Should You Monitor Your Remote Workers?

March 25, 2022

At the end of last year, Microsoft announced it would be adding increased employee surveillance to Microsoft Edge.

The changes mean admins can access compliance monitoring through the browser, such as seeing which files have been printed or copied to USB devices.

Machine learning is being used to increase this visibility of what’s happening to sensitive files. But how will this impact employees? Will they feel that their privacy is being invaded? Will it cause trust issues? And do you think this is an appropriate level of monitoring when people have proved that remote work can be just as productive – if not more – than working from the office?

Our advice would be not to buy into this increased employee surveillance, unless you want to damage the delicate trust you’ve no doubt worked hard to build with your team.

There are other, more open ways to help your people get their work done. For example, there are plenty of tools that help limit distractions like notifications or temporarily block apps and websites to allow better focus. Your employees can choose to activate these to aid their productivity when they need a boost.

You’ll find some within your Microsoft 365 subscription – that means more tools at no extra cost.

If you want some suggestions personalized to your business, give us a call.

Filed Under: Online Privacy, Online Security, Productivity, Remote Work Tagged With: , , ,

Online Shopping Tips From Stay Safe Online

January 31, 2022

The following tips have been taken from the Stay Safe Online group, which is dedicated to helping us all stay safe when using the Internet.

We thought they were very good tips to also keep in mind as you get back into the swing of things after the holiday break.

Think before you click

Beware of emails, texts or other promotions that seem “off” or encourage you to urgently click on links. If you receive an enticing offer, do not click on the link. Instead, go directly to the company’s website to verify the offer is legitimate. If you can’t find it on their website, report the scam to your email provider as a phishing attempt. Remember: if it seems to good to be true, it probably is.

Do your homework

Fraudsters are fond of setting up fake e-commerce sites. Prior to making a purchase, read reviews to hear what others say about the merchant. Check trusted sources, like the Better Business Bureau, as well.

In addition, look for a physical location and any customer service information. It’s also a good idea to call the merchant to confirm that they are legitimate.

Consider your payment options

Using a credit card is much better than using a debit card; there are more consumer protections for credit cards if something goes awry. Or, you can use a third party payment service instead of your credit card. There are many services you can use to pay for purchases – like Google Pay – without giving the merchant your credit card information directly.

Watch what you give away

Be alert to the kinds of information being collected to complete your transaction. If the merchant is requesting more data than you feel comfortable sharing, cancel the transaction.

You only need to fill out required fields at checkout and you should not save your payment information in your profile. If the account autosaves it, go in and delete the stored payment details after the purchase.

Keep tabs on your bank and credit card statements

Be sure to continuously check your accounts for any unauthorized activity. Good recordkeeping goes hand-in-hand with managing your cybersecurity.

Another tip for monitoring activity is to set up alerts so that if your credit card is used, you will receive an email or text message with the transaction details.

Filed Under: Online Security Tagged With: ,

A Quick Refresher On How To Keep Your Business Safe

November 24, 2021

If you connect it, protect it

As more and more technology becomes a part of our personal and business lives, the line between our online and offline self has become increasingly blurred. Stay Safe Online reminds us that any device we connect to our home and business network needs to be protected and each has some amount of risk associated with the connection. So all of our smart thermostats, TVs, doorbells, alarm systems, and refrigerators need to have the appropriate protection policies in place.

Securing devices at home and at work

The global pandemic has removed the boundaries between “home” and “work” as much work was completed while at home. Remote work was already well on it’s way to becoming the new normal of work the adoption of the strategy was accelerated. With devices connecting from both our home and our physical workspace, this has opened the doors to a different kind of cybersecurity concern and how you can protect both.

Securing Internet-connected devices in healthcare

More and more healthcare facilities, from senior living to urgent care centers, are using Internet-connected devices in the day-to-day care of their patients. Tele-medicine has quickly emerged as a way for patients to receive care and doctors to give it as a result of COVID-19, but this opens both patients and providers to unique cybersecurity challenges. Strong passwords and encrypted Wi-fi will help to keep data secure.

Filed Under: Online Security Tagged With: , , ,

Human Error: The Reason Why Cybercriminals Love Email

June 22, 2021

Mark Funchion is a network technician at Tech Experts.

