Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Hackers Leverage Evil Cursor in Chrome to Lock Out Users

Cyber criminals are constantly coming up with new techniques and now hackers leverage evil cursor in chrome to lock out users. Users beware.

These attacks allow them to cause user panic and seek their bogus services.  The hack applies to Google Chrome (69.0.3497.81) and prevents the users from closing the browser tab or clicking on the “X” in the upper right corner.

Hackers Leverage Evil Cursor in Chrome to Lock Out Users (1)

When this attack is initiated, the cyber crime victims believe that they are pressing the “X” to close the browser, but the inserted malicious code turn into a large box.  This allows for the “click” or “call to action” to be applied to multiple parts of the window and disables them from performing any other action.

Malwarebytes cyber security team has stated that this is part of the Partnerstroka campaign and one of many cyber tricks used against modern browsers.   The “evil cursor” trick was first leveraged by a cyber crime group called Partnerstroka however it has now passed on to other hacker groups.

Cyber crime researchers have been following this Partnerstroka campaign and it is only getting better. The landing pages look very professional and it does not matter which browser the victims use.  The hackers can identify it and they know how to “lock” the screen and make the users panic.  They are constantly registering new domains at an alarming rate and victims are redirected to the latest one.

At the moment, there is no quick fix as hackers leverage evil cursor in chrome to lock out users.  This is a big reminder to organizations that they must remember that there are no shortcuts when it comes to security problems and protection.

Cyber security is not easy but a multi layered approach to security of the network is one of the safest bets. Hackers leverage evil cursor in chrome to lock out users however you can reduce your exposure.

Our complimentary network and security assessment can put your IT infrastructure and business to the test.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

 

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Hackers Increasing Amount of Fake Emails to Businesses

Cyber-security is a moving target resulting in hackers increasing amount of fake emails to businesses in order to defraud.

Recently, a leading next-generation cybersecurity company released its findings from analyzing more than 600 million emails with alarming results.

  • Targeted email attacks to businesses increased 85% from the same time last year.
  • Targeted phishing links sent through social media platforms are up by 30%.
  • Contributors and lower-level management account for approximately 60% of targeted attacks.
  • Operations and production resulted in 23% of targeted cyber-attack victims
  • Client and/or customer support fraud increased by 400% from the previous year.

Email cyber-attacks are becoming very well engineered.  Cyber criminals are showing an increase level or planning and sophistication when it comes to emails and spoofing.

Two very popular cyber-crime techniques include the following:

  • Web crawling that is a program or automated script that browses the web in a methodical, automated manner.
  • Web scraping is used to collect key information using the Hypertext Transfer Protocol, or through a web browser.

Organizations must remember there are no shortcuts when it comes to security problems and protection.  Cyber security comes down to multiple factors including a layered approach to security of the network.

As a leading Microsoft Gold partner in Toronto, we have many clients using various cloud services including Microsoft 365, Azure, and other line of business applications.

Here are some products and services you should consider for protecting your organization against fake emails to businesses:

  1. SonicWALL next-gen firewalls. A next-generation firewall is a traditional firewall with other network device filtering functionalities, such as an application firewall using in-line deep packet inspection (DPI), an intrusion prevention system (IPS), anti-virus and many other security and performance services.
  2. Microsoft Exchange Online Protection. Offers Microsoft 365 and Microsoft email online enterprise-class reliability and protect against spam and malware, while maintaining access to email during and after emergencies.  It adds a layer of protection features that are deployed across a global network of datacenters, helping you simplify the administration of your messaging environments.
  3. Microsoft 365 Advanced Threat Protection. Protects against unsafe attachments and expanding protection against malicious links. It can help protect your Microsoft 365 mailboxes, files, online storage, and applications against new, sophisticated attacks in real time.  It offers holistic cyber protection in Microsoft Teams, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio, SharePoint Online, and OneDrive for Business.

Cyber security is a moving target and it should be a multi layered approach.  Hackers increasing amount of fake emails to businesses is on the rise but you can reduce your risk.

Our complimentary network and security assessment can put your IT infrastructure and business to the test.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

 

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

How to Choose a Managed IT Services Provider

Is your organization looking how to choose a managed IT services provider to support your employees and IT infrastructure needs?

In this simple and short article, we will list five key characteristics to consider when selecting a long term managed service provider for your organization.

