Spam. It’s detrimental and all businesses have to deal with it. But many don’t know the first thing about how to identify it, or how to work around it. The truth of the matter is that spam can be dangerous for your organization if it’s not dealt with properly, but dealing with it can also be a major waste of resources. We’ll walk you through what constitutes spam, and how you can identify it from legitimate messages in your inbox.
When implementing a new project, expectations run high and deadlines must be met. The temptation is to feel so pressured to get the project finished that the planning phase is rushed. If even a small detail is overlooked and a shortcut is taken in this early stage, it can come back to bite you in a major way--perhaps even derailing the project altogether. This is especially the case for an IT project.
CIO.com provides a working ratio of why such oversight is important for IT projects of any size, especially during the more risk-prone discovery phase. “Discovery is the crux of project risk. Although the discovery and architecture phases of a project may represent only 15 percent of the overall effort, an error or omission early on can cause cost overruns of 150 percent or more.” Have you experienced an issue of this scope in any of your company’s previous projects?
In order to prevent your next IT project from facing a disastrous end like this, you're going to want to invest the time needed to perform the discovery and architecture phases correctly, the first time. But how can you make sure this happens?
For starters, working closely with your vendors and service provider is a must. If you detect that they’re not thoroughly answering your questions or that they’re trying to rush the project in any way, then you’ll need to speak up about it, before it’s too late. Instead, you need to make sure your vendors are guiding you through each step of the process, and that they’re assertive enough to present you with options and tough choices when it comes to unpleasant tradeoffs.
Secondly, you need to know what it looks like when a project is being rushed or shortchanged. This can be difficult to catch for a busy business owner with only a surface-level knowledge of IT. At Infradapt, we know what this looks like and we want to pass this information onto you. When in the discovery/architecture phases of your next (or current) IT project, look for a vendor taking these four shortcuts.
These four shortcuts can devastate an IT project, or any project for that matter. One way that you can safeguard your business from these risks is to hold consultation sessions all throughout the course of the project--as opposed to leaning heavily on the original project roadmap, which may grow more unreliable as the project progresses from phase to phase. Infradapt can provide this kind of project oversight for your next IT initiative, as well as spend the time needed in the early phases of the project. This will ensure that no stone is left unturned and every possible circumstance is accounted for.
Give us a call at 800.394.2301 and don’t plan your next IT project without first consulting with the pros.
More businesses than ever before have been falling victim to the various threats found on the Internet, which has provided a valuable opportunity to learn more about how to protect your business and ensure its survivability in the face of data breaches. However, even your employees are a valuable method of securing your business, especially if you take the time to explain to them the important role they play in security.
There are two primary ways to secure a network. The first involves implementing security solutions to protect it on a technological level. The other is to ensure that the human element of your business--your workforce--is educated on best practices regarding network security.
Hover Over Links to Check Their Authenticity
Even if you think you know the sender of an email, be sure to hover over the links to make sure that they go to where they claim to go. You can do the same with any attachments sent to your email address. In reality, you might never encounter a message specifically designed to target down your business, but staying vigilant is the best way to ensure that nobody makes a mistake. A couple of seconds here and there can be the deciding factor for the future of your business.
Passwords Are Not Nearly Enough
Nightmare scenarios surrounding poor password security are all over the Internet and news outlets, especially over the past few years. Passwords like 12345678 aren’t uncommon in the business environment, specifically because they are easy to remember--even if they aren’t secure. More businesses than ever before are implementing password requirements that involve complex password usage at every turn. With password managers becoming more common, there really isn’t any excuse not to use them.
Don’t Send Personal Information through Email
Hackers are always trying to convince users to share sensitive information with them, even if they aren’t aware of it. One increasingly common tactic used is whaling, which involves hackers taking on the identity of an organization’s CEO or President. Since most employees will simply do as they are told, hackers believe that they can convince employees to perform various functions, such as wire transferring funds or handing over credentials and personal information. This is why it’s especially important to use your head and question illogical or unsound statements that you think might be suspicious. Look for typos or misspelled names in these messages, as whaling schemes will show various giveaway signals that mean you should think before you act. If you suspect anything at all, confirm with whoever sent the message in person or through a company-verified email or telephone number.
Always Be Sure to Mention Security Openly
The push for better network security only dies when you stop talking about it. Therefore, you should always communicate the importance of network security when you get the chance. Consider for a moment just how crazy-common ransomware has become in just a few short months. Some employees still might not know the difference between ransomware and other types of threats, and that data backup doesn’t guarantee that everything can be restored properly. Open communication lines between your staff and IT professionals so that they can ask questions and identify warning signs before it’s too late to do anything about them.
If your employees are unaware of just how important they are to the security of your network, be sure to help them out by making it easy for them. Infradapt can help you implement security solutions that keep your business safe, as well as aid in the process of informing your employees about best practices. To learn more, reach out to us at 800.394.2301.
It can be challenging and costly to maintain your business’ network system, but it doesn’t necessarily have to be. A managed service provider can help your business achieve all of its technology-related goals, including regular network maintenance. You might be surprised by how many benefits proactive network maintenance can provide for your organization.
A new malware swept across the globe Tuesday, incorporating facets of many ransomwares that have made headlines recently. While it originally appeared to be a variant of the Petya ransomware, it has been determined that it shares more in common with WannaCry. However, “NotPetya,” as it has been named, has a few additional features that experts say make it worse than either of its predecessors.
Why NotPetya Isn’t Really a Ransomware
The first clue that researchers had that NotPetya had a different motivation was the fact that the ransom only demanded the Bitcoin equivalent of $300. Secondly, the only means of getting the decryption key was to send an email to an address hosted by German email provider Posteo. Despite the lack of preparation the payment method appeared to have, NotPetya itself was clearly designed to be able to infiltrate as many networks as possible and do maximum damage once inside.
A Hybrid Hacking Attack
Since the attack commenced, researchers have ascertained that despite its initial similarities with Petya, NotPetya shares many traits with other malicious programs. Like WannaCry, the attack that affected much of Europe, NotPetya leverages EternalBlue. EternalBlue is a National Security Agency hacking tool that targets unpatched systems and steals the passwords that allow administrator access. In addition to EternalBlue, NotPetya also utilizes EternalRomance, another code that was stolen from the NSA.
Once NotPetya has infected one computer, it extracts passwords from its memory or the local filesystem to allow itself to spread--including onto updated and patched Windows 10 systems.
How To Protect Your Files
First off, don’t expect that you can retrieve your files just by paying the ransom. Even if those responsible for NotPetya intended to keep their word and return them once paid, Posteo has shut down the provided email account victims were to receive their keys from. As a result, unless a victim was already following certain best practices, their files are as of yet unrecoverable.
However, this does not mean that everyone is vulnerable to this attack. Before the EternalBlue and EternalRomance exploits were distributed on the dark web, Microsoft had already released patches for the vulnerabilities. However, if these patches were not applied, a user’s systems were (and are) still vulnerable.
The best method to avoid infection from this kind of attack is to ensure your users understand the importance of cyber security efforts, and that all of your business’ systems are reinforced against the latest threats by keeping your defenses up-to-date.
Furthermore, even an infected user is not without hope if they have been backing up their files. If they have done so, all they have to do is disconnect their computer from the Internet, reformat their hard drive and restore their data from their backup solution. However, for this to work, you have to also be sure that your backups are up-to-date, and that your backup is stored in an isolated location, separate from your network.
Infradapt has the experience and expertise to help prevent you from becoming a victim of a malware like this, whether we help you manage your backups or help educate your users to avoid attacks like these in the first place. Give us a call at 800.394.2301 today.