Finally, some good news on the cybersecurity front: after almost nine months of CryptoLocker infecting over 200,000 systems and extracting astronomical ransom payments from affected users, the cybercriminal ring responsible for the virus was broken up in early June.
As of June 1st, hurricane season was officially upon us here in the East. For those that live far from us here the East Coast, remember that you’re not out of harm’s way, either — multiple tornados have affected the Midwest so far this spring, while wildfires in California and mudslides in Colorado have also claimed homes, lives, and the blood, sweat, and tears of our treasured first responders.
The IT security world reeled last week from the revelation that open-source encryption solution TrueCrypt is apparently no longer secure and will no longer be maintained. TrueCrypt was considered the gold standard in free, open-source encryption — NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden even raved about the software during a so-called CryptoParty in Hawaii in 2012 — so the abrupt announcement was particularly shocking.
April 15th might be the most stressful day of the year for business owners racing to get their taxes files — and certainly for accountants racing to make hundreds or even thousands of clients happy.
Once the madness of Tax Day subsides, however, most of us put the thought of W-2s and 1099s and deductible expenses far out of sight and even farther out of mind.
Because of the Heartbleed vulnerability that rocked the online world last week, security should be top of mind for anyone who uses a computer. But changing your passwords for ALL online portals — the extent of the Heartbleed bug isn’t entirely known yet, and any password used on numerous sites could have been compromised — shouldn’t be the only critical action you undertake.
Picture this: you’ve been stuck in IT limbo for years. On nights and weekends, a savvy friend helps you get your technology up and running. In her spare time, an office manager does her best to keep systems in working order.
After a while, you realize the need for an IT professional to diagnose problems and resolve major issues.
Despite a recent announcement of one more year of antimalware support, Microsoft will end most support for its Windows XP operating system. If you’re still using the 13-year-old OS, this means security patches, service packs, and exploit fixes will end — and cyber criminals can renew their attacks on your now-vulnerable system.
Our recent brutal winter weather should serve as a reminder for business owners: even the best-laid plans can be wrecked by natural and manmade disasters. Across the Mid-Atlantic and South, thousands of car accidents, at least a dozen fatalities, and untold numbers of stranded drivers and students were blindsided by the snow and ice that descended on the region.
Rather than asking, “What has changed for your business in the health care realm this year?” the better question might be, “What hasn’t changed?”
The Affordable Care Act, premium increases, existing policy cancellations, enrollment period confusion, continuing IT problems with the HealthCare.
December and January were dark days for data security. Just before Christmas, Target announced that credit and debit card info from over 40 million customers had been hacked over a three-week period of holiday shopping.