Defending your data network against viruses, malware, ransomware, and other threats is a never-ending battle. Some attacks can be very sophisticated, using extremely complex techniques to try and exploit even the most secure networks. However, the vast majority of threats to your network – over 80% – are delivered through a very basic method: email.

Email is a common tool that many of us use constantly at work. Oftentimes, we use it without giving much thought to what we’re doing or what we’re opening.

It’s normal for co-workers, clients, or new prospects to communicate and share files with us via email. The file can be a document, spreadsheet, PDF, etc., but the fact is that it’s common and repetitive to us.

Like anything we do frequently, we can develop muscle memory. Think about the program guide on your TV – you probably navigate the menus without thinking. After an update or a provider switch, those menus can change and you might click the wrong buttons out of habit. No harm there.

But consider making the same mistake when a document is sent to you. The message arrives, and you briefly glance at who it’s from. Maybe you recognize them, maybe you don’t. You see an attachment, and you open it out of habit. The file is infected, and in less than a second, the damage has begun.

Like it or not, the people who are attacking your systems are running a business. Like any business, they are concerned with the return on their investment. Developing high-end, sophisticated attacks takes time and skill, which is expensive to do.

However, minimal skill is required to send an email – and that process can be replicated to hundreds of thousands of users with a simple click of a button. And almost everyone working today might accidentally open an email with little to no thought.

For small businesses, having a firewall, an email filter, and anti-virus software is a must. We can help install and maintain that infrastructure. Unfortunately, the methods that attackers use to slip under your defenses are always changing.

It is important that you and your staff – the end users who do the clicking – still do your part and remain vigilant. Attackers send such a high percentage of attacks through email because of that human element. It works.

It’s essential that you fight your muscle memory and treat email like physical mail. Look at what is being sent, who it is from, and if there is anything attached. If anything seems off, do not open it. Always err on the side of caution.

Also, if you do open something you shouldn’t, it’s better to notify your IT department or provider of a potential issue so they can look at what you were sent.

Often, I have observed someone get a suspicious message, open it, notice something is not right, then forward it to a co-worker for help. By sending the message on, there is a potential to increase the scope of damage done.

Those looking to do harm and steal information will always try the path of least resistance. All the security in the world can’t stop an intruder if you open the door for them.

The same caution you take at home when an unexpected knock is heard should be how you handle all email. Consider the source and content, and if you have doubts, don’t open the message. Delete it.

Malware will never be fully eradicated – cybercriminals will make sure of that – but you can do your part to make sure you do not infect your PC or business.

Filed Under: Online Security Tagged With: , , ,

Heads Up: Hackers Are Exploiting Email Forwarding Rules

February 26, 2021

Mark Funchion is a network technician at Tech Experts.

The ways in which hackers attack accounts are endless, and a lot goes into keeping your accounts both safe and usable.

A newer attack style that is being used (and one we have personal experience with resolving) is the manipulation of email forwarding rules.

Email forwarding rules are rules that are set up in your inbox to forward a message to another mailbox as soon as it arrives.

The danger for the email owner is that these rules can also clean up after themselves by deleting the message, preventing a copy of the forward from showing in the “Sent Items” folder, and deleting the message from the “Deleted Items” folder.

If a hacker takes advantage of this, then all your email will be sent to and read by someone you do not even know.

Think about the items in your inbox, especially the ones that are sensitive and/or confidential. Can you risk there being a period of time where your messages are being forwarded without your knowledge?

Also, as the hackers are good at cleaning up and hiding their tracks, you need someone with the experience and expertise to resolve this for you if it does occur.

One of the big dangers with this attack style is that changing your password or adding two-factor authentication will not stop the current breach once the rule is in place.

Forwards will continue to be sent because the rule is not password dependent. It’s the same with two-factor authentication; if you enable this after the rule is in place, it will not do you any good.

There are steps that can be taken to prevent these types of attacks, however most of them are not settings that an end user would be familiar with.

It’s important to not allow forwarding to occur to email addresses outside of your domain, and relatedly, it’s a good idea to allow the full sync of settings between the web client and the local desktop client.

For example, Office 365 by default will not sync these settings, so if someone gains access to your email and creates a forward on the web page, you and your IT department will not see it if they look in your Outlook client on your local computer.

