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Colorado Company Taken Down By Ransomware And What That Means for Your Business

Thomas Fox is president of Tech Experts, southeast Michigan’s leading small business computer support company.
According to Statista, there were 184 million ransomware attacks in 2017 and the average ransomware demand is over $1,000. Individuals, organizations, and companies have fallen victim to these attacks.

Most people recognize the fact that ransomware is a danger, but they may not realize that it can actually destroy their company.

The recent closure of Colorado Timberline after a ransomware attack is a solemn reminder of the seriousness of the dangers of ransomware.

What Happened to Colorado Timberline?
Colorado Timberline, a printing company in Denver, was forced to cease operations for an unspecified amount of time after a severe cyber attack. [Read more…] about Colorado Company Taken Down By Ransomware And What That Means for Your Business

Line Of Business Applications: Efficiency & Productivity

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.
As someone who works with businesses of all types, I see a wide range of line of business applications in action on a regular basis.

Whether it‘s tracking inventory, calculating loan payments, estimating material cost for a construction project, keeping sales records, or preparing taxes, there is probably an app for that.

You may be wondering: what are line of business applications exactly? A line of business app is any application that serves a particular business need or assists with customer transactions in some way.

It differs from something like an email app, which could be considered a business application, but since it doesn’t apply to a specific industry or specific need, it wouldn’t be a line of business application.

For some people newer to the workforce, the days of old are never even considered. Remember when all restaurants used pen and paper to take orders?

The implementation of a point-of-sale system in restaurants eventually served as an all-in-one solution. Taking orders, keeping track of daily sales and cash totals, even inventory tracking and clocking in/out can be done all from the same program.

Tax preparation and accounting software, too, has come so far. Whether you have all internal or outsourced accounting, the days of having to do much more than signing the forms after printing are over. I’m not talking using an online tax prep program at home. I mean, large scale businesses filing end of the year taxes.

Keeping monthly ledgers, banking records for large corporations, strange tax situations, incomes from multiple states, and just about anything else can be found in good line of business tax and accounting software. So much of this information was only done on paper for so many companies not that long ago.

While many companies (particularly very small businesses) may not have the business scale to require this type of software, it’s time-saving and the accuracy assurance cannot be denied.

The examples above are just a few of many implementations of line of business applications and how they replace the ways of the past.

There are some free line of business applications out there and I am sure there are some that are acceptable for their purposes. But the adage is true: you get what you pay for.

Good corporate-level line of business applications often come with some costs involved. Whether that’s purchasing application licensing, paying a monthly or yearly usage fee, and for support for the applications, there will be an investment.

So how do you know if your investment will be worth it in the long run? How can you be sure using a new line of business app will be beneficial?

If you are looking for software to make your business operate more efficiently but have questions as to how the implementation will work or if the cost is worth the benefits, reach out to the software company.

In many instances, there will be trials or demonstrations available that you just have to inquire about. Emailing or making a phone call with specific questions can really help you have a more informed look at your upcoming investment.

If you are a business that uses a managed service provider, like Tech Experts, you should also interface with your IT provider. They may have insight from other clients or past experiences and should be a part of any technology change your business is looking into.

Your productivity and efficiency could be on its way up and, here at Tech Experts, we’d love to help you get there.

Wi-Fi 6: The Next-Generation Wireless Standard

Frank DeLuca is a field technician for Tech Experts.
Wi-Fi 6 (also known as 802.11ax) is the next-generation wireless standard that is faster than the current king, 802.11ac.

More than speed, it will provide better performance in congested areas, from stadiums to your own device-packed home. Fortunately, it’s coming soon, slotted for a 2019 release.

Wi-Fi will now have version numbers as well. Doing away with those confusing Wi-Fi standard names like “802.11ac,” Wi-Fi names will be replaced with user-friendly names like “Wi-Fi 5” and “Wi-Fi 6.”

