Resources: IT Security

When it comes to using the internet, you know how things can go wrong. We all like to think that our online activities are safe and protected. However, the reality is that hacking methods are increasingly creative to get people to clicking fake links. As such, today, we’re here to draw attention to the horror stories that occur when people fall for bogus email links and the best tips for fake link prevention. 

What Are the Dangers for Business Owners Clicking on Fake links? 

An increasing number of businesses are targeted daily to trick them into clicking fake email links. Hacking methods are getting more and more creative. As such, recognizing which email links are legitimate and which are not can be incredibly difficult – and as such, you should always be alert when using communications software to make sure you don’t fall into these traps. 

Fake links come with numerous associated dangers. That’s why, today, we’ll be looking at a few of the implications that falling for these traps can have. 

Loss of Personal Data 

You must protect your data at all costs. Personal data includes information such as your name, address, date of birth, and banking info. Hackers use this personal data to target you. Your stolen information can create fake identification and credit cards. This data is also commonly sold on the dark web to bidders who collect personal data of this type. 

Consequences associated with the loss of personal data are irritating and a nuisance. However, if hackers use your data for false identification, the consequences for you could be severe. After a breach, you may find yourself in thousands of dollars of debt. Or, quite possibly, your bank account drained. As such, fake links prevention is imperative for protecting yourself from personal data losses. 

Financial Data Losses 

Financial losses are the most common, as this is the primary goal of the hackers. 

One of the most common forms of fake email links is the increase in home deliveries resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic. This trick is a relatively simple scam. Hackers will send texts to thousands of random phone numbers. These texts inform the reader that their delivery failed, and a small redelivery fee is needed to reschedule. This form of fraud is usually opportunistic and low-value. However, some hackers will gather financial data and hack bank accounts or take out loans. This scam, in turn, gives criminals full access to your money. It’s easy to see where the risk lies. 

Another potential threat from clicking on fake links is that the website could download malware onto your device. Malware can gather data about your personal and financial information. Once again, hackers use the breached data to access your financial records. As we’ve seen, this can lead to substantial losses. 

Whether the information is volunteered readily or taken by force, these are risky situations to correct. As such, awareness of the best fake link prevention strategies is everyone’s goal. 

How to Avoid Fake Links 

Fake links are, unfortunately, all too common. Hackers are using these tactics more regularly, and they are also becoming more creative in their attempts. For the average employee, fake link prevention is increasingly difficult. Recognizing these dangerous email links is a genuine challenge for many people. Being aware of avoiding dangerous email links and protecting your precious personal and financial data is more crucial than ever. There is a lot of pressure on employees these days. 

Luckily, our team is on hand to give you a few tips to help you avoid falling prey to malicious hackers. 

First of all, before clicking any links in messages, emails, or on social media, make sure to check the URL to ensure it looks legitimate. Hackers use this common tactic to convince people to click on a fraudulent link. Often, this will be something as simple as changing the domain from .com to .xyz or .club, or something along these lines. Many people won’t recognize this subtle change, so it’s always worth checking before clicking unknown links. 

Next, check the link’s source. If you have any doubts about the sender’s legitimacy, navigate to the supposed firm and send a request to their official customer support team. They should be happy to answer whether the email address is a legitimate one. 

As a final protection, make sure you have the best defence in place for your device! Having anti-virus software and an updated firewall is crucial protection. Don’t leave this to chance. If you have any questions and need help please contact us. We are happy to help!

Opening unknown links can be a risk factor for your business and staff. As a result, more and more business owners have incorporated fake link prevention strategies into their security training. We’ve come up with a few tips to help ensure that your staff members have the critical information on how to spot fake links. This training can help prevent hackers from gaining access to your business. In cases like this, it is better to be proactive rather than reactive after a breach. 

How to Spot Fake Links: Brief Staff Security Training Guidance 

If you have been considering covering bogus links with your staff security training, you’ll want to consider the following how to spot fake link prevention tips. These security training tips will help to give your staff the tools they need to stay safe and protected against the dangers posed by malicious links. 

Staff Security Training Tip #1: Check URLs Before Following Them 

One important tip for your staff as part of their security training is to check all URLs. A URL is the web address that you follow when you click a link. A common trick used by hackers to make the URL seem authentic is to use a similar URL mimicking a legitimate website.  

For example, one switch would be disguising bogus links by changing the website name from ‘example-site.com’ to example_site.com.’ This tiny change often goes unnoticed but could lead to your staff getting caught by a fake link. 

Here are more examples: 

If you regularly deal with Amazon, you’ll notice that their URLs look like these: 

orders@amazon.com, service@amazon.com, or membership@amazon.com 

But bogus URLs will look like these: 

hurry@amazon-$75.com, buddy79@my_amazon.com, or service@amazon-helpmenow.com 

Often, the URL won’t contain the name of the sender at all. You may see URLs like these: 

clickhere@davisneedsshoes.org, holographic_iris@$9di4!wow.net 

Question any link that seems out of place. If your staff doesn’t check these carefully, it can be easy to fall into a trap.  

