Why You Should Archive Email

By -- 2017-08-28 in Uncategorized

If you’re using a standard email provider like Google or Yahoo, and you delete an email, after a few days your email is gone forever. This is, of course, unless you’ve saved it in a separate folder or archived it.

While this may suit your personal needs, there are many reasons why you, as a business, should be archiving all emails, even those deleted by you and your employees.

Compliance and legal requirements are the biggest reasons why all your emails should be archived. In the event that you find yourself under audit or investigation, you definitely want to be able to provide these as soon as possible.

If you’re relying on Google, there is no way to ensure all your emails are kept and may find yourself in trouble if you can’t find that one email from 3 years ago.

This is why paying a reputable and reliable company to archive your emails for you and your entire organization are so important. Read the full article to understand all the reasons why you should be archiving. And remember not only do we provide online archiving for all email services we offer, we can also provide you with free email assessments to help give you peace of mind whether or not your current provider has your archiving needs covered.

Michael Drobnis to Speak to Rotary Club of West Springfield

By -- 2017-08-22 in OptfinITy News

The President and CEO of Optfinity, Michael Drobnis, will be making a presentation to the Rotary Club of West Springfield. They asked Optfinity to provide our technical expertise on IT security issues pressing to the businesses community as well as society as a whole. Michael jumped at the chance to educate others as well as make new friends in our community.

If you belong to a group or organization and would like someone to provide some training, guidance, or education on a specific technological topic such as websites, mobile apps, cloud service, or even the best way to use Microsoft products, please feel free to reach out to us anytime. We would love the opportunity to assist our friends in the community.

The Rotary Club meets on Wednesday mornings at 7:30 for breakfast at the Springfield Golf and Country Club (8301 Old Keene Mill Road). Most members start to arrive around 7:15 for coffee and fellowship, and the buffet breakfast begins at 7:30. Optfinity will present at 8:00 for roughly 20 minutes, and the meeting will adjourn at 8:30am. Some embers may stay after the meeting to ask additional questions.

Optfinity would like to congratulate its President and CEO, Michael Drobnis, for graduating from Leadership Fairfax.

By -- 2017-08-15 in OptfinITy News

The Leadership Fairfax program is designed for those already in a leadership role from mid-level to senior, from all walks of life and representing all the gears that drive the area’s engine–nonprofits, public service agencies, private corporations, educators, executives and volunteers. To ensure the most advantageous learning environment for these busy students, only 45-50 applicants are accepted into the program each year.

Leadership Fairfax trains successful leaders to use their skills and influence to improve their community. Based on an experiential model, each class member learns about community needs and how to address problems and seek solutions. Alumni have logged over 300,000 volunteer community service hours serving nonprofits and Fairfax County advisory boards and commissions, providing direct resource development and program services, and becoming elected officials.

We are proud to now say that Michael Drobnis is a distinguished member of this great organization and we look forward to all his hard work and dedication to the Fairfax County as a representative of Optfinity. We know he will represent us all as the professional with the kind heart he has always shown himself to be.

OptfinITy Ranked Among Top 501 Managed Service Providers

By -- 2017-08-14 in OptfinITy News


May 31, 2017 – OptfinITy ranks among the world’s most progressive 501 Managed Service Providers (MSPs), according to MSPmentor’s 10th-annual MSP 501 Worldwide Company Rankings. The top MSP 501 companies ranked this year include organizations from around the world and from diverse technology and business backgrounds. Collectively, they amassed $14.48 billion in total revenue (based on 2016 results), up more than 15 percent from a year earlier.

The complete 2017 MSP 501 list is available at MSPMentor.net. In addition to honoring OptfinITy, this year’s MSP 501 list and study showcases the following:

• The top MSPs in Europe, Middle East and Africa
• The top MSPs in Asia, Australia and New Zealand
• The top Small Business MSPs’ list, comprised of organizations with 10 or fewer employees
• The top vertical markets pursued by MSP 501 companies
• The leading tools they leverage to run their businesses
• And the top technologies they provide to customers

“I would like to thank MSPMentor for recognizing all the fantastic work my OptfinITy colleagues do every day,” said Michael Drobnis, CEO of OptfinITy. “Our employee’s dedication, combined with dynamic growth-oriented customers is the reason we are who we are.”

