April 2017
microTECH Times Covered I.T. 24/7—Never Worry Again!
Global security strategist Fortinet says that in 2016 they saw about half a million cyberattack attempts per minute. Some are famous; some not, but all have the potential to be very expensive and dangerous for businesses like yours. These types of exposures can set your business back, stall growth, and tarnish your reputation costing you future profits as well.
Recent risks. USA Today points out two recent large-scale attacks: Lockheed Martin's F-22 fighter plans stolen by the Chinese and the so-called Panama Papers theft of millions of legal documents from the Law Firm of Mossack Fonseca. In the first example, high-technology stolen from a top defense contractor directly threatens national security. In the second, hackers could use the information in those legal documents to score millions through insider trading.
The industry of hackers. Not surprisingly, threats like these have spawned an entire industry. According to Forbes, there were openings for 1 million cyber-security jobs in 2016, and the in-
PO Box 503 Deepwater, NJ 08023 877-540-6789 www.microent.net
dustry is expected to grow from $75 billion to $170 billion by 2020. Cesar Cerrudo, a professional hacker, and CTO of IOActive Labs says that companies and individuals keep making the same mistakes over and over again when it comes to cyber threats. He blames a false sense of security. But no one is ever truly 100% secure. Putting the right tools in place and monitoring your network 24/7/365 is the only sure way to head off dangers that lurk online.
Rehabilitated hackers helping secure businesses around the world. Many once-criminal hackers are now being paid by governments and corporations to be the bad guy and test their systems. In a real cloakand-dagger world, cybersecurity experts try to Did you hear the one penetrate the work place about Arbor Day? by just looking important It’ll leaf you laughing. (Continued on page 2)
What’s a tree’s least favorite month? Sep-TIMBER! Fruitless News…...Pg. 2 Feeling Sticky? Properly Care For Your Laptop Keyboard…….Pg. 3 What’s The Difference Between WaterResistant And Waterproof……………..Pg. 3 Coming Soon! Smartphones With Iris Scanners……...….Pg. 4 Grow Your Business Securely……….....Pg. 4
What did Luke Skywalker say to the tree on Arbor Day? “May the Forest be with you.” What is a tree’s favorite drink? Root Beer Why was the tree drooling? It was a dogwood tree.
Arbor Day is just around the corner on Friday, April 28th. Find out how this great celebratory day began and what you can do to join in the fun.
J. Sterling Morton founded Arbor Day back in 1872. His thoughts were clear, he wanted to reserve a very special day for tree planting. Something everyone could join in to replenish the earths natural resources. Governor Robert W. Furnas named Arbor Day a legal holiday in Nebraska in 1885. April 22n, also Morton’s birthday, was selected as the official date.
The first legal Arbor Day was grand. The Nebraska City News reported a large parade and speech by J. sterling Morton. Over 1,000 people including teachers and students joined in the day’s celebration supporting this worthy cause.
144 years later… Arbor Day is still kicking. Thanks to organizations like the Arbor Day Foundation, awareness about this special day is (Continued on page 3)
microTECH Times
(Continued from page 1)
and walking into the building. Once in, they grab a computer and try to logon to the company network. How far they get tells the company how lax their security systems really are. According to the DailyMail.com, these high tech hackers can make quite a bundle on testing corporate security. Cost of a full test may even run up to $80,000.
Don’t have $80,000 to spend on a security audit? We really didn’t think so. That’s why we offer a Network Security Audit that will help you find those pesky little loop holes and branch out your security protocols to cover all the many aspects of your network. Take a look at these key areas we explore during your Network Security Audit.
April 2017
1. Who has access to your network? We will check your network carefully to ensure there are no open doors. Old user accounts and ports left open may be dangerous gaps in your company security.
There is a lot of fake news going around on Facebook, at least that’s what some commentators say, and the fake stuff is too often believed.
2. Are you low on space? We will
Isn’t everything online true?
review the space on your servers to make sure you’re not tapped out. Running out of space can impact your overall performance and may even cause data loss.
3. Are your systems up-to-date? We will review all of your equipment to ensure they’ve received the proper updates and patches.
