Lowlife Ransomware Hackers Now Asking for More Than $1k Per Attack

Ransomware remains a very real threat, and is arguably only getting worse. Attacks are now able to come more frequently, and there are opportunities for even relative amateurs to level an attack against some unfortunate victim. However, this is not to say that there is nothing you can do to keep your business from becoming another cautionary tale.

Ransomware, in review:
First of all, it’s important to understand exactly what ransomware is. A form of malware, ransomware will infect your system and encrypt your data. It gets its name from the fact that the attacker will demand a ransom in order for your data to be decrypted. What’s worse, if you pay, you’re taking the distributor at their word that they will decrypt your data once the money has changed hands.

Understandably, this form of ransomware can be a highly potent weapon against many users, who simply won’t know how to handle the situation beyond paying and hoping for the best. Of course, since the motives behind ransomware are financial, a lot is directed towards business targets, as they not only have more funds available but are also heavily reliant on their data to function.

Ransomware repercussions
The nature of ransomware means that those that distribute it can usually name their price for the decryption key. After all, it isn’t as though victims have anywhere else to turn other than the hacker (or so the hackers want them to believe). Due to this, ransoms for encrypted data have shot up--in 2015, the ransom to decrypt an infected computer would cost about $294, on average. That price had jumped to average $1,077 per computer in 2016.

In addition to this increase in ransom demands, there was a 36 percent higher rate of ransomware attempts between 2015 and 2016, 68 percent targeting consumers. This left a still-considerable 32 percent being leveraged towards businesses.

Does it get worse? Sure does.
As if it wasn’t bad enough already, ransomware is now able to be utilized by just about anybody who has a grudge or a desire for some extra cash. Ransomware is now offered as-a-Service, allowing an attack to potentially come from far more sources than before. Some variants of ransomware, such as Karmen, will only cost an aspiring cyber criminal $175 to cash in on.

Thankfully, there are steps being taken to eliminate the threat of ransomware. For instance, there are decryption tools to help undo the damage that Karmen can cause because it was derived from the open-source ransomware project Hidden Tear. Other tools and resources are available to help identify which ransomware has infected a given system, like this one from security researcher Michael Gillespie.

However, there are also steps that you can take to avoid a ransomware infection, like following best security practices and computing mindfully. Net It On is here to assist you in putting these procedures in place, as well as helping you recover should ransomware strike. Give us a call at (732) 360-2999 today.

Tip of the Week: Did You Know Microsoft Word Calculates Math Equations?

You know Microsoft Word as a word processor that lets your organization compose documents. Yet, you may not know the extent to which you can use this application. You might be surprised to hear this, but you can even perform mathematical calculations using Microsoft Word!

First, you’ll need to open up a new document in Word. This will be your playground throughout the duration of this blog article, so feel free to try out this process as we walk you through it.

Look in the All Commands tree for the Calculate command. You can find it in File by navigating through Options.

The next step is to use the Quick Access Toolbar to find All Commands. You want to add the Calculate command to the Quick Access Toolbar for easy access.

Once this has been done, you’ll be able to solve an equation that you’ve typed out. All you have to do is highlight it with your cursor.

To put this new mechanic to the test, just type something basic like =4+4 into the document. Once you’ve highlighted the equation with your cursor, click the Calculate command that’s now located in your Quick Access Toolbar. You’ll now see the result of the calculation at the bottom of the screen in the left-hand corner, where you would normally see the number of words in the document.

That’s about as simple as it gets. This lets you stay in your Microsoft Word document without exiting just to go to your calculator application. In fact, many other apps that you have will also have hidden features that let you do more than meets the eye. For example, Microsoft Excel can also perform a variety of mathematical functions within its spreadsheets. All of this cross-functionality is one of the main reasons why a productivity suite like Microsoft Office 365 is so helpful for SMBs.

What other hidden tricks found in Microsoft Word can you think of? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to our blog for more great tips.

The Fallout From Data Loss Isn’t Pretty

Data loss: it’s not a fun term for any business to hear. However, when one considers all of the ramifications that data loss can have upon a business, it swiftly transitions from “not fun” to “alarming.” Have you taken the time to think about what losing your business’ data would really mean for your company?

Downtime
There’s a reason that ‘downtime’ is considered a dirty word in an IT professional’s vocabulary. A loss of productivity is quite literally the opposite of what a company’s IT solutions should deliver. However, if a data loss incident were to occur without any mitigating measures in place, downtime is essentially guaranteed--along with all the negative consequences that it brings along with it.

These consequences include the financial impact that downtime will have on your business directly. After all, your business will not be able to generate revenue throughout the downtime incident, which means that the total amount you would have otherwise earned can be considered a cost. Combine that with the financial amount it takes to return to operations, as well as the potential business that has now been lost due to the downtime incident, and the sum total quickly becomes considerable.

Data Leakage
Of course, when considering data loss, the “why” needs to be established. If the answer involves your data storage being compromised by an outside party, you need to consider what data was lost. If it just so happens that personnel records were breached, exposing your employees’ personally identifiable information, or your customers’ financial data, you will almost certainly have some major problems on your hands.

Destroyed Reputation
Look at it this way: would you trust a company that had allowed your personal data to be stolen, putting your livelihood and good name at risk? In fact, would you trust a company that had allowed anyone’s personal data to be stolen? Probably not, and guess what? Your potential clients and customers feel the same way.

