthen Password Security

Change passwords at least every three months for non-administrative users and 45-60 days for admin accounts.
Use different passwords for each login credential.
Avoid generic accounts and shared passwords.
Conduct audits periodically to identify weak/duplicate passwords and change as necessary.
Pick challenging passwords that include a combination of letters (upper and lower case), numbers and special characters (e.g. $, % and &).
Avoid personal information such as birth dates, pet names and sports.
Use passwords or passphrases of 12+ characters.
Use a Password Manager such as LastPass where users need just one master password.
Don’t use a browser’s auto-fill function for passwords.

An advanced and under-used password security tip to consider is two-factor authentication, which is a way for websites to double confirm an end user’s identity. After the end user successfully logs in, they receive a text message with a passcode to then input in order to authenticate their ID.

This approach makes sure that end users not only know their passwords but also have access to their own phone. Two-factor authentication works well because cybercriminals rarely steal an end user’s password and phone at the same time. Leading banks and financial institutions enable two-factor authentication by default, but if not, the service can often be turned on by asking the website to do so. More and more non-financial websites are now offering two-factor authentication as well.

Mobile Security

Mobile Threats Jeopardizing Company Data

Mobile security is increasingly becoming a big concern as more and more companies adopt Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) environments, which allow end users to connect to corporate networks through their own (often multiple) devices. Even in cases where a business does not offer BYOD, end users often find a way to log onto business networks on their own.

With personal devices accessing corporate networks, businesses must now protect endpoint devices that are not completely under their control, which opens up the business to greater risk. Trying to gain control over personal devices also presents the challenge of making sure the company does not infringe on personal apps and information employees store on their own devices.

Mobile Device Security Challenges

Lost, misplaced or stolen devices—remote wiping them quickly is key to protecting sensitive business and personal information.
Mobile malware—hackers are now turning their attention to mobile devices and executing successful breaches through text messages. Android markets can be set up by anyone looking to sell malicious software to unsuspecting customers. Note: While mobile malware affects Androids more than iOS, a few exploits exist for Apple products as well.
Unsecure third-party apps—if breached, they can serve as a gateway to other apps on a device and the device operating system, where security controls can be manipulated.
Files with sensitive information accidentally emailed to an unauthorized party or posted online— once something is sent, it’s out there forever.

Employees that utilize unsecured public WiFi are another area of concern. Hackers in the vicinity of or on the same network can overtake a device without the end user even being aware, capturing sensitive data in transit. The end user can then become the victim of a man-in-the-middle attack, also referred to as hijacking. The hacker leverages the device so that it turns into an invasive device against other unsuspecting end users.

How Employees Can Secure Their Mobile Devices

Set a PIN or passcode: This is the first line of defense—if someone wants to access the device, they first need to break the code. This is not an easy task and can operate as a deterrent against theft. Some device manufacturers also provide the option to automatically wipe the device after a few unsuccessful attempts at the passcode or PIN. So even if a phone is stolen, information cannot be accessed.

Use remote locate tools: Several software solutions help locate lost or stolen devices through GPS and geofencing capabilities. Apple offers a service like this for mobile devices aptly named Find my iPhone. For Android users, the Android Device Manager offers these services, and Windows mobile users have this same option from the Windows Phone website. Similarly, many third-party applications are available in each of the app stores.

Keep devices clean: Phones are mini-computers, and just like “big” computers, they need to be cleaned up from time-to-time. Utilizing an antivirus and malware scanner is always a good idea. Malware can compromise information stored on mobile devices and has a snowball effect that continuously piles up until it slows downs or stops the device.

Mobile Device Management (MDM) solutions help businesses and their employees apply these best practices by providing the ability to remotely wipe any devices that are lost or stolen. Such solutions also isolate personal apps from corporate apps in separate digital containers so that personal information remains private, and when an employee leaves the company, only their corporate apps and data are deleted while their personal apps and data are left intact.

By deploying an MDM platform, businesses can also enforce the use of passcodes to access devices, and they can apply geofencing capabilities that allow a lost device to be more easily located. End users can also be restricted to using only the corporate apps for which they have proper authorization. MDM also protects devices from jailbreaking and rooting—where hackers try to gain access to the operating system to open security holes or undermine the device’s built-in security measures.

Secure Website Browsing

The Top Browser Threats

When end users venture out onto the Internet, it’s easy to get tangled up in the vast web of threats lurking on many website pages. Some of them are readily apparent, but others are well hidden.

