1)   We don’t even need to tell you to change your passwords regularly to unique information not including personal information, right?! Because that’s old news.

2)   If you read our blog, then you also know to stop SPYWARE. Spyware is used to collect personal information from you by collecting keystrokes and watching your searches.  Download an anti-virus, get a firewall, and use anti-spam software.

3)   Order a Credit Report. Most banks offer a personal identification credit report check for a small fee. They will send you a report that shows your credit score and who has been looking at your credit score. This is a clear view of personal identification history. You would be able to see if someone has opened an account in your name, or if someone is using your information. You can also do an online credit report at site like freecreditreport.com.

4)   Delete old texts on your phone. Have you ever deleted old texts on your phone? Most people do not go through and delete old texts, but it needs to be done. There is a lot of personal information on your texts that you send to close friends and relatives. There are apps you can download that will delete texts at a set time, like 30 minutes or 30 days after they have been read.

5)   Use secure wireless networks. Enough said.

6)   Use passwords for every application and every device. Put a password on the login of computers, phones, and tablets. A lot of software and website have security setting that require you to enter passwords when you visit. Do not “let this browser save your password”. It might be convenient now but it wont be when you have to cancel your bank account.

7)   Check websites that you are thinking about entering your credit card information on. Make sure the site is safe by checking the URL. If is says https:// and has a lock icon then you are on a secure site that is protected. This does not mean it’s a good idea to keep your information saved on the site.

8)   Make sure your computer and software is up to date. Make it a habit to update weekly, set a day of the week for updates. If your anti-virus is out of date then it might be weak to intruders. Update Update Update.

9)   Shred all documents even if you think that there is no information that is important on them. It is a good habit to start and you might be surprised about the information that can be taken from even junk mail.

10)  Use unique “forgot your password” questions. Many celebrities get hacked by cyber criminals by hitting that button and answering the questions that have answers that can be found on the web. If you want to check what kind of information is on the web about you check out www.pipl.com and enter your name. You will be surprised how much information is out there about you.

11) Read Privacy Policies. As online presence grows so does the use of privacy policies. Many larger companies who do have your best interest at hand have committed to writing easy to read and understand privacy policies. If you cant understand them and are confused after reading it, dont use it. Maybe even contact them and share your concerns, because this needs to be a common practice among all online companies.

If you feel like your business or organization might need help in this area, give us a call for a security awareness training or an IT health assessment.

1)   Only you can see the files, but they are very easily shared with co-workers. Unlike SharePoint you can organize your files however you want without disrupting everyone else files.

2)   You can easily share and open files on mobile devices.

3)   Your files will be kept safely in the cloud or on your company’s SharePoint Server, however your organization has chosen to set that up.

4)   You or the co-workers you have shared the files with can edit them in the browser, no need to download.

5)   You can sync your SkyDrive Pro with SharePoint so you can open and edit those files offline.

6)   If you are signed into Office 365 you will be able to share files with others on SkyDrive outside your organization. Check with your administrator if you have questions about this.

7) More free storage than Dropbox. 7BG vs. Dropbox’x 5 GB.

8) You can view images from SkyDrive without opening the files, and many file types are editable from the browser.

9) Free online editing!

If this sounds cool but you don’t have SharePoint 2013, you can use the free SkyDrive. This is the personal application that is not connected to your companies SharePoint Server.

Download your free SkyDrive here

http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/skydrive/download

Ask an administrator about SkyDrive Pro if you are currently using SharePoint 2013.

1. Use Strong Passwords and Change Them Often

Bad Password: Password1

Good Password: 1LuvC@tz

I know you have heard this before, but let’s go ahead and beat the dead horse. No matter the device or system you should require a password to get in. Although a password is not a assured stop to attackers but it will certainly slow them down and hopefully stop them.

Do not include:

• Real words that can be found in a dictionary, even if you replace one letter with a number. Attackers have systems to crack those easily.
• Personal information like birthdates, addresses, family names or Social Security numbers.

