Essentials to Know About Software LicensesBet this sounds familiar: A screen full of legalese opens up when you download some new software. You immediately scroll to the bottom and click “I agree.”
Most of us don’t actually read license agreements. This is not a good idea for individual use. Worse, it’s a real risk for businesses. [Read more…]
You know not to open an email attachment from someone you don’t know. You also avoid downloading unexpected files or questionable popups when you go online. But did you know there’s malware that requires zero action from you? Zero-click malware can infect your device without any interaction on your part. [Read more…]
“What’s that password again? Wait, I changed it — Harrumph. I don’t remember!” We’ve all been there, sometimes many times a day. Password autofill on our Web browsers felt like the sun was shining on our online activity again. Sorry to tell you, but this convenience may not be entirely safe. [Read more…]
Staying Organized with Microsoft 365Microsoft 365, formerly Office 365, aims to be invaluable. How does this subscription-based suite earn your loyalty? By combining Word, Excel, and Outlook with advanced productivity apps and cloud-based services. MS365 puts it all on a single platform to help you stay organized. [Read more…]
IT Cybersecurity Notifications ExplainedCybersecurity notifications inform businesses about potential risks and empower them to take action. Yet the various types of alerts mean different things. It can be challenging to know what action to take to protect your systems, data, and security. [Read more…]
tgIs ChatGPT Safe for Businesses to Use?We may not have hovercraft yet, but ChatGPT offers futuristic innovation to businesses. ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence language model designed to generate human-like responses. The increasingly popular AI-powered platform has a wide range of applications. Weigh its advantages against the security implications, though. [Read more…]
Easing the Business Tech BurdenKeeping up with the pace of business technology change can be difficult. It can feel as if you’re always a few steps behind. Every day brings some new cybersecurity threat, compliance regulation, or tech innovation. But you don’t have to do it all alone. [Read more…]
Backups are the go-to to keep you safe in the event of ransomware or data threats. But the bad guys expect your business to backup. The question is, are you keeping your backups safe?
Ransomware attacks remain prevalent. Having a backup strategy can help you avoid paying the ransom to retrieve access to your data. But that only works if the attackers can’t discover, disable, or delete your backup data.
Attackers will look to find and exploit any backup strategy gaps. Know the risks.
Bad guys can leverage their access to your network to attack other connected devices, which can include network-connected backups. Most ransomware will attempt to encrypt any backups on the network, attackers may also turn the backups off or wipe them out.
Connecting to backup systems via remote access is also risky. Stolen credentials or an easily guessed password could give access to protected systems.
Giving many people the right to access your backup files is also dangerous. Each person represents a potential entry point for the bad actors. All they need to do is steal that individual’s credentials to gain privileged access rights.
Infrequent or untested backups are a problem too. When you don’t back up often enough, you could lose days’ or weeks’ worth of critical data when you need the files. Plus, you may think you have an effective backup, but you can’t be sure if you don’t test it.
Unsurprisingly, we’ll start by suggesting you regularly test your backup to ensure it works. Also, determine the optimal backup timing for your business. Typically, a company should backup at least once a week, but you may be in an industry where a lot of data is created in just a few hours. Then, you’d want to backup more frequently. You can do this automatically or manually.
Follow the 3-2-1 backup rule. This means you want three copies of data (the live data and two backups). Keep backups on different media. Keep one off-site, isolated from your network and unable to establish external connections. Also, consider encrypting your backups for extra protection from the physical theft of the backup device.
Another good strategy? Backup everything. A complete system backup can help you recover faster after an incident.
Run anti-malware software on your backup systems and servers, and also protect them with multi-factor authentication. Then, give as few people as necessary access to the backup. Also, limit the responsibilities so that few people can purge backup data.
Ransomware isn’t the only reason you need backups. Hardware or software failure or human error can also cause data loss. Ensure the reliability of your data backup strategy. We can help you secure backups to simplify file retrieval and operations resumption. Contact us today to book an appointment:
Artificial intelligence (AI) is no longer sci-fi; it’s fast becoming a regular part of our day-to-day lives. For Microsoft 365 users, there’s Copilot, an AI-powered assistant. Here’s how it works.
Microsoft developed Copilot to help you navigate and operate Microsoft 365. Machine learning, trained by your usage patterns and preferences, offers up personalized recommendations, reducing your time and effort invested. [Read more…]
No one wants to work harder than they have to. Digital transformation is one way businesses can make employees’ lives easier. Yet simply increasing the amount of technology isn’t the answer. Digital friction can actually make the workday more challenging. Read on to learn more about digital friction, its demotivating force, and how to avoid it. [Read more…]
