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      • How Using the SLAM Method Can Improve Phishing Detection

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      • Donna Aplin

      There is a reason why phishing is usually at the top of the list for security awareness training. For the last decade or two, it has been the main delivery method for all types of attacks. Ransomware, credential theft, database breaches, and more launch via a phishing email.

      Why has phishing remained such a large threat for so long? Because it continues to work. Scammers evolve their methods as technology progresses. They use AI-based tactics to make targeted phishing more efficient, for example.

      • Did You Just Receive a Text from Yourself? Learn What Smishing Scams to Expect

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      • Donna Aplin

      How many text messages from companies do you receive today as compared to about two years ago? If you’re like many people, it’s quite a few more.

      This is because retailers have begun bypassing bloated email inboxes. They are urging consumers to sign up for SMS alerts for shipment tracking and sale notices. The medical industry has also joined the trend. Pharmacies send automated refill notices and doctor’s offices send SMS appointment reminders.

      • How Often Do You Need to Train Employees on Cybersecurity Awareness?

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      • Donna Aplin

      You’ve completed your annual phishing training. This includes teaching employees how to spot phishing emails. You’re feeling good about it. That is until about 5-6 months later. Your company suffers a costly ransomware infection due to a click on a phishing link.

      You wonder why you seem to need to train on the same information every year. But you still suffer from security incidents. The problem is that you’re not training your employees often enough.

      • Home Security: Why You Should Put IoT Devices on a Guest Wi-Fi Network

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      • Donna Aplin

      The number of internet-connected devices in homes has been growing. It’s increased exponentially over the last decade. A typical home now has 10.37 devices connected to the internet. PCs and mobile devices make up a little over half of those and the rest are IoT devices.

      • Get More Unplugged Laptop Time with These Battery-Saving Hacks

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      • Donna Aplin

      One of the big draws of a laptop computer is that you can use it anywhere. You don’t need to have it plugged in all the time because it has an internal battery.

      Your laptop may start out with several hours of battery life when you first buy it. But the lifespan can get shorter as time goes by and battery health takes a hit. Sometimes this can be due to a lack of PC maintenance. Other times, it’s due to the environments the laptop is subject to (such as a hot car).

      • 5 Exciting Ways Microsoft 365 Can Enable the Hybrid Office

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      • Donna Aplin

      “Hybrid office” is the new buzzword you’ll hear used in business discussions. It’s the mix of having employees both working at the office and working from home. This has become more than a buzzword and is now the reality for many companies.

      There was a survey of employees with remote-capable jobs. The survey found that as of February of 2022, 42% of them were working a hybrid schedule. And 39% were working from home full time.

      • Top 5 Mobile Device Attacks You Need to Watch Out For

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      • Donna Aplin

      Smartphones and tablets are often the preferred device for communications, web searching, and accessing many types of apps. They’re more portable and can be used from anywhere.

      We’re seeing the takeover of many activities that used to be performed on traditional computers. Now, people are using mobile devices instead.

      For example, Microsoft estimates that up to 80% of the workload in many enterprise organizations is now done via mobile devices. Over half of all web searches are also now conducted from a mobile device rather than a desktop PC.

      • Which Form of MFA Is the Most Secure? Which Is the Most Convenient?

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      • Donna Aplin

      Credential theft is now at an all-time high and is responsible for more data breaches than any other type of attack.

      With data and business processes now largely cloud-based, a user’s password is the quickest and easiest way to conduct many different types of dangerous activities.

      • Signs That Your Computer May Be Infected with Malware

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      • Donna Aplin

      Approximately 34% of businesses take a week or longer to regain access to their data and systems once hit with a malware attack.

      Malware is an umbrella term that encompasses many different types of malicious code. It can include:

      • Viruses
      • Ransomware
      • Spyware
      • Trojans

      More Inside ...

      • What You Need to Know About the Rise in Supply Chain Cyberattacks

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      • Donna Aplin

      Any cyberattack is dangerous, but the particularly devastating ones are those on supply chain companies. These can be any supplier – digital or non-digital – of goods and services.

      We’ve seen several attacks on the supply chain occur in 2021 that had wide-reaching consequences. These are “one-to-many” attacks where victims can go far beyond the company that was initially breached.

