IT Security Tip #11: You’ve been HACKED! What’s the first thing you should do?

Quick Tip:  Call for help immediately.

Why:  No matter how diligent you are about security, there’s always a chance you can get hacked. That’s why you need to put a plan in place NOW to protect yourself and your CLIENTS so damage is minimized. But what should you do if you find out you’ve been hacked?

First, contact your IT department (us) IMMEDIATELY. The faster we can address the attack—and determine the extent of the data, applications and machines compromised—the better your chances are of preventing much bigger problems.

Laptop Improvement: Extending Battery Life

Tim “The Tool Man” Taylor, the accident-prone host of Tool Time in the1989 sitcom, Home Improvement, may have had lots of tools at his disposal, but did he plan ahead for maximum battery life? “I don’t think so, Tim” would have been Al Borland’s response, Tim's flannel-wearing co-host.

IT Security Tip #10: Set up bank alerts – NOW!

Quick Tip:  Set up withdrawal alerts on your bank accounts--both personal and work.

Why:  Many banks will send you an email alert whenever money is withdrawn from your account via check, debit card or transfer. Setting up those alerts will allow you to spot and report fraudulent activity BEFORE the money has already been siphoned into a cybercriminal’s hands.

Sometimes Our Techs Act Like Cinderella

Got your attention?

Well, as we recall her story, Cinderella did a lot of cleaning! In our business, we do a lot of “virtual cleaning” as it relates to computers and computer networks. This can involve helping organizations create easy-to-use electronic filing systems so that users can easily save and find files on servers or in the cloud.

IT Security Tip #8: Don’t just close your browser!

Quick Tip: Logoff and then close your web browser.

Why: When online accessing a banking site or any other application containing sensitive data, make sure you logoff of the site and THEN close your browser. If you simply close your browser, some of the session information that a hacker can use to gain entry is still running in the background.