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Would Your Business Survive The 4 Beer Test This Christmas?

December 1, 2020

So, it’s unlikely you’ll be having a traditional office Christmas party this year. Thank COVID, you party-pooper.

But I’m sure at least some of your team will find a way to celebrate together over a few beers after work one day.

And that’s why it’s worth asking if your business can pass the four beer test.

What’s that? Four beers is about the stage where people start to “relax” so much, they start to forget the important stuff. Like picking up their laptop bag when they leave the bar or restaurant.

Laptops and mobile devices get left in bars and restaurants all the time, especially on dark winter nights like these.

Thing is – depending on your IT setup, a lost laptop can either be a minor inconvenience. Or a complete disaster.

How can you tell which? By asking these 3 questions:

• Is it encrypted?
• Is it password protected?
• Can the data be wiped remotely?

If it’s a “yes” to all three, you can relax. It’s annoying you’ve lost your device… but your business’s data is safe. No one can access it.

And if you can’t positively answer all three, there’s a problem. These days, the loss of data is a much bigger deal than the loss of a device.

If you’re not 100% sure you can answer all 3 questions with a big fat YES… then give us a call. We can check for you.

Pandemic Continues To Affect Business Models (Even Microsoft’s)

December 1, 2020

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.

The global pandemic continues on, and here in the United States, we are once again seeing numbers surge after a few months on the decline.

With the holiday season approaching, many are changing and cancelling their usual plans. Many employees are still working from home when possible. Everyone – from tech giants to a small mom-and-pop business on the corner – have been affected in some way.

So, with a reduced workforce, what does that mean for a company like Microsoft? For starters, they are pushing back end-of-support dates. One of which is Windows 10 1803, which had its support extended by six months.

This is partly due to the impact the pandemic has had on Microsoft, but beyond that, it is because many businesses cannot operate normally right now. This is obviously problematic on many levels. The last thing a business owner or company needs is to push out updates without the proper support in place.

Productivity may be down in some cases as people adjust to workflow changes and remote working, but many have become more comfortable with their new normal. They have hit their stride, if they missed a step at all, and Microsoft has opted not to disrupt that.

If a giant like Microsoft is adjusting their business models and plans, the impact is sure to reach the little guys. Although a majority of businesses rely on technology and computers in some capacity, not everyone has the capability or the support needed to move to a completely remote business model, even temporarily.

For a managed service provider like Tech Experts, managing clients remotely has been our primary focus for years. There will always be times that even we need to physically be somewhere to perform certain tasks, but in a pandemic, even for us, that number has decreased.

Some industries are more reliant on physical presence to be effective, which completely shakes up their operations.

In Monroe, schools have now switched to all online classes. Most students were already primarily remote, and due to surging cases, they have now switch to online.

I sat in on parent teacher conferences last week. During the conferences, I spoke to different teachers, and I gained some perspective on how the pandemic has affected their classes and their interactions with students.

More than one teacher specifically mentioned how, even on Zoom, it feels like they are teaching to an empty room or a black screen. Participation is down, but usually, school work comes in without issue.

Remote capabilities are in place, but it’s a very different experience than sitting in classrooms with peers.

Whether you’re an IT pro, doctor, lawyer, insurance agent, teacher, or student, your days this year surely look a lot different than they have in the past. We’re getting by as well as we can under the circumstances, trying to make things work with what we have.

Even with a vaccine on the way, things may never be exactly the same again. Work-from-home positions may become more popular or widely offered. Traveling for meetings will be less likely as many companies have gotten used to teleconferencing. Some students may flourish in online school and cause the industry to expand.

Changes aren’t always easy, but hopefully, the things that can be improved will be. No matter how it has affected you, the pandemic will not be missed.

Happy Holidays: The Season Of Cyberattacks

December 1, 2020

The year 2020 has, in many ways, been the year of COVID. Whether or not you have had COVID-19, it is a safe bet that your life has in some way been impacted by the pandemic.

As is usually the case, cybercriminals are at the forefront of exploiting every opportunity they can.

A look at Google trends for coronavirus (https://trends.google.com/trends/story/US_cu_4Rjdh3ABAABMHM_en) shows how prevalent the topic is and continues to be.

This desire for information has led to a third of the cyberattacks in the United States (and a quarter of the attacks in the UK) being coronavirus-related. Like most cybersecurity attacks, these are often of the ransomware variety.

These attacks are increasingly targeting heath care facilities, but anyone can be a target. Since these medical facilities are overwhelmed and COVID leads most of the news today, people are on data overload while trying to manage their immediate concerns – and can become complacent when dealing with potential threats.

