Unlock The Secrets Beneath The Surface

by Felicien | Mar 6, 2018 | Education

Microsoft has released the newest addition to its Surface product line-up – the Surface Book 2. We take a look at hidden secrets of this gadget and see what new features make it worthy of an upgrade from the original Surface Book.

Gone are the days when Microsoft was primarily a software company. Granted, its Windows platform and Office 365 suite remain the foundations of most professional computing and communications. Outlook for email, Word for word processing, and on and on; these are just a fraction of the many, many ways which Microsoft enjoys the premier position as the go-to for all things business.
Microsoft products have been fundamental to professional operations for more than 30 years. The organization has kept ahead of, or in step with, technological trends or innovative concepts in order to keep consumers enthralled with the latest and greatest. When the telecommuting trend took a stronger hold on the professional workforce, Microsoft responded with their Office 365 product, allowing staff to access the Microsoft Office suite from remote locations and enable productivity without locational boundaries.
Once the iPad and other mobile or tablet computing devices became more commonplace, Microsoft recognized the market for the mobile application version of their Microsoft Office suite, to further enable mobility for professionals. Global organizations need continual workflow, with a global workforce and ceaseless operations. The next logical step was a mobile workflow device following the Microsoft go-to-market strategy!
Have you been introduced to the Microsoft Surface product line-up yet? Color us shocked if you’ve not yet at least tried a Surface Pro or a Surface Book. Maximum mobility in a minimalist package, the Surface Book offers a portable and powerful professional machine at a reasonable price point.
The original Surface Book enticed users with a compact and lightweight unit that still housed all the favorite productivity applications, with a speedy and powerful processor capable of doing all that the on-the-go professional required. A built-in HD webcam and long battery life topped off the list of features in this industry darling.
What makes the latest iteration of the Surface family — the Surface Book 2 — so enticing? Options, options, and more options! Microsoft took notice of its competition and offered this reboot in multiple screen sizes and varying features, including faster processors and bigger hard drives, but also with a lower entry price point.
Is it time for you to consider an upgrade to the new Surface Book 2? The recent grand unveiling left us intrigued. Microsoft promises four times the power of the previous Surface Book and extended battery life, which is a critical necessity for maintaining connectivity while working remotely. The versatility of the Surface Book was what drew a “cult following”, and this new iteration isn’t lacking in this department. From laptop mode to tablet mode, the two most common uses for basic needs, the simple and straightforward design doesn’t miss the mark. Detach the screen with a single button and add the Pen for the Surface Book 2 to become your digital easel.
Perhaps the coolest feature of the Surface Book 2 is on the smaller of the size options, the 13.5″ Core i5 model, which adopts a fanless cooling technology. The models with larger screens have faster processors that produce a greater thermal output, and thus still have cooling fans, but we are excited to see the direction this innovation is taking technology.
We admit that most differences between the original and this newer version are nearly imperceptible, but there are a few to note:

The hinge has been modified to take up less internal space and yet be more durable with added stiffness for better support during use in laptop mode, hoping to resolve the greatest need based on user feedback to date. This redesign has also made it much easier for users to open the Surface Book 2 with only one hand.
The keyboard has had a facelift for cleaner lines and an overall sleeker appearance.
The camera lens area has been clarified and has a forward view and a rear view – helpful for video conferencing. The camera can record at high-definition which supports facial recognition for Windows Hello.
The bezel around the screen has been slightly smoothed out.