  1. Comprehensive Technology Knowledge – The managed services provider (MSP) must have a broad set of solutions and services available to meet your business needs as well as the ability to scale and grow with your business.
  2. They Follow Industry Best Practices – Like every other industry, there is the right and wrong way of doing things. They should be able to back up their knowledge, technology, and experience. Have any of their sites been hit by Ransomware? Have clients had to pay?  Are they financially insured? How do they stay up-to-date?
  3. They Understand You and Your business – You need to ensure that they understand your business, management, and employees. Technical support should be readily available, along with access to other team members from their technical team as required. A true managed IT services provider will be available to address problems and have effective IT solutions and IT troubleshooting capabilities.
  4. They Understand IT Security – Do you worked in a regulated industry such as healthcare and financial services? Well security and compliance issues are paramount when it comes to IT security and the right managed IT services provider will have a robust experience with it. They can test your IT infrastructure and across several geographical zones.  The MSP should be able to continuously monitor cyber threats and ensure that each system is designed with redundancy.
  5. They Are Scalable – MSPs are no different than cars. There are different sizes and options to meet everyone’s needs. If you select an MSP that is large, you may not receive a high level of customer-centric and flexible IT support services required. Also, if you are a large organization and select a large MSP, it may lack the technical knowledge and expertise to offer the necessary tech support services support.

These five steps should help you if asking How to Choose a Managed IT Services Provider? And always interview several.

Our complimentary network and security assessment can put your IT infrastructure and business to the test.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

 

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

How Does Managed IT Services Benefit Small Businesses?

Many business leaders ask how does managed IT services benefit small businesses, however they do not know the complete answer.

Small to medium sized businesses (SMBs) are one of the most critical sectors in the Canadian economy. Here are some interesting numbers from the BDC article “10 things you (probably) didn’t know about Canadian SMEs”.

In summary, there are over 1.1 million SMBs in Canada with 55% having fewer than 4 employees.  Small businesses are responsible for 77.7% of all jobs in the private.

How does managed IT services benefit small businesses? Simple.

Managed IT services comes down to defined outsourced IT services at fix or predictable monthly cost.  With it, your organization will know the exact IT services your organization will get and what your monthly cost will be from them.  There will be no surprises and no sky-high bills.

How managed IT services providers work?

A true managed IT services provider (MSP) in the SMB space is looking to deliver small business technical support using enterprise tools.  They use class leading (not free) remote monitoring and management (RMM) tools to keep an eye on your network 24/7 including performance, health, and security.

They can bring many other services to the table including 24/7 Network Operations Center (NOC) and helpdesk support services if required with active monitoring of any issue to IT infrastructure including servers, smart devices, hardware, and software.

You should ensure that they bring regular systems maintenance such as automated tasks such as cleaning temporary files, applying security patches, installation of antivirus and malware protection.  They will also provide you with system backup including disaster recovery and business continuity processes

This proactive maintenance and management offer stabilization of your IT infrastructure to better server your organization that relies on the technology.

Option 1 – Managed IT Services vs. Hiring In-House IT Support

Unfortunately, many organizations do not have a real perspective about how much IT infrastructure and IT management costs them per year as there are many factors.

As an example, typically a firm with anywhere from 20-60 employees may feel that one person can manage their IT infrastructure. This will be a full-time employee and it will demand a significant salary since they must be proficient with desktop support, server support, and network support.  They will be overworked and vulnerable to error or oversights that may prove to be costly for your organization.

You also must account for sick days, vacation days, salary increases, training, certifications, and many other possibilities.

Option 2 – Managed IT Services vs. Break/ Fix

SMBs usually take this route because they feel they are too small.  They use on-call IT support services when things are down or broken.  The client is not at the mercy of the on-call IT support team’s response time and overall lack of familiarity with your IT infrastructure which results in downtime being more expensive.

Our complimentary network and security assessment can put your IT infrastructure and business to the test.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Myths and Misconceptions About Managed IT Services

With the complexity of technology, it can easily get confusing causing myths and misconceptions about managed IT services. Let’s clear the air.

Organizations face challenges these days when it comes to IT management, IT monitoring, and IT maintenance.  Should IT be in-house? Should we outsource IT to a managed IT services provider? Should we look at a hybrid model?