As we must remain vigilant in keeping ourselves medically safe, we must do the same to keep ourselves technologically safe. A few best practices are:

• Don’t open an attachment unless you know who it is from and you are expecting it.

• Use the same level of caution with email messages that instruct you to enable macros before downloading Word or Excel attachments as you would with a live cobra. Don’t touch it!

• Use anti-virus software on your machine, and make sure it’s kept up-to-date with the latest virus definitions.

• If you receive an attachment from someone you don’t know, don’t open it. Delete it immediately.

• Learn how to recognize phishing:

– Messages that contain threats to shut your account down

– Requests for personal information such as passwords or Social Security numbers

– Words like “Urgent” – a false sense of urgency will encourage you to act

– Forged email addresses

– Poor writing or bad grammar

• Hover your mouse over links before you click on them to see if the URL looks legitimate.

• Instead of clicking on links, open a new browser session and manually type in the address.

• Don’t click the “Unsubscribe” link in a spam email. It would only let the spammer know your address is legitimate, which could lead to you receiving more spam.

• Understand that reputable businesses will never ask for personal information via email.

• Don’t send personal information in an email message.

Tech Experts can assist with keeping you safe by providing support, running backups, and ensuring that your devices and software are up-to-date.

However, even with these safeguards in place, it is important that you do your part and do your best to act responsibly and thoughtfully when dealing with technology.

Messages that ask you to click for COVID news, updates, cures, etc. that you are not expecting should be treated as a potential threat. Obtain news from trusted sites.

While our interest in COVID is high, that is what makes it such an effective method of lowering people’s guards. Relatedly, as we head into the holiday season, watch out for “There is a problem with your delivery – click here” emails and other similar traps.

If cybercriminals, hackers, and spammers can find an opportunity, they’ll take advantage of it regardless of a global pandemic or the holidays. You’ve got enough on your plate; staying vigilant will go a long way in preventing the headaches of cyberattacks or identity theft.

Four Signs You’re Under Attack From Ransomware

December 1, 2020

You’ve probably heard a lot about ransomware recently. This is the computer attack where a hacker locks you out of your systems and data. And you must pay a ransom, typically in Bitcoin, to get access again.

While it’s not a new crime, it’s one of the fastest growing crimes online because it’s so lucrative to criminals. Thanks to COVID and work-from-home, more and more businesses are unintentionally opening themselves up to the threat.

In fact, it’s estimated there are more than a hundred calls to insurers every day relating to problems caused by ransomware. Unless you take necessary precautions, your business could fall victim.

But how do you know you’re not already under attack? Because here’s something most people don’t realize about ransomware. If a hacker gets access to your systems today, they won’t launch the attack right away. It can take around 60 to 100 days – if not longer – from the time you’re breached, to the delivery of ransomware.

You might be wondering why these cybercriminals spend such a long time launching their attack. They spend weeks or more just skulking around, investigating your network for weaknesses, and waiting for just the right time to maximize their profit.

So how do you know if you’re under attack? And what do you do if you are? Here are four of the best ways for you to check that your network is safe and secure.

Check for open RDP links
What’s an RDP link and how do you open or close it? We don’t want to get too techy here, so put simply, an RDP (or Remote Desktop Protocol) is Microsoft technology that allows a local computer to connect to and control a remote PC over a network or the Internet.

You’re probably utilizing this kind of thing if you’ve had any of your people working from home this year, as it makes remote access a lot easier. But RDP links left open to the Internet are a very common route for cybercriminals to enter your network.

Look for unexpected software
One of the methods ransomware gangs use to take control of your system is certain software tools. It’s important that you use a network scanner to check exactly what’s running and who’s running it.

Often, cybercriminals will take control of just one PC first, perhaps using a phishing email to persuade someone to click on a bad link without realizing it. Once they have control of one PC, they can then target the entire network.

Criminals also utilize tools to steal your passwords and log-in credentials. If you spot anything unfamiliar anywhere in your system, contact your IT support partner, who can investigate further.

Monitor your administrators
Your network administrators typically have the authority over which applications are downloaded to your network. So what’s the best way for hackers to download the applications they need? They create a new administrator account for themselves.

Then they can download whichever tools they need to compromise your network.

Check for disabled tools and software
Once the cybercriminals have administrator rights, they can locate and disable your security software. You can tell that an attack is close to being launched if something called Active Directory and your domain controllers are disabled.

Next, any backup data the criminals have found will be corrupted. And any systems that automatically deploy software will also be disabled to stop your attempts to update your computers after an attack.

