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AKA Comp’s Signature THE MODERN SCHOOL IT Solution has been implemented across many schools around Illinois. As Back-to-School is in full swing, check out the full suite of services available via this signature solution. Some services may be brought à la carte.

Contact us today or visit www.akacomp.com/education To learn more about this signature The Most Common Ways solution. Hackers Access Your Network You are under attack. Right now, For a FREE consultation, call me di- cybercrime rings in China, Russia, and the 2 We strongly recommend an rectly at 773-733-4402 or email me at Ukraine are hacking into small businesses acceptable use policy that limits the like yours to steal credit cards, client websites employees can access with work [email protected] information, and swindle money directly devices as well as work material they TODAY! out of your bank account. Some are even access with personal devices. We can being funded by their own government to easily set up permissions that regulate attack American businesses, and half of all which websites your employees access July / August 2017 cyberattacks are aimed at small and what they do with company-owned businesses. The National Cyber Security devices, even granting certain users more This monthly Alliance reports that one in five small freedom than others. You also need to publication businesses have been victims of detail what an employee can or cannot do provided cybercrime in the last year. It’s critical that with personal devices when taking work courtesy of you protect yourself from the following 10 home. Abdul K Ahmed, vulnerabilities. President of 3 Weak passwords are bad news; AKA Comp 1 Poorly trained employees are the passcodes should be at least eight Solutions, Inc biggest risk. It’s common for an employee characters long with both lower and “As an organization owner, you to infect an entire network by opening uppercase letters and include symbols don’t have time to waste on and clicking a phishing email designed to and at least one number. On a company look like legitimate correspondence from cellphone, requiring a passcode makes technical and operational issues. a trusted source. If they don’t know how stolen devices harder to compromise. That’s where we shine! Call us to spot infected emails or online scams, Again, this can be enforced by your and put an end to your IT employees can easily compromise your network administrator so employees problems finally and forever!” entire network. don’t get lazy and put your > Get More Free Tips, Tools and Services At Our Web Site: www.akacomp.com/claim (773) 733-4393 Continued pg.2 The Tech Journal July / August 2017 organization at risk. weak one does you little good. This, too, should be done by your IT person or company as part of their regular, routine 4 If your networks aren’t patched, new vulnerabilities maintenance. (which are common in programs you already use, such as Office) can be exploited by hackers. It’s critical that Many hackers exploit your devices when you connect to you patch and update your systems frequently. If you’re 8 public Wi-Fi, getting you to connect to their under a managed IT plan, this Wi-Fi instead of the legitimate public one. can be automated so you never Always check with a store or restaurant miss an important update. employee to verify the name of the Wi-Fi they are providing. And never access 5 Are you backed up in financial or medical data or enter your multiple places? Aggressive credit card information when surfing ransomware attacks, where a public Wi-Fi. hacker holds files for ransom until you pay a fee, can be foiled It may be one of the oldest tricks in the by backing up your data. You 9 book, but phishing emails still work. The won’t have to pay a crook to get goal is to get you to download a virus by them back. A good backup will clicking a link or getting you to enter your also protect you against login information on a clone of a legitimate accidental deletion and natural website. disasters, and it should be automated. 10 In 2009, social engineers posed as Coca-Cola’s CEO, persuading an executive One of the fastest ways 6 to open an email with software that infiltrated the network. cybercriminals access networks is by duping employees to Social engineering is another old-school tactic, but, like download malicious software by embedding it within phishing, it works well. Hackers pretend to be you, and people downloadable files, games, or other innocent-looking apps. often fall for it. This can largely be prevented with a secure firewall and employee training and monitoring. If you are concerned about cybercriminals gaining access to your network, then call us to learn more about implementing a managed security plan for your business. You’ve spent a Not all firewalls are created equal. A firewall blocks 7 lifetime working hard to get where you are and have earned everything you haven’t specifically allowed to enter or leave every penny and every client. Why risk losing it all? Get the your network. But all firewalls need monitoring and facts and be certain your business, reputation, and data are maintenance, just like all devices on your network, and a protected.

Free Cyber-Security Audit Will Reveal Where Your Computer Network Is Exposed and How to Protect Your Company Now

At no cost or obligation, our highly skilled team of IT pros will come to your office and conduct a comprehensive Cyber Security Audit to uncover loopholes in your company’s IT security.

After the audit is done, we’ll prepare a customized “Report Of Findings” that will reveal specif- ic vulnerabilities and provide a Prioritized Action Plan for getting these security problems ad- dressed fast. This report and action plan should be a real eye-opener for you since almost all of the businesses we’ve done this for discover they are completely exposed to various threats in a number of areas. To get started and claim your free assessment now call our office at 773-733-4393.

