Data backup plans are crucial for businesses in every industry. Whether stored in data servers, external hard drives, or cloud storage, having a data backup plan is essential to ensure that important data doesn’t get lost. Additionally, data backup plans protect organizations from cyber attacks. If a cyber attack occurs and data is lost or stolen, having a backup ensures that important data is not lost forever.
What to Include in a Data Backup Plan
Where should an organization start with implementing a data backup plan? For businesses of every size, it’s always best to consult professionals to get personalized recommendations.
Choosing where to store data is the first step when creating a data backup plan. Each solution has pros and cons. If an organization is looking for a solution that doesn’t take up physical space and may be more cost effective, cloud storage is often a good option. Many different services offer cloud based storage solutions for businesses of all sizes. Physical storage options include hard drives and servers.
WesTec specializes in data storage solutions for small businesses. Contact us today to learn more about our recommendations for data backup plans for small businesses
Automatic Backups
Investing in programs that automatically backup data to the desired location is essential for organizations implementing a data backup plan. Automatically backing up data prevents human error that takes place from forgetting to backup data at a specified time, which puts data at risk of being lost. There are many programs that will automatically back up data and some computers may already have this function. Contact WesTec to learn about our recommendations for programs that will backup data for your organization.
The world of IT is evolving at an unprecedented pace and being driven by the rise of emerging technologies. Businesses that embrace these trends stand to gain a competitive edge, unlocking new possibilities and efficiencies. As we navigate the future of IT, staying informed and adapting to these transformative technologies will be crucial for organizations and individuals alike. Learn about which of our IT services may suit your business’s needs the best. If you have any questions about our IT services, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook to keep up with our latest blogs!
As the holiday season approaches, online shopping surges and so do cyber scams. Cybercriminals are quick to exploit the increased digital activity, creating sophisticated schemes that can compromise your personal and business data. Here’s how to stay vigilant and protect yourself and your business from holiday cyber scams.
Phishing
Phishing scams are one of the most common types of holiday scams. Cybercriminals often send fake emails or text messages disguised as special offers, shipping updates, or promotions from well-known retailers. These messages may look convincing, but they typically contain links that lead to malicious websites or prompt you to enter sensitive information. Always verify the source by checking the sender’s email address closely or visiting the official website directly instead of clicking on links.
Online Ads and Pop-Ups
Cybercriminals know people are actively searching for deals during the holidays, so they create fake ads or pop-ups to lure unsuspecting shoppers. These ads often lead to websites that steal credit card information or infect devices with malware. To avoid these scams, stick to trusted, reputable websites, and avoid clicking on unfamiliar pop-up ads. If you see an ad for an unbeatable deal, go directly to the retailer’s website instead of clicking.
Strengthen Your Passwords
Weak passwords are a common security vulnerability. Strengthen all of your accounts by creating unique, complex passwords that combine letters, numbers, and symbols. Enabling multi-factor authentication adds an extra layer of protection by requiring a secondary form of verification, such as a text message code, making it harder for scammers to access your accounts.
Educate Your Team
For business owners, it’s essential to educate employees about common holiday cyber threats and best practices. Conduct brief training sessions on phishing scams, the importance of strong passwords, and how to verify links. Ensuring that your team is aware of the latest cyber threats can go a long way in protecting your business.With heightened awareness and proactive steps, you can enjoy the holiday season without falling victim to cyber scams. Staying vigilant is key to protecting both your personal information and your business from these seasonal threats. If you have any questions about our IT services, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook to keep up with our latest blogs!
Cybersecurity is important for every business. Regardless of what industry your business is in, it’s important to have a cybersecurity incident response plan. Having this plan in place ensures that in the event of a cyber threat, your company will know what to do.
What is a Cybersecurity Incident Response Plan?
A cybersecurity incident response plan is a document that outlines what should be done in the event of a data breach or other cyber threat that occurs at a business. Essentially, this plan contains steps such as finding the source of the attack, contacting legal representation, and reporting the incident to law enforcement. This plan can be customized to different organizations depending on how sensitive or important the data that has been breached is.
How to Create a Response Plan
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) has many resources detailing what an effective cybersecurity incident response plan looks like. A few of these steps include training staff members and consulting with legal representatives. Ensuring that the entire organization is trained on what to do in the event of a data breach is important in order to recover as fast as possible.
Additionally, having a team member who is responsible for the execution of the response plan in the event that a cyber attack takes place is a good idea for most organizations. This team member will be especially knowledgeable of the plan and ensure that everything is carried out as it is supposed to be. Cyber attacks and data breaches are stressful for companies, so this person will be able to be calm due to their familiarity with the plan.
