Phishing is one of the most dangerous forms of identity theft. It’s usually presented in the form of pop-ups or spam emails. The majority of account takeovers come from simple phishing attacks where someone in an organization gets tricked into releasing private credentials and information.

Never give your contact details over the phone. This includes user IDs, passwords, Social Security numbers or other personal information. The IRS, a bank, Microsoft or other legitimate organizations will never call and ask you for this information.
Be suspicious of every email. Never click on a link or open an attachment in an email without verifying the sender’s identity and intent.  Always be suspicious of any email asking you to verify information, send money or pay an overdue invoice.
Don’t respond to a CEO request for urgent payments. There have been numerous cases where a CEO’s contact information was spoofed and used to convince employees to send money to scammers. Contact the CEO directly to determine if this is a fraudulent request.It doesn’t take long for a hacker to steal your company secrets.

More Tips To Share With Your Staff
Be cautious about opening attachments. They may contain malware that can infect your computer.
Type in URLs and email addresses, don’t click the link email.

1. Use Two-Factor Authentication. It requires both your password and an additional piece of information to log in to your account.
2. Always update your applications and operating system. Don’t delay, as they will protect your computer and network from the latest threats.
3. Back up your files to an external hard drive or cloud storage to ensure you have a duplicate of all your files and applications if your network is compromised.

What Else You Can Do
Ask our IT Security Experts to provide a layered and managed security protection for your technology. A layered security approach combines best-in-class firewalls, web-filtering, and software-update services to protect your network from viruses, malware, and hackers.

Tell your employees to let you know if they experience the following:

• They can’t open their files, or they get error messages saying a file is corrupted or contains the wrong extension.
• A window pops up with a ransomware program they can’t close.
• This window may contain a message about paying a ransom to unlock files.
• A message says that a countdown has started for a ransom to decrypt files and that it will increase over time.
• They see files in their directories with names like “How to decrypt files.txt or decrypt_instructions.html.”

Have questions?
Our team can conduct Security Awareness Training for your employees. This way they’ll know what to do if they get a phishing email.

In today’s world, everyone uses information technology. This is simply the technology behind our computers and networks including software and hardware. For businesses, it includes servers, data centers, and other technology to support their IT infrastructure.

In spite of its prevalence, many people are not familiar with some of the terminologies and terms used by IT experts. Below, we offer up a few of the most common expressions and give you easy-to-understand definitions. These are by no means a thorough explanation of the terms, but they do provide an overall idea of what the word means.

Glossary

Artificial Intelligence

The development of computer systems that can perform tasks that would normally require a human. They include speech recognition, language translation, visual perception, and decision-making skills.

BDR

This abbreviation stands for “backup and disaster recover.” This is a plan where all hardware and software is regularly saved in both onsite and offsite locations. This can prevent data from actually being lost. If a data breach occurs, an IT specialist can restore the whole system from backed-up copies. This helps a business to get back up and running very quickly even after hurricanes or other disasters.

Big data

This term refers to extremely large data sets used for the purposes of analysis. This complex data processing is often completed by larger companies in order to reveal trends and patterns that can help them with upcoming marketing campaigns.

Breach (cyber) defense

Any method of protecting your networking and computing resources from intruders and hackers. This can include protection for your IT infrastructure along with antivirus software and firewalls. All known threats are analyzed, then strategies are formulated to stop these attacks before they occur. Most breach defense mechanisms include a planned response to any type of cyber-attack. A good breach defense will include strong measures to safeguard company assets.

Business Continuity

The ability for a business to continue its operations even when there is a cyber breach or other disaster that would normally cripple a company.
Cyber or security breach– An internet security breach where cyber thieves hack into your computer systems and steal data or plant malware. These breaches can cripple your organization and damage your data including customer records. Cyber breaches usually cost a business over one million dollars for each event and they damage the company’s reputation, harming the brand.

Dark Web

This is the Back Alley of the Internet. It is where illegal transactions often take place. Drugs and other contraband are sold on the Dark Web. Entry into this area requires a special browser known as Tor (The Onion) and special software to protect the user from the many dangerous threats that loom on the Dark Web.