As part of this staff security tip, make sure they’re aware to check both the name of the link and check where the hyperlink goes. Hackers can easily disguise malicious links as legitimate links by using a website name as the anchor text. But, instead of taking you to the legitimate website, the link redirects you to a fake site. Luckily, checking the destination of a hyperlink is easy, especially on computers; simply right click and you’ll get an option to see or edit the hyperlink. 

Staff Security Training Tip #2: Don’t Open Unknown Emails 

A second crucial tip is to ensure that your staff does not open unknown emails. For many people, this is not easy to do. After all, how can you tell whether a sender is legitimate or not? It’s easy to understand why this is so difficult. Some people struggle to decide whether the contact details for a firm are legitimate addresses or not. Luckily, we have a few tips for this. 

Firstly, for text messages and telephone contacts, look up the telephone number from the source. A quick search will often give you the information you need to know. Most companies will have these numbers listed on their website’s contact details. Alternatively, if the phone number is not legitimate, many sites now exist to display shady phone numbers; as such, searching the phone number alone may be enough information to help you decide if the text was legitimate. 

As part of checking a sender’s identity, you can also search for a specific email address to see if any information comes up. Most companies will have their contact email addresses displayed on their website. Check If the email address in question is on the website so you can confirm that the links are legitimate. If the exact email address does not appear on the website, you should question its authenticity.  

If you struggle to find the correct information directly from a search, don’t be afraid to contact the company in question. Most companies are more than happy to help if it means preventing a scam from occurring in their name.  

Checking the legitimacy of the phone number or email address is one of the best ways to check whether a link is legitimate or fake. Ensure that your staff knows to do this for any communication containing a link. 

Staff Security Training Tip #3: Get the Best IT Support and Antivirus Software 

As a third and final tip for your security training, we cannot stress the importance of good anti-malware and antivirus solutions highly enough. Having these in place and installed on all of your devices can provide a good security backup. This practice is vital in case someone accidentally follows an illegitimate link that tries to download harmful software.  

Antivirus software is highly affordable nowadays and doesn’t take long to set up in your office. If you have any questions about this, contact us today. We will help you find the best antivirus software for your needs, as well as offer training to your staff. 

As business owners, we are all keenly aware of how integral technology is in every industry these days. We have heard countless times how technology helps drive innovation and growth, improves communication in the organization, and increases your advantage over the competition. As a warning, new technology still has vulnerabilities. Recently, new security flaws were discovered on Microsoft Exchange Servers. That’s why we are running this blog: as a warning to anyone running Microsoft Exchange Servers. 

Your Microsoft Exchange Server may be Vulnerable to Attack 

We’re acutely aware of how many small businesses rely on these servers to augment their IT departments. And this means many small businesses are at risk. More than 60,000 companies and organizations have been compromised. This is a world-wide threat. Chinese hackers are confirmed at attacking and exploiting vulnerabilities in on-premise servers. Something to pay attention to is, if you’re running Microsoft Exchange ’13, ’16, or ’19 on-site, these were the servers that were vulnerable to attack. 

Attacks and Hacks 

In January, Microsoft was made aware of what were labeled ‘zero-day’ bugs. These bugs are flaws that we are aware of, but have not yet been addressed. As these weak spots are uncovered, there is a high probability of attacks and breaches. This means they’re highly dangerous for organizations and businesses that hold sensitive data. On March 2nd, Microsoft released updates to repair the zero-day bugs and said that there had only been a limited number of targeted attacks. Despite these fixes and patches, there is still a huge potential for attacks on individual Exchange Servers. This threat is due to the awareness and speed of the patch installation. This means the number of victims grows as more and more hackers continue to target un-patched systems. 

Who is behind these Hacks? 

Microsoft initially reported that their zero-day vulnerabilities were exploited by Hafnium, a Chinese APT group that is state-sponsored. The group achieved the hacks by using zero-day vulnerabilities to gain access to Exchange servers. As a result, hackers can access email accounts and install malware. These attacks create long-term access for future breaches. 

Hafnium has a reputation for targeting US entities in different sectors. Some of these attacks included NGOs, policy think tanks, defense contractors, higher education institutions, law firms, and infectious disease research facilities. Previously, the group compromised victims through the exploitation of internet-facing server vulnerabilities. Hafnium has used open-source frameworks such as Covenant, a legitimate piece of software, for control of the servers. After gaining access to the victim’s network, the group usually uploads the stolen data to a file-sharing site. 

Currently, Hafnium is often unsuccessful in its attempts to compromise customers’ accounts. Unfortunately, this doesn’t make the problem any less serious. You have to be aware that they are trying new attacks every day. Usually, if hackers want to find a way in, they will. 