You should:

• Make sure it is at least 8 characters long.
• Include a combination of everything like, upper and lower case letters, numbers, and special characters. Phrases are always best, not just a single word.

2. Install and Maintain Anti-Virus Software

The number one way attackers infiltrate small to medium size offices is through viruses. You see Anti-Virus software everywhere you go. Make sure the software you choose is not a virus in and of its self. There are some “anti-virus” software that you can download for free from the Internet that are Viruses! Sneaky little attackers! This is not a end all viruses solution, in fact many computers who have anti-virus software still have viruses, but it does defend from a number if infamous predators out there.

Sign and symptoms of a computer infected with a virus

• System will not start normally (e.g., “blue screen of death”)
• System repeatedly crashes for no obvious reason
• Internet browser goes to unwanted web pages
• Anti-virus software appears not to be working
• Many unwanted advertisements pop up on the screen
• The user cannot control the mouse/pointer

3. Use a Firewall

Unless your office is never connected to the internet (which is probably only found in Amish communities) you need a firewall. A firewall is the guard at the front door. It stops intruders and attackers from getting in, while the Anti-Virus software detects and destroys malicious content when it already inside.  Installing a firewall is not joke and can be tricky. This is not something you should experiment with. So what should you do?….Call ISON!!!!

4. Control Access to Important Information

Don’t give the plumber the password to your network, and besides that set permissions.  Don’t let a receptionist gain access to financials. It seems like common sense but some companies this can be difficult. For example a doctor’s office might need 10 different levels of security from receptionists to doctors to HR.

5. Control Physical Access

Protect your office the same way you protect your house. Make sure your servers and main electronic boards are locked up and hard to get to.  You also need to protect hardware from Mother Nature and the harsh sunlight and heat. Don’t put servers or CPUs on the floor in case there was a flood or water damage.  Also don’t let employees write their passwords on their whiteboard next to their desk!

6. Limit Network Access

See rule number 1! That is all I am going to say about that part of it.

Instant messaging and file sharing can also be exposing your network to threats. Create permissions for employees who can share files with someone outside the office.

7. Plan for the unexpected

It will eventually happen. What? … It. The thing you really don’t want to happen. Maybe it’s a flood or a hacking or zombie attack, something will happen that compromise your organization. Make sure to have backups or everything and make it a habit to backup your data. A good backup system should make it possible for you to quickly and correctly pull up your data in case of an emergency. Test your backups to make sure they work and pull up all information correctly. Depending on where you live and the natural threats to your location, you might think about locating your backups in another location.

8. Maintain Good Computer Habits

This is a good tip for any computer anywhere, whether its your work or personal computer.

Uninstall any software or applications that are not essential (i.e. games, IM, sharing tools)

Do not simply accept the default configuration when you download or install software. Walk through the process and recognize and understand the security choices.

Make sure your software is maintained and up to date. You can Automate updates to keep your systems maintained if you are in a smaller organization. For larger organizations you might have vendors do the patching for you. This would be smaller “patches” to the software that can happen across the company. Many times these “patches” are issued by the vendor when they find a vulnerable area, this is why updates and patches are so important.

9. Protect Mobile Devices

Passwords! Put a password on the phone/tablet/laptop itself and on applications that have critical information. Make sure you are using protected and safe wireless spots. People can view your information being transmitted when they are sharing the WiFi.

10. Establish a Security Culture

You have heard it before “its not the computer, it’s the user”. Computers don’t click on malicious links, people do. Educating your staff and organization is crucial, and needs to be done on a regular basis. Depending on your organization and industry, you might need to have a monthly security briefing. Discuss new threats and tips for keep everything safe. Some companies can come in and do security classes and some insurance agencies will give companies a discount when they educate their employees.

Information gathered from cybersecurity.com

The iPhone has an ambient light sensor that adjusts the brightness of the screen based on the light around it (darker in dark places, brighter when there’s more ambient light) to both save battery and make it easier to see. Turn Auto-Brightness on and you’ll save battery because your screen will need to use less power in dark places.