Why is a Response Plan Important?
Cyber threats and incidents come in all levels of magnitude and severity. They can also happen to a business of any size. Being prepared for potential data breaches ensures that an organization has little to no downtime in the event of a cyber attack. Systems being down as a result of a cyber attack costs organizations time and money, so having a response plan in place is vital to lessen the impact of a cyber attack.
The world of IT is evolving at an unprecedented pace and being driven by the rise of emerging technologies. Businesses that embrace these trends stand to gain a competitive edge, unlocking new possibilities and efficiencies. As we navigate the future of IT, staying informed and adapting to these transformative technologies will be crucial for organizations and individuals alike. Learn about which of our IT services may suit your business’s needs the best. If you have any questions about our IT services, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook to keep up with our latest blogs!
Small businesses are an essential and often beloved part of communities. However, their size and statistically weaker security measures put them at risk for cyber attacks. Read on to learn helpful tips to protect small businesses from losing important data or customer information.
Limit Access to Information
As a business with a small number of employees, it can be easy to provide everyone in the organization with access to all data. However, it is essential to keep track of who has access to what information to reduce the risk of hackers preying on employees. Employees should only have access to data that is essential to their role and should not be able to install software without permission. This ensures that employees do not accidentally install software that contains malware or mistakenly fall for a phishing attempt.
Secure Wifi Networks
Having an encrypted and password-protected wifi network is essential for protecting any business from attacks. If your business has a public wifi network for customers, consider having a second protected network for things like cash registers or computers that store important data. Wifi networks can even be hidden from the public in instances like these, so taking this step can further reduce the risk of someone unknown connecting to the network that powers computers with sensitive data.
Training Employees
Creating data protection guidelines for employees to follow is essential in protecting important data. This can be password regulations, anti-virus software on computers, and training sessions to ensure employees know how to spot various cybersecurity threats. Protecting data in a small business is everyone’s responsibility, so it is important to ensure that everyone in an organization is properly trained and educated about cyber risks.
Consult with Cybersecurity Experts
Consulting with experts in the cybersecurity field is essential in protecting businesses. There are many cyber threats beyond the obvious phishing and hacking attempts. 41% of small business owners believe that cyber-attacks only happen to larger businesses, but 41% of small businesses have been victims of cyber attacks. Small businesses are much more vulnerable than larger businesses, so consulting with professionals is essential to ensure the security of a small business’ data.
The world of IT is evolving at an unprecedented pace and being driven by the rise of emerging technologies. Businesses that embrace these trends stand to gain a competitive edge, unlocking new possibilities and efficiencies. As we navigate the future of IT, staying informed and adapting to these transformative technologies will be crucial for organizations and individuals alike. Learn about which of our IT services may suit your business’s needs the best. If you have any questions about our IT services, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook to keep up with our latest blogs!
Data protection is more important than ever as data leaks and hacks are becoming more and more common. As remote work has risen in popularity, the job market has proven that this form of work environment is here to stay. It can be difficult to keep track of a company’s data when employees are in different locations, but having proper standards and procedures in place can help ensure data is protected.
Use a Virtual Private Network (VPN)
Working from a public location through public wifi, such as a cafe, has more risks involved with security. A VPN connects through a secure server and adds another layer of security, especially when working through an open network like public wifi. Even though a VPN is most useful for public wifi networks, it can also be a good idea to err on the side of caution and use one while working from home.
Keep Work and Personal Separate
Setting clear boundaries and using a work-designated computer is one of the best ways to ensure that sensitive company data is protected when working remotely. If this isn’t an option, having separate profiles on a computer for work and personal can help achieve this separation as well. Additionally, if using a personal device is necessary, keeping it up to date is vitally important.
A personal computer isn’t connected to a company’s network so it likely won’t have the same antivirus software and other safeguards. Additionally, companies are able to push updates onto all company-owned devices, but it’s often not possible to do this with an employee’s personal computer. Ensuring that software is up to date is an important step in ensuring that data is protected when an employee isn’t physically in the office.
Employee Training
Ensuring that employees have adequate training is important in all aspects of a business, especially data protection. Some employees may not know the importance of these policies, so training is important when working remotely because they no longer have IT nearby.
These regular training sessions may include things like how to spot phishing emails, how to use a password manager, and how to set software to automatically update. Adequate employee training is essential to ensure that a company is safe from cyber threats.
Reliable Network
Ensuring that employees have a reliable network, whether in-office or remotely, is important. WesTec offers free computer network health check audits to see if a network is properly maintained for maximum speed, security, and performance. We can also provide guidance on remote access technology as well as upgrades of a computer system.