The keyboard is now flush with the casing, and designers (and gamers) will appreciate the upgraded graphics, though the resolution remains unchanged. Older models offered already-dated graphics performance, but given the core functionality of the Surface Book this is no surprise and wasn’t a deal breaker for consumers in the market for a device like this. Added USB ports plus a headphone jack — a feature disappearing from many other models of late — help users make the most of their existing peripherals.
Top-of-the-line models offered much more of a punch for your penny with the fastest processors, best graphics, biggest hard drives – everything you could want in a machine, and around the same price point as the original Surface Book. The older versions were designed with general productivity in mind, but the newer versions – especially the top-tier models – are powerhouses.
Lower price points, more features, and faster machines all add up to one answer: a win for the consumer. The Surface Book 2 is an improvement over the original Surface Book, with notable upgrades in areas where the adoring public demanded. The greatest win for consumers is hands down the lower entry price point and the faster processors, allowing for productivity without pause. However, do the features justify the cost?
The Surface Book 2 boasts a 17-hour battery life – a duration nearly unheard of in the mobile device world. Sure, an Acer or a Dell might cost you less — and we repeat, might — but the versatility of the Microsoft machines promise use beyond the boardroom.
Microsoft is secretly labeling the Surface Book 2 a “high-end laptop”, and subtle cues are supporting this claim – aside from the obvious indicator of the higher price point compared to other mobile devices that service similar purposes. The main thing to remember here is that the Surface Book 2 is neither a tablet nor a laptop, but a marriage of the two concepts that delivers on its promise to wow.

Are You Using Windows Installer?

by Felicien | Mar 6, 2018 | Education

You May Be Sabotaging Yourself!
This latest cyber-attack uses Windows Installer to download malware onto your computers. What is CVE-2017-11882, and what does it do? How should you detect and protect against it? What other similar malware attacks have come up in the past? These are all questions you should be asking yourself in order to develop the best defense against this type of attack.

It seems like just when we’ve learned how to protect against one type of malware, four others pop up. Recently, Microsoft began combating CVE-2017-11882, which exploited a vulnerability in Microsoft Office. Then, just as expected, as one weakness was fought, a new one popped up. CVE-2017-11882 exploited a new vulnerability within the Windows Installer.
The previous version of CVE-2017-11882
The previous version would exploit the vulnerability using windows executable msht.exe, and then run a PowerShell script which would download and execute the payload. The problem with this is that while previous versions have edited Microsoft Installer, this version doesn’t edit it. What it actually does is use Microsoft Installer for the exact purpose that it was built for, to install things. Only this time it forces it to install malicious programs on your computer.
The new attack uses msiexec.exe as part of the Windows Installer service. For example, the user could receive an email with an attachment. Since the attachment seems legitimate, the user opens and begins downloading it. This attachment installs a malicious MSI package through the use of CVE-2017-11882. This then, in turn, releases either an MSIL or a Delphi binary. This binary will then launch another instance of itself. This duplicate binary is then hollowed out to create a new home for the new malware payload.
How does CVE-2017-11882 go undetected?
This package provides a compression layer that file scan engines need to process and enumerate in order to detect the file as malicious. This is similar to movies where the complicated retina scan needs is needed to gain access to a specific area of the building, yet the spy is still able to get in, due to his fancy contact lens. The system scans the lens and thinks that he is an authorized user, and allows him passage. Similarly, because of this compressed file mask of sorts, it’s hard to detect and identify the actual payload since it is contained in the heavily obfuscated MSIL or Delphi binary.
What can we do to protect against CVE-2017-11882?
Sometimes there are simple solutions to significant problems. For example, one of the easiest ways in which you can defend yourself and your business from CVE-2017-11882 is by having a strong email policy for your company. You should use strong passwords, with both capital and lowercase letters, as well as some symbols. You should never write passwords down, or use the same password for multiple accounts. Doing so can result in a hacker not only having access to your email but also to any and all accounts. Also, you should change your passwords often; it is recommended to change them every two months. This way you can stay ahead of the hackers before they have an opportunity to figure out your password, you will have already changed it.
Email and Passwords
Besides password strength, you should also focus on training employees about the dangers of email attacks, such as those that use the Microsoft Installer. It’s vital that they are trained not to click or open any suspicious emails. For example, employees should be trained to recognize phishing emails that may carry malware, and also to know how to isolate and flag these emails. This way other employees are immediately notified of the email, and won’t themselves fall victim. Employees should always check emails and names of unknown senders to ensure they are legitimate. They should always look for inconsistencies or style red flags such as grammar mistakes, capital letters, or excessive use of punctuation.
Restrict or disable Windows Installer
A second way to protect yourself is by limiting or completely disabling the Windows Installer itself. This would prevent potential attackers from being able to install their malicious software on your user’s systems. This way, only the system administrator could install programs. Controlling the access and spread of these attacks can significantly help your company to protect itself. Rather than trying to put out fires all over the place, you can then focus on one area and defend it appropriately.
Microsoft Recommendations
Microsoft recommends that if you think that you are infected with this malware, you should use your security software to detect and remove the threat. Remember to use appropriate software based on which operating system you are using. Microsoft states that Windows Defender works best for Windows 10 to detect and remove this malware. Microsoft Security Essentials works for Windows 7 and Windows Vista and has the appropriate defense and removal for this malware. After detection and removal, you should update your software to further protect yourself from future exploits.
Similar previous attacks
Attacks like this are not rare in the least. For example, in November of 2017, there was also a vulnerability in Microsoft Office 2000. This flaw allowed hackers to install malware without user interaction. So, while you were just writing a report in Microsoft Word, hackers were downloading malicious malware into your computer without your knowledge or permission. This could easily be fixed by updating software, such as using only the most recent form of Microsoft Office, so that your computers and networks are protected against the latest of threats.
We should stay vigilant, to protect our network and our businesses. Knowing what is out there and what can wreak havoc on your business is half the battle. The other half is updating your staff and your software to ensure that you are providing the most vigorous defense possible. Look for vulnerabilities in your system and business. Additionally, it is crucial to stay up to date with the latest cyber-attack news. This will keep you in the know as far as what is out there, and what potential threats can affect your business.
 