Whether they’re an existing client whose data was breached, or a prospect who heard about your issues with data security, there’s a good chance that they will lose any faith in your ability to protect their information. Therefore, existing clients will jump ship, and prospects will quickly turn to other options. Perhaps worse, those who were affected by your data loss will likely vent online, preventing many from ever approaching your business afterwards. While there are ways to mend fences with these clients, they are all expensive.

Clearly, data loss is something that no business is truly prepared to experience, which is why we’re here to help prevent it. To learn more about how Net It On can help protect your company’s data, give us a call at (732) 360-2999.

2-in-1 Mobile Devices Give Businesses the Best of Both Worlds

As computing and business have become more intertwined, it has become more important for software solutions and other business-essential tools to be ready at a moment’s notice. This tendency has contributed to the rise of mobile solutions, although there is still a need for the power a desktop provides. That’s why we are big fans of convertible ultrabooks, or 2-in-1 devices.

These versatile solutions offer the best parts of both mobile and desktop computing experiences, and are right for the business user.

Consolidation and Cost Savings
Perhaps most important to many business users is the potential cost savings that a convertible laptop brings with it. Since it serves as both a laptop and a tablet, you can avoid shelling over additional funds to supply your workforce with both solutions. Plus, since it can serve as a desktop workstation when it has been docked, a single device could foreseeably fulfill every computing need your employees have.

Functionality
Windows 10 was specifically designed to work with 2-in-1 devices. This is why the transition from laptop to tablet is comparatively seamless, and running multiple applications is equally simple. It also should be said that these devices have the power to do anything that a typical laptop can handle.

This does mean that most 2-in-1s won’t meet the standards that serious graphic designers, video editors, or similar occupations will demand of them, but there are even a few options that will fit the bill for this level of use. Some 2-in-1s will include a built-in stylus for exactly this purpose.

In addition to the abilities that the devices themselves boast, they also permit the user to interact with them in the way that the user prefers--namely, whether to use a mouse or the touchscreen. This is especially important, considering the prevalence of touchscreen-based devices in everyday life. This functionality in a 2-in-1 solution means that habits from the rest of life are more easily translated over to work computing, boosting productivity and enhancing efficiency.

Flexibility
This benefit is a pretty straightforward one: a 2-in-1 device can adapt to serve pretty much any purpose you could have in the office environment. Whether you need a laptop to type at or a quick video screen to showcase a presentation, these devices can do it all, and then some.

If you agree with us and think that 2-in-1 devices may just be the best choice for your business, give us a call at (732) 360-2999.

Tip of the Week: Looking to Free Up Hard Drive Space? This Free Tool Can Help

No matter how much we wish it weren’t so, all PCs have limited amounts of storage space on them. This means that the user will eventually run out of space, and they will have to find a way to resolve this issue as soon as possible so as to avoid unsaved work. Plus, your performance will take a hit, so it’s best to look for a way to resolve this issue. Thankfully, a free tool like WinDirStat can help you free up space by identifying where all of your free space is being taken up, and how you can make some wiggle room with your PC’s largest files.

Before we dig into the details, we want to add a disclaimer about deleting any large files that might be on your company-provided computer. Users should always check with a company’s IT administrator before deleting anything large like this on their PC. By doing so, you could avoid accidentally deleting files and apps that are crucial to your organization.

The Windows Directory Statistics, or WinDirStat, is a tool that lets you see a visual “treemap” of how the space on your hard drive is being used. To download this free app, just go to the developer’s website: https://windirstat.net/download.html

When you first open up WinDirStat, the program will read your drive’s directory tree and show you three displays:

• Directory List: You’ll see what looks like a tree view of Windows Explorer, but it will be sorted by file type and subtree size.
• Treemap: You’ll be shown the entirety of the directory tree.
• Extension List: This shows statistics regarding file types.

Each of these files are represented by colored rectangles, and the size is proportionate to the file’s size. You will notice that these rectangles are arranged by directories and subdirectories. Therefore, the rectangles will be proportionate to the size of the subtrees. Additionally, the colors of the rectangles will indicate file type, and you can use the extension list to find the color that you’re looking for.

With this knowledge in mind, you’ll be able to make the best decisions possible regarding which files you want to delete to free up space for other uses However, you still need to be wary that deleting this files isn’t the only option at your disposal. Deleting large files that could hold value, like a video, simply because you don’t access it frequently, would be foolish. It’s ideal to simply get it removed from your drive through the use of an external drive, a network drive, or the cloud.

Granted, if your goal is to free up hard drive space and improve the way that your PC functions, you’re better off reaching out to professional technicians like those at Net It On. We can help your organization get the most out of its technology solutions, including your data storage procedures, reach out to us at (732) 360-2999.

Because Busy Business Owners Shouldn’t Have to Worry About Technology

A business without its own IT department will expend vast amounts of time and resources to manage its technology. Tasks like managing your email solution, upgrading or managing your desktop infrastructure, or securing your network from threats, can be draining. If you don’t have time to perform these tasks, then it’s worth it to invest in an outsourced IT provider for your technology needs.

Many organizations are faced with an increasing need for technology maintenance like never before, and they are turning their attention toward third party technology management brought to them by managed service providers. At first, this proposition might sound a bit strange. It’s difficult to justify purchasing services when you can just do them yourself. However, you’ll find that the long-term cost savings will far outweigh any costs associated with managed IT, and you’ll save both time and resources that can instead go to better purposes.

