6 Reasons Why You Should Invest in Cyber Security

Cyber Attack, Cyber Security, Hackers, Hacking, malware, Ophtek, Password Security, PC Security, Secure Website, Security, Security Threats, , , ,
23
Jul 2019

Cyber-attacks are on the rise, so protecting your business has never been more important. But what exactly are the benefits of cyber security?

We all know about the need for firewalls and anti-virus software. They provide us with a layer of defense from the legions of hackers itching to access our data. Those who are new to the world of IT, however, are unlikely to know why they need cyber security. What can it deliver? Well, let’s run through six reasons why you should invest in cyber security:

  1. Protects Your Data: Businesses work with huge amounts of data in the 21st And, whether its employee or customer data, it’s going to be sensitive. This needs to be protected to prevent identity theft or financial damage. A professional approach to cyber security will reduce this threat and protect the integrity of you data. 
  1. Maintains Productivity: While the headlines regarding cyber-attacks always focus on data and costs, they fail to look at the impact on productivity. If, for example, a ransomware attack hits your network then critical files are going to be out of action. This means that your employees will be unable to work. And the impact that this can have on your organization’s productivity can be devastating. 
  1. Financial Damage: Cyber-attacks can hit a company where it hurts: the bank balance. Ransomware demands are, naturally, the most obvious cause of financial distress, but there are others. A drop in productivity can soon lead to a drop in sales which can significantly impact your revenue streams. And there’s also the chance that irreparable damage could be caused to your hardware resulting in the need for new purchases. 
  1. Protects Your Website: One of the cornerstones of a successful marketing strategy in the 21st century is a website. Whether it’s being used to promote your services or sell them it needs to be running 24/7. It’s a crucial communication channel, but it’s also one that’s regularly targeted by hackers. With the correct level of investment in cyber security you can limit the risk of it being compromised. This keeps your website running and ensures that your marketing strategies can run smoothly. 

  1. Keeps Malware Out: Malicious software, better known as malware, is the bane of all security professionals. Capable of causing massive damage to IT infrastructures, malware is a form of hacking which embraces subterfuge and results in untold problems for the victims. It can steal data, it can slow down systems and even set up attacks on other businesses. But if you invest in cyber security then then the chances of malware activating its payload is reduced. 
  1. Provides Customer Confidence: Consumers are wary of data security more than ever in the digital age. Therefore, inspiring trust in your IT systems is essential. If you can demonstrate that you’re working with professionals to protect your customers’ data then you can inspire this trust. Not only will you be able to protect your customer’s data, but you will enhance their loyalty to your brand.

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

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What Can the Cloud Do for Your Business?

Backup, Backup Strategies, Cloud, Cloud Backup, Cloud Storage, Data Backup, data recovery, Data Storage, Ophtek, , , ,
16
Jul 2019

 

Around 77% of businesses work with cloud computing in at least one respect. Clearly it’s an important tool, but what can the cloud do for your business?

Cloud computing has been steadily transforming the way we work for the last decade. And it’s crucial that your business gets on board. We live in competitive times and even the tiniest of edges can have a significant impact on performance. But what can you use the cloud for? And how can it transform your business? These are good questions and ones that you need to know the answers to.

To help you understand how you can harness the power of the cloud we’re going to demonstrate what it can do.

How Can You Use the Cloud?

Despite the complexities behind the infrastructure, cloud computing is a relatively simple concept. The cloud is a digital infrastructure which is available to multiple users over the internet. It’s your existing physical network, but transcribed into binary code. And, thanks to the possibilities of the internet, it can be connected to from anywhere in the world.

Cloud computing has been a revolution in business computing. It’s a methodology which brings a seemingly endless series of benefits to its users. And who wouldn’t want to sign up to that? But what exactly can the cloud do for you? Let’s take a look:

  • Remote Working: Physical space within organizations is a valuable commodity. However, employees take up a lot of physical space. And this can lead to a lack of space for stock and equipment. But the flexibility offered by the cloud solves this problem. As long as an employee has an internet connection they can connect to your infrastructure from wherever they way. This setup grants you the opportunity to maximize the space you have and offer more flexible working conditions to your employees. 
  • Data Storage: A lot of data is currently stored in the cloud and this amount is set to skyrocket over the next few years. It’s a modern phenomenon of data storage and one that is vastly different to past methods. Previously the norm had been to archive endless optical media and record data to huge hard drives. While this provided an immediate source of data for organizations it was all rather fiddly and bulky. Cloud computing consigns this to the past. And it does this by allowing you to store huge amounts of data in remote data centers which is instantly accessible. 
  • Shared Data: We’ve all experienced the pain of a lengthy download time. But now there’s no need to be frustrated. The cloud has seriously updated data sharing for the 21st Now you can back your data up to hard drives on the cloud and provide instant access to whoever needs it. All you need to do is send them a link and the data will be readily available. And, without having to sit through an agonizingly slow download, the recipient can become more productive. 

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

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What are the Best Ways to Secure a PC Workstation?

Ophtek, PC Security, PC Tools, Security, Security Threats, , ,
09
Jul 2019

It’s crucial that PC networks are secure and protected. But this doesn’t mean that individual PCs should be neglected when it comes to security.

There are plenty of threats awaiting your employees’ workstations. And these are often threats that are difficult to monitor and identify. Protecting each individual workstation should be a priority. You can achieve this by providing training to your employees. Educating them in the best practices of workstation security allow you to enhance security. And there are measures that you, as an organization, can also take to protect your workstations.

