by Felicien | Apr 9, 2018 | Education
The digital revolution has changed our world in unimaginable ways – and for the better! Tools and applications like Microsoft Word and Microsoft OneNote aim to make our lives easier, in one simple step.
Have you ever stopped to think about Microsoft’s naming convention? It’s probably not something that crosses your mind as you open a Microsoft application, like Word or Excel or Outlook. There are teams and departments at Microsoft whose roles include the creative scope for brainstorming names for new products in the Microsoft line-up. If you look deeper, there are not only subtle references to what each does within the name, but there are also psychological implications – like subliminal messaging – within the product names.
Microsoft Word is a word processor, but has a vast array of built-in tools to help users improve their finished written product, like a wordsmith! Its thesaurus feature aids users looking for just the right word when the typed word is close but not “it”. The spelling and grammar check gets many a student through assigned papers – and, more importantly, helps prevent professionals from making expensive errors, like errors that affect professional reputations and can impact revenue and profit. Microsoft Word can perform a mail merge, so users can send letters to clients with just a few clicks – after using the app to perfect their letter, of course. Contracts and agreements depend on accuracy!
Microsoft Excel is a bit of a double entendre. To excel is to show an exceptional skill or quality in a particular activity or subject. Within the word “excel” is “cel”, a homonym of “cell” or the individual areas within a spreadsheet where data can be entered. Lots of dry, technical information in that sentence, but the meaning is the same: a database tool that is superior to other database applications for the professional user base. Here is where Microsoft Excel outshines the competition – and why its previous competition, Lotus 1-2-3, is no longer used. Aside from being a spreadsheet application, Excel offers users an endless variety of tools to really make Excel the go-to platform for data analysis. Including charts, data manipulation, and tools like creating pivot tables in Excel was Microsoft’s act of establishing their superior position with this app.
In the list above, we also mention Microsoft Outlook. Outlook reigned king of email for a very long time in the professional kingdom, but Google’s G Suite is a strong competitor for small and medium businesses (SMBs). Outlook, again, tries to be an all-in-one package for professionals, with email communication but also a calendar feature, a reminder system, user-friendly meeting tools and a variety of user settings to customize the experience.
These applications speak to Microsoft’s dedication to being the full professional package for businesses – and their full Office 365 suite is proof. Included are products like OneDrive, SharePoint, and OneNote. OneNote is one of the most underutilized products in the Microsoft line-up, and with new features being added all the time, we think this is because users aren’t aware of the full extent of what OneNote has to offer.
Microsoft designed OneNote as the digital solution for those who grab the nearest sticky note or doodle pad – or open a new Note on their iPhone – to jot down a quick scribble to remember for later. OneNote helps users gather notes, thoughts, and ideas, all in one centralized and organized location. Users can store everything from quickly-jotted notes to meeting minutes, to lengthy details about projects for home or work, in the same place. What’s even cooler about OneNote is that Notes are searchable and sharable.
Did you see where we mentioned the iPhone? That’s right – iPhone users rejoice! OneNote is also available for Mac.
To clarify, OneNote is part of the subscription-based Office 365, but OneNote is free as a stand-alone product. To get Microsoft OneNote, follow these steps:
From a desktop or laptop computer, open a web browser window
Enter OneNote.com
Download the latest version for free
New users will be excited to see that Notebooks stored in multiple locations (SharePoint, OneDrive, etc.) show up within the application the same way, simplifying the user experience. These same users will become experts in no time with the classically straight-forward way Microsoft presents the tools at your disposal.
Cool features inside OneNote for users underscore the built-in ability to share your information across all your devices and with other people. Check out some of these:
Email to Yourself
Set up your email from any email service provider supported, like Yahoo or Gmail, and of course, Outlook, within OneNote and you can send any email in your mailbox to your OneNote with a simple one-step task: forward the email to me@onenote.com, and you’ll see it in OneNote!