In other words, rather than spend time managing your organization’s technology, you’ll be able to focus more on running your business.

Granted, there is the option of hiring an internal IT department. Although, after looking closely at this expense you may find that this move could eventually become much more of a long-term cost than investing in an outsourced managed service provider. Paying multiple salaries could easily become much more of a problem for your budget than a simple monthly payment to a managed service provider. It’s a simple choice, but you need to consider your business’s unique needs before making it.

Some organizations believe that managed IT means giving up control over your IT infrastructure, but this is simply false. A good managed IT provider like Net It On will make every effort to create a transparent, trusting relationship with your organization. We believe that cooperation is the key to unlocking your business’s full potential, and a proper technology strategy is the best place to start. A proactive technology policy will be able to help you keep your operational infrastructure in proper working order.

As a managed service provider, Net It On offers the following services for your business:

• Network security management
• Email management
• Hardware and software procurement
• Remote maintenance and management
• Backup and disaster recovery
• Help desk support
• And more!

Does your business want to leverage technology to the best of its ability? If so, reach out to us at (732) 360-2999.

Sadly, the WannaCry Ransomware Disaster Could Have Been Easily Prevented

On May 11, 2017, the WannaCry ransomware spread around the globe like wildfire and disabled computing infrastructures belonging to organizations of all shapes and sizes. As the world watched the news unfold, it seemed as if practically no business was immune to this ultra-powerful ransomware. Yet, many quick-thinking organizations were. All because they had the foresight to follow IT best practices.

What made the WannaCry ransomware particularly potent was the fact that its delivery method borrowed from recently stolen cyberspying tools developed by the NSA. Such a high-level attack caught many organizations off guard--except for the ones that applied a security patch issued by Microsoft in March, almost two months prior. These security patches were designed specifically to address the vulnerability exploited by the ransomware hackers. Basically, hackers were counting on organizations being slow to apply the security patches. Obviously, these hackers have enough knowledge about how businesses conduct their IT operations to know that such a gamble would pay off, handsomely.

The average PC user may not be aware of how a large business, especially one entrusted with sensitive data, could fail to apply important security patches in a timely manner. After all, many users simply have their PC set to automatically update. For these PC users, the patches from Microsoft are downloaded and applied quickly and painlessly. However, what the world needs to be aware of is something that hackers understand all too well is that many businesses and organizations do not immediately apply patches when they're published. Instead, organizations prefer to have their IT teams test the patches before applying them to the company network to ensure the patch does not impact operations.

For a business that relies on software to keep operations moving forward, making a change or even a slight adjustment to a system that’s working can be a big risk. What if upgrading to a new version of software means that new features aren’t compatible with established processes? What if a new security patch changes an OS in such a way as to disrupt day-to-day operations? This is why businesses make the choice to test all new software, upgrades, updates, and patches - even the major, security ones from Microsoft - before applying it to the network. The larger and more complex the company and its network, the more time and resources it will take to perform such a test. This is why the WannaCry ransomware was so much more effective against larger organizations than smaller businesses or PC users which had the ability to apply the patches in a more timely manner.

The companies that fell victim to the recent round of ransomware attacks aren’t completely off the hook. Between the time Microsoft issued its patches (March) to the time WannaCry hit (May), IT teams had ample time to test and apply the provided patches, which would have saved them a world of hurt. Therefore, for companies wanting to safeguard themselves from another worldwide ransomware attack (or even lesser attacks), it's vital to prioritize in following best practices like applying patches.

If you or your IT team has so much going on that it’s difficult to handle IT maintenance responsibilities like applying patches, then you can call on Net It On for assistance. Routine tasks like applying security patches can be outsourced to professionals, and for many IT tasks, they can be accomplished remotely. By outsourcing your IT to Net It On, you can rest assured that your systems are up-to-date and safeguarded from the latest threats, which means you won’t “wanna cry” should another round of ransomware ravish the world.

Tip of the Week: Improve Operational Efficiency Simply By Adding More Monitors

How many monitors do you use? How many do your employees use? If they only have one monitor to be productive with, it could be hampering their ability to work efficiently. By incorporating a second monitor you can provide the construct to overhaul your employee’s productivity and efficiency.

How Multiple Monitors Help
It’s clear that not needing to go from one window or application to the next is a great time saver, but there are other benefits that might fly a bit under the radar. All of this time can quickly add up and be a considerable time sink. Switching by mouse can take as much as 1.5 seconds every time, plus the time it takes for the application to open up again. If you’re transferring data from one application to the next, that’s two second for each item or piece of data that is being transferred. All of that time could be eliminated and used somewhere else if you implemented an additional monitor for each employee.

How It Adds Up
Let’s say that these two seconds are universally attributed to every task that is performed every day at every workstation. Let’s say that you have 30 employees who are all responsible for data entry. These employees are all responsible for updating 2,500 pieces of data every day. If each employee saved two seconds for each piece of data transferred, that would mean 5,000 seconds saved by each one. That’s 83 minutes each day! Multiplied by 30 employees, that’s a time save of about 41 hours. That’s like having an extra five employees working to complete a task, and it’s all because you went out of your way to acquire a second monitor for each of them. The investment can quickly pay for itself.

