4 Perks Of Using A Dual Monitor System

Dual monitor setups aren’t as popular as single monitor setups, but that doesn’t mean that they’re less effective than the latter. In fact, you should consider working with two screens because doing so has quite a number of advantages. Let’s take a look at some of the benefits of having dual monitors.

Enhanced productivity

According to a survey by Jon Peddie Research, working with dual monitors can increase overall productivity by 20–30%. Bookkeepers, for instance, can have digital receipts displayed on one screen and accounting software on the other. This eliminates the need to toggle back and forth between tabs and saves employees time that they can use instead to complete other tasks.

Better multitasking

Efficient multitasking requires adequate screen space to keep multiple applications simultaneously visible — a view that single monitors alone simply cannot accommodate. With a dual monitor setup, workers like customer service reps and web designers would no longer waste time scrolling up and down and resizing windows to fit the information they need in the limited space. Instead, the enhanced visibility that dual monitors bring lets users focus on completing their tasks accurately and efficiently.

Easier layouting and image and video editing

With dual monitors, the days of stacking editing tools on top of slide presentations, images, or videos you’re working on are over. Instead of your screen looking like a game of Mahjong, you can use one monitor for your editing tools and the other monitor for the file you’re laying out or editing. With better visibility, you’re less likely to make mistakes and more likely to accomplish the task faster.

Effortless product comparison

Having two monitors makes it easy to compare things side by side. If you want to purchase a camera but you have two models in mind, for instance, you’d want to compare their specs first before making a final decision. If you had only one monitor, you’d need to go back and forth from one tab to another to compare the two models. But if you had two monitors, you could view the models side by side to help you clearly see their differences and make an informed purchase.

Want a dual monitor setup for your employees? Net Activity can help you roll this upgrade out. Contact us today to get started.

Mobile Malware Is A Bigger Problem Than Ever

There was a time when people didn’t have to worry about getting computer viruses on their cell phones. Nowadays, with the exponential growth of mobile technologies, including application development options, mobile malware has become a problem, and it can be a big problem for your business. Today, we’ll take a look at the growing mobile malware market, from the threats to what you can do to keep it from being a problem for you.

What Is Mobile Malware?

Mobile malware works a lot like you’d expect it to. You downloaded a piece of code that is designed to be malignant in some way. Typically, people utilize their requisite app store to download applications, but occasionally users will download files from other sites, and they can carry mobile malware with them. The forms of mobile malware include:

• Drive-by downloads – Sometimes when you open an infected email or visit an infected website, you can be saddled with a drive-by download threat. These can deliver anything from spyware, adware, malware, or even a bot that can use your mobile device to perform their vicious bidding.
• Mobile phishing – Everyone is constantly exposed to phishing, but not always on mobile. Since more computing is done on mobile devices today than ever before, hackers’ tactics have changed. To deliver mobile malware, scammers will use applications, which are disposable on mobile, to trick users into providing their account numbers, personal information, and passwords.
• Viruses and Trojan Horses – Sometimes you can download a rather innocuous file only to find out that you have downloaded a virus that will mine your device for passwords and financial information.
• Madware – Often seemingly useful programs may come with some type of spyware or adware on it. Madware, short for mobile adware, works like PC adware, collecting user information including location, passwords, contacts, and device usage.
• Mobile Browser Exploits – A device’s mobile browser isn’t a failsafe. Any behavior that could put you in harm’s way on a PC, can do the same on mobile.

How to Avoid Mobile Malware

Any nefariously designed software can present major problems for users and businesses, alike. The best bet to keep from being infected with mobile malware is to follow these suggestions:

• Install mobile security software – Just as your antivirus helps you avoid malware; mobile security software will accomplish this.
• Download apps from official stores – Most people don’t download apps from third-party sites, but if they do, they could find themselves inundated with malware. Don’t risk it.
• Keep all applications updated – The newest versions of mobile apps are typically protected with the newest threat definitions. Making sure your software is patched and up-to-date is important.
• Use a mobile firewall – Yes, there are mobile firewalls that you can download on your phones.

By being cognizant of the proactive steps you need to take to avoid mobile malware, you will be less likely to deal with it.

What To Do When Your Phone is Infected?

There are a lot of solutions to help you get malware off your mobile device…but avoiding it in the first place is even better. Block malware attacks before they happen; our Mobile Malware Attack Cheat Sheet shows you exactly what to look for-and to avoid-to protect yourself and your data.

Download the Cheat Sheet here.

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What is proactive cybersecurity, and how do you implement it?

To keep cyberthreats at bay, you need proactive cybersecurity solutions in your arsenal. They identify and contain threats before they wreak havoc on your systems and cause significant productivity and financial losses. Here’s all you need to know about proactive cybersecurity and how to implement it.

