Security software has been recently discovered to be not as safe as advertised, according to a study conducted by Concordia University in Montreal.

Mohammad Mannan, assistant professor in the Concordia Institute for Information Systems Engineering (CIISE), and PhD student Xavier de Carne de Carnavalet examined 14 commonly used software programs that claim to make computers safer by protecting data, blocking out viruses or shielding users from questionable content on the internet.

“While a couple of fishy ad-related products were known to behave badly in the same set-up, it’s stunning to observe that products intended to bring security and safety to users can fail as badly.”

Central to the issues is how security applications act as gatekeepers to unwanted sites by inspecting a website’s certificate (which has been issued by a Certification Authority).

Usually, browsers themselves have to check the certificate provided by a website, and verify that is has been issued by a Certification Authority. However, security products trick the computer into thinking that they are themselves a fully entitled CA, allowing them to fool browsers into trusting any certificate issued by the products.

It is important for users to keep their software up-to-date, so that they can benefit from the latest security patches.

For companies that do not have time to assess whether their security protocols are stringent enough, there are ways to make security redundant: professional IT teams.

Although in-house IT teams are expensive, having a remote monitoring program in place can catch malicious websites before they take root in your company’s network.

Concordia University. “Not so safe: Security software can put computers at risk: Concordia University research reveals pitfalls of antivirus programs and parental controls.” ScienceDaily. ScienceDaily, 4 May 2016. <www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2016/05/160504161650.htm>.

The post  Not so safe: Security software can put computers at risk. appeared first on IT Services Miami | Computer repair | Telx Computers.

Several recent security reports have shown us that the CryptoLocker Virus is on the rise (a virus that functions as a ransom, your information is encrypted until you pay a fee). Although our company is an expert in preventing and deactivating viruses such as the CryptoLocker Virus, the best strategy is to avoid them altogether. Here are some of the ways you can be proactive with your cybersecurity needs:

Severely infected computers send viruses to other users across the network by using the contact list of your email software and shared resources within your office. Having an IT force at your side can help, but the best prevention is education. So before you download that attachment, make sure you read these guidelines to keep your network safe.

When receiving an email attachment:

• Do NOT open an attachment if you don’t know what it is.
• Use caution when opening attachments that you weren’t expecting or that you don’t know the content. Computer viruses are sent via e-mail attachments and can compromise your computer, data, financial and personal information.
• When an email attachment has a file extension that ends with .zip, .exe, .com, or vbs, 99.9% of the time contains viruses, Trojans, Malware, or Spyware.

Zip files are compressed files. The purpose of sending/receiving Zip files is to make attachment size smaller or send multiple files into 1 compressed file. Hackers use zip files to bypasses the virus/spam protection.

These attachments may look like they are from someone you know. If you’re not sure what it is or were not expecting the email, chances are that these attachments could be infected since their computers are infected. If you open these attachments the l your computer will get infected. Now all your contacts will receive an email (from you) with the infected file as an attachment. If you see an email like the ones below, you can notify the sender that their computer is infected and then delete the email.

Email Scams:

• Your bank institution won’t send you an email requesting information or attachments (unless it is a banker from your branch or something you were expecting), statements, requesting to re-enter your personal information, or a wire transfer via email, unless you have alerts set up. The purpose of those emails is to obtain account information from the users.
• Whenever you open a link on these emails, they copy the design of the website making it look legit and the user enters information about their account, next day you will find out the account has been compromised.
• IRS/Equifax/Transunion/ won’t request any information via email, if they do most likely will be via regular mail. Dismiss these emails and don’t open these links.
• Whenever you win or got something for free over an email, the only thing that you can win is a big problem. Delete these emails immediately.
• DO NOT post your email on websites, forums, or chat rooms. Otherwise, you run the risk of inviting spam into your inbox.
• If you have to use an email to subscribe to a newsletter or website and receive a confirmation email, consider using an address that is not linked to any of your personal information. For example: sample@gmail.com.
• Make an email Backup. Having a hard copy of important documents is essential, especially if your email client crashes and loses data.

Virus Scams:

• If the FBI, NSA, Department of Homeland Security, or CIA has blocked your computer with a pop-up, these are signs of infections. These pop-ups are to cheat users to gain financial information.
• Fake Antivirus protections and optimizers can pop up during an infection not allowing you to work peacefully.
• These viruses request users to enter credit card information or do a transfer to an account to release their computers, please report these issues immediately.

How to avoid these issues:

• Understand email attachments.
• Have an updated operating system.
• Have an updated Antivirus protection.
• Have an up-to-date network firewall and gateway security to prevent future attacks.
• Scan your attachments on this website: www.virustotal.com (this will scan your attachment with 60 different antiviruses in seconds). To do so, save the attachment without opening it and upload the file to the website.