Other Uses of Additional Monitors
While the above is certainly a reason to consider multiple monitors, there are other reasons why two displays are superior to one. For example, if your organization relies on communication solutions like VoIP or instant messaging, these apps can be opened on the second monitor at all times so that nobody misses an important update or message. Or, if your organization depends on in-depth spreadsheets, they can be set to span both screens, allowing for a better view of their contents.

Does your business need help acquiring new hardware, like new monitors for your employees? To learn more about how Net It On can help your business with its technology acquisitions, reach out to us at (732) 360-2999.

Employees at Each Other’s Throats? Try These Team-Building Exercises

How do you refer to your group of employees? If you’re like most businesses, you call your employees your ‘team.’ This only makes sense, as a team is meant to work together toward a common goal. But what if your team isn’t acting very much like one?

There’s no question that a collaborative workplace is the most successful kind of workplace. There is truth to the saying that two heads are better than one. When you add up the different viewpoints, perspectives, and thought processes that will be present in the average workforce, you’ll find yourself with a potent source of ideas and strategies.

However, this isn’t automatically the case in all workplaces. In order for these ideas and strategies to mix, your employees will have to be willing to work amongst and alongside one another. To accomplish this, your employees will have to be comfortable interacting with one another, which isn’t always an easy thing to accomplish due to differences in personality and assorted other factors. These circumstances will more than likely lead to miscommunications and inefficiencies in the workflow, as well as tension between employees.

While the natural-seeming response to these problematic relationships may be to shrug them off and tell your employees to get over it, this approach won’t solve the problem. Therefore, your workplace will still have coworkers failing to work cooperatively, influencing everything that you do--slowing productivity and decreasing the quality of your output.

However, there are a few methods you can use to improve the workplace environment. First, it is recommended that there is an area of your office that is set aside as accessible common areas where your employees may congregate and socialize during breaks in a non-work-related fashion. An employee who has a handle on who their coworkers are will be much more willing to reach out to them than they would to a relative stranger.

A little more direct method is to simply hold a few meetings and practice teamwork and collaboration. Try holding a staff meeting and, instead of listening to the same few employees talk, have your staff pair off and discuss their ideas for handling an issue. Once you have everyone switch partners a few times and share, not only will brand new ideas have formed, but your workplace will be unified to the cause of putting them into practice.

The real key to getting your employees to collaborate is getting them to communicate with each other. They just have to know that they are all on the same team to get them to start acting like it, and collaborating.

Of course, it helps to have the means to collaborate, which is where Net It On can help. We can come in and provide the solutions your team needs to fully embrace the benefits of full workplace collaboration.

You Can Save Money By Hosting Data in the Cloud (Depending How You Do It)

Cloud computing is taking the business world by storm. Despite this, not every organization has made the switch. While every company that hasn’t yet migrated to the cloud has their reasons, one big reason often tops the list: the perceived lack of cost savings. Thanks to a new study, this perception is now proven to be inaccurate.

The study was performed by John Burke, analyst and CIO of Nemertes Research. In it, he looked at real-world scenarios of enterprises hosting their workloads in-house vs in the cloud. Though his findings have yet to be finalized, he collected enough information to provide InformationWeek with a formula that businesses can use as an indicator of predictable cost savings to be found in the cloud. The formula is as follows: “With an IT staff person as the unit of cost, the enterprise data center workload costs $23 per IT staffer compared to $18 of IT staff expense for a workload in the cloud.”

Suffice to say, the computing needs of every organization are unique, so this formula may not apply exactly to your own business model. We should also note how past attempts to get a lockdown on a predictable cost savings formula for cloud computing have been difficult. This is due in part to the pricing models varying between cloud providers, especially when it comes to the different combination of resources utilized by SMBs.

Despite such variations, Burke has confidence in his preliminary findings. Delving further into the study, Burke found that the greatest cost savings come from workloads requiring more scalability due to extremes in traffic. Compared to workloads that are more predictable, Burke says that these models “may or may not be less expensive to run in the cloud.”

For companies looking to maximize the savings found in the cloud, Burke has some advice. "Don't expect to save money with the cloud unless you're willing to change what you're doing with the cloud – re-architect applications or develop cloud-native ones." To put it plainly, organizations willing to refactor or re-engineer their workload have the most to gain by migrating to the cloud. An example of such a move is using a cloud database service instead of setting up a database virtual server to run the service continuously.

Therefore, business owners looking to find significant savings by migrating to the cloud need to tailor their expectations accordingly. Simply migrating a workload to the cloud in an effort to duplicate its operational characteristics, though beneficial in many ways, won’t yield your budget much in the way of cost savings. To take full advantage of how the cloud can save your business money, you’re going to want to work with an IT professional to find ways to re-engineer the workloads of your current operations. This will take extra time and resources for the technician to familiarize themselves with your company’s IT system so they can enact the changes needed. Although, seeing as such changes will result in improved efficiency and cost savings, it’s a move that’s well worth the expense.

Tip of the Week: 11 Security Best Practices Every User Should Know

You might spend a significant amount of time thinking about your business’s security practices, but the same can’t be said for your organization’s employees. Unless you give them a reason to care about security, they likely won’t. The resulting apathy could eventually become serious problems that could hinder operations in the long run, or worse, expose your business to threats that could put your employees and your clients in danger.

In order to keep these instances to a minimum, consult the following cheat sheet. This will give your employees a great way to follow critical best practices.