Other Group Threats  

Since the initial hacking by Hafnium, other groups have exploited the flaws in MS Exchange Servers. A report was published declaring at least 10 groups that are hunting down un-patched servers. 

When Will we be Safe? 

According to DIVD (the Dutch Institute for Vulnerability Disclosure), there are thought to be at least 46,000 un-patched servers still running that are at risk of being heavily exploited. Current estimates are that up to 40% of Exchange servers in the Netherlands are still open to attack. 

Protect Your Business! 

Check to see if your business uses Microsoft Exchange Servers. If you do, or if you’re not sure, keep reading. If you know you haven’t updated your Exchange Server recently, there are some things you should do immediately. First of all, passwords that are sitting in memory could be vulnerable. You should immediately reset all passwords. Next, run the latest patch for your system. As a safety measure, you might want to change your passwords after you run the patch. What this means is, when breaches like this occur, you can’t be too safe. 

Steps to Secure Your Server 

There are several things you can do to enhance your protection: 

1. Patch your system with Microsoft updates. 
2. Reset all passwords and change all credentials. 
3. Double-check your backup device. Is the repository ok? Have you tested it? 
4. Verify your router. You should also check your security with your vendor. Ask them when they last updated their signatures. 
5. Scan for and investigate any malicious activities on your Exchange servers. 
6. And finally, if you are unsure about your network’s safety, restore your Exchange server to a time before the compromises occurred. 

If you are not sure what kind of servers you are using, or you need help running the update patch, that’s what we’re here for. We are happy to help you figure out if you’re at risk from this threat. To help you ease your mind, contact us today! 

When it comes to working remotely, making use of the most up-to-date and high-quality cloud infrastructure and cloud computing services is very important. Cloud computing offers a number of options for business profitability, and a huge improvement for the ability to work remotely. However, you must have the right cybersecurity protocols and software in place to keep your network secure from hackers.

Let’s take a look at some of the security measures you should be aware of.

What is SASE?

First of all, you must know what the SASE cybersecurity software is. SASE is short for “secure access service edge”. It serves to help enhance business computer security when using cloud technology. By implementing SASE for your office network, you can safely access enhanced cybersecurity for your business data against hackers.

It is expected that, by 2040, as many as 40% of businesses – large and small alike – will have either integrated SASE with their current network cybersecurity approach or will be planning to. This is a drastic increase from the 1% of businesses that used SASE in 2018 upon its creation. This also highlights the fact that SASE will be a highly important form of computer security software in the coming years. Start asking about it now.

Why is SASE Important?

You might be wondering why additional cloud technology solutions are needed to protect your business data. There are a few different reasons as to why you might want to implement SASE technology for your servers, but the most obvious and important reason is for the enhanced security it offers.

Unfortunately, there are a few cloud computing companies and services that don’t offer the level of protection your business needs. Don’t be afraid to ask them questions you’re concerned about. Also, remember that we are here to help insure you make the best decisions for your needs. We research and check cloud providers to be sure the solutions they recommend are the most secure available.

It’s important to highlight that cloud computing services are highly reliable solutions and offer additional levels of protection against hackers for most businesses. However, hackers have been able to get around some security features installed by cloud companies. This warning highlights the need for extra IT security, such as that provided by SASE.

How SASE Works

SASE works by merging traditional wide-area networking (WAN) security solutions with other local network services. By using the best of different security approaches and configuring them into a single, cloud-delivered cybersecurity model, SASE allows business networks to benefit from the highest level of cybersecurity. This can be applied across all business devices, from office computers, desktops, and laptops to tablets used for on-the-go projects.

Tech solutions such as SASE are rapidly becoming more and more important. They are necessary to ensure that your business remain protected against the danger hackers can pose to data security. And, by enhancing your business’ cybersecurity while also integrating revolutionary cloud technology and architecture, you’ll be able to enjoy the best protection modern IT services have to offer.

Why Is Cyber Security So Important for my Small Business?

If you’ve ever found yourself searching for “small business IT services near me,” then it is highly likely that your business could also benefit from additional cybersecurity measures. Ensuring the safety of your servers is essential to have a good reputation with your customers and staff.

There are many different reasons why cybersecurity is so important for small and large businesses. Indeed, sometimes it can seem like information technology is changing and evolving at a rate faster than any of us can keep up with – so you must have the best protection in place to make sure your business network is safe.

