The Increasing Severity of Ransomware Ransomware isn?t new, even though most of us would just like it to go the way of the Wooly Mammoth. Unfortunately, it seems to be going the way of the pigeon, showing up everywhere you look. In 2021, there were nearly three-quarters of a billion attempted ransomware attacks and over 100 different strains circulating around the globe. If that isn?t something to be concerned about I?m not sure what is.  There is no question that the use of ransomware is growing. In fact, one metric cites that there were three times as many ransomware attacks in the first quarter of 2021 than there were in the entirety of 2019. It?s getting so bad that some hackers aren?t even bothering locking down data and files, they just put the ransomware screen up and collect the ransom. This is extremely troubling.  Most of the time, ransomware is deployed through phishing attacks. This social engineering tactic allows hackers and scammers to avoid all the high-powered encryption and other technology designed to protect organizational data and systems, by systemically tricking a person who has authentication credentials to hand them over, allowing for access to the network. Ultimately, this access is used for the most nefarious purpose: extortion.  To get the best of hackers looking to deploy ransomware, you need the people who have access to your business? network to be thoroughly trained and tested. It is really the only way to ensure that these threats can be completely mitigated. A staff that is well-trained and has acute awareness of what phishing attacks look like is the best defense against it. Establishment of Artificial Intelligence for Cybersecurity This has been mentioned several times, but 2022 is the year that you are going to see concepts that financial services companies use in fraud prevention used to enhance organizational cybersecurity. By now, most people have an idea of what artificial intelligence (AI) is used for: to automate tasks that have different results based on relatively small numbers of variables. By ?relatively small? we mean many more than the average human can compute, but small enough where it doesn?t require massive amounts of computational power. For cybersecurity, the main benefits are from the predictive powers of AI. Hackers and scammers are also starting to use AI-powered tools for their nefarious purposes, however, making threats even more dangerous. The benefit of AI for cybersecurity is that it only takes one slip up by infiltrators to be thwarted and using smarter automated tools can help human technicians find and eliminate threats.  What is really remarkable about AI-powered security is how much the perception of the technology has changed in a short time. Five years ago, people were dismissing AI as a possible tool that could be leveraged to keep threats off computing infrastructures, while a recent poll conducted by Capgemini suggested that nearly 65 percent of all business security professionals consider AI to be essential for the future of cybersecurity.  Shifts in Regulation For the past couple of years there has been a significant push to consider individual?s data privacy. Not so much for the U.S. Congress to pass anything definitive, but the EU (GDPR) and some individual U.S. states have ratified legislation aiming to help people keep ownership over sensitive data.  When the latest […]

Obviously, this is a problem, and one that can be incredibly disruptive to your productivity. When your technology breaks down, you experience what is called downtime, i.e. time when your organization?s operations are affected in a negative way. Many variables can impact your organization?s operations in this way, but technology is a major culprit and one that you have a surprising amount of control over. Small issues like the above example are easy to overlook and dismiss if they are not too disruptive too often. Unfortunately, the reality of the situation is that issues that get overlooked in this way can develop into major problems. If you let something like a frozen computer become a recurring issue over time, then you might be risking something serious like hardware failure, which creates significantly more downtime and costs associated with it. Next, let?s examine the same scenario in which you experience the frozen computer, but you actually do something about it. Let?s say that you report this problem to your IT department or technician. They immediately deploy a technician to investigate the root cause of the issue. Once it?s addressed, the issue no longer appears, and you can go about your day-to-day responsibilities unimpeded. Managed IT services and proactive computer maintenance can remove the need for computer repair in most circumstances. If you are taking care of your technology and treating it like an investment rather than a liability, you will find that you spend less on repairs in general because there is less need for it to occur. If you are ready to prioritize your business? profitability and operations, then we recommend managed IT services from White Mountain IT Services. With us on your side handling computer repair and preventative maintenance, you?ll have nothing to fear moving forward. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

What Kind of Smart Devices Might You Have? Essentially, anything that connects to the Internet can be considered a smart device, so naturally you will have your computers, tablets, smartphones, Internet routers, and other computing hardware to worry about. It?s the other, less considered devices that are the ones you have to watch out for, like the printers, security cameras, thermostats, smart speakers, and other minor devices that you might not have considered to be security threats. Even something like a smartwatch can be exploited under the right circumstances. So, what can you do to protect your smart devices and create a safer environment on your network in general? Let?s go over a couple of simple practices you can use to protect yourself and your network while using smart devices. Set Up Your Wi-Fi Router Properly The router is not always the first thing you think of in terms of Internet security, but it?s where you should begin your efforts to protect your wireless network. A good place to start is changing your router?s default name. By default, it should include something that includes your router?s brand and model. If you leave it the way it is, you are giving hackers more clues into how they can tap into your wireless network. Furthermore, you should be using a complex password and the highest level of encryption possible. Use Multi-Factor Authentication If you want to optimize security on any connection, you should be using multiple measures. A password is simply not enough these days; you should have multi-factor authentication set up whenever possible for accounts and devices, be it a biometric proof of identity or a simple text to your smartphone. Use a Separate Wi-Fi Connection for IoT Devices If you are worried about security on your network from IoT devices, then a good option is to create a separate network for any IoT devices. This effectively partitions your connection and makes it so that the important devices and data are kept separate from the more at-risk connection, that being the IoT network. White Mountain IT Services can help your business secure its office from smart devices and other IoT devices. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

