Quick Tip: Uninstall unneeded software, especially freeware.
Why: Like it or not, PC manufacturers LOVE to stuff your brand-new PC full of “free” applications (they get paid to do it, so you’ve got a slim chance of getting one without a side of spamware). But clutter is the enemy of a speedy PC, and if you’re not using a particular software on a regular basis, it’s best to REMOVE it completely.
Phelan, Frantz & Peek LLC is a Westfield, New Jersey based law firm specializing in the areas of estate planning and administration, tax planning, real estate and small business. The firm traces its roots back over 90 years and enjoys working with generations of its client families.
Quick Tip: Use only company-approved, business-grade file-sharing apps.
Why: If you’re using a personal Dropbox, OneDrive, Google Drive or other consumer-grade file sync and sharing cloud applications, listen up! These applications pose a huge threat to your company because company data can be spread far and wide without central oversight of what information is being shared with whom.
We are already halfway through January. By now most people have stopped greeting each other with a cheerful “Happy New Year!” Many New Years’ resolutions to start good new habits have already been broken.
Even though we are already well into the new year, it is still a good time (and there is never a bad time) for managers or executives who rely on information technology to start smart good habits—habits that will last all the way thorough 2016 and beyond.
Quick Tip: Make your email password different than all others.
Why: You know you’re guilty of it: using the same password for everything. Believe me, I understand how annoying it is to try and remember all those passwords. If you’re using the same password for sites that don’t share sensitive information, like a login to a news feed you like to read, then it’s generally okay.
Cybercrime is at an all-time high. Hackers are setting their sights on small-to-medium businesses who are “low hanging fruit” ripe for attack. Don’t you wish you had a robot like in Lost in Space who would announce “Danger, Will Robinson, Danger!” whenever someone at work was about to open that phishing email, or click on that infected website or take some other unintentional but potentially dangerous action on their computer or your network? The #1 security threat to any business is…you!
Don’t be their next victim! Resolve to educate and train your team on IT security and raise their awareness of the dangers lurking on your network which, like Dr. Smith, can be on the inside.
Quick Tip: Create a bookmark for the websites you visit often
Why: Here’s a sneaky trick used by many hackers: They purchase and set up a fraudulent website that is a close misspelling of a legitimate one. Example: "www.faceboook.com" instead of "www.
The East West Connection is a Pittstown, New Jersey, based meeting and event company founded in 1990 by Ralph D. Weaver, a 23 year veteran of the public relations and communications fields. East West delivers exceptional meetings worldwide for a host of clients including seven operating units of top Fortune 100 pharmaceutical companies.
Quick Tip: Having a full, daily backup is the secret to foiling ransomware (even at home)!
Why: Not too long ago, ransomware, like the CryptoLocker virus, was all over the news, reportedly infecting well over a quarter million computers in 90 days (The real numbers are probably MUCH higher). The threat was fairly straightforward: Pay us or we’ll delete all your data.
Building Blocks of Technology
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