by Felicien | Mar 30, 2020 | Education
Everything You Should Know About Two Factor Authentication
Does your business use 2FA? With the prevalence of data breaches today, it’s time to start employing this simple security feature within your business.
Without a doubt, you’ve read and heard about the rampant cybersecurity problems that are insidiously plaguing businesses today. Municipalities in places like Florida, South Carolina, and elsewhere are having access to their systems denied unless they pay hundreds of thousands of dollars. Businesses of all sizes and in all industries are being shut out of their data until they do the same.
As a business owner or manager yourself, you are probably concerned about whether your organization will fall victim to the same fate. What can you do to prevent a cybersecurity attack?
You may be surprised to know that the fate of your business’s security probably lies within a straightforward thing that you and all of your coworkers and employees use every day: passwords.
The fact of the matter is that most people in your business are putting your data and systems at risk every day with the weak login credentials they use. That is, many people use the same password for all of their accounts — both personal and business related. Furthermore, many people use passwords that are way too simple and easy to guess by hackers — the name of the street that they live on, the name of their pet, their date of birth, or their anniversary date.
It’s hard to stop people from doing this because most employees don’t think that their password really matters. They assume that it will never be guessed by anyone (how could it be?), and as long as they don’t share it with anyone, it’s good enough to keep would-be cybercriminals at bay.
Unfortunately, this is not the case.
The only way to indeed keep hackers from guessing passwords or using high-tech trial and error algorithms to uncover passwords is to use two-factor authentication, also known as 2FA.
What Is 2FA?
2FA or two-factor authentication is a security system that forces users to have two proofs of identity before they can log in to a database, program, computer, or network. This is a system that you should be using at home and within your business.
As the name implies, there are two elements of two-factor authentication. First, the user must provide something they know. This could be a password or passcode, a pin number, or the answer to a secret question.
Next, the user must provide proof of something they have. For example, the two-factor authentication prompt may ask that the individual put in their credit card number (because their credit card number is something they possess). Likewise, some organizations will give each individual employee a security token that actually stays in their possession. This might be an RSA security device, a Google Authenticator, or something else. This device will be activated when prompted during login and will provide a passcode or pin that changes frequently. Another option is biometric authentication, such as an iris scan, voiceprint, or fingerprint.
Has Your IT Services Company Spoken to You About 2FA?
As the owner or manager of your business, it shouldn’t be your responsibility to ensure the security of your sensitive data and network systems. This responsibility falls on the shoulders of your IT services company, and within their security division, one of the pillars of a robust cybersecurity strategy should be two-factor authentication.
If your IT services company has not spoken to you about employing a two-factor authentication system, don’t wait to ask them about it. The foundational necessity of this simple security measure suggests that if they haven’t already employed it, they’re probably not doing their job in other ways.
In that case, it’s time to find a new managed services provider. Give us a call, send us an email, or visit our website today to learn how we can help.
by Felicien | Mar 27, 2020 | Education
Working From Home Due to Coronavirus? Consider These Tips
If you’re suddenly working from home due to the coronavirus, maximize productivity with a dedicated workspace, enjoyable breaks, and engagement with colleagues.
For the vast numbers of Americans suddenly barred from their offices due to the coronavirus pandemic, working from home can pose significant challenges. At home, distractions — including undone chores, needy pets and bored kids — abound, and tech troubles like unreliable Wi-Fi can stymie conference calls and online meetings.
What are some steps you can take to maximize productivity as you maintain a balance between the personal and the professional?
Create a Dedicated Workspace
For individuals living in small homes, working at the kitchen table may seem natural. However, trying to get work done in a space that has other uses — such as eating — can pose problems. At mealtimes, you’ll need to move your laptop, tablet, papers and other necessary work-related items elsewhere, then move them back later. In addition, working in a central location in your home can expose you to any number of distractions.
Consider setting up a dedicated workspace that’s private and quiet. Even a small desk tucked into a corner of your bedroom can work, and it provides you with a spot for leaving your work items set up at all times. A dedicated workspace also makes it easier to separate the professional and personal portions of your day.
Schedule Calls and Concentration Sessions
Working from home, you may feel disconnected from colleagues — and, thus, obligated to participate in any calls or virtual meetings to which you’re invited. At the beginning of your workweek, consider reviewing your schedule to make note of any planned meetings.
