Choosing a weak or commonly used password invites hackers to help themselves to your business’ data. More than 80% of hacks involve a password breach. So while password selection may not be at the cutting edge of cybersecurity, it’s your first line of defense.

What are weak passwords?

A weak password is one that is unique to you but crackable by even a low-grade hacker. Using the name of your pet, child, or street might be easy to remember, but it’s also a cinch to guess. A quick check of your social media account or a view of your address, and the hacker has all he needs to unlock your accounts.

Basically, short and simple is a good mantra for creating your tagline, but it’s not the right way to create a password. Pick something long and complicated instead.

What are some of the most common passwords?

Many people use the same words and phrases as passwords. For instance, password and 123456 are popular and easy-to-guess choices. Even making variations on these password patterns, such as password1 or !23456 do little to increase security. Login, admin, qwerty, and (incredibly) hottie round out some top lists of common passwords.

If a password isn’t unique to you, it probably isn’t the best choice. Reused passwords aren’t a good idea either.  

How do I check my password’s strength?

Find out how long it would take to crack your password by using an online app like howsecureismypassword.net. This user-friendly site lets you type in your password and then tells you how long it would take a computer to track it. What makes this site helpful is trying different variations before settling on your choice. For instance, the site said it would take two hours to crack a test password, but the addition of a single symbol stretched the estimated time to four weeks.

A password tester is a quick and accurate way to strengthen your choice.

How can I create a good password?

Hard-to-crack password patterns combine letters, numbers, and symbols. And long passwords are safer than short ones. You can also try out uncommon phrases. Remember, the first word that pops into your head is probably one of the first words a hacker will try, too. That’s why Bible verses, birthdays, famous sayings, and ordinary English word strings don’t make good passwords.

A random collection of letters, symbols, and numbers is your best bet.

What are some helpful tips to remember my passwords?

The problem with those super-safe random password patterns is that they’re hard to remember. No one wants to be locked out of their own computer. A password manager like LastPass can store all your passwords for you in a multi-layered encryption safe. By locking all your passwords in a single vault, you have to recall just one master password to get them out. Password managers are a safe, affordable option for many users.

The post The Worst Password Mistakes That Compromise Security appeared first on Wolf TG.

It’s Monday morning, and your project is due the next day. You switch on your computer to find a message that your system is encrypted until you pay the required fee.

You’re being held hostage by ransomware.

Fortunately, your company created a data back up plan, it practices ransomware prevention , and you know the critical steps to remove the invader from your computer. These steps take time, but they can have your office back to business-as-usual within hours.

Does this sound too good to be true? It’s not.

Ransomware has been around since 2013. It’s a type of malware that encrypts your files and can prevent you from using your computer. The malware disguises itself as a legitimate file or email. Once opened, it may lock your computer and display a “lockscreen” with a message saying you must pay a ransom, usually with hard-to-trace bitcoins, to regain use of your computer.

Preparation is a vital part of prevention, but ransomware can still find its way into your computer system.  

If that happens to your business’ network, don’t panic. First, contact your IT provider and then the authorities, including your local police and the FBI’s Internet Crime Complaint Center.

Then, examine your directories to determine which files are infected. If your documents have odd extension names, try changing them. Some ransomware uses fake encryption that makes you think your computer is locked but doesn’t actually encrypt it.

If this tactic does not work and you have your data saved elsewhere, reset your PC, reinstall your apps, and restore your data from the backup.

Windows users:

• Reboot Windows to safe mode
• Install anti-malware software
• Scan the system to find the ransomware program
• Restore the computer to a previous state with backup files

Mac users:

• Unplug removable storage like external hard disks
• Disconnect from any network shares by clicking the eject icon alongside their entries in the sidebar of Finder

If you did not create backup files or a disaster recovery plan, you might have to pay the ransom.

Try to contact the cybercriminals who initiated the ransomware. Ask for “proof of life.”  Can they provide assurance you’ll get your data back? Don’t expect them to unencrypt your files for free. But they are businesspeople of sorts, and you may negotiate a lower ransom.

Ransomware is a lucrative endeavor for criminals, who constantly create newer, more sophisticated techniques to part you and your company’s money. Although no one method or tool will completely protect your organization from a ransomware attack, you can recover and continue doing business if you have trained your staff, created a disaster recovery plan, and duplicated backup information.

The post What Do You Do If Your Company Is Being Held Hostage By Ransomware? appeared first on Wolf TG.

1. You get what you pay for
2. Not every product is worth the money you’ll spend on it
3. You can sometimes find ways to save money without sacrificing performance — especially when it comes to technology

That last reason is usually why we see businesses, especially smaller ones, rely on routers and wireless devices designed for home use to keep their offices connected.

This substitution may help you save a few bucks on hardware, but it can also lead to frustrating bottlenecks and performance issues. Simply put, when it comes to wireless routers and wireless devices, business-class is worth the up-front cost.

To help you understand why business-class routers are worth the extra money you’ll pay, consider what you actually gain by upgrading:

Speed and Bandwidth

This is a simple benefit, but it’s also one of the most important. A router that’s designed for home use can only handle and process so much information at once, so it’ll often prioritize one device over another. Think of all of the devices you have operating at once in your business (desktops, printers, mobile devices, etc.)… can you afford for any of those devices to be less of a priority than another? If your business is using a wireless router intended to handle only a handful of devices, you can say goodbye to speed and performance: two factors that have important bottom-line effects in your office.

Security

Business-class routers utilize different security protocols and permission levels than home routers do, and when you’re working with sensitive information, this is not a place you should be trying to cut corners. If safety is a concern, which it should be, then you need professional equipment for your business. Your network is your first line of defense against hackers and thieves, and this defense is far stronger if you’re using the right equipment (especially when you factor in the firmware and updates that are built into business-class router processors).

Range of Connectivity

Not only are business-class routers faster and more secure, they also extend farther and have the ability to operate on different channels. If your wireless router operates on a different channel than others in the area, you can expect to experience fewer conflicts between devices, and better connections throughout your office or facility — especially if you have workstations that are spread out or separated by walls and/or electrical equipment. That, my friend, is a win-win situation.

Wolf Technology Group is a small business itself, so we definitely understand the value in finding ways to save money. But, on the other hand, we also understand why you can’t sacrifice the equipment you need just to save a few dollars. In the case of WiFi routers, the price savings aren’t that great, and for what you lose in speed, security, and range, it just doesn’t add up.

To learn more about wireless networking in the Greenville, SC or Atlanta, GA areas, contact Wolf Technology Group today! We can conduct site surveys to identify WiFi performance issues, design custom wireless networks, improve existing network speed and security, and more! Just give us a call at (833) 482-6435 or contact us online.

If you enjoyed this article, please check out other posts on our blog and join us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to see how else we can help your Greenville, SC or Atlanta, GA area business succeed!

The post Does Your Wireless Router Act Like a True Professional? appeared first on Wolf TG.