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5 common myths about malware

5 common myths about malware

Dispelling myths and misconceptions about malware and cyber-crime is necessary to help business owners and managers better understand their network environment, their employee’s use of company assets, and the threats to their network that can severely limit productivity and cut into profit margins.  Here are 5 common myths about malware that can help your business avoid the mistakes other companies have made.

1. I don’t need an IT person.  I only use MAC computers!

Apple products are still vulnerable to attack by cyber-criminals.  Many businesses preferred PC’s because they were more customizable.  Attacks on Apple products are on the rise.  The first case of Ransomware on a Mac occurred in 2016.  Cyber-criminals don’t care what type of computer you buy or what type of operating system you have.

2. My employee’s computer has malware.  Bet they were on an adult website!

The prevalence of malware is so incredibly high that it is virtually unavoidable.  According to Kaspersky Labs, there are 323,000 new samples of malware found every day!  The only way you can avoid malware is to use an “air-gapped” computer.  Air-gapped means that the computer has never been connected to the internet.  The internet is a great resource for sharing information at light speed.  Most businesses are dependent upon the reliable flow of information that the internet provides.  Think not?  Turn off your router when you go into work tomorrow and let me know how it works out for you.  The presence or absence of malware is not a reflection of bad or inappropriate behavior.

Psst…as an aside, the adult website is probably safer than the website of your business, your favorite restaurant and your church.  Adult websites invest in cyber-security because (1) they can’t afford downtime, and (2) their entire income is reliant on staying up (Oh no, he didn’t!).

3. My business is too small.  Cyber-criminals aren’t interested in me.

Criminals don’t operate that way.  A criminal doesn’t examine your P&L before deciding whether to target your business.  The cyber-criminal likely doesn’t even know anything about your company.  Cyber-criminals operate differently.  They attach their malware to an email and send it out a million times across the world.  If they get a click rate of 1%, that’s 10,000 victims.  The average Ransomware demand has been on the rise lately, but for the sake of argument, let’s make it $500.

10,000 * $500 = $5,000,000.

$5 million while sitting at their computer with none of the worries that many street criminals face.  Many operate in overseas countries with no extradition treaty, so they are well outside of the reach of the FBI.  No risk of prison.  Considering that this process is mostly automated and requires very little technical knowledge, they can make $5 million incredibly quickly with minimal skill!

4. Only $500?  Paying the ransom is cheaper than paying you to secure my network!

If you factor in only the amount of the ransom, it is probably cheaper just to pay it.  If that were the only factor, I would tell you myself to pay the ransom.  There are some other factors that you need to weigh before you dole out that money though.

a. Paying the ransom doesn’t guarantee that you will get your data back.

How much is your data worth to your business?  What if you pay the $500 and they won’t or can’t give you the data back?  How well can your business operate without your Quick-books or other financial files, your business contacts, and your customer information?  Last year, 25% of business owners paid the ransom and never recovered their data.

b. Paying the ransom isn’t a simple process.

Most of the cyber-criminals want payment in crypto-currency like Bitcoin because it is untraceable.  Setting up a bitcoin account and purchasing the necessary amount to pay the ransom is not a simple process.  It might take days just to complete the bitcoin purchase.  How many of your employees rely on their computers and data to be productive?  Multiply that times the average hourly wage of those employees.  Now, multiply that times the amount of time it takes to get your computer back in service.  Factor in the loss of revenue for notifying your customers of a data breach and providing them with credit monitoring.  Now you are getting a better idea of the true cost of Ransomware.

c. Who are you paying for your data?

The people that are engaging in this activity are foreign government agents and multi-national corporations.  These cyber-attacks, while easy to do, are not being carried out by the pimply teenager in his Mom’s basement.  Our nation’s enemies are funding, ordering and carrying out these attacks.  (In all fairness, we are probably doing it to them also.)  When you think about giving $500 to a cyber-criminal, think about donating the money to Vladimir Putin, China, and members of the ISIS (or ISIL). Does it still sound like a good idea?

5.  The biggest threat to my network is malware.

The biggest threat to your network are actually your employees.  A 2015 study estimated that employee cyber-security training can reduce threats by anywhere from 45-70%.  Of course, the training must be good quality, and should be followed up with regular testing.  The end result, however, is invaluable.  I can work with you to build layered security designed to protect your network, but what good is it if one click by an employee can bypass it?  Educating employees is a relatively inexpensive endeavor, and they can use what they learn to avoid problems on their personal IoT devices.  So, a win/win!  Companies such as KnowBe4 provide online training and testing resources to help you at very affordable prices.  As reseller partners of KnowBe4 training, we can manage the training and testing for you and still save you money on their normal pricing (limited to the Tampa Bay area).

