What Should You Do When Your Network is Hacked?

Hackers, Hacking, malware, Ophtek, Password Security, PC Security, Security, , , ,
28
May 2019

A hacked network is a disaster for any organization, so keeping things secure is vital. However, sometimes things go wrong and you need to know what to do.

Your IT operations are supported by your IT network, so, if it gets hacked, there’s every chance that all those PCs you have lined up in your offices will be unable to operate. Naturally, this means that productivity will drop off almost immediately and affect not just you, but also your customers. With good IT practices in place, you significantly reduce the risk of this happening. Mistakes, be they caused by hardware or human error, are inevitable, though, and it’s rare that a business can claim to have defenses which are 100% secure.

Therefore, it’s important that you know what to do when your network is hacked. Rather than have you learn the hard way, through experience, we’re going to save you some of the pain with a quick guide on how to cope.

Steps to Take When You’re Hacked

Most importantly, you need to take the following steps when you discover your network has been hacked:

  • Put Everything On Lock Down: The stealthy nature of hackers means that it’s difficult and time consuming to determine exactly how much of your network the hackers have breached. So, in order to preserve as much as your network as possible, you have to assume the worst: they’ve gained access to everything. And that’s why you need to lock down and change passwords on everything be it folders on a shared drive or your social media accounts. This is the only way to minimize damage. 
  • Learn from the Experience: As we’ve stated, it’s likely that your network will, at some point, experience a security disaster. However, while in the short term this may feel like nothing but non-stop chaos, there’s an important set of learning to be absorbed for the long term. Mistakes are what allow us to evolve and make better decisions in the future, so make sure you take the opportunity to analyze exactly what went wrong and the steps you can take to prevent it happening again. 

Final Thoughts

A hacked network represents every IT professional’s worst nightmare, but it’s important that you understand the best steps to take in this situation. Not only does it prevent network hacks from escalating into more devastating hacks, but there’s also the chance to learn and strengthen for the next time hacker aims an attack at your network.

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

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What are the Telltale Signs of a Phishing Email?

Ophtek, Phishing, Phishing Email, Security, Security Threats, , ,
21
May 2019

Email is an integral part of business communication for any organization with an IT structure, but there’s a significant danger posed by phishing emails.

When it comes to IT security, you want to make sure your defenses are as strong as possible in order to repel any hackers. However, human error will always play a factor in this and hackers are well aware of this vulnerability. Phishing emails are the latest evolution in the age old scenario of a confidence trick and present a major issue not just to individuals and businesses, but also political parties. Given the damage that phishing emails can cause to your data security and IT infrastructure, it’s important to understand the telltale signs of a fishing email, so let’s take a look.

Four Telltale Signs of a Phishing Email

If you know what you’re dealing with then a phishing email can be quickly identified and deleted from your server within a few seconds. However, understanding what does and doesn’t make a phishing email is a learning curve. In order to get up to speed on what constitutes a phishing email make sure you look out for the following:

  1. A Suspicious Email Address: Although it’s possible to mask the true identity of the original sender of a phishing email, the chances are that the hacker will instead use an email address that appears to be genuine but, upon investigation, is false. A good case in point is when the email address is clearly not official e.g. it’s common to find phishing emails pretending to be from Microsoft, but with a domain name which clearly isn’t Microsoft such as microsoft_support@yahoo.com 
  1. A Vague Greeting: Phishing emails are rarely sent to a single individual. Instead, hackers tend to send the same email to thousands upon thousands of different people. This approach ensures that there’s a higher chance of someone falling for the scam. However, addressing each email to each individual would be incredibly time consuming. Therefore, a sure sign of a phishing email is one that commences with a vague greeting such as “Dear Sir/Madam” or Dear Customer” 

  1. A Fake Link: Phishing emails almost always contain a link that takes users to either an infected website or downloads malicious software. And, often, these links will appear to be genuine. So, for example, there may be a phishing email that lands in your inbox from your bank that asks you to click a link to confirm some security details. However, while that link may read as bankofamerica.com it may be hiding a different destination. The only way to verify this without clicking is by hovering your mouse cursor over the link and verifying the address revealed in the popup box. 
  1. A Sense of Urgency: Hackers want you to click on the fake links contained within their phishing emails, so their approach tends to use fear to encourage clicking the link. Phishing emails, therefore, tend to carry some type of warning in order to trick you into thinking that it’s in your best interests to click the link. This can be as mundane as asking you to enter a survey to win a million dollars or more serious warnings such as the imminent closure of your bank account.

