When all is said and done, the true difference between these two terms is how much information each conveys. HTML HTML, or Hyper Text Markup Language, is the language that most web browsers accept as the standard for web content. Developed at CERN, or the European Organization for Nuclear Research, by Sir Tim Berners-Lee in the 1980s, HTML provides a browser with tags that dictate how a web page?s content is to be displayed. HTML is the reason that this sentence can be displayed separately from the other content on this page. A web browser takes the HTML code and translates it into a layout that can be read by a user. HTML is the reason that web content can appear bold, italicized, or can be anchored to other pages online. It is no exaggeration to say that the Internet itself was built on the basis of HTML. Plain Text In contrast, plain text is the text with most of its formatting stripped away. While basic formatting and punctuation, like new paragraphs and commas, are preserved, stylistic elements are removed. Any fonts or specialized formatting are stripped, leaving just the bare-bones content. While HTML is used to create fancy, stylized text that draws the eye, plain text is simply what it sounds like – simple, unformatted text. On the modern web, you rarely run into plain text sites, but over a decade ago many sites opted to have plain text versions for slower dial up connections. Email Uses Of course, HTML and plain text have applications other than in web design – they can also be used to stylize or simplify email messages. This is entirely based on what kind of email you?re trying to send. HTML can help you create a dynamic, attention-grabbing email, while plain text allows you to simply and honestly share a message. HTML and plain text also each have advantages and disadvantages in email usage. HTML allows you to tell a more visually dynamic story, ultimately boosting your ability to brand your emails. Furthermore, the more clickable HTML format also enables you to send emails and track their open rates. Unfortunately, for all its features (and partially because of them) HTML is more likely to be put in the spam folder or sorted into a folder that isn?t read nearly as often. On the other hand, plain text can make emails easier to write, as formatting is essentially a non-issue. They also can be read on any device, and rarely, if ever, have any deliverability issues. However, plain text isn?t the most visually appealing, which makes it less likely to be clicked. Then again, plain text also can?t be tracked, which means that you have no idea whether or not your email was successful unless it is brought to your attention. Are there any other tech terms that you?d like to learn more about? Let us know in the comments!

Here are some of the best ways that you can foster communication in your organization, in no order. Consider an IntranetThose who might not know much about technology will be somewhat hesitant to adopt it. This can make implementing a unified infrastructure tricky, as you might encounter users who have no clue what they are doing. After all, they?re going to need to access important files on a company network or accessing your cloud solution for sharing information or software. You can use an intranet to connect these employees to important resources that they might need on a daily basis. This acts like a central hub where all of your business’ assets can be found in a moment?s notice. This allows you to minimize the risk of confusion or miscommunication. Use Common Communication SolutionsIf you don?t have a unified communications solution already put in place, it?s extraordinarily proficient at keeping threats out of your network and infrastructure. Unified communications consists of a unified email server, a phone system where each employee has their own individual extension, and instant messaging for quick and easy communication in a moment?s notice. These solutions can be hosted either on-premise or in the cloud–in fact, Voice over Internet Protocol, or VoIP, is the preferred method of telephone communication. By providing your employees with several mediums to reach out to each other, you are giving your team the means to be as productive as possible with their time. Make Important Information Easy to FindIf you?re hoping that you can find information about a solution your business uses online, perhaps there is an easier way to accomplish this same goal. Your company can benefit from implementing some sort of documentation system where frequently asked question are stored and compiled. This can help your business accumulate knowledge and cut down on time spent asking repetitive questions, as well as eliminate a portion of training for more self-driven lessons. It essentially provides your employees with the autonomy they might crave. What are your business’ specific communication needs? White Mountain IT Services can help you meet them. To learn more, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

Phishing attacks come in many different forms. We?ll discuss some of the most popular ways that hackers and scammers will try to take advantage of your business through phishing scams, including phone calls, email, and social media. Phishing Calls Do you receive calls from strange or restricted numbers? If so, chances are that they are calls that you want to avoid. Hackers will use the phone to make phishing phone calls to unsuspecting employees. They might claim to be with IT support, and in some cases, they might even take on the identity of someone else within your office. These types of attacks can be dangerous and tricky to work around, particularly if the scammer is pretending to be someone of authority within your organization. For example, someone might call your organization asking about a printer model or other information about your technology. Sometimes they will be looking for specific data or information that might be in the system, while other times they are simply looking for a way into your network. Either way, it?s important that your company doesn?t give in to their requests, as there is no reason why anyone would ask for sensitive information over the phone. If in doubt, you should cross-check contact information to make sure that the caller is who they say they are. Phishing Emails Phishing emails aren?t quite as pressing as phishing phone calls because you?re not being pressured to make an immediate decision. Still, this doesn?t lessen the importance of being able to identify phishing messages. You might receive tailor-made customized phishing messages with the sole intent of a specific user handing over important information or clicking on a link/attachment. Either way, the end result is much the same as a phone call phishing scam; To avoid phishing emails, you should implement a spam filter and train your employees on how to identify the telltale signs of these messages. These include spelling errors, incorrect information, and anything that just doesn?t belong. Although, phishing messages have started to become more elaborate and sophisticated. Phishing Accounts Social media makes it incredibly easy for hackers to assume an anonymous identity and use it to attack you; or, even more terrifying, the identity of someone you know. It?s easy for a hacker to masquerade as someone that they?re not, providing an outlet for attack that can be somewhat challenging to identify. Some key pointers are to avoid any messages that come out of the blue or seemingly randomly. You can also ask questions about past interactions that tip you off that they may (or may not) be who they say they are. Ultimately, it all comes down to approaching any phishing incident intelligently and with a healthy dose of skepticism. To learn more about how to keep your business secure, reach out to us at (603) 889-0800.