There are many myths and misconceptions therefore you should not let the following about IT outsourcing stop you from getting the most out of your IT investments and IT infrastructure.

  1. We need someone on-site IT support services

No, not really.  Proactive leading managed IT services providers use proven policies, procedures, and enterprise-class tools to manage their networks.  Example, 365 iT SOLUTIONS can resolve 99% of all tech issues remotely with no on-site IT support services required.  If you do experience downtime such as hardware failure, you still have access to on-site IT support services. Good news is you will pay only for what you use.

  1. We have complex IT infrastructure needs

Yes, but extremely rare especially in the small and midsize business (SMB).  If you are a large multinational corporation with several hundred locations and thousands of employees or NASA, then yes, you would have a complex IT infrastructure that would require more than just managed IT services.

Core technology used by many organizations is very similar plus most technology these days is scalable therefore offering you a stable network, reliable devices, and security. If these don’t work, your employees can’t work.

  1. We will lose control of our IT infrastructure

Absolutely not.  The networks belong to the client and the managed IT services provider is strictly there for proactive IT management. It is common practice for the IT provider to hold the administrator password as many of them are financially insured to protect and manage your IT infrastructure.  If you decide to end your relationship with a managed IT services provider, they have an offboarding list that will allow them to hand over the network with little to no downtime and completely secure.

  1. We can do IT management for less internally

Sorry must disagree. A good level 2 technical support professional with cost you approximately $50,000.  You must also included all other costs associated with an employee including Canada Pension Plan (CPP) contributions, employment insurance premiums, and other expenses.

With a good managed IT services provider, you get the entire team of Level 1 technical support to level 3 technical support professionals.  No insurance premiums, no CPP, no vacations, and no sick days.  You get an always up-to-date IT professionals team with real world experience and knowledge.

  1. Our current IT infrastructure setup works

Awesome but are you exposed to security threats such as Ransomware? If not, you need to speak with a managed IT services provider.  Managed IT services providers will make a large impact on your organization and make chaotic to stable.

Our complimentary network and security assessment can put your IT infrastructure and business to the test.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Outsourcing IT support Services Will Boost Your Core Business Objectives

Industries are fast-paced, and technology based therefore outsourcing IT support services will boost your core business objectives and increase success.

Technology is part of daily business, regardless of size, industry, geography, or business objective.  All organizations at some point will require tech support services or IT consulting to keep the lights on.  This will cause your organization frustration and may at time vary in complexity.

Outsourcing IT support services will boost your core business objectives, but the challenge organizations face is to find the ideal long-term managed IT services partner that can balance between managing costs and ensuring reliable IT support services including strategies of technology implementation.

Outsourcing IT management is becoming an increasingly popular cost-effective option for small and midsize business (SMB) who are looking to get the latest technology without interfering with their core objectives and business operational focus.   Managed IT services providers (MSP) allow organizations to prioritize core business objectives like expansion, customer allocation, client retention, recruitment, marketing, and sales.

True professional managed IT services providers (MSP) can access, monitor, track, troubleshoot, perform proactive maintenance, and continually update your IT infrastructure.  As a long-term partner, managed IT services providers (MSP) will bring an enterprise-class level of IT support expertise and sophistication which is very expensive to be duplicated internally for a small and midsize business (SMB).

Outsourcing IT support services will boost your core business objectives and increase success including profitability. It is much easier to budget compared to similar IT management resources in-house.  Outsourcing IT management is fundamentally good for business giving you a competitive edge.

Our complimentary network and security assessment can put your IT infrastructure and business to the test.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Is your managed IT services provider giving you what you are paying for?

There are many MSPs out there but is your managed IT services provider giving you what you are paying for?  We get many calls asking for a second opinion on their IT infrastructure and security.

Is your managed IT services provider giving you what you are paying for?

Here are the top 5 issues we hear about when it comes to other managed IT services providers in Toronto:

  1. Slow Technical Support Response

Many managed IT services providers have a number for your team to call for technical support, but you cannot always get in touch with your IT provider.  You call and leave a message but do not hear back in a timely manner.  This will affect productivity and profitability.  This is common with independent IT consultants or companies lacking the proper tools such as central ticketing with built-in service-level agreement (SLA).  Your organization needs help when it is required and not days later. A proper managed IT services provider will have a team of technical support team engineers on standby including a dedicated Support Service Manager to ensure that your technical support issue is dealt within the agreed SLA.

