5 ways to protect your IoT devices

Just a few years ago, smart appliances seemed like novelty products for rich business owners. Now, the Internet of Things (IoT) has become a viable solution for putting your business ahead of the curve. But whether it’s a smart fridge or a surveillance camera that connects to your phone, IoT devices should be treated and secured just like any computer in a network.

Set passwords Many often forget they can set passwords for IoT devices. When this happens, they tend to leave their gadgets with default passwords, essentially leaving the door open for hackers. Make sure to set new and strong passwords -- preferably with a combination of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols -- for each device connected to your network. Then, use a password manager to securely keep track of all your passwords.

Disable Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) UPnP is designed to help IoT gadgets discover other network devices. However, hackers can also exploit this feature to find and connect to your IoT devices. To prevent them from getting to your network, it’s best to disable this feature completely.

Create a separate network When you’re dealing with IoT devices, it’s wise to quarantine them in a separate network unconnected to your main office network. By doing this, user gadgets will still have access to the internet but won’t be able to access mission-critical files.

You should also consider investing in device access management tools. These allow you to control which devices can access what data, and prevent unauthorized access.

Update your firmware If you want to keep your devices secure against the latest attacks, then you need to keep your IoT software up to date. Security researchers are always releasing security patches for the most recent vulnerabilities, so make it a habit to regularly check for and install IoT firmware updates. If you have several gadgets to secure, use patch management software to automate patch distribution and set a schedule to check for updates monthly.

Unplug it Disconnecting your IoT devices from the internet (or turning them off completely) whenever you don’t need them significantly reduces how vulnerable you are to an attack. Think about it, if there’s nothing to target, hackers won’t be able to make their move. Turning your IoT devices on and off again may not seem like the most convenient strategy, but it does deny unauthorized access to your router.

Unfortunately, as IoT devices become more commonplace in homes and offices, more hackers will develop more cunning ways to exploit them. Getting into the above mentioned security habits can protect you from a wide variety of IoT attacks, but if you really need to beef up your security, then contact us today. We have robust security solutions that keep your hardware safe.

Steer clear from these types of malware

Did you know that viruses, ransomware, spyware, and trojans are all categorized as types of malware? Having been around for decades, these cyber threats have grown both in number and intensity. Needless to say, it pays to know how each of them works as well as how to protect your business.

Viruses

Once created to annoy users by making small changes to their computers, like altering wallpapers, this type of malware has evolved into a malicious tool used to breach confidential data. Most of the time, viruses work by attaching themselves to .exe files in order to infect computers once the file has been opened. This can result in various issues with your computer’s operating system, at their worst, rendering your computer unusable.

To avoid these unfortunate circumstances, you should scan executable files before running them. There are plenty of antivirus software options, but we recommend choosing one that scans in real-time rather than manually.

Spyware

Unlike viruses, spyware doesn’t harm your computer, but instead, targets you. Spyware attaches itself to executable files and once opened or downloaded, will install itself, often times completely unnoticed. Once running on your computer, it can track everything you type, including passwords and other confidential information. Hackers can then use this information to access your files, emails, bank accounts, or anything else you do on your computer.

But don’t panic just yet, you can protect yourself by installing anti-spyware software, sometimes included in all-purpose “anti-malware” software. Note that most reputable antivirus software also come bundled with anti-spyware solutions.

Adware

Are you redirected to a particular page every time you start your browser? Do you get pop ups when surfing the internet? If either situation sounds familiar, you’re likely dealing with adware. Also known as Potential Unwanted Programs (PUP), adware isn’t designed to steal your data, but to get you to click on fraudulent ads. Whether you click on the ad or not, adware can significantly slow down your computer since they take up valuable bandwidth. Worse still, they’re often attached with other types of malware.

Some adware programs come packaged with legitimate software and trick you into accepting their terms of use, which make them especially difficult to remove. To eradicate adware, you’ll need a solution with specialized adware removal protocols.

Scareware

This type of malware works like adware except that it doesn’t make money by tricking you into clicking on ads, but by scaring you into buying a software you don’t need. An example is a pop up ad that tells you your computer is infected with a virus and you need to buy a certain software to eliminate it. If you fall for one of these tactics and click on the ad, you’ll be redirected to a website where you can buy the fake antivirus software.

Scareware acts more like a diversion from the other malware that often comes with it. A good antivirus solution will help scan for scareware too, but you should patch your operating systems regularly just to be safe.

Ransomware

Ransomware has become increasingly common and hostile. It encrypts your computer files and holds them hostage until you’ve paid a fee for the decryption code. Because ransomware comes with sophisticated encryption, there aren’t many options unless you have backups of your data.