Get Into the Flow Of Things… Automate Tasks and Eliminate Workflow Waste!

by Felicien | Mar 6, 2018 | Education

Cloud-based file storage is an amazing convenience, giving users the ability to access files from anywhere and share them with colleagues. When users have more than one cloud-based storage solution, needing the same files stored in each can be tedious and confusing – but not anymore!

Technology is a wonderful thing; it’s given us electronic communications, shortening the life cycle of a project significantly. Shorter project timelines equate to increased project volume completion within the same time frame, thus generating more revenue. Technology has allowed for business processes to be automated, reducing costs and increasing productivity.
The key to productivity is in the approach. Increasing productivity requires the output to be greater than the input, which is why automation is a must. Technology enables expedited business processes, therefore increasing productivity. Any time a process can be automated, the result is reduced cost for the business in questions. If not managed properly, from design to deployment, automation can have disastrous results. Avoiding this requires a thorough understanding of each step of the process involved, preventing anything from being overlooked.
Business Process Automation is big business. Integrating applications to work seamlessly with each other can have a major impact on organizations, and often results in a dedicated and loyal customer base for a business that offers applications and platforms to meet these needs. In this regard, one of the biggest players in both the technology world and the BPA circle simultaneously is Microsoft. Microsoft can be — and wants to be — the manufacturer of the desktop or laptop computer your workforce is using, of the software application through which your professionals are communicating and documenting tasks, as well as the platforms in which these files are being stored. From their Surface product line to their Office 365 Suite to SharePoint, Microsoft is keen to deliver and provide for your every professional need.
Now, Microsoft is taking this one step further with automated workflows in Flow. A workflow is a multi-step repetitive task, and Microsoft Flow is a workflow management tool that automates these workflows even across multiple applications and cloud-based connections for files and services. Microsoft’s goal with Flow is to simplify the lives of professionals, period. The fortunate byproduct of this goal — and of Flow itself — is for Microsoft to be in every aspect of users’ lives: cloud data storage, electronics, email, word processing, and reliance for every element of productivity.
A popular user feature of Microsoft Flow is templates, of which there are many – and users can create workflow templates as well. Given the number of integrated applications is over 200, the relative number of workflows is seemingly countless.

If you don’t already know how to use a template in Microsoft Flow, take a “two-minute tutorial” and acquaint yourself with the straightforward process in their step-by-step guide.