Call Telx if you have any questions regarding an email attachment 1.800.MY TELX 4 (698.3594)

Related articles

• FBI/DHS: ‘ Issue warning over the ” Internet of All Things ” security risks of hacking ‘
• Office of Personnel Mgmt: 5.6M estimated to have fingerprints stolen in breach
• The OPM Hack Was A Lot Worse Than Previously Disclosed
• FBI confident Clinton emails being recovered: source

The post CryptoLocker Virus is Back. Are You Ready? appeared first on IT Services Miami | Computer repair | Telx Computers.

Need of IT support:

Businesses require IT support so that they can take care of all the other hats like dealing with operational issues, installation process, maintenance and security of the system and allows the businesses to have a complete concentration on their visrs.com/computer-tech-suion and goal for the company. Let’s get a clear view of the issues that are handled by the IT support company:

Operational issues:

This section covers the issues that affect the efficient operation of commercial enterprises. Hiring an IT support professional proves to be beneficial in such a situation mainly for small size businesses. The IT services come with a flexibility that allows clients to choose their plan according to their budgets and allows the IT support technicians to be their troubleshooters. If a business is not ready to compromise on their productivity and efficiency it is essential for them to receive managed IT services.

Maintaining Security:

Having a secure system is important for both small and large size businesses. It is necessary for businesses today to have a complete security so as to avoid any kind of breach. The tech support companies start the security package from the basic level that includes installation of firewalls and anti-virus software and then go towards the advanced level that covers securing of the most vulnerable parts present in the system and detecting an unwanted intrusion.

Data storage & recovery:

When a computer is down for a considerable amount of time it leads to loss of important data which hold a great importance for businesses. This is when a PC Tech Support Company comes to the rescue by helping the company in regaining their lost or corrupted data.

Things to consider when choosing an IT Company:

Speed and reliability:

One should prefer an IT support company that is reliable and provides support when required. Remember that you usually need the help as soon as possible and the company should provide you with service instantly not in some hours or days.

Confidence:

When making a choice about the IT support one should look for IT Company that not only gets the computer into running state but also get to the root of the problem and make sure that it does not affect the cash flow of the business again. The selected IT support should be the one in which you can place your confidence and it always considers your business at first.

Experience matters:

In the field of IT support experience matter ,more is the experience more easily the IT support company can identify the problem and present the client with a solution that avoid the occurrence of the problem again in the future. The IT support companies that are having the experience of working with large size companies proves to be beneficial as they also dedicate themselves in finding a solution that proves to beneficial for the organization.

Go for a company that offers flexibility:

Choose a company that offers flexibility i.e. the one that is available for its clients even on weekends and evening call outs, provides an alternative contact and gives a solution that is within one’s budget constraints. Go for an IT company that gets the work done according to the client’s desire and demands.

Choosing the one that has a vision:

While settling on an IT support company one should go for a company that not only proves to be beneficial in the down time but also give a priority to the use of proactive measures and also keep the client systems updated according to the recent advancements.

The post What does IT support offer your business? appeared first on IT Services Miami | Computer repair | Telx Computers.

Just as much as the outsourced IT help desk serves to rectify issues as they arise, it also attempts to prevent potential issues by providing proactive technical support including software upgrades, network support, preventive maintenance, device performance monitoring, and business scaling like large projects, moving, vacations, training, special events and more.

So, what is the average cost? Managed Service Providers (MSPs) provide help desk support in a variety of models:

1. Monitoring only
2. Per device
3. Per-user
4. Tiered
5. All you can eat

The per-device pricing model is fairly simple and many MSPs utilize it primarily for this reason. The premise is to develop a flat fee for each type of device that is supported in a customer environment.

The per-device pricing model is fairly simple and many MSPs utilize it primarily for this reason. The premise is to develop a flat fee for each type of device that is supported in a customer environment.

The tiered pricing model may be the most popular among MSPs. The premise is to build several bundled packages of services with each increasingly more expensive package providing more services to the customer.

The all-you-can-eat pricing model is extremely flexible and includes all remote support, on-site support, and lab or bench time for an entire organization for a flat fee per month. It also may provide 24/7/365 support or services during certain hours and/or days of the month only with additional charges billed for services rendered outside of those times.

Budget Your IT expenses with a flat-rate help desk membership

Here are some of the most common Help Desk requests that we get:

1. I Need to Reset My Password

Sometimes, users simply forget their passwords. Service desks that take phone requests have the burden of determining whether the person asking for a reset is actually the authorized user, or someone trying to game their way into the system. Password resets by a self-service portal can save time and help prevent social engineering breaches.

