Hackers Strike - Was Your Password Posted Online?

Hackers struck again this week. CNN.com reported that this time, they posted 400,000 Yahoo user's passwords to a webpage as a "warning" to Yahoo, Inc. to close up security holes in their web servers.

The hack revealed a frightening fact; many of the passwords were embarrassingly weak. Sequential lists of numbers, like "12345" were used as passwords 2,295 times and the generic, "password", 780 times. If you are a Yahoo user, change your password immediately.

With cyber attacks becoming almost a daily occurrence, it is extremely critical that you take security seriously and protect your data (home or business). Ensure all of your passwords are considered "strong" and that your PC/Mac is running up-to-date anti-virus software. Integrating a hardware firewall and spam/web filtering service to your business network is also recommended.

Zarti techs can perform a full IT evaluation that often uncovers security threats and offer solutions on reducing them. Utilizing the services of a technology consulting firm like Zarti Group offers business owners the comfort of knowing security patches are being implemented on a monthly schedule and that their security tools are configured properly. If you require assistance figuring out where your firm is vulnerable, please don't hesitate to contact me at 732-395-4281 or jedwards@zartigroup.com.

Click to read the article “Yahoo Hacked, 450,000 Passwords Posted online”.

Hackers are Targeting your Firm!

Cyberattacks on law firms are quickly on the rise. The June 25th edition of the Wall Street Journal included an article that serves as warning to Law Firms to tighten up IT security. With firms relying so heavily on technology, hackers are taking advantage of loose security policies and uneducated users to steal sensitive data, confidential information, and even record phone messages. A data breach can be disastrous for your firm; damaging client-attorney confidentiality, the firm's reputation and, ultimately, the bottom line.

Your firm's security vulnerabilities are not limited to weak passwords, unencrypted email, and lost or stolen devices; the bad guys are also preying on the users that click links in trojan emails or text messages and leave a laptop at the airport with no password protection. Other resources that may have been thought secure can become issues as well; online file storage tools like DropBox, Google Drive, and SugarSync all come with risks.

However, preventative measures can be taken to keep hackers out. It’s key to educate the firm's users to identify security risks and hacker's phishing attempts when handling email and surfing the web. The unaware user can be the firm's weakest link when security is concerned. It is also critical that owner's understand the resources in their network (firewalls, laptops, password policies, mobile phones, online services, etc...) and have them audited regularly. 

Zarti techs can perform a full IT evaluation that often uncovers security threats and offer solutions on reducing them. We can also train your staff on what to watch out for. Utilizing the services of a technology consulting firm like Zarti Group offers business owners the comfort of knowing security patches are being implemented on a monthly schedule and that their security tools are configured properly. If you require assistance figuring out where your firm is vulnerable, please don't hesitate to contact me at 732-395-4281 or jedwards@zartigroup.com.

Click to read the article, "Lawyers Get Vigilant on Cybersecurity”.

Java Security Hole

There is a hole in your Network’s Security and the Bad Guys know It’s There

The Wall Street Journal published an article today (December 2, 2011) regarding a system vulnerability in Java. It was discovered over the summer and hackers and virus writers are continuing to exploit it by adding malicious code to various web sites. The National Vulnerability Database rates it a 10 out of 10 on the severity scale.

The fix is fairly simple; patch (update) your Java application. The difficult part may be understanding how to do that or having the time and resources to go around to each PC on your network to run the update.

Cyber attacks and vulnerabilities are common today, which makes it critical that businesses keep on top of web and network security. A good place to start is a hardware firewall to block incoming and outgoing “holes” in your network. Implementing a web-filtering software to protect web surfers from harmful code and malicious websites is also a valuable investment, especially if monitoring your staff’s surfing habits is of interest to you.

Utilizing the services of a technology consulting firm like Zarti Group offers business owners the comfort of knowing security patches are being implemented on a monthly schedule and that their security tools are configured properly.

For more network security advice or to discuss how to protect your firm against this Java issue, please contact Jon Edwards at 732.395.4281 or jedwards@zartigroup.com.

Click the link to read the Wall Street Journal article, “Why Today is A Very Good Day to Update Java on Your Computer”.

Are You Losing Productivity?

If you and your staff are not utilizing multiple monitors, you are losing 20-40% productivity.

According to a study done by the Jon Peddie Research, productivity increases an average of 42% when using multiple monitors. Likewise, a study conducted by the University of Utah and NEC found 20% reduction in errors (plus reduced stress) for test workers that were using multiple monitors.

More and more firms are implementing additional displays for their staff in an effort to increase productivity, keep pace with "paperless" initiatives, and allow for easy comparison of documents.

In a recent edition of "The Journal of Accountancy" an article discussed the productivity benefits of 2, 3 or even 4 monitors to display multiple applications. The article also elaborates on the “techie” process to getting these monitors up and running. It sounds easy, but it can be a hassle if you’re not familiar with computer hardware.

You can read the article “Increase Productivity with Multiple Monitors” here.

Ergotron, makers of Digital Display Mounts, have a great tool on their website that helps calculate “payback” for adding multiple screens into your workspace.  

Feel free to contact me about how to set up additional monitors in your office.

Business Meet's iPad - Does it Work For You?

The Wall Street Journal published an article on March 17, 2011 discussing some ways for users to integrate the iPad into daily business life.  Many unknown methods and tools that are available allow you to transfer documents from an office PC to your iPad and also provide you with the ability to  easily edit and share files.  Apple has even created apps that give you control over your home and office PC through your iPad.

Feel free to contact me with any questions regarding the integration of the iPad into your business world or how to better use office documents on the device.

To read the WSJ article, please click [here].