This VPN bug can leverage the ASA operating system to enable hackers to breach Cisco security devices. According to Cisco, this Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) can ?allow an unauthenticated, remote attacker to cause a reload of the affected system or to remotely execute code.? This means that an attacker could hypothetically gain complete access to a system and control it – a prospect that any business should see the threat in, especially where their physical security is concerned. In fact, this vulnerability has been ranked as a 10 out of 10 on the Common Vulnerability Score System, making it one of the top vulnerabilities ranked. Granted, this vulnerability only goes into effect if WebVPN has been enabled, but that doesn?t mean that you can overlook this threat. ZDNet provides the following list of affected devices: 3000 Series Industrial Security Appliance (ISA) ASA 5500 Series Adaptive Security Appliances ASA 5500-X Series Next-Generation Firewalls ASA Services Module for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series Switches and Cisco 7600 Series Routers ASA 1000V Cloud Firewall Adaptive Security Virtual Appliance (ASAv) Firepower 2100 Series Security Appliance Firepower 4110 Security Appliance Firepower 9300 ASA Security Module Firepower Threat Defense Software (FTD). When it was first discovered, this bug had yet to be used ?in the wild,? but Cisco was aware of some attempts to change that. This exploit targeted a bug from seven years ago, with a proof of concept demonstrating the use of the exploit – or at least trying to. The proof of concept only resulted in a system crash, but that doesn?t change the fact that this vulnerability can be exploited in other ways, too. Unfortunately, this vulnerability has now been observed in use, and worse, Cisco?s first attempt to patch it didn?t see to all considerations. As it turned out, there were more attack vectors and features that were not yet identified, as so were not addressed by the patch. However, Cisco has now released an updated patch, which you need to implement as soon as possible. Otherwise, you are opening up your business security to greater risk. It is always a better practice to attend to known vulnerabilities post haste, as the longer your business is vulnerable, the more likely it is that someone will take advantage of that. Furthermore, it is also crucial that you stay cognizant of any and all vulnerabilities that are present in your mission-critical software and hardware solutions. This bug is not an isolated case. Others like it have been found before, and more will certainly pop up in the future. Hackers and cybercriminals are constantly working to overcome the security features that software developers implement. It is your responsibility to ensure that you protect your business by implementing security patches and updates promptly. White Mountain IT Services can assist you with that. We can help you ensure that your patches and updates are up-to-date, often without needing to take the time needed for an on-site visit and handling it all remotely. For more information, give us a call at (603) 889-0800.

A Look at the Cybersecurity Industry Since the landscape of the Internet is rife with threats, the risks an organization faces by not doing all they can to protect their information systems presents real organizational issues. As a result, the Internet security industry has expanded so far as it will do annual revenues of over $170 billion by 2020, with the Internet of Things presenting an ongoing security issue for most businesses. For one indicator that gives away just how risky the Internet is for an organization, check out how much money is being spent on securing computers and networks. To address the innumerable threats, cybersecurity markets have begun to pop up for gadgets, appliances, cars, and other frequently utilized goods. Moreover, cybersecurity insurance is now being offered by major insurers. PricewaterhouseCoopers forecasts that $7.5 billion will be spent on data insurance by 2020. Another indicator that cybersecurity is prioritized by many businesses is how major financial institutions address these risks. Organizations like J.P. Morgan Chase, Bank of America, Citigroup, and Wells Fargo, with their breadth of risk-averse financial services, spend upwards of $1.5 billion per year on cybersecurity. Get Started with Browser Security The browser is generally the end point where the data stored on the Internet is disseminated to users. As a result, small businesses, who unlike major financial organizations (or most enterprise businesses), don?t have the financial resources to spare, have come to rely on their browser?s built-in security features to do a lot of the heavy lifting in their cybersecurity strategies. By understanding which browser gives you the best opportunity to succeed, you can be ahead of the game instead of constantly playing from a disadvantaged position and putting your data and network at risk. Browsers The most well-known browsers are the most utilized. Google?s Chrome, Apple?s Safari, Mozilla?s Firefox, and Microsoft?s new Edge browser are currently the most utilized browsers on computers that run Windows or macOS, while Chrome, Safari, and UCBrowser are most popular on mobile. We?ll take a look at some of these browsers (and their security features) to help you ascertain whether or not a particular browser will work for your needs. The best protection is actually from producing secure connections. In the browser, any site that has a secure connection will feature the protocol ?https://?. By encrypting data sent and received through the browser, it keeps the transmission of data from being intercepted, stolen, or leaked. In encrypting the exchange of information, it highlights the two variables that need to be present for secure browsing: identification and privacy. We?ll go through the most popular browsers to see what they offer users in the way of security and privacy: Google Chrome Google Chrome is the most popular and utilized Internet browser in the world. For security?s sake, it features a powerful ?sandbox?. The sandbox is an encrypted environment that attempts to keep the communication between the user and the website separate to offer another layer of security. Google also has the fastest response time to security vulnerabilities. One security problem users get into when using Chrome is if they use Chrome apps. The Chrome apps themselves may not be a vulnerability, but the more endpoints that potentially expose users, the higher the risk is. Privacy in Google Chrome is another matter altogether. […]