Planning for Year-End Technology Spending … Microsoft End-of-Life and Upgrades you should consider

Posted on by Alisanne Steele

Alisanne Steele | TheSoftwareConsultant | Rabbit Hole Technology

There are many Microsoft products reaching End of Support in 2020. The products that are affecting the most Small Business entities are Windows 7, Windows Server 2008, SharePoint Server 2010, and to a lesser extent all Office 2010 products (2010 versions of Word, Excel, Outlook, Access, Visio, and Project).

Many small businesses are still using Windows 7 (or earlier) on some of their desktop systems and many of those systems are still running 2010 (or earlier) versions Microsoft Office. In addition, many of those businesses are still running their networks on Windows Server 2008 or earlier versions.

All of the above referenced solutions are coming to End of Life in 2020 and will no longer be supported, patched, or updated past their EOL date. Unsupported and expired licensed software and solutions are among the leading causes of exposure to Bad Actors, Viruses, and other Cyber Security concerns.

As you consider your Technology Spend for this year, or budget for next year, your systems and softwares should be scrutinized to ensure that upgrades or replacements for any of your outdated systems, solutions, and softwares are part of your plan.

Please take a moment and inventory all your systems and solutions and identify where you have potential exposure, and which should be replaced this year.

As always, we are here to help!

Alisanne Steele | TheSoftwareConsultant | Rabbit Hole Technology

For a complete list of 2020 End of Support, visit: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/4470235/products-reaching-end-of-support-for-2020

Six Ways we Shield your Business from Ransomware

Posted on by rhadmin

Alisanne Steele | Rabbit Hole Technology | blog |@RabbitHoleIT

INTRODUCTION

As your business becomes increasingly more digital, you’re using more systems and running more applications to manage day-to-day operations, share critical information and complete vital tasks. All of these different devices, back-end systems and applications generate and exchange an overwhelming amount of data and this will only continue to increase.

A multitude of different data sources presents risk: they have potential vulnerabilities that make your business an easy target for cybercriminals and ransomware.

Your proprietary data, as well as financial information, may be exposed and, therefore, vulnerable to an attack.

And the increasing number of employees working remotely and on-the-go has created more risk, too. With the BYOD (bring-your-own-device) movement on the rise, it’s not getting anymore difficult for hackers. 74% of organizations either already support or are planning to support workers using their own devices to get the job done.

Sixty million computers will fail in the next 12 months, and only 1 in 4 laptops are backed up regularly.

When your employees exchange critical business data using smartphones, tablets and personal laptops they are especially vulnerable to cybercriminals. They can easily download malicious applications that will infect their devices and hold data hostage.

That’s why we believe in the power of a sustainable and repeatable six-layer process to protect your business from ransomware.

NEW CYBER THREATS POSE NEW SECURITY REALITIES

When thinking about cybersecurity, it’s not just about “if” your business will be attacked; it’s about “when” it will be attacked. Infection methods are more sophisticated and phishing scams look more realistic. Two of the more recent ransomware attacks serve as valuable evidence.

In May 2017, a phishing scam posed as a Google Docs request. When people clicked a link within the email, the hacker was able to access all their emails and contacts, as well as send and delete emails within accounts.

The attack compromised more than 1 million Gmail accounts.

PayPal accounts were also targeted with a highly sophisticated phishing scam that asked people to take a selfie while holding credit cards and a form of identification.

Why were these attacks so successful? Because people immediately trusted the emails they received. By leveraging the logos and powerful brand recognition that Google and PayPal have, the creators of these attacks were able to catch people off guard and, in turn, infect more devices.

But perhaps the most destructive ransomware thus far is WannaCry, which also has worm-like capabilities. While most ransomware typically limits infection to the device that clicked and installed it, malware like WannaCry can spread across a network and replicate itself onto other devices.

Once WannaCry infects a device, it finds and encrypts files, displays a “ransom note” and demands bitcoin payment from infected users.

Reports indicate that the ransomware strain has spread to 150 countries, impacting 10,000 organizations, 200,000 individuals and 400,000 machines.

Recently, a new variant of WannaCry has emerged, infecting 3,600 computers per hour.