Office Lens
This handy little tool lets you capture documents and photos with the camera on your phone, and then send that photo to OneNote – try the Email to Yourself trick we just talked about! OneNote and Office Lens will add some filters, adjust lighting, crop out backgrounds, etc., and show up clearly in OneNote. This is great for receipts you’re afraid you might lose, or other situations you might forget about later.
Clipper
This one helps users integrate OneNote with their web browser.
Go to OneNote.com/clipper
Click on the button to download the extension to your web browser
Now users can “clip” a page into OneNote, like clipping a coupon from a physical newspaper, except it’s now forever stored digitally in OneNote (until a user deletes it). Text on these pages is searchable within OneNote, too, which is very helpful if a user can remember the context of the page clipped but not necessarily when or exactly what was clipped. This is true of words within a picture on the clipped page, too.
OneNote boasts a number of partners that allow users to integrate with featured apps so that the apps can be used conjointly. A few of these partner apps include:
News360
This is a news reader, offering users news stories much like on a news website. Users can click on a story, and with OneNote integration, the story will show a “Save to OneNote” button. As long as a user is signed into their account in OneNote, the story will save in OneNote. Again, words in the story are searchable.
Feedly
Feedly is a website aggregator, bringing together all the pages a user wants to see in a centralized location and updates the pages as they update. This works similarly to RSS feeds and has the same “Save to OneNote” button that News360 has, as well as the words in the story remaining searchable.
Doxie
This one is for users of Doxie portable scanners. If you have one of these lightweight and portable gadgets, you’re going to love saving your scanned documents to OneNote! Any of the text can still be found with a simple search.
Integration is wonderful! Technology is amazing! With OneNote, Microsoft welcomes developers to make their own services with which to integrate for OneNote and share with users. Make OneNote your new best friend today.
by Felicien | Apr 9, 2018 | Education
Check Out These 20 Key Cybersecurity Tips To Help You Stop Stressing Out.
Small businesses are often unprepared for the latest cybercrime tactics used by hackers today. The FCC recently published a helpful Cybersecurity Tip Sheet to help small business owners strengthen their defenses.
The U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) reports that “theft of digital information has become the most commonly reported fraud, surpassing physical theft”. Hackers are constantly working to break through cyber defenses. Even worse, your small business is attractive to them because you’re an easier target than larger organizations.
Here are some shocking statistics:
43% of cyberattacks target small businesses.
60% go out of business within six months of a successful cyberattack.
48% of data breaches are caused by malicious acts. Human error or system failure are the cause of the remaining 52%.
While small business owners worry about cyberattacks, many aren’t allocating money in their budgets towards risk mitigation. Unless you take precautions to block hackers and computer viruses, you’re opening the doors of your business to cyber theft.
The FCC produced a one-page Cybersecurity Tip Sheet with the following advice for securing your small business:
Train employees in security principles.
Establish basic security practices and policies for employees, such as requiring strong passwords, and establish appropriate Internet use guidelines that detail penalties for violating company cybersecurity policies. Establish rules of behavior describing how to handle and protect customer information and other vital data.
Protect information, computers, and networks from cyberattacks.
Keep clean machines: having the latest security software, web browser, and operating system are the best defenses against viruses, malware, and other online threats. Set antivirus software to run a scan after each update. Install other key software updates as soon as they are available.
Provide firewall security for your Internet connection.
A firewall is a set of related programs that prevent outsiders from accessing data on a private network. Make sure the operating system’s firewall is enabled or install free firewall software that’s available online. If employees work from home, ensure that their home system(s) are protected by a firewall.
Create a mobile device action plan.
Mobile devices can create significant security and management challenges, especially if they hold confidential information or can access the corporate network. Require users to password-protect their devices, encrypt their data, and install security apps to prevent criminals from stealing information while the phone is on a public network. Be sure to set reporting procedures for lost or stolen equipment.
Make backup copies of important business data and information.