Once you know when to expect virtual meetings, cordon off some time dedicated to intensive work that requires uninterrupted concentration. Staying connected with co-workers will be more important than ever as you try to get your work done remotely, but you also need periods you can devote to critical projects.
As you hammer out your weekly schedule, take advantage of the flexibility that working from home offers. In the time that you don’t spend commuting, you can take calls or dive into intensive tasks. If you prefer to read or get work done in the early mornings or later in the evenings, you can do so.
Make Your Breaks Count
As you work remotely, consider scheduling some breaks into your day. Particularly when you work in a confined space, getting some fresh air and a change of scenery can provide a needed boost for both your state of mind and your productivity.
During the few minutes at a stretch you spend away from your screen, try to work in some activities that support health. Whether you prefer a quick walk or enjoying your lunch outside, time outdoors can give you the recharge you need to spend meaningful hours back at the computer.
Find Ways to Engage With Colleagues
If your job involves working as part of a team, you’ll want to keep in touch frequently. Along with virtual meetings, a business-oriented chat app can allow you to ask questions and provide feedback quickly and without the formality of email. For groups who work together throughout the day, a dedicated chat room can provide a virtual location for checking in between project work.
When you’re trying to concentrate or you’re on a deadline, you can use “do not disturb” functionality to signal that you are currently unavailable for online chats or calls.
Video calls have their downsides, including using more bandwidth than regular audio calls. However, conducting virtual meetings through video calling also provides an additional level of nuance and interaction that you may not get with the typical conference call. If you participate in frequent calls, consider using a video calling app for at least some of them.
As you adapt to performing your job from home, you’ll discover what works best for you — including creating a dedicated space, scheduling time for concentration, engaging with colleagues, and taking meaningful breaks. Your co-workers may appreciate hearing your tips as they strive to develop their own remote work-life balance.
by Felicien | Mar 25, 2020 | Education
When considering the employee and employer benefits of working remotely, businesses are wise to change. The alternative could make your outfit less competitive.
If you would like to gain a little perspective on how radically our culture has changed, try this exercise. Pick up a pencil and a piece of paper and write out a half-days’ worth of emails rather than send them electronically. You will probably discover the first one looks more like scribble than cursive writing. And, your productivity will completely tank.
At first blush, the exercise demonstrates our reliance on electronic devices and real-time communication. But on another level, it shows that thought leaders are wise to embrace technological advancements as they emerge. Remote workforces rank among the more innovative trends of the business landscape today.
“To remain competitive in today’s work-from-anywhere environment, companies will need to invest in responsive technology infrastructure and enhanced virtual collaboration tools, as well as training and tailored performance management and incentive strategies for remote workers,” director of HR at the Gartner research group Emily Rose McRae reportedly said.
This shift away from in-house staff to people working from home or on the road once earned mixed reactions from industry leaders. But the COVID-19 pandemic has prompted businesses across the globe to find a way to have valued employees work from home until health crisis passes. Employers and employees alike are discovering this advancement tend to be mutually beneficial when utilizing platforms such as Microsoft Teams.
Mutual Benefits of Remote Workforces
The health crisis has motivated businesses to shift to Cloud-based systems and Microsoft Teams strategies as a short-term measure. But HR departments may want to take the opportunity to scan the workforce landscape because work-from-home expectations are expected to surge and impact hiring.
“By 2030, the demand for remote work will increase by 30 percent due to Gen Z fully entering the workforce. Gartner’s most recent ReimagineHR Employee Survey found that only 56 percent of managers permit their employees to work remotely. Organizations without a progressive remote-work policy will be at a competitive disadvantage for attracting and retaining talent,” according to Gartner.
That being said, these are the reasons why the global trend to remote productivity is well-received by management and staff.
Commute & Stress Reduction: No one can dispute the fact that commuting to the office adds unpaid work hours. Sitting in traffic or being packed into commuter rails tends to be an unpleasant way to begin and end each day. Employees and employers share this stressful routine. Remote work platforms such as the Cloud and Microsoft Teams allow all parties to sit down with a morning beverage and log on from anywhere. No hustle, no bustle, no extra hours, and no commuter expenses.
Talent Without Borders: Before the massive cellphone footprint, people used landlines with rotary dialing, and long-distance was expensive. In those days, it was common to pay a premium just to call someone in the next state over. But just as your cellphone can connect you to people far outside your region without added expense, so can the Cloud. When projects are conducted in Microsoft Teams via a Cloud-based network, your remote talent pool expands exponentially. A skilled person 1,000 miles away can secure a job they are qualified for, and employers gain access to talent otherwise unavailable.