It’s worth remembering that this will all be done slowly. Your hackers will take their time because that makes it much harder to detect them.

Once an attack has been launched and your data held to ransom, most of the time there’s little you can do other than attempt to restore backups. Or pay the ransom.

The hackers have normally been so thorough with their preparation that even the best IT security specialists have few options open to them.

So, once you’ve detected that something might be wrong, what can you do to stop an attack from being launched?

You can force a password change across your core systems, which many times will also throw your attackers out.

Monitor your administrator accounts. This may sound like a simple step, but you’d be surprised at how often it’s neglected.

Keep all of your software and security patched and updated. It’s very tempting to click ‘later’ on updates. But saving a little time now is not worth the huge amount of time and money that you’ll lose should you become the victim of a ransomware attack.

Implement multi-factor authentication across all of your applications, if you haven’t already. This adds another level of security for your network and helps to prevent unauthorized access.

Is There A Hidden Intruder Lurking In Your Business?

November 23, 2020

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

If you’re like us, you believe you have the best, most trustworthy people working for you.

But have you ever considered the possibility you may have someone unknown hidden within your business, trying to cause a lot of damage and make a lot of money at the same time?

This might sound a little far-fetched. Perhaps something that’s more likely to happen in a film than in your business.

But actually, you’d be surprised. Cyber criminals are targeting businesses exactly like yours all the time.

Because often, small and medium sized businesses don’t spend big bucks on their cyber security. Hackers know this. And will put a lot of effort in to try to exploit that. [Read more…] about Is There A Hidden Intruder Lurking In Your Business?

Say Goodbye To Owning Microsoft Office

November 23, 2020

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.

In the workplace, some would say there is nothing as important as ensuring your productivity. Working with computers is likely a part of your job to some degree. If you are working in an office setting, you likely spend a large amount of time on computers.

There is no doubt a difference in daily tasks between different fields, but there are also many similarities. No matter your industry, you are likely familiar with Microsoft Office programs. Excel, Word, and Outlook are the most commonly used software from the Microsoft Office suite.

Microsoft Office is not cheap. Many businesses will use their current version until it is no longer supported. If 30 users need a new version of Office or a subscription, it has been more cost effective in the past to purchase a copy of the program to use for years until the software becomes unsupported.

This is all going to change. Recently, Microsoft made the announcement regarding the newest version of Exchange Server, their mail server platform.

“This is going to be a version of Exchange that will only be available with the purchase of a subscription,” said Greg Taylor, director of product marketing for Exchange.

This applies to Exchange server, but also applies to Office as they try to move to a month-to-month, pay-as-you-go service. Email hosting and all of your apps are now something you can’t own.

This can result in one of two things, depending on your business. It could be the perfect time to start moving your employees over to the month-to-month model if they aren’t already subscribed.

Alternatively, it can be a burden on someone who will need to switch many users to the pay-by-month model. Microsoft wants the recurring revenue generated in a subscription service, and they don’t mind forcing you into it.

While the announcement came originally involving Exchange server, the end result is the same: Microsoft will make you switch, and it won’t be a choice anymore. For Exchange, 2019 Exchange server will be the last in the line that you can purchase and own.

Once that is out of the support window, you would need to move your licensing to the new subscription model.

As this applies to Office as well, many people may worry about when the changes will need to occur. The changes will not need to be made any time soon if you just purchased, say, Office 2019. You will have a few more years (likely three to four, based on past end of support dates) before you have to pull the trigger.

However, users holding out with Office 2013 will have to make a decision a lot sooner as the security updates end.

The switch to a subscription model is for Microsoft’s benefit. Assuming you used your Office software for five years, you will end up paying more for the new subscription service over those five years.

On the other side of things, you will always have the newest version of Office available to you as every major update and every new version is included.

While it is not an immediate concern, you should start to consider what your Office needs are as time moves forward. Like the rest of the world, Microsoft is always changing.

Targeted Attacks On Small Businesses Are On The Rise

November 23, 2020

Mark Funchion is a network technician at Tech Experts.

Many of us have heard of ransomware. This is an attack where someone gains access to a system and encrypts all of the data until a ransom is paid. Once they get their money, they either unencrypt the data… or not. There is no guarantee that paying the ransom will actually work.

Most attacks in the past, both viruses and ransomware, were the “spray and pray” variety. Basically, the attackers would send out thousands (or hundreds of thousands) of emails and hope that a small percentage of them were successful. This procedure worked, but the success rate was low and the attackers had to have a large volume to make it successful.