Regularly backup the data on all computers. Critical data includes word processing documents, electronic spreadsheets, databases, financial files, human resources files, and accounts receivable/payable files. Backup data automatically if possible, or at least weekly and store the copies either offsite or in the cloud.
Control physical access to your computers and create user accounts for each employee.
Prevent access or use of business computers by unauthorized individuals. Laptops can be particularly easy targets for theft, and can also easily be lost, so lock them up when unattended. Make sure a separate user account is created for each employee and require strong passwords. Administrative privileges should only be given to trusted IT staff and key personnel.
Secure your Wi-Fi networks.
If you have a Wi-Fi network for your workplace, make sure it is secure, encrypted, and hidden. To hide your Wi-Fi network, set up your wireless access point or router so it does not broadcast the network name (known as the Service Set Identifier, or SSID). Password protect access to the router as well.
Employ best practices on payment cards.
Work with banks or processors to ensure the most trusted and validated tools and anti-fraud services are being used. You may also have additional security obligations pursuant to agreements with your bank or processor. Isolate payment systems from other, less secure programs and don’t use the same computer to process payments and surf the Internet.
Limit employee access to data and information, and limit authority to install software.
Do not provide any one employee with access to all data systems. Employees should only be given access to the specific data systems that they need for their jobs and should not be able to install any software without permission.
Strengthen passwords and authentication.
Require employees to use unique passwords and change passwords every three months. Consider implementing multi-factor authentication that requires additional information beyond a password to gain entry. Check with your vendors that handle sensitive data, especially financial institutions, to see if they offer multi-factor authentication for your account.
In addition to the FCC’s Tips above, be sure to do the following:
POS and Payroll
Any devices that handle sensitive information like payroll or point of sales (POS) devices should be on a separate network from computers that access web pages or check email.
Strictly enforce your cybersecurity policies and practices.
Regularly review your cybersecurity practices and policies as to how your employees should protect your sensitive data and personal information. Be sure to include the consequences of violating your cybersecurity policies and practices and enforce them. Your employees must be held accountable for any infractions.
Administrative rights.
Admin rights should only be provided to the most trusted of your IT staff or contracted out to a professional IT Managed Services Provider (MSP).
Web pages
Protect all the pages on your public-facing websites – not just the sign-in and check out ones.
Never leave your business phones, laptops, tablets or other computer devices unattended. Don’t leave them out in public or even in a locked car.
These devices contain your sensitive business information and could fall into the hands of a thief.
Password protect and encrypt all of your devices.
Encrypt the data on all of your computer devices. Consider using full-disk encryption as well. This will lessen the risk to your sensitive business information.
Use encrypted websites when providing sensitive information.
Only trust websites that use encryption to protect your information being sent from your computer to their server. An encrypted website will use https at the beginning of the web address – look for this indicator on every page of the website, not just the page where you log in.
Routers
Make sure your router is set up securely. If you don’t, cybercriminals can gain access to your sensitive business information on your computer devices. Always change the name of the router to something else rather than the default it came with. Furthermore, change the router’s pre-set password to your own long and complex one. Ensure your router software is up to date by visiting the manufacturer’s website for new versions. Don’t use any remote management features – if enabled, disable them, and always log out as an administrator. (When it comes to setting up your network you should consider using an expert IT Managed Services Provider.)
WIFI Hotspots
When accessing WIFI Hotspots in airports, hotels or other public places only send information that’s encrypted. Be sure to avoid access mobile apps that require your personal, business or financial information.
If your business is compromised, make sure you take the necessary steps to inform the authorities. The Federal Trade Commission advises that you contact them as well. You can access their Data Breach Response Guide by visiting: https://www.ftc.gov/tips-advice/business-center/guidance/data-breach-response-guide-business
For more information about cybersecurity for your business, or a complimentary assessment of your overall IT security, contact the experts at {company} at {phone} or {email}.
by Felicien | Apr 9, 2018 | Education
Weather is unpredictable, and this is clear every time a meteorologist gets the forecast wrong! Do you have a contingency plan in place for your organization to be ready on a moment’s notice?
