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    30Aug, 2022
    Is Your Business Sufficiently Protected from Cybersecurity Threats? It Probably Isn’t.

    The growing number of cyber security threats has businesses just like yours on alert. 

    No industry is safe. Corporations, governments, school systems, utilities, financial institutions, retailers, and hospitals are all targeted by sophisticated cyberattacks. 

    But knowing the dangers of ransomware and malware or supply chain attacks doesn’t keep your business data and assets safe. 

    Meanwhile, your reliance on technology is likely growing. 

    You may think you’re protected by doing one or two things. Yet, there are many areas to cover in securing your business IT. 

    We’ve created a checklist of 11 essential steps to take. Learn how to prevent attacks, protect data and assets, and prepare for the worst if it does happen. 

    You can download this 11 step cybersecurity checklist here: www.StopRansomwareAttacks.com or simply reply to the email sent to you.

    28Aug, 2022
    Talk to Your Staff About Tech Success and Stumbling Blocks

    You may be in charge of tech for your entire business, but that doesn’t mean you actually use all the technology you source, install, and maintain. You’re responsible for updating that tech, supporting it, and monitoring for threats, yet you don’t have hands-on with that tech day in and day out. That means you can’t fully understand what’s working and what isn’t.

    To gain a holistic picture of how your technology is working, ask the people who use it every day. You can’t rely on the fact that people aren’t complaining to mean your hardware or software is running smoothly.

    There are many reasons employees might not reach out to tell you what’s wrong:

    • They are too busy to bring up their issues.
    • They don’t know how to communicate what’s holding them up.
    • They don’t realize that the obstacle they’re hitting isn’t normal for a particular solution.
    • They don’t know who to talk to about the problems they are having.

    So, it’s up to you to be proactive. Reach out to employees to find out what they need to do their jobs better.

    Gain the employee’s perspective

    If you’re in IT, you’re seldom found in the trenches with your sales or marketing. You aren’t in accounting trying to track payments or keep up with supply-chain management. So, you can’t expect to know what the lived experience of your tech is like for those teams.

    Talking to your staff about what’s needed can help you learn about:

    • digital solutions your people have heard about from peers at other companies;
    • new technologies staff would like to try;
    • roadblocks that are slowing productivity and undermining employee morale;
    • low-hanging-fruit changes that you can make to improve an employee’s experience (e.g. adding a second screen may be all that a disgruntled staffer needs to see their job isn’t so bad).

    You might host a lunch-and-learn, where you discuss technology with different teams, or you could send around a survey. Emailing employees directly, and asking them to answer key questions can help, too. Focus your information gathering in three areas:

    • What works well for you?
    • What challenges are you facing?
    • What would make your life easier?

    Of course, people are going to have different ways of speaking about technology. They probably don’t know a LAN from a PAN or a WAN, for example, but they will be able to convey whether they feel the network is too slow or not.

    Prioritize tech solutions

    Talking to people in the trenches with tech can help set infrastructure priorities. Once you’ve learned what tech is needed and what isn’t working as you’d hoped, reach out to a managed service provider for help. We can consult on new solutions and help you streamline business processes. We know tech for small businesses. Contact us today at 941-447-8582

    28Aug, 2022
    Data Breaches Are Getting Worse: Know the Basics

    The exposure of sensitive information can be disastrous for individuals, businesses, or governments. Yet data breaches aren’t going away. The first data breach compromised more than a million records in 2005. Since then, we’ve seen ongoing news of breaches. But there are some basic steps you can take to avoid falling victim to an attack.

    Let’s look just at August 2022:

    • A breach at communications giant Twilio exposes 1900 users’ phone numbers and SMS verification codes.
    • Researchers discover at least 9000 virtual-network computing endpoints exposed online without a password.
    • CISCO confirms a ransomware gang has exfiltrated 2.8GB of data.
    • An American neurology practice notifies 363,833 individuals of a data breach.
    • 4 million Twitter users are thought to have been affected by a data breach at the social media firm.
    • And that’s all during a 10-day period!

    In its annual Cost of a Data Breach study, IBM found the cost of a breach hit a record high this year, at nearly $4.4 million.

    How does a data breach work?

    A data breach involves any unauthorized access to confidential, sensitive, or protected information, and it can happen to anyone. Data breaches happen mainly when hackers can exploit user behavior or technology vulnerabilities.

    The threat surface continues to grow exponentially. We are increasingly reliant on digital tools such as smartphones and laptops. With the Internet of Things (IoT), we’re adding even more endpoints that unauthorized users can access.

