Author: rory-admin

  • The Massive Internet Outage and The Human Error Behind It

    The Massive Internet Outage and The Human Error Behind It

    A number of major websites were down yesterday morning, including Google, Amazon, Reddit and Twitch. The outage lasted for an hour and even broke services such as Twitter’s emoji.

    The outage occurred through Fastly which is a cloud computing provider and highlights how interconnected (and sensitive) the world wide web really is.

    The error occurred with something called the Content Delivery Network (CDN) which is a geographically distributed network of proxy services and data centers. They came about when performance bottlenecks in the 90’s were causing slowdowns, especially as use exploded.

    By distributing the load it allowed for the faster connectivity and increased bandwidth we enjoy today, along with better reliability. CDN nodes are deployed at multiple locations, and while the entire internet won’t go down if one is affected, as yesterday proves it can still cause significant issues.

    So, what caused yesterday’s issue in the first place?

    Believe it or not the thing that brought down all those major players was actually a customer error. A dormant bug in Fastly’s code reared it’s head on Tuesday when a customer changed updated their settings.

    This setting change (which was a valid configuration) triggered a specific circumstance which activated the bug and caused Fastly servers to begin reporting errors throughout 85% of their network.

    Fastly claims they detected the error within one minute which allowed them to contain the incident within an hour. They say they should have anticipated this error could occur in their messaging on the incident. Fastly maintains one of the largest CDN’s on the internet.

    While it was a relatively short outage, the cost to the websites that were down is still staggering, Early estimates indicated Amazon alone could have lost $32 million in sales.

    This outage indicates how truly disruptive technology related downtime is. Even for small business’s the costs can be extreme. Look at our chart below to see just how much downtime costs can add up.

    A Chart With Downtime Costs

    We know these numbers seem extreme, but if you tally up potential sales lost and the cost of just running your business during an outage – it really can add up fast.

    If you’d like to learn more about what downtime really costs you, as well as how to prevent it, we have a free report on this topic you can find here.

    We help the business’s we support prevent unnecessarily downtime every day. If you’re finding yourself navigating this and other technical problems – we can help. Visit our plan page to see if Valley Techlogic could be a good fit for your business.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

  • The 5 Biggest Mistakes Business Owners Make With Their Technology

    The 5 Biggest Mistakes Business Owners Make With Their Technology

    Running a business requires wearing a lot of hats. You must dabble in a little bit of everything – accounting, management, human resources, technical support.

    We’re all told the best leaders know how to delegate but that can be hard when you’re talking about the business you’ve painstakingly built with your time and effort. Most business owners don’t clock out when the 9-5 day is over, a Gallup poll found that 39% of business owners work more than 60 hours per week.

    Tech News #12

    It’s not just about time logged either, there’s more stress and more on the line. You can’t simply find another job if your business fails, once you’ve owned your own business it can be impossible emotionally to untick that box and work for someone else. That’s not even considering the fallout of a business failing and the mess it leaves behind.

    But enough of the doom and gloom, as a technology company we’re here to support the businesses we take on as clients and lead them down the best possible path. That includes guiding business owners to smarter decisions when it comes to their technology.

    Here are the 5 biggest mistakes we see business owners make from a technology standpoint.