4. Is your network properly configured? All the equipment in the world can’t help you if it isn’t properly configured. We review and walk you through the recommended settings for each piece of equipment.
5. Are you watching your network?
Dangerous hoaxes.
We will take a quick look into your event logs make sure there are no fires burning in the background. In some cases, we find recurring issues that have been growing in the background for ages.
Hoaxes are everywhere on social media. It is really getting out of hand. Fake stories, product links, and dangerous websites are prominent these days.
Save yourself the headache of a hack. Don’t fall victim to hackers
Fine tune your firewall. Did you know
online. Inform your staff of their role in security for your company and conduct a full network security audit annually to ensure you’re keeping up with the ever changing needs of your organization.
Need help? Give us a call today for your Network Security Audit and receive a full report of the current health of your network.
Network Security Audit Micro Enterprises LLC 877-540 -6789
Page 2
Of course not. According to the Wall Street Journal, Facebook came under fire during the presidential election with allegations that their feeds included fake political stories that were intended to be seen as real. Huffington Post ran a story telling about how the infamous fake post about Hillary Clinton running a child sex-trafficking ring out of a pizza shop was negatively impacting voters.
you can block your employees from social media with your firewall? It only takes a few moments to configure your firewall to block specific websites. Keep your company safe by locking down the browsing capabilities. Surely, all your employees have cell phones anyway.
microTECH Times
April 2017
(Continued from page 1)
even on the rise. Visit www.arborday.org to learn more about their work and how to get involved.
Nebraska even has an Arbor Day Farm. Did you know there are over 260 acres of natural beauty reserved for outdoor exploration in Nebraska City, Nebraska? This historic landmark is filled with trees of course and much more. You can hike wooded trails, visit the tree house, and even join in fun activities.
Why is Arbor Day so important? On average we lose 7 million acres of trees each year just to fires. These trees capture snow and rain replenishing rivers and streams with fresh water. These natural resources give more than 180 million Americans fresh drinking water each year. Without trees, we would be at a loss.
Many laptops come with touch pads these days. They are much more convenient than fighting with your mouse at Starbucks. However, the surface can get a bit sticky when you’re eating lunch or spill coffee. Take a look at these quick tips to properly care for your touch pad.
The most sensitive and exposed part of your laptop. Your laptop’s keyboard and touch pad are the most used and most exposed components of your laptop. Unfortunately, they are at the most risk of collecting dirt, dust, and debris. There are good ways and bad ways to care for your equipment. Take a look at these good ways to really take care of your laptop’s keyboard and touch pad.
Clean your laptop gently. Harsh cleaners aren’t necessary. Don’t use potent chemicals to disinfect your equipment. Things like bleach and 409 can damage the plastic and rubber on your laptop. Try a glass cleaning solution or a bit of isopropyl, rubbing alcohol. Use Q-tips or a fiber free cloth to wipe your keys and touch pad clean. Remember, your keys and touch pad are sensitive. Do not push too hard, the cleaner will work regardless of the pressure applied. Wipe any excess debris from your keyboard and touch pad when you’ve finished with the cleaner.
Use caution to keep your equipment in good shape. The very best advice is to be cautious about your laptop in general and clean it regularly. We recommend the following:
Keep your laptop out of reach of children and pets. They love to leave you little surprises.
Do not eat over your computer. Crumbs and food can build bacteria, mold, or invite nasty little bugs into your computer that may damage the components beyond repair.
Don’t leave your laptop in your car. Extreme temperatures and moisture can damage the inner workings of your computer too.
Wash your hands often when using your laptop and do not use oil based lotions on your skin. These can cause buildup on your keys and touch pad.
A little effort can add to the useful life of your laptop. Your keyboard and touch pad are essential parts of your laptop. Keep them clean and treat them well so you can get the most life from your computer. If you have issues with sticky keys or a non-responsive touch pad, you may need replacement parts. Give us a call, we can help.
