Healthcare IT Support Blog Archives
773 million records of email addresses were breached – Have you been pwned?
Today, one of the largest data breach data sets was released containing roughly 773 million unique records of email addresses and passwords. Microsoft Regional Director and MVP Troy Hunt obtained the original data set, titled ‘Collection #1’ from a hacker forum. The...
Businesses suffer brand damage, loss of productivity, and vicious costs of cyberattacks
Cyberattack cleanups now come with a sticker shock: increase of 52% now brings the estimated amount to $1.1 million, with potential to increase even further, to a staggering $1.67 million, according to a recent Radware’s 2018-2019 Global Application and Network...
Important Alert: NEW Office 365 Phishing Threat
A new phishing attack is using fake non-delivery notification in an attempt to steal users’ Microsoft Office 365 credentials. These credentials will then be used to send messages from the users account, further spreading malicious emails and software. In this case,...
10% of you are compromised by at least one of the passwords from the Top 100 List of 2018
Each year, SplashData., Inc, a leader in password management, analyses leaked passwords to find the top commonly used passwords. In 2018, SplashData, Inc. had five million passwords to work from, most of them from hacks in the US and Europe. According to the...
A New SamSam Ransomware Alert Issued
The United Staes Computer Emergency Readiness Team (US-CERT) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) have issued a new alert for a ransomware known as SamSam (MSIL/Samas.A.) - just days after two mastermind suspects were charged by US Department of Justice. The...
Common Goals and Objectives of a Information Security Risk Assessment
The Internet of Things (IoT) devices are outnumbering the population of our planet. It is projected that the planet will have 20.5 billion devices just two short years away, in 2020. In the next five years the cybercrime is expected to result in business-related...
Ransomware – Still Alive and Kicking
If not familiar, Ransomware is a type of malicious software designed to block access to a computer system until a sum of money is paid. A computer can become infected with Ransomware in a number of ways; thorough an email, an infected link, or even an infected ad on a...
Is your organization ready to pay Cyber Attack Ransom?
While ransomware attacks have slowed down with cybercriminals shifting their focus to cryptojacking (mining virtual currencies), cyberextortion is still widespread. Here are a few examples of recent cyber extortion attacks: Systems of Onslow Water and Seer Authority...
Beware of Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) Attacks: Network Traffic Hijacking
Mass hijackings of network traffic and it's abuse is not new, but with the evolution of technology, so do Man-in-the-Middle type of attacks. A man-in-the-middle attack is an exploit that occurs when an outside attacker intercepts communications between two parties,...
Businesses Should Act on the October 3, 2018 DHS Hacker Warning and Recommended Protective Measures
On October 3, 2018, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a major warning to IT service providers, IT managed services providers (MSPs), and cloud services providers (CSPs) and their customers. The warning came from the National Cybersecurity and...
What SMB Owners Should Know About Patch Management protocol in IT Security
As a small/medium business owner, patch management may be a somewhat foreign topic reserved for your IT personnel. The following provides a summary-level background of patching, which is relevant to business owners in maintaining appropriate security disciplines in...
Google applies modifications to Chrome after major privacy issue
A while ago Google made changes to its Chrome browser, forcing a sign-in to the Chrome itself, by default, once a user engaged with any Google service, such as Youtube or Gmail. As a result, it was possible that users may have assumed that once they'd signed out of...
Sextortion: what you should know of this new email scam
Sextortion, yes that is correct, is a new twist on an old email scam in which the scammer has indicated that they have compromised your computer via malware and recorded you or your family members watching porn. The attacker then threatens to release the video to all...
Sextortion: what you should know of this new email scam
Sextortion, yes that is correct, is a new twist on an old email scam in which the scammer has indicated that they have compromised your computer via malware and recorded you or your family members watching porn. The attacker then threatens to release the video to all...
Top-Clicked Phishing Email Subjects
Think before you click! KnowBe4, a provider of security awareness training and simulated phishing attacks, has released statistics on the top 10 phishing email subjects that are opened by end-users. Drum roll please - the top 10 are: Password Check Required...
