Does your business have a spare $2 million around to fix your computer problems when you get the next Ransomware attack? 

As you may have seen in the news, the city of Atlanta, George recently became a victim of the SamSam ransomware, shutting down operational systems. Unlike most ransomware, SamSam indiscriminately searches the internet for vulnerable servers by looking for weak passwords or passwords that rarely get changed and then infecting the system. While Atlanta didn’t pay the ransom, the cost to remediate the issue was calculated at $2,667,328 according to this ZDNET article.

While your business may require less than the city to remediate your problem, there are things you can do today to make sure that Ransomware doesn’t hurt your organization. This includes changing and using complex passwords, updating security patches, installing the proper security equipment and educating your employees.

For more information on some of the things you can do, give us a call and we can provide you with a no-cost, no-obligation assessments. We can be reached at 703-790-0400 or on the web at www.optfinity.com.

According to a recent CNET article, cybercrime is now costing businesses as much as $600 billion.  In fact, the most recent Ransomeware attack costs millions of dollars to the city of Atlanta to recover from that attack.   So what does a small business or non-profit organization do?

The most important thing you can do is to make sure you have a Great backup.  Not just a backup but a backup which automatically checks to make sure that the backup works.  You also should have in place the proper security software and devices and even more importantly, the proper training program for your employees on what to avoid.

If you are unsure of what you are doing to keep you organization safe and would like a free security assessment, please give us a call at 703-790-0400 or on the web at www.optfinity.com. Don’t wait until a threat strikes.

Making sure your website is updated with the latest patches is very important as new vulnerabilities are discovered almost daily – so what happens when the latest update stops your updates from working?

On Monday, WordPress released version 4.9.3. The very next day, WordPress released version 4.9.4. Although version 4.9.3 fixed 34 bugs, it also introduced a new bug that prevents automatic background updates from updating automatically! This bug causes WordPress to encounter an error when attempting to update itself to the latest version.

Four years ago, WordPress added the self-update feature allowing users to keep their website secure and bug-free so users have not had to think about updates. This means that there are millions of unmanaged WordPress sites that expect their site to automatically update itself.

So, if you are an admin of a website running WordPress, make sure to update now or if you need help with your website, give OptfinITy a call at 703-790-0400.

It’s the Holiday Season once again, but remember it is also a holiday for the bad guys as well, but not in the way you might think. Hackers go into scam-overdrive mode during this time of the year to prey on the heavy shopping done by consumers. This time of year is the busiest for on-line shopping and scammers are out to get rich off of your money. So what should you look out for?

There are too-good-to-be-true coupons that offer free or discounted phones, tablets, and countless other cool items all over websites and social media; don’t fall for them! Make sure the offers are from a legitimate company. While you’re at it, watch out for alerts via email or text informing you that you just received a package from FedEx, UPS or the US Mail.  These notifications will then ask you for some personal information; don’t be fooled into giving them anything!

The price of security, especially now, is constant alertness and willingness to fight back. Remember to only use credit cards online, never debit cards, as your liability is limited with a credit card and the money does not come straight out of your bank account. Be super-wary of spam email with crazy good BUY NOW offers and anything which looks slightly “off”.  Remember, if it seems too good to be true, it probably is.  And if you’re still wanting to take advantage of that offer, double check with the company directly.

If you think you might have been scammed, stay calm and call your credit card company right away, nix that card, and get a new one.  It is always better to be safe than sorry.

Most of us have been using wireless networks (Wi-fi) daily for years, but you may not know that every one of your wireless devices is currently at risk of being hijacked. Wireless networks previously used a protocol known as WEP, which was insecure, resulting in the creation of WPA2. WPA2 was supposed to protect networks and devices, but we’ve now learned of a new vulnerability nicknamed “KRACK”, which is short for Key Reinstallation Attack.

What KRACK does is it allows hackers to eavesdrop on any compromised network traffic. For this to work, the hacker needs to be within physical range of a device and they can decrypt network traffic, hijack connections, and inject content into the traffic stream. This means you are not threatened by an overseas hacker but, instead, by someone who could be sitting next to you at a Starbucks or outside your office window.

The good news is the connection between you and your bank (and other secured websites) are not at risk. Since those sites use their own level of protection known as HTTPS, the data remains secured between your device and their server.  Additionally, the vulnerability exists at the software level which means it is easy to fix and vendors such as Microsoft have already published a patch for this issue.

Next Steps

The most important thing to do is make sure you update all wireless devices with the latest security patches available. This includes your desktops, laptops, routers, wireless access points, and most importantly, your mobile phones.  If you are a business, you should make sure you have a reliable company managing your devices and ensuring patches are continually being applied as they are released. As such, all of Optfinity’s clients are already or are in the process of being updated and protected from this vulnerability.

When out in public, you should always try to use your cellular data network, directly on your phone, or as a password-protected hotspot for your other devices. If this is not possible, make sure to utilize a VPN when connecting through a free Wi-Fi spot (as provided by most cafes and restaurants nowadays) to limit your vulnerability to hacking.

For more information on keeping yourself protected, sign-up for our newsletter or give us a call for a free assessment of your environment. We can be reached at sales@optfinity.com or via phone at 703-790-0400.

Voice over Internet Protocol, more often referred to as VoIP or Voice over IP is a technology that utilizes your internet connection to make and receive phone calls. VoIP is a popular technology option among small to medium sized business to replace their traditional phone system or landlines since it provides more features and cost benefits.

These added features and benefits are possible because VoIP utilizes software on servers meaning that features can be developed and added as new technology develops.  We’ll discuss the benefits and features of VoIP that traditional phone lines lack and why they’re important to businesses.

Extra Features

VoIP has a few extra features that regular landlines don’t. In addition to making/receiving calls, transferring calls and voicemail, VoIP also has caller ID, video conferencing and phone extensions. A VoIP feature that really impresses users is the ability to have your phone extension at your desk or on your mobile phone. For companies that have remote users or people constantly out in the field, it’s a big plus.

Enhanced Flexibility

VoIP’s flexibility makes it compatible with almost all networks and can be used over WiFi! It can use data types in different combinations to make and route calls, a tool that can be extremely useful when developing and deploying applications across various computers.  This flexibility greatly diminishes any need to worry about incompatibility and can support many types of communication.

Real-time Faxing

Setting up and maintaining long distance fax services can be more expensive than what it’s worth, not to mention the less than stellar data quality. The traditional fax service is also faced with equipment incompatibility causing more delays in the process. VoIP can replace your fax machine altogether with a fax interface by converting the data into packets to deliver data faster and more reliably.

Cost Benefits

Traditional landlines are more expensive than internet calling lines, so utilizing VoIP can help you reduce long distance calling costs.  Since it is scalable, you can adjust your plan to fit your business needs by adding or removing features and lines as needed.

OptfinITy has partnerships with many different VoIP providers. We can compare different providers with what you need and find a solution that is perfect for you. If you have any questions or are interested in switching to VoIP, give us a call!