These occurrences reaffirm that cybercriminals are more clever, their targets are larger and their attack methods are more aggressive. We want to help you be prepared in the event ransomware infects your devices and, most importantly, minimize or prevent critical business data from being stolen.

OUR SIX-STEP APPROACH TO KEEPING YOUR DATA SAFE

Much like biological viruses, there are many ransomware threats circulating the web. Some are well known, while some are new and others are not yet known or developed. With every occurrence, the sophistication of these viruses is increasing in a multitude of ways, including how they spread and how they encrypt data.

As your IT service provider, we know that protecting your business from ransomware is not a single-prong approach. Being able to mitigate or prevent attacks is our top priority. We have put in place an agile, multi-layered approach that can adapt as new and increasingly hostile threats emerge. Our best-in-class approach consists of six layers:

1. PATCHING

The most basic layer of protection is to monitor and patch all computers and applications. With the latest patches, we can address all known OS Security vulnerabilities. Patching provides the most basic layer of protection to operating systems, especially once a security flaw is uncovered. We provide the latest patches to ensure your operating systems are running at peak performance and that all system vulnerabilities are addressed.

2. ANTI-VIRUS AND NETWORK MONITORING

People are being targeted through more sources than ever — email, ad networks, mobile applications and devices. Anti-virus and network monitoring examines all files and traffic, and filters them against all known threats. We keep virus definition files updated to protect these systems.

3. BACKUP AND DISASTER RECOVERY

There is sometimes a gap between when a threat is first introduced and when we receive notification and can develop a remedy. We do a full-system backup to protect your back-office systems. This enables us to stay on top of things when an attack occurs and provide a recovery option for unknown threats and even the most catastrophic failures.

4. ENDPOINT BACKUP

Although there’s a layer of protection on your back-office systems, you still need to have backup and recovery of data for devices. These devices create, share and store business data, and if a cybercriminal captures this proprietary and sensitive information, it can have a significant impact on business productivity and profitability. We do real-time data backup on these endpoints to prevent business critical information from being compromised.

5. SECURE FILE SYNC AND SHARE

We want to allow your employees to collaborate securely from any location and using any device — even their smartphones and tablets. Using our enterprise-grade, secure file sync and share solution, you can grant access and editing controls for specific documents, such as Word documents, Excel spreadsheets and PowerPoint presentations, and we can help employees to recover documents that are maliciously or accidentally deleted.

6. EDUCATION AND AWARENESS

The most important step in our process is to create awareness about these threats. We offer training and educational materials to help you educate your employees about cybersecurity risks, new ransomware strains and best practices for spotting phishing attempts, suspicious emails and other security risks. Empowering them to be proactive and encouraging them to report questionable content using rewards
and incentives will help increase awareness and decrease overall risk.

WE PROTECT YOUR BUSINESS WITH
A COMPREHENSIVE SOLUTION

New ransomware threats are constantly emerging and evolving. To learn how we can protect your business and provide a secure and collaborative environment for all your employees, contact us today.

Alisanne Steele, TheSoftwareConsultant, and Rabbit Hole Technology partner with datto, sophos, and KnowBe4 to provide services and training to protect you and your business form various threats.

SOURCES
1 http://www.zdnet.com/article/research-74-percent-using-or-adopting-byod/
2 BusinessWire, press release: “IDC Forecasts U.S. Mobile Worker Population to Surpass 105 Million by 2020,” June 23, 2015.
3 World Backup Day.
4 Recode, “More than a million people were affected by the Google Docs phishing attack,” May 4, 2017.
5 International Business Times, “PayPal Phishing Scam: Victims Asked To Take Selfie With Credit Card, ID,” June 6, 2017.
6 Autotask, “Expert FAQ: What you need to know about WannaCry,” May 18, 2017.
7 The Verge, “The WannaCry ransomware attack has spread to 150 countries,” May 14, 2017.
8 Barkly, “WannaCry Ransomware Statistics: The Numbers Behind the Outbreak,” May 2017.
9 ZeroHedge, “New Variant Of ‘WannaCry’ Virus Emerges Infecting 3,600 Computers Per Hour,” May 15, 2017.

Transitioning to the Cloud – It doesn’t have to be a headache!