Essential Cybersecurity Considerations

• Use the company’s network to store files: Always store your organization’s data on an in-house network. This is because any files stored locally on your desktop might not get backed up. Do not use personal cloud accounts, like Google Drive or Dropbox, to save or share company-owned documents.
• Never leave your workstation unlocked and unattended: Always lock your computer using the Windows Key + L shortcut before stepping away from it, even if only for a moment.
• Don’t connect unknown devices to your work PC: This is especially important for small devices like USB drives. You never know what could be on them.
• Don’t download or install applications without approval: If you download an app without permission from IT or a network administrator, you could cause problems for other employees. Always ask for permission before downloading or installing software.
• Don’t respond to unsolicited or suspicious emails: If you receive a message that has an unknown or unfamiliar sender, it could contain malicious ransomware or other nasty threats. Be sure to notify IT immediately so that they can investigate the issue. Be especially cautious around unsolicited proposals or resumes.
• Don’t accept support from unexpected callers: If you receive a phone call from someone claiming to be from Microsoft support (or other well-known companies), just hang up. These callers are often fraudsters hoping to remote into your PC and access company information.
• Adhere to password best practices: Keep your passwords strong and complex at all times, and never use the same password more than once.
• Get approval for mobile devices from your manager: Don’t use your smartphone, tablet, or laptop for work purposes until you’ve been granted approval. This is to keep company data as secure as possible.
• If you see someone, tell someone: If you think that something is out of the ordinary, like an intruder in the workplace, be sure to alert management. Visitors should not be allowed to roam around the office unattended.
• Think twice before clicking: If you’ve received a link in any correspondence, you should avoid clicking on it until you’re sure it’s from a trusted source. Links can often be considered cyber threats, especially those that are in spam messages.
• Report issues as soon as they appear: If you experience something that seems troublesome, report the issue to management immediately. Proactive vigilance is the best way to prevent downtime, and it only serves to make your job easier.

Print this list out and hand it off to any employees who could use training on security best practices.

100+ Years Ago, IBM Started Just Like Any Other Business

Of the many technology companies in the public eye, IBM is one of the oldest and perhaps the most recognizable--but do you know the story behind Big Blue? It’s a history of innovation and revolution in computing that stretches back over 100 years, to when it was created by uniting three existing companies.

In 1911, a man named Charles Runlet Flint merged two of his existing companies, International Time Recording Company and Computing Scale Company of America with a critical third company that he had just acquired: Tabulating Machine Company. This new company was known as the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company (or CTR).

The machines made by CTR were capable of sorting, analyzing, and eventually running calculations based on punch cards that were input into the machine. While this development had clear business applications in hindsight, it wasn’t until the controversial Thomas Watson was brought in as company president (after deftly avoiding lasting consequences from a conviction of violating the Sherman Antitrust Act--the act that bans monopolies) that the value of the tabulating division was focused upon.

Not only did Watson know his target audience well enough to know that the business-oriented tabulating machines would be in high demand as the United States became increasingly business-oriented itself, but he also understood the value of presenting CTR’s offerings as a service, rather than a product. This arrangement proved to be mutually successful for both CTR and its clients, as the sales team was able to inform the company of what their clients wanted to see from them next, thereby allowing the needs of their clients to be met.

By 1924, CTR had been renamed to International Business Machines to reflect the consolidation of the business and echo the timeless feel of other large brands of the day. 1925 saw Watson take up responsibilities as both the chief executive officer and the chief operating officer. In the following years, IBM would thrive in the face of the Great Depression, only receiving a boost from the federal bureaucracies’ need for computing devices after President Roosevelt’s New Deal mandates. Demand for the tabulation machines continued to increase during wartime, and by the time Thomas Watson, Jr. was brought on as his father’s successor in 1952, computers were slowly becoming more and more common in the office environment. Many companies had a simple transition, as they were simply trading their IBM tabulators for computers.

IBM truly went global in 1949, offering sales worldwide in a total of 58 countries. IBM World Trade Corporation dominated the global market everywhere but Japan and the United Kingdom, achieving a market share of (only) 33 percent in those countries.

However, in 1952, IBM was again hit by an antitrust lawsuit from the US government, and more critically, another from a niche computer pioneer called Control Data Corporation. IBM powered through these challenges, as well as shifts in leadership until the 1980s. At this point, Big Blue began to falter under pressure from other niche competitors. As a result, the company changed their management strategy, and weathered through business fluctuations until 2004, when they again stabilized their success rate.

IBM’s story of one of success, and there are lessons to be learned here for your own business. By forming the right partnerships and providing a product or service that’s in growing demand, your company can grow exponentially. IBM also shows business owners how to overcome challenges, like diversifying what you do in order to weather the inevitable changes in the marketplace, as well the importance of strong leadership. By learning from the successes of companies like IBM, who knows, maybe your SMB can do what it takes to rise to the top!

ALERT: Massive Ransomware Attack is the Biggest Ever

Run your Windows Updates and be very skeptical about opening unsolicited emails. Failure to do so may result in a very dangerous strain of ransomware that could infect your entire network and spread to your clients, partners, and prospects.

Microsoft has even released patches for some older, unsupported versions of Windows to combat the threat that infected PCs all over the world over the weekend.

What’s Going On?
A ransomware worm variant dubbed ‘WannaCry’ struck critical systems all around the world. While the attack has been addressed by Microsoft and halted for the time being, the threat is far from over, especially for users who don’t keep their computers updated.