Malvertising—a form of malicious code that distributes malware through online advertising—can be hidden within an ad, embedded on a website page, or bundled with software downloads. This type of threat can be displayed on any website, even those considered the most trustworthy. According to security firm RiskIQ, malvertising increased by 260% in the first half of 2015 compared to the same timeframe in 2014.5

End users also need to beware of social media scams. Hackers have created a playground of virtual obstacles across all the major social media sites. According to an article in The Huffington Post, some of the most common Facebook hacks and attacks include click-jacking, phishing schemes, fake pages, rogue applications and the infamous and persistent Koobface worm, which gives attackers control of the victim’s machine while replicating the attack to everyone on their Facebook contact list.

Twitter isn’t immune to security issues either. Since the microblogging site is both a social network and a search engine, it poses extra problems. According to CNET News, just 43 percent of Twitter users could be classified as “true” users compared to the other 57 percent, which fell into a bucket of “questionable” users. Among the things to watch for on Twitter are direct messages that lead to phishing scams and shortened URLs that hide malicious intentions.

As for Web-based exploits, Internet websites are now the most commonly-used angles of attack, most often targeting software vulnerabilities or using exploits on the receiving client. This makes keeping up-to-date browsers paramount for all employees.

Website Browsing Best Practices for Employees

Be conservative with online downloads.
Beware antivirus scams.
Interact only with well-known, reputable websites.
Confirm each site is the genuine site and not a fraudulent site.
Determine if the site utilizes SSL (Secure Sockets Layer), a security technology for establishing encrypted links between Web servers and browsers.
Don’t click links in emails—go to sites directly.
Use social media best practices.

The Value of an MSP in Ensuring Employee Cybersecurity

Partnering with a Managed Services Provider (MSP) that focuses on IT security can bolster your cybersecurity defenses. This is especially true when it comes to end user error. All the tools and solutions in the world won’t protect your business from every attack. Human error is still highly dangerous, and many employees grow complacent at some point as they fail to follow best practices.

An MSP that offers mobile device management (MDM) can be very helpful in deploying automatic and remote device-locate and device-wipe services in cases where mobile devices are lost or stolen. MSPs also offer antimalware and antivirus solutions to keep data on mobile devices as well as desktops protected.

Partnering with an MSP makes sense because they serve as a backup for proactively preventing security leaks that employees might cause and mitigating damage when a leak occurs. Here’s a sampling of the benefits a mobile device management MSP can provide:

Keeps employee devices updated with the latest antivirus and antimalware software.
Applies updates to programs and applications when new versions and fixes become available.
Applies operating system patches when first available on a regular schedule that you can configure.
Provides security assessments to identify weaknesses in your existing mobile security program.
Offers guidance on how to mitigate any mobile security program risks

As for specific preventative tools that are helpful, look for an MSP that offers Malwarebytes or Bitdefender for both mobile devices and computers. The antimalware solution keeps endpoints clean and secure from outsiders.

Viruses can also do serious harm to information, so consider MSPs that offer Bitdefender as an antivirus application. The technology scans downloaded apps and devices for any threats. Equipped with Internet security, this defense provides a heads-up if it detects any malicious activity from the device browser.

Education and Technology: A Winning Cybersecurity Combination

As your business begins the journey to enhance its cybersecurity posture, it all starts with educating your employees. The tips provided within this post along with some basic common sense can go a long way in making sure sensitive information does not fall into the wrong hands, proactively identify and thwart potential attacks as well as react expediently if a successful attack occurs. This is where a managed IT services provider can assist. They eliminate the need for your business to keep up on the latest antivirus, antimalware and alert technologies. You also don’t need to expend the necessary resource time to deploy and manage such solutions, which often fall beyond the bandwidth and expertise of internal teams.

Succeeding in applying the necessary cybersecurity measures is paramount to your long-term business success. In today’s world of advanced hackers, who revel in breaching corporate networks, confidential information will always be at risk. Businesses must take the necessary steps to protect their intellectual property, their confidential information and their reputations while also safeguarding their employees, customers and business partners.

If you or your business is in need of cybersecurity solutions, please don’t hesitate to contact us today and let us work on your behalf in implementing the proper security measures.

