British Snacks in Short Supply Due to Ransomware Attack

anti malware, Backup Strategies, Employee Training, Ophtek, PC Security, PC Training, Ransomware, , , , ,
22
Feb 2022

British shoppers have been warned to expect some of their favorite snacks to be in short supply following a ransomware attack on a major manufacturer.

KP Snacks has been producing snacks in Britain since the 1850s, but this production has recently run into a major obstacle: ransomware. Cyber criminals have successfully launched a ransomware attack on KP Snacks, and its effects are running deep. Due to the impact of the ransomware on their IT infrastructures, KP Snacks has had to advise stores that delays in production are expected. As a result, British shoppers are likely to be facing empty shelves when they head out to pick up their favorite snacks.

Snack food may not be crucial to society, but the impacts of this hack demonstrate why organizations need to remain vigilant.

The Story Behind the Snack Attack

Following an unexplained outage of their IT systems, KP Snacks investigated and discovered that they had fallen victim to a strain of ransomware. The exact details of the ransomware in question has not, as of yet, been disclosed. However, rumors are circulating that the attack was launched by the WizardSpider group, a gang of hackers who attacked the Irish health service in 2021. It’s alleged, according to leaked sources, that KP Snacks was given five days to pay a ransom fee, but clarification on this is lacking.

The response of KP Snacks has been to launch a defensive strike against the attack. Being a major organization, the snack makers had a cybersecurity response plan which was quickly put into action. Third-party security experts have also been drafted in to complete a forensic analysis of the firm’s IT infrastructure. Nonetheless, the disruption to productivity has hit KP Snacks hard. As well as their IT systems being compromised, their communications systems have been hit equally hard. In modern business, these two elements are essential for operating and, as a result, supply shortages are expected.

Protecting Yourself Against Ransomware

While a shortage of snacks may sound like a mild inconvenience, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Not only is there a financial risk for KP Snacks, but the company’s employees can also expect financial ramifications e.g. delayed payments due to compromised IT systems and even the threat of redundancy. Naturally, this is a situation that no organization wants to find itself in, so make sure you always follow this advice:

  • Always Backup: the main impact of ransomware is that it encrypts files before demanding a ransom fee to decrypt them. However, you can minimize the impact of this effect by ensuring you have a strong backup strategy in place. This will provide you with access to your data and provide you with business continuity.
  • User Training: ransomware can be activated in a number of different ways such as infected emails, malicious links and running outdated software. Thankfully, shutting these attack routes down is relatively easy with the correct training. Therefore, regular staff training is vital when it comes to securing your IT defenses.

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

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Taking Care of your External Hard Drive

Backup, Backup Strategies, Data Storage, External Hard Drive, Ophtek, , ,
14
Jul 2020

We process and evaluate a huge amount of data every day, so external hard drives are vital for our storage needs. But how do we get the best out of them?

Capable of holding up to 12TB (that’s 12,000GB) and easily connected via USB, external hard drives are an affordable solution to data storage. However, when a device is holding so much data it’s important that you know how to use it properly. An external hard drive which is used correctly and maintained will keep your data safe for years. But one which is mismanaged can soon lead to a data disaster. And no business needs that.

Luckily, we’ve put together a few pointers on the best ways to use an external hard drive.

Getting the Best Out of Your External Hard Drive

Making sure that your device remains operational and productive is simple as long as you follow these best practices:

  • Don’t Move Your Drive When Transferring Data: Beneath their solid exterior, external hard drives are delicate pieces of kit. This is particularly true for Hard Disk Drives which contain spinning and moving parts. Therefore, moving or jostling your external drive when it is transferring data has the potential to not only damage the device, but also create data errors. Make sure that your device is properly connected, on a flat surface and not in the way of your general PC activities e.g. using the mouse and keyboard. 
  • Format Your Drive as NTFS: There are many reasons for formatting your external hard drive, but it’s important that you format your drive as NTFS. Using this method, as opposed to FAT32, is perfect when your device is mostly used with Windows PCs. NTFS formatting provides faster results and has the added bonus of making your drive less susceptible to disk failure. 
  • Run CHKDSK: Better known as Check Disk, CHKDSK is a handy system tool which should regularly be used to check the status of your external drive. It has the capacity to identity any file system errors and repair them. This gives you the dual benefits of a stable folder structure on your device and less chance of it crashing. 
  • Better to Repair than Replace: It can be frustrating when an external hard drive fails, but it’s often simpler to replace a troublesome device rather than repairing it. The labor, and associated costs, to repair an external hard drive will usually be more expensive than a replacement. And, as our next point will show, this shouldn’t compromise your data too much. 

If you can follow the advice above then you should be guaranteed a hassle-free experience with your external drive. And you can rest assured that your data will be safe and available at all times.

