Archives for February 2019

AVOID COMMON DATA RECOVERY AND BACKUP MISTAKES

February 28, 2019 by securewebsite

If you have been keeping up with the latest the technology news, then you probably know about the Rubrik data leak. This hack exposed customer data and shined a light on the risks associated cloud storage.

Did you know Amazon web services are launching a comprehensive data backup service solution for quicker and hassle-free data backup?

These stories highlight the need to implement a robust data recovery and back-up plan within every business.

Why, you ask?

No matter how advanced technology becomes, it is important to remember that these technologies are created and developed by human beings. We make mistakes, and these mistakes can cost an organization and affect their brand value and reputation.

It’s good to get into the habit of preparing for the worst when it comes to your sensitive data.

While it is a good practice to have a reliable data backup and recovery plan, avoid developing a plan just to say you have one. You need to build a plan to shield you from data leakage and breaches of privacy.

If you are thinking of creating a data recovery and back up plan, make sure you do not make the following mistakes.

BEING UNCLEAR ON THE BUSINESS OBJECTIVE:

A one-size-fits-all approach doesn’t work in data recovery and backup plans. It is essential that the team knows and understands your business’s objective and data protection needs. A general backup and recovery plan will not be of help to your business in the long run.

Develop clear answers to the following questions:

What data is most important?
How much data can you afford to lose?
How will you cope with the downtime and loss in productivity in the event of a breach?

An ORAM Boston business management consultant will create a data backup and recovery plan based on your specific goals and budget without compromising data security.

NOT TESTING FOR EVERY POSSIBILITY:

Don’t build a plan to safeguard your data based on past events. You need to make certain your data is protected from malicious attacks BEFORE they happen. Test your plan against different scenarios to determine whether or not it will be effective against new attacks.

NOT TIMELY UPDATING THE PLAN:

You must be aware of the latest updates to data protection technologies. Businesses often fail to perform routine inspections and updates. By not updating your software, your data becomes vulnerable to a host of cyber attacks. Updates are essential to fix security patches and loopholes. An ORAM Boston business management consultant will timely and adequately perform asset and comprehensive system monitoring, and back up system tests to make sure everything is safe, secure and up-to-date.

Why get overwhelmed trying to create a strong data backup and recovery plan by yourself? You have ORAM Boston business advisory services at your disposal! We can ensure ultimate protection of your invaluable data with our holistic approach

Get a customized and potent data recovery and back up plan made by industry experts. Contact ORAM Boston, today!

The Value of Remote Assistance

February 28, 2019 by securewebsite

Who is managing your business when you take time off?

Who provides back up when your IT team is unavailable?

What if you come across a problem that is beyond your technician’s scope of knowledge?

A dedicated remote support service team can make sure that your business’s IT network runs smoothly 24/7.

Even if your in-house team is capable of managing any IT related problems, a remote service support provider can offer several advantages:

TIME:

Customers usually expect an immediate response to their questions. A lag in response time can create customer dissatisfaction. ORAM Corporate Advisors offer prompt responses to any IT question. Our team of qualified and experienced IT professionals ensures immediate and on-demand customer service.

COST:

Why waste your internal resources and money on buying the tools and technologies that don’t work? IT consulting companies in Boston come equipped with knowledge as well as the latest equipment to ensure that your organization doesn’t suffer because of downtime. Consulting IT companies in Boston come without the burden of additional costs associated with regularly training the in house team. ORAM Corporate Advisors remote support will ensure your business runs efficiently and within your budget.

EXPERTISE:

What happens when your network issue seems unsolvable? ORAM Corporate Advisors have a proficient team of industry experts who will quickly identify and resolve the issue. Expert advisors will always be at your beck and call to solve every IT related problem with remote support service.

MONITORING:

Real-time monitoring and maintenance can be costly. With a remote assistance provider like ORAM Corporate Advisors, your IT network will always run smoothly and with the highest security protocols available,

So what are you waiting for?

If you operate a business and are looking for IT consulting companies in Boston that can provide you timely and adequate remote assistance, ORAM Corporate Advisors is your one-stop solution.