Find it in the Settings app -> Brightness & Wallpaper -> Auto-Brightness On

2. Reduce Screen Brightness

You can control the default brightness of your iPhone screen with this slider. Needless to say, the brighter the default setting for the screen, the more battery it requires. Keep the screen dimmer to conserve more of your battery.

Find it in Settings -> Brightness & Wallpaper

3. Turn Bluetooth Off

Bluetooth wireless networking is especially useful for cell phone users with wireless headphone or headsets. But transmitting data wirelessly takes battery and leaving Bluetooth on to accept incoming data at all times requires even more juice. Turn off Bluetooth except when you’re using it to squeeze more juice from your battery.

Find it in Settings -> Bluetooth -> Move Slider to Off

4. Turn Off 3G/4G

The iPhone 3G and later models can take advantage the speedy 3G and 4G LTE cellular phone networks. Not surprisingly, using 3G, and especially 4G LTE, requires more battery life to get the quicker data speeds and higher-quality calls. It’s tough to go slower, but if you need more battery, turn off 3G or LTE and just use the older, slower networks. Your battery will last longer (though you’ll need it when you’re downloading websites more slowly!).

Find it in Settings -> General -> Cellular -> Slide Enable 3G to Off on some models or Enable LTE to Off on the iPhone 5 or newer

5. Keep Wi-Fi Off

The other kind of high-speed network that the iPhone can connect to is Wi-Fi. Wi-Fi is even faster than 3G, though it’s only available where there’s a hotspot (not virtually everywhere like 3G). Keeping Wi-Fi turned on at all times in hopes that an open hotspot will appear is a sure way to drain your battery life. So, unless you’re using it right this second, keep Wi-Fi turned off.

Find it in Settings -> WiFi -> Slide to Off

6. Turn Off Location Services

One of the coolest features of the iPhone is its built in GPS. This allows your phone to know where you are and give you exact driving directions, give that information to apps that help you find restaurants, and more. But, like any service that sends data over a network, it needs battery power to work. If you’re not using Location Services, and don’t plan to right away, turn them off and save some power.

Find it in Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services -> Slide to Off

7. Turn Data Push Off

The iPhone can be set to automatically suck email and other data down to it or, for some kinds of accounts, have data pushed out to it whenever new data becomes available. You’re probably realized by now that accessing wireless networks costs you battery life, so turning data push off, and thus reducing the number of times your phone connects to the network, will extend your battery’s life. With push off, you’ll need to set your email to check periodically or do it manually (see the next tip for more on this).

Find it in Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendar -> Fetch New Data -> Slide to Off

8. Fetch Email Less Often

The less often your phone accesses a network, the less battery it uses. Save battery life by setting your phone to check your email accounts less often. Try checking every hour or, if you’re really serious about saving battery, manually. Manual checks means you’ll never have email waiting for you on your phone, but you’ll also stave off the red battery icon.

Find it in Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendar -> Fetch New Data -> Select Your Preference

9. Auto-Lock Sooner

You can set your iPhone to automatically go to sleep– a feature known as Auto-Lock - after a certain amount of time. The sooner it sleeps, the less power is used to run the screen or other services. Try setting Auto-Lock to 1 or 2 minutes.

Find it in Settings -> General -> Auto-Lock -> Tap your Preference

10. Turn off Equalizer

The iPod app on the iPhone has an Equalizer feature that can adjust music to increase bass, decrease treble, etc. Because these adjustments are made on the fly, they require extra battery. Turn the equalizer off to conserve battery. This means you’ll have a slightly modified listening experience – the battery savings might not be worth it to true audiophiles – but for those hoarding battery power, it’s a good deal.

Find it in Settings -> Music -> EQ -> Tap off

11. iPhone 4S & iOS 5: Turn Off Other Location Settings

Use this tip if your iPhone 4S or devices upgraded to iOS 5 are burning through battery life too quickly. It’s probably a software bug, so Apple may fix it and this tip may go away, but in the meantime, here it is. A number of additional location services introduced in iOS 5 seem to be draining battery too quickly. Turn them off and you should regain some battery life.