2. The Printer is Down

Some organizations require the IT help desk to be in charge of printer supplies to help reduce expenses. When new employees need access to a network printer, they are often granted access via the IT help desk, which will install the printer drivers on their computer.

3. Another update

Software updates, such as Java – can be impertinent – requiring an individual with administrative access to install the updates. The move to cloud-based service desk software helps cut down on these calls because updates are automatic.

4. The Network is so slow…

When a network is stretched too thin – such as multiple sites or across state lines, there can be variation in access speeds, especially if there is heavy cloud-based application use. Network upgrades temporarily slow the network in exchange for a faster network once the installation is complete.

5. Where did my documents go?

When documents suddenly “disappear”, users can freak out. Because documents can be stored remotely, it is incumbent upon the user to save a local copy. However, when an organization changes hardware or applications, it is important that users are informed how to access their new environment.

6. My Computer is freezing

With most devices being on all the time, it can be surprising when computers freeze. End-users may jump to conclusions and submit an IT ticket when all that was needed was a simple restart. In the rarity of a hardware failure, the IT help desk can dispatch a technician to make the fix.

7. I can’t access the network with my personal device.

End-users are increasingly bringing their own devices (“BYOD”), to the workplace. Difficulties arise when the user’s device automatically updates a software service pack, and can no longer connect to their organization’s network. Addressing BYOD functionality is a hot topic in IT circles these days, and depends on the type of business and its security and mobility requirements.

When your IT service desk is provided by Telx Computers, you can rest assured that your organization will have the best options for self-service portals, remote desktop access, and a knowledge base that makes troubleshooting seamless. Increasing the first-call resolution is what Telx Computers believes in. Request a free network checkup to get an estimate of the different plans we can offer you.

The post Flat Rate Help Desk for Business in Miami appeared first on IT Services Miami | Computer repair | Telx Computers.

There is no denying that the channels in present scenarios are very complicated and organizations cannot manage such complex networks on their own. That is where managed IT services play a determining role. Hiring IT services saves your time from tedious network practices which they can invest in other productive tasks such as strategizing and planning.

The question of the hour is what benefits you will get when you hire a managed IT service in Miami. Let’s address this question in this post.

Robust Network Establishment

It is one of the significant benefits of hiring a managed IT service. When you hire an IT service for your organization, they will help you to establish your initial network. They will guide you to decide which type of networking will be ideal for your business premise. Whether you need a cable networking or you are interested in the cloud networking, managed IT services in Miami will be beneficial for you. Cloud networking is trending nowadays as it enables you to access data related to business from any corner of the world.

24/7 Support

It is the luxury you will have when you hire IT services. You can enjoy 24/7 support from them. The networks and computers are reliable nowadays, but there are people who might encounter some issue from time to time. In those times, 24/7 customer support will be your best bet to tackle any issue in the network. It also saves loads of time for your organization.

A Fixed Fee Model

These days managed IT services offer a fixed-fee model which you can purchase. It will cut any extra cost and make the services affordable and cost-effective. In case of any unfortunate events such as a ransomware attack or any DDoS attack, your IT services will make sure that either these attacks don’t hurt your business. They might charge a bit extra, but these charges are not very expensive. They only imply in the event of removing the malware.

Reduced Staff Management

When you hire managed IT services Miami, they provide you with the supporting staff. The best part here is, you don’t have to control them. The IT Company will do it for you. The IT staff consists of an onsite technician who will handle all the networking operations.

Winding It Up

So, does your organization need IT staffing? Managed IT services Miami will cater you the assistance. Choose the right one and experience a hassle-free IT management of your organization.

The post Benefits of Managed IT Services Miami Your Business Must Know appeared first on IT Services Miami | Computer repair | Telx Computers.

From managing the overall IT section to handling the operations, one needs to precisely examine the company that has previously managed IT support services. Dive in to get some useful tips that eventually lend a hand in making the right choice for your business.

The Experience Speaks Itself

Won’t it be hazardous to rely on a firm that hardly possesses any experience in handling the IT wing of companies? Well, you need to closely emphasize the brand names that manage the huge MNC’s data and support. It is always a rewarding decision to hire one of the renowned IT Support Companies that are currently managing big firms.

What’s the point of squandering your hard earned money on an unprofessional network support company and that too at the early stage of your business’s growth? Seems to be a wrong decision, isn’t it? Collect some data regarding the agency and figure out the one that suits you the most.

