Five ways to improve your cyber security and keep ahead of hackers

You wouldn’t leave your company’s confidential information or a customer’s bank details lying around the office for an opportunist thief to pick up.  However, if you’re storing this type of data online and neglecting your cyber security, that could be just what happens.

Last year saw the cost of hacking to UK businesses increase by up to three times.  The government’s 2013 Information Security Breaches Survey found that 87% of small businesses, and 93% of large businesses, had reported at least one cyber breach.  These breaches resulted in costs of up to £65,000 for small businesses, and up to £850,000 for larger firms.

This could be due to hackers or in some cases human error, but whichever way it all resulted in leaving customer’s data vulnerable to theft or misuse.  The cost to the reputation of those companies is anybody’s guess.

Five Ways to Improve Your Cyber Security

Bearing this in mind, it is all the more surprising that a recent survey carried out by BT earlier this year (BT Cyber Security Research, Feb 2014) found just 17% of business leaders see cyber security as a major priority.  Despite most companies recognising that staff best practice is a major way to prevent IT security breaches, only 37% have trained managers in cyber safety.  When you take into account the Information Commissioner’s Office fine of up to £500,000 for compromising personal data, it definitely makes sense to get on top of your cyber safety.

Blissful ignorance, of the threat, is no defence in this area - cyber security (or the lack of it in some cases) is making the news headlines on a daily basis.  On a single day earlier this year Tesco lost 2,000 customer’s details to thieves trying to steal store vouchers and three South Korean credit card companies were fined for neglecting their legal duties of protecting customer information.

But if even Tesco, with its huge security budget, is vulnerable - what chance does the small business have?  It doesn’t always have to be about a big budget, and there are many steps you can take to protect yourself.

AWP Computer Services' top five tips for ‘Cyber Security’

Here are our top five tips for ‘Cyber Security’.  It’s a surprisingly large number of businesses that aren’t taking these simple steps, yet they will give your business a solid foundation to build on:

1. Talk about security with staff and create a culture where everyone cares about it.
2. Always use good passwords and don’t reuse them in different places.
3. Make sure you have up-to-date anti-virus software, and don’t click on links or attachments in emails you weren’t expecting.
4. As well as taking care of PCs and laptop computers, remember to protect other staff devices (like smart-phones and tablets) too.
5. Prepare for a disaster and make a recovery plan, for your own peace of mind.

There is a culture of BYOD (bring your own device) developing in a lot of industries, and whilst it can have obvious cost saving benefits, the are real risks if the security on these devices isn’t taken seriously.

The massive expansion of employee-owned devices, cloud computing and extranets, have multiplied the risk of abuse and attack, leaving organisations exposed to a vast array of internal and external threats – malicious and accidental.  The stakes are too high for cyber security to be pushed to the bottom of the pile.

If you would like to get some unbiased independent advice and need help with any area of your IT security, please get in touch with AWP Computer Services to discuss your options.

 CALL AWP Computer Services on 01772 698078

Small Business Benefits of Employing an IT Consultant

If your company is in its infancy, you need to make sure that you have the IT systems in place to build your business.  A strong computer network forms the backbone of any growing business, providing you with the tools and security you need to provide a good service to your customers.  Accordingly, you might like to think about using the service of an IT Consultant.

Initially, it’s likely that your new business will be based around only one or two key people.  Whilst, it’s possible that IT is something that this team can deal with, for a number business people it can be a headache.  It’s likely that setting up systems and processes, to help you work more effectively with your customers, will be a deflection away from what your business needs to be doing on a day to day basis.  Conversely though, it very likely there will not be enough work in the early days to warrant having  somebody with the necessary know-how on hand all of the time.  This is were being able to call on an outsider, with the right skills, could really benefit your business.  An IT consultant will be able to provide the necessary knowledge and support as an when you need it and not be a constant drain on your companies finances.

