Tag Archives: password protection

News

One Year of Working from Home

On March 23 2020, a national lockdown was imposed in the UK to help combat coronavirus. A year later, Jonathan Smy from SMY IT Services, takes a moment to reflect on what has been a very challenging 12 months for us all.

It’s been an unprecedented year – a word that has been used time and time again to describe events, but the only one which really captures how extraordinary the effects of the pandemic have been on the minutiae of our everyday lives.

Here at SMY IT, we have experienced both the highs and the lows of lockdown life like everybody else, but despite the challenges it has made us more resilient as a business.

It has also demonstrated how vital our services are to those who have had to make the transition to remote-working and we have taken a lot of pleasure and satisfaction in ensuring our clients have the necessary IT systems and protocols in place to work from home securely.

Most common questions

Working from home has brought up a variety of questions for the SMY team. These are the most common questions we have been asked by people who have been working from home this year – and some suggested solutions:

1. Ever since I started working from home, my internet speed and reliability has been poor. Is this just because my teenagers are constantly on the Xbox?

Yes and no. With millions of people working and learning from home during the pandemic, internet networks were bound to be strained.

Networks are generally accustomed to certain peaks of activity at specific times of the day, such as in the evening when people return from work and get online at home. But our mass change in behaviour meant we were all competing for connectivity all day long.

The problem is home networks — such as the Wi-Fi routers that residents set up — can be a bit unreliable. Many consumers have broadband plans with much lower capacity than in the workplace. And when many people are loaded onto a single Wi-Fi network at the same time to stream movies or to do video conferencing – or play on the Xbox – that can cause congestion and slowness.

Our suggestions would be to turn off other devices in the home that are connected to the Wi-Fi network and make sure everyone in the house is not online at the same time. You can also look at upgrading your package or changing provider.

2. I keep getting shut out of my accounts and forgetting passwords – what can I do to get back into my computer systems?

Forgotten passwords is a problem for lots of people. After all, losing access to your computer files can be a frightening and frustrating experience. And whether you use your computer for personal or business purposes, a lost password can spell disaster for your projects.

Computer manufacturers and software developers alike, are doing everything they can to bolster security and protect user files from intrusion. This is something that we can all be thankful for – until you need to strong-arm your way into your own computer after having lost your password.

If you have found yourself in such a situation, don’t panic. There are password recovery solutions available which we can help you with.

3. My company IT system is not coping with the home working set up. What can I do to make life easier for my employees and myself?

Working from home has forced lots of companies to look more closely at their system performance and, in some cases, overhaul the lot.

Cloud based systems have proved very effective in the last year at managing lots of people working simultaneously on documents and saving files in one easily accessible place.

The beat way to solve this issue is to have a chat with us about your specific requirements. We need to understand how you work and what is good – and bad – about your current set up to suggest a bespoke solution.

4. My computer is painfully slow. What can I do to speed things up?

This is likely to be a problem with poor hardware. Your operating system will have to manage the resources of your computer (memory, drive space, processing power) between all the programs that are running on it.

There is a huge number of things that may be reducing your computer’s performance, but they usually boil down to your computer’s resources being used inefficiently.

Running out of RAM (Random Access Memory) or disk drive space (HDD or SSD) are common problems as is having an old or fragmented hard drive.
Sometimes it’s as simple as having too many background programs or start-up programmes open or you might be due a Windows or driver update.
On top of this you might have a malware or virus issue.

We have a fix for every problem so if this is happening to you, we need a chat to diagnose the problem first.

Our newest recruit

Working remotely has given the team here at SMY IT, the opportunity to review our own in-house processes and work out how we can best serve our clients.

With that has come the need to expand to meet the rising numbers of remote working teams in the region, seeking support to manage their IT systems and processes.

That is why we were delighted to recently recruit a frontline support engineer, Steve Hawley to help us continue to offer a range of services to those businesses in need.

Adapting to remote working life

When the first lockdown occurred, we provided our clients with access to cybersecurity awareness training that they could then pass onto their employees, to prevent the risk of a cyber-attack.

This has added a layer of security to their protocols which has enhanced their ability to adapt to flexible and agile home working.

This continues to be a growing trend in the business landscape, which means we continue to have lots of work to do to maintain remote systems, as this becomes standard practice for some in a post-coronavirus world.

SMY IT is a high-quality IT support, cloud and consultancy provider and offers a range of services. For more information, visit www.smyservices.com or call 01473 557203.

News

Top tips for working from home security

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the working landscape for everyone. Many people are working from home having set up makeshift offices in their dining room.

Working from home

But working from home has its risks. In a Government daily briefing, Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab, highlighted the rise in cyber hackers looking to exploit vulnerabilities in an attempt to steal valuable information.

“Whilst the vast majority of people have come together to defeat coronavirus, there will always be some who seek to exploit a crisis for their own criminal and hostile ends,” he said. “We know that cyber criminals, and other malicious groups are targeting individuals, businesses and other organisations by deploying Covid-19 related scams and phishing emails.

“We are working with the targets of those attacks, with the potential targets and with others to make sure that they are aware of the cyber threat, and that they can take the steps necessary to protect themselves or, at the very least, mitigate the harm that could be brought against them.”

Here are SMY IT Service’s top tips for minimising the threat of a cyber-attack.

1. Secure your Wi-Fi network

When you set up your home Wi-Fi network or receive your free router, did you change the default name and password for the admin console? If it still has the original details, your network is highly vulnerable.
We also recommend you change the network’s name (sometimes referred to as SSID) and password to something unique which will prevent a cybercriminal from accessing your network.
When carrying out sensitive tasks such as online banking, it is safer to connect via your mobile data than using public and free Wi-Fi connections.

