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6 Tips for Browsing Online Safely and Securely

Internet, Network, Uncategorizedbrowser, internet, network, securityOphtek, LLC

Oct 2016

Almost every business has a daily need to go online and interact with the internet, but to do this safely you need a little bit of browsing know-how.

Whilst most websites are relatively secure, it’s difficult to guarantee just how secure they are. And seeing as even government websites can be hacked, how do you know that, for example, that customer maintenance portal you have to log on to daily hasn’t been hacked for dubious means?

Avoiding this sort of scenario is crucial for your business to run smoothly, so I’ve prepared 6 tips to help you browse online safely and securely.

1. Use HTTPS Security

If a website is truly secure then its web URL should start “HTTPS:” and the “S” at the end stands for secure – provided by secure sockets layer (SSL) security. Conversely, if the web URL only starts “HTTP:” then the security behind it will be much less and can’t be taken for granted.

2. Avoid Public WiFi

Public WiFi may provide a fantastic service and serve many happy consumers, but unfortunately these networks have a less than amazing level of security protecting them. And hackers are able to easily infiltrate these networks with basic software to hijack the personal data of those accessing the public network.

3. Don’t Click on Phishing Websites

Phishing is a contemporary threat to your data and appears to be showing no signs of going away soon. This is why you need to be on your guard about phishing websites as they can be deceptive beasts at the best of times.

Links to these websites are usually emailed, but whilst the link may appear to seem innocent, it’s possible to engineer a link which reads www.amazon.com but redirects you to a different (and more dangerous) website.

This puts you at risk of infection and having your networks breached, so double check any suspicious links by hovering your mouse cursor over them to get a preview of the true web address.

4. Update Your Browser

Keeping your software up to date is vital to ensure that you’re well protected against hackers who have discovered vulnerabilities in that piece of software. And web browsers are no different, in fact, once support for out-dated web browsers is discontinued, hackers will discover vulnerabilities very quickly.

Therefore, it’s essential that you install all patches and updates as soon as possible to keep your browsing activity protected.

5. Disable Stored Passwords

Although activating the ‘store your passwords’ option may feel as though it’s going to make forgotten passwords a thing of the past, it can actually cause more trouble than it’s worth. You see, if your system becomes compromised by hackers, they can then access all your store passwords.

And the best way to avoid this is to work on a little bit of memory training to remember your passwords!

6. Have a Strong Arsenal

Perhaps the best way to browse online safely and securely is to arm yourself with the best defenses possible. And the more defenses the better.

So, instead of just securing your network with a state of the art firewall, why not try adding in state of the art email filtering? And, you know what, if you also install web filtering software on top of that, you’re going to find your data becomes safer than ever before.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

Case Study: Hackers Steal 10 Million Customer’s Details

Internetcase study, hacking, securityOphtek, LLC

Sep 2016

North Korea is ramping up its hacking activity with a recent hack on South Korea stealing the personal data of around 10 million customers.

Yes, this latest attack by North Korean hackers has created widespread fear for a huge number of individuals who felt that their sensitive data was protected. Unfortunately, in this day and age, it’s a brave company that can attest to their data being protected 100% securely.

It’s the kind of attack which should really make your ears prick up and take data security seriously, so it’s time to investigate the story!

Hacking Interpark

The hacked company at the centre of this attack is Interpark, an online shopping mall located in South Korea. Founded in 1996, Interpark has risen to such a lofty position in their market that they can boast transactions which are measured in hundreds of millions of dollars, so it’s no surprise that Interpark was such an attractive target.

But how exactly does a company as large as Interpark fall down in the security stakes and get hacked?

Well, unfortunately, it was through the simple execution of a malware attack through email. A careless employee fell for a deceptive email and effectively left the back door unlocked for North Korea to gain entry.

Now, we seem to be discussing malware on here on a regular basis, but this attack is something else in terms of its ambitions. Not only have the hackers compromised sensitive customer details such as email addresses, telephone numbers and other personal data, but they’re demanding that Interpark pay a ransom of nearly $3 billion in Bitcoin to prevent the data being leaked.

What’s particularly embarrassing for Interpark is that the initial hack took place in May, but was only brought to Interpark’s attention on July 11 when the ransom message was delivered. This highlights the sophistication with which the hackers have been able to cover their tracks through a simple email attack, but also underlines how lax Interpark have been with their monitoring.

After all, if there has been movement of 10 million customers’ details on your network, it really should be detected…

Combatting Malware

North Korea has been the center of hack controversies for a few years now, with their alleged involvement in the Sony Pictures hack perhaps the most famous example. And, it’s unlikely that Interpark will be their last target either, so you need to understand how to protect yourself from malware.