Those working in IT consulting jobs need to be efficient and have strong people skills.  Project management is vital in this area where delivering on time and to budget can make all the difference. Many IT projects are costly, and a delay of several weeks can push the costs up to a point where the project becomes unaffordable for a small business.  Your IT consultant is trained to manage both the scope and the deadlines of the project to ensure that costs are controlled and the project is delivered as promised.

There are a number of ways working with an IT Consultant will be able to help your business:

Improve efficiency

Your IT consultant can advise you on the best way to use technology to improve automation and productivity in your company. They will assess your needs and recommend systems which speed up business processes, allow for greater accountability and free up man hours for other work. They can also help improve communication in your organisation and the sharing of information.

Help keep you at the cutting edge of technology

We work in a challenging marketplace and being at the cutting edge can give you the advantage over your competitors.  A good IT consultant will be fully up-to-date with developments in your field that could improve your bottom-line, or make your product more marketable.

Protect your data and stay legal

You need to know that your data, and that of your customers’, is protected.  You don’t want to be sued because a hacker has stolen credit card information from your IT systems.  Not only could this cost your company a lot of money, it could also result in loss of business as your reputation is dragged through the mud.

Ongoing support

If something goes wrong with your IT systems it can stop all work in your company.  An IT consultant offers ongoing support in case of an emergency, so you can reduce the risk to your data and get your network back up and running before your clients are affected.

Any business can benefit from the advice and services of an IT consultant.  Your company can learn to manage its information, communicate more efficiently with customers & suppliers and benefit from the cost efficiency the right technology can often bring.

Based in South Ribble, servicing Preston and Lancashire AWP Computer Services offer specialist IT Consultancy for small and start-up businesses throughout the county.  We have many years experience in delivering up-to-date advice to small and medium sized business on many aspects of their modern information technology needs.  This includes help with Information Technology set-up, unbiased guidance about current best practices, general IT advice and assistance with IT equipment purchasing.

For more information about IT Consultancy and the benefits of using an IT Consultant for your business CONTACT AWP COMPUTER SERVICES TODAY!

CALL 01772 698078

Windows XP Support Ends on April 8th 2014
Don't let your PC go unprotected

This is a security alert for all Windows XP users!

Windows XP support has ended

This week (8th April 2014), Microsoft released the last ever batch of security updates for Windows XP and will no longer be releasing official service and support updates for this operating system in the future.

You can read more about this in the technology news section of the BBC web site:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-26884167

This means that in the future, users of XP could potentially be left without critical security updates, which may leave their computers more vulnerable to viruses and more susceptible to cyber-attack.

It could also mean that computer software and computer hardware manufacturers may begin to move away from supporting Windows XP which may lead to new programs and devices not being compatible with the ageing operating system.

Even though it was released back in 2001, Windows XP is still hugely popular, with some estimates suggesting that roughly one in five PCs across the globe still run XP.

If you still use Windows XP, then the ending of service packs and security updates doesn’t mean that your computer will stop working altogether.  It’ll still continue to look and act the same as usual.  However, it could become more vulnerable to cyber security risks and viruses, and over time the performance could also suffer.

Which OS (Operating System) is on your PC running?

If you’re unsure which version of the Windows operating system your computer is currently running you can visit the Microsoft web site, which will automatically tell you what your laptop computer or desktop PC is running.  If you find that your computer is running Windows XP then it might be time to act.

Click here to learn more about Windows XP end of support directly from Microsoft

Windows XP Desktop Example

If you would like some FREE advice, please contact AWP Computer Services and we can talk you through the options.

Thinking about upgrading your system?

To help keep yourself protected, Microsoft suggests that you check to see if your current PC can be upgraded to the latest software.  They offer a Windows Upgrade assistant on their web site that will scan your computer and tell you if your system is compatible with the new operating system.

