Coleman Technologies Blog

Spoiler Alert: Macs Do, in Fact, Get Malware

Not to be juvenile about it, but duh. A computer produced by Apple can just as easily be infected by malware and ransomware, just as they can also experience any of the other problems that a PC user would. Hardware failure, slowing with age, crashes, data loss—these and so many other issues can be seen in a Mac.

Figure Out Where and How You Work Most Effectively

As you work from home, it will help to establish one area of your living space as the area where work is to be done and commit to working there. Pick a spot that isn’t going to serve as an additional distraction (as the snacks of the kitchen and the temptation of a nap in the bedroom would serve) and claim that area as your productive workspace. Make sure that you have all the tools that you will need for your work in that area—from a laptop, an additional monitor, and any other peripherals that you will need for your tasks.

Today, it’s not enough to have an antivirus or firewall. You need solutions designed to actively protect your network and data from those that are actively trying to gain access to them. So while it may not be enough, making sure that your firewall and antivirus software are updated with the latest threat definitions, and that your other solutions like spam blocking and virtual private networks are being utilized properly, can set you up for success. Let’s look at four additional strategies that extend traditional cybersecurity into the modern age. 

How Hygienic are Your Passwords?

With so many of us relying on so many passwords every day, poor password hygiene can often seem to be a foregone conclusion. Think about your own passwords, right now, and see how they compare to this list of inherently insecure patterns that many people develop:

If you use the selection of tools that Google offers as a part of its G Suite offering, you’ve probably found a few documents that you find yourself repeatedly returning to on a regular basis. Rather than navigating to them via the appropriate folder hierarchy in Google Drive, there is a simple shortcut that you can take advantage of in Google Chrome: creating a bookmark that navigates directly to the appropriate page.

What is a CRM?

Short for Customer Relationship Management, your CRM is the tool that helps you track the relationships you have with the people you offer your services to, assisting you in developing these contacts into faithful clientele. As a bonus, these solutions generally come with integrations that give you access to even greater capabilities and resources.

Data theft is a big deal, but there are ways that you can protect yourself and your money when utilizing this technology.  Some are more involved than others, so let’s dive right in.

Tip One: Cover Everything that Your Business Requires

As you’re putting together your handbook, you need to figure out precisely what you want every member of your team to know. This will give your team the advantage of knowing what is expected of them, along with the other information that they will need to know, like:

Back to the Office

With many places taking part in a phased opening, one of the big questions is what kind of workforce will return to the office when the stay-at-home pandemic is all over. For the business whose workforce has been ultra-productive during the pandemic, there probably won’t be as big of a rush to get back to the office, but for businesses that have taken a significant productivity hit, that time can’t come fast enough. It might be a surprise to some business owners that there are some people who don’t like working from home and are ready to get back into the office, but the lion’s share of workers are going to want to have some additional flexibility after working from home for months. Either way, there are some very real benefits to working in the confines of an office. 

Let’s review some recommended technologies for you to embrace as you reopen your business.

Updated Hardware and Software Solutions

First things first—while businesses resume their operations, the chaos that will predictably ensue is the perfect time for cybercriminals to take their shot. Therefore, you need to make it a priority that all your hardware and software solutions are fully updated or upgraded as improvements are made available. In doing so, you make sure that the tools your team will use are as secure as they can be against the latest threats.

Data loss can happen a few different ways. Malware can cause irreversible data loss, and ransomware can cause reversible data loss, provided you pony up the ransom to hackers. Your end-users can mistakenly cause data loss by overwriting or deleting data, but a disgruntled employee could do even more damage intentionally. Your data is stored on delicate, mechanical devices that are extremely sensitive to shock and damage. Hard drives don’t last forever and will eventually fail, so if your data is only stored in one place, it’s just a matter of time.

What Does a Security Audit Entail?

A security audit is intended to determine how effectively your business’ security is doing its job. Covering hardware specifications, your infrastructure as a whole, your network policies, the software you’re using, even how your employees behave, a good security audit will give you a complete picture of the protections and safeguards you have in place.

To keep your IT working for you, you need control over it.  You need to know when a piece of hardware was purchased, who set it up, and when it was last maintenanced. You need a strategy to protect the hardware and the data. You need these because you have made huge investments into this technology, why wouldn’t you spend money to protect it? Moreover, isn’t it easier to get the answers you’re looking for when there are extensive records kept?

1.  Use the Best Tool for the Job

Your contacts should never find it difficult to reach you, so you need to make sure you’re providing them with plenty of options for them to make contact. Don’t pick between a phone number or an email address, give them both, along with a live chat feature, conferencing options, and other forms of communication. Making use of things like a blog and social media give you a great way to reach out to them first, starting the conversation.

You Need to Take Care of It

When adopting a dog, you need to be prepared to invest a lot of time and money into your new family member. You’ll need to get her up to date on shots, get her a license, and invest in plenty of toys so she doesn’t chew on your furniture.

Any piece of technology you invest in works the same way. You need to ensure that you are willing to spend money for the infrastructure, the software licenses, the time it takes to run updates, and more. Here are some examples:

Introducing PCI DSS

With so many people using credit, debit, and prepaid gift cards to pay for goods and services, the economic ramifications of digital payment fraud, data loss, and other side effects of continued reliance on these methods of payment have led the companies that issue these cards to band together to create what is now known as the PCI Security Standards Council. Since its inception in 2006 the PCI Security Standards Council has been overseeing the establishment and coordination of the PCI DSS, or Payment Card Industry Digital Security Standard. Let’s take a look at how PCI compliance works.

How Do Hard Drives Store Data?

A traditional mechanical hard drive, also known as an HDD, holds your data on small magnetic platters. These platters are layered on top of each other, with a small mechanical arm that rests above them. Think about a record player, with the arm and needle over the record, except you have many, many records stacked on top of each other.

Instant Messaging

Instant messaging is a handy utility for any team to have at their disposal for the brief messages that coworkers must send to one another throughout the day. Not only is it more efficient than checking and responding to endless emails throughout the day, it allows the message’s recipient to stay more focused on their task. After all, instant messaging and texting has hardwired us to switch more efficiently between tasks when we deal with these kinds of quick messages.

To start, let’s go back a few years. In the aftermath of the 2016 Presidential election, another major social media company, Facebook, was under fire for allowing foreign companies to influence the outcome of the election through insite advertising. Google and Twitter were also caught up in the mess, but the scrutiny Facebook saw during the ordeal, well...really hasn’t gone away. 

How a Company Acquires Your Data

For a company to get your data, all they really have to do is ask you for it. Think about what happens each time you make a purchase online, or even create an account—you’re handing over your contact information, and usually pairing it to one of your financial resources.

Obviously, you’re subconsciously entrusting them with this information, assuming that they will keep it sufficiently protected and secure.