As ever, ensure that you and your employees are taking the following steps:

Always install all the latest software updates to prevent easy access for hackers who have identified vulnerabilities in specific software.

Display awareness when opening emails and being presented with links and attachments. Although they may look harmless, this is often part of the clever deception at play and it’s always best to double check.

Be careful when using removable hardware such as disk drives and USB sticks as these can easily be tampered with to contain automatic software which will download malware silently and quickly.

Keep a close eye on network activity on your servers. An increase in activity could indicate that something unusual is happening such as wholesale removal of personal data.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

6 Reasons Your Business Needs Cloud Computing

Cloud, InternetcloudOphtek, LLC

May 2016

You’ve probably heard a lot about cloud computing over the last couple of years, but what is it? And, more importantly, how can it benefit your business?

We don’t want to bog you down in lengthy technical details, so we’ll just fill you in on the basics of cloud computing. In a nutshell, cloud computing dispenses with the traditional local servers and, instead, uses a network of remote servers – which are based online – to process, manage and store your data.

So, the basic premise seems fairly simple, but, apart from saving you a few square feet in your premises, what are the real reasons your business needs cloud computing?

Hassle Free Updates

Cloud networks are setup by suppliers and then rented out to clients, so the maintenance due on your end is virtually zero. And this can be a real time saver; you only have to look at the number of security updates which arrive almost daily and require significant time to be approved and installed.

Enhanced Accessibility

One of the jewels in cloud computing’s crown is the level of accessibility to resources it offers. As long as employees have an internet connection then they can access your cloud. This is a fantastic feature of cloud computing as it allows employees to work from home or on the move. And it’s this flexibility which offers employers the chance to reduce office size and overhead.

Cost Savings

Cloud data storage costs are relatively low when compared to the hugely expensive hardware required for onsite storage. Hardware costs are not the only savings you will benefit from. With all your servers located offsite, you’ll quickly discover that the need for in-house IT expertise has reduced. Although I’m not suggesting you completely get rid of your IT support, you will find that it’s less stretched and cuts can be made.

More Eco Friendly

Businesses are looking for more and more ways to reduce their carbon footprint and cloud computing helps you to help the environment. Physical servers have a ravenous desire for electricity, so it’s a constant drain on energy resources as well as your utilities bills. With cloud storage, however, the servers only respond to demand, so there’s less energy usage and less cost.

Better Collaboration

Document control is a tough task when several people are working on the same file and having to email it back and forth. Not only is this a time consuming procedure, but human error is always hovering around the periphery e.g. one user may fail to send the most up to date document back. With cloud computing, though, every employee is able to access the same file from one central location. This ensures that everyone is, literally, working on the same page.

Reduced Data Loss

The funds and technical know-how required to avoid or repair data disasters are often stumbling blocks for small business thanks to costs. The beauty of cloud computing, though, is that the cloud networks suppliers are highly experienced in data recovery. And the added bonus is that the cost of this expertise is spread across a huge database of clients, so costs remain low.

Final Thoughts

Cloud computing is helping to make everyone’s lives easier, so it’s crucial that your business starts investigating it as a viable network option. Anything that enhances your businesses productivity and competitiveness with cost savings should never be ignored.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

More Tips When Outlook Won’t Send Email

Internetemail, Outlook, troubleshootingOphtek, LLC

Sep 2015

It’s always frustrating when you’ve got an urgent message to send, but Outlook won’t send email. Here are some basic fixes to common problems sending email.

You see, there’s a number of steps and processes you can go through to get that email hightailing its way to its recipient, so let’s take a look at what you can do.

Large Attachments Can Get Stuck

Even in this age of superfast internet access, Outlook doesn’t always handle large attachments very well. Therefore, you may not be able to send that attachment in your email.

If you find that an email with a large attachment is stuck in your outbox then the best thing to do is delete it because it’s not going anywhere.

The best way around this issue is to store the attachment on an internal server (if it’s within your business) or an external storage space e.g. Dropbox or Google Drive and then email a link to this file to the intended recipient.

Is Your Mail Server Online?

Mail servers aren’t perfect – especially during busy periods when they’re working overtime to deliver email.

To find out whether your server is connected you just need to look at the bottom right hand side of Outlook where you’ll see one of the following:

Connected to
Disconnected
Trying to connect …

If you find yourself disconnected then it’s a good time to check your network cables. If this doesn’t solve the problem then try restarting your PC before contacting your IT support team.

Have You Set up Your Email Account?