ORAM Corporate Advisors offer strategic and comprehensive IT consulting and business solution services across all industries from medical, finance and hospitality. They provide competent, 24/7, 365 remote support services to ensure your business keeps running with less downtime.
For any and every IT consulting and remote assistance support service, reach out to an industry specialist at ORAM Corporate Advisors.

Scam of the Week: Dangerous Office Attachments Bypassing Email Security

February 28, 2019 by securewebsite

As always, you must be suspicious of all email attachments, because attackers are finding new ways to get around email security filters. The latest attack includes Microsoft Office attachments containing hyperlinks to dangerous websites.

If you unknowingly download one of these attachments and click on a link from within the document, you will be brought to a malicious website that steals your sensitive information. This particular attack is usually carried out with Microsoft Word attachments, but dangerous links are certainly not limited to files with .docx file extensions. This attack could occur with almost any file type.

Always remember the following to prevent this type of attack from happening to you:

Never open attachments from people you don’t know.
Don’t open any attachment unless you have asked for it, or have verified with the sender (through a channel other than email) that it is legitimate.
Before clicking any link within an email or an email attachment, hover over it to see where it will take you.

Stop, Look, and Think. Don’t be fooled.

This Week in Breach: Dunkin Donuts

February 21, 2019 by securewebsite

Dunkin’ Donuts: One of the world’s leading baked goods and coffee chains

Risk to Small Business: Severe: On February 12th, Dunkin’ Donuts announced that it suffered a credential stuffing attack back in January. This news comes just a few months after the company fell victim to a similar attack on October 31, 2018. As we’ve covered before, hackers employ credential stuffing attacks by leveraging previously leaked usernames and passwords to access user accounts. In this case, they were able to breach DD Perks rewards accounts and are putting them up for sale on Dark Web forums. Aside for the “double whammy” of two attacks within a short time-frame, loyal customers who have lost their rewards will likely bring their business elsewhere.

Individual Risk: Moderate: The exposed accounts contain personal information such as first and last names, email addresses, 16-digit account numbers, and QR codes. Although the accounts have been put up for sale so that buyers on the Dark Web can cash out on reward points, they can also use credentials to orchestrate further cyberattacks.

Customers Impacted: 12,000

How it Could Affect Your Customers’ Business: The trend of credential stuffing is only the first wave resulting from billions of recently leaked usernames and passwords. Companies that experience similar attacks on user accounts will be held liable, regardless of whether they are the source of the breach. To protect from future attacks, businesses must team up with security providers to ensure state-of-the-art password protection and Dark Web monitoring.

Read more

In Other News: MyFitnessPal and CoffeeMeetsBagel data go for sale on the Dark Web

After the breach of MyFitnessPal last year involving 150M user accounts, the data has finally been packaged up along with stolen credentials from 15 other websites to be sold on the Dark Web. The asking price? Less than $20,000 in Bitcoin.Other websites included are CoffeeMeetsBagel, Dubsmash, MyHeritage, ShareThis, HauteLook, Animoto, EyeEm, 8fit, Whitepages, Fotolog, 500px, Armor Games, BookMate, Artsy, and DataCamp. In total, 617 million compromised records are involved.

Cybercriminals can combine such databases to find users who are recycling passwords across multiple sites, allowing them to hack into valuable accounts that can be leveraged for fraud. By investing in solutions that can consistently monitor the Dark Web, companies can quickly understand how hackers are planning to use exposed information and implement cybersecurity safeguards.

Read more

The Modern Office and End User Support: What it is and how it can help your business

February 21, 2019 by securewebsite

End-user support is an information technology (IT) term that is often used in business yet many people don’t understand what all it entails. Furthermore, business leaders don’t know how end user support can improve the productivity of their company. Here we take a look at what end-user support is and how it can keep your business moving forward.

What is an End User?
First, we must tackle what an end user is. Anyone who uses a particular product or program, typically your employees, is an end user. Think about the desktops, laptops, tablets, software, and even cell phones used by your employees to conduct business and fulfill their duties. They are the end users of your business IT.

Why Might End Users Need Support?
Whenever a new employee is onboarded, they need to be made a user so they can access the hardware, programs, and information within a company so they may perform their work. This means they need to be set up with a company email, account access, file access, and cybersecurity training that is specific to your organization.