The Best Ways to Secure a PC Workstation

The damage that can be caused from a single PC can have wide reaching implications for your organization. So, protecting these workstations is essential. Make sure you implement the following:

  • Lock Screens: When employees go to lunch they have a tendency to leave their PC unattended. And this is very dangerous. Anyone passing, be they an employee or a visitor, has the opportunity to access the data on that PC. You don’t have to be a security expert to understand how serious a threat this is. However, the threat can be completely nullified by encouraging your employees to lock their screens. In Windows 10 all you have to do is hit the Windows key and the L-key to password protect your screen. 
  • Disable USB Ports: USB ports are a major security risk to workstations as they allow a multitude of devices to connect to your PC. These can be as innocent as a charging device for your phone, but there’s also the potential for malware to be uploaded to the workstation. There’s a myth that gluing up USB ports is a suitable solution, but the truth is that this approach is amateur at best. Instead your IT team needs to be disabling power to these ports to prevent unauthorized devices being connected. 
  • Encrypt Personal Files: Every employee will have unique and sensitive files on their workstations. Giving these files a high level of security should be a priority. And your employees have the opportunity to strengthen this security. All they need to do is encrypt the folders that contain these files. By right clicking the folder in question you can move through Properties and then click the Advanced button to access Advanced Attributes. In here you can select encryption options and set a unique password. 

Final Thoughts 

It’s important that your organization and employees work together to strengthen workstation security. Training should always be a priority. A good training program will deliver skills that are invaluable in protecting workstations. And, by protecting individual workstations, you are significantly reducing the threat of any data breaches.

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

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What is Hacking?

Hackers, Hacking, Hijacks, Ophtek, Security, Viruses, , , , , ,
02
Jul 2019

We all know that hacking goes on. And it certainly goes on in business. But how much do we know about it? The truth is we don’t know as much as we should.

The general consensus is that most people know what a hacker is and how they go about their business. This is why there are so many anti-hacking products available. However, using these products on their own isn’t enough to guarantee safety. In fact there is no guarantee. But you can enhance your protection significantly with an understanding of the basics of hacking. It’s important to know what a hacker is attempting to do. With this in mind you have a much better chance of preventing or resolving the hack.

What is Hacking?

Hacking causes chaos. Lots of chaos. And that’s not an understatement. But what exactly is it? It can be many things, but the basic core of hacking is to compromise devices. These can include PCs, networks and smart devices. Regardless of the device a hacker wants to gain unauthorized access to it. Sometimes this access can be used to steal data and sometimes it can be to cause sabotage. There are a wide range of techniques involved and we’ll take a look at them later.

Who are the Hackers?

The traditional image of a hacker that most people have in their minds isn’t entirely accurate. The pimply nosed, teenage hacker of cartoons may well exist in one form or another, but they’re not the only hacker out there. Due to the financial gain on offer from hacking, a number of criminal gangs are now developing sophisticated hacking methods to earn a nice income. And then there are the political gains that can be provided by hacking. There are a wide range of hackers out there, but identifying them is very difficult as they’re notoriously good at covering their tracks.

What Type of Hacks Are There?

The complexities of IT software and hardware mean that there is the potential for a variety of hacking techniques. Some of the most common methods are:

  • Ransomware: This is every organization’s worst nightmare. A relatively new form of malware, ransomware is spread through malicious emails that encourage recipients to click a link. If these links are clicked then a series of processes are executed that leave the victim’s hard drive encrypted. And the only way to decrypt the files is by paying a cryptocurrency ransom. 

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

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The Lowdown on Good Passwords and How They Work

Best Practices, Cyber Security, Ophtek, Password Security, Security, , ,
25
Jun 2019

We all use passwords on a daily basis, but do we know how they work? And how do you go about creating the best and most secure passwords?

Every day, in our home and business lives, we use an assortment of passwords to gain access to systems that are important to us. Entering passwords is such a regular occurrence that it soon becomes automatic. This regularity means that we pay little attention to the process. But we should. Passwords, after all, are what protect our data. And, in an age of huge data breaches, it needs protecting.

This protection can be enhanced with good passwords. For a good password to provide security, however, you need to understand how a password works.

What is a Password?

Passwords have been used since the dawn of time to gain access to secure areas. In ancient times, a visitor to a king’s palace would have gained access in exchange for a password. Fast forward several hundred years and very little has changed. Accessing a king’s palace may not be a major requirement in your life, but passwords are crucial in the digital age. Using a series of numbers, letters and symbols, a password helps you to gain access to computer networks, databases and social media.

How Does a Password Work?

It’s easy to enter passwords all day long, but understanding the process is another matter. What is it that allows a series of characters to grant you access to shielded content? Let’s take a look.

When you set up a password it’s not stored in the same form as it’s typed. Instead it’s stored as a hash. Using advanced cryptography, a hash takes your password and converts it into a number. These hashes tend to be 128 or 256 digits long depending on the encryption method. Either way they’re more complex than a 10-character password. These hashes are then stored in a file as a reference guide to verify the password entered. If the password matches the corresponding hash then access is approved. Otherwise, access is denied.

What Makes a Good Password?

Now you know how a password works you need to make sure you have a good password. The stronger your password is the less chance there is of a hack taking place. To strengthen your passwords make sure you:

  • Keep it Long: A longer password adds complexity. Hackers tend to target passwords through brute force attacks, so a longer password is more time consuming. Aim for around 15 characters as this isn’t too difficult to remember, but it also provides complexity.
  • Avoid Obvious Passwords: Many IT users go for simple passwords such as PASSWORD. And when that expires they add a number on the end. While these passwords are very easy to remember they’re as easy to guess. These types of passwords will be the first ones that hackers try. More often than not they’ll pay off. And that’s why you need to create a unique password.
  • Don’t Use Personal Information: Another common mistake with passwords is to use personal information such as your name or date of birth. This may feel unique, but it’s information that is researchable. Hackers are cunning and it won’t take them more than a few minutes to get this data. So, make sure that nothing contained within your password can be connected to yourself.

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

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