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    05.22.2017

    The Latest Ransomware Attack Wasn’t the End – There’s More

    You may have heard about the massive international cyberattack of a recent strain of ransomware called WannaCry on the news recently.  Hold your breath... there's more coming. On May 12, 2017, businesses, hospitals, governments in over 150 countries woke up to the alarming news that their computer systems had been attacked by ransomware which demanded payment in order to get their files back. You can read the details on Wikipedia and on many news sites. The attack exploited machines that used outdated Windows software or Windows systems that did not have the latest security patches. This means that new threats could be looming. If your computer systems aren't upgraded and patched, or if you don't have business-grade reliable backups in place, you are at risk of being a victim of the next attack. Our clients benefit from our expertise and responsiveness in software patch management, data backup and other strategies that keep them safe. Contact us for a network assessment to learn how "at risk" you are and for guidance on what you can do to make sure that you stay safe, too.

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    05.15.2017

    10 Fundamentals for protection from Ransomware

    Ransomeware is back in the mainstream news with the newest strain WannaCry. Over 74 countries have been infected. 1. Understand the threat. Crypto ransomware works by encrypting data, 2. Educate users.  It only takes one bad decision by a user to unleash a costly ransomware attached.  Once installed the ransomware software can infect a computer and worse yet the entire network and servers in seconds!

    Don't Let Ransomware Hold You Hostage

     

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    05.01.2017

    5 ways a to grow your business with a dependable IT Support – Managed Services Provider

    Grow Your Business 

    Are you always looking for new ways to grow your business and reach new clients? A managed service provider can be the perfect solution to meet all your business needs. Newport Solutions is a managed service provider that offers dependable IT support for businesses in Orange County, CA. Whether you need the latest technology, or need to reduce costs, a managed service provider can help your company reach new heights. Here are a few ways that your business can grow with the support of our team at Newport Solutions, Inc: Increase Production Companies are always looking for ways to improve and become more productive. With the use of managed services, your business will benefit from the latest technology to help your staff reach their goals. At Newport Solutions, our computer technicians work around the clock to ensure that our network is stable and secure. With a stable network, your employees will be able to work without experiencing any downtime. Employees will also experience less stress, as they can get more work done in a shorter amount of time. Overall, the company significantly benefits with increased employee production through the use of the latest technology. Reduce IT Budget A managed service provider will meet all of your IT needs and costs less than an IT department.  

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    03.27.2017

    Protect yourself and your company – Keeping your business secure IT support

    Check all of your emails carefully before opening them! Keeping your business secure. A client received a piece of spam, opened the attachment which turned out to be ransomware.  This locked her computer, and infected the server.  Fortunately they had our backup solution in place and we were able to restore to a backup before the infection occurred.  Had they not had a firewall, Anti-Virus, backups or known about the infection things could have been a lot worse. as Here is a safety checklist:   

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    03.14.2017

    Internet of Dangerous Things – New Report

    How the IoT Revolution Threatens Your Small Business Network The Internet of Things (IoT) is exploding. Billions of devices are online and many more are coming. Tech fans are happy. Hackers are even happier. Email us to request how to uncover how IoT devices threaten your network security. You’ll see how hackers are exploiting this fast-growing technology and how to stay safe. Use this contact for to email us and request of copy of this report.  http://www.newport-solutions.com/orange-county-it-support-contact/

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    03.08.2017

    8 online security habits you need to adopt ASAP

    Our smart phones and computers hold almost everything we do throughout our day, both at work and at home. With such a wealth of personal and professional information at our (and at hackers’) fingertips, it’s important to keep ourselves and our employees aware of online security practices.  There's a number of simple ways, but you'd be surprised how many become ignored. 1. Hire Professionals As a small or medium sized business you may not an an internal IT manager, but that doesn't mean you are alone to be your own IT support. You best option is outsourcing to a managed IT service provide, for a fixed fee you can can have IT resources for generally much less than hiring staff. 2.  Stop using easy passwords. One of the most overlooked online security habits is creating stronger passwords.  123456 is still the most common used and most hacked.  Passwords should be lengthily and complicated, especially for your email and  

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    02.28.2017

    Global State of Malware Report by Malwarebytes

    Malwarebytes recently released a security research report on the top malware threats for 2016.  Here's a few headlines of what you need to know. Ransomware grabbed headlines and became the favorite attack methodology used against businesses, particularly in North America and Europe.