In addition, employees will sometimes have trouble using the hardware and programs your business has purchased in order to operate. That can mean a computer with a virus, a laptop attacked by malware, or simply a program missing a necessary patch or update. While your employees may be great at what they do, not everyone is an IT expert. They may need help addressing issues from configuration to spam filtering in their business email.

Whether you have a small company without an IT department of its own or your business is a large one with an IT department is overwhelmed, these issues all must be addressed. When new employees are waiting to be onboarded or existing employees have hit the proverbial IT wall, they cannot work until these issues are resolved. That means downtime and a loss of productivity which negatively impacts your organization’s bottom line. That’s where outsourcing to IT specialists like those at ORAM can really assist your company.

What Does End User Support Look Like?
End-user support is about providing immediate, ongoing assistance whenever your employees need IT help. Think about having all email, account access, and training ready for new employees the minute they walk in the door on their first day. Imagine running into a snag with your email and being able to simply pick up the phone to fix the problem right away. Consider never having to worry about program updates or patches because they are applied automatically before you even get to the office. All of these very real IT issues are covered by end-user support.

The goal of end-user support is to provide businesses with the “modern office.” That means keeping end users productive and moving at all times. The question then becomes how does end-user support keep your business moving? In football terms, end-user support is like a lineman running in front of a running back to keep him protected and clear the path so he can do his job of advancing the ball. End-user support ensures issues with security, network connectivity, and active threats are held at bay. It also ensures your network is as reliable as possible, keeps up with patches, and hardware needs are covered.

With end-user support, your employees will have the tools to be continuously productive with little to no downtime. In addition, you will have the security of knowing those tools are also being used in a responsible, compliant, and efficient manner. Regardless of the size of your business, end-user support can help you manage your ongoing IT needs without sacrificing uptime, connectivity, or cost. Depending on which IT company you work with, your end user support may include:

• Antivirus Management and Support
• Configuration Services
• Hardware and O/S Maintenance
• Performance Monitoring
• Mobile Device Support
• Patch and Update Management
• Onsite Desktop and Laptop Support Services
• Incident Management and Resolution
• Priority Response Level and Problem Management
• Self-Service Knowledge Base
• User Account Administration
• Policy Management
• Email Content and Spam Filtering
• Encryption Services

Who Offers End User Support?
End-user support can be handled internally by your IT employee(s) if you have them and they aren’t completely overwhelmed themselves. The other option is to outsource your IT needs to a company like ORAM Corporate Advisors. Such IT professionals can work in tandem with your existing IT employees or can work in place of hiring your own IT staff.

Without the cost of hiring internal IT staff or additional staff, your network can be secure and running efficiently at all times through end user support. You won’t have to pay for support until you need it and help requests can be managed and resolved quickly and easily. Your business will also have all of the tools it needs to be continuously productive while achieving regulatory compliance.

If you need more information about end-user support, please contact ORAM anytime at (617) 933-5060. We can even schedule a free initial consultation to review your end user support needs. Our IT specialists are always available to answer your questions and help you when your business needs it most.

Scam of the Week: Watch out for Tech Support Scams

February 20, 2019 by securewebsite

Nowadays, you should be on high alert whenever you’re browsing the web. The cyber scammers are counting on you to have an average (or below-average) level of knowledge about cybersecurity threats so they can trick you into downloading malicious applications.

The attack usually goes like this: First, you receive a fake Windows Alert pop-up message claiming “Your PC might be infected” and to “click OK to do a quick 10-second scan”.

When you click OK, a very realistic-looking–but very fake–”system scan” runs within your browser. The scan looks almost identical to your antivirus software’s real system scans.

Once the “scan” ends, you’re told that your PC is indeed infected and that you need to download and install an update to the antivirus software. Don’t do it! This “update” is actually an unwanted application that will install onto your computer.

Consider the following to protect yourself from this type of scam:

Never trust internet pop-ups. They often use scare tactics to get you to call a number for tech support or download an application to “fix” the problem.
Go to your IT administrator (if at work) or a reputable computer repair company (if at home) if you think something is wrong with your computer.

Stay safe out there!

Stop, Look, and Think. Don’t be fooled.