Sources

Business Insider, “This one chart explains why cybersecurity is so important,” 4/5/2016: www.businessinsider.com/cybersecurity-report-threats-and-opportunities-2016-3

RSA Conference, “How a Security CEO Fell Prey to Scammers (Almost),” 3/3/2016: http://www.rsaconference.com/blogs/security-ceo-scammers#sthash.egMiB2xW.dpuf

lifehacker, “The Top 10 Usernames and Passwords Hackers Try to Get into Remote Computers,” 3/3/2016: http://lifehacker.com/the-top-10-usernames-and-passwords-hackers-try-to-get-i-1762638243

Webroot, “Top 11 Security resolutions for the New Year,” 12/29/2015: http://www.webroot.com/blog/2015/12/29/top-11-security-resolutions-for-the-new-year/

InformationWeek DarkReading, “How Hackers Will Crack Your Password,” 1/21/2009: http://www.darkreading.com/risk/how-hackers-will-crack-your-password/d/d-id/1130217

Sophos Labs, “When Malware Goes Mobile: Causes, Outcomes and Cures,” 2015: https://www.sophos.com/ en-us/medialibrary/Gated%20Assets/white%20papers/Sophos_Malware_Goes_Mobile.pdf

Symantec Blog, “7 Security Tips To Protect Your Mobile Workforce,” 6/30/2014: http://www.symantec.com/connect/blogs/7-security-tips-protect-your-mobile-workforce

Entrepreneur, “11 Tips to Secure Mobile Devices and Client Data,” 6/11/2015: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/246814

Webroot, “How Businesses Stay Safe and Secure Using Social Media,” Date unknown: http://www.webroot. com/us/en/business/resources/articles/social-media/how-businesses-stay-safe-and-secure-using-social-media

ComputerWeekly, “BlackHat 2015: RiskIQ Reports Huge Spike in Malvertising,” 8/24/2015: http://www.computerweekly.com/news/4500251077/BlackHat-2015-RiskIQ-reports-huge-spike-in- malvertising

Heimdal Security, “How You Can Get Infected via World Wide Web Exploits,” 3/3/2015: https://heimdalsecurity.com/blog/internet-browser-vulnerabilities/

5 Ways to Extend Your Phone’s Battery

September 7, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

Today’s phones can help us do more than ever before. In addition to making phone calls, we use them to send messages, post photos on our favorite apps, watch videos, play games, and endless other activities. Since our phones can accomplish so much, we’re on them often. That means we’re draining a lot of phone battery. In our busy lives, we aren’t always near an outlet and don’t always have a phone charger ready. If our phones die, we risk missing out on important notifications and being unable to easily communicate with others. So what strategies can we use to extend our battery life?

Check App’s Battery Usage

When it comes to battery usage, not all apps are created equal. While checking your email uses a small amount of power, any apps that use GPS drain a significant amount of your phone’s battery. This is because they are constantly talking to the GPS satellites. Check to see which of your apps are draining your battery most and limit usage.

Turn Off WiFi & Bluetooth

It’s a good to turn both WiFi and Bluetooth off when you aren’t using them and want to preserve battery life. While they may not be connected to anything, they are still constantly searching for your home’s WiFi and car’s Bluetooth. That’s how they auto connect when you are back within their range.

Lower your Phone’s Brightness

One of the easiest ways to save battery is to reduce how bright your phone’s screen is. The brighter your screen is, the more phone life it is using up. Most phones adjust the brightness levels based on how light your surroundings are. You can override this and turn the level down to save battery. The more you dim it, the longer your battery will last.

Go on Power Saving Mode

When you put your phone in Power Saving Mode, it stops it from automatically checking to see if there are new emails, powers off your display faster, and reduces screen brightness. It also turns off certain visual effects and some other features take a lot of battery. On some phones, it also makes your apps run a little slower.

Buy a Built-in Battery Case

Some people need to use power-draining features often and have phone-heavy lifestyles. If this is you, it may still be a struggle to keep your battery lasting throughout the day. If all of the other options aren’t sufficient, you can buy a phone case with a built-in battery. This extra battery charges your phone while using it making it last longer throughout the day.

While any of these methods will help you extend your phone’s battery, it’s best to combine a few options. Our phones make our lives much easier, but they can’t do anything for us if they’re dead because we let the battery run out. Even more importantly, we want our phones usable in case of an emergency. Luckily, using these methods will help keep our batteries alive throughout the day. Just remember to charge them again at home.

Are you in need of our services? Contact us now!

Can Private Browsing Protect You Online?

August 6, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

Maintaining your privacy while using the internet has become more challenging over the years. The recent Facebook privacy scandal made that abundantly clear, with users shocked at how much information had been recorded about them. While it’s almost impossible to enjoy the internet and leave zero digital footprints, there are things you can do to hide your online activities – some more effective than others.