These rules can be hidden if the hacker knows what they are doing. This means a quick open-and-check-if-a-rule-exists is not sufficient. Steps need to be taken to make sure there are no rules, not just a lack of visible rules.

Checking for these rules if there is a suspected breach is critical because of another potential problem: if you do a password reset on another account that you are concerned about (for example, your bank because you use the same password), that email with details gets forwarded to the hacker and they may be able to gain access to that account.

Hackers will continue to evolve as they need to. As this exploit is discovered and procedures are put in place to mitigate their effect, the next exploit will be used and the cycle will start again. Having a partner to help you navigate through all these potential issues is essential.

Being aware of these exploits, watching for new ones, and making necessary changes to keep your business safe is a big part of what Tech Experts does.

Handling these concerns is part of our core business, giving you the peace of mind to handle your core business.

Filed Under: Online Security Tagged With: , ,

Everyone On Your Team Needs Cyber Security Training. Including You!

February 26, 2021

Every good business leader knows that training is essential for a highly productive team.

But have you ever considered giving your staff cyber security training? You really should.

What is it?

It’s about increasing their awareness of the ways that criminals try to break into your IT system, and the devastating consequences if they do.

So, they’d learn:
• How to spot the different types of fake emails and messages, and what to do with them
• The risk of social engineering by email, phone, or text message
• Why we use basic security tools such as password managers and multi factor authentication (where you generate a code on another device)

By holding regular cyber security training sessions, you can keep everyone up to date. And develop a great culture of security awareness. It’s another layer of protection to help ensure that your business doesn’t become part of a scary statistic (one small business is hacked every 19 seconds).

As the company owner, it’s critical you do the training, too.

You’ll be one of the most targeted people in the business, as you probably have access to all the systems, including the bank account.

If you don’t already have cyber security training in place, we’d love to help. Give us a call at (734) 457-5000, or an email to info@mytechexperts.com.

Filed Under: Online Security Tagged With: ,

Could One Well-intended Click Take Down Your Business… From The Inside?

October 1, 2020

Thomas Fox is president of Tech Experts, southeast Michigan’s leading small business computer support company.

Not many owners and managers realize this… but the biggest data security risk to your business is actually your team.

We’re not talking malicious damage. But rather, them being caught out by cyber criminals.

It only takes one click on one bad website, and your business can be compromised. It really can be that simple.

Hackers target staff to try to install malware on your devices. Then they can try to extort money, corrupt files, or steal your sensitive business data.

In some cases, this can cause such extreme damage to your business that it makes genuine recovery very hard. Trust us when we say you want to avoid it at all costs.

Fortunately, there are a few things you can do to help protect your business from this kind of attack. And you’re probably already doing some of them. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Online Security Tagged With: ,

This Is Now The Biggest Crime Risk To Your Business

August 28, 2020

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.

If someone asked you to take a wild guess at the world’s biggest crime, what do you think? Burglary maybe? Common assault? Or perhaps you might take a more humorous approach and suggest man buns or women with ridiculous eyebrows?

Well, you might be surprised (and a little concerned) to find out that the most commonly reported crime right now is actually online fraud, AKA cybercrime.

With one in ten people falling prey to Internet fraudsters and over five million cases reported every year, cyber criminals are very real predators that can have a devastating effect on your personal life, your business, and your credit rating.
And these figures are just the tip of the iceberg. Many more cybercrimes are believed to go unreported because victims feel too embarrassed to let on that they’ve been duped by a stranger sitting behind a keyboard.

The digital age comes with lots of well documented pros and cons. We can now work from anywhere in the world and stay constantly connected, but that has an added effect on our personal lives and stress levels.

Cybercrime costs billions of dollars every year. That’s an obscene amount of money by anyone’s standards. And the really scary thing is that the ever- increasing industry called data theft is now relatively easy for anyone to get involved in.

Gone are the days of 1980s sci fi movies, where computer hackers were dark, mysterious and possessed savant-like levels of intelligence.

Today anyone with the inclination and $50 to spend can pick up a powerful piece of software that will enable them to hack into your computer systems and wreak havoc.

Funnily enough – the best way to be 100% sure a hacker can’t break into your business is to not use computers. We all know that’s not possible. The second best way is to make sure you have next generation cybersecurity protection and tools in place.