What is proactive cybersecurity?

Traditional cybersecurity is reactive — your IT team or managed IT services provider (MSP) will be alerted of a cyberattack after it has happened, leaving them to alleviate the impacts. In contrast, proactive cybersecurity is preventative — it takes into account all potential threats and seeks to identify vulnerabilities so that they can be addressed before they lead to larger, downtime-causing issues.

Many organizations have adopted proactive cybersecurity measures along with reactive ones and are now reaping the benefits, including the ability to stay one step ahead of cyberthreats and improved data compliance.

How to implement proactive cybersecurity

In adopting a proactive approach to cybersecurity in your organization, you must follow these steps:

1. Understand the threats you’re facing
   Before you can work toward preventing cyberattacks, you must know exactly what you’re up against. Seek the help of your in-house IT staff or MSP in identifying the types of attacks that are most common in your industry.
2. Reevaluate what it is you’re protecting
   Once you have a list of the biggest threats to your organization, you need to take stock of how each can damage the various components of your network. Map out every company device that connects to the internet, what type of data they have access to (regulated, mission-critical, low-importance, etc.), and what services are currently protecting those devices.
3. Choose proactive cybersecurity measures to put in place
   Depending on the risks and assets uncovered in steps 1 and 2, your IT team or MSP may recommend any of the following measures:

If you’re looking to implement a proactive cybersecurity strategy to protect your business’s critical systems, give our professionals a call today. We’ll assess your needs and recommend the best, most effective solutions to address them.

Is Shadow IT Creating a Problem with Your Remote Workforce?

With so many people working from home these days, IT teams have less control over the devices being used to access company networks and resources. Shadow IT in the remote working environment is running rampant as people have grabbed a hodge-podge of solutions to get work home. When they can’t get what they need or find what they need with company resources, they feel forced to find other alternatives.

It’s caused a myriad of security problems. Rather than using approved communication software, such as Microsoft Teams, people flocked to Zoom for video conferencing despite some security researchers calling it a “privacy disaster” during the early days of the pandemic. Many users failed to follow company security protocols and inadvertently exposed company data and networks to unnecessary risk.

It can feel like a losing battle. Even when everything’s in place, nearly a fifth of employees admit to not following security policies all the time. When Shadow IT is being employed, it’s an even bigger threat.

The best way to deal with Shadow IT is by putting in place systems to manage, monitor, and train employees on IT security.

Managing IT in a Remote Workforce

Of course, the best approach is to use modern workplace tools, such as Microsoft 365, that provide a software suite to accommodate most business uses. When tools are tightly integrated, it makes it easier to work across apps and provides consistent data. It’s also easier to manage when everybody’s working off the same platform.

When workers are using company devices and working in the office, you have much greater control. You can restrict what software is installed. When they’re at home – especially if they’re using their personal devices – you’re giving up much of that control.

You can prevent any adverse action they take at home in a couple of ways:

• Using mobile device management software that segregates personal data and applications from approved company apps
• Requiring users to securely remote into their on-premises workstations and use app and access files just as if they were sitting at their desks
• Completely virtualize your operations in a secure cloud environment

No matter which approach you use, you need to pay close attention to identity and access management (IAM). Using the principle of minimal privileges, users should only have access to the software and data that are necessary for them to do their job. This limits access in case an unauthorized user or threat actors gains access using their device or credentials.

IT teams should use a Zero-Trust approach for all contractors and employees, regardless of where they work. This requires an additional layer of authentication before users can connect to your network or critical applications. Consider two-factor or multifactor authentication if possible.

Monitoring Workflow for Remote Teams

Monitoring your network 24×7 to provide the visibility you need. Traffic logs can help identify which applications are running and who’s using them – or not using them. For example, if you’re company wants employees to use SharePoint for collaboration and you see that certain employees aren’t using it, you know they’re not following the procedures.

Monitoring helps you to:

• Identify user behavior and traffic patterns
• More easily identify threats (and respond)
• Discovering unauthorized assets

When you see an increase in employee’s use of Shadow IT, in particular, it can signal one of two things:

• You’re not providing the tools employees need to work productively
• Employees need access and training to the tools the company does provide
• Either one deserves some attention.

Training Employees on the Risks of Shadow IT

When people are working from home – and often using their own devices – it’s much more difficult for IT teams to monitor their usage. Remote workers often download free software from a variety of sources without asking for permission or thinking there’s anything wrong with doing it. Some of it contains malware. Other software might have flaws that can open your network to potential threats.

They’re also using their home internet or Wi-Fi connection and may or may not have routers or firewalls installed to filter traffic. Even if they are, they may not be configured properly. Firmware may be out-of-date or even end-of-life, which can create new attack vectors for threat actors.