  1. Recurring Technical Issues

We see a lot of recurring technical support issues as many IT consultants choose to apply a band-aid fix instead of a solution that will eliminate the recurring technical issues from happening over and over.  Your managed IT service providers goal is to make your organizations everyday function simple and easier.  They will create solutions that resolve your technical support problems for good.  You will also benefit from 24×7 Remote Monitoring and Management (RMM) that will keep an eye on your It infrastructure giving you the peace of mind that everything is under control.

  1. They Talk Tech and Not Business

Technical infrastructure has become a business process therefore there must be clear business talk and no techie chat.  A proper managed IT services provider will be able to speak to your team in simple English with no over-explain details or super deep techie talk.

  1. Poor Customer Service

Like any other business, poor customer service is a quick way to end your business. Clients come first, and open lines of communication ensure this is met.  Managed IT services provider will train their helpdesk technicians to handle technical issues and put the clients first.  We treat our clients as people and the way we expect to be treated.  Company culture determines the level of satisfaction and resolution, no matter what it takes to resolve and issue quickly and efficiently.

  1. Unexpected Monthly Invoices

Surprise, you owe a lot more than you expected.  A true managed IT services provider will offer a flat monthly fee for their proactive IT management and IT services. You should not experience surprises month to month regardless of the amount of service and support your teams uses.  This makes it easy for you to predict your budgets and proactively plan.

Our complimentary network and security assessment can put your IT infrastructure and business to the test.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

 

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

What is the differences in IT support services?

There are many different forms of IT management and many ask what is the differences in IT support services?  Here is a quick outline of the differences.

When considering small business tech support, the small and midsize business (SMB) community has many options to consider including how they are all important in their own way based on business goals and budgets.  Having an Outsourced IT Support service provider or managed IT services provider is a very normal business service these days as they assist your organization with all aspects of your tech IT support services.

It is common knowledge that managed IT services will save your business money as well as increase productivity and ROI on technology.  This is done through well trained technical support service staff that keep current with new technologies, certifications, and technology trends so they can provide clients with informed technical recommendations that keep clients updated and highly competitive in the market.

Option 1 – Outsourced IT Support

Many managed IT services providers offer a robust IT support services system that will provide your organization with a cost-effective approach for proactively managing your IT infrastructure environment.  It is the goal for the outsourced IT consulting firm to allow their clients to benefit from this IT support services structure not matter on the size of the business or geography.

Outsourced IT Support has many benefits to any organization.  They will provide your team with help desk support on demand. They will provide proactive IT monitoring and IT management of your organizations IT infrastructure.  They will recommend hardware, software, and other services that best suits your organizations requirements including business goals.

No organization is alike and every single one has its own individual IT environment needs which will determine its budgets, business goals, and planning.  All IT solutions must be based on industry best practices as well as consider the ongoing proactive IT management and IT support of your IT environment.

Option 2 – Reactive Technical IT Support

For the unfortunate organizations, reactive IT support services will be a significant portion of their IT support use.  If you have a good IT support service plan in place, reactive IT support will be very limited to simple issues such as password resets, replacement of hardware, or other little IT issues.  Remote help desk support services can resolve many of these issues including hardware replacement without setting foot onsite.

Option 3 – Proactive Technical IT Support

Proactive technical IT support has a simple goal, resolve technical issues before they even become an issue.  Proactive IT support services is done behind the scenes without anyone noticing.  Proactive technical support can include running updates, installing patches, software upgrades, and many more items.  Budgeting and planning the replacement of hardware before it fails to prevent any downtime is a large part of proactive IT support and very cost-effective.

Option 4 – Strategic Technical IT Support

This is one that many managed IT services provider do not offer, or they do not have a full understanding of it.  Strategic technical IT support may also be known as vCIO services.  It will identify ways in which a client can enhance their long-term business goals with technology and proper budgeting.  By having a strategic technical IT support partner, they will be able to assist in developing these plans as well as accomplishing the planned goals.  All strategic plans need to be assessed, tested, and audited before implementation.

What is the differences in IT support services?  In conclusion, IT support services can be broken down into the four options mentioned above.  These options need to be understood as the have different effects on organizations, budgets, and technology.