Reduced Infrastructure: An increasing number of organizations that do not necessarily require a brick-and-mortar footprint. These outfits can eliminate that cost in some cases. Other operations can reduce office space expenditures. With remote workforces, less can be more.
Live-Work Lifestyles: Millennials and the Gen Z crowd tend to see work and life more closely aligned in their lifestyle than previous generations. The Cloud has been a boon and securing offsite positions allows employees a preferred professional lifestyle. Raising children no longer comes attached to childcare expenses or limited “parent hours” jobs.
Microsoft Teams Supports Remote Workforce Culture
With dispersed workforces increasing, Microsoft Teams ranks among the most business supportive products on the market. It seamlessly works with Cloud-based networks and delivers real-time communication. The platform offers chat, video conferencing, managed channels, shared calendar options, and project space that can provide supervisors with top-tier oversight. In these troubling times, Microsoft Teams use has surged by tens of millions. But industry leaders may also want to consider the long-term benefits of embracing remote workforces into the future.
by Felicien | Mar 19, 2020 | Education
Hackers Target Businesses Concerned Over COVID-19
Hackers are capitalizing on fear and concern related to coronavirus to launch ransomware and malware attacks. Here’s how to protect your business and employees.
As the COVID-19 spreads worldwide, hackers are taking advantage of an already stressed and strained healthcare system to attack vulnerable companies. Phishing attacks are on the rise worldwide, capitalizing on fear and a desire for information.
In many cases, hackers are sending emails purportedly from the World Health Organization or local hospitals. However, these emails contain ransomware and keystroke-logging malware.
Here’s the latest on coronavirus-themed attacks.
What Is the Emotet Trojan Virus?
IBM recently warned of a spam issue targeting Japan. The messages contain Microsoft Word files that are full of macros. When opened, the macros infect uses with the Emotet Trojan. Once launched, the trojan can insert itself into email conversations. As the trojan propagates, the malware lets hackers steal information and embed malware onto users’ machines.
Japan is particularly vulnerable, not only due to the coronavirus but also the upcoming Tokyo Olympics, which are under threat of cancelation. One message translation warns of the coronavirus’ spread to areas of Japan, urging readers to open the attached notice.
A similar campaign has targeted Italian companies with a phishing campaign. It purports to be a notice from the World Health Organization with precautions to take to prevent the virus from spreading.
It contains a malicious Word document asking users to click on an “Enable Editing” button then an “Enable Content” button to see all the information. Users doing so, however, download the Ostap Trojan-Downloader. It contains the Trickbot downloader that is a customizable, frequently updated tool popular with hackers.
How Are Hackers Exploiting the Coronavirus?
As the number of news sites covering the coronavirus has grown, so too have the number of registered domain names related to the virus. According to one analysis, since January 2020, more than 4,000 domains have been registered globally related to the coronavirus. Three percent are considered malicious and another 5 percent deemed malicious, making coronavirus-themed domains 50 percent more likely to be dangerous than others registered in the same timeframe.
The World Health Organization has issued a warning about the daily reports it’s receiving about phishing attempts. However, hackers are smartly creating emails that look as though they’re coming from official sources, leading more users to open the emails and download files. Hackers can scrape information from official websites to create email templates that seem legit.
“National emergencies and/or disasters add a fear factor that acts as one more hook for hackers to get what they need,” said Ron Culler, ADT Cybersecurity’s senior director of technology and solutions, in a recent Vox article. “When fear is added to any targeted campaign — be it a legitimate or scam campaign — the effectiveness of that campaign is increased.”
How Can We Prevent Phishing Attacks?
