
Scam of the Week: Phony Utility Ads
Search engines, like Google, are so popular that many people use the search feature instead of typing a URL. For instance, people may quickly search for their electricity provider's name to find the online payment portal. And for this week's scam, that's exactly what cybercriminals want you to do. This scam tries to trick you into clicking on a fake ad instead of the billing portal that you’re trying to find. The scammers purchase a variety of fake utility payment advertisements, and you see those ads during your searches. They know that they can trick you more easily if you contact them instead of them reaching out to you.

How $43,000 Got Stolen From A Small Business In The Blink Of An Eye
What you are about to read is a real story showing you how a business can be devastated by cybercriminals in the blink of an eye. Most importantly, I’ll share several ways this could have been avoided. Make sure to forward this to anyone who might be making online payments and, better yet, your entire staff.

Scam of the Week: Deepfake Deception
AI scams are becoming more frequent, and they’re also becoming more sophisticated. In a recent scam, cybercriminals demonstrated just how convincing AI fraud can be by faking an entire video call. In fact, the scammers were able to steal over 200 million Hong Kong dollars by emailing an employee and pretending to be their organization’s Chief Financial Officer (CFO).

How “Cheaper” IT Providers Sneak In Expensive Hidden Costs
Is your company looking to hire an IT firm? Unfortunately, unless you’re tech-savvy or experienced with IT contracts, there can be hidden costs that you wouldn’t expect or know to look for. While it can sound appealing to go for the cheapest firm, that decision can end up costing you more in the long run due to carve-outs and hidden fees in the contract. Cheaper IT firms will omit certain services from the original agreement and later nickel-and-dime you to add them on or by quoting you inadequate solutions that you’ll later need to pay to upgrade.

New Security Features To Protect Your Phone In 2024
Long gone are the days when phones were simple devices used to make calls. Today our phones are advanced, handheld supercomputers that can do everything from pay a bill to order lunch for delivery to edit videos and more.

5 New Cybersecurity Threats You Need To Be Very Prepared For This Year
The year of 2023 marked a significant turning point for cyber-attacks with the introduction and wide proliferation of AI (artificial intelligence), now in the hands of people who wish to do you harm and who are actively using it to find faster and easier ways to rob you, extort you or simply burn your business to the ground.

Best Practices To ‘Celebrate’ National Change Your Password Day: How Does Your Password Stack Up?
Each year on February 1st, we celebrate Change Your Password Day. While it’s not a holiday that gets you off work, it serves as a good opportunity each year to do a quick check-in and make sure you’re using strong passwords that will keep your accounts protected.

Scam of the Week: These Crypto Ads are a Real Drain
Have you seen online ads stating you can make tons of money with cryptocurrency? Be careful –many of these ads are scams. Social engineers want to make you think you can get rich quickly. But they are trying to trick you into providing personal information.

Beware Of Cybersquatters!
Have you ever searched for a specific website but landed on a completely different one after misspelling a letter or two in the URL? This deceptive tactic is known as cybersquatting. This practice not only jeopardizes the online presence of businesses and individuals but also poses a significant challenge in the ever-evolving landscape of cyber security. The scariest part is that you can be a victim of a cybersquatted domain and not even realize it.

Your 15-Step IT Profitability Road Map For 2024
If you’re hoping to cut costs and boost profitability in 2024 without compromising productivity or efficiency, assessing the technology you use in day-to-day operations is one of the first areas in your business to examine.
We’ve created a road map that you can use to go step-by-step through your organization to determine if and where you can be saving money or utilizing new or better technology to improve operational efficiency.

Scam of the Week: Ransoming Businesses Is a Successful Business
On Christmas Eve, cybercriminals targeted three hospitals in Germany using Lockbit 3.0 ransomware. Ransomware is a type of malicious software that infects computers and networks. It holds data and other sensitive information “hostage” in exchange for payment. If you refuse to meet their payment demands, the cybercriminals could destroy the files. Or they could make them available to the public, resulting in data theft and leaks of sensitive information.

How IT Support Companies Charge For Their Services – Part 2 Of 2
Continuing on from our previous blog post, we’re answering one of the most common questions we get from new prospective clients: “What do you charge for your IT services?” In the last blog posted, we discussed the most common models – break-fix and managed IT. In this post, we’ll discuss the actual fees.

How IT Support Companies Charge For Their Services – Part 1 Of 2
Before you can accurately compare the fees, services and deliverables of one IT services company to that of another, you need to understand the two predominant pricing and service models most of these companies offer. Many companies offer a blend of the two, while others are strict about offering only one service plan.

SCAM OF THE WEEK: An Early Tax Reminder From the IRS
The US Internal Revenue Service (IRS) recently held the eighth annual Security Summit. The IRS concluded the summit with a reminder to stay alert during the upcoming tax season. Specifically, they warned taxpayers and tax professionals to watch for phishing and smishing scams.

SCAM OF THE WEEK: Disney+ Phishing Deal
Callback phishing is when a phishing email directs you to call a number instead of clicking on a link. These emails are often fake notifications that encourage you to make a call to correct an error. A recent scam impersonating the popular streaming service Disney+ is a great example of this tactic.

SCAM OF THE WEEK: Post-Shopping Scams
Have you finished your holiday shopping yet? Because cybercriminals are just getting started. There are thousands of shopping-themed scams this time of year, but those scams don’t end when your cart is empty. Cybercriminals continue to target shoppers with urgent phishing emails about their recent purchases.

7 Ways To Maximize Workplace Productivity With Tech
In the fast-paced world of business, efficiency and productivity are paramount. Advancements in technology have revolutionized the way we work, providing a plethora of tools and resources to help us accomplish more in less time. Maximizing workplace productivity with technology has become an essential strategy for organizations looking to stay competitive and innovative in today’s global market. Here are 7 ways to add tech to your day-to-day activities to stay productive.

Out With The Old: Debunking 5 Common Cybersecurity Myths To Get Ready For The New Year
In today’s hyperconnected world, cybersecurity is a critical concern for individuals and organizations alike. However, as the digital landscape evolves, so do the myths and misconceptions surrounding cybersecurity. If you want to be protected, you have to understand what the real threats are and how you could be unknowingly overlooking them every single day. In this article, we will debunk 5 common cybersecurity myths to help you stay informed and protected as you take your business into 2024.

New And Urgent Bank Account Fraud Alert
The infamous Xenomorph Android malware, known for targeting 56 European banks in 2022, is back and in full force targeting US banks, financial institutions and cryptocurrency wallets.
The cyber security and fraud detection company ThreatFabric has called this one of the most advanced and dangerous Android malware variants they’ve seen.

When Your Facebook Or Other Online Account Gets Hacked, Who’s Responsible For The Losses?
Recently, the CEO of a very successful marketing firm had their Facebook account hacked. In just a weekend, the hackers were able to run over $250,000 worth of ads for their online gambling site via their account and removed the rightful owner as the admin, causing the firm’s entire Facebook account to be shut down.