Our complimentary network and security assessment can put your IT infrastructure and business to the test.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

 

Categories
Industry Insights IT Security Managed IT Services

Seven Easy Steps to Keep Your IT Systems Secure

Even if your using a managed IT services provider, here are seven easy steps to keep your IT systems secure and avoid downtime or a security breach.

  1. Your Passwords are Assets

People forget to understand that their passwords are not a nuisance and rather a more important part of their digital security system online.  Thin of them not different than cash, social insurance number or any other highly sensitive information. Protect them to protect yourself.

  1. Passwords Should Change Often

To compliment step 1 of protecting your password, you should also change your password every few months in case it has been stolen or compromised. You can also have your managed IT services implement an automatic policy that will lock your employees out of the system until they change their passwords according to company policies.

  1. Do Not Open Emails from Unknown People or Suspicious

Cyber security 101 has hackers send a malicious code to your computer via emails created to look like authentic business opportunities or from services that are known. If you do not recognize an email address, do not even open the email, let alone download any attachments. Hover you mouse over and if the link does not look right or something completely different, avoid it at all costs.

  1. Software Organizations Do Not Call You

Still an effective security breach to try and steal sensitive information via phone. The cyber criminals will call you and pose as a government official, software company, security company, or anything else that may scare you or get you to hand over information.  If you get a call from an unfamiliar number and this happens to you, ask to call them back and find an official number to dial.

  1. Keep Your Employees Trained on Security Threats

Technology changes and for this reason you should keep employees up-to-date on security threats.  Never assume that your employees understand the importance of IT security or that they know how to protect your systems from hackers and cyber criminals.  By establishing an IT security best practices and training for your entire team, your greatly reduce the chances of a security breach.

  1. Keep It Updated

Software and hardware companies are always releasing new patches and drivers for their systems.  It should be standard practice to include security patches and updates as part of your weekly maintenance and proactive management.  Ignoring updates and patches will make your IT infrastructure vulnerable to cyber criminals.

  1. Pick Your Managed IT Services Provider Wisely

You need to think long term when picking an outsourced IT support team as it is critical for your IT security. Make sure that you only outsource to the best IT support team.  It is important to remember that management tools have a cost and this is the way to properly manage your network and keep it safe. It is extremely important that you proactively work with your outsourced IT support partner.

In conclusion, running a business is no easy task but with these seven easy steps to keep your IT systems secure and avoid downtime or a security breach, your well on your way.

It is important to keep your IT infrastructure secure while focusing on making your business profitable and stable as IT issues can hurt your bottom line.

Our complimentary network and security assessment can put your IT infrastructure and business to the test.

365 iT SOLUTIONS is Toronto’s leading IT consulting boutique firm offering industry-leading IT solutions including Managed IT ServicesIT Support ServicesIT Outsourcing ServicesTech Support Services and Cloud Services.

Categories
Industry Insights IT Solutions Managed IT Services

Cyber Security Tips to Protect Your Business

Cyber crime continues to rise and here are some cyber security tips to protect your business.  Learn proper cyber security methods and stay safe online.

Unfortunately, many organizations suffer from these threats however check out these cyber security tips to help keep you and your employees safe.

Cyber Security Tips #1 - 365 it solutions - managed it services toronto

Cyber Security Tip #1

  • Protect your business from unsecured personal devices.
  • Limit personal device and public.
  • Wi-Fi use for work, or have employees follow a security policy.

 

Cyber Security Tips #2 - 365 it solutions - tech support services toronto

Cyber Security Tips #2

  • Provide training on cyber threats.
  • If your employees understand cyber threats, they can avoid them.

 

Cyber Security Tips #3 - 365 it solutions - cloud services toronto

Cyber Security Tip #3

  • Encourage smart clicking.
  • Your employees should be suspicious of unknown links, or familiar ones with odd forms.

Cyber Security Tips #4 - 365 it solutions - disaster recovery services toronto

Cyber Security Tips #4

  • Promote strong passwords.
  • Make sure work passwords are secure and can be accessed by senior employees or your tech expert.

Cyber Security Tips #5 - 365 it solutions -IT consulting services toronto

Cyber Security Tip #5

  • Plan ahead for departing employees.
  • Before an employee leaves your company, make sure their account is closed, and change passwords.