Faster Wi-Fi
As usual, the latest Wi-Fi standard offers faster data transfer speeds. If you’re using a Wi-Fi router with a single device, maximum potential speeds should be up to 40% higher with Wi-Fi 6 compared to Wi-Fi 5.

Wi-Fi 6 accomplishes this through more efficient data encoding, resulting in higher throughput. Mainly, more data is packed into the same radio waves. The chips that encode and decode these signals keep getting more powerful and can handle the extra work.

This new standard even increases speeds on 2.4GHz networks. While the industry has shifted to 5GHz for less interference, 2.4GHz is still better at penetrating solid objects. And there shouldn’t be as much interference for 2.4GHz as old cordless telephones and wireless baby monitors are retired.

Longer Battery Life
A new “target wake time” (TWT) feature means your smartphone, laptop, and other Wi-Fi-enabled devices should have longer battery life, too.

When the access point is talking to a device (like your smartphone), it can tell the device exactly when to put its Wi-Fi radio to sleep and exactly when to wake it up to receive the next transmission.

This will conserve power, as it means the Wi-Fi radio can spend more time in sleep mode. And that means longer battery life.

This will also help with low-power “Internet of Things” devices that connect via Wi-Fi.

Better Performance in Crowded Areas
Wi-Fi tends to get bogged down when you are in a crowded place with many Wi-Fi enabled devices fighting to receive and send data. Picture a busy stadium, airport, hotel, mall, or even a crowded office with everyone connected to Wi-Fi.

The new Wi-Fi 6, also known as 802.11ax, incorporates many new technologies to help with this.

Wi-Fi 6 can now divide a wireless channel into a large number of subchannels. Each of these subchannels can carry data intended for a different device.

This is achieved through something called Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiple Access, or OFDMA. The Wi-Fi access point can talk to more devices at once.

The new standard also has improved MIMO, or Multiple In/Multiple Out.

This involves multiple antennas, which let the access point talk to multiple devices at once.

With Wi-Fi 5, the access point could talk to devices at the same time, but those devices couldn’t respond at the same time. Wi-Fi 6 has an improved version of multi-user, or MU-MIMO, that lets devices respond to the wireless access point at the same time.

This wouldn’t just apply to busy public places, but also at home if you have many devices connected to Wi-Fi or if you live in a dense apartment complex.

What Type Of Workstation Is Right For Me?

The average American spends just over 1800 hours a year working. For anyone who works in an office environment, this means a lot of sitting down and typing.

That type of sedentary work can lead to a number of health and comfort issues, not to mention productivity issues.

This means that picking an effective and comfortable workstation is absolutely necessary.

Getting Started
When choosing the right device for your workstation, there are a few things you should take into consideration.

First, you should decide what you will be using your workstation for and in what kind of environment. Will you be doing a lot of work from a central station or will you be out in the field? If you will be doing most of your work from one central location, a desktop computer offers the best price vs performance ratio.

Not to mention, the lifetime of a desktop usually outlasts other types of workstation devices. This is due to replaceable components and superior cooling solutions.

Stationary workstations are not always a viable option for all people, specifically people who spend most of their time moving from place to place on the job.

Someone who spends most of their time in the field would be best suited using a laptop or professional tablet.

Budget
One of the most important factors to consider when picking a workstation is how it fits into your budget. Less is often more when it comes to workstations, so you should always be trying to achieve the goals you set out for yourself in the most cost efficient way possible.

It is important that you purchase equipment that is going to perform well enough to complete the tasks you need it to, but any other additional features should be avoided to cut costs.

As mentioned earlier, desktop computers are the most cost efficient way to get work done around the office, so long as you’ll be staying there all day.

Comfort and Health
Who doesn’t want to be comfortable at work? Most of us spend a good portion of our lives working, so it is absolutely necessary to maintain a healthy lifestyle.

The easiest place to start is where you spend most of your day, sitting in a chair. The type of chair you use at work will greatly influence posture, comfort, alertness, and general wellbeing.