Microsoft recommend that you download and run the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant to check whether your PC meets the system requirements for Windows 8. The Windows 8.1 system requirements are nearly the same as the Windows 8 system requirements, so if your PC can run Windows 8, in most cases, you can get the free update to Windows 8.1. Upgrade Assistant will also check program and device compatibility, and provide a free compatibility report.

Download the Windows 8 Upgrade Assistant

What about transferring old files to a new PC?

If you’re not able to upgrade your computer to a more current operating system then it might be time to consider buying a new desktop PC or laptop computer.  If you were to buy a new PC, but want to transfer your files, photos and music over from your old Windows XP computer then Windows provide a free data transfer tool called Laplink PCmover Express. You can find out more about Laplink PCmover Express on the Microsoft web site.

How do I move all my Windows XP stuff to a new PC?

You can move your Windows XP stuff with Laplink, a free data migration solution that will walk you through all the steps to getting your files, settings, and user profiles from your Windows XP PC to your new Windows laptop, desktop, or tablet. (Note that you will need your Windows XP PC to migrate your data, and you can only migrate to a PC running Windows 7, Windows 8, or Windows 8.1.)

Laplink PCmover Free 8

Click here to learn more about Laplink



Call AWP Computer Services for Assistance

If you are still unsure about your options, please feel free call AWP Computer Services for some FREE no obligation advice.  Whilst a direct transfer of your files to a nice new Windows 8 (8.1) laptop or desktop PC may be the preferred option, it's not the only option.  An upgrade to Windows Vista or Windows 7 (64 bit) in all their various flavours could be a cost effective way of extending the life of you existing computer system.

Visit the AWP Computer Services (PC Fix) web site for more information.

 

World Backup Day

Don't be an April Fool. Backup your files and check your restores on March 31^st.

World Backup Day - Don't be an April Fool!

World Backup Day Spotlights a Frequently Neglected Task

You probably weren't aware of it, but today (Monday 31^st March) is World Backup Day. Yes, a day for remembering to back up all that important data, which falls on the eve of April Fools' Day.  The motto is, "Don't be an April Fool. Backup your files and check your restores on March 31st."

The concept of World Backup Day was created by a college student in 2011, and was initially geared towards the home consumer market ("friends don't let friends go without a backup"), but it now seems that businesses also can use a reminder about the importance of backing up critical data.  Even if businesses are performing backups, many aren't doing it right.

Kroll OnTrack Data Recovery Survey

This week, Kroll OnTrack, a supplier of data recovery products, released the results of a survey of 642 customers who had lost data.  Sixty-five percent reported having a backup system in place at the time of the data loss (up from 60% in a similar poll last year), and 55% said they backed up their data on a daily basis. But 65% also reported that their backup product wasn't current or operating at the time of they lost data.

The Kroll OnTrack survey shows simply having a backup solution in place is not enough to prevent data loss.

http://www.krollontrack.co.uk/company/press-room/press-releases/2014-more-people-backup-their-data/

Kroll OnTrack surmised several reasons the backup systems didn't prevent data loss, including failure to leave a computer on during a scheduled backup, the external drive used for backup was connected only intermittently, and the backup ran out of destination space.

Of the 35% who didn't have a backup in place, 49% cited the time to research and administer a backup product as the top barrier that kept them from implementing the technology.

The Problem with Backup

The problem with backup is that there are a small number of companies that have figured out that backup is a process in the realm of data protection.  Few have considered the whole picture of it’s importance, manage it well and don't have many problems.

Unfortunately, there's a much bigger community of companies where backup is considered as a necessary evil, which is dumped on the most junior people in the business, who mindlessly follow the procedures that have been there since 10 years ago the most junior person in the company put them together.  Therefore, sometimes it works and sometimes it doesn’t.

Not enough testing of backup processes also leads to trouble.  Companies don't find out until something goes wrong that they didn't back up the right data, or that they failed to upgrade the backup system when they upgraded a critical application.  Changes to computer systems can often mean that the data is in a different location and the backup procedures are not changed accordingly to take this into consideration.  Often it will transpire that the backup process is effectively backing up nothing of any value.

