Archives for July 2016

A PUP.

We are definitely not talking about a fuzzy little animal with four legs and a propensity to chew on your favorite pair of dress shoes.

Puppies are adorable and ahhh-inducing.

PUPs, on the other hand, should make your security experts worried.

PUP stands for a Potentially Unwanted Program.

When you run a malware-detection program on your computer, it may warn you of a PUP. PUPs go by other names, too, such as adware and crapware. Why is it defined as a PUP instead of malware? Legal reasons, of course!

PUPs sneak in with YOUR APPROVAL, but you probably didn’t notice because they were bundled with an actually useful software program that you DID want to install. You simply clicked through the install windows and unwittingly approved the crapware installation.

PUPs are not your computer’s friends. The nicest PUP might provide minimal features, but the worst ones are out to hurt things.

We have a few tips for you to break up with any PUPs currently involved with you and your computers and avoid approving any new relationships in your future.

1. Use antivirus software to scan for existing PUPs.
2. Remove ‘em!
3. Be aware where you download from: avoid internet pop-ups, file sharing sites, ads and other unreliable sources.
4. When clicking through the installation, make sure to choose the “custom” or “advanced” settings and check through everything you are approving to be installed. AND read the terms and conditions.
5. Review your list of installed programs regularly and remove ones you no longer use.
6. Keep your antivirus software current and regularly scheduled.
7. If it seems like you’re starting to get inundated with ads online, they may be coming from a PUP on your computer so go back to step 1.

Now that you know how to fight the PUPs, here are the reasons why you should. The following is an abbreviated list of potentially dangerous consequences of installing PUPs. (For a full list of criteria, check out MalwareBytes.)

• Adware
• Spyware
• Browser toolbars
• Web browsing tracking
• Set default home page
• Set default web search engine
• Website redirects

Your computer will be much happier with you if it’s running free of PUPs. You’ll be a much happier user. Remember that they can’t get onto your computer without your approval so be vigilant. If employees have permissions to install software on their work computers, take the time to train them about PUPs and how to avoid them.

Cybersecurity for your small business can feel overwhelming. Large corporations dedicate sizable budgets to protecting their data yet still get attacked. Maybe you feel like you can’t find the money for protection. Or perhaps you feel like you’re under the radar and hackers won’t notice you. So why worry?

Did you know that in 2015 nearly 170 million records were exposed from data breaches? This is according to the Identity Theft Research Center, and those numbers only represent data from attacks within the United States.

Don’t ignore the numbers: protect your business today.

If you’re feeling overwhelmed with the hardware and software necessary for getting your security ducks in a row, give us a call! Then do one of the most important steps in protecting your data: train your employees!

Did you know that the federal government has provided free resources to you to help you teach your employees what they should do to protect themselves and your business’s data? The National Cyber Security Alliance works closely with the Department of Homeland Security to help protect you. You can find resources about employee training programs that outline the following tips for training employees on StaySafeOnline.org:

1. Keep computers clean–Help employees understand why it’s not safe to install certain programs on their machines so they don’t open up security vulnerabilities.
2. Use strong passwords–Teach employees to use phrases instead of one or two words; use separate passwords for separate accounts; enable two-step authentication when available.
3. Dump doubtful emails–If they receive an email that looks questionable, don’t test the waters by checking the links to see if they’re suspicious; just delete! Teach employees about the spam filters and put those to work.
4. Back up important data–Set up automatic backups or have employees set that up themselves, just make sure that it’s getting done!
5. Speak up–If employees notice strange happenings on their computers, make sure they report it! You can’t fix an attack if you don’t know it’s happening.

There’s more to cybersecurity than simply a good firewall. Call us to get set up with the appropriate protection through hardware and software solutions; then sit down with your employees and train them! You can have the best technology to protect your data, but if a person circumvents it all, you’re sunk. Make training a big part of your cybersecurity budget.