Computer Networks – How Does A Small Business Protect Itself | Brian’s Story

Computer Networks – How Does A Small Business Protect Itself.

Let’s meet Brian, the owner of a successful Estate Agents on the South Coast has just had a call from
his senior administrator,

“something is wrong with the system this morning, it’s taken
about twenty minutes to load and now is running really slowly”.

Once the system comes up, there are several databases not working and the customer management
software is empty of data.

Brian is out on important client meetings this morning and he has no time to deal with this, several swear words are heard by his senior admin through the handsfree kit

It’s until later in the week the extent of the problem dawns. The business systems have been hacked over the weekend. Someone clicked on a link and that was it.

  1. He has an immediate Data Protection breach and he will need to notify every customer
    that their personal data has been compromised/stolen.
  2. He can’t contact anyone on his to do list as the contact details held in his systems
    are not available.
  3. Completions that are due this week and next have not been invoiced, but who are they?
    An message on all of the machines on the network are showing a strange error message,
    asking for him to call an overseas number and have his credit card to hand.
  4. Already a couple of tenants have been in touch wanting to know about repairs. With no system they can’t be helped.
  5. He calls his occasional tech support guy who confirms he has Ransomware on his system,
    and without payment of £1500 he will not get access to any of the office data.
  6. The last backup is over a month out of date, it’s only done when someone remembers.

There you have it, Brian’s problem is more extensive than he thinks.

The costs of recovering from this are going run into many thousands.

£1500 cost of paying the ransom.
£1000 cost of writing to all of his clients letting them know of the breach.
£ 100 Bank charges for late payment due to invoices not going out on time.
£?? Loss of sales
£400 Technical support
£?? Salary and office expenses

Where does it all end?

Logic 1st can solve all of these problems in advance of them becoming a problem. We’ll help you implement solid and proven solutions for your business, and we do with a smile, good grace and at a fixed price.

  • Backup
  • Anti Hacking Packages
  • Staff training and conventional support.

Don’t be like Brian, call John today.

Tel. 01273 784900 (option 2)

XP support has ended!

What is Windows XP end of support?

Despite the frequent introduction by Microsoft of newer versions of its Windows operating system over the years, many business and home PC users are still using Windows XP, which was replaced back in 2007.

However, Microsoft finally ceased support for XP on April 8th 2014 and will therefore no longer be issuing updates, security patches, bug fixes and Microsoft Security Essentials for the operating system.

Your machine is vulnerable

As no security updates will be issued, your PC running Windows XP will be highly vulnerable to infection by malware, with criminals being well aware of the vulnerability.

Such malware could be used by criminals for a number of purposes, including:

  • Stealing your personal and financial details in order to commit fraud.
  • Committing identity theft by applying for bank accounts, passports and other facilities in your name.
  • Monitoring your email and other communications.
  • Recruiting your PC to be part of a botnet, commonly used to attack corporate or government websites.

Additional risks for businesses

In addition to the above, it will become more difficult to get your XP PC serviced or repaired, an increasing number of devices and software programs will no longer work with Windows XP, and a decreasing number of independent hardware and software support vendors will be able to provide services for Windows XP systems.

You also risk unauthorised entry into your information systems which could lead to your data being accessed or stolen, non-compliance with insurers’ and/or customers’ standards and a breach of the Data Protection Act.

Please note that Microsoft will continue to provide virus warnings for Windows XP until July 14th 2015. Many anti-virus software companies will also continue to update their products to spot malware targeted at the operating system. This does NOT mean, however, that patches and fixes will be available, and users still need to find a solution.

Before you do anything, it is very important that you back up the data on your PC and ensure that it can be accessed and recovered on another machine.

If you require help in upgrading your current PC, call Logic for a quote.

What is a good password?

One of the most frequent questions our team hear is “What’s a good password?”

A good, or strong password is one that is formed of letters, numbers and special characters. It should never be based on a dictionary word.

If you want to see how your password holds up, use the Kaspersky password checker. You might be surprised!

Don’t forget to change your password regularly.