Get a virtual private network (VPN) – VPNs aren’t just for business and downloaders now, they’ve gone mainstream. Once set up, it creates an encrypted connection from your computer to the VPN providers computer. The other computer could be in another city or another country. When you visit a website, it can only see the VPN computer – not yours. You essentially run around the internet pretending to be another computer, in another location. Since your connection is encrypted, even your ISP can’t see what you’re doing online, making your usage anonymous. The downside: Because your internet usage has to route through another computer first, your browsing and download speed could be affected. They can be tricky to set up and not all VPNs offer the same privacy levels (the better ones tend to be more expensive). Some websites may even block visits from people using VPNs, so you may end up switching it on/off as required.
Go incognito – Most browsers have a private browsing mode, each called something different. For example, Google Chrome calls it ‘incognito’, Microsoft calls it ‘InPrivate’. Before you take the name at face value, it’s a good idea to talk about how they define ‘private’. Unlike a VPN where you can dance around the internet anonymously, private browsing simply means it won’t show up in your browser history, or what you entered into forms. This feature is free, so you always have the option to use it, and it’s actually more helpful than you might think. Common uses include price shopping to reset sale timers and access local-only pricing and overriding usage limits on certain sites. Some sites use cookies to control your free trials and private browsing can help you get around that. For example, some news sites limit you to 5 free articles a month unless you pay. Private browsing can extend that trial quite easily! The downside: It can’t pre-fill saved passwords and it won’t help you type in the website name even if you’ve been there before.
Think about who’s watching – While you might be naturally careful when using a public computer have you thought about who’s watching what you do on your work computer? Some workplaces have employee monitoring software that tracks all sorts of data, including taking screenshots of your desktop. It helps them create rules about computer usage but it may also provide them with evidence you’ve been breaking those rules. Stepping out to the internet cafe can be even more risky, as people can install keyloggers that record every keystroke, including your credit card numbers and logins. You’ll never know your activities are being recorded, even if you use private browsing. The downside: None. Awareness of the risks and the possibility of being watched ensures you’re more likely to use the internet safely.

While private browsing can help keep your internet usage under wraps, it’s not a magic bullet to cover all possibilities. Many people believe they’re invisible AND invulnerable while private browsing, a mistake they end up paying for. You’ll still need solid anti-virus and password habits to protect against threat, and to be a smart internet user who avoids suspect websites. Consider the options above as privacy-enhancing measures, not one-stop solutions.

Need help with your online privacy? Contact us today!

Shopping for a New Computer?

June 25, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

It’s a decision that comes with equal doses of excitement and overwhelm: getting a new computer! Unlike popping out to the shops for a new toaster, choosing the right computer comes with so many questions, most of which are usually asked in some sort of alien language. Helpful sales people offering RAM as it were a side of fries, measuring CPU speeds in ‘cores’, and listing specs that mean nothing around what you actually want to do.

That’s where we start. Not with tricky language that only makes sense to other computer geeks, we simply find out what you plan to use your computer for, then help you do it. Depending on your needs, we may even be able to provide the computer right there and then. Other times, we’ll offer guidance on what’s in the stores and make sure you’re equipped with all the magic words that get you walking out with what you need, and only what you need (at the perfect price!).

Then comes the real fun.

Once you’ve got that new machine home and out of the box, you’ve inhaled that new tech smell and taken plenty of selfies to remember the moment forever, the overwhelm can come flying back in. Which cord goes where? It doesn’t work like your old one! Why is it doing that?! How to put programs back on? Does it come with security already loaded? If you’ve had your old computer for a few years, you know you’re in for a bit of inconvenience, no matter how shiny the replacement is. We can assist you through this transition period and make it all so much easier by helping to:

Move your old files for you.

One thing most people forget during their new computer bliss-phase is how to get information off your old computer and onto your new one. If your old computer is too broken to boot, this can be a real problem. Our technicians can either turn the old hard drive into an external drive for you or copy the data onto a USB stick. You’ll be able to pick out the files you need and continue what you were doing. If you’d prefer, we can often install the old hard drive inside your new desktop so it’s always there and you have extra storage as a bonus.

Set up your email.

It’s no secret, setting up email can cause headaches even for a tech person. Getting the settings perfect can sometimes be more error than success. The most common problem we see is email that can receive, but not send. It’s a frustrating problem, especially when you’re sending important emails. We can set your email up successfully and ensure it both sends and receives, as well as add in any additional accounts you’d like to manage from the same app.

Save your favorites.