How Do You Ensure Your Business Email Does Not End Up In The Wrong Hands?
Communication is one of the most important key aspects of any properly functioning company or organization, and businesses today rely on email as a principal method of communicating with staff members, partners, and clients. While your email infrastructure plays a...
How Do You Ensure Your Business Email Does Not End Up In The Wrong Hands?
Communication is one of the most important key aspects of any properly functioning company or organization, and businesses today rely on email as a principal method of communicating with staff members, partners, and clients. While your email infrastructure plays a...
[VPNFilter] Symantec Releases Tool to Check for VPNFilter Infection
On May 23rd researchers at Cisco discovered an advanced malware, named VPNFilter, which targets routers and Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices in order to steal files, information, and examine network traffic as it flows through the device. More details can be...
[VPNFilter] Symantec Releases Tool to Check for VPNFilter Infection
On May 23rd researchers at Cisco discovered an advanced malware, named VPNFilter, which targets routers and Network Attached Storage (NAS) devices in order to steal files, information, and examine network traffic as it flows through the device. More details can be...
Do You Have a Cybersecurity Program for Your Small/Medium Business?
As a small/medium business owner or manager, it is imperative that you have an awareness of cybersecurity related-risks and implement infrastructure and processes to mitigate those risks. According to Verizon’s 2018 Data Breach Investigations Report, 58% of breach...
Update: additional info on advanced malware, named VPNFilter
On May 23rd researchers at Cisco discovered an advanced malware, named VPNFilter, that targets routers and NAS devices in order to steal files, information, and examine network traffic as it flows through the device. More details can be found on the powersolution.com...
[ALERT] 500,000+ Consumer Routers Infected with VPNFilter Malware
Hackers are possibly working for an advanced nation have infected more than 500,000 home and small-office routers around the world with malware that can be used to collect communications, launch attacks on others, and permanently destroy the devices with a single...
Increasing risk of CEO Fraud Emails – What to Know and How to Protect Yourself
Your phone dings or your email client puts up an alert – a message from the CEO. This must be important. You open it, scan it quickly, and there is a note asking to transfer a sum of money. The next decision you make could potentially be costly. What is a CEO fraud...
Information Technology in the Manufacturing Industry
Information technology has impacted the manufacturing industry in a variety of ways. For example, IT has made advancements deep in the infrastructure of factories and it has impacted the relationship between suppliers, equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and their...
Improving your business operations with Solid State Drives (SSD)
Solid state drives (SSD) are the Hard Drive (HD, or HHD) replacement that has had continuous performance gains, price drops, and reliability increases. When computer technology was really taking off all fields of the systems were improving. Processors and RAM were...
How to Make the Most of Your Online Meetings
Technology has changed the way that modern businesses run forever. At one time, meetings were scheduled weeks in advance, and preparations for hosting a meeting were very detailed. Today, with Skype and other video calling tools, meetings can be called more quickly as...
5 reasons why your Healthcare Practice Needs PROFESSIONAL IT Services and not a break-fix guy.
Information technology in the field of modern healthcare plays an increasingly important role, in addition to contributing to the advanced quality and effectiveness of oral health care for patients. There are many forms of IT used in the medical industry, including...
Violating HIPAA regulations is a Crime that Can Lead to Serious Penalties
Attorney generals and district attorneys around the country, are increasingly taking HIPAA violations seriously. Criminal charges for violating HIPAA are serious. You should know that the federal government can bring criminal charges against companies and company...
Small Business Networks: 5 scariest things to worry about
While spam, pop-ups, negligent employees, and cybercriminals are a real threat to any small business network, there are 5 security measures that you should be focusing on FIRST before you do anything else... 1. Email Attachments Viruses and worms are malicious...
So, Your Business Laptop Got Stolen… Now what?
There are 12,000 or so laptops found in US airports each week and 62,000 lost electronic devices recovered from New York’s metropolitan buses, taxis, trains, and stations each year! The bottom line is no matter how careful you are with your laptop, mistakes occur and...