How can anyone get any work done if they are miserable and in pain all day? Make sure to pick a chair that has good lumbar support. Ergonomic options are always a plus.

Avoid unnecessary neck strain by keeping your eyes level with your monitor. Small details can also make a big difference, such as having a keyboard with negative tilt.

Negative tilt keyboards are designed to reduce wrist sprain, which is a huge plus for anyone who types all day. These keyboards can also help avoid carpel tunnel issues.

Conclusion
Your workstation is an essential part of your career. Balancing cost, comfort, usability and performance is the key to building the perfect workstation for you, your employees or clients. Cover your needs first, and then don’t forget to shop around for the best price available.

October Is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

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

Online security is something that should get everyone’s attention. Threats exist all around us: ransomware, viruses, spyware, social engineering attacks and more. There’s so much you need to know to keep your personal and business information safe.

But where do you start?

As trusted cybersecurity professionals, we want to help you get educated and stay informed.

That’s why during National Cybersecurity Awareness Month our goal is to give you all the information you need to stay secure.

How can we help? We’ll be sharing valuable and timely information on cybersecurity in blogs, in our newsletter, and on all of your favorite social media sites. [Read more…] about October Is National Cybersecurity Awareness Month

Browser Battle: Why Chrome Continues To Take Over

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.
Every day I see different browsers on different computers. There’s Chrome, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Vivaldi, Opera, and Apple’s Safari browser. Some people like to stick with what they know, and they use Internet Explorer or even Microsoft Edge on Windows 10.

There are those people that really love Mozilla’s Firefox browser and are loyal and comfortable using that. Apple users tend to stick with Safari, like how Windows users use Internet Explorer and Edge, because it’s the default they’ve used for years.

I made the switch to Google Chrome for good about 5 or 6 years ago, and I continue to use it as my browser of choice.

There are preference issues and everyone likes what they like, but there is definitely more to why I use Google Chrome over the other browsers. There are even reasons why I think you should probably use Chrome too.

Let’s start by acknowledging that there are certain websites that only have full functionality in a certain browser and that’s OK. Maybe you need to use Internet Explorer for something. Use what you need to for certain tasks. When you have a choice, use Chrome.

Chrome is celebrating its 10th birthday with a nice updated look, but that’s just the surface. It continues to add features that not only improve your user experience, but also help make things a little more secure.

Chrome now will auto-generate and suggest strong passwords for new accounts created, keeping them unique and therefore significantly more secure.

Google also made sure that the mobile integration for Chrome is second to none. Just make sure you are signed in on your computer and your phone to keep all of your bookmarks and browsing synced.

While a browser like Firefox may meet some of the standards set by Google, there are areas other browsers just can’t stack up.

Mozilla has updated and launched a new and improved mobile app. It is now faster than it was ever before. Want to sync your data between your phone and computer browser with Mozilla? Sure, just create a completely separate account, link them, and hope for the best. Mozilla’s ability to share bookmarks is fair, but it can’t keep the settings streamlined.

These are the areas that Google Chrome excels in, making your browsing experience seamless.

The password manager will also make using your account on multiple devices much easier, as you can use the manager to store passwords and use them on any device you are signed in to.

If you own an Android phone or use the Google Play store but don’t use Chrome, you are missing out on great app integration.

Another reason Chrome pulls ahead in the battle is because of its amazing app library and easy integration and updates. Other browsers can’t begin to offer the things that Google does.

If you need more reason, consider that most of the major browsers use Google’s safe browsing programming to detect potentially dangerous sites.

Consider that these companies are using someone else’s programming to keep you safe… and that programming is from the clear leader in the browser battle: Google Chrome.

Replace Your PC Every 4 To 5 Years To Save Thousands Of Dollars

Chris Myers is a field service technician for Tech Experts.

When it comes to replacing computers, many consumers and businesses wait as long as possible before committing to an upgrade. However, those businesses would actually be better off in almost every way if they replaced their computers as part of a standard process based on the hardware age.

