As traditional methods of breaching computer security have been mitigated by both user and organizational efforts to keep their machines safe, a new and common method to spoof users is through fraudulent emails. It is so common, that it has developed a name...Spear Phishing. And the ones going 'fishing' for your private and sensitive data are determined and have done their research on how trespass via your email to fool you into giving up financial information (and therefore money in some cases), your company trade secrets and competitive advantages, and military or government data. Email phishing scams from unknown, untrusted sources, have been so publicized that most users know how to spot and abort them before information violation occurs. But this new Spear Phishing employs tactics that make it more likely the user will fall victim. They appear to come not only from a trusted source, but often from someone in your own company, a superior in many cases, or from a close relative. The subject line often will be one of relevance to either current projects of developments within the company, or may be related to family history. The violation occurs when the
View the attached slideshow of helpful hints to increase computer security and prevent attacks and/or theft of data. Free Security Awareness Presentation from ECS-Adobe Version Free Security Awareness Presentation from ECS-Powerpoint
Recent studies show that 1 in 5 Macs are carrying some kind of Malware. Note that we are not claiming that 20% of Macs are ‘infected’, but this statistic rather indicates the percentage of Macs where the malware exists and poses a threat to computer security. Studies done by Sophos uncovered that 20% of MACS have Windows Malware on them. While Windows malware will not create problems for a MAC unless Windows is being run, it can be spread to create other unique problems. This study also showed that 2.7% of MACS were indeed infected with the Mac OS X malware. The most common Mac OS Malware found was fake anti-virus attacks coercing users to give their credit card information and install dangerous software Malware spread onto a user’s MAC often happens without them even being aware, most commonly through USB drives, email attachments, internet downloads, and even silent installation. The user in most instances isn’t even aware their computer security has been breached . And even though the majority of the Malware discovered was intended for Windows, we stress again that these malware have the potential to spread and cause other problems in MACs. And Mac users are a new
At ECS, we strive to satisfy each one of our customer computer and IT service needs. Its great to receive feedback that we are doing our jobs well. Here are some of the things are recent customers are saying about us! Please click on Comment and leave your own thoughts on your experience with ECS. "I have never had anything but great service from ECS. Kyle dealt with all my issues amongst my network and now I am up and running better than ever. He was very professional and proficient at his job" -Anna Tindell, Anna Tindell Appraisal Services "ECS has been wonderful to work with. Asher and Kyle have listened to and understood our company's unique needs and in turn have been able to get our technology up and running beautifully. ECS has the unique ability to explain what is happening, the course that will need to be taken, and the resulting outcome in a language that is understood by those of us that are not so 'tech-savvy' without speaking down to us. We are very fortunate to have ECS as our IT management solution"
MAC owners will be interested to read this article posted on PCWorld about security threats to MACs due to the delay Apple imposes for Java distribution. Unpatched Java Vulnerability Exploited to Infect Macs With Flashback Malware
We all want our computers to move as fast as we do, so it can be frustrating when you want to turn your PC off, and it won’t respond. First, be patient and give it 10 minutes to try to respond and shut down properly. If the computer remains on, here are a few tips to safely force it to close. The most common reason Windows will not shut down is because it is waiting for programs to finish running or a task is stalled. Start by assuming this is the cause and try pressing “CTRL-ALT-DEL”. You will get a screen that, depending on the version of Windows you are running, will allow you to log-off, close any open programs, or force the shutdown completely. Through this Task Manager box that is brought up, be sure there are no programs still running (eg. A print job is still processing). If programs are listed as still running, you can either wait for them to finish and the box to clear, or force close them through the options in Task Manager. Then try to log-off and shut down. If this doesn’t work, disconnect the power supply to the computer, or hold the power button
Dropbox is a great way to sync files between computers. It is also a great way to send files that are too large to email and it's free! Well its free up 2.5GB. They also offer 50GB for only $9.95 per month. Dropbox can also be used as backup system as well. Check it out here https://www.dropbox.com/ and let us know what you think. We are aways researching new tools to enhance business productivity. Contact us today to see how we can help you get more out of your technology.
Will Google Apps become a viable replacement for Microsoft Exchange? There are many benefits to running Google in place of Microsoft Exchange some of which include: Data is stored and secured in a world class data center No need to manage backups Great SPAM filtering Lower administration costs Easy to support across any platform I would say that three of the major hold ups at this point are: Many user are very accustomed to using Microsoft Outlook and synchronizing with Windows Mobile phones. Managing separate account for Google Apps and existing domain/directory system At this point no easy way to have a universal shared contact list Recently Google has released Google Apps Sync for Microsoft Outlook with does allow for integration between Outlook and Google Apps. The downside is that it does not support syncing of tasks which could be problem if you like to sync with your mobile phone as well. A work around would be to ditch Outlook all together and sync with a phone running Google's Android OS. Google no offers Google Apps Directory Sync which will allow for synchronization between Google Apps and your existing Active Directory or LDAP system. In conclusion I think that Google Apps may be a viable replacement for Microsoft Exchange in small business environments.
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