Also, there are many small businesses who think  that if they are using RAID this means they don't have to make backups anymore, or who rotate between three tapes for backup and discover that an important file was deleted five days ago, which is longer than they're retaining data.

Backups can be a hazardous but thankless job.  Nobody ever got promoted for doing backups well, but there are a number that have probably got their marching orders for doing them badly!

With backup software and the Cloud now so cheap, not having some form of backup is unacceptable in business.  The expense of a single data loss will far outweigh the cost of backup, and getting a service after you've lost the data is futile, to say the least.

For more information about how to protect you valuable data, please contact AWP Computer Services for a FREE consultation.

World Backup Day is March 31^st. Don't be a fool. Check your backups. Check your restores. Check us!

Computers and Business Information Technology – some of the basics

A guide about some of the basic IT considerations for new and start-up businesses.

Really understanding what technology your business will need is a good start to getting the right solutions.  In this article I look at some of the basics of small business technology.

It's no longer ideal to run a business, even a small one with few employees, using paper based systems.  Even if some of the paper based methods (such as hand-written sales ledgers and colour-coded paper memos) are relatively effective, they can be hard to manage.  These days, businesses have access to all sorts of useful technology that helps them communicate, keep accurate records, work more efficiently and reach new markets.

It can be extremely daunting when you are starting a new business, particularly when you are trying  to understand what technology you need to invest in.  The following is a very basic guide to some considerations, and likely decisions to be made about IT Hardware, IT Software, Networking the Internet and the ‘Cloud’.

Ultimately its a good idea to try and start as you mean to go on with your basic admin systems.  It's a lot easier to deal with the set-up of at least some basic electronic communication and record keeping systems before your business really takes off and there simply just aren't enough hours in the day.

Business IT Hardware

When starting your new business the types of hardware you might need to include are as follows:

• Personal Computers (PC) – both desktop and laptop (also known as notebook computers)
• Accessories – including monitor (display), webcam, keyboard and mouse
• Storage Media - such as USB memory sticks and portable hard drives, which are important for information sharing and making back-ups
• Printers and Scanners – which can often double as photocopiers
• A Network Server – for a business running several computers, this links them together and provided centralised services and data back-up.  However, now careful consideration should be made about using the 'Cloud' as an alternative
• Networking Equipment – such as cables, routers and an internet connection.  Here there are also decisions about using wireless (WiFi) or wired connections
• Mobile Devices – including equipment such as smartphones and tablet computers (computers with no external keyboard that are operated by a touch-screen)

If you don’t have any technical knowledge, it can be hard to understand and compare different types of computer hardware.  Look closely at the specifications, and seek expert help when you can.  For Free advice and a Free initial consultation, please contact AWP Computer Services.  We can help your small business through this difficult decision making process.

As a general rule, instead of getting caught up in all the available features, try and think about what those features will help you to do.  Will they give any benefit to you and how you'll work with the technology.

For example, high-powered computers (ones with lots of memory, processing power and data storage space) may look impressive, but can often be an over-investment if all you need them for is spreadsheets and documents.  Alternatively, if you are frequently on the move, a tablet computer could be invaluable for helping you catch up with business when you're away from home or out of the office.

Business IT Software

Just like with hardware, your choice of computer software will depend on your business needs.   It's important to think about what you need to do, and to try and match up those tasks to the software available.

