Tech Tips for Business Owners

Why Businesses Need Managed Firewalls

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Businesses And Organizations Need Managed Firewalls In This Era of Persistent Cyber Attacks

Unified Threat Management Appliance

Hardly a day goes by without some news about a data breach. Whether it’s the Credit Card breach at Goodwill Industries, or at  P.F. Chang’s, we hardly pay attention. Want to know why?  It is because cyber-crime is so rampant that it doesn’t even make the news anymore.  This is a challenge our small business customers face everyday, just like the big boys, but without the sophisticated resources.  Like it or not, your small business or organization is a target.

Imagine not being able to send or receive e-mail for days, possibly weeks. Most small business owners don’t think this could happen because they have a “reputable” anti-virus software installed. Sadly, they are operating on a false sense of security and hackers are praying that small business owners keep thinking that way.

One of the most common stunts hackers pull is breaking through a software firewall to hijack a server. Once they’re in, they use YOUR server to relay spam and other viruses to millions of users in a matter of seconds.

This is double bad for two reasons:

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Small Businesses and Dangerous Fraud Protection Assumptions

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Small Businesses and Dangerous Fraud Protection Assumptions

The Single Most Dangerous Assumption Businesses Make About Fraud Protection That Can Cause Them To Lose ALL Their Money

Small Businesses and Dangerous Fraud Protection Assumptions

Here’s a shocker to most business owners: Your bank often can NOT reclaim money stolen from your bank account due to fraud or cyber-crime. That means if money gets drafted from your business bank account from a hacker, phishing attack, identity theft or by any other means, you have little to no chance of getting it back.

This often comes as a surprise to businesses who think the FDIC will “save” them from getting their accounts wiped out, and can get the money back once taken. The reality is that the FDIC insurance is to protect you from bank failure, NOT fraud. So if your debit card or account information gets accessed by a hacker and you don’t notice it within the same day, you can pretty much kiss that money goodbye.

Recent studies have shown that 83% of small businesses take no formal measures against cyber threats even though almost half of all attacks are aimed at them.

Here are 5 essential steps you can take right now to protect your business:

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3 Costly Misunderstandings About Data Backup

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Most Organizations Exhibit These 3 Costly Misunderstandings About Data Backup

3 Costly Misunderstandings About Data Backup

Most business owners have some clear misunderstandings when it comes to backup of their critical business data.

Pop Quiz:

If your server suddenly crashed and ALL your data was erased, how long would it take before your business was back up and running as usual?

If you aren’t sure, or if you think it would only be a short period of time, read on. Below are 3 common, costly misunderstandings most business owners have about their data backup that give them a false sense of security:

Misunderstanding #1: Believing That Tape Backups Are A Reliable Way To Secure Your Data.

Wrong! Tape backups have an average failure rate of 100% (no, that’s not a typo). What makes this even worse is that tape backups will APPEAR to be working, giving you a false sense of security.

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Managed Security Service Providers Face New Hacker Tools

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Two companies have released software that mines information about individuals on the Web. This could pose a challenge to Managed Security Service Providers. Core Security Technologies dropped its Exomind application, while Paterva released its Maltego program. How will Managed Security Service Providers Respond? Both applications have one thing in common. They can be used to … Read more

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How to Save on IT Costs During a Recession

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Here are some tips to Save on IT Costs during a recession: Individuals become more frugal as the economy dips. Businesses who learn how to reduce their operating expenses are far more likely to survive economic downturns and recessions than those who continue to operate “business as usual”. For many business owners, information technology costs are expensive; … Read more

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5 Reasons to Implement a Managed IT Services Solution

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Information Technology services are essential to the success of every organization, large or small. With increasingly competitive business environments, CEOs and small business owners are under great pressure to maintain a highly qualified staff and to make sure their technology is obtaining a better ROI than their competitors’. These goals are not easily achieved, particularly … Read more

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