In IT news we are now constantly bombarded with news articles regarding security issues.  From large businesses suffering hacking or phishing attacks – these have included Talk Talk & Xero the online accounting software, both of whom have had their systems compromised to smaller companies who have virus infections from rogue email attachments.

Sophisticated emails, which now look authentic are being received by small businesses everywhere and if opened will deliver a malicious payload of keylogging virus to the machine.  Workstations which access online banking, credit cards, PayPal, Amazon and any Internet based storage can be attacked without the user even being aware.  This used to be a thing of the Big Movie Screen, not of every day business, but in today’s ever expanding technology, malicious content is a reality for us all.

As a business we receive many spam emails, phishing emails & even those with malicious attachments, we continue to be vigilant over infection of our own data and remind our clients regularly to be cautious of opening any attachments from unknown sources, or even from those they do know, if they aren’t expecting the attachment.

No business is immune from virus problems – we like to manage our client sites proactively, with regular scans and frequent hands-on checks, as well as remote support.  We recommend software which integrates with our monitoring software, but if you aren’t fortunate to be part of a Managed IT  Programme, then we would suggest you install a reputable Anti-Virus product & keep that up to date.  There are many brands, with plentiful reviews from Industry magazines depending on purpose – Ie business or pleasure and their rankings jostle year on year, but some protection is agreed by all as essential, so if you havent got a programme installed and updated, then hurry up and get one.

Other protection that should be in place, includes updating your Operating System regularly with the latest patches – if you are running Windows XP anywhere in your business, then you are opening your company to vulnerabilities of an outdated and insecure product.   XP was no longer truly protected after April 2014, well over a year ago and from July 2014 the Security Essentials tool was no longer available, leaving your data, your network, your entire business exposed to the devastation of a serious virus and malicious attack.

If you would like advice on managing your business IT systems, updating your software and keeping your data and network secure, then contact Jacqui on 07787655349 or jacqui.offen@jjsystems.co.uk