If you haven’t configured your email account correctly then you won’t even have the option of a ‘Send’ button.

In this situation you need to go through the following steps:

Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings
Access the ‘Add Account Wizard’ by clicking on the Email tab and click New.
Click next to bring up the ‘Email Account Configuration’ page and fill in all the boxes e.g. name, email address and password.
Click Next and let Outlook test that it can connect to the server with your information. If it gets the green light from Outlook then hit Finish.

Using Office 365? Make Sure You’re Logged In!

A common mistake with users of Office 365 is to try and send emails when they aren’t logged into the platform correctly!

To make sure this never happens always log in using your full Office 365 username e.g. ophtek@contoso.onmicrosoft.com and not just ‘ophtek’ as you’ll fail to log in and send any emails!

Changed Your Password Recently?

If you’ve changed the password on one of your internet mail accounts e.g. Gmail, then you have to make sure that it’s updated in Outlook too. After all, Outlook may be clever, but it’s not a mind reader!

If you need to change your password in this manner then just follow the steps below:

Go to File > Account Settings > Account Settings
Select your internet email account from the Email tab and hit change
Update the new password in the password box and click next
Allow Outlook to test this new password before clicking Close > Finish

These tips should hopefully mean you never have to lose your cool when trying to send that all important email!

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

Comcast Announces 2GBPS Fiber Internet for Homes

Internetcomcast, fiber, internetOphtek, LLC

Aug 2015

Comcast’s new 2gbps (gigabits per second) broadband service – Gigabit Pro – is here and they hope it can challenge Google Fiber. Can Comcast compete?

Google Fiber currently offers a 1 GBPS broadband service and that’s currently seen as eye poppingly quick and without compare. However, Comcast is keen to get into this super-fast broadband market and has decided to double the speed offered by Google Fiber in order to entice subscribers.

Let’s take a look at exactly what Gigabit Pro has to offer.

The Basics of Gigabit Pro

Gigabit Pro is a form of high speed internet service known as fiber to the home (FTTH) where a fiber optic communication runs from the central office directly to the subscriber. The only other competitors in this arena are Google and AT&T.

Comcast has spent the last decade laying around 145,000 route miles of fiber to facilitate the launch of Gigabit Pro; at present the availability of Gigabit Pro is limited to selected cities in the following states:

Florida
Georgia
Illinois
Indiana
Michigan
Tennessee
California

Benefits of Gigabit Pro

Obviously, the most mouth-watering aspect of Gigabit Pro is the insane speeds being offered. These speeds are possible due to the use of fiber optics to send signals across huge distances with barely any signal loss. Standard, everyday broadband uses copper wires and is prone to significant signal deterioration.

But what do these high speed fiber connections mean for their users? Well, just imagine how quickly you’ll be able to download, stream and transmit data – this is essential for businesses and any increase in speed and reliability will always be welcomed.

Fiber is also seen as being relatively ‘future-proof’ as the fibers are not limited in the speeds that they can offer. The only limits are imposed by terminal equipment, so it’s highly unlikely that users or providers will need to update their fiber.

The Downsides of Gigabit Pro

Comcast has certainly gotten people’s attention with the announcement of Gigabit Pro, but the service is not without its problems.

The main issue facing Comcast is the prices they’re charging for Gigabit Pro. That cost is a huge $300 per month along with fees of up to $500 for installation and a further $500 for activation. Subscription fees in the Midwest will be available for $159 per month, but that reduced prices comes in the form of a 3 year contract.

The next issue for Gigabit Pro is its limited availability. In order to sign up for Gigabit Pro’s service you need to be living within 1/3 of a mile of the fiber network. This is frustrating for the vast majority of internet users and reduces Comcast’s potential revenues.

Final Thoughts

Comcast has the right idea by entering into the fiber market and, by providing Google with another rival, is ensuring that consumers will eventually get better service due to the competition.

However, in the present time, the costs are very high – particularly for domestic internet users – and the availability is low.

Fiber, though, is the future of broadband and as costs fall you should see fiber becoming more prevalent in internet users’ lives.

For more ways to secure and optimize your business technology, contact your local IT professionals.

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Category Archives: Internet

1. Use HTTPS Security

2. Avoid Public WiFi

3. Don’t Click on Phishing Websites

4. Update Your Browser

5. Disable Stored Passwords

6. Have a Strong Arsenal

Hacking Interpark

Combatting Malware

Hassle Free Updates

Enhanced Accessibility

Cost Savings

More Eco Friendly

Better Collaboration

Reduced Data Loss

Final Thoughts