“On behalf of MSPmentor, I would like to congratulate Optfinity for its recognition as an MSP 501 honoree,” said Aldrin Brown, Editor in Chief, MSPmentor. “The managed service provider market is evolving at a rapid pace and the companies showcased on the 2017 MSP 501 list represent the most agile, flexible and innovative organizations in the industry.”

The 2017 MSP 501 list is based on data collected by MSPmentor and its partner, Clarity Channel Advisors. Data was collected online from Feb. 16 through May 15, 2017. The MSP 501 list recognizes top managed service providers based on metrics including recurring revenue, growth and other factors.

About Penton Technology’s Channel Brands
Penton Technology’s channel brands define emerging IT markets and disrupt established IT markets. They are a division of Informa. The channel brands include: MSPmentor, The VAR Guy, Talkin’ Cloud, the WHIR, and WebHostingTalk.

About Informa
Penton Technology, Think Tank, MSPmentor, The VAR Guy, Talkin’ Cloud, the WHIR, WebHostingTalk, Channel Partners Online, Channel Partners Conference & Expo and Channel Partners Evolution are part of Informa, the international business intelligence, academic publishing, knowledge and events group. Informa serves commercial, professional and academic communities, helping them connect and learn, and creating and providing access to content and intelligence that helps people and businesses work smarter and make better decisions faster. Informa has over 7,500 colleagues in more than 20 countries and a presence in all major geographies. It is listed on the London Stock Exchange and is a member of the FTSE 100.

Contacts:

OptfinITy:
Michael Drobnis, CEO
michael.drobnis@optfinity.com

Penton:
Aldrin Brown, Editor in Chief, MSPMentor
aldrin.brown@penton.com

Help Us Celebrate Pure Perfection Catering’s New Website!

By -- 2017-08-14 in OptfinITy News

OptfinITy is pleased to announce the launch of a brand new website for Pure Perfection Catering at www.pureperfectioncatering.com. The website is a WordPress based website and incorporates great visuals of their products and services as well as a venue locator which allows website guests to see a sample of the various venues Pure Perfection works with.

In addition to now having a great website, all of us at OptfinITy can testify to the greatness of their food as well so we encourage you to check out the site. If you are looking to build a new website or give your current site a facelift, please give Optfinity a call for a free assessment.

Phishing in Fish Tanks

By -- 2017-07-24 in Blog

Recently, an internet-connected fish tank at a casino was hacked in an attempt to steal data. This fish tank was web-accessible in order to help automatically feed the fish and keep manage their environment. Once the hacker found the weakness in the tank’s network, they used that to find other vulnerabilities in the casino’s network.

This is just one example of how phishing is not just delivered via a rogue email. Another more common, yet still unusual, attack happened when hackers breached drawing pads connected to unsecured Wi-Fi systems, then using those devices to enact a denial of service attack.

So, if you have any internet connected devices at work or home, often referred to as the Internet of Things, or IOTs, be sure they are as secure as possible to prevent hackers from causing unneeded damage to your systems and data. These can range from your laptop or smartphone to a smart-fridge or cloud-based doorbell system. If its connected to the internet, it can possibly be hacked.

Not only does Optfinity provide thorough protections for our clients, we also provide no-cost, no-obligation assessments for anyone wanting to understand their systems better and have peace of mind knowing fully where their strengths and weaknesses lie, with regards to their technology.

A Court Verdict Raises the Pressure for Website Accessibility

By -- 2017-07-24 in Blog

Do you know if your website is currently in compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act? Do you work for an organization where it is required for your website to be accessible to people with disabilities? If you’re unsure of either of these questions, you may want to talk to an expert before it’s too late.

A recent case in Florida against Winn-Dixie deemed that their website did not provide customers with disabilities the “full and equal enjoyment of the goods, services, facilities, privileges, advantages, or accommodations of any place of public accommodation … .” They now must implement an accessibility policy to meet current ADA standards, which not only is more costly to implement after the fact, but could leave them vulnerable to costly lawsuits.

While you may not have a large number of customers/clients with access and functional needs, the few you might have are protected under the law and should have equal access to information provided on your website.

