Our technology inevitably comes with us when we travel. Most of us won’t even travel to the end of the block without our smartphones. When you go on a trip, not having your technology there when you need it can ruin your day.
Travel smarter and more securely by doing several checks before you go. Use our handy tech travel checklist. It can save you from suffering from lost devices, missing chargers or a data breach.
1. Check Your Apps
Have you ever sat at an airport gate wondering why it looked so empty? You then found out that your gate had changed and you had no idea. You go rushing to the other end of the concourse and hope that you are not too late.
How did everyone else know about the gate change? They most likely had the app for the airline and received a notification.
Before you leave for a trip, make sure to download any apps you may need. It is better to download them when you are at home on your own Wi-Fi. If you wait until you are at the airport, reception may be an issue.
Some of the apps you may want to grab or update before your trip are:
- Airline app
- Train app
- Hotel app
- Theme park app
- Camping ground app
- Weather app
- City tourism app
2. Check Your Cords & Adapters
People leave behind countless chargers and adapters every day. They litter airports, restaurants and train stations around the world. Make sure to bring a backup charger for your laptop, tablet or phone. You don't want to find yourself paying a premium for a new charger in a gift shop. Your device could also go black if you lose its charger and can’t quickly get a new one.
3. Check Your Power
A great way to ensure that you have the power you need is to buy a small charging battery. You can find these in most major retailers or online. They are small “blocks” that hold a charge and can power up a cell phone in a pinch.
Having this extra backup also helps you to avoid potential juice-jacking ports. These are fake or compromised public USB charging ports. Hackers use them to steal your data when you plug in.
4. Check Your Mobile Plan
If you are traveling out of the country, you will want to check your mobile plan. If you don’t have the ability to call internationally, you may not be able to text or call home.
Carriers can add an international capability to your plan but be sure to ask about pricing. It can get expensive if you are on long calls or using mobile data. An alternative is to set up a VoIP app that you can use with your office, friends or family while you are traveling. These enable both calls and SMS but you do need an internet connection.
5. Check or Add a VPN
Free Wi-Fi may be a welcome site when you are on the road but it can also be dangerous. You don’t know who else is using that Wi-Fi. A hacker hanging out on the connection can easily steal your data if you’re not protected.
It is better to use either your mobile carrier connection or a virtual private network (VPN) app. VPN plans are inexpensive and will keep your data encrypted even if you are on public Wi-Fi.
6. Check Your Backup
Unfortunately, mishaps occur when traveling. You may leave your phone behind on a boat, have your luggage lost or get your device stolen while in a crowded area.
10% of all laptop thefts happen in airports.
Don’t lose all your data with the device! Back up your devices to the cloud or local storage before you travel. This ensures that you won’t lose the valuable information on your device. You also won't need to think twice about enacting a remote “wipe my device” command if necessary.
7. Check Your Device Security
Make your devices as secure as possible before you hit the road. When we are traveling, our minds are occupied by other things. So, you may not think to check your antivirus or avoid suspicious phishing links.
Protect your devices before you go using:
- Antivirus/anti-malware
- DNS filtering
- Screen lock with passcode
- Sharing features turned off
- VPN application
- Find-My-Device feature turned on
8. Check Your Double-Checks
What do we mean by checking your double-checks? Use the buddy system as a backup. When the family is getting off a plane, each should check with the other that they have all their devices.
If you’re traveling alone, have a friend or family member check up by text. Did you grab your charger? Is your VPN turned on?
Those little reminders can go a long way toward avoiding digital travel nightmares.
Improve the Security of Your Devices Now
Don’t leave your devices unprotected. This could mean a breach of your banking app or personal data. Contact us for device security solutions to reduce your risk.
Cybersecurity issues pose serious risks to IT and data infrastructures globally, stressing out IT professionals as well as employers who are worried about their financial stream. IT support services have worked tirelessly to assist organizations in improving their data protection plan for the rapidly evolving environment as traditional ways of protecting data grow to address new challenges.Read more
If you follow Microsoft products, you may know about Microsoft Ignite. It generates many exciting updates and announcements every year in the Microsoft world.