    1. Not keeping your hardware up to date. Look, we get it. Hardware is expensive, especially if you’re making a larger purchase for multiple employees or investing in a new server. However, this is not something you can put off until later. Waiting until your hardware fails will leave you with both the expense of new hardware and the expense of the downtime while you’re waiting for that new hardware to be deployed. We don’t think it makes sense to wait and be double billed, do you?
    2. Not keeping your software up to date either. Updates can feel like a hassle (especially if you’re performing them yourself) but it’s not a good idea to put them off until later. There’s a cumulative effect when you wait. What was once a simple update becomes a complex package of updates that will take longer and leave you with a gap in your coverage that could leave you open to the negative effects those updates were trying to prevent.
    3. Speaking of negative effects, ignoring cyber security. We get the “it will never happen to me” line all the time, and equally as often we hear from those same people later when it The phrase “Don’t be a statistic” is used frequently in cautionary tales and this is no exception. 76% of businesses will experience a cyber-attack and we personally don’t recommend rolling the dice and hoping you’re not part of the majority.
    4. Forgoing any kind of training for employees. In the same vein as #3, some training in technology and how to use the equipment you’re providing employees is a must, and even if you operate on a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) model you’re not off the hook. Most cyber-attacks happen due to human error. By not training your employees you’re not just giving hackers the keys to your office, you’re holding the door open for them.
    5. Thinking you can do it all yourself. Like we said, the best leaders know when to delegate. If you’re not a technology expert but you’re performing most or all of your own IT services what are you doing? How often does a technology snafu turn into an all day (and night) event? Are things in your business being neglected because you’re the only one that knows how to maintain them?

    There is a better way. Outsourcing is a scary word to many business owners, but the truth is help is out there and it’s local to you. We help business owners across the Central Valley who find that once the technology headache is taken off their plate, they have more time and energy to put back into growing their business. If you would like to find out more, reach out to us for a free consultation here.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

  • Considering Moving to the Cloud? Here Are 5 Things You Should Know.

    Considering Moving to the Cloud? Here Are 5 Things You Should Know.

    Moving to the cloud makes sense for a lot of businesses. The infrastructure required for a business level technology setup can be difficult to budget for, and you also have to consider the ongoing maintenance required.

    Even if your business has an onsite server, it makes sense to have a cloud backup. This way if anything happens to your physical server, you have a backup ready. There are even archival backups available that are incredibly safe from cyber attacks (this is something we offer as part of our TechVault service, you can learn more here).

    Here are 5 things you should consider as you venture into the cloud computing space.

    1. Compatibility. You need to consider whether the cloud service you’re moving to is compatible with your existing software and services for a smooth roll out. Since cloud services are usually used to host remote setups, this is especially important if you don’t have all of your employees at a singular location. Also, if your business uses legacy systems, it may be more difficult and complex to move to the cloud but not necessarily impossible.
    2. Internet Connection. Another thing to consider is the type of internet connection your office has. If you have a slow or unreliable connection, it may make rollovers from backup more difficult. It may be worth looking to see if higher speed/increased bandwidth internet solution is available at your office location to help support your cloud solution.
    3. Service Level Agreements. Most cloud providers have guarantees they spell out in these agreements regarding uptime and maintenance. You will want to review these agreements carefully and make sure the arrangement will work for your particular business. We have a free report on the cost of downtime here.
    4. Disaster Recovery. Piggybacking off topic number 3, you also need sure they cover you on the off chance there is a disaster on their end as well as support your efforts to recover if something happens to your onsite backups. Many cloud service providers offer this type of support for an additional fee or as a service add-on.
    5. Scaling. Finally, you want to pick a provider that can grow with your business. One of the benefits of a cloud solution is the ability to scale without the expensive upfront cost. When it comes time to upgrade you should know how easily you can move from one plan to the next.

    As a bonus, here is our chart of common Cloud acronyms found in this space.

    Chart With Cloud Acronyms

    Backup solutions, including those in the cloud, can be a complex undertaking. You want to make sure It’s done correctly so if the time should come that you actually need to utilize that backup it goes as smooth as possible and doesn’t leave your business down for an extended period of time.

    At Valley Techlogic we are experts in the field of crafting backup solutions tailored to the businesses we service. If your business is located in the Central Valley and you need assistance in creating a reliable backup solution for your business, we’re happy to provide a free consultation. You can schedule one here.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

  • The Semiconductor Shortage Is Affecting Products Worldwide – When Will It End?

    The Semiconductor Shortage Is Affecting Products Worldwide – When Will It End?

    As we approach the summer and more than a year since the pandemic began, it seems like there is no end to the shortages that seem to be a staple piece of pandemic life.