It is likely that you will want to think about:

• The Operating System – these often come already installed on any new computers you buy, and allow you to manage your data files and run other programs.  You will likely be set-up using Microsoft Windows, Apple OS X or Android, dependant on the device
• Office Software – allowing you to use spreadsheets, documents, create presentations and access email.  A big consideration here is whether spend money on software you install on your individual devices or whether you subscribe to a 'Cloud' based option, such as Microsoft's Office 365 or Google Apps for Business
• A Web Browser – there are many to choose from, but popular choices include Internet Explorer, Firefox, Opera, Safari and Google Chrome.  This is probably the most important software, after the Operating System, as a Web Browser is essential for accessing 'Cloud' based services and this could include your Office Software and Email
• Anti-Virus Software – is essential to protect your computer from Internet security threats.  Having your individual computers or all of your information systems infected by a virus could equate to loss of critical business data, lost time and potentially loss of earnings.  That's not to mention the cost of sorting out the infection
• Other specialised programs – these will be related to your business.  For example, graphics software for a design company or CAD for an Engineer or Architect

In rare cases, custom software designed especially for your business will be required.

It is essential that you plan ahead and make sure each employee has a standard set of software installed onto their computer.  This way, it is much easier to train staff, get IT support for the programs you use and manage licensing and upgrades.

You also need to be aware of how software licencing works, and make sure you’re using your software legally.  For example, some software will only be licenced for installation onto one computer.  If you want to use the same software on several computers, it may be cheaper to get a ‘multi-user’ licence.  There are a large number of free versions (often what are known as open source) available.  However, whilst the will provide a viable alternative to a paid version, often you will be forfeiting and software support (from the supplier) when you have a problem.  Typical examples of these perfectly suitable, well written software include the Firefox Web Browser (www.mozilla.org) and Open Office (www.openoffice.org).

Cloud Computing

Increasingly, businesses are turning to Cloud Computing – the are web based services that you access on the internet and pay a subscription for.  You can use Cloud Computing for:

• Customer relationship management (CRM)
• Email
• Office software functions like word processing, spreadsheets and presentations
• Sharing, managing and storing documents
• Sharing calendars

Cloud Computing can be really useful to help people in your company work together, especially from different locations or on the move.  All you need is an Internet Connection and a Web Browser to access services, instead of connecting to your own Server based in the office.

However, whilst it can offer many advantages, you should think carefully before using Cloud Computing for important functions.  For example, if the host of the services is hacked, or suffers a failure at their end, you won’t be able to access your services and may lose sensitive data.

To really take full advantage of the 'Cloud' and use it effectively, you will also need a reliable and fast Internet connection.

For Free advice and a Free initial consultation, please contact AWP Computer Services.  We can help your small business through this difficult decision making process.

web: www.awpcomputers.co.uk
phone: 01772 698078
mobile: 07547 337059

I am still surprised by the number of people that I speak to, who use computers both in businesses and at home, that don't regularly back up their valuable data.  Many of them know about the importance of making a backup, but quite often don't put this knowledge into practice.  Unfortunately, I learned the hard way a number of years ago now.  A PC I had purchased from a well known UK high street technology retailer developed a fault.  From memory, the computer wouldn't start up, or at least would not load the Windows operating system.  It was under warranty, so I took it back to the shop.  I would have been able to work on the problem myself, but chose not to, as didn't want to compromise my guarantee.

During the process of diagnosing the problem, the technicians decided it was a fault with the hard disk drive and replaced it.  I subsequently learned that, “it was their policy” to wipe the data from all drives removed from customers' machines.  Not only had my original drive gone, but either it, or at least the data that was stored on it, had been destroyed.  At this point, I was very disappointed.  As I thought through about what I might have lost, I remembered the drawings my five-year-old daughter had created using the Paint application.  However, whilst I was annoyed with the shop and how they'd handled things, I could have taken steps to ensure I'd looked after the valuable files.  I'd never printed any of them off, nor had I copied them to another data storage device.  This is a mistake, I have NOT made again.

I am also surprised as to what some of the people I speak to think is involved in making a backup.  I had one customer recently who had been using a portable storage drive to copy their data to.  This should have been a big 'thumbs up'.  Unfortunately, it wasn't.  Whilst they had been putting their photographs (and other important files) on the storage drive, they had been taking them off their computer at the same time.  I presume this was to save space on their PC or laptop.  They came to me after the storage drive had been dropped on the floor and they could not now retrieve their data.