You’ll see immediately how you can establish a multi-step workflow, with these being some of the most-used templates in Microsoft Flow:

Get a push notification when you receive an email from your biggest customer

Perhaps your biggest customer demands immediate responses from you to remain happy. Happy customers stick around longer, spend more, and are much more likely to refer business to you based on their positive experience. Setting up a push notification for these emails could make you money!

Save all Outlook email attachments in OneDrive or to a SharePoint document library

Time is money! Never lose time hunting down a specific email from an undetermined date for an attachment again – set up a workflow that automatically saves all email attachments.

Save all tweets that include a specific hashtag to an Excel spreadsheet

Track your social media footprint with the metrics that matter!

Save Dropbox files to SharePoint files
Send an email survey and save all responses to an Excel file

Better yet – save all responses to a Google Spreadsheet that can be shared and each user’s changes documented

Copy your Outlook task list into a Trello board
And so many more!

The Browse Templates page in Microsoft Flow is your new best friend. The most commonly-used workflows, some designed by Microsoft and others designed by people who think just like you, are shown in categories. Our favorite category is the Productivity tab – and we’re pretty sure yours will be, too. Microsoft Flow is a virtual assistant that only needs to be told what to do one time, and then never forgets!
One of the more mundane features is the ability to add conditions to a workflow. Much like a “Rule” in Microsoft Outlook treats incoming email messages a certain way when specific conditions are met, Microsoft Flow applies prerequisites or conditions to repetitive tasks before enacting the workflow.

Conditions can include timetables, as well. You can establish a workflow to save all comments on an Instagram post after one day to an Excel file to track these metrics.

We saved the best for last… Microsoft Flow has a mobile app! Users can download the app to their mobile device — phone or tablet — and access from anywhere. The mobile app not only allows the creation of an on-the-go workflow but also monitors workflow activity to see how often a workflow is applied or if it needs to be edited for improvement.
Automation is a beautiful thing. Microsoft Flow offers a free tier for users with unlimited workflow creation and up to 750 runs per month, with a “run” being an application of a workflow and an automated check to see if a workflow can be applied, every 15 minutes. Paid plans offer a higher run volume with greater frequency at shorter intervals, and also connects with premium platforms including Salesforce.com and Adobe Creative Cloud.

Do you use LiveChat on your website? You can establish a workflow to send you a push notification when a LiveChat message comes in, eliminating the need to sit at a machine and watch and wait for an indicator or alert.

If you haven’t already reviewed the Service Toolbar to check out what applications can be integrated for workflows, what are you waiting for? Microsoft Flow is waiting to help you stay organized, manage your time more efficiently, and nearly eliminate downtime.

There’s No Room For Slack In Teams

by Felicien | Mar 6, 2018 | Education

How To Master Microsoft Word’s Advanced Features

by Felicien | Mar 5, 2018 | Education

Are you still using Microsoft Word the old-fashioned way? Upgrade your skills from amateur to awesome today!

