Tech Prognosis Blog Technology Tips for Businesses in Round Rock, TX

The Challenges of Data Leakage Prevention for Small Businesses

February 9, 2020 by Daniel Ihonvbere

With the rapid advances in technology and the attendant interconnected nature of computer systems, many business owners are becoming increasingly aware of the dire need to control the flow of information into, through and out of their enterprises, and challenges of trying to prevent data leakage.

For years, the focus of the business owner was on how to stop viruses, spam, network intrusions etc. Now the new threat is massive data leakage. This new threat affects all kinds of businesses large and small. According to a recent International Data Corporation (IDC) report, over 80 percent of respondents to a survey acknowledged that the fear of data loss and leakage was one of the biggest challenges facing their establishments. Of these, over 50 percent admitted that they were already victims of data leakage incidents.

Is Your Small Business Router Priming You For Disaster?

February 3, 2020February 2, 2020 by techprognosis

Network routers are the essential but unheralded workhorses of modern computer networking, yet few business (and home-office) users realize they are computers, with their own operating systems, software and vulnerabilities. Is your network router going to be the downfall of your business or organization?

Using a less that adequate network router to power your business could leave your organization routed for disaster. And, relying on a weak router like the ones made specifically for home use to protect your business computer network might be the most expensive mistake your organization ever makes.

Here’s why:

Most home (consumer-oriented) Internet routers have serious security flaws, with some so vulnerable to attack that security experts recommend that they should be thrown out.

As noted by Micheal Horowitz , a computer security consultant who specializes on router security, “it is a mistake to use a consumer router”.

The big reason is that consumer-oriented router security is not acceptable.

How to Recover Your Lost Computer Files Easily

January 29, 2020January 27, 2020 by Daniel Ihonvbere

We maintain our computers similarly to how we maintain our own health – rarely do we take the time to learn about preventing health complications, and instead work to repair our health once we’ve become ill! Rarely do we plan on how to recover lost computer files when disaster strikes.

We take care of our computers the same way, in that we rarely think about the safety or well-being of our data until something happens that leads to data loss or corruption. And when that does happen, how do you recover your lost computer files?

Have you ever taken a moment to imagine what would happen if you lost some or all of your computer files? Whether you only use your computer for personal reasons; or for school or work, file or data loss can be devastating!

Think of all of those business images and family photographs, music files or class assignments! Think of the business report you and your team spent weeks working on.

Phishing And Spam Emails Are Dangerous For Small Businesses

January 22, 2020January 22, 2020 by techprognosis

Email is critical to an organization. Phishing provides a way for cyber criminals to use email as a disguise to try to sneak by and steal business data.

There are only so many ways to break into a bank. You can march through the door. You can climb through a window. You can tunnel through the floor.

There is the service entrance, the employee entrance, and access on the roof.

Criminals who want to rob a bank will probably use an open route – such as a side door. It’s easier than breaking down a wall.

Cyber criminals who want to break into your computer network face a similar challenge. They need to enter. They can look for a weakness in your network – maybe a vulnerability in your server – but it’s easier for them to use an open route. Email is one of their favorites.

Email is a door into your computer network. Data passes through it every day. If criminals want to break in, some will throw on a disguise and try to sneak by.

By pretending to be someone else, such as someone you respect, they will try to earn enough of your trust to steal from you.

This is called phishing.

Why Small Organizations Need Vulnerability Management

October 13, 2023January 17, 2020 by Daniel Ihonvbere

The US Cyber Security Agency (CISA) recently released an Emergency Directive and Activity Alert addressing critical vulnerabilities affecting Microsoft Windows and Windows Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP). Vulnerability management can help organizations get a handle on such vulnerabilities.

Consequently, Microsoft released fixes for 50 security vulnerabilities in the Windows operating system, creating yet another scramble by IT professionals to patch their computer systems.

Part of what Microsoft fixed in the updates released was what is regarded as a major crypto-spoofing bug that affected Windows 10 users.

A key point is to realize that this particular vulnerability could allow a cyber criminal or hacker to spoof a code-signing certificate, vital to validating executable programs in Windows, and make it appear as if an application was from a trusted source.

Keep in mind that in technology terms, spoofing is defined as a fraudulent or malicious practice in which communication is sent from an unknown source disguised as a source known to the receiver.

To put it another way, when this vulnerability is exploited and code-signing certificates are spoofed, the operating system will find it difficult to tell the difference between malware and Microsoft software.

The Business Case for EndPoint Security in Small Organizations

January 12, 2020 by Daniel Ihonvbere

According to BAE Systems, almost 50 percent of small businesses have experienced a cyber attack, and as much as 60 percent of hacked small- and medium-sized businesses go out of business after six months. By deploying endpoint security solutions, most cyber attack attempts can be prevented.

Faced with limited IT personnel and budget, small business environment usually end up with non-standard computer configurations, inadequate or non-existent security policies, old equipment etc.

The impact of the failure of an endpoint on business processes can be a little scary sometimes. A good example is a call I got from a friend the other day. The boss’s computer had a couple of viruses and they had to disconnect the computer from the network.

Of course that meant business had to come to a halt because everything was on the boss’s computer. There were no anti-virus software on any of the workstations and of course no firewall of any kind, so it was free for all.