by John Mamon | Feb 10, 2020 | IT Service Blog
Your data and privacy deserve respect. Here are five golden rules for keeping yourself, your business, and your employees secure.
Limit Who Has Access
Keep information on a need-to-know basis. The more people that have access to a particular folder or file, the greater the risk of a data breach or exposure. Your employees should only have the information they need to perform their work.
Use Secure Passwords and Multi-Factor Authentication
If your business uses easy-to-guess passwords or doesn’t have rules in place regarding password complexity and expiration dates, it’s time to make a change. Implement your own rules and requirements for password management, or use a management tool that provides effective security while simplifying the process for your employees. Multi-factor authentication (MFA), which can be enabled via SMS or email, is an added layer of protection.
Implement Consistent Backups
Your data isn’t safe unless it’s backed up. Back-ups protect valuable information from accidental or malicious deletion and overwrites, hardware or software failures, and even cyber attacks. Backups should happen as often as makes sense for your business’s needs – but more often is better. And follow the rule of three: Three copies of data, on two types of media, and one offsite storage facility.
Protect Your Physical Space, Too
Picture an average workstation: Passwords written on sticky notes, USB drives sitting out in the open, unattended or unlocked computers displaying sensitive information. If your offices feature these common oversights, educate your employees about the simple steps they can take in their physical space to secure your company’s data and privacy.
Stay Informed
As technology rapidly evolves, so do threats to your business’s data security. Stay vigilant, stay informed, and use an IT provider that has your back. For more on keeping your business secure, call us at 678-389-6200 or contact us online.
by John Mamon | Jan 28, 2020 | IT Service Blog
Here’s a new cyber threat to worry about: Juice Jacking. Read on to learn what about juice jacking and how to prevent yourself or employees from becoming a victim.
What Is Juice Jacking?
One common feature of modern smartphones is that the power supply and data stream pass through the same cable. When you plug your phone in to charge, hackers could theoretically access your phone through the same cable and inject malicious code or steal your personal information.
Your USB connector has five pins. However, it only uses one of those five pins to pass-through power for charging. Two additional pins are used for transferring data. So, when you charge, you could also be opening a port for passing data between devices.
We have only seen unconfirmed reports of juice jacking happening in the real world, but engineers have demonstrated how it is possible. In theory, threat actors might hide a device in a public charging station at airports or hotels. It’s a big enough concern that the District Attorney’s office in Los Angeles recently put out a warning to travelers to avoid using public USB charging stations.
The FBI put out a warning about a device that’s small enough to fit inside a USB charger that can steal keystrokes from wireless keyboards. Another device hidden inside a USB charging station accesses your video display. It then records a video of everything you do, which might include passwords, accounts numbers, or PINs.
How To Prevent Juice Jacking From Happening to You or Your Employees
We’ve been warning people about the potential danger of using public Wi-Fi stations for years. Hackers can set up Wi-Fi hotspots in coffee shops and other public places then intercept data as it’s sent back and forth to your device. Now you can add public charging stations to the list of potential problems.
This doesn’t mean you shouldn’t use them. You just need to take basic security precautions to stay safe.
- Avoid using public USB charging stations or plugging into unfamiliar computers.
- Instead, use an AC power outlet and your own charging device. No data transfer is going to take place when you’re using an AC outlet and your charger.
- Consider external batteries, power banks, or wireless chargers if you need a charge on the go.
You should also avoid the temptation to plug into a USB charger you find left plugged in somewhere. It may be waiting for you to plug in and infect your device.
For iOS users, you can also use USB Restricted Mode which allows charging but prevents data transfers under certain circumstances. You’ll find it by going to Settings > Face ID & Passcodes (or Touch ID & Passcode) > USB Accessories. For Android users, USB data transfer should be disabled by default. If you want to check to make sure that’s the case, plug in your phone in a safe place, click on the notification and check USB Configuration options.
Questions about keeping safe from cyber threats? Call us at 678-389-6200 or contact us online.
by John Mamon | Jan 20, 2020 | IT Service Blog
If your small business is using any but the latest, just-patched version of Firefox, you need to update now. That directive comes from no less than the United States Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Whether you use Windows or Mac, older versions of Firefox for desktop contain a critical vulnerability that allows attackers to take control of a user’s entire operating system. This nightmare scenario is already playing out, hence the urgent warning from Homeland Security.
From CISA:
Mozilla has released security updates to address a vulnerability in Firefox and Firefox ESR. An attacker could exploit this vulnerability to take control of an affected system. This vulnerability was detected in exploits in the wild.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) encourages users and administrators to review the Mozilla Security Advisory for Firefox 72.0.1 and Firefox ESR 68.4.1 and apply the necessary updates.
Mozilla itself says: “We are aware of targeted attacks in the wild abusing this flaw.”
To upgrade your Firefox browser:
- On a Mac: launch Firefox and click About > Firefox and click the “Restart to update Firefox” button.
- On a PC: launch Firefox and go under either Options > Firefox Updates or Options > Advanced > Update to update Firefox.
The version you want to be running is Firefox 72.0.1 and Firefox ESR 68.4.1 or higher. Firefox browsers for mobile devices are not known to be affected.