Microsoft held its most recent conference last October. In the rush of the recent holidays, you may have missed some of the highlights. So, we’re bringing them to you now.
One thing that you will notice is that Microsoft Teams got a lot of love at the event. Microsoft is now describing Teams as “the app at the center of Microsoft 365.” We can see why the company keeps enhancing this virtual workspace. Teams now has over 280 million users. It is not surprising because Microsoft has introduced over 450 new Teams features just in the last year.
We will go over some Teams features below along with other Microsoft App announcements from Ignite. These may give you some ideas for your next digital workflow upgrade.
Teams Premium
There is a new Teams Premium offering from Microsoft that adds a whole new AI component to the platform. This service includes several AI-powered features. They make it seem like you have your own meeting assistant.
Some of the cool features include automatically generating chapters from a Teams meeting. The app also generates personalized highlights for you. This saves you from having to rewatch the meeting later.
If you are meeting internationally, you can enjoy real-time translations for captions. Meeting guides is another new feature. It sets up your meeting options according to your needs.
360-Degree Intelligent Camera for Teams Meetings
SmartVision 60 is the first 360-degree, center-of-room intelligent camera. It has the ability to track the speaker as they are moving. The camera is also due to have a people recognition feature coming soon.
Virtual meetings can feel much more like real meetings using SmartVision 60. Instead of just seeing a small video feed of one person, the movement of the camera can capture a whole team.
Cisco is Now a Certified Devices Partner for Teams Rooms
Those that are fans of Cisco meeting products will be pleased to know that they now have more options. Microsoft announced that Cisco is now a Teams Room Certified Devices partner. You can now start Teams meetings across all certified Cisco meeting devices.
Microsoft Places
One of the virtual workspace apps to support the new hybrid movement is Microsoft Places. This is a team management app that integrates with the rest of the Microsoft 365 ecosystem.
The office is still around but for how long? Much of the world had to do things virtually during the pandemic. Many companies and employees found they like it better that way. Seventy-four percent of US companies have or plan to put in place a permanent hybrid work model.
Microsoft Places is one more way Microsoft is leading the hybrid office revolution. Some of the app’s features include:
- Manage and track where employees are working (at home or in the office).
- Track whether coworkers are away or available.
- Track physical room use to make strategic decisions.
Hours & Location Feature in Outlook & Teams
Another feature announcement related to the hybrid working world is hours and location. This is a new capability added to Teams and Outlook to make it easier to schedule in-person meetings.
It can get tricky to plan in-person meetings when you don’t know who is working at the office and who is remote. If you plan without checking, you're bound to alienate someone. They won't be happy if they were planning to work from home that day.
The new hours and location feature allows people to specify where they are working. They can adjust this from hour to hour. It takes the guesswork out of scheduling.
Loop App Private Preview
Another exciting app announcement that Microsoft made was about its Loop app. It stated that Loop entered private preview. This gives some organizations a chance to check it out.
Loop is a collaborative workspace app that helps teams ideate in a virtual space. All data pulled in from Microsoft 365 apps sync automatically to stay up to date.
Microsoft Clipchamp Video Editor
You may have noticed an unfamiliar app popping up on Windows. Microsoft Clipchamp was formally announced at the Ignite event. It is a quick and easy video editor for Windows PCs.
Have you ever felt frustrated trying to fix a video and not having the right tool to do it? Then you may want to take a closer look at what Clipchamp has to offer. It looks to have a fairly low learning curve.
Get Help Navigating the Microsoft 365 Universe
Microsoft 365 has come a long way in a short period. There are many different app integrations that you can use to power your workflow but it can get a bit complicated without an expert to help. Give us a call today to schedule a Microsoft consultation.
Our quick-paced, digital-first environment is turning every business into a technology company and this trend shows no indication of slowing down. Only one factor—the application of technology—determines the state of a sector. Read more
The new year has just begun and it is a time of renewal as we plan for the possibilities to come in 2023. It is also a time when you need to plan for resiliency in the face of an ever-present threat of an attack.