    Popular methods for executing malicious data breaches include:

    • Phishing – emails in which hackers persuade users to hand over access credentials or the data itself;
    • Brute-force attacks – hackers use software and sometimes even hijacked devices to guess password combinations until they get in;
    • Malware – infects the operating system, software, or hardware (often without the user knowing) and steals private data.
    • Disgruntled employees or political hacktivists can also be behind data breaches. However, more often than you would hope, the breach is due to human error.

    Basic steps to avoid data breaches

    Too many data breaches trace back to people using weak access credentials. Yes, there are still people out there using “password” or “123456” to log in at work! Thus, an important step to counter data breaches is enforcing strict password policies.

    Multi-factor authentication can also help. This way, even if the employee uses a poor password, or their strong password is stolen, the hacker has to work to get access. They might need the user’s physical device to confirm a one-time-use code sent to verify identity.

    It’s also important to patch and upgrade software as soon as asked to do so. Manufacturers support security by keeping abreast of hacker attacks throughout the world. They’ll also watch for bugs and any vulnerabilities. Disregarding that message to upgrade or patch could leave your computers at risk.

    Encrypting all sensitive data can also cut the risks of a data breach. That way, if the bad guys do get inside your systems, they can’t do anything with the information they access.

    With more people working remotely, the number of users doing business on their own devices is also up, which represents another data breach risk. Enforce strict Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies to minimize exposure. You might require virtual private networks and professional-grade antivirus protection.

    Don’t risk data breach damage

    Data breaches cause business downtime and can cost your reputation and bottom line. You may lose customers and also have to pay legal fees or compliance fines. Don’t let this happen to you. A managed services provider can install protection and take precautions against data breaches. Call us today at 941-447-8582.

    23Aug, 2022
    What is Digital Friction, and What to Do About It?

    No one wants to work harder than they have to. Digital transformation is one way businesses can make employees’ lives easier. Yet simply increasing the amount of technology isn’t the answer. Digital friction can actually make the workday more challenging. Read on to learn more about digital friction, its demotivating force, and how to avoid it.

    Digital friction describes added challenges employees face trying to work with business technology. As businesses add more digital tools, teams must adapt to a more complex ecosystem, but problems can arise:

    • Technology isn’t integrated, so there are now more steps to follow.

    • Workflows grow more complicated, as there are several digital solutions to navigate.

    • Employees are overwhelmed with notifications tracking, managing, and monitoring digital workflows.

    • New approaches create or duplicate manual processes.

    • Employees become overloaded with information thanks to the many new collaborative, digital tools.

    Any of these issues is counterproductive to digital transformation. The idea behind adding new digital solutions is to streamline and simplify, but if you’re complicating the work environment, you’ll undermine productivity. You aren’t helping employee engagement and morale either. Your people grow frustrated with your fresh expectations.

    Sources of digital friction

    When you install new tech, you intend to save time, reduce effort, and improve productivity, but the best intentions don’t avoid digital friction. If you’re going to install digital technologies be wary of these problems:

    • Poor understanding of workflow. If you don’t understand what is happening now, you can’t effectively install digital processes.

    • Inconsistent workflows. When employees approach processes differently, there will be friction on new, digital solutions.

    • Poor-quality data. Digital technology relies on data. A major source of digital friction is low-quality data. Employees spend too much time locating, validating, and formatting data to see benefits.

    • Lack of understanding of a solution’s impact. Investing in tech for the sake of “going digital” is not setting employees up for success. You need to know what the technology can do and how it will impact employees’ daily work.

    What to do about digital friction

    Before even adding technology, consult with your employees. Learn their pain points and what they want from a digital solution. Find out how they are doing their jobs today. Then, you can work with an IT consultant to determine which digital offerings will add value.

    Look for opportunities to integrate your digital technology. Help employees avoid information overload and being constantly pinged and notified. Take stock of all the apps and software you’re using. Identify where you are duplicating processes, especially manual ones. Ferret out the places where your people are having to work harder to do their jobs. Know that data quality is a prime culprit.

    Make decisions about new digital technology based on outcomes. What do you want the software to do? How will it be used and managed? Be sure you know how this new tool you’re offering is going to help people if you want them to embrace the change.

    Simplify access by ensuring employees have a positive user experience. With more employees working remotely or hybrid, they need to do their jobs on a wider range of devices.