Your information needs to be in at least two places before you can consider it to be a backup!

Another common issue is when, like I did years ago, people take their PC to be repaired.  At some point during the process they come to realise that this is the only place their data is kept.  It can be quite alarming.  I recently repaired a PC with a faulty power supply, this in itself should be a fairly straight forward process.  It wasn't though, as even though the PC powered up with a new power supply it would not load the Windows (7) operating system properly.  This didn't ultimately give me any concern, as I always have a procedure for backing up the data from my client's computers prior to starting any work.  Unless it is, as in the previous example, an actual issue with the data storage device in the first place.  I was able to go back to a complete system (files, software and settings) restore from a back I had made before I started any other repair work.  When the satisfied customer came to collect their repaired PC, they explained to me their distress and concern after they had discovery that important files they believed to be on a pen drive (USB flash drive) were not there and had only been stored on the repaired PCs hard Drive.  Much to her relief, my back up process had saved the day.

My apologies, if the introduction to this article seems more than a little long winded.  I'm just trying to get across the point that backing up is about as essential as creating your files in the first place, if the information is something that you are likely to ever need in the future at any point (particularly if it is for your business).

How to Make a Backup

OK, you've heard all about why it's necessary to make a backup, but how should you do this?  The main concern for most is that it is going to be 'time consuming' and it's going to be 'yet another job to do'.  The process can be fairly straight forward if you think about your most important files and concentrate on those first.  This would mean that the back up process is as straight forward as copying files from one folder to another.  This method should work as long as:

1. you remember to do it regularly and...
2. you ensure that the backup folder is on a completely different device

A different device could be another physical hard drive in the same computer, a USB memory stick (flash drive/pen drive), a portable USB hard drive, a CD or DVD (as long as there isn't a lot of data) or possibly a storage drive another computer connected to your network.  It's very important not to think that another partition on the same hard disk drive is at all separate.  Even though you might see it as another drive letter (say D: as opposed to C:) the reality is that if the drive fails what was stored on either partition will be lost.

One of the most practical (and inexpensive) ways to store your data is on an External Portable Drive.  A good option is a one that connects to your computer using USB.  Another additional feature that may be of benefit, is using a USB Bus Powered type.  This will mean that you don't require an additional External Power Supply.  A good range of External Portable Hard Drives can be found on the EBuyer web site.

After that, consideration should be made about where to store the drive when it's not connected to your computer and being used to make the back up.  Again, this would be a decision you would make based on how valuable the data is to you and what solution you can afford.  This could be another room, another building (ie. If you're your own boss or work in a small firm, store a back up of work files at home and vice versa) or perhaps in a safe either on or off site.

Can I use Software to Make the Process Simpler?

In short, yes you can.  Taking this approach, may also open up the option of using somebody else's off site storage space for you files.  ie. Put them in 'The Cloud'.  I'll cover the Cloud and cloud storage in future articles.

In this post, I'm mentioning a piece of software we use at AWP Computer Services to create both full and incremental backups.  This is the aptly named “BackUp Maker” published by ASCOMP Software (www.backupmaker.com).  The good news is that it is free for personal used and is relatively inexpensive for business use.  With regard to my previous comment, a full backup is making a copy on another device of all of the files in a selected folder (or a set of selected folders) an incremental backup is using the software to detect which files have been modified (added to, changed or deleted) since the last backup and only taking a copy of those.  Having the ability to take what is then only effectively a partial back-up will make the whole process quicker.

BackUp Maker by ASCOMP Software - www.backupmaker.com

Using this software multiple backup routines can be created and various options can be selected to determine how and when your backups are created.  In my next post I will explain some of these options and show how a backup works.

For more information about data management, data backup and recovery visit AWP Computer Services Web Site.