Ah, the weather. The weather decides the fate of so much of what we do. Going to a backyard BBQ this weekend? There’s a good chance of rain, so you may want to check if it’s still scheduled. Heat wave coming? Better re-think that marathon and consider a movie marathon instead. Planning an outdoor wedding – maybe on the beach – in June? You probably want to have a backup plan in case of a hurricane!
But seriously, major storms happen. The reality is the projected path of a storm isn’t set and can shift at any time, putting any of us right in its path, whether a hurricane, a tornado, a nor’easter, flash flooding, or anything in between. With every inch of the globe susceptible to major storms, emergency preparedness is important.
Are you prepared?
Businesses along the coastal United States are aware that hurricane season is predictable. Every year from roughly May through the end of November, though the actual timing varies, it’s expected that a handful of hurricanes will impact life, and force us to consider everything from emergencies to contingencies.
Each year, an average number of 13 major storms, like hurricanes and tropical cyclones, impacts the North American coastal regions. Some storms, like Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and Hurricane Sandy in 2012, or more recently Hurricane Harvey in 2017, cause tens of billions of dollars in damage.
There are also storms that aren’t classified as major based on environmental impacts, but these still have the potential to impact daily life, especially with damage, power outages, and even temporary flooding. Some cities essentially shut down for days, or even weeks, after the winds calmed, the waters receded, and the sun shone again.
Insurance companies are quick to estimate damage regarding losses, including homes, cars, furniture, and personal items like clothing. Cities and utility companies can speak to the time estimated for restoring power to communities, and critical needs like clean drinking water and medical care. Organizations like the American Red Cross are quick to assist with food and clothing and personal care items like toothpaste and other hygiene help like mobile showers. The list goes on!
There is no “average cost per storm” because the number can’t be quantified. The cost of infrastructure damage is estimated for each instance, yes, but how can you determine the average impact of an occurrence with so many variables and so little that can be predicted?
If a storm or natural disaster affects the power grid, utility companies try to offer estimates until power is restored, yes, but the outage is felt with much deeper impact. Without power, a family loses lighting inside and out (from the bathroom overhead light to the streetlamps that offer guidance in the dark), but also the power to the refrigerator and stove for basic needs like meal preparation. From the commercial standpoint, a business losing power faces the same issues with the refrigerator in a break room, but much more critical items that may be impacted are digital elements like computer servers, email, and communication, as well as file access and data storage.
Even “low-tech” companies feel the crunch. Grocery stores that lose power have to dispose of all frozen and refrigerated items, representing thousands of dollars in revenue lost. When can power be restored? When can deliveries be made to replenish? When can petroleum stations resume fuel sales? When can families shop refill supplies for home? When can electronic payment transactions resume? Those “low-tech” companies are the same companies that supply resources to “high-tech” firms, like basic office supplies for daily operations. Everything is mutually reliant!
Preparedness is key. What can businesses do to protect themselves in case of a situation like this?
Know your risks.
Floods, lightning, hurricanes, tornados, extreme heat, tsunamis, landslides, fires and wildfires…a few of these may seem highly unlikely, but the more detailed your list is, the better prepared your business will be. Don’t wait until the flood waters are at your door, or a tornado watch has been issued, or a wildfire is encroaching and emergency services are banging on your door with evacuation orders and it’s too late!
Know your warning systems.
Local news and weather stations will be the most likely places to inform the immediate community, but these aren’t always the most accurate or reliable sources for information. A “weather radio” is a great investment, and preferably one by NOAA: The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, a nationwide network of radio stations that broadcast continuous weather information from your closest National Weather Service station. Think about this: hurricanes give notice, but tornados don’t!
Have a communication plan.
If your organization is more than just you, have a plan in place with multiple methods to contact each person so that everyone can be reached. Is everyone safe? Does everyone know what is needed and expected of them, and if the workforce needs to be completely distributed until the eye of the storm passes?