Sit Down and Plan Your Day Out The first step happens before the day even starts, perhaps in the final half-hour before you leave your office for the day. Create a plan for the next day, including how much time you plan to spend on various tasks and what you hope to accomplish. When you have a plan (some might call this a roadmap for the day), it removes the guesswork surrounding how you are going to spend your time, and when you finish a particular task, you can effortlessly segue into the next. Break Large Tasks Into Chunks Some projects are going to be more complex than others, so it makes sense that you might want to break them down into smaller and more manageable chunks. This helps you work on the tasks in a more self-contained way and keeps you focused on the task at hand rather than worrying about what comes later on down the line. When In Doubt, Delegate Chances are that at least some of the tasks on your plate can be delegated to other staff, and as a business owner, this is a valuable skill to cultivate and develop. Delegating tasks not only removes them from your agenda, it also gives the one you are delegating a sense of ownership for that task. We understand that it can be challenging to give up control over certain tasks, but if you can free yourself from at least some of them, you will find that you have more time to focus on other tasks that actually demand your attention. Outsource When Possible Businesses always have the option to outsource certain parts of their operations so they can focus on the task at hand. One of the most common ways that outsourcing is used by businesses is technology management and IT support. Why worry about whether or not your technology is working when you are trying to focus on what your company does best? If you outsource your IT, you might find the clarity needed to take your productivity to the next level. If your business wants to delegate tasks and outsource more, White Mountain IT Services is a great place to start. We can take on the tasks of any internal IT department so you can remain focused on your business. If you are interested in our services or learning more, give us a call at (603) 889-0800.

Before we begin, it will help to teach those who may not be totally familiar with Krampus a little bit of background about him. An Introduction to Krampus As we all know, Santa Claus is the very picture of jolliness. You?d be hard-pressed to find a nicer guy out there. Everything about him, from his rosy cheeks to his big bowl-of-jelly belly really accentuates his giving personality. Krampus can be safely considered the antithesis of Santa Claus, and many of the elves at the North Pole put some real stock in the story that Krampus is ol? St. Nick?s shadow. The ugly old demon has it out for kids, especially naughty ones, and makes it his mission every Christmas to punish those on the naughty list by hitting them with the bundle of sticks he carries with him? and that?s what he does when he?s feeling forgiving. He?s also tried to do a lot worse. For every bit of friendly and kind that Kris Kringle looks, Krampus is the opposite. Tall and covered in scratchy, wiry hair, his ugly face is framed by the goat-like horns that curl from his head. Naturally, he has fangs, which don?t do much to keep his long tongue in his mouth. Matching his horns, his feet are just hooves. Again, he literally carries a collection of branches around to hit children with, and he keeps himself wrapped in chains for some reason. As you might imagine, he doesn?t exactly smell nice, either.  He?s really just a bad guy, overall. Krampus? Tactics Have Shifted Over the years, the gang up at the North Pole has done a pretty good job in minimizing how much harm Krampus has been able to accomplish, but as they?ve done so, Krampus has become sneakier. Now, in addition to going after naughty children and otherwise interfering with Santa?s delivery schedule, Krampus has actively interfered with operations at the North Pole. He?s become a fairly adept cybercriminal, using his talents to disrupt the North Pole?s supply chains and otherwise slow production of toys. He?s been known to try and phish the elves into opening his infected emails, trying to fool them with supposed ?wish lists?, or calling up the North Pole directly and posing as parents to try and add additional kids to the infamous naughty list. This is where we became involved, as the IT team up at the North Pole had more than enough to do without dealing with his incessant attacks. Here?s a transcript of one of the calls their team has caught: NORTH POLE: Hello, thank you for calling the North Pole, this is Boots. How may I direct your call? KRAMPUS: (in falsetto) Hi there, this is Timmy Johnson?s mother. I just wanted to call and let Santa know that he is being very naughty right now. NORTH POLE: Oh dear, that isn?t nice. Let me get the report started. May I have Timmy?s full name, please? KRAMPUS: (falsetto) Timothy Marcus Johnson. NORTH POLE: And his age? KRAMPUS: (falsetto) He is nine. NORTH POLE: Oh dear. Do you have Timmy?s official North Pole ID number handy? It would have been given to you shortly after he was born. KRAMPUS: Uhhhhh? NORTH POLE: Hello again, Krampus. Nice try. It should be mentioned that these calls were not […]