Do You Have a Viable Business Continuity Plan in Place? Here are the 10 Disaster Planning Essentials For SMBs
It doesn’t matter what industry you work in – the great importance of having a viable business continuity and disaster recovery plan in place cannot be overstated. The occasional and inevitable disasters which may befall any business entity come unannounced, and often...
Can Outlook E-Mail Disclaimer Protect You From Legal Liability?
Would you like to include legal disclaimers to help protect you and your company? While some argue that they may not be legally binding, many believe that pre-existing EULA may have already covered the disclaimer portion, while others assert it's always better to have...
Do you believe in coincidences? Take take a closer look at pi
There are many important numbers in the universal math. Primal, odds, evens, irrational. And then there is one to rule them all. A mathematical constant, the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter... what we all know - or should know - as pi. The...
What to Do About C-Level Fraud Attacks
C-level fraud attacks are an increasingly common attack vector, especially for SMBs. Generally, these attacks come in the form of spoofed emails from the “CEO” or another C-suite executive and ask the recipient to wire role power (people tend to do what the boss says)...
How to radically minimize the risk of corporate theft in your organization
The cybersecurity experts warn – don’t become ignorant or lax about security, thinking that a disastrous cyber breach can’t happen to your business. This is an enormous mistake – and something the criminals count on – that we’re an easy target, whether as unwitting...
Enjoy the Olympics – But Beware of Online Scams
We are now well underway with the enthusiasm and excitement associated with watching the 2018 Winter Olympics -- including the parade of nations, fabulous performances, fireworks, and the intense competitions themselves. Just a few of the elite USA athletes include...
Why Use a Corporate VPN when connecting to your network
Most corporate IT networks have various security products on the network providing some level of security – a firewall, Antivirus software, backup, etc. Even with these protections in place, without a VPN, employees are only protected while they are on the corporate...
5 reasons why your SMB should outsource IT services and tech support NOW
Maximize the efficiency of your workforce by taking advantage of professional expertise without having to worry about data backups or protecting the latest version of a ransomware. Good business owners lead, but great business owners delegate. Here are just a few of...
5 reasons why your SMB should outsource IT services and tech support NOW
Maximize the efficiency of your workforce by taking advantage of professional expertise without having to worry about data backups or protecting the latest version of a ransomware. Good business owners lead, but great business owners delegate. Here are just a few of...
Best Approach: Online Safety and Physical Security
Servers crashing and business networking glitches are never a pretty sight, no matter what industry you might work in and what business you are trying to make a profit out of. Unfortunately, besides the small computer/networking glitches, there are other threats that...
Should Backups Be Mandatory for Every Level of Your Network Operations
Too many businesses are notoriously deficient in their backup plans. Many owners and executives think that a cloud backup or an external drive should be more than enough. Others rely on "we never needed a backup before, why bother now" mentality. But, it’s not just...
Should Backups Be Mandatory for Every Level of Your Network Operations
Too many businesses are notoriously deficient in their backup plans. Many owners and executives think that a cloud backup or an external drive should be more than enough. Others rely on "we never needed a backup before, why bother now" mentality. But, it’s not just...
Additional Update on CPU Meltdown and Spectre Vulnerabilities
As a follow up to our previous communication titled ‘Update to CPU Meltdown & Spectre Vulnerabilities,’ powersolution.com has been testing the updates provided by Microsoft and computer vendors to patch the two vulnerabilities dubbed Meltdown and Spectre. We have...
Video: How many of these 23 secret keyboard combinations can boost your productivity in Windows? Plus 9 bonus combos for Mac Users
Here is a nifty video from the Bright Side that could be very helpful for those who do not "do" computers all day long for a living. And, frankly, even some of us keyboard warriors can pick up a few tips here. Please, watch the full video for additional details, such...
The Importance of Strategic IT Planning for your business in 2018
As with any investment, Information Technology (IT) should bring value to your business and provide support for your initiatives and goals. A well-developed strategic IT plan can put your business on a clear success path where technology will align with your mission...