    • Ransomware distribution between January 2016 and November 2016 increased by 267 percent.
    • In the fourth quarter of 2016 alone, we catalogued nearly 400 variants of ransomware.
    • Ransomware detections accounted for 12.3 percent of all enterprise threats, but only 1.8 percent of consumer threats.
    • 81 percent of ransomware detected in corporate environments occurred in North America.
    If you haven't reviewed your security policies recently, I highly recommend downloading our IT checklist. http://www.newport-solutions.com/computer-security-employee-education/ This will give you a point of reference to secure your network.  As always contact our office on how we can support your network.  714-660-1811 Source:  https://press.malwarebytes.com/2017/01/31/malwarebytes-releases-global-state-of-malware-report-finds-2016-as-year-threat-reality-catches-up-to-threat-hype/

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    02.16.2017

    Tips on using Microsoft Office – O365

    1. Edit PDFs
    Your PDF files open by default in Adobe. But, what if you want to edit them? You cannot do that within Adobe Reader, and the Adobe software that does let you make changes to PDFs is not cheap. Microsoft Word to the rescue! (compatible in 2016) Launch Microsoft Word. Attempt to open a document like you normally would by selecting "File" and then "Open." On the bottom right of the window that pops up, click the drop-down menu. Choose “PDF,” and then browse to the file that you wish to edit. Once you open it, you can make your edits. You may lose some of the formatting in the process, but it's nothing that you cannot overcome.  
    1. Collaborate in Real Time
      With Microsoft Office, you and  

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    02.15.2017

    Americans and Cybersecurity

    I was just talking to my wife about how I don't trust privacy of social media sites. Here is a report showing half of Americans are in the same boat. See the report at the link below.  If you haven't already, download our checklists to keep you business secure.  http://www.newport-solutions.com/computer-security-employee-education/ Many Americans do not trust modern institutions to protect their personal data – even as they frequently neglect cybersecurity best practices in their own personal lives. http://www.pewinternet.org/2017/1/26/americans-and-cybersecurity/

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    02.15.2017

    4 Ways to Fight Off Infection – flu season

    Taking a quick break from software viruses, ransomware, etc. in the middle of flu season for a few quick tips on fighting infection.

    1. Clean Your Keyboard and Mouse with an Approved Electronics Cleaning Cloth or Solution
    It is a fairly easy process to accomplish, and worth the effort for sure. Think about it – you dug into the candy dish after multiple people at the office, you and Sally swapped TPS reports, you shook hands with a visitor and you used the doorknob to vacate the restroom. Then, you came back to your keyboard and started typing. You see where I am going with this.  
    1. Don't Eat around Your Computer
      Those crumbs that fall between the keys might as well as be a smorgasboard for infection. If all of those germs described above have collected on your keys as you type away and take a bite of your McMuffin – well that is pretty gross. You are eating those germs, and then incubating them in your body. Long story short, you may not want to eat at your desk.  
    1. Wash Your Hands, Please
    I know, we are not six years old anymore. Still, too often people neglect to wash their hands or do so properly, hence why I'm reiterating this. Just do it. A good rule of thumb is to massage the soap into your palms, between the fingers – basically every crack and crevice – while singing happy birthday twice (in your head).  
    1. Sneeze Away from Your Computer
     Take a walk over to an employee that you do not like, and sneeze on their computer instead. JUST KIDDING. However, I have witnessed co-workers sneezing in their cubicles, and not covering up their mouths. As a result, their workspace becomes a breeding ground for whatever ailment they are carrying. Sneezing into your elbow is a good practice when there aren't any tissues readily available. Keep a roll of cleaning wipes in your desk drawer, and give your work area a good wipe down once a week – or more if needed.   At the end of the day, your body does a pretty good job at fighting off the nasties that we call germs and bacteria. But, it could use an assist every now and then. Give the above a try, or, feel free to live in a bubble until Spring. The choice is yours.

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