Gearing up for phishing scams in tax season

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Paying and filing taxes is already annoying without the threat of refund fraud or identity theft. But phishing schemes, especially during tax season, have become so widespread that you’ve probably already received spoofed emails or calls during the last few years. To maintain the security of your business, you and your employees need to be extra cautious with the emails you receive at tax time.

Phishing baits to watch out for

Phishing attacks often consist of fabricated or compromised emails sent to finance/payroll or human resources employees that are made to look like they’re from an executive in your company. The message might contain a request to forward employee records, including their W-2 forms, but that’s not all…

Another common scheme, which doesn’t only happen during tax season, involves getting a call from a person declaring to be an IRS employee. And no, caller IDs won’t save you because they can forge that, too. The phisher will inform you that you owe them cash from back taxes and they will threaten legal action if you don’t pay via credit card at that instant.

Always remember, the IRS will never contact you on the phone to let you know that you owe them money. And they certainly won’t threaten you or demand payment over the phone. If they really need to notify you of such matters, they’ll use the postal service and will give you a chance to discuss payment terms.

Standard protection protocols

Don’t worry, the usual security measures against these phishing scams are pretty easy to integrate into your business. Begin by developing a policy that bans the request of private details through email. If an employee ever requires such info, they should get in touch with the person directly, follow your established protocols for the transfer of sensitive information, and minimize the number of people involved in the transaction.

Taking security a step further

Data loss prevention (DLP) systems are also valuable weapons against these types of phishing attacks. They evaluate traffic going in and out of your company, such as web usage, emails and instant messages, and virtually anything sent on your network. DLP systems can filter out private details, including Social Security numbers, and stop them from being sent out.

But beware, DLP systems come with a minor drawback, as they can also block legitimate traffic, like when your accounting department sends tax info to your CPA. Fortunately, an MSP like us can properly segregate the good and the bad traffic to avoid confusing and/or frustrating your employees.

Phishing schemes may be a normal occurrence during tax season, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything about it. Don’t let the vulnerabilities in your business, particularly the human element, fall prey to cybercriminals. Send us a message right away and we’ll conduct an assessment of the security of your business, as well as design a risk management plan to help counter future complications.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Why your phone has slow internet speed

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In today’s world, staying connected means having strong internet and a high-speed phone. But you may discover that your internet-based apps are loading much slower after using your phone for months. Learn four reasons why your phone’s internet is lagging.

Router location

One simple yet overlooked reason why your WiFi-connected phone may be experiencing internet lag is because of your router’s location. Although WiFi has a range of up to 230 feet, the farther away you are from the router, the weaker the WiFi signal. Large objects like doors and walls situated in between you and the router can also weaken the WiFi signal.

It is recommended to place your router in a central location, preferably away from concrete and masonry walls or other big objects like a chimney. As the router signal radiates from all four sides, blocking any side with big objects will impact your WiFi’s signal quality and as a result your phone’s internet speed.

WiFi Noise

Did you know that home electronic appliances emit wireless signals at a frequency similar to your router’s (2.4 GHz)? So before deciding on your router’s location, determine whether there are any wireless devices nearby, as they emit signals that can interfere with your router’s signal. For example, even if the ideal location for your router is at the center of your house, you shouldn’t place it there if there’s a cordless phone nearby.

You can also set your router on a 5.0-GHz band, as this frequency is less prone to interference from other appliances. But before you start tuning it, make sure your phone supports 5.0 GHz; otherwise, it won’t be able to connect to the router.

Slow Network

Another reason for your phone’s slow internet is because of fluctuating network speed. Ask yourself these two questions to know the exact cause of this problem:
How many people are connecting to the router?
What are they doing over the internet?

You should increase your router’s internet bandwidth speed if you discover you have many users and all of them are either streaming movies, or downloading computer games or software updates. This will allow every phone to enjoy faster internet speed.

If you’re outdoors, and you’re connected to a public WiFi, consider using your mobile data instead. You won’t have to share your internet when you use mobile data, enabling you to experience faster connectivity at all times as long as you have a high-speed data plan.