There are many drawbacks to using an old computer that aren’t immediately visible. All of these result in costs to the business, whether it is due to lost employee productivity, downtime, or lost data on failed drives.

If any of the above issues are visible to a client, they can also cause loss of business purely on the perception of inadequacy or unreliability.

A major difference overall is the gradually decreasing performance that every computer suffers from as time goes on. This is due to the actual mechanical parts wearing down as well as bloat from applications and files.

Additionally, with each new software update, there is more and more of a chance of business software no longer running on older hardware or operating systems.

Computers have many moving parts that have different expected lifetimes. Past four years, it is likely that different hardware components will start failing one by one every four or five months.

Each of these failures will result in a service call to diagnose the problem and replace the part, while the employee is not working.

Hard drive failures are almost always unrecoverable. If that employee does not have a backup in place, there is little anyone can do to restore the lost data.

However, if the upgrade is done while the PC is still functional, absolutely everything can be copied over to the new computer.

This includes files, but also things that aren’t usually backed up, such as applications and user specific settings in their commonly used programs.

On a four-year cycle, each new computer will be at least one major operating system version apart. Operating systems such as Windows 7 and Windows 10 are the framework of the computer and are therefore much harder to change on a computer already in use.

The service charge and software errors for such an installation would be as much or more than buying a new hardware component.

Each new operating system also contains hundreds, if not thousands, of patches to fix security vulnerabilities.

With each passing day, an old computer becomes more and more vulnerable as new holes are found in its programming. Many 5+ year-old operating systems no longer meet the requirements for mandates such as HIPAA.

The price of a new mid-range computer is usually the same as one or two of those service calls. And a new computer would avoid all of the other costs discussed above, usually resulting in savings more than double the price of the new PC.

Enacting a company-wide policy to replace PCs by hardware age also eliminates a great deal of hassle for users, clients, and your IT department.

Is Your Smart TV Spying On You? (Hint: It Is.)

Frank DeLuca is a field technician for Tech Experts.
There’s a good chance your smart TV is spying on you. Smart TVs often analyze the videos you’re watching and report back, whether you’re watching live TV, streaming videos on a service like Netflix, or playing local video files. Worse yet, this can be a security problem.

Smart TVs not only usually have bad interfaces, but they spy on what you’re watching even when you aren’t using their “smarts.”

Modern smart TVs often have “features” that inspect what you’re watching and report it back to some company’s servers.

This data can be sold to marketers or it could be tied to you somehow to create a better ad-targeting profile.

In reality, you are not getting anything out of this as the TV manufacturer just makes some more money on the side by collecting and selling this data.

Smart TVs also have questionable security protections.

For instance, Vizio TVs were discovered to be transmitting tracking data without any encryption, so other people could possibly snoop on the snoopers. They also connect to a server without checking if it’s a legitimate server, so a man-in-the-middle attack could send commands back to the TV.

Vizio says it has fixed this problem and TVs will automatically update to a new firmware.

But are those smart TVs even checking to ensure they’re downloading legitimate firmware files with correct digital signatures?

Based on TV manufacturers’ cavalier attitude towards security in general, I wouldn’t bet on it.

To make matters worse, many smart TVs have built-in cameras and microphones. If the security is so shoddy in general, it would theoretically be possible for an attacker to spy on you through your TV.

What can you do to stop your TV from spying on you?

Just don’t connect your smart TV to your home network and you’ll be protected from whatever built-in analysis features it has and any security vulnerabilities that could be exploited.

If the TV is not connected to the Internet, then it cannot transmit data out.

If you have connected it to the network, go into your smart TV’s settings and disconnect it from the Wi-Fi. Don’t connect it to the network with an Ethernet cable either.

If you’ve already connected to the Wi-Fi network, try to get your smart TV to forget the password. If you can’t, you may need to reset it to its factory default settings. When you set it up again, don’t give it the Wi-Fi password.