From the time a business is established, the goal is growth and revenue. In the professional world, revenue and growth are hand-in-hand, but rare is the opportunity to accomplish growth or generate revenue quickly as a one-person operation.
Expansion and growth of a business is a positive sign – a sign that relationships are solid and operations are successful. For any of these circumstances, some form of communication takes place. Parties talk, form agreements, and put those agreements in writing — often as contracts — and these are then shared, so all parties have copies for their records.
Collaboration is defined as the action of working with someone toward a shared goal – and it’s also the current office buzzword. When multiple individuals collaborate on a project and produce documentation of this project, the document is shared like the previously mentioned contract.
Agreements and contracts have been around for more than a century – much longer, in fact. No longer do clusters of secretaries sit outside a row of executive offices, busily deciphering shorthand as their hands zoom over the click-clack of typewriter keys, transcribing letters or meeting minutes. The typewriter was replaced decades ago by the electronic word processor, and communication has migrated from postal mail service to email and even text messages among colleagues and casual professional relationships. Why? Because these types of communication are faster and enable progress to be made more quickly. The underlying theme here is that communication is key in any situation involving multiple people.
We sense a pattern.
What if each of those executives in that row of offices had their own copy of the same contract and each made notes in the margins for changes? The administrative assistant responsible for consolidating those notes into one cohesive document faced quite the task. The difference today is that typing in a word processor like Microsoft Word is a basic requirement of administrative roles, with speed and accuracy being a key element in a job description.
Microsoft Word isn’t just for secretaries! These days, users range from first graders to grandparents, and everyone in between. It’s the go-to application for college students when writing term papers, and the starting point for novelists and authors. The Word Document is the most widely-recognized document type and the most commonly-used document format. It’s this last part that makes sharing documents with other users so easy.
An office staple since the late 1980’s, Microsoft has evolved from the early days of Microsoft Works into a sophisticated word processing tool, with a vast array of collaborative features – many hidden to the naked eye. Everyone that has ever used a computer in some way is familiar with the basic idea of typing words into a document on a screen, but did you know that Microsoft Word allows multiple users to conveniently collaborate inside one shared document? What’s more, users can highlight text with comments, and all users that make edits can have these changes tracked for discussion.
How to track changes made by all users within a document in Microsoft Word:

The Track Changes feature can be found in Tools, Track Changes, Highlight Changes

This feature can also be found in the Ribbon menu in Review, Tracking, and toggle Track Changes to “On”.
Multiple users inside the same document can toggle this feature on and make changes, while their edits are notated in the right margin for each user to see and either “accept” or “reject”.
Ideally, the ability to “accept” or “reject” offers a chance to discuss more significant changes that may impact an important document

Microsoft Word is no longer just a word processor – it’s a sophisticated software application that has a multitude of uses, only one of which is creating basic documents. Considering the many built-in templates for resumes, flyers, brochures, fax cover sheets, and letterheads, Microsoft Word is also an economical option for small businesses, nonprofits, and other groups or individuals to use for a variety of professional purposes.
Beyond Bullets and Bold Typeface
Most users know the basics, like how to underline or italicize words or select different fonts. Then there is everyone’s favorite feature – undo, the magical arrow which pretends like the last action you just took, which you deemed a mistake, never even happened!

So simple? You can select text by inserting your mouse at the start of the text, clicking, and then dragging your mouse to the end of the text and letting go of the click button, or you can use your keys and arrow cursors with the “shift” key much the same way.

However, do you know some of the more intermediate features? Below are some of these features, followed by the menu location where you can find each that you’d like to try.

Columns: Format, Columns (select the number of columns to insert)

You can create columns of text that flow from one into the next for a clean appearance, and a unique look.

Charts: Insert, Charts (select the type of chart you’d like to insert)

Professional documents that include charts to present data offer a visual enhancement and have a polished look
This feature will require the use of a data table to convert into a chart, and once you select the chart style you’d like to insert, you’ll be prompted to include the data at the next step.

Highlighted text: Ribbon, Home

Note that this feature will require the user to select affected text before toggling this feature on, or you will need to toggle this feature on and then type the text you wish to be highlighted, and then toggle off once you have completed typing this specific text.
When you begin a new document in Microsoft Word, if you don’t see a toolbar at the top of the document where you’d normally toggle the option to make your text bold or change the font style or size, you can choose “View” from the main navigation menu and make sure the checkmark is next to “Ribbon”. If it’s not, click on “Ribbon” and this menu will toggle on. You’ll then see the icon with the highlighter on it, and you can click this to select which color options you have to highlight selected text.

