Recent Blog Posts
Software Licenses vs Software as a Service Anyone who has ever purchased a piece of software knows that it can be expensive up-front. Normally you would pay a fee upon purchase, then upgrade to the latest version of the software as time goes on, constantly purchasing and repurchasing the same software, just updated with a new coat of paint. This can be seen as a wasteful practice, and some small businesses simply do not have the funds to make this happen for multiple employees. Furthermore, if licenses for all software cannot be purchased, businesses might opt to use older and less secure versions of the software, leading to increased likelihood of data breaches and data loss; and that?s not even mentioning the productivity issues that could result from using older, defunct software. No, it?s far easier to use the most recent, up-to-date versions of software whenever possible. That?s where Software as a Service comes into play. The Benefits of Software as a Service Generally speaking, when you use a cloud-based version of an application, you are likely using it as a ?software as a service? model. When you utilize Software as a Service, you are always using the most recent version of the program in question. There is no concern that you are using an outdated or unsecure version of the software. Adding new users is easy, too. Rather than purchasing new licenses, you are simply adding user accounts and adjusting your monthly rate. Furthermore, since you are paying for the software on a month-by-month basis, the payments are smaller and easier to fit into a budget than the larger up-front costs of investing in a certain number of software licenses. It?s just one way that the ?as a service? model can make running a business easier. Get Started Today White Mountain IT Services can equip your organization with the software tools it needs to succeed in today?s rapid-fire business environment. To learn more about how we can help you manage not just your software, but also your entire IT infrastructure, give us a call at (603) 889-0800.
Before discussing this particular phishing threat, let?s examine phishing attacks in a more broad sense. What are they, and what do you need to know to protect yourself? Explaining Phishing Attacks Hackers will often find that forcing themselves through your defenses is simply not the best approach for their needs, instead resorting to what are called phishing attacks?calculated measures that are designed to trick or mislead users?to gain unauthorized access to data. Phishing attacks are most commonly initiated through downloading an infected file, clicking on a suspicious link in an email, or handing over credentials to someone claiming to be tech support or a higher-up within the organization. Why It Matters The biggest challenge that phishing attacks pose for businesses is that it doesn?t matter if you have done all that you can to secure your business; phishing attacks still might find their way into your organization. These types of attacks can often make it past even the best solutions, relying instead on the less reliable part of your infrastructure?your employees?for a way into your business. In this way, your security solutions are only as effective as your employees? collective knowledge of network security. Agent Tesla As a threat, Agent Tesla has been around since 2014. This malware uses a keylogger to steal information from infected devices. The stolen data is then transmitted back to the hacker periodically throughout the day. The hacker might desire information like passwords, usernames, and other data that is typed into the system. This new variant of Agent Tesla is notable thanks to its ability to steal cryptocurrency from the user. This is where that background information on phishing attacks comes into play; Agent Tesla spreads through infected Excel email attachments. An attack detailed by Fortinet utilized an Excel file titled ?Order Requirements and Specs” in an attempt to spread the malware. It might seem like a legitimate file at first glance. When the user downloads the file and opens it, it will run a macro that downloads Agent Tesla to the device. This specific process, as it?s explained by Fortinet, involves installing PowerShell files for Agent Tesla, adding several items to the Auto-Run group in the system registry through the use of VBScript code, and finally creating a scheduled task that executes at a designated interval. One of the most concerning things about Agent Tesla is that it is quite accessible, being available for a relatively cheap price with opportunities for support from its developers. As such, the bar is set pretty low for budding hackers who want to try their hand at making other peoples? lives miserable. What Can You Do? The last thing you want to do is find yourself in a position where you are forced to react to threats rather than prevent them entirely. Here is the key to keeping your organization secure from not just phishing threats, but all security threats: Implement quality network security solutions to catch the majority of threats before they reach your network. Train your employees to identify threats so that the ones that do get through your defenses do not cause more trouble than they need to. Does your company need help with securing its infrastructure and staying safe from threats? White Mountain IT Services can help. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.
