I'm not lucky, it's productive paranoia |
Have you ever heard someone say, "Wow, you're so lucky!" Are these people really lucky? Are you sure they aren't just prepared?
Everyday, we hear stories about folks that have seemingly avoided disaster. Some of these stories make the victims look so lucky to have survived the incident. But, if you look closely you will find that many of the individuals or companies had taken some measure of caution to prepare themselves for such a disaster. Were they paranoid? Paranoia is the baseless or excessive suspicion of the motives of others. In some cases, paranoia can be crippling. For example, business owners that spend countless hours trying to predict what the market will do or how an event will negatively impact their company, but never take action. They spend so long trying to plan for every "what-if" scenario that they miss the simple precautionary measures that could save their business in any event. Productive paranoia is when those excessive suspicions push you to take action. Being paranoid shouldn’t paralyze you. Find and implement preventative measures that will counter act or stop a negative impact in any situation. Think about it, what makes up the core of your business? Immediately, I think of my customers, data, and staff. My business can operate anywhere as long as I have these three things. Can yours? Create a safety net with your suspicions. Every business is a little different and we are all at risk in some fashion. Go ahead, brainstorm the worst case scenarios for your company. Here are a few to get you started: physical break-in and theft, natural disaster, an Internet attack, data loss or a fire. Build a plan to keep the basic functionality of your business in tact in any event. This may be the determining factor in how quickly you recover when the unthinkable comes to fruition. Preventative measures give you strength. Now that you have those uneasy feelings stirring inside, set your mind at ease with these four little words… Technical measures include things like an active antivirus protection program, 24/7/365 monitoring for your network, a strong firewall, off-site backup, virtual servers, regular system checks, and updates. These affordable precautions can keep hackers and thieves from taking hold of your company and data. Preventing even one attack is worth the investment. What do the "lucky ones" have in common? Productive paranoia. They don't let fears overwhelm their efforts to conduct business. Instead of waiting for problems to arise, they work under the assumption that risky situations will surface and they are prepared to take action when the time comes. Do you react or respond with grace? If you feel like you're stuck in fire fighter mode, you need to make some changes. Reacting to critical issues doesn't give you time to breathe. Put preventative measures in place so you can respond to turmoil and threats with grace and relax a bit so you can focus on what really counts, your business!
|
It may not be a technician calling |
Signs of this hoax. Generally, callers have a heavy accent, they use common names like "Bill" or "John" and always have a sense of urgency. These scammers may tell you they are technicians and your computer is reporting error messages. They claim they can resolve the issue for you if you allow them access to your system. The technician may even tell you a virus has infected your computer and if you give them authority they can clean it up for a small fee. Avoid hoax calls by asking a billion questions. That's right, don't be afraid to ask a lot of questions. If the caller is legitimate, they will be understanding and ready to walk you through everything step-by-step. Here are a few great questions to start you off. If they can't answer these, hang up! What is the name of your company? What's your company phone number? May I speak with your supervisor please? Remember… If anyone calls claiming to be from a software company don't type in any information from them on your computer, and never give out your credit card number over the phone. |
The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) has been receiving reports of hoax phone calls from well-known software companies.27,485,573 records recorded breached in 2012! |
Source: https://www.privacyrights.org/ How likely is a security breach? Probably much more common than you think. Actually, in 2012 alone, there were over 680 known breaches made public compromising over 27,485,573 records including information about people just like you. Many of the breaches reported in 2012 were 100% preventable. For example, many of these included theft of an unencrypted laptop from an employee's car or home in which the criminal found a gold mine of employee, client, or contractor information. Had the companies conducted a risk analysis to safeguard electronic client information, they may have been able to simply replace the laptop and move on. In a world of remote workers, security is crucial. Never store client or financial information on a laptop or personal device even if you use them for work. Setup a secure connection for remote workers to access files and store information on protected work computers or servers. If you need assistance setting up a remote environment for your company, give us a call. Better to be safe, than a statistic! |
3 tips to organize your desktop for easy access |
The more icons and files you have littering your desktop, the longer it will take you to find what you need. Take 10 minutes to cleanup your desktop so you can work more efficiently.
Name your folders according to date, client, project or activity so you can keep your files organized. Here are a few common folder names to get you started: Admin, Accounting, Proposals, and Marketing. If you use a server for storage, we recommend keeping a folder named "Working Folder" or "Work In Progress" so you can temporarily store files you're working on until you're ready to upload them to the server for everyone to use and
It only takes a few minutes to change things around and I guarantee you will see a major difference in the way you handle your workday. Have a great week! |
Does your desktop look like a connect the dots coloring page? If you have programs and files scattered across your screen, take a look at these 3 tips to clean up your desktop and create a more accessible workstation.March staples: Corned beef and corndogs? |
A wacky March holiday you’ll love! Polish off those corned beef leftovers and pull out your deep fryer because National Corndog Day is March 23rd. This silly observance recognizes the enjoyable relationship between college basketball and the ever so tasty, corndog. National Corndog Day dates back to the early ninety’s. When young Brady Sahnow and Henry Otley initially cooked up this holiday to celebrate the beginning of the college basketball season with their favorite snack, the corndog. While it started as a day only recognized in Oregon, it is now celebrated in hundreds of locations across America. Over the years, National Corndog Day expanded to include the equally delicious tater tot and other token treats too. A true American holiday. On March 16th, 2012 Oregon Governor, John A. Kitzhaber issued a formal Proclamation declaring National Corndog Day, March 17th, an official holiday. However, the date is ever changing. Some celebrate National Corndog Day on the first day of the NCAA basketball season. Others wait for the first weekend of the layoff's to cook up some tasty treats.
|
Many families today still celebrate St. Patrick's day with pride. Serving up a delicious corned beef dinner in March has become a staple in our society. Ready for a new tradition?
No matter which day you choose to celebrate, kick back and enjoy a little basketball fun. The NCAA's games begin March 19th and conclude with a final championship game held April 8th at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta. Inquiring Minds... |
Don't worry, you're not in trouble. This is just another scam. Unfortunately, this pesky attack is delivered from infected What can you do? Over the past few months, a few of our clients have fallen victim to this FBI scam. Sure, you can pay the fine online, but it won't eliminate the threat. You may be able to unlock your workstation temporarily, however, the infection will still be active on your computer. If you see the FBI warning, the best thing you can do is unplug your computer from your network and/or Internet and give us a call. We will clean out the virus and review your network to ensure it has not been infected too. FREE 1 hour massage, just for you! Just a quick note to let you know how much we care. Here at ITS, we have been fortunate to have such wonderful clients and wanted to take a moment to say, THANK YOU for allowing us to be a part of your operations. It's a wonderful feeling to know that we are instrumental in the success of such great companies, like yours. Like you, we depend on your loyalty and referrals to improve and expand our business. To show our appreciation for the kind words and business you provide, we want to give you a gift card for a free 1 hour massage at Massage Envy. All you need to do is refer one person that does business with us and we will rush you your gift card and send the people you refer a voucher entitling them to 2 FREE Hours of Computer Support. Everyone wins!!! |
FBI fraud scam hits business owners. You're working diligently when all of the sudden an unfamiliar voice chimes in through your computer speakers saying, "Your computer has been locked by the FBI due to unauthorized cyber activity." Then your screen freezes and a realistic warning appears telling you that your computer use has been suspended and you must pay a fine to unlock your workstation. What?Call us today! Were here to help! |
Concerned about old equipment? Frustrated by slow responses? Worried about data backups? Upset with constant problems? Sick of getting nickel and dimed? Irritated with getting voicemail? Call us today! Were here to help!3330 W. Desert Inn Road |