Discovered early in the morning hours of Friday, May 12, WannaCry spread at a startling rate, reaching victims in 11 countries within its first few hours, and over 45,000 attacks (spread through 99 countries) after a few more hours. By Monday, over 150 countries had been hit by this global cyberattack.

There’s No Specific Target
The victims included many companies that provide utilities, like telecommunications, electrical, and gas companies. Even more frightening, WannaCry caused serious trouble in England’s healthcare systems, leading to massive numbers of non-critical patients being sent home or turned away at hospital doors. Russia found that thousands of its interior ministry computers had been infected. In the United States, the ransomware managed to infect FedEx’s systems, and these are just the big highlights. Businesses everywhere went dark as a result of this attack.

However, WannaCry did not target businesses of any specific industry. This particular ransomware worm is a threat to essentially any PC, old and new.

WannaCry was first discovered by security company Malwarebytes, whose director of malware intelligence, Adam Kujawa, had a few choice words to describe the malware, “The spread is immense. I’ve never seen anything before like this. This is nuts.” This opinion was repeated by many others in the industry.

How Do I Prevent WannaCry?
WannaCry relies on a security vulnerability in Windows. Microsoft deployed a security patch on March 14, so it is critical that users run the update, especially before putting themselves at risk and opening unsolicited emails. Computers that are patched face a significantly smaller risk of getting the ransomware. Key words here; significantly smaller, as in not totally in the clear.

To run your Windows Updates in Windows 10, open up your Start Menu and type “updates” in the search box and choose Check for Updates - system settings from the results. A window titled Windows Update should appear. From there, click the Check for updates button. If it says your device is up to date, you have the latest update. If not, you’ll need to allow your PC to install them.

Evaluating your computer and network security would be a good step in the right direction, as well as educating employees on some basic best practices like not downloading and opening unsolicited attachments.

It’s also critical that your files are backed up securely. If ransomware infects your network, it makes your files inaccessible unless you pay the ransom which only feeds into the problem. Utilizing an offsite backup solution that can easily be restored is the only way to go.

I’m Updated, am I Still at Risk?
There is also the risk that WannaCry is still waiting on some systems that have not been used since the attack began, so this initial attack is still far from over. Any PC on your network that gets infected could infect the rest. Plus, even with the patch, a user could still accidentally download an infected file. It’s also possible that those behind WannaCry will devise a workaround to the patch. Therefore, you should always be mindful as you review your incoming email and do your best to protect your network with managed IT security solutions and backing up your files.

Events like these are why we always encourage timely updates to your systems. WannaCry depended on a vulnerability in Windows, and will continue to infect outdated, unpatched PCs to be effective, and so your first defense against it is to make sure yours has the most recent security patches from Microsoft.

As Microsoft's president and chief legal officer Brad Smith said, “The governments of the world should treat this attack as a wake-up call.”

What If I’ve Been Infected By WannaCry?
Contact us at (732) 360-2999 immediately. Under no circumstance should you attempt to pay the ransom.

If you haven’t been targeted, count your blessings. That said, it’s time to start thinking about having your IT managed and maintained to prevent issues like this. Contact Net It On at (732) 360-2999 and ask how we can help prevent business-crippling issues and security threats like WannaCry.

Tip of the Week: The Windows Start Menu is the Powerful Search Tool You Didn’t Know About

Sometimes it can be a chore to find certain programs or files on your computer when they aren’t immediately available on the desktop. You might have to dig through countless folders just to get started on an important task. Thankfully, there’s a well-known way of getting around this frustration: Windows’ integrated search application. To get started with this week’s tip, turn your attention to the Start menu.

The more recent versions of Windows have come equipped with more dynamic ways to take advantage of your computer’s built-in functionality, and the Start menu is no different. Nowadays, the Search option is built right into the Start menu, and it allows you to search for not just local files, but pages on the Internet as well. It’s a testament to how innovation can help strengthen the computer user’s experience.

Better yet, it’s very easy to use. First, press the Windows key to open up the computer’s Start menu. Next, just type in the name of whatever you happen to be looking for. You’ll be shown results based on what you’ve typed in, so it’s just a matter of picking out what looks right. For example, if you’re looking for location, you might be shown search results such as location privacy settings, or other settings like how to change your country or region. Furthermore, you might find options for default save locations, clearing your location history, or even the location of the taskbar on the screen.

All of this great utility is located within your search function, but the advantages don’t stop there. Let’s say that you want to run a quick web search--all you need to do is use a couple of simple keystrokes. Keep in mind that this does default to the Edge browser, though, so if you’re more fond of other web browsers it might not be of interest to you.

If you want to focus down the results, you have the option of adding filters to your searches. For example, if you know that the file you’re looking for has a specific word in the title, you can apply the filter to adjust the search results so that you only find what files that are close to what you’re looking for.

If you don’t mind speaking into your Windows 10 PC’s microphone, you can easily start up a search by saying “Hey Cortana.” In fact, the latest Creators update makes it easier than ever to use the features of Cortana through many new improvements and features.

With features like these, you’ll be surprised by how much time you can save while looking for files on your computer, or searching on the Internet. What are your thoughts on this added functionality? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe for more great tech tips and tricks.