All those bookmarks you’ve made and carefully sorted (or not) are important. You may even have different collections of favorites in different browsers and the last thing you want to do is go find those pages again. We can retrieve your old favorites and put them onto your new computer, making your browser experience look and feel exactly as it did before, only faster.

Set up your software.

Quite often these days, software doesn’t come on a CD. While that’s forward thinking and reducing waste, don’t you miss having a disk you could install from and the license key taped to the back? We sure do! Even so, we can help you re-download your programs and set up the licenses good as new. As technicians, we also tend to go one step beyond and make sure the new software is optimized, updated and working well. While we’re doing that, we make sure your anti-virus is up-to-date and you’re as secure as possible against threats.

Connect extra devices

Sometimes it’s a matter of knowing what cord goes where or getting the right adapter, but sometimes new devices can present software problems. Printers, webcams, game controllers, etc all have unique drivers that need to be installed before they can work properly. Windows 10 is great at picking most of these up automatically, but if they’re not playing nice or your new computer is suddenly missing the correct plug, we can help get you moving again.

We can set all of this up and get you running on your new computer. Contact us today. We look forward to hear from you soon.

What’s Best for Your Computer: Shut Down or Sleep?

June 22, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

Most homes are trying to reduce power costs by turning off lights and appliances, but do the same rules apply to computers? After all, it requires more than flicking a switch on your way out the door. Some people believe you should shut down after every use to save wear and tear, others believe you should never shut down your computer – ever. Others simply want to make sure the pages and apps they left open are still there waiting for them. So, who’s right and what are they really doing?

Back when computers were clunky behemoths that took a long time to start, you’d go nuts at the person who shut it down when it was your turn. If you have an older computer, maybe you still do. Modern computers actually have two options for their downtime: Shut down or sleep.

When it shuts down, the system goes through and closes any open programs (often prompting you to save first), then gradually cuts power to all components. It’s a methodical process that seems quite fast to us but is actually made of 100+ intentionally ordered steps. If there’s a sudden blackout or you hold the power button until it turns off, it means the steps aren’t followed and damage is possible. The second option is to put your computer to sleep. This can be triggered by an automated timeout or a user click. Your system uses a special type of memory called RAM to hold all your running programs exactly as you left them but use minimal power. The hard drive stops spinning, the graphics card lets the screen go black, and even the system fan slows to become almost silent. When you wake it by moving the mouse or pressing a key, it ‘wakes’ again almost instantly.

Reasons to Shut Down

A switched off computer isn’t drawing power which is a tick for the environment. But shutting down is about more than saving power. It can sometimes give improved stability over a machine that’s been running for days/weeks. This is because every time you shut down, you give your computer a chance to clear out all temporary junk files it’s been carrying in memory. It also triggers various health checks on startup that may otherwise be missed, important routines like checking for updates or scanning for viruses. It’s certainly more convenient to spend an extra minute booting up than lose everything to a cyber-attack. For older computers or those under heavy strain like gaming or video editing, shutting down also provides a necessary chance for the components to cool down.

Reasons to Sleep

Speed is the big selling point here. You can literally sit down and start working where you left off without the delays of bootup, finding your program, opening your saved files, scrolling down… it’s all right there and ready. You can even tell it how long to wait before putting itself into sleep mode, just in case you get called away and forget. Windows updates still run in the background, so that’s okay, but it’s important to note that your computer might get stuck waiting for a reboot that never comes. Those pending updates may stack up, ineffective until it either forces a reboot or becomes unstable enough that you give in to a restart.

The best method is….

Since the whole point of having a computer is that it’s ready to work when you are, we recommend shutting down at night when it’s definitely not in use but using sleep mode during the day. Updates will get all the rebooting they need, memory is refreshed for the new day, and you’ll get the best of both worlds – speed and stability.

We can help your computer boot faster. Contact us today. We look forward to hearing from you soon.

How to Stay Safe While on Social Media

June 16, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

Whether its children accidentally straying into the dark parts o the internet or adults willingly giving away their information online, it is all about staying safe online.

People happily share their private information online, building robust libraries that can easily become a one-stop goldmine for fraudsters.

It’s not exactly the intention everyone has when they sign up, as the whole point of Facebook is to share your life with your friends. It hooks us into a global community and the experience does depend on us making certain privacy sacrifices.

So how do you balance being social with staying safe?

On Facebook alone, the average person shares 13 pieces of personal information ranging from a fairly innocent name/email combo, all the way to mother’s maiden name and home address.

It doesn’t sound like a lot, but those 13 pieces have the power to unravel your life within minutes.