This will also prevent your smart TV from embedding extra advertisements into other things you watch — yes, some Samsung smart TVs actually do that!

The best, most secure way to get “smart features” on your TV is by plugging in a streaming box like an Apple TV, Roku, Chromecast, Fire TV, video game console, or one of the many other devices that works better and should be more secure than your smart TV. In which case, that box can be connected to the Internet.

This is part of a larger problem with the “Internet of Things” that society is beginning to grapple with, which envisions modern appliances like your toaster, blender, microware, and fridge becoming “smart” and connecting to the network.

Most devices’ manufacturers don’t seem capable of (or are apathetic toward) creating software and continually updating it so it remains secure.

Smart appliances are great, but the reality of spying and security holes will be a serious problem.

What Can Companies Do To Prevent Privacy Violations?

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

Whether it’s physical, virtual, or in the cloud, discovering and blocking sophisticated threats in the network is at the forefront of every company’s mind.

However, businesses are finding that more and more data violations are taking place when network security centers on the edge of the network are not giving equal protection to the network itself.

Security at the perimeter of the network has received most of the attention from data protection companies.

What many internet service providers and businesses have neglected is protecting what lies within the network. What can your company do to solidify your network and protect you from hackers on the inside? [Read more…] about What Can Companies Do To Prevent Privacy Violations?

Windows Fall Update 2018: How To Prepare & Avoid Downtime

Jason Cooley is Support Services Manager for Tech Experts.

Here it comes again. Windows is coming back with another large feature update for Windows 10, named Redstone 5. As always, Microsoft is attempting to give people more of what they want and better the user experience.

The upgrades and changes slated to hit this fall vary greatly, from a dark theme for File Explorer to the new Windows 10 smartphone integration feature.

While there may be a little something for everyone, what can you expect your experience to be? We can start by examining the numerous changes coming our way this fall.

The first new feature is Clipboard history and sync. By pressing the Windows key and V, you can open up Clipboard history. Allowing all of those copy and pastes you’ve been doing to be easily recalled. This feature will be great for some users and some will never utilize the functionality.

For an IT professional like myself, I spend a lot of time copying and pasting different things in, not limited to passwords. This brings up many questions, including, “How secure will the sync between devices be?” and “Will any personal information be safe to copy and paste this way, when there is an obvious trail left?” This remains to be seen, but the potential for usefulness, if secure, is exciting.

Another new feature I mentioned earlier is the Dark Theme for File Explorer. This feature allows the color of File Explorer to be changed from white to black. Eyes rejoice! Many people find browsing files and even reading easier to do with a black background and white font. If the brightness is just too much for you to look at day in and day out, then this feature is for you! There is no downside or issue I can see with this feature, as it is purely cosmetic.

Everyone, welcome SwiftKey to Windows 10! Back in 2016, Microsoft purchased the SwiftKey keyboard. SwiftKey is a touch screen keyboard that allows for swipe styling typing. Not impressive on its own, the SwiftKeyboard boasts that it has more accurate autocorrect and predictions by learning your writing style. SwiftKey is intriguing, but a feature that, in reality, doesn’t change much for most people.

The final big feature, the Windows 10 smart phone integration, is equal parts exciting and scary. Any new sync system has the potential to be attacked, depending on the security in place.

The integration brings you the instant access to your photos from your phone to your PC. There are also plans to add sync notifications in the future. There is also the “Continue on PC” option that will allow you to access a link from your computer, picking up where you left off on your phone.

While there are no earth-shattering changes, the biggest concern is how these updates and changes to Windows 10 will affect you in the long run. As with updates in the past, there is a possibility that any of these new system changes will cause issues with different existing applications and processes. 2017’s Fall Creator’s update was the culprit behind numerous applications failing, even people having to do full system restores for no real reason.

While the update will be available in early fall, I would suggest avoiding installing the update until you have to. Especially in a business setting. You can try it at home first, but unless you are running the same applications, there is no way of telling how the changes will affect your system until others discover potential issues.