The National Crime Agency have announced that online users have two weeks to prepare for a “powerful cyber attack”. Two pieces of malware software known as GOZeuS and CryptoLocker are at the centre of this alert and are reported to be responsible for hundreds of millions of pounds of fraud globally.
At The PC Support Group, we’re putting together an action plan to best protect our customers
All computer users are being warned to ensure their security software and operating system are both up to date, and to run scans to check for any problems. Important files should also be backed up.
Ebay, the world’s biggest internet auction site, is the latest large organisation to be the victim of a cyber hack.
Blaming what they call an “Achilles heel” for the encrypted user information being taken, the company quickly advised users to change their password in order to prevent personal information falling into the wrong hands.
It’s thought to be the biggest reported hack ever in terms of the number of people affected (approximately 223m worldwide). Although it’s believed that financial data is not at risk, it’s still a major concern that data such as phone numbers and email addresses could be exposed to hackers.
When setting up a new business the emphasis is often on costs. Thanks to the recent re-emergence of EU funding, there may be some help available and many small banks are now onside offering free banking whilst you find your feet – even small loans to help you on your way.
Because the focus in these early days is often on watching every penny going in and out, there is a temptation to ignore or skate around some issues that, in time, could prove to be a huge blow to the business. One such potential issue is that of protecting the data stored on computers.
When you think of it, many business computers get rather a bad deal, every day they pop into life and perform all of the many tasks that you throw at them with ease and precision, day in day out, many for years at a time.
Does your IT Support ensure your systems are good enough OR do they ensure that they are actually giving you a competitive advantage?
If something goes wrong – do you rest assured that you have an IT support partner you can rely on?
Not sure? Then consider these seven signs that mean it’s time to consider a new IT support partner…
1. You only talk to your IT Support when something goes wrong
A good IT support firm will perform preventative maintenance to reduce the chance of things breaking in the first place. You should feel able to turn to them for advice whenever you need it – do you have unlimited telephone contact during each working day all in with the price of your contract?
In short, they should be more than The Emergency Service for your business-critical computers. If they’re not, you can almost certainly get better value elsewhere.
If your business relies on the internet, then you need to ensure you have a broadband service that is dependable. Many small businesses simply look for the cheapest option and that usually translates to a broadband package designed primarily for residential use. Business broadband packages generally offer a more reliable and more secure service.
Choosing the right package can be daunting but many internet service providers (ISP) now offer exclusive packages that address many of the concerns about running a business online, or being reliant on the internet for information or communication purposes.
Here are some aspects you should consider before selecting a broadband package for your business:
Earlier this year it was reported by the BBC (http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-bristol-21629210) that a couple ran up a bill of nearly £2000 because their 5 year old son accidentally made in app purchases on their iPhone.
Most surprisingly was the fact that they had their iTunes account password protected and they thought they were safe. How did this happen and could it happen to you?
What you may have noticed is that once you enter your iTunes account password it remains active for 15 minutes without the need to enter the password again. That means that in this period anyone (including any nearby 5 year olds) can make further purchases without the need for the password.
If you want to avoid this here’s what to do…
On your iPhone or iPad go to the ‘Settings’ app and choose the ‘General’ option. Scroll down and select the ‘Restrictions’ option and then tap on ‘Enable Restrictions’ and enter a 4 digit Passcode.
Scroll down the screen to the option ‘Require Password’ which normally shows a default of 15 Minutes. Select this and change the option to ‘Immediately’ and then go back by selecting the ‘Restrictions’ button at the top left of the screen. The “Require Password” option should now say ‘Immediately’.
Job done! Now your iPhone or iPad will prompt for the password again the very next time someone tries to download a chargeable app, rather than after a 15 minute free-for-all!
The PC Support Group has issued a warning to all computer users about a type of computer virus attack which appears to be affecting an increased number of systems in recent weeks.
This relatively new type of malware is capable of bypassing anti-virus/anti-malware protection by changing its appearance, and until anti-malware software is made aware of the new ‘strain’ it isn’t able to block it. This process can take hours from when the virus is released and as a consequence there is a window of time where systems are particularly exposed and vulnerable to attack.
Here at The PC Support Group, we manage IT for hundreds of businesses and one thing that we regularly come across are business owners and managers who are frustrated that they don’t understand IT and so feel incapable of choosing a good IT support provider.
We often hear that they have been “blinded with science” and don’t know what to believe. Most have also had bad experiences with previous IT support providers too.
Of course there are no guarantees of a great service but there are some basic, non-technical, questions that any business should ask an IT support supplier before engaging them in order to improve the chances that they will perform.
This infographic shows 20 great questions every business should ask an IT support company when selecting a new support provider. You can see the full size image by clicking here.
Asking the right questions can make selecting the right IT support provider for you and/or your business a much easier process. As an IT support business striving to provide a great service to our customers we love being asked tricky questions as we’re confident we can answer them. Here is a list of the questions we think will help you sort the wheat from the chaff.
1. Can you provide me with some reference companies to speak to?
Everybody knows that there’s no greater measure of a company’s ability to deliver than through referral so always ask for a number of references. You don’t have to call them all but if they can provide a few to select from it will instantly give you confidence.
And for those you do speak to, here are a few potential questions you could ask:
Do they deliver what they promised?
Are they responsive and easy to get hold of?
Do they communicate well – letting you know what’s happening with issues?
We’ve previously updated you on the fact that Microsoft is withdrawing support for the Windows XP operating system in April 2014 but you may not be aware that the same fate awaits Microsoft Office 2003.
In 2002 Microsoft produced the Support Lifecycle policy to ensure that users of their products where given clear visibility of the support they could expect. They committed to providing a minimum of 10 years support from product release (5 years Mainstream Support and 5 years Extended Support) and they also committed to informing customers when such support would be withdrawn.
In line with this policy, Microsoft announced that Windows XP (Service pack 3) and Office 2003 will go out of support on 8th April 2014.