Tip # 1 – Know Your Keyboard Shortcuts Microsoft Word has many amazing features, but one tool that can really help you get the most out of your Word experience is by knowing how to utilize keyboard shortcuts. Fortunately, Word provides you with a list of shortcuts in the menus, but we thought we?d expedite the process and provide you with a useful list. Working with Documents Open a document – Ctrl + O Create a New Document – Ctrl + N Save current document – Ctrl + S Open Save as Window – F12 Close current document – Ctrl + W Split the Window – Alt + Ctrl + S Working Inside a Document Move cursor by word – Ctrl + left/right arrow Move cursor by paragraph – Ctrl + up/down arrow Move to the beginning of a line – Home Move to the beginning of a document – Ctrl + Home Useful Editing Shortcuts Cut selected section – Ctrl + X Copy selected section – Ctrl + C Paste from clipboard – Ctrl + V Add Bold – Ctrl + B Add Italics – Ctrl + I Add Underline – Ctrl + U Underline words only – Ctrl + Shift + W Center – Ctrl + E Insert a page break – Ctrl + Enter Insert a hyperlink – Ctrl + K Selecting Text Select all – Ctrl + A Select one character – Shift + Arrow Select one word – Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Select to top of document – Shift + Home Select to bottom of document – Shift + End Other Shortcuts of Note Undo – Ctrl + Z Redo – Ctrl + Y Cancel – Esc Understanding these shortcuts will go a long way toward helping your and your staff be more efficient using Word. Tip #2 – Use the Breadth of Templates Microsoft Work comes equipped with many templates that users can use to move things along. Think about it this way, instead of starting from scratch, you could customize a template in a fraction of the time and be off and running. There are literally hundreds of different resumes, brochures, and other templates that can eliminate all the frustration that you may go through trying to customize a document from scratch. To access these templates, click on New on the main screen and there will be a search bar where you can search for the type of document you want to create. For our example, we typed in ?Business card? and it came up with results like this: It?s as simple as that. Word has templates for flyers, letters, business cards, resumes, brochures, and more. This option can save you a lot of time and effort. Tip #3 – Save Formatting In a lot of businesses, workers will work on the same type of document. To speed things up, you can save your formatting so that you don?t have to manually edit documents continuously. Using Word?s Quick Styles you can save all of your formatting preferences so that you can pull them up next time you are working on a similar document. All you need to do is style a document once and visit the Home tab on the Word Menu. Then expand the Styles menu. Then choose to Create […]
Cybersecurity The aim is to proactively identify and neutralize threats before they can be problems. AI has proved to be a huge asset in this regard. With so many threats out there to be legitimately concerned about, IT professionals simply don?t have the time, energy, or resources to deal with false alarms. This is where AI comes in. It can be used to detect legitimate threats and intrusions, as well as identify weaknesses in software and malicious code that has already been introduced, making it a real benefit for your IT department. Operational Efficiency All types of businesses are realizing the benefits that automation can bring to their operations. The more efficient everything works, the more productive your business can be. With AI bringing sophisticated tools and applications to a wider range of industries, and its continued development adding more utility, many businesses are able to find a way to incorporate AI. Repetitive tasks that would otherwise slow down a company?s progress can now be automated away, even if there are some non-static variables. Customer Service AI has played a significant role in customer relations. In fact, Chatbots are one of the first AI applications that were widely adopted. Some are so effective, that many users may not even be cognizant of the fact that they?re talking to a machine at first, as modern solutions have become quite capable of adapting the interface to optimally provide the desired support. While AI is far from what Hollywood has promised us for decades, it remains one of the most important technologies of the 21st century. If you are interested in learning more about incorporating AI-driven solutions into your operations, call the IT professionals at White Mountain IT Services today at (603) 889-0800.
Coming after a lengthy investigation by the House?s antitrust subcommittee focused on the competition to be found in the digital space, this legislation could be the largest change to antitrust laws in many years? assuming, of course, that this legislation passes. The Bills Being Considered: Let?s go over the context of these bills, and what each is designed to do. The American Innovation and Choice Online Act Designed to disallow tech giants from pushing their own products and services over that of their rivals, this bill would also ban companies from cutting their competition off from services and from using data collected from rival companies using their platforms to develop products in direct competition with them. The Ending Platform Monopolies Act This bill is meant to prevent tech companies from weighing the scales in their favor by leaning on their diversified business portfolios. Basically, if a platform has more than 50 million monthly active users and market capitalization rates (better known as a market cap) of over $600 billion, this bill would prevent them from operating another business that creates a conflict of interest. Lawmakers have indicated that Amazon and Apple could have partially inspired this bill, as each distributes their own products and services on the platforms that each host: Amazon sells Amazon-branded products, while Apple creates applications for distribution in its own app store. The Platform Competition and Opportunity Act This bill is intended to prevent businesses from eliminating their competition and otherwise expanding their influence in their market by acquiring the other companies around them. Rather than the government needing to prove that an acquisition would cause harm to the business landscape, the business seeking to take ownership of another would carry the burden of proof to show that their merger would be legal. The Merger Filing Fee Modernization Act This piece of legislation would raise filing fees, which would then be used to fund the government?s pursuit of other antitrust initiatives. As such, these funds would largely go to the Federal Trade Commission and the Department of Justice. The Augmenting Compatibility and Competition by Enabling Service Switching (ACCESS) Act ACCESS would make the process of transferring one?s private information far simpler, and is not the first bill introduced to do so. These Bills Are Largely Targeting Four Particular Companies Can you guess what these four companies are? If you guessed Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google, you?d be right. When these bills were released, Colorado Representative Ken Buck called them out by name in the accompanying statement: ?Apple, Amazon, Facebook, and Google have prioritized power over innovation and harmed American businesses and consumers in the process. These companies have maintained monopoly power in the online marketplace by using a variety of anticompetitive behaviors to stifle competition.? These companies?worth a combined total of about $6 trillion?have long been the focus of such efforts, mainly because they hold such power. These six pieces of legislation could each level some significant impacts upon them. For instance, Amazon could no longer sell its own branded items on its marketplace if the Ending Platform Monopolies Act were to pass, while it could also prevent Google from featuring YouTube videos in its search results. Meanwhile, representatives of these four companies have spoken out against these bills, and these companies are all currently embroiled […]