There has been a lot of attention to Internet security issues in the news over the last few months. Many security vulnerabilities have been found in every day tech items we all use. As your trusted IT provider, we keep on top of any potential issues and automatically patch your computers, servers, and network devices. However, there are some important practices you can follow to help keep you and your information more secure.

1.) Change your personal account passwords regularly. With the latest Heartbleed bug that was found, large websites such as Google (Gmail) and Yahoo had the potential of leaking passwords while you were logged in and using a public WiFi connection. Hackers could snoop in on the connection and potentially read your passwords. If you make a habit of changing passwords on email, social media, and shopping sites regularly, these types of security issues won’t affect you. Here are a few tips on making a secure password that’s easy to remember.
2.) Update the apps on your phone. If your phone is already set to automatically update the apps on your phone then no need to worry. However, if not, you need to update your phone apps to make sure their using the latest security updates. Apps for banks, email, social media, and more all use secure connections and were recently patched to address Heartbleed and are regularly updated for similar issues. If you’re not sure how to check for updates, ask us and we’ll be happy to help.
3.) Avoid and Understand Scam Emails. While spam and antivirus filters are highly effective (roughly 99%) some items that may be malicious will slip through from time to time. Whenever you receive an email that looks suspicious or appears to come from a bank, credit card, or shipping provider, stop and check it out before clicking any links or opening attachments. If you haven’t shipped anything recently or requested anything from your bank, odds are that’s not a valid email. Furthermore, the IRS will never email you regarding any personal or business matters. If you don’t know the source, definitely don’t open attachments and links. To see if a link in the email is real, hover your mouse over the link and t will show you the real destination. With scam emails this is always somewhere else than you expect. For example, the email says it’s from FedEx but the link goes to something like http://asdiuj.highered.com/iju80d.php . When in doubt, have us check it out.

While the technology threats are evolving and aiming for larger targets, the motivation remains the same. Scammers and hackers want all the information they can gather to make money. While we’re busy protecting your company assets and devices, the above information will help protect you even further.

More Information:
Heartbleed FAQs