Tag: it security trends

VPN Basics: Indianapolis

 VPN, what is it?

Indianapolis: VPN or Virtual Private Network is the first line of defense against having your identity or data compromised online. At the moment, Online Security and Data privacy are two of the hottest topics in IT. A VPN serves as a solution to another common problem linked to online security which is identity theft.  By adding another layer of security, you get an advantage through technology rather than turning it into a nightmare.

Layered Security

While the prospect of identity theft  seems unlikely to you, it is actually far more common than you think. In a recent online survey, it showed nearly 60 million Americans have been affected by identity theft, including nearly 15 million in 2017. These numbers are alarming and makes you rethink in investing in a VPN security plan. Having a Virtual Private Network (VPN) will give you better protection against hackers whenever you’re using the public WIFI. Furthermore, it will work as an added layer of security, to make sure that your online presence, financial data and personal information are kept private.

How a VPN Works

Virtual Private Network protects your data by an installed encrypted tunnel from the network to your device. The encrypted tunnel has the ability to hide your IP address masking your identity from prying eyes such as hackers. Therefore, every time you use the internet, external traffic runs through the tunnel to keep personal information and data safe.

Hence, there are quite a number of VPN providers today that offer affordable rates. They have different packages to choose from like IPVanish. Signing up for a year, would cost $6.49/month or $77.99 for 12 months.

The 3-minute Tech Check

With LEAP Managed IT’s Security Tech Check, we can assess your company’s security state in 3 minutes.  Take the quiz and learn if you and your business have the  5 basic levels of security are in place.  By understanding your security strength and weakness, we can help you develop a Master Plan for your IT structure.

Indianapolis Tech Support: Netflix Themed Phishing Attack

In this Indianapolis Tech Support Update we’ll delve into the latest phishing attack and the risk it poses to Indiana businesses.  Since nearly 50 million households in the U.S. subscribe to Netflix, the Indianapolis Tech Support Update calculates that the attack has the potential to impact over one million Hoosiers.  The Grand Rapids, Michigan Police Department recently uncovered this Netflix phishing attack which tricks recipients into thinking their accounts have been deactivated or suspended.  Individuals who click on the email are at risk of having their personal information stolen along with compromising their computer and network.

Indianapolis Tech Support
Indianapolis Tech Support Update

How your employee’s penchant for ‘Friends’ can impact your business

The confluence of work and personal communications is hard for a company to avoid.  Face it, employees are busy and need constant access to important updates of happenings outside of their work life.  Receiving continual updates bombard their inbox:

  • soccer practice update from Team Snap
  • birthday reminder for that almost forgotten high school buddy compliments of Facebook
  • a heads up from Netflix that season 4 of ‘Friends’ is about to be removed from the line-up

Besides a productivity drain this can’t cause a big issue for a company, right?  Remember the people behind the phishing attacks like the Netflix example are not selective.  They will gladly steal your employee’s identify and if performed on a computer attached to your network, they will be more than happy to try to compromise your technology.  A hacker just needs a way in and this phishing attack might open the front door they need.

Must Do’s from the Indianapolis Tech Support Center

We can’t stress enough that nothing will make your network 100% safe from attack.  You can with some simple steps, significantly reduce your risk.  Here’s what the cyber-security experts at our Indianapolis Tech Support center recommend:

  1. Develop a clear policy for how company owned devices can be used – Can employees use company computers &  email for personal use?  If so, what are the guide posts?
  2. Deploy Multi Layered Protection – Firewall and antivirus are not enough.  If your company is not deploying true multi layered protection you are at risk and trying to fend off sophisticated attackers with 10 year old technology.
  3. Train and Test – Don’t assume your employees know what to click on.  Train them and then test them on a monthly basis.  We conduct regular testing for our clients and see nearly 50% of all employees fail on initial testing.  It takes practice to get good!

How to stay ahead

This Netflix phishing attack is just the latest in what will be many more attempts to get your company’s data.  The technology the bad guys are using is changing fast and companies have to keep up to stay protected.  Leading Indiana companies know that outsourcing IT support is one of the best investments for keeping an organization safe.

Reach out the Leap Managed IT Indianapolis Tech Support team to get more information.

leapmanagedit.com