There are some tools that can protect against ransomware but we recommend that you backup your data and practice safe web browsing habits.

Worms

Similar to viruses, worms replicate themselves to widen the scope of their damage. However, worms don’t require human intervention to replicate themselves as they use security flaws to transmit from one computer to the next, making them far more dangerous than your typical virus. They often spread via email, sending emails to everyone in an infected user’s contact list, which was exactly the case with the ILOVEYOU worm that cost businesses approximately $5.5 billion worth of damage.

The easiest ways to protect your network from worms is to use a firewall to block external access to your computer network, and to be careful when clicking on unknown links in your email or unknown messages on social media.

Trojans

Usually downloaded from rogue websites, Trojans create digital backdoors that allow hackers to take control of your computer without your knowledge. They can steal your personal information, your files, or cause your computer to stop working. Sometimes hackers will use your computer as a proxy to conceal their identity or to send out spam.

To avoid trojan attacks, you should never open emails or download attachments from unknown senders. If you’re skeptical, use your antivirus software to scan every file first.

In order to keep malware at bay, you need to invest in security solutions with real-time protection and apply security best practices within your office. If you have any questions or concerns, or simply need advice on how to strengthen your business’s security, just give us a call and we’ll be happy to help.

macOS High Sierra 101

Rejoice Apple users, the new macOS High Sierra is now available as a public beta! So let’s cut to the chase and address the long-awaited question: What’s new and exciting here? In terms of visible features, not a lot, but that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. With that in mind, here’s macOS High Sierra’s new features.

Photos

Photos gets the most visual upgrade designed to improve user experience especially for those with numerous pictures to browse through. The toolbar has been revamped and is now customizable, allowing you to re-order sections. Media is now organized by content type, like Bursts, Live Photos, Panoramas and more.

Apple has also brought in a new editing tool with plenty of filters and basic photo-editing features like Curves, a color adjusting tool, and Selective Color, a dropper tool that allows you to choose a certain color and manipulate it according to its hue, saturation, etc. What’s more, if you’re already using other photo-editing software like Photoshop or Pixelmator, you’ll now be able to open images on those programs directly through Photos. No more going back and forth over importing images.

High Sierra’s new editing tools will also be available in the iPhone’s Live Photo feature, allowing you to crop and adjust the color of animated images in the toolbar.

Safari

Safari’s settings now feature a Website pane that allows you to customize the way you interact with different sites. You can make a site always appear in Reader Mode, shut off autoplay, apply content blockers, and more.

But the real excitement comes with Intelligent Tracking Prevention, a new feature that uses machine learning to remove cross-site tracking. This is ideal for sites with annoying tracking tendencies and eliminates things like advertising cookies, so the things you shopped for don’t follow you to every site you visit.

Useful contextual information, however, is saved for pages you actually visit so not all will be lost. This feature is activated by default but you can disable it in Safari’s settings.

New file system

Introduced at the last WWDC, Apple’s new file system, known as Apple File System (APFS), is finally seeing the light of day with High Sierra. Apple claims that APFS is a crucial component in making High Sierra its fastest operating system ever.

What’s so special about APFS? Speed, efficiency, and security. Copying large files now runs almost instantly on Apple File, plus it supports far more files than ever, letting you put nine quintillion of them onto a single volume. It’s also backwards compatible with all of your current formatted drives and features multikey encryption that integrates with all of your Apple devices.

Be warned that installation could take some time. This is because High Sierra is converting your boot drive to support the new file system. While Apple is confident that all your files will be intact, we recommend you conduct a full system backup prior to installation just to be on the safe side.

Other minor upgrades

• Siri: You can expect a new voice for Siri just in time for the arrival of Apple’s HomePod, the company’s take on smart home assistants.
• Metal 2: Apple’s graphics API gets VR and external GPUs support.
• Mail: Messages are compressed differently to ensure they use up to 35 percent less space than before.
• Spotlight: Finder’s built-in search now features flight tracking (also added to Safari). Just type in a flight number and it will provide relevant information like status, delays, gates, etc.
• FaceTime: You can now snap a Live Photo-style moving screenshot of your conversation with another person while FaceTiming.
• Messages: Conversations are now automatically stored in iCloud to improve syncing across Apple devices and free up local storage space.

While macOS High Sierra might not be the most exciting upgrade in Apple history, it’s an imperative one focused on refining an existing product, one that builds a solid foundation for Apple’s future technology. If you’d like to know more about other Apple products and how they can drive value for your business, just give us a call and we’ll be happy to help.