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

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How a Firewall Works and Why You Need One

firewall, Network, Ophtek, Safety, Security, , ,
14
May 2019

One of the most common ways to protect your PC is by working with a firewall, but what exactly is a firewall and what can it do to protect you?

Protecting your organization’s PC network should be one of your main priorities when it comes to IT due to not only the amount of data being transferred, but also the impact that a security breach could have on your productivity. Thankfully, there are many security options available to help strengthen your defenses and one of the oldest forms of security is a firewall. And, despite the traditional nature of this defense, it remains one of the most effective for stopping intruders accessing your network.

To help you understand this area of cyber-security in a little more depth, we’re going to take a quick look at how a firewall works and why you need one.

What is a Firewall?

The concept behind a firewall is a relatively simple one compared to other forms of cyber-defense with its main objective being to stop malware and malicious attacks penetrating a computer network. Essentially, a firewall is much like a content filter in that you’re able to define exactly what is allowed to both enter and leave your network. This filter is an automated process, so it’s possible to program the firewall to a highly tailored specification and then leave it to filter out anything deemed nonviable for the network.

What Exactly Can a Firewall Do?

A firewall, of course, is more than just a filter. In fact, fthere are a wide range of benefits that any organization can benefit from and these include:

  • Internal Safety: Many security lapses come from internal actions taken by staff such as accessing malicious websites or downloading malicious email attachments. While these are almost always innocent mistakes, the ramifications can be highly inconvenient. With a firewall in place, however, these concerns can be significantly reduced due to the level of control at your disposal which includes restricting outgoing connections to specific websites and receiving emails with attachments known to be malicious. 
  • External Protection: As information filters in from the internet, firewalls are able to analyze this data and verify whether the data is safe to enter your network. The firewall does this by determining the location and source of the data and then authenticating it against a set list of permissions. This verification is incredibly quick and will almost instantly confirm whether this data is allowed through or needs to be rejected. And, given the amount of headlines attributed to cyber-attacks on business, this provides some highly valuable peace of mind. 
  • Monitoring Outgoing Data: One of the main draws of using a firewall is that they’re capable of analyzing data that leaves your organization. In particular, this is very useful in the IT world to monitor any unusual activity on your network. If, for example, a larger than usual amount of data is being transmitted to unfamiliar sources then there’s a good chance that your network has been hacked and is being used to orchestrate bot attacks. With a firewall in place, though, you can identify this process early on and work on shutting it down.

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

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Understanding the Basics of Ransomware

Ophtek, Phishing, Ransomware, Secure Database, Secure Flashdrive, Secure Website, Security, Updates, , , , ,
07
May 2019

Ransomware has been causing trouble for businesses for many years, so it’s clearly a form of hacking which needs greater understanding to avoid its wrath.

The name ransomware sounds a little threatening and, as with all hacks, it’s hardly the friendliest of exchanges. However, whilst most forms of malware – which ransomware is a strain of – tend to disrupt day to day operations of your IT equipment by either stealing data or putting a strain on your network through DDoS attacks, ransomware is different. Not only does it disrupt your IT operations, but it also delivers a financial threat to your organization.

Due to the double whammy contained within ransomware, it’s crucial that you understand the basics of ransomware, so let’s take a quick look.

What is Ransomware?

Believe it or not, but the very first recorded ransomware attack dates back to 1989 when a hacker was able to hide the files of an infected PC on its hard drive and encrypt the file names. And, to be honest, modern day ransomware still operates in a similar, if not more sophisticated, manner.

