Tabush Group's Cloud & Managed IT Blog

The big IT news lately has been about the Heartbleed SSL vulnerability, however, malware and viruses still are the most prominent threat to small to medium sized businesses.

CryptoLocker, which surfaced in late 2013, is still out there, and its destructiveness hasn’t dwindled. CryptoLocker is malware which encrypts all files it finds on a computer or network, rendering them inaccessible.

Last month we were called in by a business which had been ‘hit’ with this CryptoLocker virus and want to share with you how we battled it.

The Internet is probably the most significant invention in the last fifty years. It's hard to believe that only 20 years ago, the Internet as we know it didn't exist. Most office desks had computers, but they were for internal applications only. Today, we all know how much that has changed.

But just because every business needs the Internet to function, and the access is limited only to the speed of your connection, should companies allow their employees unrestricted Internet access from their office computers, or should it be limited to business use only?

As a service provider who has worked with over 250 small and mid-sized businesses over the years, I've heard pretty good arguments for both sides.

Unless you've been living in a bubble without access to the news or Internet for the past 3 months, you've heard about the massive security breach that Target suffered. Hackers were able to get into Target's computer system and download over 110 million credit and debit card numbers. While we don't know who these 110 million lucky winners are, you can rest assured that if you weren't in that group, someone very close to you was.

Last week, more details on how the attack occurred were released. Apparently, Fazio Mechanical, a HVAC contractor who does work for Target, had someone hack into one of their PC's through a targeted phishing attempt. Fazio's systems were set up with certain access to Target's system to communicate work orders, invoices, etc. The hackers used that connection to access Target's database containing credit card numbers, and somehow downloaded it all from there. This is shameful at best.

Businesses can rejoice! The START button is back with Windows 8.1.

Are you one of the many Windows users who’ve been missing the “Start” button? Well, on October 18^th a tweaked version of Microsoft’s Windows operating system will restore the beloved “Start” button, and update other features. A full retail version of Windows 8.1 will be available and will be offered as a free download to all Windows 8 users. Windows 8.1 will be available worldwide, starting in New Zealand at midnight on October 18^th.

Like most people I know, I consider myself a busy person. As a small business owner, I wear many hats in the company, dipping my hand into sales, marketing, finance, management, and client services.

Over the years, I've tried using a number of different strategies to keep all of my tasks, ideas, and projects organized. I've used Outlook Tasks, email folders, file folders, and enough post-it notes to fill a small landfill.

As far as information technology goes, the data storage industry has become one of the most dynamic sectors today. Businesses depend on information and data, which must be stored securely to ensure that it’s safe and accessible at all times, from anywhere.

Technology can be expensive to purchase, as well as maintain. Although computer devices and technology are critical investments for any business, many of them just can’t afford to upgrade or replace hardware or software as needed. What’s the best solution for these businesses? Virtualization.

CIO Magazine’s Jennifer Schiff recently interviewed IT executives to find out what questions customers should ask before hiring an IT consultant. Their answers are insightful and ones that you should be able to address.

According to Tabush Group's owner, Morris Tabush, customers should ensure a prospective IT consultant has experience providing services to their type and size of business. Morris explained, "An IT consultant who typically works with Fortune 500 companies will have a difficult time serving the needs of an SMB (small-to-medium sized business)—and a consultant who has been in the finance industry his entire career may not have the experience needed for, say, a manufacturing shop." Morris has been a successful New York IT consultant for many years, so his words of wisdom are definitely worth considering.

When a natural or man-made disaster occurs, it’s a troublesome experience; but it can be a beneficial lesson learned when planning for the next crisis. When you consider events like the 2011 Japanese tsunami, it’s no wonder effective offsite back ups and business continuity solutions are such an important topic today.

A report entitled Beyond the First 48 Hours published by PricewaterhouseCoopers in January 2013, recommended that corporations think past a crisis:

“Businesses, including small ones, must implement long-range plans for reestablishing operations and preserving their company’s brand. They must have effective Business Continuity Solutions in place that include Offsite Back Up and Disaster Recovery Plans to safeguard business data via offsite storage.”

On April 8^th, 2014, Microsoft will officially end all support, security fixes, vulnerability patches and software updates for Windows XP. Any PC running on the operating system after April 2014 will be subject to hacking, cyber-attacks, data and identity theft, and network intrusion; both via individual machines and across internal networks.

It’s important for small-to-mid sized businesses to plan in advance, with the end of XP near.