Subscripting and superscripting text: Ribbon, Home

This feature will require the same process as the highlighted text toggle actions.
Just next to the highlight icon are the icons showing “X2” and “X2” where you can choose to subscript or superscript selected text.
You can also find this feature in: Format, Font, and check the appropriate boxes

Bulleted or numbered list: Ribbon, Home

Once you are ready to insert a bulleted or numbered list, toggle the icon with the bullets or the “1-, 2-, 3-“ and begin typing, hitting enter (or return) after each listed line item
There is a drop-down triangle to the right of each of these where users can change the style and layout of the list
You can also find this feature in: Format, Bullets, and Numbering, and select the option that resembles the style you’d like to choose for your document

Spell check and grammar check: Tools, Spelling, and Grammar

This tool for checking user spelling and grammar is adaptive in that the user can add frequently-used words like last names or company names and the Spellchecker will “learn” the name and not prompt the user to “ignore” the word each time Microsoft Words thinks the user has entered a misspelled word.
This feature can be toggled to automatically remain on (or off) throughout typing:

Tools, Spelling and Grammar, Spelling and Grammar, Options, and then toggle the types of words you’d like to be recognized or ignored each time you use Microsoft Word.

Cut, copy and paste text

This is another fan favorite of the application, but did you know you can make entire paragraphs disappear and reappear at another location? This way you don’t have to remember to go back to the first instance and delete once you’ve copied and pasted the word, phrase, or paragraph.

Advanced features 

Insert hyperlinks: Insert, Hyperlink

This feature is incredibly helpful if you need to embed a website hyperlink, or if you need to refer a reader to “fine print” text, like legal disclaimers, which would otherwise take up a lot of space within a document but doesn’t need to be included.
Users will need to select the text that will contain the hyperlink, and this text will turn blue and be underlined as a visual cue for the reader

Convert to PDF: File, Save As

You can convert a document to a PDF file by choosing File, Save As, and at the bottom of the dialogue box that opened will be a drop-down menu that identifies “File Format”, and scroll down until you see “PDF”. “Save” has likely changed to “Export” at this point, but you’ll choose the location where you want the file to save.

Password protection: open, modify, or format/edit: Tools, Protect Document

You can create a document and save the file with password protection. Passwords can be required just to open, to modify, or to format/edit the document. This is a nice feature if the document contains financial information, confidential details, or you just want to safeguard your file against being intercepted by the wrong viewer.

Once you’ve mastered these intermediate and advanced features within Microsoft Word, you can then move on to create mail merges, print addresses or return addresses on envelopes, create address labels, create macros for snippets of text you use on a regular basis, and much more!
Advanced built-in functions may have escaped your knowledge as “hidden” before today, but now you can be a master of Microsoft Word.

I Was Hacked – Don’t Make The Same Mistakes I Did

by Felicien | Mar 5, 2018 | Education

I wish I knew all of this a few months ago. I’m writing to tell everyone who will read this that the email you think is from a trusted source may really be from a hacker.   