    Need help cutting digital friction? Our technology-agnostic IT experts can identify problems and increase productivity. We can also consult on legacy tech and data migration to support

    23Aug, 2022
    WEF: Become Cyborgs, Chip Your Children, Implant Brain Chips

    Even five years ago, such a headline would have been blasted as a “conspiracy theory”, but now Klaus Schwab and the World Economic Forum are saying it right in your face. When they talk about “The Future We Want”, they mean the future THEY want, i.e., only Transhumans need to apply. ⁃ TN Editor

    The World Economic Forum is promoting “augmentation technology” to morph humans into cyborgs and recommends children be implanted with brain chips.

    The brain chips will not only improve health by eradicating impairments like learning disabilities and depression, but pave the way for humans to attain superhuman capacities, contends an August 16 article published on the WEF website.

    “Superheroes have been dominating big and small screens for a while, but there’s a subtle change happening. Many children expect to develop superpowers themselves. These expectations may sound unattainable, but we’re already making the first strides towards an “augmented society,” writes WEF “agenda contributor” Kathleen Phillips in the blog post titled, “Augmented tech can change the way we live, but only with the right support and vision.”

    While brain chips or augmentation, like “cochlear implants” or “prosthetics” are used to remedy cognitive impairments, the technology will be used to enhance everyday life, particularly for children who would benefit from  developing ultra sensory perception, the article argues.

    “The augmenting technology will help in all stages of life: children in a learning environment, professionals at work and ambitious senior citizens. There are many possibilities,” Phillips notes.

    “Should you implant a tracking chip in your child? There are solid, rational reasons for it, like safety,” the scientist writes. “Many children with attention deficit struggle in school. In the best case, they get special education services or classroom accommodations. However, with extra visual and audio guidance that blocks off excess stimuli, an otherwise-enabled child can cope with a standard school environment. And when class is over and playtime begins, they can just take the aids off.”

    Brain implants will provide health benefits “equivalent of a dog’s nose” in a gadget “that can be handy to sniff out COVID-19,” the WEF agenda contributor assures. But unlike phones that “might feel like part of your body,” the augmentation technology “will become more intertwined with the body in the form of implants.”

    The article features a video produced by the WEF outlining “an ethical framework for a technologically augmented society.”

    Phillips surmises an “augmented society” is inevitable and points to global elites who are are establishing a monopoly over brain implants to “ethically” regulate the technology that soon be pervasive across the globe.

    “The Council of Europe recently launched a strategic action plan tackling issues raised by the application of neurotechnologies. Another example, Rathenau Institute founded by the Dutch government, operates as an independent institution to reflect on questions related to the impact of technology on our lives,” Phillips writes. “Chile is already a step ahead. Last year, the country pioneered a bill to amend its constitution to protect personal brain data. Several countries are now exploring how to address these issues surrounding (brain) implants. The task is daunting as ethicists will not only need to scrutinize blooming technology but also potential future applications.”

    “Technology has always had the potential to transform society and improve our daily and professional lives. So does augmentation technology,” the WEF article concludes. “It goes hand in hand with an evolution from health care to ‘well care’, where it’s not just about solving an impairment anymore. It’s about technology that supports you and improves your overall quality of life.”

    WEF chief Klaus Schwab contends transhumanism, or merging man with machine, is imperative to achieving the “The Great Reset” or “fourth industrial revolution.”

    “What the fourth industrial revolution will lead to is a fusion of our physical, digital and biological identities,” Schwab told the Chicago Council on Global Affairs in 2019.

    23Aug, 2022
    Technocracy’s War On The Essential Elements Of Life

    BY: PATRICK WOOD AUGUST 22, 2022

    The three most important elements that support life are oxygen, carbon and nitrogen. All are plentiful and all work together along with energy from the sun. All of these are under massive attack around the world.

    Carbon dioxide is declared to be a pollutant and schemes are devised to bury it in the ground. The war is on carbon, but note that CO2 contains twice as many oxygen molecules as carbon. Without CO2, plants cannot grow, nor can they replenish oxygen necessary to breathe.

    Nitrogen is the most plenteous gas in the atmosphere, but it too is declared to be a pollutant. Without nitrogen, agriculture comes to a screeching halt, potentially creating famines of epic magnitude. Yet, global warming death-cultists are trying to take away nitrogen fertilizers from farms and ranches all over the world.

    The global warming death cult blames humans for all these problems that must be “corrected”. If their policies were carried to the extreme, earth would end up as a frozen ice ball whizzing around a dead sun.

