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Be Careful of ‘Tab Napping’

Thursday, June 10th, 2010 by linzi

I’ve just read an article about a new online scam referred to as ‘Tab Napping’.

Basically, if you have more than one tab open at a time, it is apparently possible for fraudsters to detect when a tab has been inactive for a while.   So whilst you are merrily working away on something else on your screen with several internet page tabs open in the background, the fraudster can add malicious code to make that page look almost identical to the original one you were working on.    

So, if you were logged into your bank account for example, then opened up another tab to perhaps login to your Twitter account, then a few moments later you returned to your bank account page, you may have to re-login (which is very common when you leave your bank account inactive for security reasons) but what you could be doing unknowingly is giving your security details to the fraudster on their fake page.  Once you have entered these security details you are then redirected back to your original bank account page since you never actually logged out in the first place and you will know nothing about what has just happened.

Sounds very scary.  So, always be vigilent when online and follow these tips to help you stay cyber safe:

  • Always check the URL (website address) for auth to ensure it has https:// before the www.
  • If the URL looks unusual in anyway, close down the tab and start again.  A fake tabbed page will have a different URL address to the website you think you’re using.
  • Never leave tabs open where you type in login/security details.  Stay on the page and then close it when finished before opening up new tabs.

Posted in Online Safety, Security Breaches, Uncategorized | Comments Off

You Get What You Pay For

Monday, May 24th, 2010 by linzi

What percentage of your budget is allocated to IT?  Is it enough?   Are you sure?

Let’s take for example, what you spend on your much loved car.  Regular MOT’s, regular servicing, regular Road Tax and then there’s the fuel, oil and water to keep it running, the regular cleaning and replacement of essential components as and when required.  carIt all adds up, but if you value your car and your priority is your safety, the safety of other road users, comfort, speed and reliability, then you will budget for your car to ensure that it gets you from A to Z whenever you need it.

The same principle applies to IT.   You can’t expect your IT infrastructure to be reliable, fast, regularly maintained and updated, safe and secure, if you don’t want to spend the money.   Quite simply, you get what you pay for!

We’ve heard on numerous occasions where business owners haven’t wanted to invest in their IT and then they wonder why they are struggling to work.  On the flip side, we’ve heard from many business owners who do realise the importance of investing in IT and their businesses are flying ahead because the infrastructure in place is properly managed and supported and any possible problems are dealt with before they happen as a result of a proactive managed service provider.

Take your current situation…………..what would happen if your server crashed, if there was a powercut or if there was a fire or a flood or a nasty virus?   Are you fully protected against data loss?  How do you know?   If your data is backed up, how safe is it and how quickly can you recover your data in the event of a disaster?  Do you know?  Do you ‘put up with’ slow running pc’s because it would cost too much to replace them?   Are there other options – perhaps running virtual desktops?    These are just a sample of the questions business owners should be asking themselves and then following this up with a review of the IT budget. 

Because we are experts at IT and IT is our passion, we know the importance of regular monitoring to PREVENT any problems and possible downtime.  We care about the businesses we support and we want them to get the maximum benefit out of their IT infrastructure.  This is why we are transparent about how we manage our clients’ systems and networks through thorough regular monitoring and maintenance, with safe and secure backups which are quick and easy to recover and more. 

We so often take IT for granted and it’s only when a disaster or failure occurs that we realise and appreciate the importance of our investment. 

So, our advice to any business owners who want to be ahead of their competitors because they have better, faster, more secure systems in place, is to think about your current arrangements, what you spend and then consider what could be improved.  You may not even be aware of all the new technologies and solutions out there available to you, so be sure to ask the advice of an honest, reliable and expert IT professional……..

Posted in IT Support, Offsite back-up, Small Business Server, Uncategorized | Comments Off

How Strong are your Passwords?

Thursday, May 13th, 2010 by linzi

With so many passwords, passcodes, usernames, pin numbers to remember, how on earth do we manage them and ensure not only do we remember them all without writing them down, but also that they are secure?