3 Ways Managed IT Safeguards Your Company’s Digital Assets

It’s inevitable that your organization will face some hard decisions, but no choice is as painful as pulling the plug on the one thing that you’ve dumped your heart and soul into; your business. There is a plethora of problems that could cause a business to consider shutting its doors, but often there is a solution. If technology-related costs and downtime are your main problems, managed IT services can help.

The businesses we are associated with generally have a proper understanding of how to manage risk and remain cognizant of the future. They understand that ignoring threats and not planning for future troubles can be all the difference between recovering or failing entirely. The reason why they choose to work with us that we work hard behind the scenes so that they can focus on keeping their business functioning at maximum capacity. With great technology and Net It On to manage it, our clients are better able to adapt to change and ensure their future remains intact.

Outsourcing your IT through a managed service provider isn’t a new strategy, but it is one that has gained a lot of traction as businesses come to rely more and more on technology. We’re sure that you’ve seen all the numbers about cybercrime, and how businesses and families are in more danger of data theft now than they were in the past. Financial information and personally identifiable information is highly sought after, especially in the hacking world where hackers can profit from them. Small businesses suffer from over 4,000 cyberattacks a day, presenting the need for small and medium-sized business to adhere to enterprise-level security practices as best they can. They will also need to put in place a comprehensive business continuity plan to ensure if something terrible were to happen, that there are contingencies in place.

Here is what we can do to help your business survive in the long run:

Proactive Monitoring and Maintenance
It’s clear that if you prevent issues from becoming huge problems your business will be substantially better off. SMBs need to understand that their technology shows off warning signs when it’s close to failing, but only a trained eye will be able to identify it, and prevent catastrophe. Our remote monitoring and management solution lets us do all of this remotely. We can keep close watch for problems (such as malfunctioning network components or faulty drives) so that they can be addressed before you sustain expensive and costly downtime.

Comprehensive Threat Management
When we say that your organization is at risk of falling victim to a cyberattack, we mean it. We won’t sugarcoat it for you, the chances of your business surviving a cyber threat or data breach will depend on how well you’ve prepared for that particular moment. You’ll need to implement enterprise-level solutions like a firewall, antivirus, spam blocker, and content filter, as well as a virtual private network for secure access to your organization’s network. Only then can you say that you’ve put in the effort to protect your business.

Data Backup and Disaster Recovery
There can be no underestimating the importance of data backup, especially for a business that wants to ensure continuity. What would you do if you lost your data? Maybe you could recover it… or maybe you couldn’t. You want to eliminate this uncertainty by implementing a solid backup strategy. Our backup solution is ideal for SMBs, as it can take snapshots of your data as often as every fifteen minutes, as well as back them up in multiple locations for safe keeping. This includes locally on your network and in the cloud for virtual access. Cloud computing is a great way to take advantage of data backup as it’s more dynamic than traditional backup systems like tape, allowing you to restore data without suffering from crippling downtime.

Careers in the Cloud Can’t Be Filled Fast Enough

For much of the past century, if you wanted to work among the clouds, you’d join the Air Force and take it from there. Nowadays, however, working among the clouds can mean that you want to work with advanced computer systems that deliver computing, security, storage, and utilities to businesses and end-users from all around the world.

With the demand for secure cloud computing platforms skyrocketing, you are beginning to see a shortage of resumes from individuals with the expertise and inclination to work with these cloud computing systems. Since technician turnover is a major problem within the IT world, companies tend to work hard to keep the talent they have. In fact, in the United States alone, there are over 500,000 IT jobs that have remained open for over 90 days, suggesting a shortage of workers with the skills needed to do the job. This presents opportunities for people to come into an industry that is, remarkably, just starting a massive growth spurt.

A Career in the Cloud 
The cloud services industry is in the middle of a boom. According to Gartner, the cloud service industry will grow by over $38 billion in 2017, making it a $250 billion industry. With organizations of all types (and sizes) beginning to leverage these public cloud solutions, the industry has quickly seen that there aren’t enough people to do the work. If you want a career in the cloud, where would you start?

Obviously, the first step to take for any potential person that wants to work with this dynamic technology is to understand it. Going to school for Information System Management is the best start if you are just starting out. Here are the top 10 college programs from U.S. News and World Report. Most schools will offer a certificate, associate, or bachelor’s program that can get you started understanding the technology well enough to professionally manage and maintain it.

Once you have the training, you can then look for a job. Since the cloud is more than just storage, being able to understand how the cloud works, what types of clouds there are, what they are used for, and how businesses leverage them will allow you to access to a variety of businesses. Knowing where you’d make the best fit will go a long way toward bringing you job satisfaction and the elusive positive work/life balance.

Next, you have to understand the roles companies are looking to fill in regards to cloud computing. Four of the cloud-based jobs that are in the highest demand are:

• Cloud administrator - Organizations need people that can work directly with the monitoring and management of their cloud solutions. A majority of the job is managing cloud infrastructure, so learning core cloud platforms and monitoring tools will be beneficial. Concepts like merging workloads to the public cloud and DevOps will be beneficial for the would-be cloud administrator.
• Cloud security - Since network security is a priority for most businesses, it makes sense that organizations will be looking for someone to look after their cloud security. Cloud security professionals will be proficient and certified in management techniques, as well as more advanced security measures. Along with computing proficiencies, a cloud security professional will need communication skills, as much of their job will be working with employees and other staff to design and construct a security protocol that will legitimately and efficiently protect the organization’s cloud-based assets.
• Cloud architect - By overseeing the complete cloud computing strategy for an organization, a cloud architect is constantly looking at the entire operation. From adoption plans, application design, organizational strategy, and even management, the architect of an organization's cloud computing platform has to take into account every aspect of the cloud computing construct. Most organizations need their move to the cloud to be cost-effective and efficient, so the cloud architect needs to understand how to mix and match platforms for the best results today, and in the future.
• Cloud application developer - Programming is at the core of this career. Having a repertoire of several commonly used languages can be most advantageous for the up-and-coming cloud application developer, especially since many organizations use major cloud platforms like Amazon Web Services, Google, and Microsoft Azure. Like most application developers, the fit has to be right, so keep in mind that just any job may do.