Deep Web

Any content that is not indexed by Google bots including educational sites, email programs, company intranet, etc.

Hybrid Cloud

A cloud computing environment where a mixture of public and private cloud services are created to lower operating costs and gain access to a wider range of computing resources.

IT Infrastructure

This term includes all networking, servers, computers, software, hardware, and other technology used to manage and support all information technology resources.

Machine learning

This is a subset of artificial intelligence (AI) where a computer system automatically learns as it processes data. The computer doesn’t need to be explicitly programmed to achieve desired results. This science develops computer programs that can access data and learn while they’re working so that they evolve into smarter machines over time.

Malware

A combination of the words “malicious” and “software”. This term has come to refer to any type of software that was built for the specific intent of disrupting a company’s computer network and damaging computer equipment. It can include spyware, viruses, Trojan horses, worms, adware, and many other types of malicious software.

MSP

An IT Managed Service Provider (MSP) is a company that provides a full range of services to help businesses manage all their computer and network resources.
Outsourcing-The process of hiring an outside company to manage all aspects of networking, IT, communications, computers, servers, and other information technology.
Private Cloud-A private cloud refers to a cloud computing environment where a private IT infrastructure is created for one specific organization. It is usually managed with internal resources.

RPO

Recovery Point Objective is the maximum amount of time that data should be lost due to a natural or manmade disaster.

RTO

Recovery Time Objective is the maximum amount of time a business can be without its data (due to a natural or manmade disaster) before the business is at risk.

Ransomware

A type of malicious software where a cyber thief blocks the user’s access to his or her own computers, network, and data. The thief demands a ransom in order to restore full access to all computer systems. Money is extorted from business owners usually in the form of a cryptocurrency like Bitcoin which is untraceable. Ransomware attacks have escalated due to their overwhelming success. Normally, a Trojan disguised as a legitimate file, is accidentally downloaded. These can come as email attachments or links. One of the most dangerous Ransomware programs is called “WannaCry worm” and it can travel between computers with no user interaction.

Resolution Time

The amount of time it takes to resolve an issue, most often a security, network, or IT problem.
Response Time-The amount of time it takes for a service provider to respond to a call for service from one of its clients. Most IT providers guarantee specific response times as a perk to selecting their service over others.

Scalability

A company’s ability and flexibility to scale up or down as business needs arise.

SLA

A service-level agreement (SLA) is a contract between a customer and a service provider. It outlines the duties and responsibilities of the service provider and the terms of the contract. It includes the signatures of those in management from both entities.

Software bug

An error, fault, or flaw in a computer program that produces an unintended effect. Bugs are usually the result of mistakes by programmers when developing the source code. The term “debugging” is often used to describe the process of fixing software bugs.

Virtualization

Virtual Machines (VM) are created that look and behave exactly like the real thing. This can include servers, networks, operating systems, or storage devices. This allows a company to have a much more sophisticated IT infrastructure at lower costs. It also enables a business to enjoy the benefits of scalability. With virtualization, you can easily scale up or down as needed, so you only pay for services and equipment that you need at that time.

VPN

Virtual private networks (VPN) are built over public infrastructures to provide a higher level of security to the data transmitted. Usually, encryption is used to protect apps and data from intruders as the data is processed across the internet. There are numerous types of VPN, including Advanced VPN, PureVPN, Hotspot Shield, and ExpressVPN.

Zero Day Threats

This is a threat exploiting vulnerabilities within computer security systems. The term is derived from the word “zeroth”, which is the time of the exploitation. It occurs either before or on the first day the developer becomes aware of it. Therefore, there is no security fix for the threat due to the fact that developers are completely unaware of its existence. A number of different vectors can be used in a zero day attack. These attacks are usually instigated by well-known hacker groups who take pride in being able to outsmart developers.