Find it in Settings -> Privacy -> Location Services -> System Services -> Turn off Diagnostics & Usage, Location-Based iAds, and Setting Time Zone

These are the Top Ten Threats found by Microsoft in the last quarter of 2012.

10) Spyware

Spyware is the information that is collected about a userwithout their consent. Most common spyware occurs when the user is websearching.

9) Backdoors

Backdoor Trojans are used by cybercriminals to infiltrate avictim’s computer and control them. Dorkbot is an infamous worm that spreadsthrough the users drives and then is used as a backdoor. Ramnit Trojan, whichis used to steal FTP credentials and then used as a backdoor.

8) Password Steals and Monitoring Tools

Banking Trojans are dangerous and account for 3.7% of theinfected networks that Microsoft detected. Zeus, also called Zbot are passwordstealers and were designed to record keystrokes, and often work in conjunctionwith other malware systems.  This tool issold in an attack toolkit that criminals can buy and use against you.

7) Viruses

We are all familiar with viruses, but it doesn’t make themany less prominent. They are used by cybercriminals to shut programs and filesdown and usually in turn shuts down security system processes. The Sality virusis a prominent infection found by Microsoft, This virus damages files andcripples normal computing functions.

6) Trojan Downloaders and Droppers

Microsoft found that 10.4% of infected machines had thistype of Trojan, that drops a malicious code and is connected to keylogger andrecords keystrokes and steels data. It also is able to access network drivesand other systems through the infected machine.

5) Exploits

Most of us rent movies, cybercriminals rent attack toolkits.The Black Hole automated attack toolkit can rented by criminals on forums. Thistool targets vulnerable applications like Java, Adobe and Oracle. This is aflexible tool that can be used to exploit many different applications.

4) Worms

Dorkbot is the most popular worm found in 2012. This nastything is spread through removable devices like a USB stick or removable drives.This one is famous for spreading through networks and taking out multiplemachines.

3) Adware

This smart little malware tracks the users browsing historyand creates targeted click through adware. This tool is found in InternetExplorer and Firefox browsers.

2) Potentially Unwanted Software

Microsoft researches looked at the top Malware threats ofthe last quarter of 2012.

This one has become prevalent through product key generators.Users download pirated software that has malware and other malicious contentattached to it. This is dangerous because it can bypass antiviruses that youmight have in your system.

1) Trojans

The number one biggest threat of the last quarter of 2012was Trojans.  The big menace in thiscategory was Sirefef, a rouge security software platform. This beast redirectedthe browser to another website, it was also one of the biggest malware threatsof the year. It was most commonly found in web application attacks.

“Which show would you prefer to watch?”

Walking Dead – 14%

Downton Abbey – 28%

Dancing With The Stars – 43%

CSI – 14%

It seems as though most of our customers prefer to watch Dancing With The Stars! I have to say this surprises me. Thanks guys!

Setting > General > Restrictions

1) Prevent user from deleting or installing apps

2) Turn explicit language off

3) Restrict viewing by disabling specific ratings

link to story

Today’s outage underlines the inherent risks in relying on a single source for multiple services or for any single critical service such as web or DNS. Remember core services such as DNS makes sure that your customers can find your web site, your email and your cash register.  You can have a data center full of web servers but without DNS no one can use them. ISON has multiple strategies for withstanding an outage like today. For example, many DNS hosts will allow you use their service for primary DNS while using another service as a backup.  While this is normal the next recommendation isn’t. Use a secondary host that you have control over and have the primary DNS host slave to your secondary. It might seem backward but you make your changes on the secondary and let that flow to the bigger primary.

If the primary goes down you still have your secondary as a backup. If the primary is hosting your website and mail you can modify your secondary to point to backup web sites and mail servers. If the outage becomes extended you can even set up a new primary and point the secondary records there. If you don’t have backup web and mail servers (also known as backup MX or email continuity) ISON can help you with low costs alternatives that are a fraction of the costs for primary services since they are meant only to function during outages.

Words by Phil Marasco