Even checking in at home has become the norm, helping to create a multi-dimensional online identity. The details are available to anyone who cares to look, whether they’re a friend keeping in the loop, or a someone with a much darker agenda.

The problem is, you just don’t know who’s looking at your profile or why.

For example, someone could try accessing your email account by clicking the “Forgot password” link. The email service follows it’s security rules and asks identifying questions like “Which high school did you go to?”, “What is your pet’s name?” Unfortunately, the most common identifying checks and answers are probably on Facebook.

Once your email address has been breached, hackers can use that to break into other services and go through, clicking “Reset Password” onsite, after site, account after account – they have full access to your email, so there’s nothing stopping them from emptying your bank accounts – or worse.

7 Ways To Secure Your Facebook Without Missing Out on the Fun

Begin by previewing your profile as others see it
Review what should and should not be visible to strangers
Consider only sharing partial details, like birth day and month, but no the year
Only every “Friend” people you know and trust
Be wary of duplicate or “odd” friend activity – hackers will often clone or hack a friend’s profile and initiate an urgent and uncharacteristic request for money
Update your past privacy settings too
Set default future sharing to “friends only”

Need help securing your Facebook privacy? We can help. Contact us today!

How To Spot A Tech Scam Before You Get Stung

June 13, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

In this edition, I’m calling out tech scammers and the tricks they’re using to con millions out of computer owners each year.

If your computer had a virus, you’d want to know about it ASAP, right?

Your important files become corrupted. You lose your photos and your digital life is essentially destroyed. Even thinking about it is terrifying.

Tech scammers know we’d be lost without our computers, and that we don’t always know what’s going on behind the screen – which is why they’ve been able to swindle millions from every day people across the world.

The scam goes like this:

You receive a random phone call from someone with a heavy accent saying they’re from Microsoft, or an alarming pop-up appears on the screen, saying it looks like your system has been infected with a virus.

To fix the problem, they need you to download some support software, which they’ll give you a special link for.

A technician then uses that software to gain access to your system and make it appear your system is riddled with viruses. Flashing screens, mysterious diagnostics whizzing by, fabricated errors…they’ll do or say anything to make you panic. They’ll even go as far as claiming your system has been infected with illegal content and if not corrected, you’ll face criminal charges.

Demands for credit card information follow immediately after. Once paid, they simply stop fiddling with your system to make it seem the problem is fixed. To continue the scam, they’ll soon access your system to recreate the problem, this time offering a subscription for ongoing protection.

What to do if you’re targeted by a tech scam

Don’t taunt them. Just hang up. Right now you’re only a phone number in their system and they’ll move onto the next – if you give them cause to target your personally, you may find yourself in a dangerous situation. The real Microsoft will never randomly call people like this. Ever.
If a pop-up appears, immediately run an antivirus scan. Don’t click the pop-up or call the number.

What to do if you’ve already been scammed

It’s okay. If feels horrible, but you’re not alone and the situation can be corrected.

Call your financial institution and have the charges reversed and your card reissued. It’s easier than you might think and helps the authorities locate the scammers.

Then contact us today and we’ll make sure they no longer have access to your computer.

5 Reasons Your Business Needs Microsoft 365

June 7, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

If you’ve been putting off the switch to Office 365 because you “already have Office”, prepare for a real eye-opener! We’ll break down the benefits, what they mean, and what you’ve been missing out on.

What’s the Big Deal?

A lot of businesses feel that the Office solution they have is good enough and generally don’t upgrade. They’re missing out. Office 365 provides huge improvements on those versions, including new features, ways of working/communicating and cost savings that get better each year.

Switching to Managed Services brings instant relief to both budget and problems, beginning with putting cash flow back in your control.

1. Near-Zero Learning

Whether you’ve got Office 2016, 2013 or 2010 on your systems, it’s fair to say your business has become extremely comfortable with your processes. Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Excel & OneNote are default apps in use across almost every workplace (and home) across the world. Even with all the improvements, accessibility and productivity features that come with Office 365, your employees can still get straight to work. With that familiarity also comes an ability to use the Office 365 collaboration and task management tools without needing to go away for retraining – everything works the way they expect, even when they’ve never seen it before.

2. Scale your solution up AND down

Traditional Office licenses lock you into that version, paying hundreds of dollars per workstation, even if that workstation is no longer in use. It’s not uncommon for a small business to have over 10 wasted licenses just sitting there. On the other hand, Office 365 always works in your favor. Rather than license a single installation, you subscribe users on a pay-as-you-go model, with each individual user covering multiple PCs, tablets or mobile devices.