Sixty-eight percent of surveyed business leaders feel that cybersecurity risks are getting worse. They have a good reason. Attacks continue to get more sophisticated. They are also often perpetrated by large criminal organizations. These criminal groups treat these attacks like a business.
In 2021, the average number of global cyberattacks increased by 15.1%.
To protect your business in the coming year, it is important to watch the attack trends. What new methods are hackers using? What types of attacks are increasing in volume? Knowing these things is important. It helps you better update your IT security to mitigate the risk of a data breach or malware infection.
We have pulled out the security crystal ball for the upcoming year and we have researched what cybersecurity experts are expecting. Here are the attack trends that you need to watch out for.
Attacks on 5G Devices
The world has been buzzing about 5G for a few years. It is finally beginning to fulfill the promise of lightning-fast internet. As providers build out the infrastructure, you can expect this to be a high-attack area.
Hackers are looking to take advantage of the 5G hardware used for routers, mobile devices and PCs. Anytime you have a new technology like this, it is bound to have some code vulnerabilities. This is exactly what hackers are looking to exploit.
You can prepare by being aware of the firmware security in the devices that you buy. This is especially true for those enabled for 5G. Some manufacturers will build better firmware security into their designs than others. Make sure to ask about this when purchasing new devices.
One-Time Password (OTP) Bypass
This alarming new trend is designed to get past one of the best forms of account security. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is well-known to be very effective at preventing fraudulent sign-in attempts. It can stop account takeovers even in cases where the criminal has the user’s password.
There are a few different ways that hackers try to bypass MFA. These include:
- Reusing a token: Gaining access to a recent user OTP and trying to reuse it.
- Sharing unused tokens: The hacker uses their own account to get an OTP. Then they attempt to use that OTP on a different account.
- Leaked token: Using an OTP token leaked through a web application.
- Password reset function: A hacker uses phishing to fool the user into resetting a password. They then trick them into handing over their OTP via text or email.
Attacks Surrounding World Events
During the pandemic, the cyberattack volume increased by approximately 600%. Large criminal hacking groups have realized that world events and disasters are lucrative.
They launch phishing campaigns for world events. Attacks come for everything from the latest hurricane or typhoon to the war in the Ukraine. Unsuspecting people often fall for these scams. This is because they are often distracted by the crisis.
People need to be especially mindful of scams surrounding events like these. They will often use social engineering tactics (like sad photos) to play on your emotions.
Smishing & Mobile Device Attacks
Mobile devices go with us just about everywhere these days. This direct connection to a potential victim is not lost on cybercriminals. Look for more mobile device-based attacks including SMS-based phishing (“smishing”).
Many people aren’t expecting to receive fake messages to their personal numbers. However, cell numbers are no longer as private as they once were. Hackers can buy lists of them online. They then craft convincing fake texts that look like shipping notices or receipts. One wrong click is all it takes for an account or data breach.
Mobile malware is also on the rise. During the first few months of 2022, malware targeted to mobile devices rose by 500%. It is important to ensure that you have good mobile anti-malware as well as other protections on your devices (like a DNS filter).
Elevated Phishing Using AI & Machine Learning
These days, phishing emails are not so easy to spot. In the past, they nearly always had spelling errors or grainy images. While some still do, most don’t.
Criminal groups elevate today's phishing using AI and machine learning. It will look identical to a real brand’s emails and it will also come personalized. Hackers use these tactics to capture more victims. They also allow hackers to send out more targeted phishing messages in less time than in years past.
Schedule a Cybersecurity Check-Up Today
Is your business prepared for the cyber threats coming in 2022? Don’t wait to find out the hard way! Give us a call and schedule a cybersecurity check-up to stay one step ahead of the digital criminals.
Cybersecurity is becoming increasingly important as technology plays a more prominent role in our daily business operations in both small and large corporations. This increase in technology comes with an increased threat of cyberattacks. According to the U.S. Small Business Administration, over 700 thousand cyberattacks against small businesses resulted in damages totaling 2.8 billion in 2020. Companies must implement IT safeguards to protect themselves from the recurrent increase in these attacks.Read more
The new year has just begun and it is a time of renewal as we plan for the possibilities to come in 2023. It is also a time when you need to plan for resiliency in the event of a cybersecurity attack.