The world of IT is evolving at an unprecedented pace and being driven by the rise of emerging technologies. Businesses that embrace these trends stand to gain a competitive edge, unlocking new possibilities and efficiencies. As we navigate the future of IT, staying informed and adapting to these transformative technologies will be crucial for organizations and individuals alike. Learn about which of our IT services may suit your business’s needs the best. If you have any questions about our IT services, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook to keep up with our latest blogs!
Phishing is a strategy that scammers use to gather personal information and attempt to insert malware into computers. Scammers commonly pose as a major company or an individual within a user’s company. Phishing can be harmful, but there are common signs to look out for to avoid theft of personal information.
Misspellings
Phishing emails can impersonate major companies or individuals within an organization, but there will usually be obvious misspellings. These mistakes can range from improper grammar within the body of the email or a slight misspelling in the person’s email address. At first glance, it may look like a company email address, but be sure to double-check the address before responding to an email from someone unknown.
Links
Additionally, phishing emails rely on users clicking links within the email to steal personal information. The links could be for invoice numbers, “suspicious login attempts,” or requesting confirmation of financial information. These are all prime ways to steal financial or login information. Be wary of links and only click them if it’s from a trustworthy sender.
No Personalization
Generally, if a company sends an email requesting confirmation of some kind, it will probably be personalized for the recipient. Scammers don’t know personal information unless it’s given to them so emails will generally have generic greetings without any identifying information. Real companies will not request financial or login information via email, as it is not secure.
The world of IT is evolving at an unprecedented pace and being driven by the rise of emerging technologies. Businesses that embrace these trends stand to gain a competitive edge, unlocking new possibilities and efficiencies. As we navigate the future of IT, staying informed and adapting to these transformative technologies will be crucial for organizations and individuals alike. Learn about which of our IT services may suit your business’s needs the best. If you have any questions about our IT services, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook to keep up with our latest blogs!
Have you ever got the feeling that someone is watching you? That feeling might not be completely out of pocket. Whoever is watching you may not be outside your window or monitoring your physical movements, but are viewing your activity on your electronic devices. Anyone is vulnerable to spyware, and can be a victim of theft or hacking at any moment. Here’s how to detect it and what to do to protect yourself.
What is Spyware?
Spyware is a type of malicious software designed to secretly gather information from a user’s computer or device without their knowledge or consent. This information can include sensitive personal data, such as login credentials, financial information, browsing habits, and more. This malware is hidden from the user’s naked eye and is used without their awareness. This is then followed by sending the collected data to a remote server or third party. Types can vary, but can derive from email attachments, downloading pirated software, and clicking on questionable links.
Detection & Prevention
Detecting spyware on your computer or device can be challenging because it is designed to operate discreetly. However, there are several signs and methods you can use to detect the presence of spyware such as installing antivirus softwares. These programs are designed to detect and remove spyware and other malware, ridding your device of potential threats. Run regular scans to check for any infections and be sure to keep them updated. Be vigilant for any unusual behavior on your device such as sluggish performance, crashing, freezing, pop-ups, or suspicious browser settings.
Spyware can be unpredictable at times, but it’s important to stay aware and look for any signs of malicious behavior. If you have any questions about our IT services, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook to keep up with our latest blogs!
Cyber attacks have become a large issue and concern for many businesses. Since technology continues to change and develop everyday, it has revealed vulnerability in protective digital software. The result of this being the significant rise of security breaches, with any and all industries being at risk. However, there are those who are at a greater risk than others, and are commonly targeted by cyber attackers. Here are the 4 most vulnerable industries to cyber attacks, and why they require higher level security.
Healthcare
The healthcare industry is specifically targeted based on the amount of sensitive and personal data they handle. Ransomware poses a great threat to healthcare companies, with cybercriminals making their data inaccessible unless a payment has been made. With healthcare industries possessing multiple patient files, personal information, and payment statements, the attackers are aware that the organization cannot bear the expense of losing data.
Government Agencies
When it comes to government data, there’s no surprise as to why cyber criminals would desire access. Government agencies contain personal identifying information, classified documents, and military secrets. These agencies face threats such as cyber espionage, which is the spying and installation of spyware to government devices. They also must look out for insider threats, which is the leaking of confidential information through their own employees. This can be both accidental and deliberate. Phishing can also trick employees into sending sensitive information to the wrong recipient.
Financial Institutions
Due to the large amount of money and financial information banks and other financial services manage, cybercriminals have all the reason to target them. Money has become extremely digital, which has created new ways to exploit any weaknesses in the system. Thieves will phish, use mobile malware, and hack into banking accounts and commit fraudulent transactions.