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

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Use the 3-2-1 Backup Method to Protect Your Data

Backup, Backup and Recovery, Backup Strategies, Data Backup, Data Storage, Ophtek, , , , ,
28
Jan 2020

Hardware can easily become compromised, stolen or damaged. And this can leave you without crucial data. But the 3-2-1 backup method is here to help.

Data disasters are most often caused by hardware failure, human error or cyber-attacks. Regardless of the cause, your organization needs a good backup strategy in place. You need to be able to retrieve your data in the event of an emergency. Without a backup strategy you will struggle to recover and this will have a major impact on your productivity. And that’s why the 3-2-1 backup method has proved to be so popular with businesses.

Data protection has never been more important that today, so we’re going to take a look at how the 3-2-1 backup method can protect your data.

What is the 3-2-1 Backup Method?

The principle behind the 3-2-1 backup method lies in its name:

Let’s take a closer look at each part of the method to help you understand the thinking behind it:

  • Keeping at Least 3 Copies of Your Data: To keep just one backup copy of your data is careless. Say, for example, your data is compromised by ransomware. An option would be to retrieve your backup data from an external hard drive. But what if you discover this device has been damaged in some way? You need an alternative solution. And this could be accessing a USB drive or connecting to a cloud storage solution. The minimum number of copies you should keep is three, but there’s no maximum. You can keep three, five or fifty. 
  • Keeping 2 of these Copies on Local Devices: Onsite backups are essential for keeping your productivity in place. Data disasters are unpredictable and can have an instant impact. Therefore, you need to make sure that you have your backup data close to hand. This approach will allow you to quickly implement any compromised data and establish normal working practices. Again, it’s important to have more than one local backup available to safeguard against any technical issues. 
  • Keeping at Least 1 Copy Offsite: If you want to reap the benefits of a complete backup strategy you need to keep one copy offsite. Advances in cloud computing mean that it’s easier than ever to store data offsite. And this can pay dividends in the case of a local disaster. If, for example, you are hit by a hurricane or a flood, all your local backups could be damaged. It doesn’t matter if you’ve got three or three hundred. But if you keep at least one copy in the cloud you are ensuring comprehensive data protection is in place. 

Final Thoughts 

A good backup strategy is vital in protecting your data in the event of a data disaster. And it pays to be comprehensive in the manner in which you protect your data. The 3-2-1 backup method is the perfect way in which to achieve this.

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

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5 Quick Tips for Maintaining Your PC

Backup, Best Practices, Company Updates, Ophtek, PC Tools, Updates, , , , ,
31
Dec 2019

Like any other electrical product, PCs are prone to failure due to the number of components involved. But a well maintained PC is likely to last longer.

Your organization’s PCs are likely to be crucial for your day-to-day operations, so you need to make sure they are in good working order. After all, you wouldn’t let your car fall into a state of disrepair. You would make sure your car is regularly serviced and maintained to make sure you could continue getting from A to B. And a PC is no different. But, thankfully, you don’t need to pull on your overalls or take your PC to a garage to maintain it. You can complete regular maintenance’s quickly and easily from your office.

How to Maintain Your PC

If you want to keep your PC working to its full potential and optimize its productivity then make sure you practice the following:

  1. Declutter Your Startup: When your PC starts booting up it also starts loading all the programs which are defaulted to load at startup. However, not all of these are necessary. And the more programs that need to load then the longer the startup time. Therefore, head to Task Manager on your PC and click on the Startup tab. From here you can remove any unnecessary programs and speed up your boot time. 
  1. Install all Updates: It’s important that all recommended updates are installed immediately. These updates aren’t just related to security issues. Sometimes they are released by developers in order to fix bugs in their software and enhance the product. Ultimately, an update is one of the quickest ways to optimize your PC and ensure that it’s well protected. 
  1. Always Shutdown Correctly: The shutdown process on a PC can be a frustrating affair due to the time taken, but it’s important that you follow this procedure to the letter. It may be quicker to turn the PC off at the mains, but this approach can lead to corrupted files. Instead, make sure you save all your files and close each application down before waiting for the PC to run through the shutdown procedure. 
  1. Carry out a Registry Clean: Your PCs registry is a giant database which logs everything that happens on your PC. If you install a program or change your password then this is logged in the registry. And, over time, the amount of data stored here starts building up. This may not be too much of a problem with newer PCs, but if you’re running an older PC this can create performance issues. However, you must proceed with caution and it’s recommended that you use a highly rated registry cleaner to perform the clean to avoid issues. 
  1. Delete Unwanted Programs: It’s natural that your PC will gradually accumulate more and more installed programs over time. But not all of these programs remain relevant. And if you are running programs that are no longer relevant then they are putting an unnecessary strain on your PCs memory. So, every couple of months, make sure that you evaluate the programs installed on your PC. This will give you a clear idea of what can be uninstalled and what can remain. The result will be improved performance for those that remain.

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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