Last fall, a new, sophisticated spear-phishing campaign was sent to employees that handle company finances. One of those companies was mine. (I’m writing this anonymously because I don’t want my clients to find out what happened.)
Hackers are now masquerading as trusted business contacts. They’re pretending to be employees from vendors’ accounts payable departments, or other financial entities in an attempt to steal money.
If you don’t know, the term for this is spear phishing. Spear-phishing emails look like they’re from a trusted source but in reality, they’re sent from hackers to obtain classified financial or other private information. One of my employees got fooled.
Today’s hackers can easily find out who your trusted contacts are and will impersonate them in order to trick your employees into either sending them money or providing them the means to gain access to your accounts.
How did the hackers succeed in robbing my business, you ask? Well, they simply spoofed the name in the “From” field in an email. It appeared to be one of our vendor’s emails, but in reality, the email came from a thief. I’ve learned that core SMTP doesn’t provide authentication, so it’s easy to forge and impersonate emails. I didn’t know that then, but I do now.
Since then I’ve done some research. What I’ve learned is that there were two different spear-phishing emails that went out. One message said that an invoice was due and read, “I tried to reach you by phone today, but I couldn’t get through. Please get back to me promptly with the payment status of this invoice below”.  In the context of the message was a fake link for the employee to click to view and pay the invoice. This is the one that fooled my worker.
The other message read, “I’m providing you with my new address and invoice details below”. This one had a link for the recipient to view the new address to send payments to. Be sure to watch out for these emails; I’m sure they’re still circulating.
The majority of account takeovers today come from spear-phishing attacks like this where someone gets tricked into releasing private credentials and information. Plus, spoofed emails can also contain additional cyber threats like Trojans or other viruses. These can cause significant damage to your computers and even delete your files. Luckily, this didn’t happen to us.
I’ve also learned that cybercriminals are increasingly using spear-phishing attacks because they succeed. Ten targeted messages have a better than 90% chance of getting a click. Even CEOs get spoofed and share usernames and passwords.
The problem is that these attacks are becoming more sophisticated all the time. While we’re busy working trying to grow our businesses, the cybercriminals are working to find ways to trick us out of our money. These are no longer lone attackers, but professional, global organizations working to find better ways to hack into our bank accounts.
Now I know better. I know how to protect my business from these spear-phishing attacks and other types of cybercrime.  Here’s what we’ve done, and you should do as well:
Stay Vigilant
By far, the number-one thing that you can do to is to be as aware as you can about the types of threats you’re facing. Contact your IT provider and ask them to conduct Security Awareness Training for you and your employees on a regular basis. They are apprised of the latest cyber threats and how to protect you from them.
Plus, always view email messages with a high degree of skepticism. Hackers are clever — you and your employees must be even more so. Hover over the email address in any message that asks you to do something. Never click on a link in an email. Always go to the website you know is correct. Remember, secure websites always start with “https” and not “http”.
Your employees are your first line of defense to keep your information and computers safe. By properly teaching them how to deal with cybersecurity attacks, you can lower the chance that your business will be affected by a security breach.
Unfortunately, many organizations train employees on security awareness only once or twice. Cybercriminals are constantly developing new techniques to trick people into giving away confidential information or downloading malware. It’s critical to conduct recurring security training to ensure your employees stay up to date on the latest security threats and how to avoid them. Regular reminders, such as changing network passwords or recognizing the latest spear-phishing scheme will save you a lot of trouble in the long run.
Make Cybersecurity a Priority
Always back up your files to an external hard drive or secure cloud storage. My Managed Services Provider says that it’s best to use a comprehensive solution with remote, offsite backup and data recovery services to ensure our business information is safeguarded and files are recoverable. Your Managed Services Provider should do this for you as well. They can also keep your security solutions up to date.
In ours and other cases, the spear-phishing attacks could have been blocked with the latest Email and Spam Protection solutions. These provide:

Anti-Spam, Anti-Virus and Anti-Malware solutions that scan your incoming mail, and block spam, malware, and phishing attempts.
Firewall Management that determines if an address that’s trying to connect to your computer is one that can be trusted. If not, it denies access.
Outbound Mail Scanning so that if one of your computers is infected with a virus, your outgoing mail services aren’t compromised. This is important because it will keep your company off spam lists and blacklist

Remember this: Although you probably use firewalls, unless you take precautions to protect your emails, your overall security could be compromised.
Change Your Thinking
Acknowledging that this can happen to your business is important. Don’t think that because you run a small business that you won’t be attacked – this is what I thought, but it’s just the opposite. Small and midsize businesses are a prime target for today’s cybercriminals because they typically don’t have the protections in place that larger enterprises do.
 
Get ready for a cyberattack. Hire expert cybersecurity consultants to go over your digital assets and identify any potential vulnerabilities they find. Educate yourself on the latest cyber threats and let the experts help you protect against them.
Unfortunately, there’s no way to avoid being the target of spear phishing or other forms of cyberattacks – if you think otherwise, you need to change your thinking right this second. If you don’t, you’re setting your business up for theft. If you haven’t done so already, you must lay out an actionable plan of defense to prevent your employees and business from becoming victimized.
My company does all of this now – I don’t want to be robbed again. Furthermore, I’ve contracted a really great Managed Services Provider to ensure I’m not at risk.
Will you do the same now? Or wait until it’s too late?