Too much cache

Last, you should check your phone’s cache if fixing your router, network, and positioning doesn’t improve your phone’s internet speed. Cache is a component in your phone that saves data from earlier searches in order to increase the speed of similar searches in the future. Although your phone becomes more efficient for that particular search, it also makes your phone much slower when you do other things that require the internet.

You can clear out your cache manually or use a cache cleaner app to thoroughly get rid of useless cache and optimize your phone’s internet speed. If you decide to download a cache cleaner app, make sure that it is reputable and trustworthy so you don’t accidentally download a malware-infiltrated app instead.

There are more reasons to your phone’s lagging internet speed. If your business relies heavily on fast mobile internet speed and you’re unable to fix the sluggish connection, call our experts today. We’re always ready to help you.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Quick recoveries with external IT support

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Small-business owners with limited financial resources have to manage their office IT on their own. Although this might work for a while, it can grow into a massive problem when the business starts expanding. At that point, you’ll want to focus on that expansion, not repairing tech problems. This is where external IT support comes into play.

Access to new technologies and industry experts

Managed Services Providers (MSPs) are equipped with resources most small businesses can’t afford. They employ teams of experts in fields ranging from cybersecurity to data management to networking — all available for you on an outsourced basis. For example, an MSP provides advanced security software and applications that can help your business avoid the risks of cyberthreat.

They also work with industry tech leaders who provide insights into upcoming hardware and software products in the market. This ensures you receive updated recommendations on the latest technologies so you can use them in your business, and they often come with deals and discounts that you wouldn’t normally have access to.

Knowledge from past breaches

External IT support providers have been helping businesses recover from all kinds of tech disasters since the dawn of hackers. They now have enough knowledge to prepare Data Backup and Disaster Recovery plans for you. This way, you and your team would still be up and running after suffering from an IT emergency without disrupting much of your business operations.

External support providers’ experience with data protection will ensure your systems are monitored around the clock so your security systems are always functioning properly to keep cybercriminals at bay.

Run your business with ease

You don’t specialize in technology, so you don’t have the skill or the experience in dealing with digital felons. You also know how vulnerable your business is online and won’t dare do anything to jeopardize it. That’s why external support is such a great asset — you’ll be able to manage your business without any worries because your external IT provider will keep it protected.

In the end, you also have to be cautious in your search for an external support provider. Conduct your research thoroughly, read through all their testimonial pages, and verify whether their business objectives coincide with yours. To put your mind at ease and to make sure that your business’s technology is in good hands, you can always send us a message and we’ll provide you all the references you need.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Equifax finds more users hit by major breach

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Everyone thought the worst was over when credit-reporting agency Equifax revealed that the credentials of 145.5 million people in the US were leaked. However, the company recently discovered that there are more victims from the major breach. Here’s everything you need to know.

What happened?
On March 1, Equifax reported that the names and driver’s license numbers of approximately 2.4 million Americans were stolen. According to the company, sensitive information like home addresses, home states, or the license issue and expiration dates were not leaked. Equifax said these breaches were discovered only recently because their forensic investigations primarily focused on stolen Social Security numbers.

In response, the company said that anyone affected would be notified directly. They’re also now offering a security program designed to prevent identity theft and credit tampering. However, given the company’s poor track record, not many are willing to enroll.

When the company first announced the breach in September last year, the tool used to check whether an account had been hacked didn’t work and came up with false positives. Fortunately, there are other things you can do to protect yourself.

Monitor your credit
Consider looking through your credit reports for any suspicious spending. If you spot any new accounts, loans, and other payments you don’t recognize, contact your credit card company to report fraudulent transactions.

Check the dark web
Compromised data is often sold to the highest bidder on the dark web, so most Equifax data can probably be found there. To see whether your personal information has indeed been compromised, sign up for dark web monitoring services. Then consult with a security professional to discuss your options.

Place a credit freeze
One way you can prevent hackers from opening credit cards and making payments in your name is to freeze your credit. When you implement this, anyone masquerading as you will be required to provide a PIN to unfreeze your account. Contact the credit bureaus (Equifax, Experian, TransUnion) to activate this service.