Essentially, wherever they go, whether home, work or on the go, their license goes with them.

If your business is experiencing a boom and adds more staff, you can add more users. As the boom winds down or roles are merged, reduce the number of users.

3. Collaborate & Innovate

Collaboration is right for every business. It takes your employees beyond the mindset of scheduling meetings, email chains that go nowhere and results that miss the target, all the way through to innovation and profit. Office 365 ensures your business can increase productivity with no locked files during editing and no accidental overwrites of another’s work. In fact, multiple users can be in the document at the same time, engaged in text/video chat, and working together for the benefit of your business.

Plus, since Office 365 is cloud-based, your employees can be located around the world and still contribute greatly to your business advancement.

When you upgrade to Microsoft 365, you can look forward too:

Increased workplace flexibility
Lower stress among employees
Higher engagement
Moving faster to market
Innovation and curiosity
Faster up skilling of both new and existing employees

4. True Mobility

The same technology that enables collaboration means your employees are able to work from anywhere, at any time. Wrapping up client emails during their commute or adding final touches to a presentation over breakfast are now normal behaviours and Office 365 makes it easy. Employees can even attach or reference files they’d normally have to be on-site for.

It’s this mobility that also opens up opportunity for employees to work from home, and the chance for your business to stand out as a flexible, valued employer.

5. Cost savings across the board

Microsoft has gradually been making Office 365 the obvious choice for small business, shifting support resources to those with 365, offering bonuses, data storage and low prices.

No big upfront costs

With older versions, you’re buying a license per installation at a large immediate cost, upgrading each workstation to handle the requirements and repeating the process over and over whenever a new version with desired features comes out. With 365, you escape that upfront cost, you can run it on virtually any device, and you get all the new features automatically.

In fact, it takes almost 3 years for a single Office 365 subscription to add up to the price you’d pay for a single purchase license – and you miss out on all the extras!

Comes with a built-in IT department

Updating your installation can be a hassle, which is why many employees hit cancel when it pops up. It disrupts their workflow, it takes time, and they don’t understand the security reasons of why they should. Office 365 updates automatically and your employees won’t even notice it’s happening.

Because it’s cloud-based, Microsoft technicians are on call at their secure data centers to make sure the updates are stable and the servers stay up. All your employees have to do is open the app and keep working.

Since there’s no delay, as soon as new features and Microsoft innovations are released, you have them too.

You can be sure they’re also plugging up any security flaws as soon as they find them, so your business becomes more protected than ever before.

Save and storage and email

Each user in your 365 subscription has plenty of included cloud data storage – up to 1TB at no extra cost. If you’ve been paying for storage, either with on-site server racks & the associated costs or a dedicated cloud solution, this is a great opportunity to streamline your expenses.

Another big data expense is email. Inboxes are usually the first to overflow and bounce out new emails, but your subscription can also include business-class email with 50GB storage per user. Easily enough for cat memes AND important business communications!

It’s a Smart Decision! Check out our Microsoft 365 Administration service offering page here. Getting Microsoft 365 is Easy! Ask Us How. Contact us today!

3 Internet Habits To Keep Kids Smart and Safe

April 13, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

How can you make the internet a safer place for your children? It’s a common concern as all parents want their kids to be protected and happy whenever they go online. It’s relatively easy to supervise and monitor the very young ones as they stare delightedly at the Disney Jr site, but the risks increase greatly as kids get older and more independent.

You’ve probably heard the term “cyber safety” before, but safe internet usage goes beyond reminding them no to talk to strangers. With the evolution of the internet and the way it’s now woven seamlessly into our lives, the focus needs to be on ingrained habits. That means ensuring your children have the tools and predefined responses to online events so that no matter what happens, they’re not placing themselves (or your family) at risk.

Setting up these habits is easy, and begins with three basic understandings:

Downloads are a no-go

Most kids can’t tell the difference between a legitimate download and a scam/malicious link. It’s not their fault, the online world is full of things that will trick even the most savvy adult. The difference is that kids tend not to take that extra moment to check exactly where that link is pointing, question whether it’s too good to be true, or even read what they’re agreeing too. They want to get back to what they were doing, and if something pops up, their first instinct is to click “yes” – purely so it goes away. Unfortunately, that single “yes” may have just opened the doors to malware and viruses that will ruin their computer. Set a family rule that they need to ask permission for all downloads (and an adult will check it first), and to never click a popup. When you’re called over to give download permissions or check a popup, talk through exactly what you’re checking and why. As your child matures, get them involved in this process so their safe habits extend outside the home.