    The reasons for the various shortages are complex, but mostly fall to issues with production and the stockpiling of products as consumers and businesses alike try to “weather out” the various (and sometimes self-created) storms.

    The shortages are interlinked with each other as well, it doesn’t seem like a shortage in lumber for instance would be tied to the semiconductor shortage but in a way it is. Ramping up production often requires a ramp up in machinery and that machinery is powered by computer chips.

    Consumers are also feeling the shortages when it comes to auto sales, with used cars being worth significantly more than they were pre-pandemic.

    Now in addition to cars, we’re seeing shortages in televisions and refrigerators that also use the chips. Appliance delivery is being backed up for months for some consumers. Homeowners and would be homeowners across the country are feeling the pinch on all sides with shortages in both appliances and lumber.

    Also, not exactly connected to the semiconductor shortage but in the computer sector we’re also seeing shortages with hard drives, driven by the new cryptocurrency Chia.

    While being advertised as an “ecofriendly” crypto, it’s been found that the mining of Chia can burn out a drive in a matter of weeks. Prices of drives are skyrocketing in response (if you’re able to find hard drives to purchase at all).

    In a nutshell, buying a computer right now could be difficult and more expensive.

    So, what are chip manufacturers doing about it? The world’s largest chip manufacturer, TSMC (Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company), has been quoted as saying they expect to catch up to the automotive demand for chips by June. Although some speculate this is highly ambitious.

    Tech News #11

    Beyond the automotive sector, Samsung is considering delaying the release of the latest Galaxy phone series while shortages remain. Manufacturers will have to work with the capacity limits for production by suspending or delaying certain product launches.

    As for the chip manufacturers themselves, it’s expected production will increase eventually while demand may cool as life returns to normal in many sectors of the country. It’s expected a leveling out will occur by 2022 with consumers and business’s alike having to work around the shortages in the meantime.

    If your business needs to replace computers or computer parts, we can help. We have connections that may assist with getting products more expediently than you can get on your own and with closer to normal pricing. Contact us for a consultation here.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

  • The Extreme Side of RAAS (Ransomware As A Service)

    The Extreme Side of RAAS (Ransomware As A Service)

    When many people think ransomware they usually think on the small scale, someone’s email or computer being held hostage until a small sum is paid or an IT professional can assist with the problem (for the lucky ones).

    Or perhaps you think of the major breaches where millions of accounts are leaked to the public, usually containing emails, phone numbers and other identifying information. As a whole the public has become desensitized to these sort of breaches (even though they’re still a serious problem).

    What we probably do not immediately jump to is a full-scale terrorist level attack that can cripple large swaths of the country – such is the case with the Colonial Pipeline Hack.

    Tech News #10

     

    While it’s still an ongoing situation, here are the details in summary.

    Systems were shut down Friday at the Colonial Pipeline, a pipeline which supplies 45% of the fuel used on the East Coast. FBI has confirmed the pipeline was shutdown voluntarily to prevent future damage and to assess the situation, however this has left much of the country in limbo as gas prices climb and many states have declared a state of emergency.

    It’s being urged that residents in those states do not stock pile gas as that will only prolong the problem of shortages once operations resume. As of Wednesday, operations are still down but they say they hope to resume operations by the end of the week.

    It’s also been confirmed by the FBI that the RAAS (Ransomware As A Service) group DarkSide is responsible for the attack. They create hacking tools that are then used in attacks on businesses, the group itself usually targets for profit businesses in English speaking countries.

    As a relatively new hacking group, they have since August 2020 conducted attacks on various businesses trying to extort money from them by threatening to release the data they obtain in their hacking efforts. They claim to donate all or part of their ill-gotten gains to charity organizations. Their ransomware demands range from $200,000 to $2 million.

    They claim to operate with a code of ethics and will not attack hospitals, schools etc. However, this pipeline attack will have a trickle-down effect to those services and the public at large.

    Ransomware in any form is disruptive and violating and it’s clear more needs to be done to stamp out these attacks.