2. Provide employees with cybersecurity awareness training

More than 90% of all data breaches are caused by human error due to inadequate training in cybersecurity risks. One wrong click from an employee in a phishing email or fake website can bring down the most robust of IT systems. Therefore, employees should be the greatest security asset and act as a ‘human firewall’ in being the first line of defence in preventing an attack. Those using the system need to understand the risks, what a cyberattack looks like and what they should do in the event of an attack.
Be as wary, if not more so of any email you receive remotely, especially those claiming to be from a manager or the boss where it can be harder to verify its authenticity.

3. Firewalls and antivirus software

Firewalls act as a defence to prevent threats accessing your system. They create a barrier between your device and the internet by closing off ports of communication. A strong antivirus programme acts as the next line of defence by detecting and blocking known malware. Even if malware does find a way onto your device, an antivirus can detect this and usually remove it.

4. Regularly install updates

You might find that regular software updates are a nuisance, but they are vital. Updates often include patches for security vulnerabilities that have been found since the previous software update was installed. The majority of the time, updates can be set to run automatically while you are on a lunch break or overnight.
We suggest checking the status under Settings\Update & Security for Windows or under System Preferences\Software Updates for Apple Mac and install any that are missing.

5. Backup data

Your data is one of your business’ most prized assets, so it is imperative that it is backed up. Data can be lost in several ways including human error, physical damage to hardware or a cyberattack. One of the most convenient and cost-effective ways to store your data is in the cloud. This has the added benefit of allowing you to access your data remotely and on different devices.
Many users often save their files to their desktop of local PC for convenience, however this means that the file is no longer backed up by the server.

6. Lock your device

It sounds very simple, and it is. By using a password on your device, it prevents anyone from accessing the contents. If you have to work in a public space, or if you live with people who you cannot share work information with, it is important to lock your laptop, tablet, or other device when it is left unattended. For Windows users, this would be by pressing the Windows key and L.
It is also advisable to avoid working on computers directly facing windows where people walking on the street can see your screen.

7. Strong and secure passwords

When choosing a password, ensure it is long and complex. We always advise clients to use a passphrase rather than password and for it to contain a mix of upper and lowercase letters, numbers and symbols as well as to change them every few months. You can simplify your computer security by using effective password management. Check out our top tips for a secure password in our World Password Day blog.

8. Device and data encryption

Encryption is a cybersecurity measure that protects computers and their content by basically scrambling the data. The data, whether it is a message, image, email or other file, is converted into an unreadable format. This means that the data is readable only to the person authorised with the physical encryption key, and not cybercriminals.

If you need advice on working from home securely, don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.

News

Five top tips to protect your personal data 

43% of cyber attacks are aimed at small and medium-sized businesses. With technology continually evolving and cyber criminals rife in our society, it’s important to make sure your valuable personal data is protected. Read our top tips to ensure your personal data is safeguarded.

1. Change the default credentials of your devices

Your passwords and usernames shouldn’t be the same for multiple locations. For example, your Twitter password should be different to your email and banking passwords. Always use a varied combination of passwords for each new login. Complex passwords up to eight characters can still be hacked relatively easily. Instead, try putting a few words, numbers and special characters together. Have a read of our World Password Day blog for further advice

2. Keep on top of software updates

If your device or software has an update, you should always install it. Manufacturers will use their updates to fix any new bugs or security vulnerabilities they have identified. Newer operating systems and software updates are more secure and include features to maintain security.

3. Install anti-virus and keep it up to date

Computers and other devices are all susceptible to cyber-attacks. Having anti-virus is the first line of defence for your device. It will regularly run scans to make sure your device is protected from viruses. Keeping it up to date will ensure it is always working to protect your laptop.

4. Think before you click or open anything

When it comes to your computer, you are the first line of defence. If you see something that appears suspicious, do not open it. You can protect your device from viruses and unwanted scams by being wary of what you click. Hovering over the links in emails and pop ups will give you the chance to check it before you open and, if it seems suspicious, the advice is simple – don’t open it!

5. Have multiple backups of your data

Backing up your data to multiple places will mean it isn’t just stored on one machine. You should have multiple backups that are stored in separate locations and should be automatic to ensure your backup is always up to date. Making sure you regularly test your backups will be peace of mind that your data is stored securely.

Protecting your data and keeping your computer secure are of paramount importance. If you’re looking for the right IT solutions for you, see what SMY IT Services can offer.

News

10 top tips to keep your online accounts safe

World Password Day is a day to promote better password habits. Passwords are critical gatekeepers to our digital identities, allowing us to access online shopping, dating, banking, social media, private work and life communications.

Ten basic security tips:

  1. Give each account you have its own unique password — do not reuse any.
  2. Make every password complex and strong.
  3. Use a password manager. It remembers all your complex and strong passwords so you don’t have to.
  4. If you hear there’s been a breach, be extra safe and take action right away to change your passwords.
  5. Use 2-factor authentication. That way, even if your password is compromised, your account won’t necessarily be.
  6. Use a VPN (virtual private network), especially on public Wi-Fi.
  7. Never text or email anyone your password.
  8. When selecting security questions whilst creating an account, choose hard to guess options to which only you know the answer.
  9. Tell your family and friends to protect themselves too.
  10. If you don’t have one yet, get an antivirus program. If a threat somehow gets past your strong defences and into your system, a good antivirus will detect and remove it.

For more tips on how to increase your computer security, read our blog. Contact SMY IT Services to see how we can help you.