Set fraud alerts
When you set a fraud alert, credit card companies and businesses must verify your identity before opening an account or making any payments. Together with a credit freeze, alerts will make it extremely difficult for hackers to steal your identity.

Learn to identify phishing scams
Because Equifax is notifying data breach victims directly through email, hackers could take this opportunity to send fake messages that direct users to dangerous websites. As such, knowing how to identify phishing scams (suspicious URL links, attachments, and spelling errors) is vital.

Dealing with data breaches is a long and frustrating process, especially for businesses that just want to focus on growing their operations. So if you have any security concerns, call us today. We have the cybersecurity expertise to protect you.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

How to leverage social media effectively

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Have you decided to build up your web presence and attract new customers using social media? Here are five tips on how small- and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) can turn likes into dollars.

#1. Choose the right platform

Between Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and LinkedIn to choose from, you may be tempted to sign up for more social media accounts than you’re ready to manage. It may not seem like much at first, but you’d be surprised by how quickly you can be overwhelmed by statuses, commenting on existing posts, and answering inquiries on every platform, which is why it’s better to adopt only a few platforms that can effectively attract your target customers.

Ask yourself these questions before deciding which platform to use:

  • Who is my target customer and what channels do they use?
  • What do I hope to gain by opening a social media account?
  • What kind of content do I want to share and create?
  • How much time can I devote to social media management?

#2. Know when to update

Are most of your customers online at 8am or 8pm? With a better understanding of your target users’ habits, you can schedule your posts so they create more traffic, increase brand engagement and, eventually, generate new leads and customers.

Depending on which platform you choose to invest in, you should post a new update during these times for maximum engagement:

  • Facebook: 1pm – 3pm on Thursday and Friday
  • Twitter: 3pm – 8pm, Monday – Friday for B2B, & Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday for B2C organizations
  • YouTube: 12pm – 3pm, Thursday – Sunday
  • LinkedIn: 8am – 5pm, Monday – Friday

#3. Use attractive, professional-looking visuals

One of the simplest ways to get followers to share your posts is by uploading high-quality photos, videos, and reliable infographics along with your messages. Studies have shown that Facebook posts with images result in 39% more engagement while tweets with images or videos create 200% more engagement.

#4. Engage with your followers

It’s important for businesses to maintain a healthy back-and-forth on social media. This means beyond sharing useful content, you should also respond to their comments and private messages as quickly as possible. You can build stronger relationships with customers by writing thank you comments to anyone who shared positive experiences with your business, and by addressing negative comments with personalized and helpful responses.

#5. Pump the brakes on promotional materials

With social media becoming important tools for customers and businesses to connect and interact, it is important not to muddy the water with too many promotional posts. A rule of thumb for social media promotions is that 80% of your posts should be shareable and interactive content, while the remaining 20% should be about your business. This will result in more engagement, a more consistent brand image, and a healthier bottom line.

Social media can help your business succeed, but only if it’s used correctly and effectively. If you’re interested in adopting the right social media platform to increase engagement and create a stronger brand reputation, contact us today and we’ll help you get started.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Making the most of Alexa in the office

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Alexa’s usefulness goes beyond controlling smart devices in the home, playing music, providing weather forecasts, and receiving calls and messages. Amazon aims to position her as a next-gen AI technology with loads of features for both home and business users. Here are some ways to turn Alexa into a one-of-a-kind office assistant.

Amazon’s Alexa has come a long way from performing basic functions like setting alarms, streaming music, and providing weather updates, to an all-around office assistant superstar. As Amazon continues to develop Alexa, businesses can expect to see her become more relevant in an office setting.

Create and manage to-do and shopping lists
You have meetings to attend and deadlines to meet. Alexa has a straightforward To-do List feature that helps you stay on top of all your tasks. It’s ideal for busy professionals who prefer a no-frills checklist that allows them to simply view completed items, or to edit or delete items on the list.

