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.

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IT Security Trends: What 2017 Could Bring

We’ve seen massive technology innovations in 2016. We’ve also seen massive cyber-attacks that even blacked out a part of the Internet. With 2016 almost over, we need to look at 2017 and the IT security trends that may become a reality.

Many experts believe security is the field that will require the most work. Especially since more and more devices – and types of devices – get connected to the Internet. That could mean more backdoors for malicious behaviors.

It may sound a bit alarming, but the risk is real.

Nevertheless, here are the IT security trends that will most likely shape 2017 and the entire industry.

Manufacturers Will Put More Work Towards IoT Cybersecurity

it security trends

As previously mentioned, more and more devices connect to the Internet. While some of them may have implemented some security in their system, others don’t. Thus, the Internet of Things (IoT) can be considered unsecured.

Take a thermostat or a drone as an example. You can imagine that those are not-so-secure devices. Additionally, the hack of a smart home through a thermostat has received a hint in the popular TV series “Mr. Robot”.

Manufacturers already noticed the issue and some of them are starting to develop solid strategies to up their security. With more end points, everything will need to be more secure.

Cyber Attacks Might Be Used By Nations

Some people believe that Stuxnet is a jointly built American-Israeli cyberweapon. However, some voices say that the malicious worm was developed many years ago to sabotage Iran’s nuclear weapons. Of course, there is no evidence pointing in any direction – true or false.

Nevertheless, the idea that cyber-attacks may be carried by nations is alarming. There is also a chance that may happen.

However, no matter how alarming or Sci-Fi that may sound, it is one of the most distressing IT security trends for 2017 – as the attack might be considered an act of war.

Many hope 2017 will address this possible threat. One way of doing so would involve countries working together to come up with a new cyber-defense strategy.

IT Security Trends for Home and Businesses Alike: Different Types of Authentication

it security trends

The entire concept of passwords reuse is expected to take center stage in 2017. It will generate awareness towards increased security.

Far too many people continuously re-use the same password for different accounts. This means that once someone hacks one account’s password, it might gain access to everything. And this is a huge issue if the same password is used to secure sensible corporate data.

It is expected that 2017 will bring a change and different types of security or a big increase in adoption of two-step authentication.

Compliance Concerns Will Drive Growth

More and more companies will check for software that is in compliance. It will have a huge impact on old software and will influence especially the banking sector.

Outdated hardware and software accessing banking accounts will no longer be tolerated. This can spark growth and investments towards new and improved hardware. Automatically, this would mean safer and more secure software products.

Additionally, let’s not forget the adaptive security idea that we’ve mentioned in a previous post. We’re looking forward to it in 2017.

At LEAP Managed IT, our goal is to make technology work for you. We achieve this through excellent managed IT services ranging from cloud solutions to desktop support.

Working with us gets you access to a unique set of skills, determination and the latest innovation in IT security.

If you’d like to learn more or you feel like your business should better secure its data, feel free to get in touch with us.