The more profitable attacks that are on the rise are targeted attacks. These attacks rely on quality rather than quantity. Research goes into the attacks that then target a single or very few companies. These attackers will even go as far to check a company or institution’s financial information to see how much of a ransom they can expect to get.

In addition to demanding a ransom for the data to be decrypted, there is often a threat that the data will be released if the ransom is not paid. The threat of data being released can lead to the ransom being paid even if the target has a way to recover from the attack.

While many home users would hate to have their data released, it would not be completely devastating in most cases. If you are a financial, medical, or education institution, it could end your business or severely harm it. These institutions all contain sensitive information of their employees and clients.

For this reason, a recent spike has been seen in the UK involving their schools. Attackers are seeing schools as an easier target in today’s environment with the increase in remote learning. Banks and hospitals have been targeted numerous times before, and their main goal is to be as secure as possible, spending large amounts of money on it.

Schools and universities, on the other hand, are concerned with security, but they’re in a position today with COVID where they need to have fairly open access.

As colleges are pivoting to a distance learning model on a scale never envisioned, they have to allow more and more access in. This means more and more devices the schools have no direct control over, creating potential entry points into the network.

Although most of you reading this are not educational institutions, there is no industry or business (regardless of size) that is safe from a potential attack. Having a good network security system in place with effective backups is critical.

Don’t rely only on a day or a few days’ worth of backups either; some attacks will infect a system, then remain dormant for a while, hoping to outlive the backups you have available.

Having a technology partner who understands the dangers and how to recover is essential. You cannot just plug in a firewall and use an antivirus software and consider yourself protected.

Your business should have an incident response plan that includes backups and restore procedures, as well as testing. You also need to make sure you have a procedure to keep all of your systems up-to-date with the most current patches. Making sure any remote sessions are secure and using 2FA whenever possible is another area often overlooked too.

The list of vulnerabilities is endless, but we are here to assist. Let us provide you the security and comfort that your business is protecting not only your data, but your users from a potential breach.

What Exactly Is “The Cloud?”

November 23, 2020

You may have come across people talking about ‘cloud’ storage and software that runs in ‘the cloud.’

But what exactly is ‘the cloud,’ and why should you care about it?

A place for networking
The cloud is a bunch of servers that are connected to each other over the internet.

Tech firms like Google, Microsoft, Apple, Facebook, and Amazon run huge networks of servers that let their customers (us) log in using different devices.

Can you imagine a situation where all your photos from the last 10 years were only held on your phone and not stored safely elsewhere? How many memories would you lose if your phone went missing?

The high freedom, convenience, and security offered by the cloud has seen a huge shift to cloud computing over the last few years.

It’s powerful stuff
Cloud infrastructure allows you to run apps and access data across multiple devices without needing to have everything installed on your devices.

This opens opportunities for businesses to offload computing and storage resources to cloud service providers, gaining the flexibility to easily boost or reduce resources as their needs change.

A real perk of running software in the cloud is that it means highly sophisticated applications can run from your computer or phone, with the cloud doing all the heavy lifting.

This can significantly reduce the amount you need to spend on your devices and how often they need to be replaced.

The cloud is also a collaborative place to be. Tools like Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace make it super easy to share documents and work as a team. You can even work together in real-time and give each other instant feedback as you go.

Ignore its fluffy reputation: The cloud’s a tough cookie
When set up and managed correctly, the cloud is the safest place to keep your data.

Let’s be honest, which is more likely: Colin leaving his laptop in a bar again? Or the might of an Amazon or a Google getting hacked?

If Colin loses that laptop, he’ll get a slap on the wrist. If Google get hacked, it would cost them millions and millions of dollars and cause irreparable damage to their reputation.

Different types of cloud

There are three main types of cloud.

Private cloud
The private cloud is a network of servers that are dedicated to supporting a single business.

The hardware is solely dedicated to this business, and they allow organizations like the CIA and banks to have full control over every aspect of their cloud environment.

Public cloud
The public cloud refers to networks of servers that are wholly controlled by cloud service providers. Clients share resources with other people.

The public cloud costs less than setting up a private cloud, and there is far less maintenance and an extremely high level of reliability.

Hybrid cloud
Some firms like to mix and match private and public clouds for different needs. Hybrid cloud setups let businesses quickly move between the two as their needs change.

We’ll help you to make sense of it all.

When embracing the cloud, it’s best to have an experienced hand guide you to the right solutions.

Working with the right IT support partner early will help make sure that you head in the right direction. And make the most of the opportunities that cloud computing offers. Give us a call at (734) 457-5000 if you’d like more information.

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

October 1, 2020

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

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