Successful phishing attacks can damage your business’s finances, production, and reputation. This form of swindling has increased as email has become one of the more known methods of communication and should be taken seriously. It’s important to understand how to identify a phishing email in order to protect your business from potential security breaches or data leaks.

What is Email Phishing?

A phishing email–also known as malicious emails or scam emails– is an email sent from what appears to be a trusted source with the objective of making the recipient perform a certain task. This can be in the form of providing specific personal information or clicking a link that requires financial information.

According to Cisco’s 2021 Cybersecurity Threat Trends report, 90% of data breaches occur because of phishing. The 2021 Internet Crime Report revealed California, as one of the top states for internet crime, with more than 67,000 victims. Out of those victims, 2,942 experienced phishing attacks.

One of the reasons why hackers succeed with scam emails is their emotional tactics. They make the emails seem genuine by using your name or asking you to act immediately. Addressing you directly makes the email seem more legitimate and you are more likely to respond.

How to Identify a Phishing Email

Every business is subject to email phishing, and determining the difference between a legitimate email and a scam email can be difficult.

However, there are ways to prevent yourself from becoming a victim. You may not have an in-house IT team to monitor your emails. Consider ABI’s managed IT services to help you handle your email needs so you can focus on what matters most: your business and your client.

Here’s an example of how we help identify a phishing email.

1. Name of Sender – Even though the sender’s email address may have the name of the company in it, always check. Copy and paste the sender’s email address into your inbox if you are still unsure. If you have not received emails from that sender before, that is a red flag.
2. Typos / Grammar Mistakes – It’s also important to check for typos or grammatical errors in the email. This email has no official subject header and uses the body of the email as the subject.
3. Asking for Sensitive Information – This phishing email asked for important login credentials by noting a low memory alert. They paired this with noting that emails were placed on hold until they logged in. If given, the hacker would have access to other organizational information.
4. Suspicious Attachments – Phishing attacks rely on the recipient’s actions. It’s important not to click any links or attachments in the email. These links –also known as phishing links–can also be a way for the hacker to download malware or ransomware to your computer leading to a potential ransomware attack.

Tools to Help Spot Phishing Emails

No matter your business industry, from accounting firm, to law firm, or any small business, ABI wants you to stay up, stay running, and protected. This means staying protected from email phishing that can lead to malware, data corruption, and even security breaches.

Get Email Virus, Scan, and Phishing Protection Today

ABI offers the best defense against email spam for businesses in Canoga Park and the San Fernando Valley. Our managed email security services monitor email scanning software and manage updates to keep a clean inbox and a secure network for your business.

Our IT services not only provide email phishing protection but also include:

• Managed IT Services
• Backup & Recovery
• Cloud Solutions
• Microsoft 365
• Email Spam, Phishing & Virus Protection
• Network Support
• Work from Home Solutions for Employees
• Network & Cybersecurity
• Data Center
• Business Phone Systems
• Business Security Cameras

ABI has provided quality and effective solutions for IT support in Canoga Park and the San Fernando Valley for 20+ years. Ready to handle email phishing once and for all? Schedule a free consultation with ABI today.

The post Protect Your Business With These Email Phishing Safety Tips appeared first on Advanced Business Innovations, Inc..

The growth and expansion of organizations and technology continues to move at a rapid pace. Unfortunately, with that growth, comes an increased need for enterprise-level security solutions. Multifactor authentication serves as one of the safeguard against the detrimental results of a breach of an organization’s confidential information, including the personal details of both employees and customers.

What Is Multifactor Authentication?

Multifactor authentication, or MFA is a security feature that requires an individual to provide two or more forms of identity verification to gain access to an account, usually after providing a username and password. It is most helpful in instances when a user’s password is not strong, which happens often. Despite warnings and sometimes even a system notification upon creating an account that a password is weak, users still opt to choose passwords that they can easily remember. This is usually the same password that they use for multiple accounts or one that is just too easy to decode and become compromised. Even if a password is breached in a cyber attack, getting past the MFA will pose an additional challenge making it a vital component of your business’ cyber security strategy.

There are many options when it comes to MFA including inherence factors like face, fingerprint and iris recognition, and knowledge factors which can be a password, a pin, or providing a saved personal detail that only the user would know. Other options are possession factors, like a one time password or pin sent to a user’s cell phone, or the CVV number from the user’s credit or debit card, and location factors which includes using GPS to verify a user’s location. Each one adds an additional layer of security and protects confidential information. Additionally, MFA offers the convenience and safety of the ability to use a single sign on solution (SSO), one name and password to access everything. MFA is the protective barrier for this streamlined approach to ease and security.

Why is Multifactor Authentication Vital?