Have a backup plan.
While more and more brands are moving to the cloud for data and file storage if any files or records are stored on-site or at a location where storms or natural disasters may impact operations, have a backup plan in place. By this, we mean have a plan to back up your data with a plan in place to safeguard this data. This plan could potentially eliminate your brand’s downtime, which directly translates to minimizing loss of revenue and maintaining continuity of processes.
Whose responsibility is it for maintaining these back-ups and contingencies, and what methods are in place for data or access restoration?
Protect yourself.
What safeguards do you have in place for both physical and digital protection during times of extreme situations? Nobody enjoys spending time worrying about the safety of an office or if their network is secure. Now is the time to assess these safeguards and update to minimize your overall risk.
Storms and natural disasters are not the only dangers we face that require contingency plans.
Did you know that cybercriminals have attempted to gain control of major infrastructure elements in the United States, like the power grid, systems that control water supply, aviation communication and control, and more? These threats give no warning but require equal efforts on your part for safeguard measures. What can you do in situations like this? The same list above applies!
Don’t wait until cybercriminals, weather, or a natural disaster is looming; make a plan now to be prepared IF something should happen and stay ahead of the proverbial storm. Steps you take now may well be the difference between survival and suffocation. Your contingency plan may just save your professional life!
by Felicien | Apr 9, 2018 | Education
Believe it or not, the primary purpose of technology is to improve our lives. Making your tech work to increase productivity and efficiency is the ultimate goal of every CEO – so take your first step today!
Technology can be fantastic! With the push of a button, the average person can:
Make a single cup of coffee
Toast bread or warm something in a microwave
Wash an entire load of dishes in a dishwasher
Adjust the temperature in a room or a car
Call someone on the telephone
Power a television on or off, and the list just goes on.
The push of a button can turn on a computer or smartphone, and the push of mouse or trackpad button can open an Internet browser or desktop application. You get the idea.
Microsoft wants to help and has pushed boundaries in technology over the last few decades. Today’s Microsoft is a far cry from the company that “started in a garage” in 1975. Based on the idea that technology could make using technology easier, Microsoft designed the predecessor to current-day operating systems. Since then, Microsoft has brought us the Microsoft Office Suite and a myriad of productivity software applications, as well as numerous desktop and laptop computers, tablet and smartphone devices, and gaming platforms for the consumer market – but you already know this. Today’s Microsoft is responsible for revolutionizing the workspace and mobilizing workforces around the globe. So long as we can connect to the Internet, we can connect with each other and communicate. Professional continuity is now 24/7, and productivity doesn’t stop.
From Word to Excel to Outlook, the staples of global professionals, Microsoft has brought us software applications that offer a promise of improving our lives with technology. The word processor replaced the typewriter, and the spreadsheet replaced the adding machine. Fast forward to Microsoft Office 365, the subscription-based service that supports absolute continuity with access to files from anywhere, unlocking professionals from their physical workspace or office-with-a-desk and opening up endless possibilities.
Enter OneDrive, SharePoint, Teams, Flow, and the variety of other applications that Microsoft has introduced in the last decade or so, and we think you’ll agree that Microsoft’s position has truly solidified into simplifying our lives with technology.
Have you tried OneNote?
Microsoft OneNote is a handy app that caters to the crowd that makes scribbles on little slips of paper or the corners of sheets in a notepad during meetings or while on calls. If your desk, wall, or any flat surface is covered with sticky notes, Microsoft OneNote was designed just for you. The simplistic nature of the app is deceptive – the app is designed to function in one way: collect your notes in one place for organized and cohesive thought collection. But what’s really cool is the open environment which Microsoft encourages! There are about 100 add-ins that OneNote users can access, or users can create their own add-in.
One of the developers over at Microsoft, in his spare time, created a cool add-in called Onetastic. Onetastic is a free add-on for Microsoft OneNote that extends – or adds – functionality for users in OneNote. What we now call add-ins would be considered hacks just a few years ago, but because they are designed with usefulness in mind, rather than malice, add-ins are a welcome addition to an application.