Ransomware is a form of malware which, when executed on a user’s PC, is able to take over the victim’s system and encrypt their files. Naturally, files are essential for any organization to operate efficiently and to their maximum productivity, so this is clearly a very debilitating attack. However, to add insult to injury, the hackers then demand a ransom fee to release a key which can decrypt the files and return them to a usable state.

How is Ransomware Executed?

The most common method employed by hackers to execute ransomware on a user’s PC is through phishing emails. These emails, which appear to be genuine, are highly deceptive methods of communication which convince the recipients that they need to open an attachment bundled with the email. However, these attachments are far from genuine and the most likely result of clicking them is that malicious software such as ransomware will be executed.

How Can You Combat Ransomware?

With the average ransom fee demanded by ransomware totaling around $12,000, it’s clearly an irritation that your organization can do without. Thankfully, there are a number of actions you can take to protect your business:

  • Regularly Backup Your Data: As long as your data is regularly backed up, there should be no need to pay the ransom fee. With a comprehensive backup route in place you will be able to easily retrieve your files from an earlier restore point when they weren’t encrypted. 
  • Work with Anti-Malware Software: Most ransomware can be detected by anti-malware software, so it stands to reason that installing this software should make a significant difference to your defenses. Updating this software as soon as any patches or upgrades become available, of course, should be made a priority as it could make a real difference to falling victim to newly released ransomware. 

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

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A Quick Guide to the Internet of Things

Internet of things, IOT, Office IT, Office Network, Ophtek, user friendly, , , , ,
30
Apr 2019

You have may have heard the Internet of Things (IoT) mentioned several times in the media and by colleagues, but what exactly is it?

Thankfully, the good news is that the IoT is a relatively simple concept and, more importantly, it can make a huge difference to your organization’s IT operations. It’s likely that you’re rapidly becoming interested in the IoT the more you hear about it, so wouldn’t it be amazing if you had a quick guide to the ins and outs of the IoT? Well, you’re in luck as that’s exactly what we’ve put together for you.

What is the Internet of Things?

Any business, no matter the size of its operations, needs to use a wide variety of IT devices on a daily basis. Traditionally, the majority of these devices have been connected by cables and controlled directly by the end user or through an onsite IT team with access to the network. The IoT, however, brings a whole new level of accessibility with its revolutionary use of internet connections.

Put simply, the IoT allows users to connect devices to other devices and networks that can accept an internet connection. Sure, it may sound as though this is merely using wireless capabilities and nothing new, but the IoT is significantly different. Connecting to central servers through an internet connection means that your organization’s networks and smart devices can be remotely controlled from any location in the world.

What Can You Do with the Internet of Things?

The accessibility on offer from the IoT is clearly an interesting proposition, but what exactly can your organization use it for? To be honest, it’s a more a case of what you can’t use it for. Let’s take a look at some of the IoT most popular uses:

  • Remote Working: As long as your employees have an internet connection, they can connect to your organization’s networks and access email, databases and files just as easily as if they were sat in the office at their workstation. This is highly beneficial for employees who are working away on business, but it also opens up a whole new world of remote working which, with studies showing it’s highly beneficial for staff, could seriously increase productivity. 
  • Collecting and Sharing Data: The amount of data in use by businesses is getting bigger and bigger, but monitoring this is becoming more difficult with traditional IT setups. However, IoT devices are so varied and widespread that it’s now possible to collect data on almost any element of business you want. Tracking vehicle data, for example, through the use of IoT trackers can allow you to make use of your vehicles more efficiently. 
  • Enhance the Customer’s Experience: The lifeblood of any organization is the customer base and thanks to the IoT you can understand their needs better than ever before. IoT sensors installed in products such as, for example, refrigeration units can remotely monitory temperature fluctuations and, if necessary, send alerts when temperature thresholds are breached. 

The IoT Is Here to Stay.

With over 26 billion IoT devices due to be in use by the end of 2019, the IoT is clearly making a massive impact on the IT landscape. With a number of benefits that can make a significant difference to the way your organization works, it’s time to start embracing the power of the IoT.

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

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