Businesses can take several steps to educate employees and protect against these attacks. A layered approach to cybersecurity is a prudent way to reduce the risk of attacks from various vectors. Here are some tips:
Educate users about the prevalence of coronavirus-related phishing schemes, advise them to be cautious and show them how to detect suspect emails (look for spelling and grammar errors, check the sender’s email address)
Ensure that hardware and software are patched and updated promptly, ideally with automated update tools
Use and update endpoint anti-virus, anti-phishing, anti-spam and anti-malware tools
Have an incident response plan in place to ensure teams can respond quickly in the event of a ransomware or malware attack
Update endpoint detection tools such as firewalls and other system monitoring and alert solutions
Consider segregating networks to reduce the impact of self-propagating malware
Use email security tools that inspect attachments and disable the running of macros on attachments
Update blacklists of malicious IP addresses and compromised websites
Use content filters to block access to inappropriate and dangerous websites
Review access restrictions to limit the spread of malware throughout systems
Businesses must now address coronavirus-related issues both from an employee safety standpoint and a cybersecurity perspective. For assistance in protecting your business from coronavirus cyberattacks, contact your managed services provider today.
by Felicien | Mar 19, 2020 | Education
Improving Data Analysis with the IF Function in Microsoft Excel
Have you ever wondered what the IF Function in Microsoft Excel actually does? Here we explore a few top tips for making it save you time while evaluating data.
There’s no doubt that Microsoft Excel is a robust program. Companies all over the globe utilize this application to analyze, track, and otherwise organize data in an easy-to-read format. But how much do you know about it and the various features that are available? And are you taking the right steps to ensure you’re looking at your spreadsheets in the most efficient manner possible? Here are a few of our tips and techniques to help you save time and improve your data analysis by using the IF Function in Microsoft Excel.
Tip #1: Understand What the IF Function Actually Does to Help Your Workflow
The first real step in making sure you’re using Microsoft Excel’s IF Function appropriately is to understand what it actually does. The IF Function tests whether a condition is true or false, and then performs an action. These actions can be calculations, data entry, or something closely related. The function is incredibly useful if you have large data sets or need to make significant changes, as it is a great way to save time in your workflow.
Tip #2: Creating the IF Function is Incredibly Easy
Creating the IF Function effectively starts with knowing the three parts: the logical test and then a value if true and a value if false. From there, all you have to do to make it work with your spreadsheet is to choose the data sets that you want to evaluate and determine what you want the true and false results to be. To do this, use the IF Function on the Insert a Function menu. Click okay and enter the conditions as you are prompted to do so on the screen.
Tip #3: Knowing How to Nest Functions
It is possible to use multiple IF Function formulas at the same time. In some cases, you might have multiple different possibilities or different levels of data that you want to compare. That’s when knowing how to nest multiple IF Functions becomes important. Nesting functions adds the ability to build more comparisons within your formulas instead of having to complete them separately.
Tip #4: Adding AND and OR to Your Functions
You can also add AND and OR to your IF Functions to make the results much more specific. While this is technically part of understanding how to nest functions, knowing how to do this is an effective way of utilizing the IF Function in a more efficient manner. An example of this is comparing two columns of data: one showing the amount of sales and one determining if an employee has completed training. By adding AND or OR to your IF Function, you can show a specific result, such as those employees that hit a specific sales goal and finished the training program you provided. As you can see, this can be a really easy way to get the information you need without having to spend a ton of time scouring through your entire spreadsheet.
Tip #5: Using Range Names to Make Data Easier to Sort
Range names are essentially a stored label that allows you to identify a range of one or more cells. They are incredibly useful for navigation, formulas, and even printing off specific parts of your spreadsheets. For use with the IF Function, you can utilize data ranges to save time when you’re working on a specific block of values as it allows you to use that range name instead of specific cell names. Range names can have letters, numbers, or an underscore, but cannot have spaces. And they are not case-sensitive, but title case is recommended for ease of viewing.
Tip #6: Remembering to Use Quotations with Text Strings in Your IF Function
Using the IF Function is an incredibly easy way to add text to a specific cell when certain criteria are present. However, you do need to remember to use quotations around your text strings in your IF Function formula. Failure to do this can really mess up your data set and make the formula not work correctly. Should you have a problem getting the IF Function to work for you, this is one of the first things you need to check.
Tip #7: Changing Text with Conditional Formatting Based on Your Result
Not only can you add text or insert a formula with the IF Function, but you can also change text visually with conditional formatting based on your result. It can be done automatically and setup within Excel under the Home tab. Examples of this option in use include turning a specific number bold and red if it does not meet the criteria of your IF Function, or highlighting it in yellow if it does meet certain requirements.
Conclusion
Microsoft Excel is a great way to analyze and interpret datasets. The IF Function allows you to do this in an easy-to-read and simple manner while saving you tons of time in the long run. These quick tips are a great way to skip complicated formulas and really make your spreadsheets work for you.