By gaining knowledge and experience dealing with cloud-based systems and the implementation of them, you could find yourself with your head in the clouds sooner rather than later.

Tip of the Week: Windows 10 Makes Updating Your Hardware Drivers Easy

It doesn’t matter what your role is within your organization--you’ll still be using the same hardware solutions to accomplish your daily tasks. Keyboards, wireless mouses, external microphones, and just about any normal USB device, all use drivers that allow for device compatibility. Unfortunately, if these drivers aren’t installed and kept up-to-date, your technology’s performance can suffer, as well as your productivity.

This week’s tip is all about how to install drivers or check if you have the most recent versions of your drivers so that you get the most out of your technology.

Since drivers are meant to help your device perform at maximum efficiency, Windows will automatically try to install them when you plug in a new piece of hardware. Depending on the developer, they will need to be frequently updated. Without the necessary drivers, you’ll be more likely to experience interruptions to your workday from hardware crashes that decrease overall performance. Of course, the easiest way to dodge these troubles is by simply keeping your drivers up to date.

First, you’ll want to open the Windows 10 Device Manager. To do so, right-click the Start menu, or press the Windows Key + X.

Once you’re in the Device Manager, you can see the details of the drivers that you’ve installed on your device. Use the categorized list to find the specified device’s drivers. Once you’ve done so, double-click the device and you’ll be shown the version of the driver that’s installed, as well as the date that it was issued.

If you have drivers that must be updated, select the Update Driver option. By checking the Search automatically for updated driver software, Windows can search for the new version of the driver. Once you’ve done this, the new driver (if available) will automatically install.

It’s important to keep in mind that some drivers will automatically be updated by Windows, but others will require that you use their specific tools to update drivers or patch software. Some manufacturers will keep direct download links on their websites, which means that Windows won’t be able to find what your device needs. Thus, it’s worth checking out the manufacturer’s website from time to time to see if there is a new version of a driver available.

Another thing to keep in mind is that a new version of a driver could potentially cause an issue or incompatibility with another part of your computer. Even though it’s important to keep everything up to date on your PC, it’s best to leave the updates to a technology professional. When Net It On handles your technology, we ensure that software updates, patches, and hardware drivers are installed in a way which helps you benefit the most from them.

A Beginner’s Guide to Running Cables in Your Office

Arguably one of the most important parts of running a business is the physical infrastructure of your office environment. This involves ensuring that the cabling of all network assets is properly implemented. Unfortunately, this is easier said than done, as no two businesses will utilize the same setup. We’ll walk you through some of the variables that you’ll need to consider during the cabling process, and what you can do to make it easier to handle.

Keep in mind that this article assumes that you’re either in the process of cabling your office, or you’re looking to expand your infrastructure. As with most time-consuming projects, your office’s cabling is something that you’ll want to get done right the first time so as to avoid more expenses in the future.

How Many Wired Endpoints Do You Have?
This variable is determined by how many wired devices you need to physically hook up to your in-house network. This includes servers, networking components, workstations, and some other odds and ends that help your business maintain operations. The reason we ask that you know this variable is because it will have a heavy impact on how your office can be most-effectively cabled. Of course, the location of each device will also be of the utmost importance, but you can’t really know this without first considering the actual layout of your office.

One really important tip; plan ahead and run twice as many cables as you think you need. This will save you a lot of time and money if you need to expand your capabilities, put in extra workstations, or run into an issue with the primary cable you’ve already installed.

What’s the Setup of Your Office?
You might want to pull out a floor plan or two for this one. When we talk about the setup of your office, we mean the actual physical office itself. How many floors do you have, and do all of them need access to data? Are there walls that will make it more difficult to get a Wi-Fi signal extended throughout your building? How about a server room? Does it have enough access to the rest of your network, and are you able to connect devices that need access to your servers? Furthermore, do you own the building, or do you rent it? If you rent, you might run into complications with elements of your setup/expansion.

How Flexible Do You Want to Be?
It’s tough to plan for the future when you’re focused on the short term, especially when it means more work for you and your IT department. However, it’s not easy to change your office’s cabled network once it’s been implemented, which is why it’s so crucial that you go through this extensive implementation process in the first place. In fact, if you haven’t gotten yourself in too deep with your cabling infrastructure, there may be other solutions that you can implement to help you cut down on the cost of labor.

Understand the Best Practices
There are a lot of best practices when running cable, depending on the type of cable you are running. For instance, Cat5/Cat6 cable should not be ran along with electrical, or be placed at 90 degree angles. Some cables require specific types of terminations while others give you more options. Having someone familiar with network infrastructure on hand will definitely be handy before you start working with your every-day maintenance person. We’d be happy to work with you to make sure you are on the right track.