Network Security

Colbatech Solutions can help you identify and plug security holes in your network. We put measures into place to mitigate the damage if company property such as laptops or smart phones get stolen. We also offer lunch and learns to your organization to educate your employees about proper security habits.

According to the FBI, in 2011 two million computers were infected with malicious software which allowed hackers to look through important personal and financial information.

Director Robert S Mueller gave a testimony to a Senate homeland security panel saying "Computer intrusions and network attacks are the greatest cyber threat to our national security."

http://www.fbi.gov/news/stories/2012/october/cyber-division-focusing-on-hackers-and-intrusions

It's Not Just About Protecting Ones and Zeroes

Network security is an ever-present game of cat and mouse that takes a continuously vigilant eye and on-going action to identify, stop or mitigate new threats. Protecting Ones and Zeroes is just a part of it.

Often-times small businesses are so focused on digital security that they don't think about the vulnerability of physical equipment. A disgruntled employee can take the company server home with them if it's not properly secured. A theft can result in the loss of systems and the data that you work with on a daily basis. It's important to make sure sensitive equipment is locked up and inaccessible to anyone that doesn't require access.

The good news is that 90% of security concerns can be prevented by educating companies on good browsing and email habits, password security, employee termination procedures, and scams.

Three Common Internet Scams and What to Look For

We've listed three different scams that we've come across over the years to help you keep your eyes peeled. Of course there are many more out there that you should be aware of.

Real Scam #1: You receive a phone call from someone claiming to be an employee of Microsoft. They tell you that they have been receiving error reports from your computer and that there is something wrong that they can fix. They request remote access to your computer so they can view and control your screen as if they were sitting directly in front of your computer.

The purpose of this scam is to:

• Trick people into installing malicious software on their computer.

• Take control of a victim's computer remotely and adjust settings in order to leave the computer vulnerable.

• Request credit card information so that cybercriminals can bill for the phony services.

If the scammer installs malicious software or takes down your security defenses, they can steal important information from you whenever they want. They can record your keystrokes and steal passwords to your bank accounts. They can extract credit card information, social security numbers, and contacts.

Real Scam #2: You receive an email pretending to be your email provider (MSN, gmail, yahoo, aol, etc). They tell you that they need to confirm that your account is still in use and that in order to keep your account open, they need your email username and password. If you give them this information, they will access your account and start sending spam emails to all of your contacts while pretending to be you. They can solicit your contacts to click on a link to sell a sham product or infect their computers with a virus. While pretending to be you, they also can send out an email to your contacts saying you are in trouble and need money wired immediately. If money is wired it goes to the scammer.

Real Scam #3: You receive an email of a fake phone bill from someone pretending to be Verizon, AT&T or a similar wireless carrier. The email states that you have a huge bill of $1000.00. It looks very convincing because they use a Verizon email address and the Verizon logo. Naturally you panic and investigate by clicking on the link to your bill. The link takes you to a website that looks like the carriers site. On this deceiving site there is a form that requests personal information. This information is used by the scammers to send you more spam, steal your identity or steal your credit card info. The site may also infect your computer with a virus by executing malicious code.

For more information on internet and email scams go to:
http://www.hoax-slayer.com/.

Give us a call today and we'll be happy to discuss your concerns surrounding network security. Also ask us about our educational lunch and learns and other speaking engagements. We'd love to educate your staff on day to day things they can do to make your business safer.