    Raising public awareness about cyber security and the efforts required to be safe online will help. In addition to that, requiring businesses to have protective measures in place will cut off these groups before they’re able to acquire the funding they need to become large hacking organizations.

    We need to work together to making hacking less lucrative, because as it’s been shown our way of life and public safety may be at stake.

    If you run a business and need help with your cyber security services, we’re here for you. We have tailored cyber security plans for businesses of all sizes, and we would be happy to guide you through the process of protecting your business. Schedule a free consultation here today.

    Update: As of Thursday, the Colonial Pipeline has resumed operations. It’s unknown how long the gas shortages caused by the outage will last.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

  • Have a Dell laptop or computer? This vulnerability is one to watch out for.

    Have a Dell laptop or computer? This vulnerability is one to watch out for.

    Vulnerabilities that can broadly attack major systems or specific retailers are especially problematic. Many of these vulnerabilities are quietly patched before you’re even aware there was a problem but sometimes things can fly under the radar for a while.

    Such is the case in an affected Dell driver that has been pushed out to machines for the last 12 years. It was recently discovered this driver can allow bad actors to possibly gain more access to the affected Dell systems. It’s estimated hundreds of millions of Dell computers, laptops and tablets could have the affected driver and be at risk.

    While it’s not considered critical at the moment because the affected computers would already have to be compromised in some way for it to be used, it’s still problematic because it could make removing malware or other system infections more difficult. These drivers would potentially allow them unrestricted to the affected machines in the event the user is hacked.Tech News #9

    There are currently no recorded cases of this exploit being used, however now that it’s been made public that may change. Researchers have held back the details of the exploit to allow users time to patch, and Dell has issued a security advisory regarding the driver. However, they have not as of writing revoked the affected driver.

    This is another reminder as to the importance of maintaining updates on your machines. Even with security measures in place, no system is perfect. Vulnerabilities can be discovered years later with varying levels of severity. By maintaining patching, you won’t be caught off guard or risk having your machines exploited by a vulnerability.

    Here are 5 patching best practices:

    1. Automate. If you can, automate the process. Schedule your patches to happen at a time you won’t be busy working on your computer.
    2. Plan your approach. If you’re managing patching for your business, you want to plan how you’ll approach patching company wide. It may be prudent to patch overnight or patch in waves if your business is open extended hours.
    3. Test patches. Test patches on a single machine before rolling them out company wide, sometimes patches can create problems that might necessitate a rollback and that might hinder your business if everyone in the office is down.
    4. Maintain patch levels. The last thing you want to do is fall seriously behind on patches. Patching will be a lengthy process as you try and catch up, and your machines may be left vulnerable in the interim.
    5. Get Help If You Need It. Patching your home machines is a fairly straight forward process usually but patching from a business perspective can have many intricacies beyond just “apply patches”. When in doubt, leave it up to the professionals.

    If you need help with patching or the myriad of other items that keep your office machines in tip top shape and safe from malware, Valley Techlogic is here for your business. You can schedule a free consultation here.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

  • Top 10 Tips for Managing Your Social Media Presence

    Top 10 Tips for Managing Your Social Media Presence

    As a technology service provider, we don’t think it’s much of a leap to weigh in on the topic of social media, there are many technical aspects that come with managing your business’s presence on all the various social media platforms. You may be asking yourself if it’s worth the effort or which ones would be the best fit for your business – or even how to go about setting them up in the first place.

    We have to be honest that we’re somewhat “green” to this space ourselves, having only dived into it within the last year in earnest. However, I think this gives us a unique perspective as we’re not claiming to be experts. We use and have grown within the social media space this year and these are our tips for getting started.