Call us today at (734) 457-5000 or email at info@mytechexperts.com to chat about your cybersecurity coverage.

Filed Under: Online Security Tagged With:

Are You Using Multi-factor Authentication Yet?

August 28, 2020

Robust security is key for storing data. Cyber-criminals are targeting all businesses all the time, using clever automated tools to sniff out weaknesses they can exploit. Don’t make it easy for them.

Multi-factor authentication gives you another level of security when logging into apps.

What is it? You’ve probably used it when you log into your bank account. You enter your password, then on the next screen, you click to have a code texted to your phone, which you enter as a second, single-use password.

The thing is, it’s not just for your bank. You can use it to access many applications.

It’s simple to set up, and you can use it for any account that holds data you’d rather not fall into the wrong hands.

There are lots of different ways to do multi-factor authentication to protect your business’s data:

• The text message approach: That’s lots better than nothing, but is the least secure multi-factor authentication
• Generate a code on your cell phone: This is better
• Have a special small USB device that must be plugged into your laptop

If you’re unsure how to set this up, please give us a call at (734) 457-5000. We’d love to help.

Filed Under: Online Security Tagged With: ,

Buyer Beware: New Phishing Scams Appearing On Craigslist

August 28, 2020

Craigslist email scams come in many shapes and forms, but in general, a Craigslist email scammer is known to do at least one of the following things:

● Ask for your real email address for any reason at all.
● Insist on communicating by email only (using either your Craigslist email or your real email).
● Send you fake purchase protection emails that appear to be from Craigslist itself.

Asking for your real email address
Scammers might ask you for your real email address for any of the following reasons:

The scammer claims they want to send payment via PayPal. Scammers posing as buyers might try to talk you into accepting online payments, such as those via PayPal.

Once you give your PayPal email address to the scammer, however, they can easily send you a fake PayPal confirmation email to make you think that they paid when they really didn’t.

The scammer claims they use a third-party to securely handle the payment. Similar to the PayPal scenario above, a scammer (posing as either a buyer or a seller) might ask for your real address so that they can send a fake email that appears to come from an official third party.

These types of emails typically are cleverly designed to look like they offer a guarantee on your transaction, certify the seller, or inform you that the payment will be securely handled by the third party.

The scammer intends to send you multiple scam and spam messages. A scammer who asks for your real email address might be creating a list of victims they’re targeting to hack their personal information.

They could be planning to send you phishing scams, money or lottery scams, survey scams or even social network scams.

Insisting on communicating entirely by email
Scammers might insist on talking exclusively by email for any of the following reasons:

The scammer can’t speak to you by phone or meet up in person. Many Craigslist scammers operate overseas and don’t speak English as their first language, which is why they prefer to do everything via email. If they’re posing as a seller, they almost definitely don’t have the item you’re trying to buy and are just trying to get your money.

The scammer is following a script and has an elaborate personal story to share. Scammers use scripts so that they can scam multiple people. If they’re posing as a buyer, they might refer to “the item” instead of saying what the item actually is.

Since English is typically not most scammers’ first language and they operate around the world, it’s very common for them to misspell words or use improper grammar. And finally, to back up why they can’t meet up or need payment immediately, they’ll describe in detail all the problems they’re currently facing/have faced in order to get you to sympathize with them.

The scammer is looking to pressure you to make a payment, or wants to send a cashier’s check. Using their elaborate story, the scammer who’s posing as a seller might ask you to make a deposit via a third party such as PayPal, Western Union, MoneyGram, an escrow service, or something else.

They might even convince you to make multiple payments over a period of time, looking to extract as much money from you as possible before you realize you’re not getting what you’re paying for.

On the other hand, the scammer who’s posing as a buyer might offer to send a cashier’s check, which will likely be discovered as fraudulent days or weeks later.

Beware of anyone who tells you they’re in the military. This is a strong sign of a scam.

Sending fake purchase protection emails
Scammers have been known to send protection plan emails that appear to be from Craigslist. Of course, Craigslist doesn’t back any transactions that occur through its site, so any emails you receive claiming to verify or protect your purchases via Craigslist are completely fake.

The most important thing you can do to avoid getting involved in a Craigslist email scam is to never give away your real email address to anyone you’re speaking to from Craigslist.

Filed Under: Online Security, Phishing Tagged With: , ,
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