A little Research is all that you’ll need

Numerous people blindly follow the crowd and hire the ones that are considered as one of the reliable IT Support Companies in the market. It’s a myth that you can only get promising results from the ones who have created a benchmark in the market; rather adequate results can be obtained from startups!

Though the experience of the firm in handling business IT services is must; you can expect great results from the ones that have just entered the market in a previous couple of years. It is entirely your responsibility how to get the best out of their experience and expertise.

Prefer a Certified Company

Certainly, you would be aware regarding the certification of a company that depicts their overall reputation and efficiency in the market. It is always a wise decision to pick a network support company that not only ensures guaranteed results but eventually possess a certification in the same field.

One can get the list of certified companies that can deliver exceptional services by exploring the internet to find the relevant one. Moreover, it would be a great idea to contact your acquaintances to provide you with some references.
These are some aspects that let you choose your IT support company precisely.

The post How to pick one of the Finest IT Support Companies for Your Business appeared first on IT Services Miami | Computer repair | Telx Computers.

IT Companies

1. Every Company is a Data Company.

The realm of data is no longer an abstract concept relevant only to the tech industry, it has become inextricably linked with every facet of the global economy – many economic activities and IT Companies spesifically, could not function without its input.

Data aggregation, known more formally as ‘Big Data’, provides large quantities of information that can be further analyzed and dissected to provide companies with an understanding of industry trends and actionable insights – an application that has become the basis of competition and the platform by which the quality of goods and services of industries can be increased.

The successful implementation of Big Data is becoming the industry standard by which companies either outperform their peers or get stuck treading water. Newer companies will attempt to leverage data to innovate upon strategies, compete, and capture value.

2. Focus on awareness and the results will follow

Big Data’s efficacy is self-evident, however, the more important question to ask is: How can Big Data strategies be applied successfully to my business?

Understanding Big Data’s scope is an important first step. Although it can provide all manner of information, from streamlining product inventories to better understanding consumer preferences, it will be useless unless your business objectives are taken into consideration.

Once your objectives are defined, the next step is to implement applicable metrics.

3. Getting into the Data

So, which metrics will provide me the answers to these questions?

Here are some examples as to how data strategies can be successfully leveraged (and the metrics used to evaluate them):

Creating Information Transparency.

Many organizations still have significant amounts of information that have not been recorded digitally. Bringing offline data into an organization’s network can make company processes become more efficient and reduce redundancies.

To accomplish these aims, a company would adopt ‘Process Metrics’. Process metrics evaluate business processes, set improvement goals, and measure progress against those goals. Process Metrics provide visibility into the effectiveness of the changes they make to business processes.

Transactional Data

As more and more data becomes available to an organization, they can collect and review performance information such as workflow processes and even employee sick days. Some companies may even collect and analyze data to make more informed management decisions.

For this kind of data, a company would look at ‘Workload Metrics’. This type of reporting looks at quantifiable information: the number of transactions registered, the number of people trained, hours expended, resource utilization, etc.

Develop better products and services

For companies involved in manufacturing, products can be outfitted with sensors that detect product malfunction and transmit necessary maintenance information to prevent future failures.

Manufacturing companies that use sensors on their devices could use ‘Compliance Metrics’ to measure the performance of their products through activity reports. Compliance metrics can be evaluated against company goals over time and give information into risk exposure (e.g., what is the compliance status of a company’s products, and does that change over time).

4. Engage with your Data

Methods and techniques are wholly dependent on what a company wants to evaluate, however, much will depend on which outcomes a company is seeking.

Nevertheless, developing a framework to assess data is as important as the data itself. Here is an example of how to manually process data:

1. Find as many products or services as possible to measure.
2. Cross-examine with several categories:

• Individual metrics
• Specific categories
• The whole

3. Compare results across products and services for consistency.
4. Compare results to uncover gaps: is something not being measured that should be?

Look into other frameworks to compare your process, such as a support frameworks or user experience.

5. Conclusion

Although ‘data driven’ processes are effective for businesses, they can be quite exhausting to implement manually. The best way to navigate data analytics is by using business intelligence software. Telx Computers, a Miami-based business intelligence analytics company, offers an integrated analytics platform where users can simultaneously aggregate, display, and report on company data.

Having a company provide the framework for data analysis helps business owners save time, money, and resources – freeing up time for decision-making and action-taking.

See how Telx Computers can help make the most of your information. Contact us for more, today!

The post Becoming Data Driven appeared first on IT Services Miami | Computer repair | Telx Computers.

How does it work?

Opera’s new ad blocking feature will be switched off by default. However, when an ad is causing a web page to slow down, the user will be prompted to turn on the adblock.

Why is Opera doing this?