      • What Are the Best Ways to Give an Older PC New Life?

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      • Donna Aplin

      Purchasing a new computer is a big investment. Many small businesses and home PC owners end up struggling with older systems because they want to get as many years out of them as possible.

      Have you found yourself banging on your keyboard in frustration? Have you tried every tip and trick you found online, only to still struggle with a slow PC? 

      • Microsoft Teams Plan Comparison: Free vs M365 Business vs Teams Essentials

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      • Donna Aplin

      The shift to remote work over the last two years has caused companies to realign their digital tools. Now, many meetings default to being via video conference rather than in person, and working from home has become commonplace.

      Seventy-seven percent of remote workers say they’re more productive working from home (a big reason is fewer distractions). Plus 85% of surveyed managers expect that having teams with remote workers will be the new normal.

      • 6 Ways to Combat Social Phishing Attacks

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      • Donna Aplin

      Phishing is the number one method of attack delivery for everything from ransomware to credential theft. We are very aware of it coming by email, but other types of phishing have been growing rapidly.

      In recent years, phishing over social media has skyrocketed by 500%. There has also been a 100% increase in fraudulent social media accounts.

      • 4 Interesting Cloud Storage Trends to Watch for in 2022

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      • Donna Aplin

      One area of cloud computing that is used widely, but often isn’t as flashy as the software side is cloud storage. Storing files in the cloud to make them easily accessible and shareable from anywhere was one of the very first uses of the cloud that was adopted widely by many users.

      As advances like automation and AI come to other types of cloud services, like team communications and business apps, cloud storage is not being left behind. The industry also continues to evolve to make storing data in the cloudless complex, more reliable, and better secured.

      • Alarming Phishing Attack Trends to Beware of in 2022

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      • Donna Aplin

      In 2020, 75% of companies around the world experienced a phishing attack. Phishing remains one of the biggest dangers to your business’s health and wellbeing because it’s the main delivery method for all types of cyberattacks.

      One phishing email can be responsible for a company succumbing to ransomware and having to face costly downtime. It can also lead a user to unknowingly hand over the credentials to a company email account that the hacker then uses to send targeted attacks to customers.

      • Important Steps Before You Recycle a Mobile Phone Number 

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      • Donna Aplin

      It’s not unusual to change a mobile number from time to time. For example, when you move, you may want a number that is local to the area you just moved to. Companies also may end up recycling mobile numbers throughout their staff as people come and go.

      If you don’t properly detach your mobile phone number from all the accounts it’s used with, you can leave yourself open to identity theft, credit card fraud, and other crimes.

      • These Google Search Tips Will Save You Tons of Time!

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      • Donna Aplin

      Over 2.4 million searches happen every minute on Google. It’s often the first stop people make when they go online.

      We search daily for both personal and work needs, and often searching out the right information can take a lot of time if you have to sift through several irrelevant results.

      • Top 5 Cybersecurity Mistakes That Leave Your Data at Risk

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      • Donna Aplin

      The global damage of cybercrime has risen to an average of $11 million USD per minute, which is a cost of $190,000 each second.

      60% of small and mid-sized companies that have a data breach end up closing their doors within six months because they can’t afford the costs. The costs of falling victim to a cyberattack can include loss of business, downtime/productivity losses, reparation costs for customers that have had data stolen, and more.

      • What Are the Most Helpful Features of Windows 11?

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      • Donna Aplin

      Windows 11 has been out for a few months now, beginning rollout in October of 2021. It has been largely well-received and seen as stable with very few bugs noted.

      One of the reasons that Windows 11 has been welcomed with open arms for both home and business computer upgrades is that it isn’t a dramatic experience difference from Windows 10. This upgrade is mainly focused on helping users do tasks faster and find things more easily.

      • Lead Your Business More Effectively by Implementing Unified Communications

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      • Donna Aplin

      Unified communications are a go-to solution for business owners looking to streamline their businesses and increase employee productivity in the long term. See how it benefits your business.

      Providing high-quality communication channels is crucial for any company. After all, it promotes cross-department collaboration and faster exchange of ideas.