Check Out These Pros and Cons First.
Many of today’s business owners have decided to move their IT infrastructure to the cloud. In a large company, the number of services and workloads can be staggering, making the transformation a hugely complex procedure. Even in smaller businesses, there are pitfalls to be aware of. If you know about these before you begin, then you can avoid some costly mistakes.

Remember that all clouds do not have silver linings. Some are just big ole thunderclouds that are about to dump 10 inches of rain on your parade. If you understand the issues and complications that can crop up, then you can bring your umbrella and escape getting all wet. If not, you may be in for some rainy days ahead.

What are the benefits?
Migrating to the cloud can deliver some “big-company benefits” that small businesses need these days in order to compete in the global marketplace. However, as many business owners have learned, there can be security issues, unexpected costs, and other snafus. The most successful cloud migration approach involves careful planning. It’s often a great idea to engage with some experts in cloud technology to help you. These experts understand what’s required and they’re familiar with cloud best practices. They can help you optimize the migration process.

You also need clear heads who can keep you on the right road. Why are you moving to the cloud? Most business owners will answer that they’re hoping to reduce their infrastructure costs. That’s a good reason and the primary motivation behind most moves. The problem is that somewhere during the move, it’s easy to lose sight of these basic fundamentals. Cost reduction does occur for most companies but it’s not a guarantee. If the process is carried out incorrectly and/or the wrong cloud management maturity roadmap is followed, you could wind up in a ditch instead of on cloud 9.

The hybrid infrastructure strategy
Digital transformation and hybrid architecture – these are terms that many business owners struggle with. Though you’re probably an exceptional CEO, manager, or small business owner, if your expertise is not in the realm of Information Technology, hire a pro. In the midst of moving to the cloud, you need to know that everything is being done according to best practices. The diverse environments of infrastructure and operations (I&O) present numerous challenges.

Before you move everything to the cloud, consider the following:

The full cost of this process including hidden expenses
On-premise vs. public cloud
The security of your data
Bandwidth availability
Ownership of the data
Availability of moving the data
Developing a multi-year strategy that includes ongoing ROI

The cloud roadmap
In order to seamlessly migrate your physical infrastructures to private, public, and multi-cloud environments, you must first decide which services and applications are best suited for the cloud. Not every application is a good fit for the cloud. A good operational model will help you select the right services and apps based on their unique requirements. In other words, you need a good solid roadmap that outlines what will be moved, when it will be moved, and whether you have the right security to protect all your data throughout the process.
This is especially important in industries where compliance is a factor, such as the healthcare industry. One HIPAA violation can be expensive but a good IT specialist will make sure that all data both in and out of the cloud is well-protected.

Assess the risks
Begin your cloud journey with an assessment of your current business network and IT technology. Include your current resources, along with the maturity of your processes and people. Consider these questions:

• Which services and applications can best benefit from migrating to Azure, AWS, or other cloud platforms?
• How will you manage third-party vendors to prevent data leaks?
• Do you have an IT team or outsourced IT provider with the right experience for this job?
• Should you migrate everything at once or do it in stages?
• Have you considered whether your new cloud environment is viable for both the short- and long-term?
• Can your new cloud infrastructure support growth?

Hybrid infrastructure offers unique benefits to business owners. But it’s not a solution that will fix every IT problem you have. Instead, it’s more of a strategy for ensuring that your business can compete in a global marketplace.
Cloud solutions and hybrid architecture aside, no one can predict the future. But it’s a good bet that cloud technology will evolve rapidly and your new cloud solution should be able to grow right along with it. That means flexibility. And, it should continuously assess your network security and compliance to relevant regulations. One single data breach these days can cost a million dollars.

What to do next
Before you take the next step, it can be highly beneficial to engage with cloud experts who have completed this journey for other companies. When you work with experienced professionals, they’ll guide you down the right path. As you move your applications and services over to the cloud environment, they will advise you every step of the way.

This can eliminate a lot of the worry and stress, plus it usually helps you to complete the process without wasting precious time, money, and resources. Know where you’re going before you begin your journey and the cloud transformation can be an exciting new adventure for your business.