2021 Phishing Presentation
Phishing attacks represent one of the most dangerous cyber security threats to small businesses. Here’s a quick presentation on the nature of Phishing content and the aggressors behind them.
Phishing is one of the most significant cyber security threats facing small to mid-range businesses. Here is our 2021 Phishing Presentation addressing those threats, how to spot them, and who the actors are behind them.
Helping Small Businesses with Technical Support - One Day at a Time
A case study on expert IT support. We repaired a broken POS computer in under an hour, and got our clients back online and helping their customers. We bring that kind of expertise and value to our clients every day.
Yesterday I got an urgent call from one of my small business clients in Portland, Oregon.
They had a Windows computer that failed and had entered recovery mode. That means it wouldn’t boot and they couldn’t use the machine - a huge problem because this was a counter computer that helped run their point-of-sale (POS) software. They needed this thing up to ring in their sales! Yikes!
So when I arrived, I used a couple of tools to try to diagnose and repair the system.
I popped in to a command prompt and issued a few commands to check and repair its system files, to check the disk and repair it, and to fix the master boot record of the machine.
I then powered the system down and turned it back on. It then mounted its disk and launched the o/s. We got back in to the desktop and could start ringing up customers.
Huzzah!
Now, the machine was under a professional warranty and could have been repaired by the OEM by dispatching a technician, have them wipe the machine, reinstall its operating system, drives, and applications; a process that could have taken a few days. Ich - a few days!
Myself, that fix took about an hour.
Why?
Because I knew how to run these steps because of experience.
I’ve got 30+ years of experience with microcomputers … experience that goes beyond knowing what buttons to push during a recovery process. It’s this experience that I bring to every engagement that helps reduce time and extend value to my clients, to get them back and running as quickly as possible without having to wait for a traditional support process which may be well-intentioned yet time-consuming.
If you’d like that kind of IT support for your small business, please give me a ring!
R
Why You Shouldn't Be Using Windows 7
Here’s the thing: if you’re running Windows 7, you’re just making yourself an easier target for hackers. Why would you want to run around with a target on your back? Take action today!
As of July 2020, Microsoft Windows 7 still controls around 20% of total desktop operating systems worldwide.
A couple of reasons why you don’t want to still be using Microsoft Windows 7:
It’s no longer receiving security updates as Microsoft ended mainstream support for the product in January 2020. That means its existing vulnerabilities are forever; aggressors will be able to exploit those problems forever.
Consequently, the US FBI issued a warning on August 3, 2020 about continuing to use the legacy operating system, as has the UK’s National Cyber Security Centre has directly warned users not to use Windows 7 for commercial activities like email or banking.
If the appeal-to-authority doesn’t work for you, how about money? IBM recently reported that the average cost of a data breach in the United States is $3.86 million.
And, yeah, cyber security insurance. You think you’re covered. It’s not like your cyber security policy is going to cover you if you’re running a known-bad o/s. That’s just raw negligence, kids.
Now, you have options.
Like Mac’s? After January 2021, Apple will be transitioning to ARM microprocessors. Lots of techie stuff here but the bottom line is that Macs are soon going to get hundreds of dollars cheaper. Cool! Upgrades!
But if don’t have a cool $1k to drop on a new machine, and if you’re married to the Google Cloud Ecosystem, there’s never been a better time to update to a Chromebook or a Chromebox. There’s a lot of great boxes out there, some priced at a 1/3rd of the cost of a comparable Microsoft Windows 10 computer. They boot in eight seconds, they’re encrypted, they receive automatic updates that don’t break them, they are significantly more secure than Windows will ever be … why not?
Okay, so maybe Google ain’t your thing. If you have an older machine still running Windows 7, and you’re comfortable with the machine’s overall performance and still want to use it, and you’re mostly using a web browser to access online services, consider installing Linux. I’d recommend Ubuntu or its cousin, Zorin. They’re more secure than Windows, won’t break your system, and will make the older machines run like they were new.
If you’re still using Microsoft Word and Excel? Are you dependent on some 3rd party application that has to run on Windows? You could upgrade your Windows 7 machine to Windows 10, sure, it’s only a $100. That’s a lot cheaper than $3.86 million. But watch the performance hit. You’d probably be better off just replacing the asset.
Here’s the thing: continuing to use an obsolete product is only making you more vulnerable, and, more of a target to aggressors who look at you and your data as an easy target. There’s no reason why you’d rationally want to be an easier target for hackers. Take action today to replace that old machine. Do something!
R