    1. Claim Your Business. Whether you plan to move forward with a platform or not, we recommend claiming your business identity on as many of the networks as you can, by doing this you can ensure your business name is not taken by someone else later on.
    2. Start And/Or Finish Filling Out Google My Business. While not a social media account per se, Google My Business is a crucial advertising tool that allows visitors to reach not only your website but also all of your social media accounts through a Google search. It is important to maintain this account with valid information.
    3. Fully Fill Out Your Profile Pages. As with Google My Business, it’s important to fully establish the profile before jumping into posting content. The more information about your business you can provide the better.
    4. Decide Which Platforms to Focus Your Efforts. Not every platform is a good fit for every business, you need to go to where your customers are. We recommend LinkedIn and Facebook as good places to start but depending on your business sector platforms such as Instagram or Twitter may net you a good response as well. Even TikTok may be worth the effort for your business depending on your overall audience.
    5. Post Regularly. You should set a schedule and stick to it when it comes to sharing content on social media, these platforms reward regular activity by focusing more eyes (and potential customers) at business’s who utilize their platforms consistently.
    6. Share Things About Your Business. Customers like to get an “inside look” into the inner workings of the business’s they’re thinking about engaging with, especially in the business-to-business sector. Share things like company events and photos to engage with your audience on a personal level.
    7. Share Custom Content. Another idea for content is to share things you make or blogs you post. Both Google and the social media platforms reward custom made content.
    8. Invite People You Know to Like Your Page. When first starting out it’s a good idea to invite customers and colleagues to like your social media pages, this allows them to receive the updates you post and helps you begin building an audience.
    9. Consider Paid Activity. We don’t suggest trying this off the bat but once your page is somewhat established, you might consider paid ads through these platforms to drive the content you’re creating and sharing to an even wider audience.
    10. Engage With Your Audience. Our final tip is just to remind you to always engage with your audience, responding to comments not only lets you form a connection with potential clients but it also shows that your business is proactive and responsive.

    We also found this article on Facebook statistics really helpful when it comes to evaluating Facebook in particular. Facebook falls just behind YouTube and Google on having the most web traffic, but that’s still hundreds of millions of users.

    One bonus tip, many of us don’t consider YouTube to be a social media application, but it really is. Not only can you connect with your audience on a personal level through video, it’s also connected to Google as they own it. Building up a business YouTube account can also lead to more traffic from Google.

    We hope these tips help with getting started in social media, while outside our normal scope if your business would like advice on this topic or on any of regular service topics feel free to reach out.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

  • Cyber Security Training Is More Accessible Than You Think

    Cyber Security Training Is More Accessible Than You Think

    It can be a hard pitch getting your employees to commit to cyber security training, and you yourself may wonder if it’s worth the time spent on it.

    It’s a simple fact, when it comes to cyber security breaches humans are the weakest link. There is no software measure that can preempt the human element when it comes to bad actors getting into your business’s systems and accessing your sensitive data.

    It’s not your employees’ fault, hackers are constantly devising new ways to breach your systems. They spend countless hours on it and they’re very, very good at it. Just look at these eye-opening statistics.

    Statistics on Phishing

    When many people think cyber security training, they think of something they’ll have to spend hours on. Long form videos with wordy explanations in tech-speak that doesn’t resonate or get absorbed by the intended audience.

    However, cyber security training has come a long way past that. Like most of our internet consumption activities, it can be delivered in quick bites that drive the point home in a way that speaks to your employees and many offer micro quizzes that quickly evaluate whether the information provided was understood.

    The systems we have used have management and owner portals so you can continuously monitor the results of these quizzes as well as the results of simulated phishing exercises.

    Web Training Portal

    Phishing remains a top threat to companies across the country, of breaches that have occurred in 2021, 22% involved phishing (45% involved hacking and 17% involved malware).

    Simulated phishing exercises allow you to randomly test your employees in a safe environment. The results are confidential and if you find this is a regular problem with your organization it lets you know you need to step up your efforts in regard to email safety training and have more stringent policies in place.

    There is even cyber security training that can be delivered directly via your email client, the short form videos will appear on the right-hand side and the micro quizzes can be taken immediately after viewing. making it highly accessible since there’s no need to navigate to a website.