Investing in cyber-security is one of the few things that our politicians agree on as a need.  While they are fighting over the details, why leave your business vulnerable?  Call A Better Choice Network Solutions at (813) 605-7251 today to schedule a free, no obligation consultation.

hosted VoIP phones, best business phones in tampa bay

Best Business Phones in Tampa Bay

Are you looking for the best business phones in Tampa Bay?  Look no further.  We partner with Intermedia to deliver our Hosted Phone System.  Intermedia was recently awarded an Editor’s Choice award for Best VoIP Provider by PC Magazine!

Pros:

  • Reliability:  Intermedia guarantees that the servers that run their phone and exchange network will maintain a “Five Nines” uptime (99.999%).  If their servers are down for more than 5 minutes in a year, you will get money credited.  They have redundancy after redundancy that allows them to confidently offer that guarantee.
  • Portability:  Internet and power outages in the Tampa Bay area occur relatively frequently.  Hurricanes can shut down your office for weeks.  If your phone system is tied to the infrastructure of your building, you are relatively helpless.  Our hosted phone systems are portable.  Unplug the ethernet and power cable and move your phone to a remote office or your residence (provided they have internet and power).  Update your e911 address and you are back in business!
  • Scalability:  Buy only the phone lines you need.  As you grow, your phone system can grow with you.  No need to pay exorbitant fees for a phone technician and new equipment.  Your new phone will arrive within a week.  Plug it in, and off you go!
  • Integration with Office 2016:  Our hosted phone system works with Microsoft Office.  When you click on a contact in Office 2016 on your computer, your phone can dial them directly!
  • Compliant:  We will sign a business associate agreement with covered entities.  We will properly protect and dispose of your ePHI and PII including your voicemails.  Attorneys that need to maintain attorney/client privilege can rest easy.  We work with all sectors of infrastructure where privacy is a top concern.

Cons:

  • Cost:  While PC Magazine raves about Intermedia’s Hosted Phone system, they do consider the elevated price of Intermedia to be a little high.  PC Magazine lists the lowest phone system price for Intermedia as $30.99.  If you purchase directly from Intermedia, that is true.

Intermedia does sell direct to consumer.  Buying from Intermedia directly is certainly an option, but A Better Choice Network Solutions is able to sell their outstanding phone service at a discounted rate.  Instead of $30.99/line, we are offering the same phone lines at $27.99/line through August 31st, 2017.  When you sign the contract, we lock in that rate for your business.  In addition, we are giving you the choice of a Polycom VVX 201 phone (that handles 2 calls at a time), or a Yealink T42G phone (that handles 12 calls at a time!) included with the line for free!  We have other phones as well, and we will offer an $85 rebate if you want to select from our other line of phones.   Whether you need 1 phone or 99 for your business, we are here to help you.

Click here to read more about our VoIP system, and contact us to find out if VoIP is a good choice for your business!

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Quick tips to increase your employee education and productivity

4 Tools for Employees Who Spend Too Much Time in Front of a Screen

At A Better Choice Network Solutions, we are committed to providing employee education to our end users.  These 4 tools can help employee productivity by helping employees sleep better, minimizing distractions, reducing eye-strain, and staying focused on the task at hand.

1. f.lux®

Research shows that that blue light emitted from screens and monitors can interrupt sleep patterns. If you are on your phone or computer well into the evening, or close to bedtime, you may have experienced this firsthand! f.lux is a browser extension that adjusts the color of your computer’s display to adapt to the time of day – “warm at night and like sunlight during the day.” Long story short, by reducing the harsh blue glow, f.lux may help you power down and fall asleep more easily, especially if you find you’re staying up too late working or checking Facebook.

2. StayFocusd

How much time have you or your employees lost to time-wasting websites? Maybe your team has a procrastination problem and accidentally loses hours of productivity to entertainment and leisure websites and apps. It’s so easy to say you’ll only spend five minutes setting your Fantasy Football lineup or taking a Buzzfeed quiz. Encourage staff to add the StayFocusd Chrome extension! With it, users can block any and all distracting sites for custom time periods. I also recommend an extension called TaskTimer, where you can set your own schedule and view analytics that measure Internet activity and time spent browsing the Web.

3. Pocket

We’ve all been there. Someone shares a compelling article, and then you find yourself consuming a never-ending string of suggested readings. Then, you look at the clock only to wonder where the time went! Sign up for a Pocket account to save Web pages, videos or articles you wish to visit at a later time! This app integrates with most browsers and will sync your saved content across all devices. And the best part is that you don’t even need an Internet connection! You can access everything you add all in one convenient place.

4. eyeCare

This vision protection extension notifies you regularly when it’s time to stop staring at your computer or smartphone screen so that you may rest your eyes. It even provides suggestions for what to do during your breaks to minimize discomfort! Use eyeCare in conjunction with Screen Shader to reduce eye strain and headaches.

Be sure to follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn for updates and news on cyber-security and technology.