Critical thinking is a must

Most young people think the internet is a magical place and can’t imagine their life without it. To them, the internet is on the same level as oxygen! With that acceptance though, comes unwavering trust that the internet would never lie to them, never trick them and never hurt them. While we adults know better, it’s only because we already view the internet with a certain level of distrust. The best way to keep kids safe is to teach them to approach every aspect of the internet with critical thinking. That includes teaching them to question the motives of other people online. Is that person really a kid? What do they really want? Unfortunately, all kids do need to be aware that predators use the internet to target and lure children. Ensure your children tell you immediately if a stranger makes contact. Along with this stranger danger, teach them to identify what marks something as suspicious, and what they should avoid. If they come across anything inappropriate, they should shut down the computer and come straight to you.

The internet is forever

Kids have an overwhelming drive to contribute to the internet, they don’t think twice about recording a video, jumping in a chat room or onto social media. The world really is their playground! But what they don’t understand until they’ve been burned, is that anything they upload, write or say is on the internet forever. Even if they delete it or us a platform where content self-erases, someone can still screenshot and send it right back out. Many cyber-bullying cases are based around this exact type of blow-back. Once your kids know that everything they post is permanent, they’ll be more likely to pause and think.

We can secure your computer and help keep your family safe – contact us today to find out how we can help.

Desktop vs Laptop: Which is Right for You?

April 10, 2018 by Matthew Schulz

Laptops have become the go-to choice for most people in the market for a new computer. They’re sleek, portable and heavily advertised. But are they the best choice for your needs? Before you buy your next computer, take a look at these considerations – you may discover you’ve been dreaming of a desktop all along!

How portable do you need it to be?

Hands down, laptops are easier to move around than a desktop. You can pick them up, pop them into a backpack and away you go. That doesn’t mean desktops are bolted to the floor, just that they’re not designed to take on holidays or go with you to the local cafe. With that portability though, comes a trade-off: thin and light means your computer performance takes a hit. The more powerful your laptop, the bigger and heavier it is, and you won’t enjoy lugging that weight around all day. If that’s got you leaning towards an ultra-portable, consider this: The smaller and lighter your laptop is, the weaker it is. In fact, some laptops struggle to run the most basic apps. Fortunately, when you do choose a desktop, cloud technology means your data is mobile, even if your main computer isn’t.

What balance of power and price do you need?

The bottom line here is that a desktop will always give you more power for less money. Their larger cases allow for bigger and better components, with more effective systems to avoid overheating. Even the most powerful laptop is going to be hotter than its desktop equivalent, and much noise too. If you’re using power-hungry software like games or video editing, we recommend choosing a desktop. The heat control alone is worth it as frequently overheated laptops don’t survive long.

Desired screen size

As laptops are designed to be portable, screen sizes are usually small, around 11-15″. Larger, more powerful laptops often go up to 17″. Desktop monitors however, start at 17″ and average at 22″ or more. These larger sizes give you more space to work in, options to tile your applications and multi-task, and even sit back and watch an HD (or even 4K) movie. They also allow for nice big text and images, with better ability to choose the visual experience that suits your needs. If you’re after a large screen size without the actual desktop computer, all-in-one PCs are a great option with many offering impressive screen quality.

Your working comfort

Many people buy a laptop only to get home and find it’s a pain the neck – literally! The traditional laptop design means you’re always looking down at the screen which can put a strain on your neck. You can try to raise the screen by placing the laptop on a stand, but then the keyboard is out of easy reach. The smaller keyboards and touchpad designs may also leave you more prone to repetitive strain injuries. Many people end up connecting their laptops to external monitors, keyboards and mice, simply so they can work in comfort. Desktop computers on the other hand, allow you to create the perfect working environment for your needs and even cater for other family members. Monitors are usually height adjustable, keyboards and mice are wireless, and you’re able to place the desktop on the floor out of the way. If you’re on your computer for more than short bursts, your body will appreciate you choosing a desktop.

Are you looking for flexibility?

When you choose a laptop computer, it’s like ordering from a set menu. You get this brand, in this design, with these specifications. Changing out parts are extremely hard to get to, which can turn a simple swap into a deal breaker. The extra space inside a desktop gives infinite flexibility for upgrades over time and fast repairs. This means you’re able to easily pop in more powerful components for a fraction of the price and extend the life of your computer by years.