    This death cult is the prime driver of global depopulation ideology, not only for humans, but CO2-breathing animals as well. More CO2 is exhaled from humans than all other sources combined on earth. Reducing human population would also reduce animal populations as well as vegetation. The perfect solution, right?

    The war on humanity and civilization is real, tangible and incredibly destructive. The war is being prosecuted by the evil twins of Technocracy and Transhumanism and it must be stopped before they can execute their final solution.

    20Aug, 2022
    Oliver’s Twist, Policymakers Legislating Against the People – It’s Not About Going Green, It’s About Going Without

    Last Saturday’s weekly monologue by Neil Oliver was a tremendous hit, helping to awaken millions of people from multiple nations about the true intent of this new governing system as promoted by policymakers on behalf of corporate interests [SEE HERE].

    Earlier today (UK time) GBNews host Mark Steyn had Mr Oliver appear in studio to expand the conversation.  What results from Steyn and Oliver is a brilliant segment outlining the nature of this new governing system.  A system structured on the standard that disconnected policymakers are legislating to the needs of corporations.

    When you remove the old “representative democracy” scales from your outlook and replace the lens with an understanding that representation now means representing the needs of multinational interests, almost all of the contradictions reconcile.

    From that perspective, the Build Back Better or Green New Deal (climate change) agenda is not about replacing the system of energy production with a green system that duplicates the output. The intent of the new program is to produce less energy and then modify the uses of the now limited resource.  In one of the examples given, 30 million gasoline powered cars are not expected to be replaced by electric vehicles, a personal transportation system of far fewer vehicles is the goal. (Click here for more)

    11Aug, 2022
    How To Protect Your Children While They’re Online

    Now that school has finally started, children have all the time in the world to spend with their best friend: Technology.

    Waking early to sneak in a couple hours of Minecraft, Fortnite, YouTube or Xbox…grabbing their ‘educational’ iPad and Facetiming a friend…sending emails and texts…it’s open season!

    Not just the younger children, but teenagers too.

    To be honest, as an adult, we really have no idea what’s cool or what they’ve been introduced to at school. They’re digital natives and use it in ways we would never dream of.

    All we know is that they’re going to using their devices and we won’t be able to watch them every second of the day. Plus of course, no matter how many Cyber-Safety talks they’ve had, how many times they can parrot the rules back, they’re children and they don’t always stop to think.

    • They don’t realize certain search terms might not be such a great idea
    • They trust they are messaging other children
    • And they would rather not limit themselves to 2 hours per day

    Protect your Children with Parental Control Software

    A Parental Control Software (PCS) package is essentially an internet filter for children. It takes all the icky, inappropriate things online and blocks your child from accessing them, seeing them or even knowing they exist.

    Adults can override and disable the software easily, so their own experience is unchanged and unmonitored.

    You’ve probably even heard of people using “Net Nanny” or “K9 Web Protection” – these are two very well-known and reliable options available.

    As an added bonus, Parental Control Software can also be used to put time limits on internet usage, or even log all online activity. While you may not feel the need to review the logs on a daily basis, they can be vital in identifying cyber bullying, sexting, or inappropriate relationships. Parents around the world credit these logs with saving their child’s mental health, and occasionally, their life.

    The best time to install Parental Control Software is now, before your children become comfortable with unrestricted access, and before they see things they shouldn’t.

    Give us a call to set your computer up with Parental Control Software today.

    10Aug, 2022
    How Secure is Cloud Data?

    Data security is a common concern when migrating to the cloud. When data is on-premises, the business secures the sensitive data, and that feels safer. But that isn’t always the case. In fact, data can be safer in the cloud than on-site at your business.

    When you put together your business infrastructure, you have many business priorities. Securely storing data is only one of your objectives and could even be one that you added on later.

    A cloud services provider builds from the ground up with the goal of securing data online. Thus, cloud companies typically offer far more robust cybersecurity measures. After all, the success of Dropbox or Amazon Web Services depends on securing cloud data.

    A hacker can use malware or phishing emails to target the data on your business devices. With ransomware, they make it impossible to reach your data unless you pay a ransom (or have a good data backup). Yet these cyberattacks don’t work in the cloud. Bad actors might access what’s stored on an individual user’s device, but they can’t get to the larger trove of data online.

    Cloud servers are also safer because they’re in data warehouses most workers can’t physically access. Plus, the service providers will usually set up redundancies. So, for example, if a natural disaster hits one server site, they will offer continued access from another site.

    Some cloud service vendors will also invest in third-party testing. To keep data safe, they hire external companies to test for vulnerabilities.