Get More Free Tips, Tools and Services At Our Web Site: www.akacomp.com/claim (773) 733-4393 The Tech Journal July / August 2017 Shiny New Gadget : Are You in a State of Stuck? Here’s How to Win HERE ONE the Battle Against Inertia By Andy Bailey

Momentum is key to business growth. hurdles that might get in the way of When you’re moving forward and good achieving your goal, so you can work things are happening, it can feel almost around those circumstances and find your effortless. One action leads to the next, best path to success. and you’re achieving results at a rapid pace. 4 Make yourself accountable. It can be But what if you had a good run, and easy to tell yourself that you’re going to you’re now feeling a little stuck? It could do something, but if you make your be that you’re suffering from inertia. It’s intentions public, it’s much tougher to very real and can be very destructive. I make excuses and abandon your The next time you’re sitting work with businesses every day, and even commitments. on a plane with a wailing the most seasoned leaders experience baby, imagine being able to inertia from time to time. simply turn down the poor 5 Do it now! There’s no time to waste The good news is that there’s always a and there’s a lot of power in the present kid’s volume. Or you’re way out — it depends on you. The key is moment. No matter how small the first hanging out in a crowded bar, to get moving. Shake things up and make step is, make every effort to take it struggling to hear your choices that force you out of your state of immediately. Demonstrate to yourself and friends, and you boost just stuck. others that you’re committed to the their voices. That’s the process and you’re ready to move Take these five steps to break through forward. In the words of Lao Tzu, “The promise behind Doppler Labs’ inertia and get your wheels rolling again: journey of a thousand miles begins with Here One earbuds, which let one step.” Take that step as soon as you can. users manipulate sounds in the Get specific about what you want to world around them thanks to 1 accomplish. What do you want to do, and I’m a big Yoda fan, and I quote him a lot. onboard microphones and what does success mean? In creating your Here’s my favorite line of his: “There is no sound processors. In practice, goal, ask yourself, “What does that look try … only do.” Trying won’t get you the Here Ones are often better like?” And be specific about your answer! anywhere. Set your goal, figure out how are quieting general Avoid using words like “less” or “more” to meet it, and really do it. Anything else —those terms mean nothing. background noise rather than will stop your momentum in its tracks specific sounds. But and lead to inertia (or the Dark Side, as Doppler’s innovation reveals 2 Plan it out. What steps are necessary As the founder of Petra Coach, Andy Bailey how the headphone tech of to reach your goal? How will you ensure can cut through organizational BS faster than your success? Write it all out and a hot knife through butter, showing tomorrow could make us indicate when you plan to complete each organizations the logjams thwarting their masters of the audio universe step. Set dates for completion and stick to around us. them. success and coaching them past the excuses By: Alex Fitzpatrick,Lisa we all use to avoid doing what needs to be Eadicicco,John Patrick Pullen,Matt done. Andy learned how to build great Ask what might get in your way. If Peckham on www.time.com 3 organizations by building a great business, you set a goal, but you don’t think about which he started in potential obstacles, you’re setting yourself up for failure. For example, if college. It then grew you want to go to the gym three times a into an Inc. 500 week at 5 a.m., but haven’t considered multimillion-dollar that you may be needed at home to help national company that with child care, you’re probably not he successfully sold and going to the gym. Get real about any exited. www.hereplus.me

Get More Free Tips, Tools and Services At Our Web Site: www.akacomp.com/claim (773) 733-4393 The Tech Journal July / August 2017

Is Your Coffee Maker or one company, Anker, is trying without physical access or user Thermostat a Security Threat? out its platform in Seattle. action. The bug would have Internet-connected devices, Power-bank sharing is the way exploited Windows Defender, including coffee makers and of the future, or so Anker Microsoft’s in-house antivirus thermostats, are slated to hit 20 believes, anyway. People use software, and left anybody billion in number by 2020. That bike-sharing services because it running Microsoft Windows makes them ripe for hacking, as provides for some convenience. vulnerable. As we saw last November with People used to buy products, engineers note in a report on DDOS attacks that targeted now they want a service. the bug, to pull off the attack a smart devices in addition to Today, people think that they hacker would have only had to regular laptops and computers. need to bring a portable send a specialized email or trick Standard security measures charger out with them. That a user into visiting a malicious apply, including strong might change with power bank website, or otherwise sneak an passwords and from home use -sharing. Whether people will illicit file onto a device. This policies. Get your IT people pay $1.99/day so they don’t also isn’t just a case of clicking trained on smart device have to bring a charger with the wrong link; because security, and only use those them remains to be seen. Microsoft’s antivirus protection devices if totally necessary. Mashable.com - May 9, 2017 automatically inspects every SmallBusinessComputing.com – incoming file, including A Vicious Microsoft Bug November 30, 2016 unopened email attachments, Left A Billion PCs Exposed. all it takes to fall victim is an Speaking of which, thank Phone Power Companies inbox. Microsoft has since goodness security researchers Are Here To Prevent You From patched the bug. Wired.com – in May found the exec bug in Ever Letting Your Battery Die. May 9, 2017 Phone charging on the fly is a Windows that could have been growing market in China, and used by hackers to gain entry Makes Landline Phones Trendy Again. They say that everything old is new again, and landlines are making an Amazon comeback thanks to the tech company’s new Echo Show system. Similar to the existing home assistant Echo system, the Echo Show includes robust speakers, a camera, and a video touch screen to facilitate video calls with family and friends. Retailing for just north of $200, the Echo Show might be the future of athome phone calls, in addition to its other home- assistant functions. TechCrunch.com – May 13, 2017 Get More Free Tips, Tools and Services At Our Web Site: www.akacomp.com/claim (773) 733-4393