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Podcast: The Necessary Evil in Your Agency Operations

What You Will Learn in This Episode: What effective cybersecurity looks like for agency operations — and why you should care The risks every business should be aware of (yes, small agencies too) How cybersecurity and compliance are the same, and also very different Why your policies need to match your practices and how to make sure they do How your employees can either strengthen your cyber defense…or be its greatest weakness What to do to protect your business from big risks — including the ones lurking in your inbox When to start shopping for cyber insurance and how to [...]

By |2022-11-17T15:17:20-06:0003/29/2022|Expertise, IT Security, Podcasts|0 Comments

Ransomware Won’t Go Away

Ransomware attacks have, over the years, become targeted and expensive. There is an ongoing ransomware epidemic with attacks becoming more targeted. Previously, ransomware strains asked for ransoms of small amounts. Over the years, the ransom demand has exploded to nearly a million dollars. Requested ransom depends on how much data and the crooks perceived ability to extract money from the victim. Larger companies get asked for more money. The ransomware epidemic has had adverse effects on a range of institutions. Previously, the focus was on the consumer market, but the new wave targets governments and targeted corporations and institutions, such [...]

By |2022-03-08T08:51:41-06:0003/08/2022|Our Insights|0 Comments

Protecting Your Backups from Virus and Ransomware Attacks

Backups are an important aspect of a recovery plan after a virus and ransomware disaster. When your organization is hit with ransomware, you can use backups to recover the system without much hassle. However, backups are not immune to virus and ransomware attacks. There are advanced forms of ransomware that contain mechanisms intended to encrypt backup stored both in the cloud and locally. If your backups get encrypted, you might have no other option but to pay the ransom demanded by the attackers. There are different approaches that you can implement to protect your backups from ransomware and virus attacks. [...]

By |2020-08-14T11:44:35-05:0008/14/2020|Our Insights|0 Comments

Fix It Before It’s Broken: Three Reasons You Need to Upgrade Your Company Computers

According to research published by Our World in Data, technological advancements have been following an exponential curve for decades. Between innovations in processing, storage capabilities, and security of personal computers (PCs), as well as standard maintenance required to keep devices functional, you should plan to replace company hardware approximately every 4-5 years. Stretching the life of a machine only because it's still running can be a costly and dangerous mistake. Here are three reasons why. 1) Outdated machines expose you to greater security risk. If your hardware is old enough, likely, the manufacturer is no longer supplying security patches, updates, [...]

By |2020-08-07T09:40:00-05:0008/07/2020|Our Insights|0 Comments

Top Five Online Scams to Beware of in 2020

2020 has been subject to a myriad of scams that target individuals through different media outlets. Scammers lure victims into fraud by exploiting current events or taking advantage of the fact that people use the internet to job search, look for love, purchase goods, and bank online. Communication Concepts has gathered five of the most common ways scammers target individuals. Stimulus Check Scams With millions of Americans unemployed and furloughed, scammers are exploiting the need for stimulus payments. They send emails or call your phone, acting as though they are banks or the IRS. Whether the scammers say they are [...]

By |2020-07-31T16:52:00-05:0007/31/2020|IT Security, Our Insights|0 Comments

You Need Stronger P@sS\/\/0Rd5

In today's technologically-advanced world, passwords serve as the gatekeepers to nearly every facet of our lives. We use them to secure things from personal accounts containing health or banking information to business networks with confidential internal and client data. Yet we're notoriously bad at creating passwords that protect these details. Creating stronger passwords According to Verizon's 2020 Data Breach Investigations Report, lost or stolen credentials accounted for more than 80% of attacks on web applications, often through the use of brute-force — attacks in which a hacker gains access by guessing your login (username and password). That should come as [...]

By |2020-07-24T16:39:00-05:0007/24/2020|IT Security, Our Insights|0 Comments

BEWARE! Top Scams in 2020!

With the increase in e-commerce and online marketing, cybersecurity threats are continuing to flood the marketplace. Scammers are adept at using fear to convince people to do irrational things, such as disclosing confidential or financial information. The best guard against scammers is to constantly stay informed about the latest methods they are using in the marketplace. Below are the 5 most popular online methods scammers are using today. Fake Antivirus Software One of the most common scams is an antivirus popup that appears on a computer screen, telling the user that their computer is infected with several viruses that need [...]

By |2020-07-17T14:58:00-05:0007/17/2020|IT Security, Our Insights|0 Comments

Managed Service Providers (MSP): A Small Business IT Solution

According to Glassdoor estimates, a single IT manager pulls an average annual salary of more than $85,000. For small business owners, this can be a tough pill to swallow. You can't afford to operate without an IT expert in your corner to oversee major business functions like data management, information security, or general technical support and troubleshooting — but you may not be able to justify the costs of an on-site team and related infrastructure. Fortunately, there is a cost-effective alternative: Managed Service Providers. Managed Service Provider (MSP) A Managed Service Provider (MSP) is a third-party contractor that offers your [...]

By |2020-07-10T14:58:14-05:0007/10/2020|IT Security, Our Insights|0 Comments
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