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When an Internet Service Provider (ISP) installs internet access in your business, you are usually provided with a router/firewall combination. Do you need to invest in a commercial-grade firewall, or is the ISP’s firewall sufficient? Let’s start with a simple description of what a firewall is and how it protects your network from intruders. The role of a firewall is to determine what data can come in, and what data will not be allowed. The pieces of data that arrive at your firewall are called packets. For a basic firewall, the rule is simple:  If somebody requested the packet, it is allowed into the network. If the packet was not requested, the firewall burns the packet. The graphic below shows a typical small business network. BASIC FIREWALL – LIKE FROM YOUR ISP When a packet approaches the firewall, It is analyzed to see if it should be let in. A basic firewall is only going to ask one question before deciding to let the packet of information into the network: Was the packet requested by someone inside the firewall? COMMERCIAL-GRADE FIREWALL When a packet approaches a commercial-grade firewall, it is scrutinized much more carefully and in BOTH directions – IN and OUT, When it decides to let the packet pass through, the decision is logged in a database. The activity log proves invaluable in chasing down and isolating data breaches. Here are some of the things a business-class firewall considers before letting a packet pass: Was the password Requested? Is the packet SAFE to let in or does the packet contain a virus, malware, or other malicious code? Is the destination internet address listed on any “blacklists” due to bad activity coming from there? Is traffic from the country of origin allowed? Does the corporate policy for content filtering allow access to the material that is on the destination website? The chart below shows examples of the types of traffic that are allowed or blocked by the different firewall options. The commercial-grade firewall is not only a strong defense against unsolicited traffic, but it also gives business control over what content is allowed on their network. Business-class firewalls are surprisingly affordable. If you would like help evaluating whether it’s right for your home or business, please give us or fill out the contact form below.

Cyber Criminals are taking advantage of the COVID-19 pandemic in some of the worse ways. Read on to learn how to avoid their evil scams… 1. Phishing: Phishing (pronounced fishing) occurs when criminals send fake mail, email, or phone calls pretending they are legit. They try to convince you to share your sensitive information like passwords or credit card details. They pretend they are from an organization you know, such as FedEx, UPS, or even a government agency. 2. Fake Products: Keep your eye on e-commerce websites, social media accounts, and emails from people and stores claiming to sell medical supplies currently in high demand. Supplies might include things like hand sanitizer, toilet paper, and surgical masks. When you make purchases from these fake stores, criminals will keep your money, but you will never see the products you purchased. 3. Fake Charity: Individuals and companies, sometimes with real-sounding names, call or email to ask for donations for people and groups affected by the coronavirus. Some of their elaborate backstories sound extremely legitimate and emotional but completely fake. 4. Medical scams: People are getting calls and emails from people pretending to be hospital workers or medical professionals claiming they treated someone they know for the coronavirus and demand payment. 5. Malware. Think of these malicious applications as Trojan Horses. You download them to your computer or phone for some purpose, and behind the scenes, the program is stealing your personal information. Sometimes these record your logins to banking sites, email, Facebook, etc., and send the data back to the hackers. 6. Zoom Bombing. Lots of businesses, schools, and individuals are using Zoom to hold online meetings. To make it easier, meeting hosts often don’t require a password. Unfortunately, not having a password makes it all too easy for hackers to jump on your meeting and flood your virtual room with swear and porn. They can embed virus code in the image files or stealthily share a file with all the participants that have virus or malware code in it. Check our blog next week for details on how to keep hackers out of your Zoom meetings. The number one way to protect yourself from cybercrime is to use strong passwords on your computer, phone, and meetings and make sure your computer is tuned up and secure. If you ever feel concerned that your computer system is hacked or you just want a security checkup, please contact us at 774-241-8600 or submit the quick contact form on this page. We’re always here to help!

Sometimes, it’s obvious, right?  There is a big obnoxious warning that pops up and tells you that you are infected and you need to call for support! Don’t call the number presented because that’s a scam. Call us instead!  Other times, the infection is much more subtle. Here are some things to watch out for… Signs that your computer is infected with a virus or malware Random pop-ups – if you are using your computer, especially the web browser and you are getting a lot of pop-up messages without clicking If you click a link in a web search but get an unexpected, less relevant result If in the bottom right, you are bombarded with notifications and solicitations If your browser has extra “toolbars” across the top or bottom that weren’t always there, or that you don’t see on other computers If you suddenly can’t open documents on your computer that you have always been able to open You are prompted for a password at a strange time. Such as when you are just working on a Word document or browsing a website that doesn’t require login Your virus scanning software is no longer running – malware or a virus may have shut it down If you have any of these problems, please call us for help! If you aren’t sure if you are infected, we are glad to offer a free consultation. Just fill out the Quick Contact form or call us at 774-241-8600.

Since the Coronavirus pandemic outbreak, there has been a massive surge of remote workers. Your information is at risk when remote access is not done correctly! Read on to learn what to avoid when it comes to remote workers. Remote access requires careful thought and planning to keep business data private and safe. As a result of COVID-19, many organizations are rushing to piece together remote access solutions to mobilize their workforce and remain productive while serving customers.  The haste to mobilize has created a dangerous situation for business data.  Since the Coronavirus pandemic outbreak, there has been a massive surge of remote workers. Your information is at risk when remote access is not done correctly! Read on to learn what to avoid when it comes to remote workers. Remote access requires careful thought and planning to keep business data private and safe. As a result of COVID-19, many organizations are rushing to piece together remote access solutions to mobilize their workforce and remain productive while serving customers.  The haste to mobilize has created a dangerous situation for business data.   Here are some of the things I see happening that create the riskiest scenarios: VPN Connections are being set up quickly by inexperienced personnel, and their encryption policies are weak.  Companies lack the knowledge to accurately monitor remote activity to identify and mitigate a data breach that originates from these new remote channels. When a VPN is not available, very insecure connections are being created to remote desktop servers, or directly to desktops. Remote desktop connections that are open to the outside world are vulnerable to all types of hacking. If systems have not been regularly patched and maintained, they are at risk of known vulnerabilities that hackers will exploit. Employees may be using their own computers to log in from home, and the individual’s computers lack adequate security protection.  The lack of sufficient security on the home computers allows an attack from the inside – through the VPN. An attack launched from within the trusted, secure tunnel is tough to identify and close the door on. Entry-level or free versions of software like Team Viewer, Logmein, or GoToMyPC are being used to provide remote control over office desktops. The limited versions of these software packages generally work well but offer limited or NO AUDITING capability. If your system is compromised, you will not know what the thieves stole or how long they had access to your business data. Centrend wants to help.  We are now offering free consultation AND free implementation of remote access solutions to businesses affected by COVID-19. Reach us at 508-347-9550 or submit the Quick Contact form below to get help.