What can you do to help? Join in the fight for our forests. Find a local celebration to plant trees and fight for our natural resources. If you don’t want to get your hands dirty, you can donate to a foundation, visit a ceremony, or even sponsor an Arbor Day event.
Plant a tree for the future. Whatever you choose, spread the news about Arbor Day.
Page 3
I hate it when I am pulling paperwork off my desk in a rush for the next meeting and, “Oh no!” there goes my coffee. A flood of thoughts run through my mind, “Are my phone and keyboard ruined?”, “Do we have any rice in the office? I should really bring some in just in case...oh no! I’m late!”
Water-resistant or spill-proof technology. There will always be mishaps at the office. Soda, coffee and water are the three most common sills we see that plague electronics. Many of us have our tower and monitor tucked away or
raised up a bit so these spills don’t bother them, but keyboards, mice and phones are often the victims. Water-resistant or spill-proof equipment simply indicates that water can get inside, but only under certain conditions. Regular liquid spills, rain and wet hands are generally “ok”. However, fully submerging your phone for a few minutes, yes it will die.
Waterproof is really just a dream. Every device has its limits. Some are deep depths, but they will still fail eventually. So, be cautious around liquids and keep your devices dry. Nothing is a sure thing..
microTECH Times
April 2017
“We make all of your computer problems go away without adding additional full-time I.T. staff!” Ask about our fixed price service agreements — Computer support at a flat monthly fee you can budget for, just like payroll!
Coming Soon! Smartphone’s With Iris Scanners. In the next few years every smartphone will house a combination of fingerprint scanners and iris scanners. These iris scanners examine hundreds of different features of your eyes in order to develop a profile just for you. They even reject photos of the person and require the person to be alive (living and breathing) to recognize the iris.
other concerns when applied online. Consumers should be aware that location trackers, public Wi-Fi, and Bluetooth connections can still come at a cost. Even advanced biometric security tools on your devices won’t mask your location and activity on open networks. These public connections can leave even the most secured devices wide open for viewing and attack.
Grow Your Business With the Security And Sup-
Iris scanners are said to be more secure than fingerprint port You Deserve. Building a business is hard. Regardless scanners and will be safe enough for online banking. Both Ap- of the industry, there is no easy way to ensure success. Many busiple and Samsung have hinted that their next releases will include the specific hardware and software for iris scanning. Iris scanners are not new. They have been used for years for physical security. In fact, Information Technology Winthrop University even uses iris scanning technology for entrance into in their early childhood program. Due to the large volume of parents, babysitters, grandparents, and friends that drop off and pick up children, the school was looking for a more secure way to identify safe authorized individuals. The iris scanning system or Eagle Eye Station was created and installed to help secure the school. This system takes a high resolution image of your eye and matches you to the database only giving access to registered individuals keeping the children and staff safe.
Even with boosted biometric authentication features, you could be at risk though. Iris scanning is a great tool for physical access control, but come with a few
ness owners open their doors with only their personal experience and expertise. Some are fortunate enough to kick things off with a bundle of money, others struggle to make the first dollar. There are always unexpected expenses that creep up. Installing fire exit signs or even a network firewall are not cheap, but equipment is necessary to keep your company data safe and operations running smoothly.
You don’t have to be your own CTO too. Just keep in mind, there are companies out there like us who will take on an entire department of duties for you. So, even when you’re struggling as the accountant, marketing specialist, and salesman you can rest assured your network and computers will be taken care of. There is no reason to keep that extra hat on. Give us a call today to explore our plan options.
Money Doesn’t Grow On Trees! Tired of throwing money at your computer problems? Sick of
being nickel and dimed for tech work? Feel like there is no end to the to-do list on your network? Worried about network security, keeping your computers online, and everyone working?
PO Box 503 Deepwater, NJ 08023 877-540-6789 www.microent.net
You shouldn’t be! Computing is a part of business these days just like electricity or phone service. So, why not have a little extra support? Give us a call today to explore your options to wrap your technology services up in one low fixed monthly package. You will receive everything from updates and patches to regular maintenance and service calls in one neat little bundle you can budget for just like payroll.
Micro Enterprises LLC 877-540 -6789