It?s every business owner?s worst nightmare: one mistake, and all of their data is wiped out. This very situation happened recently to a hosting provider, and his story serves as a cautionary tale in regard to data storage best practices. Hosting provider Marco Marsala was brought under fire after he posted on a server forum seeking advice for dealing with a catastrophic error he made while trying to erase a few files. Stating that he had utilized the ?rm -rf? command with undefined variables, he had inadvertently destroyed all data on the computer. What?s worse, his backups were mounted to the computers and were wiped as well. This is actually a similar blunder that Pixar experienced, almost deleting Toy Story 2 prior to its release. As a result, everything Marsala had for his company was destroyed (including the websites he had created and hosted for his 1,535 customers) with no backups surviving to restore from. Needless to say, the responses from other users on the forum were decidedly negative – a few dismissed the possibility of his company surviving the error, and others questioned his abilities as a programmer. One poster recommended Marsala seek legal counsel rather than technical advice, as he predicted that Marsala was ?going out of business.? There was a consensus on the feed that the best chance for any data recovery was to recruit the help of a data recovery firm. Fortunately for Marsala, such a data recovery company was able to recover his files and his biggest hit was financial–both from the recovery company?s fees and from the reduced income due to the loss of business he suffered. By neglecting to follow best practices in regard to backups, Marsala essentially invited this disaster to strike. Following basic best practices would have mitigated much, if not all, of Marsala?s problem. What happened to his data is exactly the reason that all data backups should be kept offline, isolated from the original file on a separate system. Without such measures in place your data is subject to not only human error, as was the case here, but also other dangers. Fire, electrical surges, accidental equipment damage, theft, all of these events have the potential to jeopardize data that?s critical to your business. Are your data backups as secure as they should be? Do you even have a backup and disaster recovery solution put into place? Be certain by calling Info Advantage at (585) 254-8710. Our experts can advise you on what your business needs to survive the worst disasters, and assure that you and your clients? information are prepared for anything.
The pre-installed software that comes with an operation system go by a variety of different names; bloatware, third-party applications, junkware, trialware. Not only can these programs slow down your computer and take up space, but there may be other hidden risks to bloatware. Google?s Project Zero researcher Tavis Ormandy recently found that a common bloatware password management app known as Keeper had came pre-installed with some versions of Windows 10. When it became compromised, Keeper?s browser extension was allowing websites to veiw user login credentials. While this only affected users that activated the plugin during the initial setup process, or manually activated it in their browser, there was plenty of damage that could be done. In response to Ormandy?s report, the Keeper team released a new version that fixes the security vulnerability, therefore addressing the issue once the software is up to date. Although the issue was patched in a week, thousands of these third-party applications are added to laptops every day. This incident again highlights just how cautious individuals and businesses need to be in finding security vulnerabilities when purchasing computer hardware. Why unwanted bloatware needs to go Computer manufacturers make money installing third-party software along with Windows to laptops and PCs. Vendors pay to have their bloatware ? such as trial versions of antivirus programs, video games, and browser toolbars ? installed on new computers in hopes that people will purchase the full programs. In reality, bloatware slows down your computer, takes up disk space, and sometimes puts you at risk. Thankfully, Microsoft has included an easy way to get rid of bloatware in Windows 10. Click the start menu, then the gear icon in the bottom right In the settings window, select Update & Security On the left-hand side, click Recovery Select ?Learn how to start fresh with a clean installation of Windows? and follow the instructions. Bloatware not only clutters your PCs and laptops, but it can leave your business vulnerable to compromise as well. Don?t make this security mistake; learn more about protecting your computers from bloatware, and save yourself from tons of headaches down the line. Call our team of IT experts today!
Social media may be a great way to connect with other professionals and communicate with your friends, but it can be dangerous if you have poor posting habits. Before you share something, think twice about whether it contains any sensitive information that could be risky to yourself and your business. We?ve put together a list of easy ways that you can mitigate the risks associated with oversharing your personal information on the Internet: Mind what you post: You need to understand that there is some information that?s not supposed to be shared on the Internet. A fairly obvious example of this is personal information like Social Security numbers; if someone shared their Social Security number online, and a fraudster got ahold of it, they could easily steal the identity and perform who knows what with it. Other information that shouldn?t be shared includes birthdays, home addresses, phone numbers, and so on. Even something as simple as your dog?s name could be used to crack a potential security question for an online banking account. Basically, you should keep your personal life off the Internet; otherwise, you?re inviting disaster.n Side note: You may trust your privacy settings and your contacts, but you should still be conservative about posting your agenda and your physical address online. Never announce when your home will be empty on social media. Doing so could lead to uninvited guests while you?re vacationing in Tahiti. n Limit your employment details: Sites like LinkedIn can help you work on your professional networking, but they also provide identity thieves with a treasure trove of personal information. Unless you?re actively seeking employment, it?s a good idea to include only information that?s absolutely necessary. It should be just enough to get people to view your profile, and information on how they can get in touch with you. Take advantage of privacy settings to maximize your personal security. Perform an online audit: The Internet is a huge place. Your information could be, quite literally, in a thousand different locations. Friends and contacts of yours could post information about where you are and what you?re doing. Plus, information could exist outside the realm of your social media accounts, lingering in online databases, waiting to be picked up by hackers or other thieves. Perform a social media audit: This is often called a ?friend purge,? where you go through your social media contacts and remove those whom you have fallen out of contact with, or those who you simply don?t know. Ask yourself if you would let your social media contacts into your home, or share intimate details about your life with them. Chances are that the majority of them don?t need access to your full account and information. Social media can be a great way to connect with people, but you need to take your personal security into your own hands. If you don?t, who will? For more information about how to stay safe online, keep tabs on our blog; or, call Info Advantage at (585) 254-8710.