An Opera spokeswoman remarked, “Ad-blocking technology is an opportunity and a wake-up call to the advertising industry to pay attention to what consumers are actually saying.” In other words, consumers are annoyed with intrusive ads that are irrelevant, and Opera is creating an opportunity for advertisers to develop more relevant, and more meaningful advertisements.

How will this affect business?

Ad blocking has been around for some time, but it is only in the Opera browser where it is built directly into the platform. Opera has said that with the use of their native ad blocker, their browser on average runs 45% faster than using Google Chrome with the AdBlock Plus extension and 21% faster than using Firefox with that same extension. In today’s browser competition, speed is money. This fact alone could make users abandon their current browser and adopt Opera.

What can your business do?

Large companies, such as Forbes and The New York Times, are already experimenting with ways to prevent ad blocking users from accessing their site. However, this may not be an option if your company is on the smaller side. Luckily, for businesses that primarily use content marketing, the Opera update will have little effect on their traffic.

Curious about ad blocking, cloud computing, or technology in general? Get in touch with us. Telx Computers is here to make your IT needs happen.

The post Native ad blocker coming to Opera browser | IT Services appeared first on IT Services Miami | Computer repair | Telx Computers.

These proactive measures can drastically reduce the chances of a security breach. Here are areas to keep in mind when developing your own security policy:

1. Internet Security

Employees spend the majority of their business day at their computer, browsing the internet. To make the best of their time, make sure to do the following:

1. Employees should use the Internet solely for business purposes. Consider establishing a website blocker, not only will this safeguard your digital assets, your employee will be more productive and focus their time appropriately.
2. Prohibit unauthorized downloads. Most malware are hidden in downloads – Additionally, downloads take up space on the hard drive and can slow a computer’s processing speed dramatically.
3. Accessing personal email should not be done on business devices. If employees must access their own email account during the day, they can do so on their smartphone or other personal device.

These are just a few of internet policies to get started, but you should also consider including information on your recommended browsing practices and your policies for using business devices (such as company phones) on public wifi.

2. Email

Just like with the Internet policy mentioned above, company email accounts should only be utilized for business use. That means your employee should never send personal files, forward links or perform any type of business-related activities outside of their specific job role.

3. Passwords

We’ve all heard the importance of a strong password. Alphanumeric encryption is now standard practice for most businesses. Most employees will create the easiest passwords for their accounts – which makes these accounts most vulnerable to attack. There are many sites that can generate secure passwords for your employees. Stay away from generic business passwords everyone uses like the company phone number, or a mix of the company name and address.

4. Data

Whether or not you allow your employees to conduct work on their own device, it is important that you have a stringent ‘Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD)’ policy in place. Make sure to explain that any data on your workstation is business property. That means employees aren’t allowed to remove or copy it without your authorization.

The post Keep Your Company Safe With These Proactive Security Policies appeared first on IT Services Miami | Computer repair | Telx Computers.

1. Increased Efficiency:

Companies that are looking for a managed services provider for management and remediation have become used to the “firefighting method” of tracking and responding to events. Service providers have access to sophisticated tools – allowing user problems to be reported and rectified immediately. Often times, the efficiency gains are so great through managed services, that businesses are surprised by the extent of inefficiency before switching.

2. Reduced Downtime Risk:

Managed service providers are able to determine if a failure is imminent, and will deploy sophisticated methodologies to prevent a failure from occuring. This helps companies reduce their downtime and risk for the client company. See our article on the cost of system downtime for more information.

3. Capacity Planning Information:

Managed services clients are able to realize an added benefit that they may not even have considered: Because an MSP’s tools constantly monitor the performance and capacity of the client’s file system space, database size, network bandwidth and more, all of that information is captured and held as data. The client then has access to this data and can use it to mind for IT capacity and performance trends.

4. Customized Dashboards:

MSPs provide access to data through a client portal. Clients can see when service tickets where resolves; what the resolution was; and performance information both historically and in near real time. Clients can also custom design dashboards. An executive, for instance,  might want a green light on his desktop to indicate that all systems associated with an ERP system are functioning normally; if he sees a yellow light, he knows to contact someone to resolve the situation.

Customizations like these are far more specific than what a standardized layout can achieve, and are a powerful value add for any organization.

5. Patch Management:

Patch management can be left behind in the mountain of to-do lists that most IT departments have to reckon with. Unfortunately, this can leave an organization at risk for downtime, security vulnerabilities and incidents at a vendor may not support when patched are too far behind. Managed services providers can not only manage patches so that they remain updated, they can also provide users with a patch management SLA providing the details of service.

The post Benefits of Managed Services appeared first on IT Services Miami | Computer repair | Telx Computers.