Retail
Shops in-store and online are vulnerable to the theft of valuable data. They struggle with the issue of credit card fraud, online data breaches, and identity theft. Credit card fraud can cause all kinds of unwanted trouble for retailers, and can lose profit at the hands of fraudulent purchases. Identity theft poses a threat because of thieves that steal other user information to create credit card accounts to make purchases. Customer credentials are at risk at the expense of data breaches, so security software should always be stable and secure.
These industries might be commonly targeted, but any company of any size can be at a risk of cyberattacks. Taking preventative measures will protect your company, your employees, and those who keep you in business. If you have any questions about our IT services, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook to keep up with our latest blogs!
Human errors can happen, and can be the cause of up to 95% of cybersecurity related breaches. With that being said, the best way to prevent these mistakes would be to implement solid training to your employees. The purpose of training is to strengthen your team’s knowledge and awareness of modern threats and how to combat them properly. Regular training will keep your employees up to date, helping your company steer clear of most errors. To achieve this, here are some of the best awareness training topics to consider.
Phishing Attacks
Phishing attacks impersonate the company or professional you work for, luring users to click on suspicious links. Many attempts in the past have been easier to recognize, but phishing attacks have become more intelligent overtime. They pose a great threat due to how believable they can be, and can cause a cyber attack if fallen for. Train your employees on this subject to help them identify suspicious activity, messages, or attachments.
Passwords and Authentication
Passwords can seem like a simple log-in element, but they are what protects your company’s security. If you use a common or easily guessed password, you are putting yourself at risk for a cyber attack. Cyber criminals will attempt to log into your accounts in hopes of gaining access to your sensitive information. Bring this to your employees’s attention through complex training, reminding them of the importance of updating their work passwords. Authentication methods can be made more secure by adding questions that the employee will only know the answer to. Express the significance of passwords and why you should always keep them confidential.
Remote Work
Working remotely is a great way to meet a well balanced lifestyle between work and social life. However, utilizing personal devices can increase the risk of a security breach. Make sure your remote employees are trained to understand the importance of installing antivirus software to home laptops to prevent cyber attacks. It is also important to never leave your device unattended when containing important company files. To successfully work remotely without risking data security, educate your staff to be aware of these dangers.
Your security is to be protected, so administering training will improve standards of the company as a whole. If you have any questions about our IT services, contact us today! Follow us on Facebook to keep up with our latest blogs!
As we evolve in the technological world, our demands for more advanced technology grows. With the use of artificial intelligence, we can achieve endless possibilities in both businesses and entertainment as A.I. continues to make breakthroughs. With the amount of beneficial uses A.I. has offered us in our daily lives, it seems appropriate to celebrate it! Artificial Intelligence Appreciation Day is a day to acknowledge the contribution A.I. has made, and how it’s changed the course of how we perform in many industries today.
Where A.I. is Found Today
A.I. has proven itself useful in today’s day and age, but where could we find it most commonly? Today, artificial intelligence can be used to improve customer experience, especially for those who enjoy shopping. The E-commerce industry has found a new and personalized way to engage with their customers, like making recommendations that correlate with a user’s purchase and browsing history. Many companies also refer customers to an A.I. chatbot that can answer frequently asked questions. This provides the customer with a quicker and more efficient fix, rather than having to wait on the phone for a live customer service operator. Education has also utilized A.I., giving administrators and other faculty members the ability to educate more students at a time. This enables teachers to digitize their programs, creating educational content for a larger audience. Healthcare has also made some productive breakthroughs with the help of A.I., used in machines that can detect diseases and analyze lab work much quicker than the average worker.
How To Celebrate
If you want to find ways to celebrate and appreciate artificial intelligence, simply take the time to research it. Where you find A.I. might surprise and fascinate you, and learning about what it does to improve our daily lives is the best way to express gratitude. You may be surprised to learn that A.I. is even found in your favorite video game. Pick up the nearest PC or controller and interact with the game’s NCP characters. If you wish to become more hands-on, create your own project by teaching yourself or others how to program, a skill that could benefit you and your future self later down the line. If you happen to spark up an interest, convince yourself to attend A.I. conventions to gather and converse with other A.I. enthusiasts.
Finding ways to celebrate A.I. are endless, just like the capabilities it continues to accumulate everyday.
Mission: WesTec will be a “turn-key” solution for all of its clients’ business connectivity needs. It will offer efficient and effective solutions, directly and with strategic partners, that create tangible value for its clients at every point of contact. Westec will serve all people and entities with a servant’s heart.
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2916 West TC Jester Blvd.,
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2916 West TC Jester Blvd.,
Suite 104