Sixty-eight percent of surveyed business leaders feel that cybersecurity risks are getting worse. They have a good reason. Attacks continue to get more sophisticated. They are also often perpetrated by large criminal organizations. These criminal groups treat these attacks like a business.
In 2021, the average number of global cyberattacks increased by 15.1%.
To protect your business in the coming year, it is important to watch the cybersecurity attack trends. What new methods are hackers using? What types of attacks are increasing in volume? Knowing these things is important. It helps you better update your IT security to mitigate the risk of a data breach or malware infection.
We have pulled out the security crystal ball for the upcoming year and we have researched what cybersecurity experts are expecting. Here are the attack trends that you need to watch out for.
Attacks on 5G Devices
The world has been buzzing about 5G for a few years. It is finally beginning to fulfill the promise of lightning-fast internet. As providers build out the infrastructure, you can expect this to be a high-attack area.
Hackers are looking to take advantage of the 5G hardware used for routers, mobile devices and PCs. Anytime you have a new technology like this, it is bound to have some code vulnerabilities. This is exactly what hackers are looking to exploit.
You can prepare by being aware of the firmware security in the devices you buy. This is especially true for those enabled for 5G. Some manufacturers will build better firmware security into their designs than others. Make sure to ask about this when purchasing new devices.
One-Time Password (OTP) Bypass
This alarming new trend is designed to get past one of the best forms of account security. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is well-known as being very effective at preventing fraudulent sign-in attempts. It can stop account takeovers even in cases where the criminal has the user’s password.
There are a few different ways that hackers try to bypass MFA. These include:
- Reusing a token: Gaining access to a recent user OTP and trying to reuse it.
- Sharing unused tokens: The hacker uses their own account to get an OTP and then attempts to use that OTP on a different account.
- Leaked token: Using an OTP token leaked through a web application.
- Password reset function: A hacker uses phishing to fool the user into resetting a password. They then trick them into handing over their OTP via text or email.
Attacks Surrounding World Events
During the pandemic, the cybersecurity attack volume increased by approximately 600%. Large criminal hacking groups have realized that world events and disasters are lucrative.
They launch phishing campaigns for world events. Attacks come for everything from the latest hurricane or typhoon to the war in Ukraine. Unsuspecting people often fall for these scams. This is because they are often distracted by the crisis.
People need to be especially mindful of scams surrounding events like these. They will often use social engineering tactics like sad photos to play on the emotions.
Smishing & Mobile Device Attacks
Mobile devices go with us just about everywhere these days. This direct connection to a potential victim is not lost on cybercriminals. Look for more mobile device-based attacks including SMS-based phishing (“smishing”).
Many people aren’t expecting to receive fake messages to their personal numbers. However, cell numbers are no longer as private as they once were. Hackers can buy lists of them online. They then craft convincing fake texts that look like shipping notices or receipts. One wrong click is all it takes for an account or data breach.
Mobile malware is also on the rise. During the first few months of 2022, malware targeted to mobile devices rose by 500%. It is important to ensure that you have good mobile anti-malware as well as other protections on your devices like a DNS filter.
Elevated Phishing Using AI & Machine Learning
Phishing emails in today's world are not so easy to spot. It used to be that they nearly always had spelling errors or grainy images. While some still do, most don’t.
Criminal groups elevate today's phishing using AI and machine learning. Not only will it look identical to a real brand’s emails but it will also come personalized. Hackers use these tactics to capture more victims. They also allow hackers to send out more targeted phishing messages in less time than in years past.
Schedule a Cybersecurity Check-Up Today
Is your business prepared for the cyber threats coming in 2022? Don’t wait to find out the hard way! Give us a call and schedule a cybersecurity check-up to stay one step ahead of the digital criminals.