    An additional benefit is you can inform your clients and vendors that you are conducting cyber security training within your organization.

    Also, if you access cyber security training through your IT service provider it can be highly affordable or even free. At Valley Techlogic we believe in the benefit of not only providing IT and support and service to our clients, but also making tools and information available to allow them to be completely informed in their IT choices. This includes offering cyber security training as an option for the businesses we provide services for.

    Cyber security is best implemented through a package effort of passive prevention and active prevention, passive prevention is the software we employ that prevents and mitigates cyber security threats. Active prevention is the training we offer that allows  employees to safeguard their own systems and prevents potential threats from occurring at all.

    If you’d like more information on cyber security training and/or other cyber security prevention services, you can reach out to us here. We also offer a free cyber security training kit you can get started with here.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

  • 10 Common Tech Questions & Our No-Nonsense Answers

    10 Common Tech Questions & Our No-Nonsense Answers

    We write about a lot of different topics in this blog but today we wanted to take the time as a technology provider to answer the questions that are really at the forefront of our clients’ minds, both from a business standpoint and just from an everyday standpoint.Tech News Number 7

    We’ll be covering our top 5 general technology questions and our top 5 business technology questions as of posting this blog. If you have a question that you’re struggling to get answered – and we all know the rabbit hole Google can send us down trying to search for an answer – don’t hesitate to reach out. Chances are we might have the answer!

    Now onto the general questions first.

    1. How do I keep my Laptop battery in tip-top shape? A good rule of thumb is to keep your laptops lithium-ion battery running longer you’ll want to keep them from overheating, not let them discharge fully to 0% before charging, and not leave them plugged in while they’re at 100% constantly. Batteries have a finite life span but taking care of them will make them last longer, this advice applies to devices like cellphones as well.
    2. Do I actually have to eject a thumb drive or USB device? The short answer is yes, the long answer is because when you go to eject your device your PC finishes up tasks related to that device to improve overall performance. Removing it without ejecting it first may lead to corrupt or unusable data. It’s an easy step so don’t skip it.
    3. What happens when I see a warning on a site I use that it’s been hacked or compromised? If your browser is warning you about a site you’re trying to visit we recommend proceeding with caution, it could be that their security certificates are just expired but it also might be that the site has actually been compromised and visiting it or entering data into it might lead to your own system being compromised as well.
    4. Why does resetting my router sometimes magically fix my internet? Your router is a technology device the same as all your other ones, and sometimes a reboot is all that’s needed to get it back to working as intended. You want to wait at least 10 seconds to plug it back in to allow the capacitors inside it to discharge completely and ensure your reset works as intended.
    5. Do hackers really care about my information? All information has the potential to be valuable on the dark web or other nefarious sections of the internet. It may not seem like a big deal if your name, phone number or email are leaked online but they can use this information to get to the accounts they really want (like your financial accounts). It’s always a good idea to safeguard your information and employ good password practices.

    That covers the general questions we see a lot, what about ones specifically for businesses? Technology and business go hand-in-hand and these are the questions that come up the most.

    1. Do my vendors have to work with my other vendors when it comes to the technology I use? If they care about your business many vendors will try to assist clients as they navigate all the various systems you use to conduct your everyday business, but many will charge a fee to do so and some may refuse.
    2. How do I know if I’m spending too much on technology? New gadgets and software solutions come out every day, it would be impossible for anyone to buy or subscribe to them all. At the same time, it’s unreasonable to believe any piece of hardware will last forever or your business won’t outgrow a software that previously performed adequately. It’s a good idea to try and set a reasonable budget and have your IT team work with you to stay within that budget.
    3. Are backups really necessary? Yes, you may not know how necessary a file is until you go to look for it and it’s gone. Important contracts and records are just a couple of things your business can’t afford to leave to chance, we recommend complete system backups so you never have to worry about losing anything important.
    4. Will my team actually use it? If you’re thinking about giving a specific software or tech solution a try a good question to ask if whether your team has the training required to use it, and why it would be beneficial to your business. One example is two-factor authentication. We know businesses can receive a lot of pushback from their employees when they go to implement this, but the benefits drastically outweigh the hassle it may seemingly pose. Proper training is key when implementing any new technology measures within your business.
    5. How does it benefit the business? It can be hard if you’re not someone who works in the IT field or has a pretty good level of familiarity with it to know how implementing new solutions will benefit your business. That’s why it’s always our recommendation to reach out to someone who does, whether that be your in-house team or a technology provider you’re comfortable with.