    More reasons cloud data is safe

    Cloud data is encrypted not only in storage but usually also in transit to and from the servers. This means your information is scrambled, and a bad actor getting between your business and its cloud data can’t understand it.

    Cloud service providers also regularly monitor and maintain security. They spend more resources ensuring systems are up to date. They’re also more likely to use data analytics to identify trends or threats to their security. You might do the same, but you are unlikely to do so on the same scale.

    Another advantage of keeping your data in the cloud? When you move to the cloud, you no longer have to store all that data on your own hardware. You still have access to your documents, media, or reports, but the third-party provider will likely have more storage space and processing speed. So, your on-site technology may function better, too.

    You’re also cutting out common cybersecurity risks. You don’t have to risk storing data on laptops, which can get lost or stolen. You also end the need for thumb drives (or USB drives), which can also be stolen or lost. Plugging in these external devices can also expose you to viruses or other risks.

    How to secure data in the cloud

    First off, encrypt your data. Make sure you contract with a provider who will encrypt data in transit. This makes it more difficult for hackers to get at your information.

    Enabling multi-factor authentication can also help secure data by adding layers of rigor. It moves your data security beyond just asking for a username and password. We know all too well that those are often compromised or guessed.

    When you move your data to the cloud, you will need to pay attention to compliance regulations. Depending on your industry, there may be particular standards for data storage. Encryption is a common compliance expectation.

    It’s also a good idea to train your employees on the importance of securing data. Engaging in ongoing security awareness training can help protect your endpoints. This is particularly important with people working remotely and connecting from off-site locations.

    Help with securing your cloud data

    Migrating to the cloud has its benefits. Still, that doesn’t make it a straightforward process. Work with our IT experts to move your data to the cloud with minimal disruption. We can help you find the right cloud service provider and assist with data backup processes. Contact us today at 941-447-8582

    10Aug, 2022
    What Internet Explorer’s Retirement Means for You

    There was no big retirement party; no one got a watch or engraved memorabilia. Yet Microsoft retired Internet Explorer on June 15, 2022. It was a long time coming, but you still may not be prepared for what that decision means for you.

    Internet Explorer could be your go-to. It’s been around since 1995 and was the gateway to online browsing for millions of people globally. But, as Microsoft announced, “the web has evolved and so have browsers. Incremental improvements to Internet Explorer couldn’t match the general improvements to the Web at large.”

    Microsoft wants people to switch to its Edge browser instead. Expect to see a redirect screen asking you to make the switch. The company will automatically transfer favorites, passwords, history, cookies, and other data from Explorer to Edge.

    For Internet Explorer loyalists, Microsoft Edge even comes with an IE mode that allows you to enjoy Internet Explorer-specific features and a modern browser experience on Windows. It also acknowledges that some websites built with older internet technology work only with Internet Explorer.

    Alternatively, you might switch to other software. Google Chrome has grown substantially since its introduction in 2008. Today, it has 77% of the market share. Safari, Mozilla Firefox, and Microsoft Edge take up the next three spots.

    Why you can’t keep using Internet Explorer

    When software is retired or reaches the end of its life, the manufacturer no longer supports it. That means if you continue to rely on Internet Explorer, you could put yourself at risk.

    As Internet Explorer is “out of support,” Microsoft is no longer securing the browser. If there are vulnerabilities, there will be no patches released. If there are bugs, there will be no updates.

    At the same time, hackers know people don’t like change. They see an opportunity whenever software is retired. If you stick to Internet Explorer, you won’t have any help keeping passwords and other data secure.

    You could also experience conflicts with your computer hardware or software. Internet Explorer is outdated, and Microsoft knows it. Trying to keep it could mean a reduced user experience. It’s a little like sticking with a soup-can telephone when you could be on a smartphone.

    What’s the next step?

    Eventually, Internet Explorer will be permanently disabled. That’s for a future Windows update. When that happens, you’ll no longer even see the Internet Explorer icon on your desktop or other devices.

    Still, you don’t want to wait that long to move to another browser solution. Hackers are already searching for ways to exploit the application, and security risks are will grow.

    Microsoft has committed to supporting the IE mode in Edge until at least 2029, so moving to Edge could be easiest solution. You don’t even need to wait for the redirect message: you can click on the Microsoft Edge icon on your Windows device and begin there.

    If you want to transition your browser or decide on the best software to suit your needs, try our IT experts. We’re here to help. Contact us today at 941-447-8582.