As the digital world evolves, the threats it faces also evolve. Despite its seemingly innocuous name, phishing is considered to be one of the most dangerous cybersecurity threats facing businesses today. The sophistication of phishing attacks (which entail various fraudulent attempts to obtain user information, credit card numbers and passwords) is continuously on the rise.Read more
The global home security market has been growing by leaps and bounds. By 2026, experts expect the market to expand at a rate of 20.1%. This is on top of an expected increase of 21.6% from 2021 to 2022.
From Ring doorbell cams to entire home security systems, consumers want these solutions. Watching your front door from afar has never been so easy. With cloud-based video streams, homeowners can view any part of their home.
Sharing doorbell camera shots on neighborhood social media groups is now common. These home security systems also provide peace of mind at a wallet-friendly cost.
Don’t let the ease of setup fool you. Home security cameras can open your family up to risks if you don’t take precautions. People are often so excited to see what they can do that they don’t stop to think about device security.
There are horror stories online about hacked video cameras. This includes strangers saying disturbing things through those cameras to children.
In 2019, Ring suffered a data breach. That breach exposed the personal data of over 3,000 Ring users. This included usernames and passwords.
It is enough to make you reconsider your decision to add extra security. Don’t let those incidents scare you off. You can properly secure a home video camera system to ensure that it is not breached.
Here are some of the things you should do for a safe home security setup.
Make Sure Your Router is Secure
You access an IP security camera via the internet. Any commands going to the system or footage coming from it go through your router. You need to make sure that your router is properly secured.
Hackers breach routers so they can get to the devices connected to that network. Ensure your router security protocol is no lower than WPA2. The next generation, WPA3, is even better. These protocols govern the protection of data transmitted through the wireless network.
Give the router a strong password that is at least 12 characters long. Software can crack a password of only 8 standard characters instantly. A 12-character password with at least one upper case letter, number and symbol takes 34,000 years.
Change the Default Username & Password
You also need a strong password for your security system’s admin account. You should also change the default device and username. Hackers have lists of all these device defaults and use them to break into these systems.
Changing the default username and password for the device should be one of the first things you do. Otherwise it could be mere minutes after you connect to the internet that you’re hacked.
Ensure the System Uses SSL/TLS Or Other Encryption
You don’t want the footage from your cameras transmitted for anyone to grab and watch. Make sure the security system you choose notes SSL/TLS or another standard encryption.
This ensures that the data cannot be intercepted and accessed. SSL is short for Secure Sockets Layer and TLS is short for Transport Layer Security. Without a form of encryption, a hacker can easily breach your device.
Keep the Software Updated
If your security system has an automatic update feature, turn that on. Unfortunately, many users don’t think about updating their device software. This leaves it more vulnerable to a hack.
Updates often include important security fixes for found vulnerabilities. You want to make sure updates install promptly. That is why automating this is best.
Consider Access Levels for Multiple Users
Do you have several family members accessing your cloud-based security device? If so, set up some access levels. Not everyone needs to be at an administrator level.
Hackers love it when they can breach the login of an admin user for an account. This gives them more privileges (like changing settings). Giving lower-level privileges such as “view only” to most family members improves security.
Enable Camera Security Features
There will be various security features that are available with your system. Manufacturers often do not enable all security settings by default. The user must turn all or some of them on.
If you’re unsure of what settings should be on or off, we will be happy to help. Some home security systems have generous sharing options. This can be an invitation for hackers. You want to restrict these as much as possible.
Make Sure Your Mobile Device is Secure
Most people access their security cam through their smartphone. Make sure that you secure yours and keep it updated with the latest operating system. Hackers can gain access to a security system through a device with weak safeguards.
Add things like:
- Mobile anti-malware
- DNS filtering
- Screen lock
- Automated updating
Looking for Help Protecting Your Cloud Security System?
Give us a call and schedule a visit. We will be happy to help you ensure your security system is set up with best practices.
In modern terms, discussions about development in business circles (from small and medium businesses to governments to multinational corporations) must involve digital transformation to be effective. It is no different in other sectors. This transformation does not happen to every company in the same way but cyber resiliency is important to the development of companies.Read more