According to Verizon’s 2021 Data Breach and Investigations Report¹, 85% of breaches involved the human element. In other words, a simple mistake such as a weak password can have dire consequences for an organization. One cyber attack can compromise the confidential information of both staff and customers. This can include credit card and bank account details, business techniques and plans, health records, and even identities, resulting in a huge financial loss for all. MFA is one of the best preventative measures. It is essential to organizational risk reduction.

Implementing Multifactor Authentication

ABI can help you implement a multifactor authentication system (MFA) to secure and protect your team from the threat and execution of a cyber attack. Our team will work directly with your organization to stress the importance of choosing strong passwords and provide education that explains the potential outcomes of a breach. We will also implement requirements to ensure that stronger passwords are chosen, and we will add single sign on solutions with multifactor authentication to your company wide sign on process. Avoid the expense of a breach or attack with increased security and efficiency through implementing MFA.

¹https://www.verizon.com/business/resources/reports/dbir/

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Microsoft Outlook has a feature that remembers every address you enter in the To, Cc, and Bcc fields of an email message. Then, when you enter the first few letters of a name or email address, Outlook automatically suggests contacts that match. Over time, most users have a lot of autocomplete names that they want to remove or some that are no longer correct.

Here is how to get rid of the entries.

Remove a Name or Email Address from the Outlook Autocomplete List

• Create a new email message.
• In the To field, Cc field, or Bcc Field, enter the name or address you want to remove. …
• Press the Down Arrow key to highlight the entry you want to delete from the list.
• Select Delete (the X to the right of the contact name). It is now permanently removed.

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No matter the size of your business, your information technology needs are essential to the successful work flow of your team. With the rise in security issues, infrastructure costs, and employee turnover, managing an in-house IT department may not be the most viable option for your team.

When you need to focus on the many aspects of running a successful business, outsourced IT management can be a beneficial service for you. It can ensure that you have a dedicated and experienced team handling your IT functions.

Outsourced IT support is when an independent IT company provides managed services for an organization’s information technology activities, software and infrastructure. In some instances, a business has a small IT team, and they outsource because there is a need for expertise in a specific IT function. In other instances, an organization might need an entire external outsourced IT department to manage all of their identified technology related needs. Business size and financial resources, along with the skill set of your IT team, if you have one, are important factors to consider when deciding on the level of outsourced IT management service that you and your systems require.

Benefits of Outsourcing IT Services

Effective IT management is a necessity for every business, regardless of size and function. Using an outsourced IT department or service can add great value to your team and provide the niche network support that will help you maintain and even increase productivity. You and your team can leave the IT intricacies to your outsourced IT department, and hone your focus on business growth and related activities with confidence. This is because your outsourced IT management provider will work behind the scenes to ensure the efficiency of your system. They can also be available in real time to provide support.

There are so many advantages to outsourcing this service. Among them are cost efficiency regarding human capital, cost efficiency regarding technology, technological expertise, renewed team cohesion and focus, and overall provision of effective solutions to technical challenges:

• Cost Efficiency (Human Capital) – Simply put, it costs much less to contract with an outsourced IT management service. This is because there is a set fee for service. Additionally, you will not incur tangible employee related costs like health insurance, professional development, employment taxes, and other incentives and required benefits that employees typically receive. You will also save on the intangible because of the increased productivity of employees.
• Cost Efficiency (Technology) – Another financial benefit of outsourced IT management is the amount that is saved on software costs. The MSP brings their supplies with them. This means that you do not have to purchase the expensive equipment, and you do not have to cover training costs for someone to learn how to use it. In addition, their equipment will include the most up to date products, including software which is an additional benefit because it not only ensures that your organization stays on the cutting edge, it also increases the effectiveness of your cyber security.
• Expertise – An outsourced IT company will bring a gamut of experts that are highly skilled in specific aspects of information technology. They hit the ground running and can provide so many different services based on your needs like help desk support, infrastructure. data storage, data management, cyber security, recovery, email, and more.
• Renewed Cohesion & Focus – Your team will no longer experience lapses in connectivity or cyber security and if they do, with an outsourced IT department, issues will be addressed and resolved quickly. Additionally team members that have more tech exposure and experience will not be distracted by requests for IT assistance.
• Effective Solutions – The bottom line is that IT challenges can be a headache for the entire team. They affect business continuity, and team cohesion and productivity, and they can create an environment of uncertainty. An outsourced IT department will bear the load of this work and provide viable solutions that will elevate the entire team’s ability to perform at their best.

When to Outsource IT Services

Determining when to outsource IT services is based on a number of factors, which vary based on the specific needs of your company. However, when handling your own IT needs starts to weigh on your team, it may be time to consider outsourcing.

Small businesses often forego an IT specialist and just ask an employee with tech skills to help when there is an issue. This is problematic because it impacts the individual’s focus and time that they could devote to their own workload. Some organizations hire one individual to address all of their IT management needs. This also presents a challenge because IT management is not monolithic. This person is probably highly skilled in their area of expertise, but might lack the ability to effectively respond to issues that they are not familiar with.