You can also seamlessly sync third-party applications like Any.do and Todoist, which offer more features for organizing tasks, adding subtasks and folders, creating reminders, setting due dates, attaching files, and prioritizing items.

To connect to a third-party app:

  • Go to alexa.amazon.com or access the Alexa app
  • Go to Settings > List, click Get Skill
  • Click Enable
  • Log in to authorize the app

Alexa also has a default Shopping List that works exactly like the To-do List. It lets you add or delete items that can be browsed in the Amazon store and searched for in Bing.

Reorder office supplies
Ordering supplies on an Amazon smart home device is especially convenient because you would have already set up an Amazon account. When voice shopping with Alexa, you can either add items to your Amazon cart (“Alexa, add toner to my cart”) or directly order a single item (“Alexa, reorder toner”) without having to lift a finger.

When you place an order, Alexa checks product availability, walks you through Amazon search results, and asks you to confirm or cancel the order. Voice shopping is enabled by default, but it can be disabled in Settings > Voice Purchasing in the Alexa app.

Sync your calendars
One of the best ways to maximize Alexa in the office is to sync it up with your calendars. You can view scheduled appointments, set meetings, or have Alexa read the day’s entries with simple commands like “Alexa, what time is my next meeting?” or “Alexa, when is the company barbecue?”.

To add a calendar:

  • Go to alexa.amazon.com or access the Alexa app
  • Click Settings > Calendar 
  • Select a calendar from the available platforms: Google (Gmail and G Suite), Apple (iCloud), or Microsoft (Office 365 or Outlook)
  • Log in to your account

Set a timer
A Pomodoro timer is a productivity enhancement tool that works by prescribing ideal work intervals and breaks. For example, you can set a timer that reminds you to take a 15-minute break for every hour worked, and setting this up in Alexa is easy.

To set a single timer:

  • Say “Alexa, set a work timer for 60 minutes.”
  • After the work timer finishes, say “Alexa, set a break time for 15 minutes.”

To set several timers at once, say:

  • “Alexa, create a work timer for 60 minutes.”
  • “Alexa, create a break timer for 15 minutes.”

The commands we’ve included here work for simple instructions, but you can modify them and use tons of other Alexa commands to suit your purpose. If you need recommendations on how you can work smarter with AI and other productivity tools, get in touch with us today.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

Google Drive now allows comments on MS files

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Google applications mostly comprise collaborative tools that are regularly updated to address your growing needs. With their new Google Drive update, gone are the days of converting files just to add a comment because you can now easily comment on the files in the ‘Preview’ pane.

To reduce the hassles

Google Drive allows your team to seamlessly share files in the cloud and work on the go. The tech giant knows that businesses require all types of tools and files to finish certain tasks and responsibilities efficiently. This is why they eliminated the stresses of converting a document into a G Suite equivalent file just to allow commenting.

To ease your responsibilities

Google decided to enable comments directly on Microsoft office documents, images, and PDFs without any need for conversion. This is particularly helpful when you’re working with another firm, negotiating a sales transaction with a supplier, or discussing a contract with a customer. In each case, you’d likely deal with different file formats.

To improve collaboration

The most recent update allows you to comment on various file formats in Google Drive, akin to how you do it in Google Docs. In Drive’s ‘Preview’ pane, you can assign tasks, mention colleagues, or add notes, and your team will be able to respond even if they don’t use G Suite.

For instance, when one of your colleagues opens an MS Word document on a Windows computer, he or she will automatically see the comments you added and have the chance to respond to it. Commenting on the ‘Preview’ pane won’t require you to open other applications or browsers just to finish your task. Instead, you can just open documents in its preview form, provide feedback, and get back to work.

Every now and then, Google releases new features on their host of tools and applications — and it’s always for your benefit. Make sure you take advantage of these upgrades by regularly updating your G Suite. If this sounds too technical for you, or you really don’t have enough time to stay up to date, don’t hesitate to give us a call. It is always our pleasure to help you reach your bottomline in any way that we can.

Published with permission from TechAdvisory.org. Source.

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