    If your business needs help answering these or any other technology related questions, Valley Techlogic is here to help. You can schedule a no-obligation consultation here. If we missed any questions feel free to reach out to our live chat and let us know, we would love to add them to our next article.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.

  • Your Information Was Leaked in a Major Breach, Now What?

    Your Information Was Leaked in a Major Breach, Now What?

    In what seemed to be major news for only a brief period of time, over 500 million Facebook account details were leaked last week. The data included things like profile names, Facebook ID numbers, email addresses, and phone numbers. While this data may be online in other forms the combined data together makes it a treasure trove for phishers and scammers.

    The colossal total of 533 million accounts was accessed by hackers exploiting a bug in a Facebook address book contacts import feature. It was confirmed by Facebook that the exploit was patched in August 2019, but it is unclear how many times the bug was used before then. The information featured users from 106 different countries. News Tip About Hackers

    It’s clear from Facebook’s response that this data has been out there for a while, and no one knows how it’s currently being utilized by bad actors to phish and scam people. It hasn’t been released that password data was a part of the breach, but it’s still our recommendation that you change your password any time you hear news of a major breach from a service you utilize. As well as making sure you use different passwords for different sites (if you don’t already).

    But what else can you do? Here are our 5 tips to protect yourself after a breach occurs with a service you use or have used in the past.

    1. Keep an Eye Out for An Alert from The Company Affected. We feel companies should be duty bound to let their users know if a breach has occurred. You should keep an eye out for an email detailing the steps they have taken to protect your data after a breach, what may have been compromised, and what you should do to protect yourself.
    2. Monitor Your Financials. If the breach happened within a financial institution you utilize, or even one we all utilize by default (such as the Equifax breach) you want to take the time to monitor your financials for suspicious activity. Many banking and credit card issuers offer free credit reporting as part of their services now. You can even freeze your credit to be extra sure but keep in mind if you do try to open a new credit card or loan the freeze will affect you as well.
    3. Change Your Passwords. We recommend changing passwords if a major breach has occurred even if the business confirms no password data was leaked, you really can never be too careful. If you need help remembering your passwords for various sites as well as creating stronger passwords, we recommend our article on the top 3 password managers we recommend.
    4. Be Extra Wary of Suspicious Emails. Following a data leak, phishers and scammers will use this newly obtained information to try and reach out and trick you into handing over your financial or other personal information. They may have names of relatives or other people you know to utilize and try to get you to send them money. If you receive a suspicious email it is best to report it to your email provider.
    5. File Your Taxes Early. If your social security number was stolen as part of a breach, you may want to be prepared to file your taxes as soon as possible to avoid having your tax refund stolen by scammers.

    In addition to these five tips if the company that was breached offers assistance in the form of either monitoring your credit or tips on how to safeguard your account, we recommend accepting their offer. Data breaches occur so often now that the public is desensitized but they are still a threat that should be treated seriously.

    Data breaches that affect businesses are a different animal entirely. There is much more to monitor and safeguard and it is not something you should try to tackle alone. Valley Techlogic is experienced in helping businesses recover from data breaches and we can help you recover your data and protect it from further attacks. Visit here to schedule a free consultation to learn more.

    Looking for more to read? We suggest these tech articles from the last week.

    This article was powered by Valley TechLogic, an IT provider in Atwater, CA. You can find more information at https://www.valleytechlogic.com/ or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/valleytechlogic/ . Follow us on Twitter at https://x.com/valleytechlogic.