I would imagine that most people still create passwords out of personal information such as birthdates, anniversary dates or some probably still use the word ‘password’ or ‘pa33w0rd’ or ‘Pa55wOrd’ for example!

So, how do you go about choosing your passwords and checking that they are strong enough to keep you and your data secure?

  • The longer the better – at least 12 characters or more;
  • Use a variety of characters - don’t repeat the same character several times;
  • Use characters that you may not use that often – there are lots to choose from on your keyboard – some you’ve probably never used before!
  • Change your passwords regularly.

How to Remember your Passwords:

One method would be to start with a meaningful and easy to remember sentence.  For example:

“To Be Or Not To Be, That Is The Question” – this could be meaningful to you because you love Shakespeare!  Next, take each letter of each word, “TBONTBTITQ”.   Then you can decide on a method to apply to create all your passwords, for example;

  • Add a keyboard character at the beginning and end of the password – ?TBONTBTITQ£
  • Add 2 meaningful numbers after the 2nd letter - ?TB95ONTBTITQ£
  • Make every 3rd letter a lower case letter – ?TB95oNTbTItQ£

Okay, so I now have my complex looking password……………now for the test.  There are numerous sites online to test the strength of a password and I’m going to check out mine now whilst I’m writing this.   And the result???   I got 3 bars out of 4 for strength, so it could be stronger.   Lets see if I can add something else:

  • Add another meaningful number before the last 2 letters -
    ?TB95oNTbTI81tQ£

Okay, still strong, but could be stronger according to the online password checker!  It appears that if I add 5 more characters, then it will be Super Strong!!

So, basically, if you come up with a method to apply to a meaningful sentence, you can create some really strong passwords.   Obviously, it’s not just sentences you could use, it could be anything memorable and meaningful to you which you will allow you to come up with lots of possibilities!

Now that you’ve got your super-strong passwords, here are some tips for keeping them safe:

  • Never ever give out your password to anyone else or respond to an email request
  • Never record your passwords on your computer, your mobile phone or jot them down in a notebook which is easily available to anyone – if you must write them down, be sure to keep them in the most secure place possible, such as a lockable safe
  • Always use different passwords – never use the same one more than once
  • Never use passwords on computers that you have no control over – for example in internet cafes, hotel lounges, conferences etc as cyber criminals could get access to your passwords via keystrock logging devices

I’m going to review all my passwords now to check their strength and change any weaklings into Extra Super Strong With Added Punch passwords!!    

Stay Safe and Secure!

Posted in Online Safety, Uncategorized | Comments Off

Office 2010 – Update

Thursday, April 29th, 2010 by linzi

I’ve been trialing Office 2010 for quite a few weeks now and I have to say, first impressions, I’m loving it!  There is so much more functionality to make day to day life easier, particularly in Outlook.  I haven’t tested all the features yet, but I will do so and will report back soon.  As with all new things, you have to get used to working differently otherwise if you stay as you are, you won’t necessarily benefit from some of the features and in some cases, working ‘the old way’ will make it seem more cumbersome than before!

More to follow very soon…..

Posted in Microsoft Office 2010, Uncategorized | Comments Off

Has Your Current IT Provider Got Talent?

Tuesday, April 13th, 2010 by linzi

Britain may be looking for new talent, but what about your current IT Provider? Are they truly talented enough to manage and support your IT infrastructure so that it meets and exceeds the demands of your business?

Consider These Crucially Important Questions………………

  • Is Your Current IT Support Provider Giving You Everything Your Business Needs To Operate At Optimum Efficiency?  Are They A Key Part To Your Success?
  • Do They Actively Offer Suggestions, Solutions And Advice To Make Your Business Run Better?
  • Are They Affordable And Working To Your Budget?
  • Are They Reliable And Honest?
  • Is Your Data Safe And Secure?  How Do You Know?
  • Are You Tied Into A Lengthy IT Support Contract Without Realising It?
  • Would You Recommend Them To Others?

Certainly something to think about and well worth judging whether the current skills, resources and the business relationship you have with your current IT provider, does in fact provide you the IT talent your business needs and demands…..

Posted in IT Support, Uncategorized | Comments Off

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