Posted on by rhadmin

Alisanne Steele | Rabbit Hole Technology | Thursday August 30, 2018 | blog

Data loss is not a matter of if, it’s a matter of when – and it happens to every size company, big or small. More than half of businesses locate their disaster recovery/backup systems in the same physical location as their primary system – red alert! If you only have one copy of your system’s backup at your office, and your hardware fails, or a breach occurs, and all your data is stolen, then a backup was completely useless to begin with. In a bit of irony, it turns out that the safest place to be during a storm is “in the cloud.”

Cloud computing not only offers back up protection against system malfunctions or natural disasters, it also helps to keep businesses safe against cybertheft, ransomware, malware, viruses, phishing, cross-site scripting, employees, and the list goes on. It’s not that businesses don’t recognize the importance of having a disaster recovery plan in place. It’s just that most simply have it in the wrong place.

So, let’s say you’ve finally agreed that it’s time to move to the cloud – where do you start?  Here are some recommendations that can help you though the process.

  • First off, moving to the cloud doesn’t have to be an all-or-nothing process. Companies that weren’t “born in the cloud,” meaning any company more than a couple years old, need a plan for going to the cloud. Establish the plan, let your data trickle into the cloud and take your time. No need to jump in head first.
  • You must make sure you know your data. Truly understand what is going on before you begin to move your data and applications. Say you were going to sell your house, you first need to clean and organize your belongings before putting them all away in storage. Same exact concept when it comes to transitioning into the cloud. Clean and organize before you store.
  • Know your options. Public cloud, private cloud or hybrid cloud? Refer to our previous blog, To Cloud, or Not to Cloud, to learn the difference between these types of clouds. How much storage, bandwidth, and support do you want to pay for? Make sure you tailor your cloud service to best fit your company’s needs. What works for someone else might not work for you and vice versa.
  • Do your research. Here’s the reality: we have heard and experienced the effects of far too many cloud solution horror stories. Companies that were put up on a half-built cloud solution eventually had to return to their on-premise solutions. With unreliable partners also come hidden costs such as unexpected fees for overuse. Choose a reliable provider.
  • Who will have access? Who can add, delete, or modify data? What responsibilities belong to who and how will this change with the cloud? After you move into the cloud, you are responsible for defining who can do what. It is crucial for you to evaluate, plan, and enforce your security access and limitations.
  •  Add encryption. Most cloud service providers offer encryption features such as service-side encryption to manage your own encryption keys. Who controls and has access to these encryption keys? What data is being is being encrypted and when? Ultimately, you decide how safe your solution is.

While the road ahead may be tough, with these tips in mind, you can begin moving your business processes to the cloud safely and efficiently, and as always, we are here to help!

Alisanne Steele | Rabbit Hole Technology

https://www.facebook.com/RabbitHoleTechnology
https://www.linkedin.com/company/rabbitholeit/

To Cloud or Not To Cloud – Is that really the Question?

Posted on by rhadmin

Alisanne Steele | Rabbit Hole Technology | Tuesday August 22, 2018 | blog

Everyone is talking about cloud computing these days and for good reason. The cloud is revolutionizing how computing power is generated and consumed. Cloud refers to software and services that run on the Internet, instead of locally on your computer or internal network. When tech companies say your data is backed up “in the cloud,” it has nothing to do with those white fluffy things in the sky. Your data isn’t actually up in the cosmos or floating around in space. It has a terrestrial home. It’s stored someplace – lots of places, actually – and a network of servers find what you need, when you need it and deliver it.

Cloud computing, if done properly, allows businesses to stop having to staff or run functions of the business that have become unnecessary. However, a cloud solution is only as good as the quality of the research, the implementation, and the follow-through. So, how do you know if moving your business applications and data to the cloud is the right answer for you?

What exactly is the cloud? This is a tricky question in and of itself. Just like the clouds in the sky, there are many clouds when it comes to technology. In the simplest terms, cloud computing means storing and accessing data and applications over the Internet instead of your computer’s hard drive. It is using a network of computers to store and process information, rather than a single hard drive.

Public vs. Private vs. Hybrid? Not all clouds are the same. You have options with public clouds, private clouds, as well as hybrid clouds. Choosing the right options for your business comes down to the needs and the amount of control you would like to have.