Adobe Flash Player Update Scam: what you should know
Adobe Flash Player has unfortunately long been plagued with malware-related issues. The software has often been discovered to have vulnerabilities that make it possible for bad actors to spread malware. The most recent vulnerability was discovered in October of this...
CPU Meltdown and Spectre Alert Update
powersolution.com has been testing the patches provided by Microsoft and computer vendors to patch the two vulnerabilities dubbed Meltdown and Spectre. To recap, roughly every processor produced since 1995 is susceptible to a flaw that could allow an attacker to gain...
CPU Meltdown and Spectre Alert Update
powersolution.com has been testing the patches provided by Microsoft and computer vendors to patch the two vulnerabilities dubbed Meltdown and Spectre. To recap, roughly every processor produced since 1995 is susceptible to a flaw that could allow an attacker to gain...
Cybercrime is escalating the cybersecurity workforce shortage
With the proliferation of cybercrime, the line between a cybersecurity and IT professional is rather symbolic: every IT professional has cybersecurity as a priority now, maintaining focus on protecting and defending data, data, applications, devices, network...
Cybercrime is escalating the cybersecurity workforce shortage
With the proliferation of cybercrime, the line between a cybersecurity and IT professional is rather symbolic: every IT professional has cybersecurity as a priority now, maintaining focus on protecting and defending data, data, applications, devices, network...
New Vulnerability: CPU Meltdown & Spectre
Reports across the internet are confirming that every CPU since 1995, whether it’s Intel, AMD, ARM, or other, has a major security flaw. Unfortunately, it seems that emails like these are now the new normal. According to Google’s Project Zero, and admissions by the...
New Vulnerability: CPU Meltdown & Spectre
Reports across the internet are confirming that every CPU since 1995, whether it’s Intel, AMD, ARM, or other, has a major security flaw. Unfortunately, it seems that emails like these are now the new normal. According to Google’s Project Zero, and admissions by the...
Was Your Business Prepared for a Winter Storm? Will you be ready for the next one?
Author Contributions by Chris Brunau, Datto, Inc., and Peter Jacobson, powersolution.com. What would you do if your business was pummeled by a winter storm, causing power outages and prohibiting access from your office and clients? Many...
Critical flaw in Intel Chips makes your computer vulnerable without a fix, and too slow with a patch.
A critical design flaw in Intel chips that have not been fully disclosed at this time has triggered a massive and coordinated response by both Windows and Linux to implement significant security updates that can potentially lead to performance issues. The flaw is said...
What you need to know about Internet Security Over The Holidays and into 2018
With the continued proliferation of cybercrime in 2017, it appears 2018 will be another year of the “good guys” trying to keep pace with the “bad guys”. The data breach environment is one of continual change. It is anticipated that breaches will be bigger and more...
Phishing Emails – Everyone is at risk
Phishing emails usually appear to come from a well-known organization and ask for your personal information - such as credit card number, social security number, account number or password. Often times phishing attempts appear to come from sites, services, and...
Rising Business Costs in 2018: Fight Back By Outsourcing Your IT Services
Employers must always look for ways to counteract the ever-increasing costs of running their companies. 2018 won’t be any different. Once again it is rising cost environment for most SMBs. Health Care Costs Increase: Employers with healthy workforces often report a...
Your SMB is a Target For Cyber Crime: Take These 8 Steps to Increase Your Security
When looking for a vulnerability, cybercriminals will go after SMBs and organizations that lack security. An average hacker does not want to pursue the big corporations that have layers of security in place — they want the easy targets. Many SMBs fall victims to...
7 Must-Haves for a Secure Remote Access in Your SMB
Now that cloud technology has made access to information more convenient, with a promise to make your business life easier, the risk of data security has increased. Cloud servers are susceptible to attacks. Insecure or insecurely used remote access technologies –...
Bad Rabbit affecting networks and data across the globe
Bad Rabbit, a new ransomware, has been quickly spreading across networks in Europe. If this sounds familiar, you are correct – Bad Rabbit is almost identical to previously infamous malware variants WannaCry and Petya infections that wreaked havoc across networks in...