In the case of Onetastic, the add-in was designed by a Microsoft developer as a side project outside of the Microsoft realm. To get the Onetastic add-in, follow these steps:
Check for the most recent update of OneNote 2010 or OneNote 2013
You must be using the PC desktop version
Verify which version of Office you’re running:
Click “File” -> “Account” -> “About OneNote”
The first line of text, at the far right, will indicate 32-bit or 64-bit
Visit https://getonetastic.com/ and download the corresponding version of Onetastic
Documentation for this application add-in is currently available in about ten languages to support global productivity
Once the add-in has fully downloaded, restart OneNote
Users will see the add-in in the upper right of the ribbon
If you’re interested in Onetastic, there are several features that are favorites highlighted throughout the Onetastic portal. From calendars and quick tools to macros and shortcuts, here are a handful of features we think you’ll like best.
OneCalendar
The Onetastic add-in scans all of your Notes and organizes them for you in chronological order, and in a calendar view. Users can hover over each entry, and a modal will pop up with additional information and details about each Note.
This is an especially handy feature if you’re trying to remember a specific Note but can’t recall the exact date of the Note. Yes, you can search for the Note, but if you don’t have the search string to help you hunt the Note down, this is another way to discover it.
Pin to the Desktop
Ah, Pinterest – the innovative invention that digitized the concept of “pinning”. In OneNote, with Onetastic, users can pin a Note to the desktop or a Favorites list.
Custom Styles
OneNote doesn’t have the out-of-the-box built-in functionality of Styles or customization. Users have one set of Styles for headings and page titles, etc., but with Onetastic, users can create Styles very simply:
Select text
Save as “Custom Style”
Name the Style
Choose the attributes and formatting you’d like applied with the Style
Universal Adjustments
One item of caution with universal adjustments is that users will get a pop-up message with an alert that you won’t be able to undo a universal change or edit across multiple Notebooks. Universal adjustments will only apply to open Notebooks, and the user can select which Notebooks for these universal adjustments to apply.
One cool trick of Onetastic is the ability to slightly increase or decrease every font size on the page at one time. This is helpful and saves time given a user’s only other option is to select each section of text, one at a time, to increase or decrease the font size.
Users can search and highlight or replace text across pages or Notebooks.
Images
Microsoft gives users lots of tools and options for images in Word and Outlook, but extremely limited functionality in OneNote for images. Onetastic helps users with manipulation options.
Users can re-size an image by a percentage
Right-clicking on an image gives the user more options
A cool feature for users is the ability to select text from an image, copy just the text, and paste the text – for other documents, emails, etc.
Macros
What is a macro? A snippet of code or programming that takes adds on to an existing application by taking existing functionality or a series of existing functionalities within an application and perform these tasks very quickly.
“Super” users – users of any application that are very experienced with advanced tools – love macros. Users in OneNote have likely experimented with tables and other advanced functionalities, but the macro options that users have with the Onetastic add-in offer an entirely new universe of options.
Click the “Download Macros” button
Users are taken to a part of the Onetastic website called Macroland
Search and discover pre-made macros
Popular macros include:
Insert Monthly Calendar – create a quick calendar with a table in OneNote that adds a 7-column table with just a few options and the macro inserts a perfect calendar. Users can customize the physical size of the calendar.
Add a Table of Contents in the current Notebook, and your tabbed screen will have links to each page so you can quickly click from one OneNote to another using hotlinks for every tab in the Notebook
A macro called “Where Am I?” adds breadcrumbs, which are helpful in large Notebooks
Microsoft certainly tries to make all our dreams come true by simplifying our lives with technology, but where they leave gaps there are add-ins to help out. Check out the free tier of Onetastic today and try the features we list – and discover your new favorite ways to use OneNote!
by Felicien | Apr 9, 2018 | Education
A ransomware attack has left Atlanta officials with no choice but to shut down their municipal courts while they determine the best course of action. The hackers responsible are demanding $51,000 worth of bitcoin in ransom.