When was the last time that you ran into a problem that was easily solvable, simply by restarting your computer or unplugging a device from the wall, then plugging it back in? Often times, simple troubleshooting tactics can be enough to resolve a problem, but more often than not, there are issues that can?t be easily resolved. It?s these ones that hold businesses back, and we?re here to help. Next time you run into a PC problem that you just can?t wrap your head around, try out these six troubleshooting tips. Keep things simple: You?d be surprised by how often some of the most common problems with technology can be resolved by simply restarting it. Reset the hardware or application, check to see if the machine is plugged in properly, shut the machine down, or reboot it. After all, there?s no real reason to go through in-depth troubleshooting practices if the problem can be easily resolved with a restart. If others tried it, try it anyway: Sometimes you?ll be passed a problem that?s been tested by other people within your organization. Thinking it will help you narrow down the problem, they?ll list off what they have or haven?t done. While this might be helpful, you should trust your own judgement – perhaps they didn?t perform a process correctly, or maybe they say that they?ve tried it, but really haven?t. Don?t leave any stone unturned. PEBKAC (user error): This issue, ?problem exists between keyboard and chair,? is a common reason why you might be unable to diagnose what the real problem is. ZDNet estimates that about 80 percent of problems are due to user errors, which means that the one at fault might not be technology at all. In these cases, it?s important to accept that you might be wrong and work towards whatever the solution might be. Replicate the issue: In order to best understand a problem, sometimes it?s helpful to try to remake the issue. After all, if you know how a problem starts, you might be able to best learn how to fix it. Ask your end-users how the symptoms showed up, and what they were doing when disaster struck. Fix vs replace: Your IT budget needs to be considered when you?re choosing to either implement new technology, or to fix recurring issues with your old solutions. You need to understand where the fine line between fixing or replacing lies. It makes no sense to purchase new technology if there?s still life left in your current solutions. On the other hand, hardware refreshes can be considered when you?re looking for ways to improve operations and get rid of old technology that?s no longer functional or needed. Seek professional assistance: If you can?t resolve a problem on your own, you need to realize that it?s often more advantageous to seek out professional help, rather than waste valuable time and resources by doing it yourself. Remember, there?s no shame in asking for help when it?s needed. Businesses often do this with their IT, as it can get quite technical and challenging for those who aren?t specifically trained on its best practices. Instead, outsourcing it eliminates this responsibility so that you can focus on your business. Info Advantage can be your outsourced IT experts. To learn more, reach out to […]
Cyber criminals will always be eyeing your data regardless of where it?s stored. That means even your trusty Android phone or iPhone isn?t safe. In fact, it may be more exposed to security risks than you think. These tips can help increase your mobile?s security. Set a strong password Whether your device requires a 4-set or 6-set numerical PIN, a fingerprint, or a facial scan, set a lock that?s difficult to crack. This is not the strongest security measure by any means, but they provide a necessary initial barrier for intruders. Major manufacturers like Apple and Samsung are innovating their products? locking mechanisms and you?re doing yourself a favor by using them. To manage your device?s locks, follow these steps: iOS ? Go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode, enter your passcode, and switch on ?Require Passcode.? This is also where you can manage your Touch ID settings and adjust access controls (Recent Notifications, Today View, and more). If you?re using an iPhone X, go to ?Face ID & Passcode.? Android ? Go to the Settings page > Lock Screen and Security to set your passcodes. These feature names may vary per device. Download applications only from official stores For iPhone users, download only from the App Store, and for Android phones, Google Play Store. Downloading apps only from these platforms doesn?t guarantee that your phone will be 100% safe from malware, but doing so greatly reduces the likelihood of you downloading malicious programs disguised as legitimate apps. Even Apple, which used to be the gold standard for software security, is no longer immune to system vulnerabilities. Despite having a strict policy on downloads (iPhone users can download only from the App Store), those with ?jailbreak apps? are exposed to a multitude of malicious entities. As a further precaution, download only apps that have high ratings and steer clear of downloads from unknown links. Check your apps? permissions When you download certain apps, you?ll be asked to grant permission for it to access your data (files, contacts, photos, etc.). What most users don?t know is that some of these permissions also gain access to hardware controls such as those found in the device?s camera and microphone. And if a malicious app happens to slip through the cracks, these permissions can serve as a gateway for hackers. Android and Apple have already improved their respective OS?s mechanisms to control what apps can access, but you can take it up a notch. Follow these steps to manage what apps can access on your phone: iOS ? Go to Settings > Privacy to see your apps? access level. For example, if you tap on Microphone, you?ll see all the apps that have access to your iPhone?s Microphone. If you wish to deny access to it, you can do so by turning privacy off. Android ? Go to Settings > Apps, select an app, then tap ?Permissions.? From here, you can control every individual app?s access to your devices? files. Update apps and security software We cannot stress this enough: As soon as they become available, download and update your OS and apps? software. In exceptional cases where certain versions of an OS are known to have bugs, not patching your device doesn?t make it any less exposed to risk. And here?s why: Most […]