Need help upgrading your system? Call us at 678-389-6200 or contact us online.
by John Mamon | Jan 14, 2020 | IT Service Blog
If you use Windows 7, you need to be aware that Microsoft is ending support for your operating system today – January 14th, 2020. Now is the time to upgrade to Windows 10.
Windows 7 is an operating system that still has plenty of users – in fact, it was only earlier last year that the market share for Windows 10 moved past Windows 7. Impressive, considering that Windows 10 was released in 2015. But nothing lasts forever in technology, and Windows 7 is no exception.
With Microsoft ending support for Windows 7, the operating system will become much more difficult to keep up and running effectively. Worst of all, a loss of support means Windows 7 will be more vulnerable to security threats.
What Does “Loss of Support” Mean?
There are several things that will happen when support ends for your Windows 7 operating system, including:
- Loss of tech support. Right now, if something goes wrong with your Windows 7, you can contact Microsoft and get somebody to help you with the problem. They can run you through troubleshooting steps and try to get things going again. But when support ends, you won’t have the option of contacting Microsoft about it.
- No more software updates. Microsoft is always working to improve their operating systems – at least the ones they currently support. But once they stop support, they stop putting resources into improving an OS. That means there will be no more updates to make Windows 7 secure and stable.
- Loss of security. This is the big one. There are always people out there looking to compromise Windows operating systems, even ones as old as Windows 7. When you lose support for your OS, it means that Microsoft will no longer be trying to identify threats and upgrade your OS to defend against those threats.
- Loss of compatibility. Over time, the software you rely upon will stop working with Windows 7, effectively spelling the end of your computer’s functionality.
Fortunately, getting support for your OS is easy enough – you just have to upgrade to Windows 10.
Need help upgrading your system? Call us at 678-389-6200 or contact us online.
by John Mamon | Jan 6, 2020 | IT Service Blog
Some scams are complicated. This one is not.
Luckily, the solution is equally simple: don’t abbreviate 2020.
The reason? Scammers could easily alter a date reading 1/1/20 to read 1/1/2000, 1/1/2021, or even 1/1/2099.
Ira Rheingold, the executive director of the National Association of Consumer Advocates, says scammers could use this method to attempt to cash an old check or establish an unpaid debt.
“Say you agreed to make payments beginning on 1/15/20. The bad guy could theoretically establish that you began owing your obligation on 1/15/2019, and try to collect additional monies,” Rheingold told USA Today.
“In the future, post-dating could be a problem too. For example, a check dated 1/1/20 could become 1/1/2021 next year, possibly making the uncashed check active again,” Rheingold says.
The solution, again, is simple: write out the full date. Instead of 1/18/20, use 1/18/2020 or January 18, 2020.
Want to know more about protecting your business from fraud? Call us at 678-389-6200 or contact us online.
by John Mamon | Dec 10, 2019 | IT Service Blog
If users in your organization use Google Chrome, there is a high chance that several of those systems are creating an opportunity for hackers to install malware. Google recently identified a major security flaw with its Chrome browser that impacts Windows, Mac, and Linux-based devices. Although Google has released a security patch to correct the security vulnerabilities, the patch fixes two separate problems.
Security Vulnerabilities
One of the security vulnerabilities Google identified is Chrome’s audio component. The other vulnerability is tied to the browser’s PDF library. Both allow unwanted modifications or corruptions to memory data. This allows hackers to elevate privileges on the device or within applications installed on the device. If someone is able to gain administrative access to a system or software on a system, the individual could make unwanted changes or wreak havoc on the device’s operating system. There is also a high chance that a hacker could install malware or execute malicious code on the device.
Version
The version of the browser that fixes the security issues is 78.03904.87. Although the Chrome browser may be configured to automatically update itself in the background upon launch, it is a good idea to manually check each device. The browser can be manually checked by selecting the Help menu and then “About Google Chrome.” If there is an update available, the browser will automatically search for it and find it. The browser’s version will also be displayed in the “About” section. If the listed version is 78.03904.87 or later, then the device has received the necessary security patch.
If there are problems with the browser updating, it may need to be removed from the system and reinstalled. Some organizations have an automatic process to uninstall and reinstall applications from the server once the devices connect to the organization’s network. Reports can be run to see which systems still have outdated versions and technicians should manually check those systems to diagnose why automatic updates are not going through.
Other Considerations
A system that is not receiving automatic updates from Google Chrome may have other issues. Technicians should check for the following:
- Is the anti-malware program up to date and running correctly?
- Is the OS receiving approved updates and are these updates installing?
- When was the last time the system pinged the network?
- Has the system been restarted recently?
- If the system has been disconnected from the organization’s network, how long has it been offline?
- Has a malware scan recently been run? Were any malicious items identified and removed?
- Are there are any suspicious executables or unauthorized programs installed?
Sometimes wiping a system and completely reinstalling the OS are the best courses of action. Signs that a device may be too infected, corrupted, or outdated include the presence of unauthorized or suspicious applications, more than 100 pending OS updates or a previous update date that is more than a month old, and an anti-malware program that will not update or run a scan correctly. Before wiping a system and reinstalled the OS, a technician should check for and back up any user data that may be installed on the device’s hard drive. However, the data should be carefully scanned for any malware infections prior to transferring it back onto the system.
Have questions about vulnerabilities within your system? Call us at 678-389-6200 or contact us online.
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