In late March, the city of Atlanta’s IT systems were hit by a ransomware attack that is still affecting them today. Described by Atlanta Mayor Keisha Lance Bottoms as a “hostage situation”, the ransomware attack has crippled their municipal court’s IT systems and is preventing residents from paying bills online. The cybercriminals have demanded a ransom of $51, 000 to be paid in bitcoin.
Since the ransomware was first discovered, the city officials, along with members of various law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI and Department of Homeland Security, have been working hard to determine what type of information was compromised and whether it could affect citizens directly.
The SamSam malware in question hunts for critical files and uses AES 256-bit encryption to lock them up, offering a key to decrypt them only if a bitcoin ransom is paid. If the victim doesn’t pay, they erase all the data.
What makes SamSam different is in the way the attacks develop. SamSam scans for open ports and uses a brute force attack until it gets in. A brute force attack means that they’ll constantly hit the port with credentials until one works. Once the hacker group succeeds, they’re inside your system.
The ransom note left by hackers said that refusing to pay the $51,000 would result in deletion of all the information. This particular group of hackers has successfully collected $850,000 since last year.
This wasn’t the first time SamSam paralyzed a government – it also infected offices in Colorado, North Carolina, Alabama, and Maryland. Governments’ operations are mission-critical, and so hackers like this know that they often pay the ransom.
What about your business? Could you wait more than a week after a ransomware attack to start turning your computers back on? How long could you hold out before the loss of business and downtime would cause permanent damage to your bottom line?
How Ransomware Works and How To Defend Against It
In a ransomware attack, a hacker gains access to an organization’s computer systems. Typically, an unsuspecting employee clicks on an emailed attachment that appears to be a bill or other official document. In actuality, the attachment installs a malicious software program (malware) onto the computer system. Once embedded, the malware allows a hacker access to critical systems, often giving complete remote control data and access.
Hackers are getting more sophisticated. Today, the malicious code may be placed on a website. When a user with an unsecured or unpatched software program accesses the site, the malware slips inside that user’s computer.
Protecting your business
The FBI recommends that organizations continue to be vigilant when it comes to safeguarding systems and educating employees. The two areas that the FBI recommends that organizations focus on are:
Creating and frequently reviewing a robust business continuity plan that can be deployed in the case of a ransomware attack. Data should be backed up regularly. The backups should be inspected to verify that they maintain their integrity. Backups need to be secured and kept independent from the networks and computers they are backing up.
Ensuring employees receive proper awareness training and that prevention controls are in place and comprehensive.
Tips for keeping systems secure
The FBI has released the following tips that are applicable to organizations, employees, and individual computer users:
Be sure that employees understand what ransomware is and what role they play in keeping the organization’s data and computer network systems protected.
All software, firmware, and operating systems should be patched on desktop and digital devices (including smartphones, tablets, and laptops). A centralized network patch management system can make the coordination of these efforts easier in large organizations.
Confirm that anti-malware and antivirus settings are deployed to automate all updates and to continually conduct system and device scans.
Have very clear access and authorization procedures in place. Do not provide administrative access to employees unless absolutely necessary. Administrator accounts should be used sparingly.
Access controls should be configured so that shared permissions for directories, files, and networks are restricted. The default settings should be “read-only” access to essential files, with limited permissions for write access to critical files and directories.
Macro scripts in Office files should be disabled when sent over email.
Software restriction policies should be created or other controls implemented that prevent execution, especially in the common locations where ransomware lurks, such as temporary folders used by the most common web browsers.
The FBI encourages any organizations that believe they have been a victim of a ransomware attack to report the issue to the agency’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.
Don’t wait until a ransomware attack locks up your data. Take steps to protect your business now by partnering with Ray Morgan Company. Get in touch with us at (530) 343-6065 or info@raymorgan.com to get started today.