Then, there’s the weak password problem. Despite the best efforts to control access, employees still use poor password security. Even if they take better precautions at work, many people aren’t doing it at home. That’s why passwords like 123456, 123456789, and password are still the most among the most commonly used passwords. This can’t continue.

Set very difficult passwords on all devices used during remote work.

A problem specific to Shadow IT is that employees may be using it to access company data, or plugging in data using a third-party application. You have no control over what happens to the data once they do or how seriously the app provider takes security. Now your data is at the mercy of an app provider that you haven’t authorized.

Not all Shadow IT is a high risk, but a lot of bad things can happen if users aren’t taking the proper precautions. You need to educate your employees on the risks their work-at-home environment poses and provide guidance on how to mitigate the threat. This includes discussing the risks of Shadow IT and what software is acceptable for use.

How big a problem is Shadow IT in today’s remote work environment?  Nearly half (47%) of IT professionals surveyed said shadow IT represents a major problem for their organization. To address these issues, get started with our simple guide to securing your digital landscape here:

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The Easiest Way To Disaster-Proof Your Cyber Security

Although no one would dispute the increasing prevalence of cyber-attacks on businesses in recent years, many small-business owners believe themselves and their businesses to be immune to such attacks. Broadly speaking, many small-business owners are likely to think that cybercriminals will go after the bigger fish. However, the fact of the matter is that cyber-attacks are crimes of opportunity, and small businesses often have access to a good amount of sensitive data without many major safeguards. In other words, they’re low-hanging fruit, ripe for the picking.

Back in 2019, two-thirds of respondents to a survey about cybersecurity didn’t believe that their small to mid-size business (SMB) would fall victim to a cyber-attack. Consequently, only 9% of respondents said cybersecurity was a top priority for their business, and 60% didn’t have any sort of plan for deterring a cyber-attack. All of this, despite the fact that, according to a report from CNBC, SMBs endured 43% of reported cyber-attacks, and according to data from the Ponemon Institute and Keeper Security, 76% of SMBs in the U.S. alone reportedly endured a cyber-attack within the previous year.

Every small-business owner should have some plan for deterring cyber-attacks, so they don’t end up as another statistic. Here are a few strategies for keeping cybercriminals at bay.

Boost Your Cloud Security

Storing data in the cloud is easy and cost-effective, but you should take care to find the most secure cloud storage platforms. Not all cloud platforms make security a priority, but some do. A few of the top-rated, most secure cloud platforms, according to Cloudwards.net, include Sync.com, pCloud and Icedrive.

Secure All Parts Of Your Network

Our computers and the many smart devices hooked up to our network can become weak spots for hackers to get in. Taking steps to safeguard each device in your network with strong passwords and robust authentication measures will go a long way toward keeping the hackers at bay. In fact, one of the most basic security measures you can take for your network is to restrict access to your WiFi with a strong password.

Invest In Extra Security Measures

Virtual private networks (VPNs) and firewalls are tools that are highly effective in protecting against cyber-attacks, even if they can’t prevent 100% of them.

Pay Attention To Updates And Upgrades

When you get notified that one of the technological tools that you use has a new update, it’s easy to ignore it. However, you should commit to regularly updating and upgrading these tools because developers will often add patches to their programs that make them more secure against attacks with each update. So, it behooves business owners to regularly install updates for their tech tools.

Back Up Your Data

With one of the most common forms of cyber-attacks being ransomware attacks, where hackers will hold your company data hostage until you pay them a ransom amount, having your company data stored on multiple backups can ensure that your business won’t crumble due to your data’s inaccessibility.

Limit Employee Access To Your Network

As much as we’d wish it were true, many cyber-attacks don’t come from outside of your company. Instead, they originate from within. If you want to limit the amount of damage that someone inside your company can do in a cyber-attack, the best course of action is to limit their access to different parts of your network.

Train Your Employees

At the same time, just as many cyber-attacks occur not because of an employee’s malicious intent, but because of their ignorance. They click on a link in a sketchy e-mail and fall for a phishing scheme, volunteer their password info without thinking about it, or choose a weak password for their computer. That’s why you need to dedicate time to training your employees on best practices when it comes to security.

Set Up A ‘Security Culture’ At Your Workplace

You need to make cybersecurity a top priority, not just for your IT department, but for every department at your business. When everyone works together to protect their workplace from a cyber-attack, you have a better chance of actually succeeding.

Will protecting your business from a cyber-attack require a good amount of time and money? Absolutely. Can you afford to ignore the prevalence of cyber-attacks any longer? Statistically, no. The sad truth is that 60% of SMBs that fall victim to a cyber-attack end up shuttering within six months. Don’t put yourself in that kind of position. Instead, take your business’s cyber security seriously.