  • Public clouds: owned and operated by a third-party cloud service provider, which deliver their computing resources such as servers and storage directly through the Internet. With a public cloud, the hardware and software is owned and managed by the cloud provider. You access these services and manage your account using a web browser.
  • Private clouds: unlike the public cloud, the private cloud is used by only one organization. A private cloud is one in which the services and infrastructure are maintained on a private network. Some companies also pay third-party service providers to host their private cloud.
  • Hybrid clouds: combine public and private clouds, that allow data and applications to be shared between them. Data and applications can move between public and private clouds as needed, offering better flexibility and more deployment options.

HaaS or Saas? Just like there are different types of clouds, when it comes to cloud computing, there are also different types cloud services. Most commonly used cloud services fall into two categories: HaaS and SaaS.

  • Hardware as a Service, or HaaS, basically refers to leased computing power and equipment from a central provider. The HaaS model is very much like other hardware service-based models – clients rent or lease, rather than purchase, a provider’s hardware.
  • Software as a Service, or SaaS, utilizes the Internet to provide applications to its users, which are managed by a third-party. Unlike HaaS, this is web-based model where software providers host and maintain the servers and databases – eliminates hardware investment costs.

Is it expensive? Cloud service prices have decreased significantly over the years, as more and more people have begun moving into the cloud. With cloud computing, you only pay for the services you actually need. You (with the help of an IT Service Provider) decide how much storage, bandwidth, and support you want to pay for. It also eliminates the cost of buying, maintaining, supporting, and building the needed hardware to run your business applications and data. For the most part, cloud services can be tailored to your business’ exact needs and wants.

Is it safe and reliable? As mentioned before, cloud computing is the way of the future. We know it is easy and inexpensive – but, is it safe and reliable? What good is saving money and switching to a cloud solution if it will bring additional risks to my business? Most cloud service providers offer encryption features such as service-side encryption to manage your own encryption keys. So, in reality, you ultimately decide how safe your solution is. As far as reliability goes, in many cases, cloud computing can reduce the amount of downtime right down to seconds. Since there are multiple copies of your data stored all throughout the cloud, there is no single point of failure. Most data can usually be recovered with a simple click of the mouse.

In the end, though, companies shouldn’t make decisions entirely based on what they are comfortable with, or what with what is cheapest. What should be most important is deciding whether or not transitioning into the cloud will work for your business.

To cloud, or not to cloud? The choice is all yours, but do your research and ask the right questions, and as always, we are here to help!

Alisanne Steele | Rabbit Hole Technology

https://www.facebook.com/RabbitHoleTechnology
https://www.linkedin.com/company/rabbitholeit/

Simple Two-Factor Security That Can Protect Your Data From Compromise

Posted on by rhadmin

Alisanne Steele | Rabbit Hole Technology | Thursday, July 26, 2018 |  blog

Target, Twitter, Time-hop (the list goes on and on) have had data breaches exposing multi-millions of user’s personal and financial information to bad actors.  However, this personal data is just one part of the puzzle if your accounts are protected by additional layers of security.  Two-Factor Authentication could protect you from exposure after an almost certain data breach, if all your accounts are gated by this additional layer of security.

According to Digicert, “Multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of protection that could prevent scammers, even if they were able to steal valid user credentials,” from accessing your personal and financial data.

Two-Factor Authentication (a.k.a. Two-Step Authentication), by definition, adds a second authentication step to the login process for any solution or account (On-Premise or On-line) that supports it.

Nearly all banks (Check your bank or other accounts here), investment companies, and other financial institutions that do business online either require or offer Two-Factor Authentication.  It would not be surprising to see it mandated in the future for any accounts accessing private or financial information.

The traditional (single-factor) method of authentication into an online account requires you to verify your identity by proving that you know something that (hopefully) is only known by you. That piece of information being a password or passphrase.

If you can provide the password for an account, the program assumes that it’s really you who’s trying to log in and grants access to the solution.

The problem with passwords is anyone who manages to either steal it or guess it can log in to your account.  Passwords are bits of information that can be easily discovered.

Hackers and scammers are quite good these days at both guessing passwords using brute-force password guessing tools and tricking folks into simply handing them over via phishing scams. That means relying on passwords alone to prove an account owner’s identity is no longer a very secure gateway to your protected data.