• Protect your customers’ and suppliers’ data: If your business falls victim to hackers, then your suppliers’ and customers’ data could be compromised. If hackers get access to this data, then you could find yourself with large lawsuits and fines. Which as a result are massively costly.
• Customer confidence: Customer confidence is of the utmost importance in the modern trading environment. If your cybersecurity protocols are not up to scratch then you may lose customers out of fear of data loss. Therefore, having good cybersecurity is paramount if your business is to have loyal, trusting customers.
• Business reputation: To follow up from the last point, if your business has poor cybersecurity solutions in place then you will possibly have a poor business reputation as well. This, in turn, may negatively impact your business in numerous ways, including lost sales and lost revenue. Certainly, this is something that no business wants to experience. The slight cost of investing in good cybersecurity for your business network will be more than paid for by the increased revenue from loyal, trusting customers.

Find the Right IT Consultants Today!

If you aren’t sure how SASE can benefit your business, our team of professional IT consultants are here to help! We can help with all aspects of your managed IT services and IT solutions.

After all, you have a business to run. Let us handle the information technology solutions while you do what you do best! For more information on how our team can help your business grow and thrive, contact us today to learn more!

Keeping your business network safe and secure is essential. Virtual offices and cloud services can be smart ways to keep your data safe. However, many people do not understand the benefits that investing in virtual offices can have. Today we will be looking at what confidential computing is and how investing in the right computing strategies – with help from your managed service provider – can help your business network achieve safe cybersecurity thanks to cloud solutions.

Why Confidential Computing is So Important

When it comes to protecting your business network from hackers, you must have the right cybersecurity software in place. Information technology is an integral part of our lives these days. Still, a few businesses operate without some influence from IT service providers. That can put them at risk of getting hacked.

Confidential computing helps to prevent this from happening. In turn, this can help your business protect your, and your customer’s valuable data. Currently, more and more people are turning to managed IT services and cloud infrastructure and their solutions. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of migrating to the cloud.

Benefits of Cloud Infrastructure for Business IT Solutions

There are many potential benefits for your business when choosing a virtual office or cloud solution services. As such, you must consider these cloud architecture benefits carefully before deciding whether or not to make the switch. However, changing to a cloud-based network could be a smart move for your business.

Some of the key benefits to moving to the cloud are:

1. Scalability
2. Enhanced Security
3. Lower Hardware Costs
4. Greater Flexibility for Employees
5. Easier Remote Access
6. Automatic Data Back-up
7. Lower Maintenance Costs

If you decide to switch over, we highly recommend that you do so with the support of a cloud computing company that can provide you with the best security possible. By doing so, you can be confident that appropriate firewalls, virus protection, and back-up disaster recovery steps are taken to protect your data. Let’s take a deeper look at five things that add value to moving to the cloud.

Cost-Effective Solution

Cloud infrastructure can offer a highly cost-effective solution for many businesses. These savings are obtained by not having to purchase any high-tech office equipment yourself. Rather, you can “hire” cloud servers, thereby cutting the costs of hosting your business’ IT network. There are many cloud storage providers on the market now, giving small businesses plenty of choices when looking for an affordable cloud storage plan.

Data Back-up Disaster Recovery

Another key benefit of most cloud computing services is that they offer data back-up disaster recovery, or BDR, services. That means you can rest easy knowing that your data is secure and backed-up if it should be compromised. That can be a highly time-consuming activity to do with non-cloud business networks.

Practicality

An important benefit of choosing cloud computing services is that the cloud offering is very practical for most businesses. But why is this?

When you choose cloud solutions for your business’ computing needs, you can enjoy having access to company files and data from wherever you might happen to be. That means you can easily access information and files while out working in the field. This feature can also make it easier for your employees to access the system when they need to. As your managed service provider, we’d have access to carry out the necessary work on your network to keep it working effectively and securely.

Fast Speed

It is accepted that most cloud computing companies offer services that provide fast and efficient services. That is in comparison to some physical systems that can take a lot longer to load. It seems like a good business move. After all, time is money!

Unlimited Storage Capacity!

That is arguably the biggest (and most obvious) benefit of choosing cloud computing services and cloud storage providers. Having access to the cloud gives your business the potential to enjoy unlimited storage capacity – which, in turn, can allow you to keep more records with greater amounts of detail. All while saving money on expensive physical storage options.

Is Cloud Computing Secure?

Understandably, many people are unsure about the cloud infrastructure and cloud solutions being safe and reliable. However, it’s important to remember that cloud technologies are highly advanced and provide a high level of support and protection for your data. After all, with many corporations and even governmental bodies using these cloud networks, it’s of the utmost importance that cloud computing services are secure.

That is why you must choose the right Cloud provider for your business technology needs.

Get Professional Managed IT Services Today!

If your business can benefit from joining the cloud, then you must have professional support while making the change. Fortunately, our team of information technology experts understands cloud computing. As such, we are here to help you switch your business servers to cloud solutions, giving you the chance to enjoy all the benefits listed above (and more!)

To learn more about cloud computing services and how cloud solutions could benefit your business, don’t delay, contact our IT management team today to find out more! We’re here to help you find the perfect IT solutions that help your business grow.