Most web creators tackle this issue upfront and there are many resources out there to help ensure you’re currently up-to-date, such as the World Wide Web Consortium.

This may seem like a daunting task, but it doesn’t have to be if you know which resources to utilize. Aside from the resources already mentioned, OptfinITy can provide a free, no-obligation assessment to help ensure you’re aware of your ADA standings with regards to all your IT needs. And remember, aside from saving you from possible legal worries, this is the right thing to do for your business and your customers.

Adobe Flash Player users should update their software NOW

By -- 2017-07-17 in Blog

Adobe Flash Player is a favorite piece of software for hackers to exploit for various reasons: it’s on a lot of computers, users need it to access Flash-based content, and many users do not keep it updated. Because of these and so many others, hackers love coming up with new ways to invade your devices utilizing this software. There is some good news, however; because of the sheer number of attacks, Adobe releases new security patches quite often.

When was the last time you ensured your Adobe Flash Player was updated? Do you have your global settings set to automatically install updates? Do you not even know what Flash is, if you have it, or know how to check if it is updated?

For many people out there, questions like these fall low on their radar, meaning their systems are constantly vulnerable to attacks. For clients of Optfinity, these are questions they never need to ask or even worry about as we ensure everything is constantly updated. A free assessment could answer many questions you might not even have known to ask in ensuring your systems and devices are properly secured. Contact us today, we’d be glad to help.

Major Cryptocurrency Exchange Hacked – Customer’s Accounts Plundered

By -- 2017-07-14 in Blog

Bithumb, which is one of the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchanges, was recently hacked, with the criminals making off with approximately 32,000 customers’ user account information. Thankfully, no passwords were obtained.

This hack was different in that instead of going after the exchange’s internal network, the hackers broke into a home PC of an employee of Bithumb.

One obvious question is why was this employee allowed to house sensitive information on his personal computer which he had in his home? Once this information was obtained, scammers then phoned some victims, trying to access their accounts by posing as Bithumb employees. One victim lost about $8,700.

If anyone ever calls you saying they are from a company, and you have a feeling it might be a scam, don’t hesitate to let them know you’ll call them back just to ensure they are who they say they are. But be sure not to call back a number they give you, instead, call the customer service number listed on their website. This is just one way to protect yourself from phone scams.

Not only is this a lesson in how to prevent being scammed over the phone and what steps you can take, but also on how to ensure all employees are trained properly so that these hacks don’t occur in the first place.

Do you know if employees have access to your company’s data on their personal devices? If so, how confident are you in the security measures protecting said devices?

Optfinity can provide no-cost, no-obligation assessments so that you know how secure or vulnerable your employees, your devices, and your company’s data are. Not only do we provide the know-how, we can also provide the training that your employees may desperately need to ensure they are working just as hard to help keep your business safe from hackers.

Is your bank account ready for the next big attack from an email?

By -- 2017-07-3 in Uncategorized

Most of these very expensive ransomware attacks start out as a simple email, on which an employee at an office may have clicked. Perhaps it said resume, tracking number, or something else that seemed harmless; then, before anyone realizes it, they can’t open any company files, their server stops working, and their office comes to a complete halt. It almost sounds like science fiction, but it is happening every day to thousands of companies all across the world; and it doesn’t end there.

Are you aware that in some U.S. States, if a business is the victim of a cyber-attack, they may be penalized for simply being a victim? This all depends on how they respond. Not only could they be legally required to notify the proper authorities of data breaches, but they may also have to publicly announce it as well, so that all their current clients/patients and future potential business are aware of their accidental blunder. This will not only bring blame upon the business but may also leave them in financial dire straits with lenders, banks, and of course, clients.

It is imperative that you have set-up and tested the proper backups, and you have bought the proper insurance to cover all types of losses due to malware, viruses, and any other electronic scams to which you might fall victim. It is even more imperative to make sure you have the proper IT company looking out for your best interests to make sure that you survive such an attack or, more importantly, that you prevent one.

At OptfinITy, we focus on security from all levels; we stop it at the door, on the network, in the cloud and, most importantly, with your people. This is accomplished through our proactive training component which is implemented with all our managed services clients. If you would like to ensure you are prepared, give us a call for your free, no-obligation assessment and we can show you just how secure you are and give you options to help mitigate any future threats.