An outsourced IT department will most often include a group of individuals with recent certifications and specific areas of expertise. Additionally, if you only have one person that manages your IT needs and they have an emergency, that individual might not be available for a substantial amount of time and this can pose a major problem if a need arises. An outsourced IT department can provide 24 hour maintenance and support with back-up.

Another thing to consider is, if your team is small, the workload might not justify hiring a full time employee with benefits because of the great amount of down time that this individual would have when no IT issues exist. Outsourced IT management can save you the costs of employee benefits and more. On the other hand, if you already have a full IT Team that maybe lacks experience or training in a specific area of expertise that affects your ability to work efficiently, outsourcing can fill that void on a short or long term basis, or just provide additional support, depending on the need.

There are a number of IT services that can be outsourced to a reputable company. Some of the most commonly outsourced IT services include:

• IT Infrastructure
• Software Development
• Help Desk Support
• Web Hosting
• Data Management
• Cyber Security/Recovery
• Email Support
• Communications

How to Choose a Managed Service Provider

There are some important details to consider when choosing your outsourced managed IT provider. You must decide if you want to outsource all of your IT services or if you want to just focus on securing a provider for specific services. Determining your most pressing IT needs, including how they align with your current and future goals is the first step in creating a plan. This will help you to determine your level of need, and guide your vetting process. Review the challenges and the successes of your current internal IT support and consider your budget. These two steps will bring clarity about the rate that you can feasibly afford, and how you can stay within budget without sacrificing quality.

You will then have to decide if you want a dedicated full time team, or project based services. As you move on to the next step of choosing your provider, do your due diligence. Research the potential outsourced IT management provider and their company reviews. Secure references that can share their experience with the service. Ensure that the individuals that will potentially provide your IT support, actively stay informed and trained, with current certifications in the areas that your team needs the most support, and that they adhere to industry best practices. You also must make sure that they are accessible during both peak hours and in the wee hours of the morning, which is important with the rise in remote work.

Finally, consider the compatibility with your team. Having a condescending IT expert is detrimental to team success and cohesion. You want an outsourced IT management team that understands your company culture and fully understands and supports your team business goals.

Let ABI Serve as Your Outsourced IT Provider

ABI has provided superior managed IT services in Canoga Park and the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles for 20+ years. When it’s time to outsource your IT services, contact ABI. Our techs will work directly with your team to craft a custom service agreement for your exact IT needs. Whether you need to address specific areas that aren’t covered by your own tech team or if you need full IT department support we can manage projects big and small.

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A fully executed ransomware attack can feel like an ambush by an unrelenting opponent. It wreaks havoc on your peaceful daily business routines. This adversary is elusive, skilled in the art of cyber war, winning by consistently conceiving innovative ways to infiltrate your systems and bombard your proprietary data.

Ransomware attacks have been increasing steadily since 2020¹. Targeted attacks aimed to extort businesses makes this increase of great concern since companies today are data driven and fully dependent upon technology. A substantial local, national, and in some cases, even global online presence is critical to innovation and staying on the cutting-edge of one’s field. Additionally, the increase in employees working from home away from a protected office network can exacerbate company vulnerability. Small to medium sized businesses can lose, on average, $24 -$50K per year per year from cyberattacks². Network security is essential for business continuity and success.

Most organizations are not adequately prepared to prevent ransomware or to quickly address the ramifications of a cyberattack once it has begun. Unfortunately, some companies are highly susceptible to a full-fledged network intrusion. The question is not if, but when your organization will become a target. It is imperative that your company is proactive in incorporating bulletproof cyberattack protection and network intrusion prevention that integrates the following:

• Consistent, Timely Updates
• Encryption and Data Backup
• Strong Passwords & Authentication
• URL Validation
• Firewall Security
• Blocking Unsecured Websites
• Frequent System Tests
• Employee Education (suspicious email etiquette, verification of email requests, how to recognize a secure v/s unsecured site, and more)
• Cyber Security Insurance
• Network Intrusion Detection
• Restricted Network Administrative Rights
• Robust Anti-Malware and Firewall Software

ABI can provide solutions that secure and protect your team and your systems from the threat and execution of a cyberattack. Through consistent, effective maintenance, we save you the expense of an attack through detection, repair, and prevention with increased security and efficiency.

¹https://usa.kaspersky.com/about/press-releases/2021_kaspersky-finds-ransomware-attacks-on-high-profile-victims-grows-nearly-eightfold
²https://pchtechnologies.com/cost-of-cyber-attacks-vs-cost-of-cyber-security-in-2021/

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Incognito Mode allows you to go undercover when you’re browsing on the internet or using Google Maps app on your mobile device. Any searches or websites you visit in Incognito Mode won’t show up in your internet search history later.

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