Two-Factor Authentication verifies a combination of two of the following things before granting access to your account:

Something you are (Fingerprint, retina, or facial scan)

Something you have (your mobile phone or encryption key)

Something you know (your password)

Proving that you have something (physical possession of your phone or encryption key) is accomplished by the software or website sending a text message, call, temporary code, or other one-time data to your mobile phone device or encryption key which includes that changes every time you try to access to your account. That data is then verified by the solution prior to granting access.

If you fail to enter the correct code you’ll be blocked from logging into the account, even if you entered the right password!

Proving that you are something includes the use of a biometric scanner in addition to entering your user name and password.  These “scanners” included fingerprint imaging on cellphones and laptops as well as cameras in these same devices used for facial scans.

Some solutions also use an authenticator app to provide the second factor of authentication for their particular software or solution.  Some of these solutions have their own branded apps, and others use third party apps like Google Authenticator.

At the end of the day, Two-Factor Authentication can protect your sensitive data because it enables an additional layer security that is difficult to mimic by increasing the security that guards your personal, financial, or other protected information.

As always, we are here to get you on the right path!

~Sanne

How to protect yourself from Phishing!

Posted on by rhadmin

Alisanne Steele | Rabbit Hole Technology | Saturday, April 7, 2018 | blog

Phishing:

  • Phishing is the act of sending out malicious emails and has caused over $1.2 billion in loss.
  • These malicious emails can be highly targeted and involve an extensive amount of planning.
  • A successful phishing campaign can create a depressing ripple effect.
  • Phishing often targets small professional firms relying on susceptible staff .
  • Suspicion is your greatest ally when it comes to online email scams.

Due to its simplicity and high rates of success, phishing attempts have become pervasive amongst low-level criminals and high-tech hackers alike. Overall, experts estimate that phishing and ransomware attacks generate over $1 billion annually from direct ransom payments and corporate loss.

In fact, Facebook and Google were recently the victims of a phishing scam resulting in significant losses. Staff members at both companies were tricked into sending money to a hacker impersonating an electronics company. The attack lasted over a span of two years before he was caught.

If tech savvy people, like those at Facebook and Google can become victims of phishing, what do you think are the odds of your staff falling victim?

Education is the first step.

Is it urgent?

  • Phishing emails are typically urgent
    • Do this immediately, respond within the next few hours, don’t wait any longer
  • This type of language should be a red flag

Is it grammatically correct?

  • Phishing attacks may come from another country
  • If this is the case, the phrases may look weird and the grammar might not be 100% correct.

Is the sender’s email address correct?

  • If it’s a spear phishing attack – which is more targeted – the email might come from a source you know. Or it could come from a company you do business with.
  • Because of this, it’s important to pay attention to the email address – to review it carefully and ensure its accuracy.
    • Is the name spelled wrong?
    • Does it come from a weird domain?
    • Are there numbers that aren’t normally there?

Is the call to action normal?

  • Most phishing emails will ask you to do something – download an attachment, give up login information, provide personal or financial information
  • If this is the case, ask yourself if it’s normal. Is it traditionally the way this type of thing is handled?
  • If not, you should think twice about carrying out any call to action.

How do you protect yourself from Phishing?

Your greatest defense against phishing emails and social engineering, in general, is your suspicion.  You should always remain 100% suspicious of every request for information, money, and data that you receive – even if it comes from your CEO.  Here are a few tips to help you and your fellow team members protect your business and yourselves from everyday phishing scams:

  • Create strong internal processes that encourage requests to be double-checked and sometimes triple-checked.
  • Review all contents of the email to ensure that the proper grammar, contact information, and email address is used.
  • Consider the request carefully, and don’t always respond immediately. Ask yourself why someone would need this information, if this is typically how things are handled, and if this is coming from and going to the appropriate source.
  • Use strong anti-phishing software that protects your inbox and your internet browsing.
  • Regularly train and educate your staff members on how to effectively detect and avoid phishing emails.

A few key rules and strategies can protect your data, identity, and assets.

As always, we are here to get you on the right path!

 

 

As always, we are here to help!

 

Alisanne Steele | Rabbit Hole Technology

https://www.facebook.com/RabbitHoleTechnology
https://www.linkedin.com/company/rabbitholeit/